The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 349: Yoga Niche Success Story with Christine Jaureguiberry Description: Niching down is a tried-and-tested method to grow your yoga business while allowing you to focus only on the things you love sharing. A guest from almost 5 years ago is back on the podcast to share her success story with niching down. Christine Jaureguiberry specializes in teaching Yoga for those who live with Scoliosis. She is the founder of Move with Scoliosis, born from her love of yoga and her own personal journey with living with scoliosis. Apart from her Shine membership, a support community with yoga and pilates practices for those living with scoliosis, Christine also offers workshops for yoga teachers who would like to support their students with scoliosis and/or spinal fusion. She also has a thriving YouTube following and is in the process of writing a book. In this episode, Christine shares an update about her business since the previous episode. She explains where she is in her business now and how she has grown her yoga business by focusing on her niche. She talks about running a niche membership, how she grew her YouTube channel to over 30,000 subscribers, as well as the roadblocks and challenges she had to overcome in order to get there. Key Takeaways: [3:04] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Christine Jaureguiberry. [6:49] What does Christine do and who does she do it for? [7:55] Alongside her YouTube channel and a book she is writing, Christine also has a membership offering. [9:47] What kind of struggle was Christine experiencing in 2017 that made her decide she needed to niche down? [13:26] What were some of the challenges Christine had in niching down? [16:10] Why is Christine still looking at ways to let more things go, even though she has picked her niche? [20:33] It's a common misconception that when you niche down, you have to immediately let go of everything that isn't within that niche. [20:59] Shannon pops in with a quick note about creating and hosting a membership site, which you can easily do on OfferingTree! [22:40] Does Christine now feel like an expert in movement for scoliosis? [26:29] We can't predict how our interests and inclinations may change or what our niche may be in a few years from now! [27:52] Sometimes we need a little external help to get started on our niche journey, and sometimes we just need to do one small thing at a time. [29:58] What are some roadblock that have come up for Christine as she navigates refining her niche? [32:12] What does Christine do in those tough times? [33:53] Christine has gotten help from her Virtual Assistant in her business. [37:18] Christine recognizes that she has different interests and may get pulled in different directions along the way, but she has found a way to harness that energy in her niche. [39:34] What advice would Christine offer a yoga teacher who is just starting out? [44:06] What are the benefits Christine sees in her yoga business now that she has really established her niche well? [46:34] How has Christine shifted her marketing efforts now that she has refined her niche? [48:54] Christine has also added Pilates to her offerings, even as she niched down in who she wants to serve. [52:30] Christine shares some of the ways you can connect with her. [53:48] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Christine. Links: Christine Jaureguiberry Previous Episodes about Niching Down Specializing & Niching Down Podcasts & Articles 345: Try a Month of This Niche with Shannon Crow 343: Niche Yoga Marketing with Sarah Karsten [Consultation Call] 324: Niches & Yoga Business Chat with Sunita Patil & Shannon Crow 255: Creating a Niche Online Course with Laura Fowler Massie 112: Niche Down to Market Your Yoga with Amanda McKinney 106: Defining My Yoga Business Niche with Shannon Crow 097: Focusing In On Your Niche [Consultation Call] with Susan Hopkinson Elizabeth Gilbert: Don't Chase Your Passion And Maybe You'll Find It (Hummingbird Talk) The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 166: When & How to Hire a VA (virtual assistant) with Sandra Booker The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth about Extraordinary Results a book by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 347: Yoga in the Cancer Community with Tyla Arnason The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "One of them was as a yoga teacher to let people down. I think that was kind of a big thing... they really need me, what's going to happen if I don't teach that class? And there was a huge resistance around this." - Christine "Niche work doesn't end." - Shannon "Another one of my challenges was to fully commit to this work that I was doing because ... I have got many

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 348: Yoga for Eating Disorder Recovery with Abbey Morris Description: Eating disorders are a group of serious health conditions that affect about 70 million people worldwide. Yoga can be a helpful tool for people dealing with eating disorders or in recovery from them. Abbey Morris shares her personal journey and how yoga can support people in eating disorder recovery. Abbey is a Mindfulness & Meditation Instructor, Sound Healer, and Ayurvedic Yoga specialist. At her studio, she hosts unique public yoga and meditation classes, educational workshops and retreats and works 1:1 with clients on their healing journey through these various modalities. Abbey's speciality is in working with folks on the journey to recovery from eating disorders/disordered eating and working on a more loving relationship with oneself. In this episode, Abbey shares the details of her own journey with disordered eating, as well as how yoga and Ayurveda have been a supportive, healing, and nurturing space for her through her recovery. She also highlights how she now works with others in recovery from eating disorders, including offering a series of yoga classes without any movement practice! Abbey explains the ways yoga teachers can support their students through recovery or dealing with an eating disorder through their cues, language, and more. Key Takeaways: [1:58] Shannon shares what sparked inspiration for this episode. [4:50] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Abbey Morris. [7:36] What does Abbey do and who does she do it for? [12:40] How did yoga help Abbey in recovering from her eating disorder? [23:01] Abbey talks about her journey of being reintroduced to Ayurveda. [33:05] Shannon pops in with a message about a 5-day website boot camp hosted by OfferingTree. [34:14] Did Abbey's yoga teachers or yoga teacher trainers know that she was dealing with an eating disorder? [37:37] Having an awareness that our students may be dealing with an eating disorder or in recovery from it is important! What are some things yoga teachers may be doing that are not helpful to this population? [46:29] Abbey has a yoga offering that does not involve any movement. She shares more about that. [56:04] Where can yoga teachers learn more about supporting students who are dealing with eating disorders or in recovery. [62:05] Shannon reflects on her key takeaways from this conversation. Links: Yoga by Abbey - Abbey Morris Yoga for Eating Disorders Program: Everything Yoga Without The Mat Previous Episodes about Eating Disorders & Diet Culture 338: Eating Disorder Informed Yoga with Jennifer Kreatsoulas 293: Eating Disorder Recovery & Yoga with Vivian Selles 048: Eating Disorder Education for Yoga Teachers with Tabitha Farrar 126: Body Mindful Yoga with Jennifer Kreatsoulas 292: Taking Diet Culture out of Yoga with Jessica Grosman & Elyssa Toomey 307: Taking Diet-Culture Out of Ayurveda with Diane Finlayson Yoga for Eating Disorders (Jennifer Kreatsoulas) The 5 Day Wellness Website Bootcamp - OfferingTree Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Online Series with Sarah Garden Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "I finally let go of the pressure and the perfectionist attitude and the pushing and the going deeper or going harder or, you know, staying just a little bit longer. All of that was replaced with gratitude for just being in a body that could move." "I was reminded that I am no different than all of these other moving parts around me in nature." "Rather than it being so complicated as navigating digestion and nutrition can feel, it all became quite simple. And I realized that we are the ones that make it so complicated. Diet culture is the one that makes it so complicated." "Ayurveda gave me a lot of agency and it transformed the way that I view nourishment and my body altogether." "Nourishment is so much more than calories and what a disgrace it is to think that that's all it is." "This goes to the idea of yoga being a practice and not a performance." "If we only show up on our mats, when we're feeling like a million percent, then how is yoga supposed to help us through life?" "Everyone's recovery is very different and yoga in your recovery can also look very different as well depending on what you're ready for and what resonates with you."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 347: Yoga in the Cancer Community with Tyla Arnason Description: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally, responsible for nearly 1 in 6 (almost 10 million) deaths in 2020. Millions more are diagnosed and survive cancer annually. As yoga teachers, we may have someone in our class who is from the cancer community or we may be interested in learning more about how we can better support someone dealing with cancer. Tyla Arnason is an expert in this area and has some insights about teaching yoga in the cancer community. Tyla is an accomplished yoga therapist who has been named a Top Ten Yoga Instructor in Calgary. She has spent the last 15 years working in partnership with the University of Calgary's Health & Wellness Lab in developing protocols used in programming for the cancer community and the research they supported. Tyla supports those with cancer, care teams, and yoga instructors through her specialized yoga therapy protocols, classes, and trainings. She describes herself as a movement optimist, and her philosophy is that with classes tailored to the individual, yoga can be made accessible to everyone and all students can become more confident movers. Tyla answers some questions yoga teachers often have, including: "How do I keep a student with cancer safe in a yoga class?" and "How can I gain the confidence to work with people from the cancer community?". She also addresses specific questions about supporting students with different types of cancers, students who use compression garments, the impacts of post treatment meds, and much more. Key Takeaways: [3:11] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Tyla Arnason. [7:24] What does Tyla do and who does she do it for? [9:59] What got Tyla into doing her work in the cancer community? [11:13] What are some things Tyla wishes she would have known about working with someone who has a cancer