Conversations for Yoga Teachers

Quick recap We start this episode with a call for your feedback, all designed to help the show be as useful to you as possible. We then review how to share anatomy in your cues and I share my simple and powerful framework to do so. Next steps • Listeners to send feedback via Instagram DM to @barebonesyoga or email to [email protected] on desired podcast topics, episode formats, and interest in coaching calls. • Included below is your free downloadable PDF on "10 Key Steps to Understanding Anatomy". • If you’re interested in learning more about anatomy, you can request a free one-on-one coaching call with me via Instagram DM. Summary Listener Feedback to make the podcast even better for you! This is my call out to you to share feedback on the topics you’d like to hear more about, the type of interviews you prefer, and the ideal episode length. Listen for the questions I have for you, which will help the podcast meet your needs even more. Anatomy-Based Cues in Yoga Teaching We discuss the importance of incorporating anatomy-based cues in your classes and I share with you my easy framework to do it. Action cues will guide students into a pose, followed by an anatomy-based cue that highlights a muscle concentrically contracting in the pose. We review examples so you have a good idea of how to make this work for you. Show links: Website: www.barebonesyoga.com The Yoga Anatomy Blueprint Learning Program: https://barebonesyoga.thinkific.com/courses/blueprint-learning-program The 10 Step way to learn anatomy (free PDF): https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/ten-steps-to-learning-anatomy/

Quick recap Karen Fabian, host of "Conversations for Yoga Teachers," discussed common scenarios in yoga classes and offered approaches to handle them, emphasizing the importance of understanding one's teaching style and adapting it to suit individual students. She covered topics such as maintaining confidence, preparing well, and focusing on effective communication and cues during classes. Karen also addressed professional boundaries, handling unexpected situations, and encouraged teachers to explore different teaching methods while staying true to their intentions. Next steps • Yoga teachers can experiment with one of the discussed scenarios in their classes over the next 2 weeks and share with Karen via Instagram DM if they wish. • Interested teachers can send a DM to Karen on Instagram requesting the cues training video. • Teachers interested in learning the "walk and talk" technique can send a DM to Karen on Instagram to find out how to get started with this approach. • Listeners can download the free "Concepts in Movement" PDF from the link in Karen's Instagram bio, @barebonesyoga • Teachers interested in enrolling in Karen's Yoga Anatomy Blueprint Learning Program can take advantage of the new payment plan before January 1, 2025 and get started for just $367! Summary Handling Yoga Class Scenarios In this episode, Karen Fabian, the host of "Conversations for Yoga Teachers," discusses common scenarios that occur in yoga classes and offers approaches to handle them. She emphasizes the importance of understanding one's own teaching style and not being afraid to adapt it. Karen also introduces a new format for the show, where she demonstrates the content at the beginning to ensure the listener knows what to expect. She encourages listeners to share their experiences via DM on Instagram @barebonesyoga if any of the scenarios resonate with them. Dealing With Negative Feedback in Yoga Karen shared a story she saw on TikTok about a Yoga teacher in Chicago who shared that someone, a student, publicly ranked her favorite teachers based on their classes. Karen expressed her thoughts about this and emphasized that teachers can't control how others perceive their classes and shouldn't be worried about negative feedback. Instead, they can focus on teaching their best. Maintaining Confidence in Teaching Karen discussed the importance of being prepared and confident in teaching, regardless of the students' backgrounds or levels of experience. She emphasized the need to stick to a well-prepared sequence and not be swayed by unexpected situations or student reactions. Karen also shared a hypothetical scenario where a teacher encounters a class full of new faces with varying levels of experience, and advised against changing the planned sequence on the spot. She stressed the importance of maintaining a non-reactive mindset and focusing on one's own preparation and delivery. Adapting to Student Needs in Yoga Karen emphasized the importance of adapting to the needs of individual students in a yoga class. She suggested that teachers should not feel obligated to change their prepared sequences unless they can easily do so. Instead, they should focus on helping students who are struggling by getting off the mat and walking around to provide clear cues. Karen also recommended using action-oriented phrases to effectively teach a mixed-level class. Accessible Yoga and Teacher Intentions Karen discussed her cueing method and its application in teaching yoga. She emphasized the importance of making classes accessible to students of varying levels of experience and flexibility. Karen suggested that teachers can focus on offering modifications to make postures more accessible, rather than presenting advanced variations that may not be suitable for all students. She also encouraged teachers to be intentional about the type of yoga they present, aligning it with their vision. Karen concluded by urging teachers to reflect on whether their classes are a reflection of their true intentions or merely a replication of what they were trained to do. Understanding Yoga Styles and Confidence Karen discussed the importance of understanding the style of yoga and the class setup when covering for another teacher. She emphasized the need to familiarize oneself with the regular teacher's class before taking on the subbing role. Karen also highlighted the need to avoid putting oneself down when covering a class, as it's a service to the students. She stressed the importance of being confident in one's own teaching abilities and not comparing oneself to others. Maintaining Professional Boundaries in Teaching Karen shared a personal anecdote about a time when she had to substitute teach a popular class, highlighting the importance of maintaining professional boundaries with students. She emphasized that a teacher's role is to focus on the practice, not their personal relationships with students. Karen also discussed the issue of students leaving class

