Adam Keen on the Heart of Ashtanga Yoga, Empowerment, Mental Health, the Spine & Transformation

Join me, Shawna Krueger, for an epic interview with Adam Keen. This will be an episode that will further develop your understanding of Ashtanga, and it will be Ashtanga-newbie friendly. I found Adam’s podcast, Keen on Yoga, long before I had my own, over two years ago, when I was trying to figure out what Ashtanga yoga really was. Adam has been practicing yoga since 1999 and teaching Ashtanga since 2004. He is one of the very few practitioners anywhere to have completed the Advanced A series in Mysore under the guidance of Sharathji and received level 2 authorization in 2012. Find Adam on instagram: @adam_keen_ashtanga Adam’s website: https://www.keenonyoga.com/  Find me on instagram: @shawnakru Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga and Adam Keen 03:04 Adam's journey into yoga and documenting its history 06:07 The evolution of Ashtanga yoga 09:05 Understanding the Ashtanga community 11:59 Misconceptions about Ashtanga yoga 14:49 The role of the spine in yoga practice 17:52 The importance of structure in yoga 20:52 Personal transformation through yoga 23:57 The connection between body and mind 27:01 The role of the gut in mental health 30:29 The impact of yoga on digestion 32:00 Jumping back and through: A key Ashtanga technique 33:55 Is Ashtanga yoga for everyone? 36:55 The importance of breath in yoga 40:08 Understanding Mysore style yoga 44:59 Self-practice: The essence of yoga 50:54 Qualities of an exceptional leader 54:46 The billboard question: Be yourself (and a long subtitle)