OmStars Yoga TV Channel
This post is to support the new OmStars Yoga TV Channel that is being launched by Kino MacGregor and Kerri Verna. Their innovative idea is to provide authentic yoga teachings over a television platform. They hope to increase the presence of yoga in the world and make it a better place for all. I have known and worked with Kino and Kerri for a long time and am confident that they will succeed in reflecting yogic wisdom that is grounded in the tradition in a way that resonates with modern lifestyles.
Their project is being funded by a Kickstarter campaign. Here is the link:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1851092379/live-the-yogi-life-and-illuminate-your-yoga-practi
Here is the announcement of their new project in their own words:
Yoga practice is not about the asanas, or poses—it is about our own, inner journey.
But yoga lifestyle can sometimes feel like a bubble, separate from the mainstream world.
A few years ago I was flipping through all the yoga content available online. I realized that there was nothing that spoke to me as a yogi.
Sure, there was an abundance of yoga classes, but there was not fun, watchable content that showcased the real life struggles of living the yogi life. There was only a sea of drama and angry faces. I wanted to watch someone going through the yoga journey like I was.
Then, a light bulb went off in my head—what if there was a Netflix for yogis?
But I became discouraged. I had previously offered a reality television show built around the yoga lifestyle to major broadcast networks and was rejected more times than I can count.
Not only that, but people in the yoga world pushed back hard against the idea of a reality show about yoga. They said that yoga is sacred and shouldn’t be dramatized for ratings.
They called me all sorts of names and proclaimed that I wasn’t a real yoga teacher, but a yoga cheerleader egging people on in small shorts.
I pitched the idea of a channel dedicated to what it means to really live the yogi life to a series of possible partners and they all turned me down. Some said they didn’t have the funds. Most didn’t believe in the dream.
I nearly gave up on my dream. I’m so glad I didn’t.
I actually agree that yoga shouldn’t be left in the hands of television executives who equate ratings with drama. I think this practice is sacred and should be treated with reverence and respect. I think it takes your whole life to really understand what it means to be yogi.
Then I finally realized that I didn’t know anyone except one other person to believe in my dream. I only needed my business partner and best friend Kerri Verna to believe in it enough to put everything on the line to build it ourselves.
And that’s just what we are doing right now, launching our Kickstarter campaign for yoga television channel.
OmStars is a unique combination of high level of training in India with accessibility and reach to the needs and desires of the normal American life.
Sometimes I feel like a yoga encyclopedia. My teaching is much more than just an asana based, but carries the holistic imprint of a lifetime spent with the Indian masters. I carry the torch of reverence, devotion, and humility for the spiritually tradition of yoga.
At the age 27, Kerri was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel, was unhealthy and had consistent pain in her body. She used yoga to overcome her challenges, avoid back surgery, and has helped many people whose lives have been riddled with chronic pain. Kerri calls herself “an American yogi” and her motto is “no perfect people allowed.”
We want to invite people to experience the authenticity, authority, power and presence of the true yoga lifestyle, with a channel owned and built by actual yoga practitioners rather than corporations.
Our channel lives online and speaks directly to yogis all over the world. Here’s why our dream is called OmStars. We combined the Sanskrit word for the highest and holy presence in Om with the multitude of yogis who shine like bright stars after they commit themselves to the practice.
OmStars is a spiritually oriented lifestyle channel that truly presents the full picture of the yogi-life. Not only will this be the exclusive source for online classes by me and Kerri going forward, but we seek to present the world’s best teachers and most compelling narratives in a format rich with meaning, power and purpose.
We want to connect people to the values, history and blessing that comes from practicing yoga with the traditional masters. We want to present the stories of real-world yogis who embody the spiritual struggle of living the yogi life in a technology driven modernized world.
OmStars is a place where you come to seek peace amidst a world of chaos. It’s the world’s first yoga television channel aimed at creating a global tribe dedicated to the discovery of the true light. It’s about more practice, more surrender, more self-reflection, more inclusion, more patience, more tolerance, more kindness, more love, and more peace, for everyone.
Rather than a bunch of random classes, you will be thoughtfully guided through series and courses designed by us in collaboration with the leaders in yoga, meditation, mindfulness and healthy living. Each of the classes are part of a larger course, and we are being selective with guest hosts and instructors by only inviting key leaders in spirituality and mindfulness.
Our platform covers in-depth how to live the holistic health lifestyle. This is way beyond just what shapes you can make with your body.
In addition to authentic yoga teaching, experience and learning about the yogi’s life you’ll see how we act with our families, what we eat, where we travel and the art, music, and health ideas we care about.
We divided our content in to four categories:
Practice – Yoga, Meditation and Movement Courses
Insights – Research, Study, Knowledge and Wisdom Courses
Wellness – Vegan Cooking and Balanced Living Courses and Tips
Culture – Travel, Fun and Play
I see OmStars as a gathering place for the pure of heart.
OmStars is me and this is an open call to everyone who is ready to live the yogi life with us—yogis, spiritual seekers, and anyone who is looking to live a more peaceful life.
Yoga is a spiritual tradition with profound depth. This is not just another online platform and it’s not just another television show feeding on drama, we are curating a journey—our journey into the world of yoga.
Kerri and I are not perfect. We strive to treat people with kindness patience and tolerance but we mess up. We want to make content that is both raw, real and transparent.
We know that sharing our journey has been inspiring on social media but there is only so much we can do with a post and a caption.
As we reclaim the heart of the practice together and restore its potential for sacredness and for healing, we will make the spiritual journey of yoga available for the world.
We believe in tapping into a community of like-minded souls and finding friends that understand you. We believe in living with more purpose, living in a body that is optimized and having a heart that is capable of joy and happiness.
We know the yoga lifestyle works, we know if can change people’s lives, but to make this happen we really need the support of our fans and followers like you.