In this episode, you’ll uncover the easy step by step way to share clearer cues so that your students know exactly what to do.

Get your notebook for this one, because you’re going to want to take notes. I walk you through the tested and proven blueprint for how to become a confident yoga teacher. At the end of the episode, I offer you more in my e book. Get it using this link: https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/the-bare-bones-yoga-guide-to-incredible-yoga-teaching/

In today’s episode, you’ll meet Sage Rountree, PhD, E-RYT500, former endurance sports coach and the author of 10 books on yoga, training and teaching. In this episode, Sage and I cover a variety of topics in both the areas of teaching yoga as well as the business of yoga. We even cover some things that are often on the minds of yoga teachers but rarely get discussed; how to set your rates, how to charge what you’re worth and how to move past limiting beliefs that might be holding you back from being the best yoga teacher you can be. You can find out more about Sage at sagerountree.com

We breathe without thinking about it and as yoga teachers, we know that there is an entire practice devoted to the study and practice of the breath. In this episode, meet Isabel Tew, yoga teacher and creator of “Breath Cards,” a wonderful resource for yoga teachers and practitioners alike to learn all about the breath and different techniques you can use. If you’re a yoga teacher, you can easily bring these cards into class to enhance the learning process. To get your own copy of Breath Cards, visit isabeltew.com and also on Instagram @breathcards

Discover how to create anatomy cues based on what you know, rather than just repeating cues you’ve heard.

I put the call out to my mailing list for yoga teachers with inspiring stories and was thrilled Crissy responded. She’s a long time yoga teacher with a wealth of experience and she also went through the challenge of a breast cancer diagnosis in 2020. In this episode, we talk about how surviving cancer has changed her as a person and as a yoga teacher as well as her approach to teaching. She shares her empowering approach to teaching her students and what she does so that she can be her most confident, authentic self when she teaches her classes. You can find out more about Crissy on her website, www.healinginharmony.net

In this episode, I share a journal exercise you can do to be sure you’re teaching in a way that’s consistent with what you value about teaching yoga. I also share excerpts from Mark Singleton’s book, Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice.”

I interviewed Kat on the show before and I wanted to have her back on to talk specifically about energy healing and a specific technique called Akashic Records readings. She recently did a session with me and I was amazed at how much of what she said resonated. In this episode, we cover some of the basics of energy readings, talk about what it means to hold space for your students and go into detail about what Akashic records readings are and how you can benefit from one. Kat’s website is www.katfowler.com and she is on Instagram as @katfowler

Learn some easy ways to share yoga philosophy in your classes without feeling overwhelmed.

Most yoga teachers tell me they believe that learning anatomy is hard. What I’ve always known is that when you learn it in a particular way, step by step, with regular testing of what you’ve learned, it’s much easier and you get better results. In this episode, I review the science of learning and how you can apply it to learning anatomy. The content comes from the teachings of Dr. Andrew Huberman, as he covers the science of learning in one of his podcast episodes. For a link to the episode and the studies he cites, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddq8JIMhz7c

Learn the fundamentals of teaching Sun Salutations, from the anatomy involved to the action cues you can share.