diagnosis? [14:31] What are some things a yoga teacher could say if a student shares that they have/had cancer? [17:47] What are some things yoga teachers need to know about keeping students with a cancer diagnosis safe in their class? [21:04] What does the training for yoga teachers who want to get a basic knowledge about working with the cancer community look like? [22:42] What are some key things Tyla covers with yoga teachers in a training specific to cancer? [26:03] Tyla shares some examples of how she might modify some yoga poses to cater to students with different needs. [30:17] Shannon pops in to share a little about a recent Q&A session with Eddie of OfferingTree. [31:47] What is neuropathy and what kind of modifications are available for people dealing with that? [36:41] How does Tyla respond when people tell her they can't do yoga or are not allowed to do yoga? [44:10] Communicating and working with the healthcare team can be extremely helpful in supporting someone with a cancer diagnosis. [48:18] What does Tyla recommend if a yoga teacher gets a cancer diagnosis? [52:27] Where can you connect with Tyla and learn more from her? [56:55] Shannon shares some of her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Tyla. Links: Tyla Arnason Tyla Arnason on Facebook Yoga Thrive The Yoga Effect OfferingTree Live Q&A with Eddie Arpin & Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher YouTube Channel Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Online Series with Sarah Garden Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "I was never too overly confident and so that allowed me to stay humble and to stay curious and to really recognize that I was not a cancer expert." "Specifically to cancer, I think that what teachers really want to understand is that every single diagnosis is different." "Sometimes yoga teachers, we could do ourselves a service by sitting for a moment and really considering what information do I need to gather in this moment? Because we don't need every single answer." "You have to really be able to change things quickly on the fly."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 346: Nāda Yoga with Rishima Bahadoorsingh Description: Yoga is not just about asana - sound is also an important part of yoga, and this is called Nāda Yoga. Rishima Bahadoorsingh is a yoga teacher who focuses on teaching this element of yoga and she shares her insights about Nāda Yoga in this episode. Rishima has been immersed in the tradition of yoga since birth, practicing it as a way of life in her family. She began singing spiritual Indian songs in the temple traditions of bhajans, kirtan and other devotional styles at a young age and also studied classical Raga. In 2016, she found a deep with Nāda Yoga—the Yoga of Sound. Rishima teaches locally and internationally online in Spanish and English, and her goal as a teacher is to make the intricacies and beauty of classical Raga and traditional bhajans accessible to all, and to spark love within ourselves through sound. Rishima explains the three Nāda Yoga that she practices and teaches - Mantra, Raga and Kirtan/Bhajan. She talks about the differences between mantras and affirmations, how Sanskrit ties into to Nāda Yoga, what Raga is and how it is useful in meditation. Rishima also addresses some common questions like if you need to know Sanskrit to practice Nāda Yoga, how to deal with people who are uncomfortable with chanting or singing in Sanskrit (or other languages), and where to start learning about Nāda Yoga. Key Takeaways: [2:56] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Rishima Bahadoorsingh [6:01] What does Rishima do and who does she do it for? [6:45] Why does Rishima say that she is not a yoga teacher? [8:10] There are many ways to practice yoga that do not involve physical movement. [9:17] What are the three parts that make up Nāda Yoga? [12:14] What's the difference between a mantra and an affirmation? [15:18] Rishima clarifies that mantras within the Yogic tradition would most likely be in Sanskrit. [16:35] The second element of Nāda Yoga is Raga. Rishima shares some examples of what it is and how it is used. [19:57] Raga is an excellent tool for meditation. [22:19] Rishima explains a little more about the silence needed for meditation. [23:51] Shannon pops in with a message about OfferingTree. [25:26] Listening to the sounds can be just as powerful as singing or sounding them. [27:20] The third part of Nāda Yoga is Bhajan or Kirtan. [28:32] Some people may feel uncomfortable with Sanskrit or a different language. [31:46] Where can yoga teachers start learning about Nāda Yoga if they have never experienced it or learned about it before? [34:49] Where can yoga teachers learn more from Rishima? [35:53] Rishima shares some closing thoughts on Nāda Yoga. [37:27] Rishima does Nāda Yoga in Spanish and English! [39:06] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation. Links: Rishima Bahadoorsingh Rishima Bahadoorsingh on Facebook Rishima's Mantras and Audio Courses Ray of Light Music 108 Facebook Group The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 241: Bhakti Yoga & Kirtan with Kamini Natarajan The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 242: Mantra & Chanting with Melissa Shah Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Online Series with Sarah Garden Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "I feel like I do yoga as my life. It's not something separate from my life." "When you sing [Raga], you become a nada yogi, one who practices the yoga of sound." "With mantra and yogic practice in general, it's about repetition - the more you do it, the more benefits you will experience." "Singing in another language doesn't mean you're converting to a different religion." Summary: Nāda Yoga is the Yoga of Sound. Rishima Bahdoorsingh (she/her) shares the three aspects of Nāda Yoga she teaches and practices, how to incorporate Mantra and Raga into your yoga practice, why affirmations aren't Mantras, teaching Bhajan/Kirtan and more.

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 345: Try a Month of This Niche with Shannon Crow Description: Niching down and picking a niche to focus on as a yoga teacher is one of Shannon's favorite things to talk about. However, it can feel overwhelming and seem like there is a lot of planning and work to do before niching down. In this episode, Shannon Crow shares her tips for you to pick a niche and niche down. Shannon shares a few anecdotes around niching down that can help you see that it really doesn't have to be a big deal or a complicated process. Many yoga teachers are often hesitant or feel nervous about picking a niche because they feel like they have to do it forever or they have to be an expert in that area - but this is not true! Shannon also gives some ideas about what might be a niche you could pick and clear steps you can take today to start sharing that niche with your audience.This episode is perfect if you've been wanting to niche down but don't know where to start. Key Takeaways: [2:56] Shannon loves to talk about niching down but it can feel like an overwhelming amount of planning and work goes into it. [3:30] Shannon shares an anecdote about how a couple of people have reached out to her about gardening. [5:35] It can make you nervous to pick a niche or specialty! [6:32] Shannon shares a first baby step you can take to niche down - choose a niche for a month. [11:34] Shannon pops in with a quick message about an upcoming live call with OfferingTree. [13:24] You can do a lot of niche work, and you can do more! Shannon shares a personal reflection about how niche work is showing up for her now. [16:10] What niche will you take on for a month? [17:34] Shannon shares some ways for you to connect with her in real time. Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 343: Niche Yoga Marketing with Sarah Karsten [Consultation Call] The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 337: Plantar Fasciitis and Yoga with Diana Zotos Florio OfferingTree Live Q&A Call on Oct 12, 2023 Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Online Series with Sarah Garden Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "I love to talk about niching down and specializing as a yoga teacher, but I also know that when I talk about this, it can feel like an overwhelming amount of planning and work goes into Niching down." "People get to know you for whatever you're talking about, and then at some point, they often will ask questions." "If you do want to stand out, you work on your niche or your specialty." "You do not have to choose something that you are the expert in and this isn't something that's going to be forever."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 344: Grief, Breaks and a Birthday with Shannon Crow Description: Shannon has been navigating grief and some heavy personal issues recently. She has received a lot of support, kind words, and messages from listeners. In this episode, she reads an email she received from a listener. Shannon first talks about the grief she has been experiencing and the things that are helping and holding her through this time. She shares the email from a podcast listener and how it made her feel. Shannon reveals that she thought about quitting and even considered selling the podcast and Pelvic Health Professionals recently and the decision she made in the end. P.S. It is Shannon's birthday and the best virtual gift you could give her is a podcast review! Key Takeaways: [3:34] Shannon is sharing an email from a listener on this episode. [4:11] Shannon shares a little about the grief she is experiencing and how she is finding comfort at this time. [8:53] Shannon gives an update about OfferingTree. [10:49] Shannon reads an email she received from a listener about the thing she shared in Episodes 339 and 340. [13:38] Shannon reflects on how reading this email made her feel. [15:42] It's Shannon's 47th birthday today! [17:20] Shannon shares a big update about how she was considering quitting and even thought about selling the podcast or Pelvic Health Professionals. [19:42] There are some ways you can hang out with Shannon in real time! Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 339: Personal and Business Check in with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 340: Personal and Business Check in [Part 2] with Shannon Crow Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Online Series with Sarah Garden (Discount Code: Podcast50) Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "I like them to see how it's not that hard to take a piece of lawn and turn it into a place where you can grow food." "I really think that when more and more people have time outside. It can impact us emotionally, physically in a good way and also it can impact the earth we're standing on in a really positive way, the more that people are outside." "What is the minimum that I need to do today to kind of keep things going and how can I ask for help with the rest that still is on my list?"

