About the Guest:

Livia is a pioneer in the intersection of yoga and psychology with a dedication to embodiment. She is known for weaving together yogic teachings, disciplined asana and somatic psychology in clear and meaningful ways inspiring teachers and students alike towards greater safety, trust and the discovery of their own truth. She is known for her wit, humor and fierce-love as well as her ability to actually ‘teach’ yoga so you make it your own. A scholar-practioner, her passion for learning and irreverent reverence is infectious. Her methods of teaching straddle old school lectures and new school unconventional experiential models.

In this Episode, we discussed:

1. The difference between somatic psychology and traditional/folk psychology.
2. Problems associated with the proliferation of yoga in Western culture and our attempt to fit eastern practices into a Western psyche.
3. Deconstruction/critique of what’s happening in the Western yoga community from a cultural/critical perspective.
4. Dynamics around power, privilege, transference, countertransference and erotic transference in regards to the teacher/student relationship.
5. How self-care can be an important and beneficial developmental practice vs. a cluttered and narcissistic way of relating to the self and others.