March 23rd, 2016

Looking for a sleep podcast to fall asleep fast, reduce anxiety, and quiet an overactive mind? This calming episode of The Insomnia Project is designed for insomnia relief, stress reduction, and gentle nighttime unwinding through slow, soothing conversation.
Marco Timpano and Amanda Barker begin with a relaxed discussion about yoga, reflecting on balance, movement, and the calming focus of the practice. This low-stimulation, easygoing episode creates a peaceful and grounded atmosphere perfect for bedtime listening.
The conversation gently drifts into thoughts of mountains and serene landscapes, before meandering into everyday topics like mint and toothpaste—simple, familiar details that help ease racing thoughts and promote relaxation. With soft-spoken storytelling and unhurried pacing, this calming podcast episode offers a comforting rhythm ideal for sleep, stress relief, or quiet background listening.
Whether you’re searching for a sleep podcast for insomnia, calming background noise while you work, or a gentle way to unwind at the end of the day, The Insomnia Project offers a comforting, reliable escape.

​The Yoga Episode
(Original airdate: Aug 31, 2016)

Marco:  Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a conversation about the mundane. One thing that we can try to promise is that our conversation will be less than fascinating so that you can feel free to catch some Z's or zeds depending where you are. Thank you for joining us. We hope you will listen and sleep. I'm your host, Marco Gimpano. And joining me on this episode is Amanda Barker. Welcome.

Amanda:  Hi, how are you?

Marco:  I'm well. How are you doing?

Amanda:  Good.


Amanda is a yoga instructor and enjoys performing ceremonies when teaching

Marco:  Amanda, one thing that our listeners don't know about you is that you are also a yoga instructor.

Amanda:  That's true.

Marco:  Let me ask you this. What are the sort of ceremonies you like to have when you're teaching yoga?

Amanda:  So in terms of ceremonies, you mean like rituals? Sure, sure. Um, well, every yoga practice is different, so I enjoy lighting candles. I also enjoy chanting, um, before and after each practice. Sometimes a simple om, um, or sometimes a passage in Sanskrit.

Marco:  Oh, wow.

Amanda:  Mhm.

Marco:  And is it difficult to read a passage in a language that you don't necessarily speak?

Amanda:  It's probably difficult to do it well, but I don't purport to do it well. I just purport to do it and try my best to pronounce it as it is a dead language. I'm not ever too worried about teaching a class and having someone correct me.

Marco:  So it'd be like, um, reading a passage in Latin, if you will.

Amanda:  Similar. But there's probably less people that speak Sanskrit than Latin.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda:  Because at least Latin is studied, I believe, still, and uh, practiced at the Vatican.


What's your favorite yoga pose? It depends from day to day

Marco:  Anyway, now let me ask you this. What's your favorite pose? Yoga pose?

Amanda:  Uh, it depends from day to day.

Marco:  Um,

Amanda:  the pose I'm thinking of right now is rabbit pose sarsangasana.

Marco:  And what is it about that particular pose you like? And if I'm not mistaken, that's when you're on your knees and sort of bent forward.

Amanda:  Right. And your head is bent forward and it's opening up your shoulders and neck, which is probably why it's speaking to me right now, because my neck and shoulders have been more compressed than normal lately.

Marco:  It kind of makes you look like

Amanda:  a rabbit who's sort of eating carrots or. Yeah. Ah.

Marco:  Now one of my favorite poses Is mountain pose.

Amanda:  Sure. Tadasana.

Marco:  You're just kind of standing there with your arms open.

Amanda:  Mhm.

Marco:  Very still. Like a mountain. Have you ever climbed a mountain?

Amanda:  I have Taedun Ah, sun, which is a mountain in Korea.

Marco:  What was that like? Is it a tall mountain?

Amanda:  It's pretty tall, yeah. It's right in the middle of um, the province or right in the middle of Korea really. Sun means mountain in Korean. Um, I climbed it. It would have been a long time ago. 1990, uh, eight. That's when I climbed it. And uh, it was pretty steep. And I remember at the top, close to the top, there was like suspension bridges which were pretty terrifying.

Marco:  Really?

Amanda:  Yeah.

Marco:  And did you have any particular gear when you were climbing it?

Amanda:  Um, no, just, just runners, sneakers. And uh, I remember my friend Rob had

Marco:  um,

Amanda:  speakers that he climbed with it. Speakers, uh, that were blasting techno music.

