Practice Beyond the Pose: Nervous System Healing & Inner Dialogue with Vahid Coskun
Aug 31, 2025Practice Beyond the Pose: Nervous System Healing & Inner Dialogue with Vahid Coskun
What if the real transformation in yoga didn’t come from touching your toes, but from the dialogue inside your head while trying?
In this profound and wide-ranging conversation on The True Form Podcast, host Jack Graham sits down with Vahid Coskun - mindfulness therapist, lifestyle coach, and author of Practice Beyond the Posture.
Together, they explore what it means to truly meet yourself in moments of discomfort, presence, and stillness. More than just a conversation about yoga, this episode dives deep into how we relate to our breath, our thoughts, and ultimately, our lives.
The Inner World of Yoga
Vahid challenges the mainstream obsession with physical performance in yoga. Instead, he encourages us to notice the mental patterns that arise when we're uncomfortable: "The real yoga happens when you're holding a pose and everything in your mind wants to escape."
His book, Practice Beyond the Posture, is a guide through the 26 original hot yoga poses, not from an anatomical lens, but a psychological one. Each pose becomes a metaphor for how we handle pressure, discomfort, and our own stories.
"It's not about doing the pose. It's about who you become while holding it."
Regulating the Nervous System Through Breath
One of the most actionable insights from the episode is Vahid's emphasis on breath as a tool for healing:
"If I could get everyone on Earth to do one thing, it would be to exhale two seconds longer every time. Within two minutes, we’d experience world peace."
He explains how breath directly impacts our nervous system, stress levels, and even IQ. Inhale to activate. Exhale to calm. Learning how to ride this rhythm puts us back in control of our experience.
Language, Thought & Emotional Loops
Vahid also unpacks the relationship between language, thinking, and the emotional loops we get stuck in:
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We are not taught how to think, only how to speak.
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Thoughts reinforce emotions, and emotions reinforce thoughts.
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Depression, in this light, is not just a mood but a loop we can interrupt.
His metaphor of thoughts as a puppy is especially relatable: "You can't stop the puppy from wanting to chew the shoe, but you can redirect it with a toy."
VR, Consciousness & the Game of Life
One of the most visually striking parts of the conversation is Vahid's VR headset analogy. He describes life as a kind of virtual reality, where we become so immersed in our experience that we forget the conscious presence behind it all.
"We're so invested in this physical biomass that we forget the observer. But the observer is still there, watching, laughing, waiting for us to remember."
This playful yet profound analogy ties together his teachings on embodiment, mindfulness, and spiritual self-awareness.
The Importance of Finding Your "Why"
Vahid speaks candidly about the danger of living life based on others' expectations:
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"If your 'why' is not yours, you won’t get out of bed."
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"People say they want to lose weight or get fit, but subconsciously they don’t feel safe changing."
He advocates for brutal self-honesty and the courage to confront what’s truly driving us.
Mind-Body-Spirit Integration
As a coach and therapist, Vahid emphasizes the importance of recognizing all three dimensions:
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The body: our vehicle
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The mind: our filter and pattern-maker
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The spirit: our breath and presence
"They all have equal rights. If one is ignored, the others can’t carry you."
Final Reflections & Where to Find Vahid
This episode is as intellectually rich as it is emotionally grounding. It's not about "fixing" yourself but learning how to listen—to your breath, your reactions, and your own unspoken wisdom.
š§ Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
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