Escaping Saṃsāra - Yoga and Meditation Podcast about practices that liberate us. Interviews with spiritual teachers from the yoga world and beyond. We are a group of friends dedicated to exploring the deep teachings of yoga and other spiritual traditions to see what unites them in their search for Truth and how each practitioner has danced with the Mystery. We want to learn from today's elders about their paths and experiences. What has worked, what hasn't and what is downright weird. From California psychedelic culture to Tantric Tibet we span the globe finding out what has helped people on their spiritual journey. We hope that it will be of benefit to our fellow truth seekers. OM
Why I Ditched My Orange Robes (And What I Found in Vietnam) with Bante Panna
Bhante Panya tried the forest monk thing. He wore the Theravada robes in America, followed the Vinaya rules, and watched potential practitioners flee because he looked too foreign, too untouchable, too "religious icon" instead of accessible teacher. So he made a move that freaked out his ego: took Mahayana ordination in Taiwan, moved to Vietnam, and started asking uncomfortable questions about what Buddhism actually needs to look like in the West. This conversation gets real fast.
We're talking about: **The stuff nobody mentions:**
- How your friend group is a mirror of everything you hate about yourself
- The terror of taking the bodhisattva vow
- What happens when you sit next to someone who's actually realized
- Why Theravada meditation might be technically superior but Mahayana community outreach hits different
- How to fight the dark spots in your mind when you can't run to a cave
- The difference between controlling your mind and just not reacting to it
- Why unhealed childhood trauma is probably running your whole spiritual path *
Bhante's books: https://www.amazon.com/Thoughtless-love-cultivation-Bhante-Panna https://www.amazon.com/touching-enlightenment-parable-distance-attachments-ebook Donations for Bhante: https://venmo.com/u/bhante ---
*Escaping Samsara is a weekly podcast exploring authentic Buddhist and yogic practice. Subscribe on Substack (escapingsamsara.substack.com) for free articles, teachings, and more episodes!
30 Sept 2025
Kat Ashtanga: Advanced Practice, Motherhood & Spiritual Growth
In this episode, we sit down with Kat Ashtanga, an advanced practitioner, to explore:
✨ How practice evolves through the different series of poses
✨ Balancing lineage with personal practice
✨ Integrating pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood
✨ The subtle benefits of long term asana practice
✨ How the universal energy of prana is conducted via these poses
Whether you’re deep in your own Ashtanga journey or just beginning to explore, this conversation offers wisdom and inspiration for yogis at all levels.
🔗 Also listen on Spotify / Apple / Substack
👉 Don’t miss exclusive writings, bonus episodes, and behind-the-scenes reflections. Subscribe on Substack today: https://escapingsamsara.substack.com
Here's the only video of the old school Advanced A practice I'm aware of on YT: • Ashtanga Yoga - ORIGINAL 1974 ADVANCED A S... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOntCUA5AnA) F
ind out more about Kat: https://www.kathache.com/
If you enjoyed this episode, please like, comment, and share — it helps the podcast reach more practitioners around the world.
#Ashtanga (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/ashtanga) #YogaPodcast (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/yogapodcast) #EscapingSamsara (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/escapingsamsara) #Meditation (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/meditation) #Motherhood (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/motherhood) #Lineage (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/lineage)
2 Sept 2025
Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind 4/4 *Death* with Daniel Ingram
In the fourth and final episode of our series on The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind, Nathan sits down with renowned Dharma practitioner and ER physician Daniel Ingram to explore the most confronting and transformative contemplation: death.
Drawing from his experience in emergency rooms and deep meditation, Daniel discusses how death can be a powerful catalyst for spiritual urgency, freedom, and insight. They reflect on childhood spirituality, near-death experiences, death rehearsal practices, and the delicate balance between striving and letting go on the path.
If you’ve ever asked yourself what really happens when we die—and how contemplating death can make life more vivid and meaningful—this conversation is for you.
0:13 – Introduction
4:18 – Early spiritual experiences and childhood insights
7:05 – Daniel’s Dharma path and balancing practice with life
13:30 – Contemplating death and its spiritual impact
19:57 – Near-death experiences and ontological humility
24:44 – Do you have a death plan?
32:28 – Death as suffering and transformation
43:06 – The urgency of practice: why not now?
51:48 – Balancing striving with surrender
58:56 – Daniel’s current projects and final thoughts
More about Daniel here: https://www.integrateddaniel.info/
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
48,275
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
17 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
27 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 79 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
91
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
90
Contact Escaping Samsara
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Escaping Samsara?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
