Sri Lanka - Modern Perspectives from an Ancient Melting Pot
Sri Lanka: Modern Perspectives from an Ancient Melting Pot, a podcast hosted by Dee Gibson, the British Sri Lankan designer and founder of boutique hotel Kalukanda House on the South Coast. This podcast is raw and real with guests from authors and explorers to designers and wellness gurus, all exploring the contemporary identity of Sri Lankans through rich conversations on creativity, culture and activism.
A rich mix of controversial views, humour, serious reflections and a little dash of the naughty side of this gorgeous island. Join Dee and her guests as they uncover stories and perspectives not typically found in travel guides, showcasing a dynamic society reclaiming its narrative on a global stage.
Sri Lanka - Modern Perspectives from an Ancient Melting Pot
Liberate Your Spirit with Omaya: Yoga and Freedom for Young Women
In this episode Dee welcomes Omaya, a Sri Lankan yoga teacher and philosopher. They delve into how yoga philosophy differs in the West from Sri Lanka, focusing on mind-body connection, menstrual cycle awareness, and the balance of masculine and feminine energies.
This conversation highlights the importance of tuning into our bodies and creating space for introspection, both in life and in spiritual practice. Thoughts on "successful meditation" and Omaya's future plans for opening a sanctuary dedicated to Ayurvedic and Sri Lankan food, yoga, and workshops.
Omaya's early discovery of yoga aged 18 was a quest for freedom; discussing how yoga gave her what she was looking for is inspiration for us all that understanding this ancient practice could be one of our biggest tools to inner liberation.
Summary
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
00:51 Meet Amaya: A Unique Yoga Journey
02:51 Amaya's Early Life and Discovering Yoga
08:14 The Philosophy and Practice of Yoga
13:12 Balancing Life and Yoga
27:10 Empowering Sri Lankan Women
32:39 Future Endeavors and Conclusion
About Omaya and links
Omaya is a yoga teacher, facilitator and philosopher. She teaches different modalities and includes many different styles within one class. Her practice went from being strict pose / asana oriented to more intuitive. Omaya is currently making space for a project in Ahangama, a village in the south coast of Sri Lanka. The project will share the story of Sri Lanka through a small store with locally-sourced products, a cafe offering Sri Lankan food with an Ayurvedic twist and engaging workshops and discussions.
Instagram link here
Dee Gibson is the award winning designer and founder of boutique hotel Kalukanda House in Sri Lanka, www.kalukandahouse.com ~ Conde Nast Best Places to Visit in Asia 2024 & HIP Hotels Best Hotels 2025. You can follow on
instagram @deegibson2017 or @kalukandahouse
This podcast lifts the veil on what, and more importantly WHO this island is with conversations about all the things you never read about in the travel pages. Dee showcases a fascinating modern society reclaiming their identity and taking ownership of their narratives on the global stage. No subject is taboo so expect guests talking about everything from activism through art and yoga, why sari was modified by British colonisers, a performance on love and lust to episodes on forgotten heroines being narrated back into our history books and much more.