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 343: Niche Yoga Marketing with Sarah Karsten [Consultation Call] Description: Marketing your yoga can be easier when you find your niche. How do you discover what you want to specialize in, and once you do, how do you market it effectively? In this live consultation call with Sarah Karsten, Shannon Crow guides her through niche yoga marketing. Sarah Karsten is a yoga teacher based out of Strathmore, Alberta, Canada. She discovered the transformative power of yoga about a decade ago when seeking a change in the world of fitness. Sarah is passionate about creating a supportive community for individuals who are seeking pain relief, stress management, and overall well-being. In this consultation call, Shannon asks questions to help uncover the niche Sarah wants to explore and her ideal working schedule. Together, they craft a marketing outline to let students know about her offerings and to expand her reach to new audiences. Shannon also shares helpful tips on where to get content ideas for marketing Sarah's new niche and how to deal with imposter syndrome and overwhelm. If you are wanting to niche down and market your yoga to get more right-fit students and fill your classes, this is the episode for you. Key Takeaways: [2:51] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode which is a live consultation call - Sarah Karsten. [6:30] What does Sarah do and who does she do it for? [7:17] What would Sarah's ideal teaching schedule look like? [8:44] Shannon and Sarah dig into her specific niche as a yoga teacher. [11:53] Sarah explores why she feels hesitant and awkward about saying she's a yoga teacher. [14:43] There may be feelings of imposter syndrome to deal with when niching down. [19:27] Shannon and Sarah discuss her marketing efforts and how she can reach more people. [26:53] Shannon shares a little about OfferingTree. [28:37] Shannon and Sarah talk about how to market her online offerings. [30:41] Shannon offers some tips about how to speak to Sarah's niche audience. [33:08] What kind of content is Sarah usually sharing with her audience in terms of email marketing? [40:35] Shannon guide Sarah to find a rhythm that feels doable and sustainable for her in terms of sending out content to her audience. [46:49] It can be helpful to set aside time in your calendar to create content if you are struggling to find the time to do it. [48:43] What hesitations does Sarah have about implementing some of these suggestions? [52:17] Shannon shares some places Sarah can get content ideas. [55:49] Overwhelm is a very real part of being a yoga entrepreneur. Shannon shares some advice on tackling that. [64:39] Shannon reflects on this consultation call with Sarah. Links: Sarah Karsten Sarah Karsten on Instagram Sign up for a Consultation Call with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 065: Create Your Ideal Yoga Schedule with Shannon Crow OfferingTree User Group on Facebook Dr. Shanté Cofield | Maestro: Brand Strategy + Online Business The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 225: Yoga for Hip Pain with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 295: Make Money Teaching Yoga with Betty Welsh Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Online Series with Sarah Garden (Discount Code: Podcast50) Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Even when I first started teaching, I felt awkward to say I was a yoga teacher... And so that's already come easier. So I think it will get easier the more I talk about it." - Sarah "You're the best person if you're passionate about it." - Shannon "Remember why you're doing it. Also, remember that you're doing it to help people." - Shannon

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 342: The Yoga of Parenting with Sarah Ezrin Description: Parenting can be really challenging, but yoga can be a useful toolkit for parents and people supporting parents. Sarah Ezrin, author of The Yoga of Parenting Book, has some insights on how yoga can help with the struggles of parenting. Sarah Ezrin is an author, freelance writer, yoga educator, and content creator based in the Bay Area. She writes extensively on the subjects of yoga, parenting, and mental health, often interweaving these themes, and she is a regular contributor for a variety of popular publications. Her recently-published new book is The Yoga of Parenting: Ten Yoga-Based Practices to Help You Stay Grounded, Connect with Your Kids, and Be Kind to Yourself. Sarah talks about her why for doing this work and what inspired her to write this book on yoga and parenting. She also shares the two articles that really resonated with people over the years, and how her book is different from other parenting books that can feel really overwhelming to parents. Sarah and Shannon discuss being a present parent, feeling guilty about taking time for yourself, and how to deal with unsolicited parenting advice. Whether you're currently in the thick of parenting, are a new parent, or past the "active parenting" stage with older children or supporting parents in yoga classes, Sarah's tips about the yoga of parenting will definitely be useful. Key Takeaways: [3:18] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Sarah Ezrin. [7:43] There's a special book draw you can enter to win one of Sarah's books! [9:05] Sarah talks about her why and what gets her out of bed in the morning. [11:08] What are some pieces of content Sarah has created that have really resonated with people? [14:19] What motivated Sarah to start writing this book that connects yoga to parenting? [18:29] What are some ways that yoga can help in parenting moments? [22:38] Even as adults, we have moments of dysregulation. [24:02] How did Sarah organize her book for parents and how does she hope people will use it? [26:20] Shannon pops in with a message about OfferingTree - a software that saves her time, money, and headaches! [27:27] What were some parts of the book that were challenging for Sarah to write? [30:45] Shannon and Sarah discuss how overwhelming it can be to write a book, particularly about topics as huge as yoga and parenting. [34:21] What are some things that Sarah has learned while writing the book that have positively impacted how she parents? [35:51] Shannon shares her personal experience of receiving unwanted parenting advice. [40:21] What tips does Sarah have for a parent who feels like they don't have time to meditate or do yoga? [44:06] Sarah addresses the guilt that parents often experience about taking time for themselves. [49:02] Where can you get a copy of Sarah's book and connect with her? [51:38] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Sarah and gives the details of the book giveaway! Links: Sarah Ezrin The Yoga of Parenting: Ten Yoga-Based Practices to Help You Stay Grounded, Connect with Your Kids, and Be Kind to Yourself, by Sarah Ezrin Sarah Ezrin on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Online Series with Sarah Garden (Discount Code: Podcast50) Anxiety in Marriage article Article embarrassing moments as yoga teachers article Atlas of the Heart, by Brene Brown Cribsheet, by Emily Oster Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "What really gets me out of bed are the people that feel seen and heard by my work." "I just felt there was a lack of parenting books that were normalizing making mistakes." "All of us are the best parents for our Children. We are the best expert on our child." "The more I think I know, the less I know and the less I need to know."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 341: Online Learning Pro Tips with Emily Light Description: Online courses, trainings, and memberships are wonderful to improve people's access to educational materials regardless of where they are physically, but becomes up to each individual to complete them on their own. How can we make the most of online learning without becoming overwhelmed? Emily Light shares her tips. Emily is a yoga therapist who specializes in the nervous system and pelvic health. She runs her own private practice where she see clients 1:1 and also offers live stream online classes. Emily has her own membership site with an on-demand library of yoga classes. She is also an active member of Pelvic Health Professionals and has created a schedule to stay on top of the online learning here. Emily shares how she set a learning schedule so that she could actually use the membership full of content that she signed up for. She talks about how she finds time to do her online learning, how she takes notes, and what else makes it easier for her to commit and complete her online learning activities. Emily has some great tips about managing online learning effectively, so if you've ever bought a course or paid for a membership and struggled with finishing it or getting the most out of it, this interview is going to be so useful. Key Takeaways: [1:26] Shannon shares a discount code for an upcoming event by Pelvic Health Professionals and gives a shout out to OfferingTree. [5:01] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Emily Light. [6:50] What does Emily do and who does she do it for? [8:38] How does Emily tackle all the material available in Pelvic Health Professionals? [10:49] Emily also references the notes provided in Pelvic Health Professionals to create her own notes. [13:33] Especially with online memberships, the amount of content available to members can feel overwhelming. How does Emily deal with that? [15:26] What are some baby steps yoga teachers can take if they are feeling like there is a lot of information and they don't have much time to consume it? [18:52] What are some of Emily's tips for using her notes about what she's learned in Pelvic Health Professionals to create her own content? [21:45] Shannon and Emily exchange tips on how they manage their online courses and learning platforms. [23:56] Another big aspect of online courses and memberships is the time investment required. How does Emily help her members with time management? [26:57] Shannon and Emily discuss their thoughts about the cadence of emails to members and how often they send emails. [31:04] As a business owner, it is often helpful to have feedback from someone outside the business about what could be improved or changed. [32:10] Shannon pops in to share a special podcast listener coupon code for OfferingTree. [33:58] What has Emily's experience of Pelvic Health Professionals been? [37:34] If you are keen to learn more from Emily, check out her website. [38:47] Emily shares a little about her donation model live stream classes. [42:31] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Emily. Links: Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Online Series with Sarah Garden (Discount Code: Podcast50) Airtable LastPass Webinars with fitness & wellness thought leaders by OfferingTree Webinar: 5 Key Metrics for Success with Kristin Abel Webinar: Turn Your Website Into An Experience with Caitlin Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Writing helps me organize new concepts in my mind." "I definitely saw [the amount of content available] as something I needed to personally create some structure around because otherwise it was going to be untouched." "I am a big fan of scheduling. I have got to get that on my calendar or it is not gonna happen." "I'm skillful at transforming overwhelm into excitement with just a little bit of structure." "It feels really nice to have that personal relationship in an online environment." "I'm learning stuff for clients that aren't pelvic health clients in the Pelvic health professionals."