Off the Mat | Play & the Art of Doing Things Badly on Purpose

Off the Mat | Play & the Art of Doing Things Badly on Purpose

What happens when we stop treating everything — our workouts, our hobbies, even our yoga — as something to perfect, track, and check off a list? In this Off the Mat conversation, Kyle and David unpack the theme behind Kyle's hour-long class: Leela, the yogic idea of divine play — playing purely for the sake of play. Fresh off Electric Forest, Kyle shares what a music festival reawakens about fun, silliness, and not taking ourselves so seriously. Together they explore why play tends to fade as we grow up, how "being good" quietly replaces joy somewhere around childhood, and what it means to wobble, fall out of the pose, and try things badly on purpose. They get honest about productivity culture, tracking apps, and the pressure to have everything planned and perfect before we begin — plus where each of them wants to lower the stakes and play more this summer. A reminder to loosen your grip, get on the bike, and stop taking it all so seriously. Chime In: How do you incorporate play into your life or yoga practice? Head to yogapodclass.com and let us know — we may share some responses on the show. New episodes every Thursday. Find us on Instagram at @yogapodclass or our website yogapodclass.com. [https://www.yogapodclass.com]

60-Minute Intermediate Vinyassa | Brining Play Into Your Practice

This class works with play . Class begins at 5:25. Not play as a break from the real work, but as the mindset itself. In yoga it's called Lilla, the idea that practice can be creation for its own sake rather than something to get right. You'll feel it in the sun salutations you're invited to improvise, in chair pose lifting into a wobbly drinking bird, and in half moon, where balancing means shaking and falling out and going again without calling it failure. A 60-minute flow, led by Kyle. A block helps in half moon and extended side angle. Notice what shifts when you let a pose be imperfect on purpose. New episodes every Thursday. Find us on Instagram @yogapodclass and on our website ⁠⁠yodapodclass.com⁠⁠ [yodapodclass.com].

Off The Mat | Do Less, Breathe More

Let life be a little lighter. Ease is a practice too. Kyle and David sit down to explore what "Do Less, Breathe More" actually means. Not just in class, but in the real patterns of overextending that show up in work, relationships, rest, and practice itself. David discusses wanting to go deeper into asanas such as revolved crescent lunge, handstands, and advanced shapes. Kyle challenges him: "What are you hoping to achieve by more depth?" They dig into how the pursuit of depth and performance can make yoga an external thing rather than an internal practice. They talk about burnout, crashing from overextension, using busyness to avoid uncomfortable feelings, and what it means to prioritize presence and breath over how a pose looks. They also discuss the cost of never pulling back, physically and mentally. This is a real conversation about redefining what "advanced" actually means. Most of the time, it's not what we originally think. New episodes every Thursday. Find us on Instagram @yogapodclass.

18-Minute Simple Vinyasa Yoga| Do Less, Breathe More

What if you stopped chasing depth and started pursuing breath? Class begins at 4:44. David guides you through an 18-minute power class with a radical shift in priorities: Do Less, Breathe More. There aren't many poses. Instead, he invites you to slow down, root deeper into your breath, and pursue ujjayi—not the deepest depth. You'll move through simple sun salutations, warrior sequences, and some longer holds. The whole time, David reminds you: if your breath gets choppy, you're doing too much. Ease up. Gather yourself. Come back to what matters. New episodes every Thursday. Find us on Instagram @yogapodclass and on our website ⁠yodapodclass.com⁠ [yodapodclass.com].

Off the Mat: Brahmacharya: The Right Use of Energy

Where does your energy go when you're not looking? In this Off the Mat conversation, Kyle and David unpack brahmacharya,the yogic principle of the right use of energy  and how it shows up far beyond the mat. Following Kyle's restorative yoga practice on brahmacharya, the two get honest about energy leaks: compulsive scrolling, over-committing, people-pleasing, and the quiet ways we drain ourselves before the day's even over. They explore why rest so often feels like something we have to earn, the difference between doing and simply being, and what it really means to stop "leaking" energy in a culture that treats time as currency. Along the way, Kyle traces brahmacharya from its classical roots in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras to its modern interpretation, while both hosts reflect on overextending, type-A tendencies, the pressure to perform ( even on the yoga mat) and learning to honor what the body actually needs. Whether you're navigating burnout, exploring yoga philosophy, or simply curious about working with your energy instead of against it, this episode is an invitation to pause and ask: Is this where my energy wants to go? In this episode: * What brahmacharya means and how its meaning has evolved * The Yamas and Niyamas explained * Recognizing your personal energy leaks * Why restorative yoga can feel so hard for high achievers * Rest, worth, and the myth that rest must be earned Chime In: Where in your life are you currently overextending, and what's making it hard to pull back? Leave us a voice or written message at yogapodclass.com. [https://www.yogapodclass.com] Join us in Sayulita, Mexico for our 2027 yoga retreat (March 27–April 3). Details under the Retreat tab at yogapodclass.com. Yoga Pod Class is a screen-free yoga podcast. Some weeks we guide you through practice; other weeks we explore how the patterns we notice on the mat show up in everyday life.