Marco:  As you were climbing the mountain?

Amanda:  Mhm. Yeah.

Marco:  You know, it's funny, um, sometimes I suffer from altitude when I'm in really high places and so.

Amanda:  Sorry, you suffer from what?

Marco:  Altitude. So if you're.

Amanda:  You suffer from altitude sickness, I guess is that.

Marco:  That's what you'd call.

Amanda:  Well it's like saying you suffer from height.

Marco:  Right. Okay. So I guess altitude sickness is what I'm trying to say. And uh, and so uh, affects me when I'm in tall places and tall levels of altitude that are very high, I guess is what I should be saying. And um, I felt, uh, that when I was in both Mexico City and in Colorado.

Amanda:  Mhm. Right.

Marco:  And I was on the mountain up there. You don't realize it until you're actually. Or I didn't realize it, I should say until afterwards when I was having these weird sort of symptoms and not feeling well.

Amanda:  Mhm.


Are there any mountains that you have yet to climb that you'd like to climb

Marco:  Are there any mountains that you have yet to climb that you'd like to climb?

Amanda:  Uh, well, I was just looking at Machu Picchu tonight because there's a flight deal to Lima, Peru from M. Toronto, where we are. So I was debating if that would be something I'd like to do. I know that's going to be closed soon to the public.

Marco:  Oh, is it?

Amanda:  Yeah. So it might be a good time to go. Um, can't you before it closes Kilimanjaro? But I don't know that I have any desire to really climb Kilimanjaro. I certainly won't be going near Everest anytime soon.

Marco:  That's fair.

Marco:  Mhm.

Marco:  I mean, you need a lot of training before you do that particular mountain or any m. Mountains really, that are really Tall. You should sort of have the right gear, the right techno music, I guess, as you climb.

Amanda:  Maybe not.

Marco:  Maybe not.


I'm drinking water infused with apples and mint. I thought it was tea

I wanted to ask you about the tea you're drinking.

Amanda:  I'm drinking water infused with apples and mint.

Marco:  Sorry, M. I thought it was tea.

Amanda:  I do have tea, but it's gone cold at this point.

Marco:  There you go. And you like to infuse your water with different types of fruit and whatnot.

Amanda:  Sure, yeah, I do. Whatever. Um, we have the most of in the refrigerator and we have a lot of herbs growing right now. Basil, mint, rosemary. So I sort of have a rotation of those herbs and whatever fruit comes in our organic bin.

Marco:  I see. So there you go. A little bit of an infusion in your water.

Amanda:  It's quite good actually. Yeah, yeah. The apples are good.

Marco:  Apples and mint, you said?

Amanda:  Mm, mhm.

Marco:  Yeah, I know. We have a quite, uh, a bit of mint growing in our little backspace.

Amanda:  We do, but it's not as prolific as people make it sound. People make mint sound so prolific and it just grows. Well, I think.

Marco:  Well, I think maybe it's the spot that we have it in and the fact that I've grown several different types of mint in the one. In the one little flower pot. One of the things that I. One of the reasons I grew the mint was I wanted it for flavoring water and different drinks that I was making this summer. Are you a fan of mint?

Amanda:  Yeah, I am.

Marco:  I know you like ginger.

Amanda:  I like mint too. Mint ice cream is good. Mint Oreo ice cream, particularly good.

Marco:  That's your favorite?

Amanda:  No, but this summer it is.

Marco:  I see. The summer of mint. Do you prefer a mint toothpaste or a cinnamon?

Amanda:  Cinnamon.

Marco:  Cinnamon toothpaste.

Amanda:  Although I don't know the last time I had cinnamon toothpaste, but I always prefer cinnamon.

Marco:  What about the ones that have like, cinnamon mint. And do you prefer, um, a toothpaste to a

Marco:  gel?

Marco:  Is it called a tooth gel? Gel?

Amanda:  It's called toothpaste, but it's a gel formula.

Marco:  I see. But then it's not really a paste, is it? If it's gel, a paste is a paste.

Amanda:  I don't know. I'm not sure.

Marco:  Which do you prefer?

Amanda:  Whatever cleans my teeth.

Marco:  See, I prefer a paste. I don't like the gel. I know the gel is. I don't know, it's just a little bit slimier on the toothbrush for me.

Amanda:  Well, uh, now I'm accustomed to paste. I don't know what it would be like to go back to jail.

Marco:  Some people put, um, baking Soda on the toothbrush. Like straight baking soda.