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 340: Personal and Business Check-In [Part 2] with Shannon Crow Description: Shannon Crow shares more personal and business updates on this episode. She reflects that the grief she has been dealing with has been impacting her and some of the things that have been helping her through it, including messages from listeners.She also talks about the exchange student she will be hosting in her home soon and some of the activities she has been engaging in to be more "in-person". On the professional front, Shannon reveals that she was recently thinking about quitting her business and the podcast. She notes that she needs to take some of her own advice and lean on her team more while cutting back on things that are not essential to the business. Do share your recommendations for Shannon as she navigates this challenging season of life. Key Takeaways: [2:46] In this episode, Shannon is sharing more personal and business updates. First, she invites you to take a moment to check in with yourself. [4:45] Shannon is in a season of grief now. She shares some things that are keeping her going, including messages from listeners. She shares a couple of messages listeners have left. [12:44] "Meet up" with Shannon online at the yoga series by Sarah Garden. [16:28] Shannon talks about why she loves using OfferingTree in her business. [17:38] Shannon shares a personal update about the exchange student she will be hosting in her home! [18:47] Shannon and her partner Sean have taken on a hiking challenge this year. [20:34] Shannon has been missing doing in-person activities. She talks about how she is trying to incorporate more of that in her life. [22:19] Recently, Shannon got very close to quitting her job and the podcast. She shares how she is going to address this feeling. [28:48] What recommendations do you have for Shannon as she navigates this season of life and business? Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 175: Coping During a Crisis with Diane Liska The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 302: Yoga for Grief & Loss with Susan Andersen Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Online Series with Sarah Garden (Discount Code: Podcast50) Bruce Trail Conservancy Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Meet The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team Pelvic Health Professionals Podcast Episodes Mentioned: 336: Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain with Sarah Garden 325: Stress of Teaching Yoga with Sarah Garden 304: How Are We Still here? with Rebecca Sebastian - The Connected Yoga Teacher 166: When & How to Hire a VA (virtual assistant) with Sandra Booker 167: How to Make a Recruiting Plan with Reneé Clair - The Connected Yoga Teacher 103: Hiring and Nurturing Your Team with Shelli Warren - The Connected Yoga Teacher 315: Let's Talk Time Off with Shannon Crow 001: Avoid Yoga Teacher Burnout with Erin Aquin 328: Self-Connection for Yoga Teachers with Tess Jewell-Larsen 314: Plan Your Breaks with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher 248: Ayurveda is All About Self-Care with Chara Caruthers 308: Time to Rest and Refuel with Shannon Crow 174: Time for a Break with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher 316: Holidays, Vacation & CEO Days with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Even though I logically know these things [that I need to take a break and lean on my team more], it feels like sometimes it's not the easiest thing to do." "[I need to] listen to my gut on this and in this season that I'm in and to really notice and this is where I think that yoga really serves me." "On my list of things I need to do right now is ask for support and help."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 339: Personal and Business Check-In with Shannon Crow Description: Shannon Crow shares a personal and business update on this episode. She shares that she has been sitting with some deep grief in her life recently as well as how she has been spending time outside in her garden. Shannon also talks about the new stage of parenting she has entered and gives an update on her three children. On the professional front, Shannon explains the missing piece she has discovered in Pelvic Health Professionals and what is new in that part of her business. There are some upcoming workshops and series so be sure to check that out. She also reflects on how she is eager for more in person time with her team and that she will be looking into how to create that going forward. Key Takeaways: [4:12] Shannon is giving a personal and business update in this episode but she has a question for you first - how are you? [4:58] Shannon shares a personal update about what has been going on for her recently. [8:50] On the work side, Shannon has an update about Pelvic Health Professionals. [14:55] Shannon has been looking at the finances in her business as well, particularly around her spending on software. [18:08] Shannon got to meet Crunch, the show notes writer for the podcast, for the first time a few weeks ago and it has prompted her reflection on getting more in-person time with the team. [19:29] One software company that has been really supportive of Shannon in her business is OfferingTree. Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 175: Coping During a Crisis with Diane Liska The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 302: Yoga for Grief & Loss with Susan Andersen Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Online Series with Sarah Garden Balance Flow Yoga 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Meet The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Sometimes there are just huge struggles when you're running a small business." "For anyone who is dealing with just sadness or grief, I want you to know that you're not alone in this." "What are some of the software and website expenses that we could look at consolidating?"

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 338: Eating Disorder Informed Yoga with Jennifer Kreatsoulas Description: About 70 million people worldwide experience some form of an eating disorder in their lifetime. It is a serious condition and among the deadliest mental illnesses, second only to opioid overdose, causing over 10,200 deaths annually. Its prevalence means we are likely to encounter students in our classes who deal with it or are recovering from it. So how can we be mindful of them in our classes? Jennifer Kreatsoulas PhD, C-IAYT, is an expert in this area and shares more about eating disorder informed yoga. Jennifer is a certified yoga therapist specializing in eating disorders and body image. She is a sought-after international speaker and former host of Real Body Talk, an online interview talk show. Through her virtual school, Yoga for Eating Disorders, Jennifer offers individual yoga therapy, groups, classes, and continuing education and mentoring for professionals. Jennifer is also the author of Body Mindful Yoga and The Courageous Path to Healing. Her writing has been featured widely in print, broadcast, and online media. Jennifer shares how yoga teachers can become eating disorder informed in how they guide classes. By managing our language, our expectations, and being mindful of our scope of practice as yoga teachers, we can create safer spaces for our students. Jennifer also dispels some of the myths around eating disorders and teaching yoga to this population, as well as 3 ways in which yoga can be a very helpful tool. Key Takeaways: [3:16] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Jennifer Kreatsoulas. [8:48] What does Jennifer do and who does she do it for? [11:15] How and why is yoga helpful (or not helpful) for people dealing with or recovering from an eating disorder? [14:51] Yoga can be a pathway to self-connection to help with recovery. [20:20] What are some ways that yoga teachers can have respect and compassion for people going through eating disorders, especially since it's not something that can be identified by looking at someone? [24:15] One way to change your language is to consider how we offer students a challenge in their yoga. [26:00] Shannon pops in with a quick shout out to OfferingTree as an excellent option if you're looking to create a website for your yoga business. [27:51] How does Jennifer recommend responding to someone who comes to yoga with the intention of wanting to change their body without shaming them? [32:41] Shannon and Jennifer discuss what it means to stay within your scope of practice as a yoga teacher. [36:34] What are some ways you can learn from Jennifer? [42:42] Jennifer has a little gift for listeners in the form of a PFD that highlights ways you can make your yoga classes eating-disorder informed. [43:37] Jennifer invites us to study the language of teachers who look different from you. [45:12] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation. Links: Jennifer Kreatsoulas 9 Ways to Make Your Yoga Classes Eating Disorder Informed (Free PDF) Free Weekly Support Group Yoga for Eating Disorders Community Facebook Group Yoga and Eating Disorders Mentoring Group Is Your Yoga Class Eating Disorder Informed? Obituary information for Geoffrey Webster The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 293: Eating Disorder Recovery & Yoga with Vivian Selles The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 048: Eating Disorder Education for Yoga Teachers with Tabitha Farrar The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 126: Body Mindful Yoga with Jennifer Kreatsoulas The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 307: Taking Diet-Culture Out of Ayurveda with Diane Finlayson The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 292: Taking Diet Culture out of Yoga with Jessica Grosman & Elyssa Toomey Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Online Series with Sarah Garden Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Meet The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "What is your intention for showing up on your mat or for any activity you're doing and just do that inquiry. And if it's based in any kind of guilt or shame or obsession, it's important to get support around that because that's never gonna lead us anywhere helpful in our lives." "I see yoga as a pathway to that self connection. It's not a straight line and it doesn't always feel good and it's not always easy... I see this as a part of the journey." "It's not your scope of practice to have to know people's trauma or to know if people have an eating disorder or whatever their diagnoses are,... but we can take responsibility for our language."