74. What Most Yoga Teachers Never Learn About the Full Spectrum of Practice

What happens when yoga becomes more than postures? In this conversation, Kate O'Donnell is joined by Amy Landry, Australian yoga teacher, classical Odissi dancer, Ayurveda practitioner, and author of the forthcoming book The Ocean of Yoga. Together they explore what it means to walk yoga as a full spiritual path rather than a fitness practice.

 

Amy shares her rare journey through India's sacred arts, studying Odissi classical dance in Orissa, deepening in Ayurveda, and eventually channeling years of study and teaching into a book designed to give practitioners the broad, cohesive foundation most yoga trainings don't provide.

 

What We Cover

• How Odissi classical dance and yoga are expressions of the same liberatory practice
• Why Amy believes the yoga industry leaves practitioners craving more depth
• The dissolution of self as the highest aim in both dance and yoga
• How to find spiritual depth without a formal teacher
• Why your yoga practice should change with the seasons of your life
• Reading traditional yoga texts alongside multiple translations
• Setting sunrise, midday, and sunset alarms as a simple spiritual practice
• How Amy wrote her book while breastfeeding and adapting to motherhood
• Ayurvedic morning and evening rhythms Amy weaves into daily life
• What the Ocean of Yoga offers practitioners and teachers beyond asana

 

About Amy Landry

Amy Landry is an Australian yoga teacher, classical Odissi dancer, Ayurveda practitioner, and the author of The Ocean of Yoga, published by Shambhala Publications (March 31). She has spent decades studying in India across multiple traditions, including Odissi dance at a traditional school in Orissa, and holds a diploma in Ayurveda. She currently teaches yoga and leads an online 300-hour teacher training in Melbourne.

 

Website: https://amyelandry.com/oceanofyoga/

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/00uecEGOZwCLAs9V9q6Gfp?si=d26499131bc74b1f

Book: The Ocean of Yoga — available March 31

 

Take-Home Practices

• Set alarms for sunrise, midday, and sunset — use each moment to pause and return to presence
• Begin reading a traditional yoga text alongside two or three different translations
• Lie on your left side for one to two minutes before rising to stimulate digestion
• Allow your yoga practice to shift with your season of life rather than forcing consistency
• Weave ritual into daily life rather than keeping spiritual practice confined to the mat

 

Relevant Links

• The Ocean of Yoga by Amy Landry — Shambhala Publications, March 31
• Pre-order bonus: Free mini course with all pre-orders before March 31
• Kate O'Donnell: healwithkate.org
• Everyday Ayurveda with Kate: available on all major podcast platforms

 

Call to Action

If this conversation sparked something in your practice, subscribe to Everyday Ayurveda with Kate and share it with a yoga teacher or student in your life. To explore Ayurveda support, visit healwithkate.org.

 

Health Disclaimer

The information shared on Everyday Ayurveda with Kate is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplements, or wellness routine.

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