Amanda:  That's crazy.

Marco:  You think so?

Amanda:  Yeah.

Marco:  Probably scratch the enamel of your teeth.

Amanda:  Right. And also you, you'd taste baking soda all the time. I suppose you get used to it.

Marco:  Well, there's toothpaste with baking soda in it.

Amanda:  That's different, I guess.

Marco:  Yeah.


What brought you to yoga, what was it that brought you there

What brought you to yoga? Getting back to yoga, what was it that brought you there?

Amanda:  Heartbreak and loss, Suffering. When? Usually when you ask what brings people to yoga, it's usually the best answer. Usually. Or all answers lead back to the answer of suffering.

Marco:  Really?

Amanda:  Yeah. Yeah. Whether it's physical suffering, emotional suffering in most people, sort of a combination of each. The first time I ever tried hot yoga, I really didn't understand what I was getting into. I just thought it was yoga that was hot. But because I'm not much of a sweater, I had no idea that I could sweat from the places that I sweat from or that I would walk out completely drenched. So that was quite a bit of learning for me. It was a long time ago.

Marco:  We should tell our listeners, for those who don't know what hot yoga is, it's actually yoga that's done in the studio that's been heated to a. Is there like a minimum degree?

Amanda:  Usually about 40 degrees.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda:  Uh, Celsius. So 40 degrees Celsius is, what is it, 80 or 90 Fahrenheit? Somewhere in there? Maybe. And uh, but it's not always about the heat. It's also about the humidity.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda:  So you can have a lower temperature, but actually quite a humid room.

Marco:  Right.

Amanda:  Which will induce a lot more sweat, which is the, um, the end result anyway from a hot yoga practice, among other things.

Marco:  The funny thing about hot yoga, or the first time I did hot yoga, was much to what you said, you sweat in places you didn't expect to sweat. So I was sweating, it seemed like everywhere at the same time. But I noticed that I was sweating. Sweating inside my ears.

Amanda:  Mhm.

Marco:  And that's when I realized, wow, this really does make you sweat. The hot yoga does.

Amanda:  That is, of course. Yeah, absolutely. I remember sweating from my shins.

Marco:  Oh.

Amanda:  And that was something that really stuck with me because I had never sweat from my shins before or really probably any part of my leg fair. But I remember looking down at my shins and drips and thinking that they must be spraying the room because there's no way it could be coming from me. I really didn't think it was coming from me, actually.

Marco:  It's interesting. One of the reasons why I wanted to bring up Yoga is, that's how I met Nidhi was because she was a student in one of your classes.

Amanda:  That's right, she was one of my students. And she would come to the 6am or sorry, 6:30am classes at a now defunct studio. And uh, I struck up a conversation with her and she was asking me about passes and how to continue because I let her know that her membership was almost up.

Marco:  Oh, I see.

Amanda:  And so she was trying to figure out if she should do the 30 day challenge.

Marco:  And the 30 day challenge is when

Amanda:  you do yoga for 30 days straight, you practice, you commit to practicing yoga for 30 days straight. On some level it's quite difficult actually to do that and have any other kind of job. Even if you're teaching yoga, it's difficult to do that. And so she said that she might be losing her job soon in a layoff situation. And so I said, well, maybe you would want to do the cheaper pass, which was a three month pass, but, but she said, no, I'll have time to do the 30 day challenge because I'm losing my job, so I maybe would prefer to do that. I said okay. I asked her what she did, we talked about that for a while. I asked her what her background was and that's how we really started to connect. Just learning about her background in theater, but also in business, her time traveling and just what she was looking to do in her life. Pretty fascinating.

Marco:  And this was years ago and that's how I met Nidhi and how eventually this podcast began.

Amanda:  It would have been in um, 2010 or 2011.

Marco:  There you go.

Amanda:  I think late 2000 actually, early 2011 I believe was probably when it was.

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You're very good at remembering dates

Marco:  Yeah, you're very good at remembering dates.

Amanda:  Am.

Marco:  Um, I. Yeah, I'm not. I'm not very good at that. Remembering the years or actually the date or specifics.

Amanda:  It's a practice really. I guess there's certain things that I attach dates to.

Marco:  I see.