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 337: Plantar Fasciitis & Yoga with Diana Zotos Florio Description: Plantar fasciitis is a common problem that 1 in 10 people will experience in their lifetime. As a yoga teacher, you are likely to encounter someone who is experiencing this painful condition in your yoga classes, or you may even have it yourself. Yoga can be a helpful tool to manage plantar fasciitis. Diana Zotos Florio shares some tips and tricks on how to deal with plantar fasciitis. Diana is the founder of Threes Physiyoga, created to bridge the gap between physical therapy and yoga. She has a science Bachelors, a Masters in physical therapy and has been using yoga in her own life and to treat patients. Diana is driven by her purpose of helping people move and feel best in their bodies by empowering them with knowledge, tools and science-informed strategies in movement, mindfulness, connection and breathwork. She offers 1:1 sessions, has an online studio, and has also been teaching yoga teachers how to integrate physical therapy science into their practice and teaching. Diana explains what plantar fasciitis is, the common symptoms that someone with plantar fasciitis might experience, and the role of a yoga teacher when a student approaches them with this condition. She also shares some exercises that can help address the root causes of this inflammatory condition and how to manage it. Diana and Shannon also discuss the benefits of barefoot walking, balance poses, calf stretching and more. Key Takeaways: [3:59] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Diana Zotos Florio. [6:34] What does Diana do and who does she do it for [8:15] What is plantar fasciitis? [10:47] What does plantar fasciitis feel like for people who experience it? [12:51] If someone has plantar fasciitis (or pain in their feet), who might a yoga teacher refer them to? [13:55] What do physiotherapists do to help people with plantar fasciitis? [17:33] Diana explains what "load" means in the context of plantar fasciitis. [20:04] Shannon pops in to share a question from a podcast listener about booking software and how OfferingTree can support you if you have the same question! [23:14] What are some things in yoga that can help someone with plantar fasciitis? [27:42] How can you try out ball rolling at home to manage plantar fasciitis? [30:50] Diana explains more about the "tripod foot". [34:10] Shannon and Diana discuss going barefoot. [36:03] What are some frustrating myths or misinformation that Diana has encountered about plantar fasciitis? [38:10] What can people do if they're experiencing pain in their feet first thing in the morning? Diana also shares some other tips and tricks. [40:43] Connect with Diana and learn more from her via her website and on Instagram! [41:33] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation. Links: Diana Zotos Florio, Threes Physiyoga Diana Zotos Florio on Instagram Plantar Fasciitis Stretches to Ease Heel Pain - Threes Physiyoga Foot Injury Support + Protection : Help for Plantar Fasciitis Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain 7-Week Series with Sarah Garden The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 336: Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain with Sarah Garden Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Meet The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Being barefoot is one of the best things you can do for any foot injury." "If you have plantar fasciitis or fasciosis for a long time, over time, your balance of proprioception can decrease just because of disuse." "Inherently, people don't want to do that. They wanna kind of get the band aid, quick fix and move on. And I think that's just human nature." "Especially as we age and we move less, it's really important to move."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 336: Yoga for Endo and Pelvic Pain with Sarah Garden Description: About 190 million girls, women, and people with uteruses of reproductive age worldwide are affected by endometriosis ("endo"). A chronic disease that produces severe, life-impacting pain and other symptoms, endo is still not very well understood. There is no known cure and treatment is often aimed at managing symptoms. Sarah Garden shares how yoga can help endometriosis and pelvic pain. Sarah is the Director of Bodhi Tree Yoga Therapy and the full time Pain Educator and Yoga Therapist at The Chronic Pain Clinic in Regina, Saskatchewan Canada. Sarah has taught throughout North America and also offers classes and courses on Yoga International. She has been actively working in the field of yoga therapy for over 20 years. Her practice focuses on chronic pain, chronic pelvic pain, and the role yoga can play in treating nociplastic pain and central sensitization. Sarah shares more about her own long journey with endo and why she started specializing in yoga therapy for chronic pain and endometriosis. She explains the symptoms that accompany endometriosis and what we know about this disease, as well as why yoga is helpful. Sarah also gives other strategies for coping with endo and pelvic pain. Tune in to this episode to learn more about endo and pelvic pain, plus get the details about Sarah's upcoming 7-week yoga series. Key Takeaways: [3:15] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Sarah Garden [8:21] Where did Sarah's journey with endometriosis begin and why did she get interested in this area? [11:02] What is endometriosis? [13:34] If you are keen to learn more about endometriosis, there are some great resources (recordings of calls with experts) inside Pelvic Health Professionals, as well as an upcoming 7-week series with Sarah herself! [14:56] How can yoga help endometriosis? [22:01] Yoga can help bring more awareness to what is going on in your body and brain and that can be helpful too. [27:24] What is one thing Sarah wishes she would have known about persistent pain? [33:34] Getting curious and keeping the nervous system calm and steady is one way to approach pain and movement. [34:34] How does Sarah approach the conversation with people who have chronic pain to try new movements or to help them down regulate their nervous system? [39:54] Shannon pops in to share a conversation she recently had with a yoga teacher about how she is using OfferingTree in her business. [45:08] Sarah has an upcoming 7-week series to learn more about yoga for endometriosis. What does she want people to know about this series? [51:08] Endometriosis can be really difficult to diagnose because it presents in many different ways. [54:42] Sarah reflects on how her work is impacting people everywhere. [56:15] Shannon shares some of her takeaways from this conversation with Sarah. Links: Sarah Garden, Bodhi Tree Yoga Sarah Garden on Instagram and Facebook 7-Week Yoga Series with Sarah Garden The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 325: Stress of Teaching Yoga with Sarah Garden Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Endometriosis & Pelvic Health with Jill Mueller Endometriosis Surgery with Dr. Mathew Leonardi Monica Mansfield Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Yoga has this really incredible capacity to down regulate or provide us with tools to help us down regulate our nervous system provided we're working with it in a way that's accessible to people with pain." "Once we've worked on and developed that awareness, we then have the capacity to start to regulate what we need to regulate or re-regulate what we need to regulate." "What the evidence shows us is that education alone is actually really helpful." "There's a lot we can do with self management and a lot we can teach people for self management as well."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 335: Black Lives Matter is Yoga with Danielle Tridenti Description: Black Lives Matter (BLM) was formed ten years ago, and while many people jumped on the bandwagon and pledged their support for the cause a few years ago in light of the murder of George Floyd, it seems like BLM is getting "less popular". It is important to continue this conversation about BLM and explore how it relates to yoga. Danielle Tridenti shares their experience in showing up as an ally for the cause. Danielle is a facilitator of yoga, an embodiment coach, and an equity + inclusion group facilitator/consultant, who believes that cellular and personal change informs and affects institutional, collective, and cultural change. They have over 5000 hours of training in yoga, somatics, trauma informed care, anti-racism, equity + inclusion, as well as 20 years of experience in teaching and group facilitation, and 10 years as a mental health clinician and social worker. Currently, Danielle offers individual and group experiences, education/training, coaching, and consulting centered around embodying equity, LGTBQIA2S+ affirmation and inclusion, and solidarity with a trauma informed, intersectional, anti-racist, anti-patriarchal, and anti-oppression framework to individuals and organizations. Recently, a student in Danielle's class asked Danielle to remove their BLM shirt. Danielle shares more about how they handled that situation with the student and the studio they were teaching at, as well as their thoughts on why yoga is political. Danielle also explains why BLM and showing up as an ally is part of yoga. And discusses privilege, creating "safe spaces" in yoga, and how ahimsa (non-violence) ties into all of this. Key Takeaways: [2:39] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Danielle Tridenti. [8:12] What does Danielle do and who do they do it for? [11:17] Recently, a yoga student attending Danielle's class asked them to remove their Black Lives Matter t-shirt. Danielle recounts the experience. [16:21] How did Danielle follow up after the incident? What kind of reaction did the studio she was teaching at have after this incident? [19:57] Why is Black Lives Matter yoga? [26:47] What is Danielle's reaction to people who complain about how these discussions always feel "in your face" or that we are still having these conversations. [34:34] Shannon pops in with a shout out of thanks to sponsor, OfferingTree [37:01] What are some of the actions that people can take to support Black Lives Matter and create a world that is equal and just? [43:01] What are some other resources yoga teachers can use to get educated and learn more about this topic? [48:39] Learn more from Danielle by connecting with them on Instagram. [49:28] Shannon shares some of her key takeaways from this conversation with Danielle. Links: Danielle Tridenti Dr. Bettina Love Michelle Cassandra Johnson Resmaa Menakem Susana Barkataki Are We Free Yet? by Tina Strawn Lara Rod Owens Octavia Raheem Tristan Katz Jacoby Ballard Related Podcast Episodes: 203: Do Politics Belong in Yoga? with Chara Caruthers & Maria Kirsten 199: Creating Inclusive Yoga Spaces Erin Ajayi 189: Your Movement Science is Racist with Jesal Parikh BONUS: Anti-Racism & Yoga with Michelle Johnson 273: Yoga is a Revolution with Jivana Heyman 266: Social Location, Power & Privilege with Raudhah Rahman 231: Conscious Marketing with Tristan Katz 230: Anti-Oppression Yoga with Pooja Virani 246: Anger, Forgiveness & Self-Care with Jacoby Ballard 276: Caring for Yoga's South Asian Roots with Susanna Barkataki 334: Many Shades of Brown in Yoga with Anjali Rao Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "It's not my [Black Lives Matter] shirt that was making her uncomfortable, right? It was her beliefs that were causing this discomfort." "The bigger issue is exercising your white supremacy and your racism." "I believe that in teaching, I can leverage my privilege and practice co-conspiratorship and take a stand and take risks for folks who are historically erased and marginalized and oppressed and invisible and killed." "Picking what you want and leaving what you don't - that's very privileged too." "The bottom line is, if any of us are harmed, we're all harmed. We're all impacted. This is not a passive practice. It's an active practice." "People who have marginalized identities can't just leave the oppression behind. It's just not possible."