Podcast Recap: David Swenson on Ashtanga Yoga and Life Beyond the Mat
In this special conversation with Shawna Krueger, we trace a winding path—from practicing in public parks in 1969 (yes, with the police showing up!) to becoming a global Ashtanga teacher. We revisit first encounters with Pattabhi Jois in the U.S., three epic drives from Texas to Costa Rica to film a yoga-and-surf adventure, and the restless search that followed after completing every series.
What We Explore
Origins & Lineage: How early misadventures refined my view of the eight limbs of yoga beyond the mat.
Seeking Depth: From a 40-day grape fast to five years in the Hare Krishna tradition, and how these chapters reframed the eight limbs of yoga as a lived compass.
Practice & Language: A heartfelt look at namaste meaning, how cultural context, humility, and service inform the way we greet and meet each other, and how namaste meaning evolves through time and travel.
Modern Integration: Practical ways the eight limbs of yoga can guide choices in teaching, touring, and everyday life, without dogma.
Memoir Sneak Peek
I also share pages from my upcoming memoir, Only Dead Fish Go with the Flow—stories, lessons, and the small moments that clarified namaste meaning in action. If you’ve ever wondered how the eight limbs of yoga show up amid airports, classrooms, and old VW vans, this chapter-by-chapter journey is for you.
Listen In
Laugh, reflect, and travel with us, then keep the conversation going. Stream the episode, share it with a friend, and try one tiny yoga practice today: perhaps ahimsa in your words, or dharana while you commute. Notice how it show up in ordinary moments, from how you greet a stranger to how you breathe before a hard decision. Begin with a simple bow and an honest namaste meaning that centers humility and connection.
Listen to the full episode here!