When you think about having a more positive attitude, being more confident and having a more powerful mindset, do you think about how your brain plays a role in this? In this episode, you’ll learn about neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change in response to experience, and how to leverage it to be the yoga teacher of your dreams. This episode is also available on my You Tube Channel to view: https://www.youtube.com/@KarenFabian

This episode will walk you through how to develop a growth plan that’ll have you teaching confidently and authentically. I’ll share the steps to take, what signs to look for and offer you a chance to get some free one on one coaching so that you can have a plan in place that will help you move forward.

In this episode, you’ll meet Kelly Smith, Founder of Yoga for You. Kelly is an RYT-500 Hour and YA Continuing Education Provider. She hosts two podcasts and is the author of two books as well as a yoga teacher educator, hosting trainings all over the world. Kelly was on the show in November in 2021 and in this episode, she shares more about her background as a yoga teacher, what’s inspired her to host her long running podcast and write her books as well as how she and her business have evolved. To find out more about Kelly, her retreats, books and podcast, see https://www.yogaforyouonline.com/

In today’s episode, I share the results of a study on hip flexors and it’s relevance to you when you’re teaching and I also share 6 ways to up level as a yoga teacher (if you’re ready). The study I refer to is here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7922112/ DM me your questions on my Instagram, @barebonesyoga

This is a special three part episode for new yoga teachers only. It’s for you if you’ve graduated from a 200 hour training and you’ve been teaching 6 months or less and you have at least one paid class on your schedule. I’m going to walk you through a strategy for help you build your confidence and skill faster than you can do it on your own and with better results. I know this because it’s a time tested approach I’ve used for years with yoga teachers who enroll in my program. I’m giving it to you for free in a “starter-format” so you can get an idea of what’s possible for you if you work with me inside the program. I even offer you a Back to School special offer at the end.

When you’re teaching and you notice a student is out of alignment, how do you give a corrective cue that can help them come into better alignment? What’s the framework you use? In this episode, I share with you an approach to giving corrective cues that will allow you to clearly guide your students into the poses. I also cover sequencing and mindset in this episode as well, covering an approach to building a sequence and a powerful way to think about your future as a yoga teacher.

In today’s episode, you’ll learn about pelvic positioning and how to cue to it in different yoga poses along with how to teach Downward Dog, Plank and Low Plank in a way that helps your students integrate other muscles into the pose so they are in better alignment. Listen until the end for a special opportunity for eligible yoga teachers.

In today’s episode, I cover how to teach Crow pose, the anatomy behind it and how to create a sequence with Crow as the peak pose. You’ll also catch a mindset lesson about re-framing negative thoughts that will help empower you and boost your confidence. Stay tuned until the end so you don’t miss a special Summer offer!

In today’s show, learn about the rotator cuff muscle group and how to apply it to your teaching. You’ll also learn how to build a sequence that focuses on shoulder opening (external rotation) and what benefits you can share with your students about this movement. In this episode, I also share some new and exciting details of my new Certification Program. Listen in and if you’re eligible to enroll, there’s a special incentive I share in the show.

Listen to the audio from my latest ebook, "The Bare Bones Yoga Guide to Incredible Yoga Teaching”. You can download the hard copy version here: https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/the-bare-bones-yoga-guide-to-incredible-yoga-teaching/

On today’s show, you’ll meet Monica Bright, an experienced yoga teacher and teacher trainer who shares her philosophy and teaching method. Monica and I connected recently and I was so impressed with her background that I invited her on the show. We cover a number of teaching topics from cueing to sequencing, anatomy to mindset. Monica talks about her monthly membership and other ways she works with yoga teachers and you can find out more about that here: IG: @monicacbright Website Home: https://www.enhanced-body.com Website: offerings for teachers: https://www.enhanced-body.com/yoga-teachers Website: offerings for students: https://www.enhanced-body.com/yoga-students