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 334: Many Shades of Brown in Yoga with Anjali Rao Description: Conversations around race and identity in yoga, especially South Asian identities and the experience of South Asians in the West, tend to be uncomfortable. However, it is still important to give voice to the South Asian experience in yoga and to also talk about how yoga has been shaped by colonialism, capitalism and the Western interpretation of yoga as well as caste, religion, and race. Anjali Rao shares her insights about her experience of being brown in modern yoga. Anjali is a South Asian yoga educator and practitioner who explores histories obscured by patriarchal and colonial narratives. She integrates yoga history and philosophy with storytelling, imagery, and poetry. Anjali highlights that our identity is composed of different parts, which is why it's important for discussions of this topic to be nuanced. She also emphasizes that South Asians are not a monolith and that our lived experience is influenced by our different identities. Anjali provides a summary of the history of yoga, and provides her perspective on how we can embody ahimsa, what social justice has to do with yoga, and much more. Key Takeaways: [6:03] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Anjali Rao. [10:17] What is the work that Anjali does and who does she do it for? [12:41] What are yoga teachers missing in the story of how yoga got to be where it is now? [18:23] What is Anjali's response to people who try to counter bringing attention to our different identities by saying that we are all humans walking this earth and we are all yoga teachers? [20:59] What makes being a brown yoga teacher so difficult and complex right now? [25:36] Anjali shares her perspective on why it's okay to say "namaste" at the end of a yoga class. [28:02] Shannon pops in to share a short anecdote of how OfferingTree has helped her to schedule guests on the podcast. [30:09] How can yoga teachers start doing the work so that they are not simply doing certain actions as a token gesture but rather going deeper than that? [36:14] Anjali shares a brief summary of the history of yoga. [42:34] How did yoga end up in the West in the way that it is shared today? Anjali talks a little about colonialism and the other factors that led to shaping the practice of yoga in the west. [49:16] Shannon and Anjali discuss how we have lost a lot of the essence of yoga in our modern yoga studios. [52:50] What are some baby steps people can take to do this work of liberation and opposing harmful systems? [57:54] Anjali invites us to start normalizing saying we don't know something or that we made a mistake. [60:08] Learn more from Anjali via her podcast. [62:37] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation. Links: Anjali Rao The Love of Yoga Podcast with Anjali Rao Reflecting on the Trauma of Caste by Anjali Rao Caley Patrick Nadjiwon Doran - Anishinaabe Interpretive Guide Cape Croker Park website The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 184: Is Yoga Cultural Appropriation? with Shailla Vaidya The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 220: Alternatives to Namaste with Shannon Crow Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "I think the nuances of who we are are lost in the dominant narrative of yoga." "We don't have to shout out in that sense, but we have to know who we are and come from that space of self awareness and discernment." "We're all human beings, but we have completely lived different lived experiences." "We are really not tapping into the potential of yoga, not only for ourselves, but for really creating a community of compassionate, courageous people who can speak against harmful oppressive systems." "There is so much potential in yoga as a practice of liberation, not only for the self, but for the collective."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 333: Does Yoga Lineage Matter? with Kim Weeks Description: Many of us have learned, practiced, and taught yoga for years, but we are often unaware of our yoga lineage. What exactly is yoga lineage and why does it matter? Should we be teaching yoga without understanding the history of that lineage of yoga? How can we be more mindful of this in teaching yoga and communicating it with our yoga students? Kim Weeks shares her insights. Kim has over 20 years of teaching, training, running businesses, and consulting in the yoga and mindfulness industry. In 2019, Kim began working closely with Dr. Sat Bir S. Khalsa, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School to create The Yoga Lineage Series for Yoga Alliance. Today, she continues that work on her podcast The Weeks Well podcast, which is about the modern practice of being your best self in your mind, breath, body, and brain. Kim shares more about her yoga journey that led her to the work she does today, why knowing the origins of our yoga lineages is so important, and how to go about learning about our yoga lineages. She also shares her insights around the fear of discussing this topic and why it's important to keep having these conversations. Key Takeaways: [2:41] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Kim Weeks [6:06] Shannon shares a little about the yoga lineage she did her first yoga teacher training course in and some of her feelings around it. [10:30] What does Kim do and who does she do it for? [12:28] Was it scary for Kim to start her work around yoga lineages? She explains how she got started doing this work. [20:37] Kim shares another reason why she wasn't afraid to start sharing about yoga lineages. [22:41] Understanding yoga lineage is key to embracing the practice as a discipline sustainably over time. [24:03] Kim shares some of her insights about the power dynamic in yoga contributing to fear around this topic. [32:13] Shannon pops in with a shout out to Crunch's new offering. [37:10] Why is Kim so passionate about people knowing their yoga lineage? Why does it matter if it's all yoga? [46:38] How can yoga teachers find out about their yoga lineage? [50:28] It can be uncomfortable when you start researching and discover the abuses of power that may have existed in your lineage of yoga. How can yoga teachers approach these conversations? [60:04] Learn more about the yoga lineages from the series that Kim did for Yoga Alliance (paywalled), as well as from Kim's website and podcast. [72:11] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Kim. Links: Kim Weeks Weeks Well Podcast by Kim Weeks Healing and leading through connection, with Shannon Crow - Weeks Well Podcast Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage: My Life with Yogi Bhajan Book by Pamela Saharah Dyson Report on Misconduct Allegations by An Olive Branch The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 312: We Stand with Survivors with Rebecca Sebastian Crunch Ranjani Crunch Ranjani on Instagram Crunch Ranjani on Substack Boat the Bruce (Cruises in the Bruce Peninsula with Captain Colton) Thought as medicine in yoga, with Doug Keller - Weeks Well Podcast Yoga Posters (Created by Karoline and Frank Neville-Hamilton) Yoga Lineages on Yoga Alliance ‌Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "There's a lot of aspects of modern yoga that aren't sustainable over time because there's some super harmful things that have gotten kind of absorbed down through the patriarchy." "[What] you might be also getting at when you ask about the fear, ...is the power dynamics and the abuses that have flowed through so many of these lineages." "Lineage matters because it's like a map."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 332: 5 Pillars of Powerful Teaching with Sheri Fisher & Lori Holden Description: Yoga teachers are often seeking ways to feel more comfortable, confident, and effective in their work teaching and as yoga professionals. Sheri Fisher and Lori Holden share the five pillars of powerful teaching to help us become better yoga teachers and professionals. Sheri is an experienced yoga teacher who helps yoga teachers build confidence to bridge the gap between their Yoga Teacher Training and teaching extraordinary classes with ease and grace. Through professional coaching and group facilitation, she helps executives build their leadership bench, promote teamwork, and develop strategic plans to meet their organization's mission. Lori has been practicing yoga since 2007 and is a connoisseur of truly inspiring yoga teachers. Lori is an adoption coach and expert in the complexities of adoption. She applies the principles of yoga in parenting her own two young adults (one with special needs), a lifelong journey that requires balance, flexibility, strength, and stability, and helps others to do the same. Sheri and Lori share more about their new book Standing Room Only: How to be THAT Yoga Teacher, The 5 Pillars of Powerful Teaching from the Root to Rise Yoga Teaching Method. The book focuses on how to connect with your authentic inner teacher through Communication, Character, Connection, Commitment, and Consideration and Sheri and Lori share more about each of these pillars. Two lucky podcast listeners will also get to win a copy of the book, so be sure to listen till the end to find out how to enter the draw! Key Takeaways: [2:14] Shannon introduces her guests for this episode - Sheri Fisher and Lori Holden. [6:43] What is the work that Sheri does and who does she do it for? [8:08] What does Lori do and who does she do it for? [9:41] Does being a powerful teacher have to do with your personality and who you are as a person, or is it something that can be changed? What is some pushback Sheri has encountered on that? [11:01] How does Lori see these five elements apply to other aspects of life beyond yoga teaching? [14:14] The first pillar of powerful teaching is communication. How can yoga teachers improve our communication? [17:13] It is so important to have compassion for yourself when you make mistakes, because that is how we learn. [18:57] The second pillar of powerful teaching is character. How does this show up? [23:57] The third pillar of powerful teaching is connection and it is like the heart of the five pillars. Sheri explains more. [25:57] As someone who attends yoga classes, Lori shares her perspective on the importance of connection. [27:35] What are some tips Lori and Sheri have for bringing people back for the practice? [28:27] Shannon pops in to share a phone conversation she had this week. [32:27] The fourth pillar of powerful teaching is commitment. [35:57] Part of the commitment piece is also your commitment to marketing and selling your services as a yoga teacher. [41:17] The last pillar of powerful teaching is consideration. [45:59] What is some feedback Lori and Sheri have received about the book and were there any surprises for them in doing the research for it? [49:24] Get your copy of the book via the website RootToRiseYogis.com. [50:10] Enter the draw to win one of two copies of the book! [51:17] Learn more and connect with Sheri and Lori via their websites and social media pages. [52:42] Shannon shares some of her big takeaways from this conversation with Lori and Sheri. Links: Root to Rise Yogis, Sheri Fisher and Lori Holden Root to Rise Yogis on Instagram and Facebook Standing Room Only: How to be THAT Yoga Teacher, by Sheri Fisher with Lori Holden Lori Holden Adoption: The Long View Podcast, hosted by Lori Holden The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 326: Teach Yoga with Confidence with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 327: Working with Teaching Anxiety [Consultation Call] with Lindsay McMurray The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 058: Confidence and Self-Promotion with Julie Zuzak Boat the Bruce (Cruises in the Bruce Peninsula with Captain Colton) ‌Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "We all come with our own gifts and our own experiences and then ... it's up to us with how we pull all that together and express that as yoga teachers." - Sheri "Am I showing up with my own confidence, with my own gifts, with my own awareness? That's when you become that yoga teacher. And that's what's magnetic." - Lori "Character is the one that's taking the class beyond just an exercise class and creating a yoga experience." - Sheri "Our teaching becomes an expression of who we are and where we are on our yoga journey." - Sheri "It's not sales, it's being helpful." - Sheri

