Shadow to Self with Acharya Shunya

Sita's Gems: Reclaiming Sita's Voice from the Shadows

Sita, the heroine of the Hindu epic Ramayana and a divine feminine avatar of Lakshmi, is often misunderstood. She is praised for her patience, remembered for her suffering, but rarely honored for her sovereign choices, her hidden fire, her radical return to Self. In this extraordinary episode, Acharya Shunya brings together the creators of Sitayana—a groundbreaking audio retelling of the Ramayana through Sita's eyes. Together with producer Michael Sternfeld, devotional artist Nina Rao, mystic Mirabai Starr, and author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, she explores exile, dharma, silence, devotion, and the moment when Sita says no… and returns to the Earth. Includes a stirring passage from "Sita Returns to Mother Earth" and a devotional song offered by Nina Rao to invoke her presence through sacred sound.

Creativity Without Chains – From Shadow to Self with Dr. Shamini Jain

Acharya Shunya is joined by Dr. Shamini Jain—clinical psychologist, award-winning researcher, founder of the Consciousness and Healing Initiative, and author of Healing Ourselves. Drawing from her Jain upbringing, her work in biofield science, and her love for the goddess, music and mantra, Dr. Jain speaks with Acharya Shunya about the healing source field, the four paths of yoga, and how embracing every part of ourselves—shadow and light—frees both our creativity and our spirit.

What Melts the Shadow? A Journey Through Five Inner Glaciers

Beneath your spiritual practices may live five ancient forces freezing your truth: the kleshas. In this poetic and piercing episode, Acharya Shunya reveals how real Yoga doesn't just soothe you—it thaws the false self. Journey through the inner glaciers of ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, and fear—and rediscover the Self that's always been there. This is not lifestyle yoga. This is serious awakening.

The Yoga's Way to Win Life

In this episode of Shadow to Self, Acharya Shunya flips the script: Real yogis don't chase life—they serve it. And that's when life starts giving back. Drawing from the fire of Karma Yoga, she reveals the true turning point: when your life becomes an offering, not a performance. The Yogi's Way to Win in Life Yoga isn't a chase. It's a fire. Listen now—and stop waiting. Start burning.

Karmic Relief & the Real Yoga of Imperfect Lives

What if your stuckness, your suffering, even your failure to "get it right" on the spiritual path… is not a detour, but the path itself? In this compelling conversation, Vedic teacher Acharya Shunya meets with Phil Goldberg, bestselling author of American Veda and the forthcoming Karmic Relief: Harnessing the Laws of Cause and Effect for a Joyful, Meaningful Life (releasing October 2025). Together, they explore the deeper teachings of karma, yoga, imperfection, and inner transformation beyond spiritual clichés. Topics include: What karma really means (it's not a punishment system!) How modern yoga lost its roots—and what we can reclaim Why the Bhagavad Gita, not the Yoga Sutras, is the yogi's true guide The danger of performative sadhana vs. sincere practice How pain can teach what pleasure cannot This conversation will land for seekers who've outgrown "quick-fix" spirituality—and want the real thing: a path that's raw, honest, wise, and human.  Phil Goldberg is a respected voice in global yoga circles and the host of Spirit Matters Podcast. He's been immersed in Vedic teachings for over 50 years.  Season 2 of Shadow to Self is themed "Yoga Burns Again"—a call to rekindle the true fire of inner awakening.  Learn more at: PhilipGoldberg.com | AcharyaShunya.com  Karmic Relief releases October 2025