In today’s episode, you’ll meet the authors of an amazing new book on sound healing, Jessica Cross and Julie Afsahi. Julie and Jessica wrote Seasons of Sound to share the benefits of using sound as part of a yoga practice. As yoga teachers, they incorporate sound via instruments into their classes as well as offer trainings so teachers can learn how to integrate sound and music into their classes as a way to add a new dimension to teaching and the experience of their students. You can purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Seasons-Sound-Healing-All-Lifes/dp/B0CDNSD5CC You can learn more about Julie and Jessica here: https://www.bookpublicityservices.com/blog/sound-healing-book Leave a comment on their social media or on my page @barebonesyoga to let us know what you think of it!

Here we are at a milestone for my podcast! If this is your first episode or you’ve been listening for years, thank you so much for taking the time to catch this special episode! In it, I share mindset tips and some of the best frameworks I’ve developed over the years to help you be an empowered, confident yoga teacher. AND, at the end, I share a special offer with you, inspired by this being the 300th show.

On today’s show, hear my conversation with voice coach, Tracy Goodwin. I’m familiar with Tracy because of her work with one of my business mentors and as soon as I heard her speak, I knew I wanted to have her on the show. Her work with people to help them find their true voice is so applicable to yoga teaching. For over 30 years, Tracy Goodwin has been a true expert in voice technique and storytelling. She is a professional actor who directed plays in several countries, and she’s world-renowned for her expertise in teaching her clients how to connect with and captivate their audience. Tracy has a BFA in Directing, two MA’s, and has coached hundreds of people around the globe on how to step into their voice power, sound more confident, heal their voice story, find their authentic voice, and make a significant impact with their message. Her true purpose is to be a voice coach through her proven approach, Psychology of the Voice®. Whether you’re an actor, speaker, entrepreneur, business executive, leader, or podcaster, Tracy will help you uncover your voice stories™ and voice masks™, layer by layer, so that your soul and heart are in perfect harmony with your authentic voice. You can find her on Instagram at @captivatetheroom and her website is www.captivatetheroom.com

In today’s show, you’ll meet Amber Hagberg, Yoga Teacher, Podcast Host and Entrepreneur. It’s Amber’s second time on the show; the first time she was on the show was in July of 2021- link to that episode is here: https://barebonesyoga.podbean.com/e/139/ In today’s conversation, she shares the many things she’s been up to over the past three years, the offers she has for yoga teachers, the work she’s now doing and how she’s inspiring and helping yoga teachers all over the world grow and share what they love. Amber talks about her membership, The CEO Ripple Collective, which you can find out about here: https://www.amberhagberg.com/ceoripplecollective You can find Amber on Instagram at @amberhagberg

Meet my dear friend and long time yoga teacher, Elizabeth Huntsman. Elizabeth is an E-RYT 500 hour and the owner of Cape Ann Power Yoga. She teaches classes, trainings and workshops and joins me on the show today. We cover a wide range of topics that touch on getting started, cueing, finding your authentic way of teaching and some of the obstacles yoga teachers face. You can find her studio on capeannpoweryoga.com

On today’s episode, hear my interview with Dr. Trish Corley. She is a US licensed Physical Therapist and an internationally recognized Yoga & Anatomy Teacher. Her mission is to improve health through the practices of yoga. She currently lives in Lisbon, Portugal and works with students and yoga teachers remotely as well as teaching in person. Since 2016, she has been leading yoga teacher trainings and continuing education. She founded the Yoga Anatomy School because the world needs more confident and effective yoga teachers to change the health of modern society. The link to her website is https://trishcorley.newzenler.com/ and you can find her on Instagram @yogaanatomyschool