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 331: Exploring Nature Through Asana with Alison Zak Description: Spending time in nature can be a part of your yoga practice, but how can you find a deeper connection to nature through asana? Alison Zak is passionate about this topic and joins Shannon in this episode to share her perspective on how we can understand, respect, and learn from nature through our yoga practice. Alison is an author, yoga teacher, wildlife conservationist, and (a self-described) animal. She loves to encourage her students to find connection with themselves, their fellow human and beyond-human beings, and with nature through yoga. Alison shares how we can use our yoga practice to honor nature and connect with other beings and why it is so important to seek connection with other animals. She also shares a little more about how we can take inspiration from nature for our yoga teaching and personal practice. Alison offers some practical advice for finding your authentic teaching voice and also has a special surprise for one lucky podcast listener! Key Takeaways: [0:00] There's a book giveaway in this episode! [0:48] Shannon gives a shout out to sponsor, OfferingTree. [3:44] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Alison Zak. [6:18] What does Alison do and who does she do it for? [9:14] Why is it important to bring in the connection between yoga and nature and animals? What benefits does it offer? [13:16] Many people experience fear or cognitive dissonance when dealing with different animals. Alison shares an example. [14:49] Alison gives some examples of how she thinks about and reflects on different animals while doing her own yoga practice. [18:28] What are Alison's reflections on pigeon pose? [22:44] How does Alison find that connection to animals in her yoga? [26:45] Not everyone has the same access to nature to observe animals and wildlife. What does Alison recommend in those situations? [30:39] Shannon has some news from the team at OfferingTree. [32:11] What inspired Alison to share the book and who is it geared towards? [35:18] What are some events Alison put together to promote the book? [36:19] Some people may feel hesitant about making animal noises. Why is that, and how can we work with that? [44:00] What was the most enlightening or hardest thing for Alison about writing a book? [48:42] Alison is giving one of her books away to a podcast listener! [49:20] What is one thing Alison wishes yoga teachers knew about connecting more with nature? [50:02] Stay in touch with Alison via social media or her website. [51:11] Shannon shares her biggest takeaway from this conversation with Alison. Links: ‌Alison Zak Alison Zak on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn ‌Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "How many hundreds or thousands of times have yoga practitioners and teachers practiced cobra pose? So many. But rarely ever [do they] think about the animal that it's named after." "We can just get curious about what that animal's life is like and how they perceive the world. And then, that is the thing that helps us to just realize how connected we are to other beings." "I hope that that connection that we feel with other animals through a yoga practice, for example, leads to treating them with more compassion in our interactions with real live animals that we share the planet with." "Writing is a really healing process." "I will go back to the importance of knowing that we are also animals. We're not separate from the pigeon or the cobra or the scorpion. When we connect with these other animals, we are connecting with ourselves because we're all interconnected."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 330: Connect with Your Money with Shannon Crow Description: Many yoga entrepreneurs are uncomfortable with their money, but connecting with your money is one of the keys to running a successful business. In this episode, Shannon Crow talks about why connecting with your money is so important and how to do it. Shannon shares some of the activities she does to connect with her money including Finance Fridays check-in with her income and expenses, daily money check-ins and tracking her revenue and expenses. She also has some suggestions on how you can start connecting with your money too. If you're a yoga teacher who wants to make more income and profit, or if you're feeling like you're spending too much or not getting ahead, this episode is specifically for you. Key Takeaways: [1:54] This episode is powered by OfferingTree. [2:23] Shannon introduces her topic for this episode - connecting with your money. [4:11] Part of connecting with your money is knowing where your money is going and how it is being spent. [5:02] Shannon shares how OfferingTree allows her to keep track of her income. [6:16] Shannon shares her strategy for looking at her business finances. [7:44] Two things Shannon does on Finance Fridays are paying her bills and looking over the transactions that happened that week. [8:50] Shannon's plan going forward is to add in a daily money check-in. [10:27] Shannon also suggests starting to track your income and expenses if you don't already do that. [14:03] Start by looking at your money and finances at least once a week, if you rarely do! [14:35] Shannon invites you to consider some steps you can take to connect with your money. Links: ‌Thread about having separate bank accounts on the Connected Yoga Teacher Group on Facebook The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 329: Why Separate Bank Accounts? with Shannon Crow What Expenses Can I Claim as a Yoga Teacher? - The Connected Yoga Teacher The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 280: Get Paid as a Yoga Teacher with Shannon Simmons ‌Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "You need to know how that hard earned cash is being spent." "Wherever you're landing today, know that we are on this journey together, tackling our money mindset as yoga teachers and entrepreneurs and taking more of a look at the numbers." "The two main things that I do on [Finance Fridays] are paying all my bills and looking at all the transactions that happened over that week." "Make sure you're tracking your business expenses."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 329: Why Separate Bank Accounts? with Shannon Crow Description: Do you have a separate bank account for your yoga business? It is such an important part of starting and growing a business that many yoga teachers overlook or do not prioritize! In this episode, Shannon Crow shares seven reasons why you should have a separate bank account for your yoga business. She touches on taxes, being more professional in your business, and even the mindset shifts that come with having a business bank account. Shannon also has some homework for you to start getting your yoga business finances on the right track. If you have been putting off opening a bank account for your yoga business, this episode is for you! Key Takeaways: [1:52] Shannon introduces her topic for this episode - Why you need separate bank accounts for your yoga business. [4:01] Having a separate bank account for your yoga business can make a world of difference to your business. [5:43] Having a separate bank account makes tax time so much easier. [7:26] Shannon gives a shout out to OfferingTree. [9:28] If you have a separate bank account for your yoga business, you can build your business credit score. [9:56] The third reason to have a separate bank account is in case you plan to sell your business in the future. [11:29] Another reason to start a separate bank account is in case you get audited. [12:22] Shannon shares a clip from Hannah Smolinski (an accounting professional) about why it's so important to have a business bank account from the start. [13:40] Having a business bank account helps you shift into the mindset of being a business owner and makes it easier to see how well your business is doing. [14:58] A separate bank account makes it easier for you to track your income and expenses. [15:32] If you want to be seen as a professional and have people take your yoga business seriously, a separate bank account can help. [16:43] Shannon invites you to set up a bank account for your yoga business if you do not already have one! [17:47] Shannon has bonus homework for you - to implement Profit First in your business. [18:40] Shannon shares some insights about the topics she has been covering in the podcast this year. [21:32] What other questions do you have about being a yoga teacher or yoga business owner? Share them with Shannon! [22:40] Interested in hanging out with Shannon in real time? She shares some upcoming calls in Pelvic Health Professionals where you can do that! Links: ‌Thread about having separate bank accounts on the Connected Yoga Teacher Group on Facebook Podcast episodes and Resources mentioned: What Expenses Can I Claim as a Yoga Teacher? - The Connected Yoga Teacher 104: Legal Answers for Your Yoga Business with Saerin Ally Cho - The Connected Yoga Teacher 254: 3 Must-Have Legal Agreements with Erika Kullberg - The Connected Yoga Teacher 154: Bookkeeping for Yoga Teachers with Kelly Christian - The Connected Yoga Teacher 044: Accounting for Yoga Teachers with Hannah Smolinski - The Connected Yoga Teacher 280: Get Paid as a Yoga Teacher with Shannon Simmons ‌308: Time to Rest and Refuel with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher 309: Four Seasons of Business with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher 310: How To Create a Yoga Routine with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher 311: A Small Seed of Personal Practice with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher 314: Plan Your Breaks with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher 315: Let's Talk Time Off with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher 316: Holidays, Vacation & CEO Days with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher 318: Questions to Ask Before Any YTT with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher 319: Do I Need Another Yoga Training? with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher 320: What to Pack for a YTT with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher Book a Consultation Call with Shannon Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "I have seen the difference in my own business and [having a separate bank account] is one of the top things I suggest to yoga teachers, especially when they're working with money mindset stuff." "Ask yourself, are you building your business to possibly sell it someday?" "I really like that idea of thinking about your business as its own entity and its own organism, if you will. Because when you separate it out, you're starting to say, "OK, this is important, this is different from my personal".