Amanda:  I can tell you in 2007 that I lost my job, two jobs. And so I attach a lot of things to that year and if things happen before or after that year. So I'll know that, um, the date of my marriage, the date a relationship began, um, dates of shows. Because I perform a lot. So I can tell you what I was doing in 2013, for example, because that was, uh, a big year of performing for me. So I remember that 2012, same thing. I can tell you what I was doing in that year. So it's more attached. It's more the events that are attached to the dates.

Marco:  I see.

Amanda:  Yeah.

Marco:  See, I don't recall things quite like that or actually not like that at all. But I will remember, uh, when I lived to certain places based on what historic event has happened.

Amanda:  Sure.

Marco:  So if there's a monumental or historic event that occurs, I'll remember based on that.

Amanda:  Right.


How important is savasana to yoga practice

Marco:  So, going back to yoga, I wanted to ask you how important is savasana? Uh, because that's my favorite part of yoga, is the end when I get to sort of lie there.

Amanda:  Well, I think, I think the meditative aspect of yoga, I mean, it isn't yoga otherwise without it. So it needs to be a meditation. And most yoga Practice that we normally picture is a moving meditation. And that's the way we look at it. A, um, moving meditation.

Marco:  I see.

Amanda:  So savasana is, is essentially the one element of a practice that is the non moving meditation. Equally, uh, important, I would say, to the practice itself. I um, mean the wonderful thing about yoga is that there is no quantitative. There's a reason yoga is not in the Olympics and that is because there is no right or wrong. It's only what's right or wrong for you. So for me, savasana is in many ways the most important pose. It's all the poses combined into one, like all colors. Making white, for example. Okay, that's how I see it. But um, for some others it's not as important because they've been meditating throughout the practice and uh, you know, so it really, I think it just depends on the individual's practice in that particular day and moment.


When you say there's no wrong pose, aren't there elements that one needs to keep

Marco:  When you say there's no wrong pose, aren't there sort of elements that one needs to keep in a particular pose or. So would you say there are more correct ways to do poses or.

Amanda:  I wouldn't personally, but that's my philosophy in yoga. There's an Iyengar Square School of yoga, M BKS Iyengar, who is one of the founders of what we would think of as yoga today.

Marco:  I see.

Amanda:  And he developed the yoga of alignment. So much of the yoga that you would see or practice today in a class situation, for example, you'll hear alignment cues in terms of stacking joints on top of joints, ribs, engaging muscles, that type of thing. And those are essentially from the BKS school, the uh, Iyengar School of Yoga. Now those are alignment cues to help you with posture and poses to help you get the most perceived benefits out of a pose. But so to answer this question, I would say there's no wrong. But I do think that there's more helpful ways to perform a pose for what your achieved, uh, desired result is. You know, you can hurt yourself in any practice, but we don't want you to. Of course, those are just cues to help you move into a better space ultimately.


When I was starting to do yoga, I was concerned about being perfect

Marco:  Well, one of the things that I. So when I was starting to do yoga, I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to do all the poses or that especially with a hot class, I wouldn't be able to complete the class and do certain poses I find difficult. And I don't, I guess I just don't have the balance for certain poses. So like tree pose, I always, I'm very Wobbly on and sure. And it wasn't until you had said to me, well, you don't have to make the pose perfect. And if you aren't feeling the pose, you can lie down or if you're feeling tired or whatnot. Don't feel like you have to keep up with the Joneses, for lack of a better word.

Amanda:  Well, we don't call it a yoga perfect, we call it a yoga practice. Uh, and that's because there is no perfect.

Marco:  Right?

Amanda:  It's just a practice every day. It's your practice. So what you find, what you create, what you discover on the mat is your journey.

Marco:  Right.

Amanda:  So a wobbly tree can be, you can, can be just as teaching as that, you know, perceived perfect tree. To use that pose as an example. I remember my very first yoga training. I'll never forget. There was um, just a three day course and there was a lot of us in a room. It was a hot room in July, I think, or August. And outside I could hear ah, construction. We all could. So we were trying to meditate and then there's these sounds of, you know, buzz saws and um, those types of things.

Marco:  Jackhammers, trucks coming, roll it back.

Amanda:  So just, you know, normal street noises, but maybe amplified because of the construction that particular summer. And so somebody raised her hand after we're done and said, could you please shut that window? It's really difficult to meditate with all of that noise. And our teacher said, but that noise is such a gift. What a great teacher. If you're able to use that and meditate through it. I mean, that's what we're trying to do. You're not. Life is not a perfect practice. We don't live on top of a mountain. We live in traffic and stressful offices and busy streets. And the practice is to find your top of the mountain within all of it, take it into your life, not take your life to it.