Amanda Joy Foley is a Communications Strategy & Messaging Consultant who has merged 20+ years of PR expertise with the wisdom of Human Design & The Gene Keys. Amanda works with entrepreneurs who want to do things differently and connect back into the heart-based 'why' behind their work. Unlocking our personal messaging and energetic PR strategy allows us to trust our inner guidance, stop looking externally for answers, and feel confident articulating what makes us special and magnetic. Most importantly, it puts the joy back into communications for business owners by showing it doesn't have to be one-size-fits-all or feel hard. Amanda offers 1:1 sessions as well as group classes and works within the Human Design and business communities to introduce audiences to her Intuitive PR™ method. Connect with Amanda at www.curateyoursoul.com or on Instagram @curate.your.soul You can get your chart about YOUR human design here: https://www.curateyoursoul.com/bodygraph-chart

In today’s episode, you’re going to meet Nicolette Richer. Dr. Nicolette Richer, DScoSci, is a yoga instructor, Lululemon ambassador, founder and CEO of The Green Moustache Organic Cafés, Richer Health, Richer at Work, Sea to Sky Thrivers Society, a Chronic Disease Reversal Specialist, serial entrepreneur, author, professional speaker, endurance athlete, and holds a doctorate in Social Sciences. She has most recently launched her Yogis Unite Movement, a mission to train 250,000 yoga instructors to be Metabolic Nutrition + Detoxification Certified Instructors who will be equipped with lifestyle medicine education and skills development to help educate 22 million people on how to reverse their chronic diseases using food as medicine by 2030, which is her 22 Million Strong mission. Nicolette shares her wealth of knowledge on how to use nutrition to heal chronic illnesses and talks about how her program has helped countless people heal and is also offered to yoga teachers as an adjunct to their traditional yoga teacher training. You’ll discover how adding this piece to your skill set can help you add value to your students’ experience. You can find her on Instagram @nicolettericher

I’m thrilled to introduce you on this episode to Elizabeth Ralph. Elizabeth, The Spiritual Investor, is a high-level wealth strategist with 20+ years of industry experience as a former financial executive and energy trader. Elizabeth marries accessible investing education with the nuances of energy and intuition to create confident, aligned investors. She has a special connection with the Yoga community. She regularly teaches finance at Yoga institutions large and small, and incorporates Yoga into her community as well. Elizabeth helps spiritual entrepreneurs more effortlessly generate passive income so they can spend more time focusing on the things that light them up, like their yoga practice! Elizabeth has also helped hundreds of entrepreneurs transform from uncertain investors to effortless wealth creators through her flagship Spiritual Investor Program and The Spiritual Investor Podcast, link here: https://www.elizabethralph.com/podcast You can get a feel for her message and presence here on Instagram @elizabethralph.

On today’s episode, meet Joanna Sapir. Joanna Sapir is a business strategist for holistic practitioners, particularly those that integrate multiple modalities. Joanna's special ability is in helping practitioners set up repeatable systems and processes in their businesses to serve their clients more powerfully, enroll committed long-term clients, and create steady income and cash flow. She has been a teacher and trainer for more than twenty years, from the classroom to the gym floor and now to wellness practices across the world. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she is a mother of two, a USA Masters National Champion in Olympic-style Weightlifting, and the host of the Business Revolution for Practitioners podcast. Learn more at http://joannasapir.com Joanna also is offering you an invite to two exciting events for wellness practitioners. She spoke about these in the episode. Here are your invitations to these exciting events: The Empowered Practitioner Event: https://joannasapir.com/empowered Creating Trial Offers that Work: https://www.offeringtree.com/blog/creating-trial-offers-that-work/ Both of these events are free.

In today’s episode, I share 8 ways to help you feel more empowered when you teach.

In today’s episode, meet Jennifer Ragazzo. Jennifer is a Functional Wellness Coach with certifications and training in Integrative Nutrition, Applied Functional Medicine, and Naturopathy, with a passion for guiding women through midlife transitions. Specializing in holistic wellness, Jennifer empowers her clients in her Vibrant Rise Functional Wellness coaching programs to move beyond fatigue, anxiety, and inflammation, embracing a life filled with energy, peace, and vitality. Jennifer brings the Source of Love to the forefront through personalized functional health and lifestyle coaching, helping women align their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Together they embark on a transformative journey toward optimal health and holistic healing. You can find out more about her on her website at www.jenniferragazzo.com.

