Yoga Stories: Ashoka

This week Monica and Matt speak with Ashoka Mody, an economics
professor at Princeton. Born and raised in India, Ashoka's first
asana practice began between graduating from High School and
going to University. The Ashram providing the classes was just
opposite his school. A great believer in
chance/coincidence/conjuncture, his journey led him to begin
transcendental meditation and then on to study with Swami
Akhandanandji in Vrindavan, the town where Lord Krishna grew
up.

After moving to the USA, he continued a dual track - also
studying at the Himalayan Institute. His has been a lifelong
spiritual practice - of yoga asana, meditation and study of the
Vedic Scriptures. Study and practice is best when you keep
bringing it into your practical and daily life - something taught
to Ashoka that we can all live by. 

Ashoka gives us his recommendations for starting a spiritual
reading practice and he recommends that over looking for, or
recommending a guru. A good place for those of us in the West to
start is with the translations of the Yoga Sutra and the
Bhagavad-Gita by Christopher Isherwood. 

We found this interview to be warm and inspiring and we hope you
do too!