Marco:  Fair?

Amanda:  Mhm.


There really is a yoga practice for everybody, it just depends

Marco:  Now what would you say to someone who, you know, is curious to do yoga but thinks oh, I can't do it, or those people who sort of poo poo yoga as it being too woo woo for them?

Amanda:  Well, I think there's a yoga for everybody.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda:  There are more athletic types of yoga, certainly. Um, I've had many people in practice say that they got more out of that physically in terms of physical challenge than you know, two hours a day, the gym or whatever. So there really is a yoga practice for everybody. So there is one for you? It just depends. And what I mostly find is that with most people, they go through many different styles of practice. Many people come to yoga, uh, particularly hot yoga, as runners or athletes. But then they find that what they really need is more of a yin or restorative type of practice. Yin. To stretch out their ligaments and muscles. So what I would say to those people is that knowing your boundaries is a great place to start on your mat.

Marco:  That's pretty great. That's a great, great way to look at it.

Amanda:  Yeah. Honestly, the best students are the ones that know their boundaries and are ready to meet themselves there.

Marco:  The mat. I always appreciate when I go, uh, to a yoga class when the instructor asks if anyone has certain areas of their body that they, that they might have suffered an injury to or that are sensitive, um, so that they can be cognizant of that and so can you.

Amanda:  Well, it helps with adjustments. You don't want to adjust somebody. You don't know what battle someone else is fighting. Everyone's fighting a battle that we, we know nothing of, so.

Marco:  Right, fair enough. And there are different types of yoga. Um, I, uh, certainly participated in a few, but one of my favorite is in fact the restorative. I don't know if it's not fun, but it's so awesome when you do. For me, anyways, restorative yoga, I walk away feeling, feeling like a million bucks. Restored, restored.

Amanda:  Yeah, sure. And actually what's interesting about that is restorative is actually directly derived from BKS anger.

Marco:  Oh, really?

Amanda:  Yeah. Just to bring it back to that. Yeah. Um, it was one of his students, uh, who started restorative yoga to find the antithesis. So even though restorative feels like you're just lying in a land of pillows, there's actually quite a bit of attention to alignment and props.

Marco:  Yeah, I got a lot out of that. That's one yoga I want to go back to.

Amanda:  Mhm.


How important is the clothes you wear in yoga? As long as they're not restricting you

Marco:  How important is the clothes you wear in yoga?

Amanda:  As long as you're not cognizant of them, they're not restricting you, then I think that's all you really need to worry about. Certainly there's no brand or anything like that.

Marco:  See, I feel better in a brand outfit if I'm at, uh, the yoga.

Amanda:  Some people do, they feel more supported in clothes that are meant for yoga practice. And that's fine. But for years, people did yoga naked in various robes, pajamas.

Marco:  Sure.

Amanda:  The yoga of the 80s, 70s and 80s were people in pajama bottoms.

Marco:  Well, how do you know that?

Amanda:  Yeah. In fact, the founder of one of the largest chains of yoga gear started practicing yoga after a ski injury. And that was what he noticed, was that everybody was practicing and sort of old ripped sweatpants. And he just thought there should be more appropriate clothes or clothes that are more supportive of this practice. So he developed some, made a lot of money.

Marco:  Well, there you go.

Amanda:  M See.

Marco:  M. There's a market for everything, even yoga clothes.

Amanda:  Absolutely.

Marco:  Um, are there any don'ts one should, uh, uh, be aware of when they're in a yoga space?

Amanda:  Ah, if it's my class, don't think the word don't.

Marco:  Oh, there you go. I think that's a great place to end. This particular episode where we talked about yoga and different aspects of yoga.

Amanda:  Yoga and herbs.

Marco:  Mint mountains.

Amanda:  Toothpaste.

Marco:  Good old toothpaste.


Sam: I want to thank Amanda Barker for joining us on this episode

Well, I want to thank Amanda Barker, who is also my wife, who gets mentioned on a lot of our other episodes, for joining us on this particular episode. Thank you, Amanda, for being here.

Amanda:  Now I get to go to bed.

Marco:  Well, there you go. So we hope you enjoyed this episode. Please feel free to rate us on itunes or give us a review. We love to see those. And as always, the Insomnia Project is recorded and produced by Drumcast Productions, and this episode was recorded in Toronto, Canada. Thank you for listening,

Amanda:  Sam.