Find out how you can fix your cueing problems and feel more confident when you teach. In today’s episode, I share a short term fix that’ll help you share clearer cues right away. I then share a really powerful step you can take (if you’re ready) so you can feel confident AND understand the anatomy behind the cues you’re sharing.

Do you think the way you are right now is set in stone and this is the way you’ll be for the rest of your life? This might mean that if you’re shy or you get nervous when you teach your yoga classes, you might think that’s just the way you are and there’s no changing it. This is called a fixed mindset and it’s one of the things that can trip up a yoga teacher if she wants to feel confident when she teaches. In today’s episode, I’ll share some personal stories about how I overcome this mindset and set off to build a more empowering approach to how I think about myself and how I bring more confidence to teaching. I hope that in our discussion, you’ll discover ways to loosen some of the thoughts you have about yourself that hold you back from being the most confident yoga teacher you can be!

Discover the difference between learning anatomy and applying it to you teaching and why it matters.

Did you ever take a yoga class and the teacher just had iT all together? You loved the class, you admired how she taught, she seemed so confident, knowledgable and inspiring? This is someone who has the IT Factor.. that amazing blend of confidence, skill and authenticity that inspires others and builds connection. YOU have this too! It’s just that no one has shown you how to tap into it. Until now. Listen to this episode and I’ll share more about IT and how you can enroll in my 4-week training that’ll show you how to get IT. The training starts on 3/25/24.

Today’s episode is an opportunity to meet Lisa Marie Rankin, author, teacher and Ayurvedic wellness coach. Lisa’s book, The Goddess Solution, helps you discover a more powerful and fulfilling life by learning from ancient goddess wisdom and applying it to yoga teaching and every day life. Lisa’s work as a teacher and coach is unique and empowering and in our conversation here, we discuss the role of a yoga teacher and what teachers can learn from these ancient avatars to help them feel confident and make a bigger impact as a teacher. Lisa’s book can be found on Amazon at the following link: https://shorturl.at/hCNR3 Lisa is offering a free 3-part training in March that will help you learn from this ancient wisdom and learn techniques to apply these lessons to your life . You can find out more about the training and sign up at https://programs.lisamarierankin.com/magic and on her Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/lisamarie.rankin/

If you’re ready to fully step into your role as an amazing teacher, listen for your framework for how to get there!

Want to feel more confident when you teach? Check out the things that have worked for me and see what works for you!

This week’s episode covers the topic of fascia. You’ll learn how it’s structured and how to use concepts about fascia in your classes. Listen also for a weekly Mindset Minute where I share a strategy designed to improve your mindset and you’ll also hear about some success stories from teachers in my program.

Based on real conversations I have with yoga teachers, today’s episode will give you a blueprint to how to teach and feel like an expert. You might think of it as “I want to feel more confident,” or “I wish I knew what I was doing.” However it comes up for you, today’s episode will give you the exact step by step. DM me your questions on Instagram @barebonesyoga.

Join me for a quick anatomy lesson on hip and shoulder anatomy, designed to show you how easy it is to get to the point where you learn anatomy and know it so well, you cam just have easy conversations about it. i also include a mindset re-set around beliefs you may have as a yoga teacher that, once you’re willing to break free of them, will allow you to feel more empowered.

Discover some of my fundamental anatomy themes to add to your classes and build your confidence. These are covered in my book Structure and Spirit which you can get on my website, www.barebonesyoga.com

I had a number of teachers recently wonder out loud to me, “ I think I know anatomy but I’m not sure.” This is a pretty important question to ask yourself, given that you’re teaching movement! In today’s episode, I share with you a few questions that will give you an idea of IF you understand anatomy and if not, what you can do to fix it.

This episode will give you so much that you can use to improve your mindset, learn new strategies and most importantly, help you feel more empowered. I also share a number of incredible invitations for you to join my free group for teachers, my free self care seminar and a children’s yoga training. As always DM me on Instagram @barebonesyoga with questions, thoughts or requests for the invitations to any of these events.

Take out your journal and get ready for a fun vision exercise which will help you get clear on how you want to show up as a yoga teacher this year AND how to make it happen.