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 328: Self-Connection for Yoga Teachers with Tess Jewell-Larsen Description: Stress, burnout, and overwhelm is a common occurrence among yoga teachers. It can be difficult to show up for yourself in the same way that you show up for your yoga students. Tess Jewell-Larsen shares how self-connection can be a helpful strategy to combat these feelings. Tess Jewell-Larsen is a yoga therapist in training, a certified mindfulness coach, and an experienced yoga teacher. She has a deep understanding of the challenges and struggles that come with burnout, having personally experienced the negative effects of stress and anxiety herself. Through extensive study and personal experience, Tess has gathered a toolkit of techniques that help others dealing with stress, anxiety, and burnout. In this episode, Tess shares her own personal journey with stress, overwhelm, and burnout and how yoga helped in her own healing. She offers tips and strategies for yoga teachers to deal with these feelings and highlights why self-connection is such an important part of the healing process. Tune in to find out more about Tess's 10-minute method for stepping out of burnout and to find self-connection. Key Takeaways: [1:27] This week's guest, Tess, shares what Pelvic Health Professionals is all about. [1:27] This episode is powered by OfferingTree. [4:42] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Tess Jewell-Larsen. [7:36] What is the work that Tess does and who does she do it for? [9:28] What got Tess started on the journey of helping people with stress and burnout? [12:34] How did Tess recognize that she needed to do something about the stress and burnout that she was experiencing? Was there resistance she felt in dealing with it? [16:39] What are some small steps people can start taking to address their burnout? [19:02] Tess shares her 10 minute method for stepping out of burnout. [22:14] How can yoga teachers incorporate the 10 minute method into their yoga classes for their students? [24:07] What advice does Tess have for yoga teachers who are showing up for themselves very differently than they are for their yoga students? [27:59] What does Tess think about building in time off? [30:27] Shannon gives a shout out of thanks to sponsor, OfferingTree. [32:11] What would Tess say to the yoga teacher who feels so stressed out and overwhelmed that they can't even begin to do anything apart from scroll social media or zone out in front of the TV? [35:16] Even with daily habits that allow us to give back to ourselves, it can be a struggle sometimes. Tess and Shannon share some tips on what to do in those situations. [41:55] Connect with Tess via her websites or on social media to learn more about overcoming stress and burnout. [43:19] Tess shares more about her freebie - a mini-ebook! [44:33] Shannon shares her takeaways from this call with Tess. Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 326: Teach Yoga with Confidence with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 327: Working with Teaching Anxiety [Consultation Call] with Lindsay McMurray Tess Jewell Larsen Tytoni Yoga Tess Jewell Larsen on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube 10-Minute Method: Stepping Out of Burnout (Freebie) Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "It all starts with you, communicating with yourself. It all starts with your own relationship with yourself." "It's all about creating that conversation, that loving relationship with myself, with yourself of like, ok, what do I need? How can I give that to myself?" "It's ok to have a range of emotions. I think that it's ok to not be ok, but it's important to know that we can give back to ourselves."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 327: Working with Teaching Anxiety [Consultation Call] with Lindsay McMurray Description: Anxiety about teaching yoga and not feeling confident about getting up in front of a class of students is normal. Lindsay McMurray was struggling with teaching anxiety and posted in the Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group asking for advice. This consultation call with Shannon Crow is a result of that. Lindsay McMurray is a certified yoga teacher who is also trained in the Yoga for 12 Step Recovery program. She is currently gooing through her 300-hr YTT with plans to become a yoga therapist. Lindsay has been practicing yoga since she was 12 years old and has supported her through many personal challenges, including eating disorders, and drug and alcohol addictions. In this consultation call, Shannon and Lindsay discuss her fear and anxiety about teaching yoga. Shannon shares from her own personal experience and offers suggestions about strategies Lindsay could try out to address those feelings. If you have ever felt nervous to teach or if you are feeling scared to put something new out into the world, this episode is for you! Key Takeaways: [4:08] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode, Lindsay McMurray, who joins her for a consultation call. [9:29] Lindsay posted a question in the Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group about getting confident in teaching yoga which prompted this call. [11:54] How have things changed for Lindsay based on the comments on her post? What has she found useful? [13:33] Shannon and Lindsay discuss her training programs and her experience in teaching during these programs. [15:48] Lindsay shares how her past experiences, anxiety, and feelings of self-worth are tied into her ability to teach yoga. [16:44] Shannon talks about the importance of how we support people with their mental health. [18:25] Has there been a moment for Lindsay in her teaching career that she felt everything was working? [20:26] Shannon invites Lindsay to reflect on what the benefits are for students walking out of her classes. [25:03] Shannon asks Lindsay if it's possible for her to teach now and together they explore the options of what that could look like. [28:01] There's nothing to be ashamed of with regards to feeling anxiety or feeling nervous to teach. [28:54] Lindsay shares some insights about her anxiety around teaching yoga. [31:19] Shannon pops in to share about an exciting free webinar by OfferingTree. [34:11] Shannon shares something that has helped her with her teaching anxiety. [34:46] Shannon shares about the anxiety she felt before starting the podcast and Lindsay talks about her fears about teaching at the treatment center. [39:07] Lindsay shares her "big why" for doing this work. [42:08] Shannon helps Lindsay put into action her plan to teach at a recovery center and reduce the amount of time she spends planning her classes. [47:56] The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group community has been an amazing resource for Lindsay. [53:07] Shannon shares some of her takeaways from this conversation with Lindsay. Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 326: Teach Yoga with Confidence with Shannon Crow Facebook Post about Teaching Anxiety Saugeen Chief Shares Optimism About Upcoming Tourism Season At Sauble Beach OfferingTree Webinars Common Mistakes on DIY Websites (and How to Avoid Them) - OfferingTree Webinar The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 284: Beyond Pronouns and Pride Month with Shannon Crow Previous Consultation Calls 002: Reconnect With Your Yoga Practice with Nina Andic [Consultation Call] 018: Get Creative with Your Yoga Cues [Consultation Call] with Brittany Alred 029: Creating Your About Me Page with Trevor Parks [Consultation Call] 040: Grow Your Audience with a 5-Day Challenge with Patricia Fasciotti [Consultation Call] 059: Market Your Yoga Teacher Training with Ashley Hagen [Consultation Call] 072: Email & Content Strategy [Consultation Call] with Kristen Boyle 081: Set-Up to Teach Private Yoga [Consultation Call] with Stephanie Brunson 097: Focusing In On Your Niche [Consultation Call] with Susan Hopkinson 132: Marketing to Increase Private Bookings with Amanda Mays [Consultation Call] 178: Tired of Social Media? [Consultation Call] with Devon Pelto 198: Share Your Yoga Specialty with Megan Mulrine [Consultation Call] Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "The more I do it, the more comfortable I get." - Lindsay "It sounds like you're putting a ton of pressure on yourself to deliver this perfect class." - Shannon "You don't realize how much we don't tune into these sensations in our bodies in the way that we feel physically and yoga provides that." - Lindsay "There's nothing to be ashamed of with regards to feeling that anxiety or feeling nervous to teach." - Shannon "My best yoga class experiences are when I d

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 326: Teach Yoga with Confidence with Shannon Crow Description: If you are a new (or not-so-new) yoga teacher who is feeling nervous or anxious about teaching yoga to a class full of students, you are not alone! This is a feeling many yoga teachers face and is one of the biggest challenges you have to overcome to teach yoga. In this episode, Shannon Crow reflects on her experience with fear and self-doubt as a new yoga teacher and the steps she took to overcome her anxiety and build up her confidence around teaching yoga. She shares her list of 15 things that have helped her through moments of self-doubt. Tune in to learn more about how you too can start teaching yoga confidently. Key Takeaways: [1:30] Shannon introduces the topic for this episode - teaching yoga with confidence. [4:54] Shannon shares her own experience with fear and self doubt on her journey as a yoga teacher. [8:39] Shannon shares a lesser-known feature of OfferingTree. [12:02] Do not feel like you need another yoga teacher training before you can start teaching. [13:09] Your own experience with yoga is a tremendous source of information and ideas! [15:24] Teach more. You build confidence by doing. Shannon shares some tips to make this process easier. [0:00] undefined [17:31] Remind yourself of why you are teaching yoga. [19:08] Be on time and be prepared. [20:56] Consider how you use demos in your class. [22:19] Start your students from a place where you can find a moment to breathe and center yourself. [23:18] Do not be afraid of repeating a class over and over again! [24:44] Making mistakes is a part of the process. Learn to embrace them. [25:29] Be okay with silence and don't be a cookie-cutter teacher! [26:40] Remember that your students want to be there with you. [27:01] Ask for and be open to receiving feedback. [29:47] See the value in the questions your students are asking - don't make yourself feel like a failure because of it. [32:04] If this episode was helpful, be sure to leave a review! Links: Facebook Post about Teaching Anxiety The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 214: Yoga Class Bloopers with Shannon and Sinead OfferingTree User Group on Facebook The Curious Case of the Overqualified and Under-Confident Yoga Teacher, by Barrie Riseman The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 283: Teach Yoga with Demos with Francesca Cervero Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko (Code: BALANCE) Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "Start teaching right now and learn as you go." "It's by being a student that we deepen our teaching. A student of our craft, of course, but perhaps more importantly, a student of ourselves." - Shannon quoting Barrie Riseman "Please do not feel like you have to plan an entire new class each time you teach." "We all make mistakes as humans and then they can learn from us and see how we deal with that." "You can really show up with confidence when it's you." "Share the yoga that you feel connected to."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 325: Stress of Teaching Yoga with Sarah Garden Description: There is a common misconception among non-yoga teachers that teaching yoga is stress-free. However, this is not true! Teaching yoga and running a yoga business can be extremely challenging and stressful and we need to be able to deal with it. Sarah Garden shares her experience from years working in the yoga industry. Sarah Garden is the Director of Bodhi Tree Yoga Therapy and the full time Pain Educator and Yoga Therapist at The Chronic Pain Clinic in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Sarah has been actively working in the field of yoga therapy for over 20 years and taught classes across North America and on Yoga International. In this conversation, Sarah highlights the difference between practicing yoga and teaching yoga, and why teaching is so much more stressful than most people imagine it. She shares some of the symptoms you may notice if you are deregulated and her tips on how to incorporate your personal practice back into your life as a yoga teacher. Tune in to learn how you can do your own check in and manage the stress of teaching yoga. Key Takeaways: [1:16] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Sarah Garden. [4:35] What does Sarah do? [6:17] Sarah shares a little about her experience as possibly the first yoga therapist in Saskatchewan. [8:48] Being a yoga teacher and running a yoga studio is tough. What keeps Sarah going? [14:20] There's an assumption that teaching yoga will be just as relaxing and calming as practicing it, but that's not the case. Why is teaching yoga so different from practicing yoga? [19:32] We need yoga in order to keep teaching yoga but it can be hard to fit in your own personal practice around your teaching schedule. [20:44] Shannon pops in with a shout out of thanks to sponsor, OfferingTree. [23:15] What is Sarah's advice to yoga teachers who have fallen away from their own practice and think they can't fit it in on top of all the other demands of being a yoga teacher? [25:14] What are some symptoms of a deregulated nervous system? [30:43] It may not be easy to tell when you are regulated or deregulated. Sarah shares some advice on how to discover that self-awareness. [37:05] Sarah shares a quick check in that you can do to assess how regulated you are. [42:45] People have the idea that a yoga practice has to be something big, but that's not necessarily true. [44:38] Learn more and connect with Sarah via email and social media. [45:55] Shannon shares her takeaways from this interview with Sarah. Links: Sarah Garden, Bodhi Tree Yoga Email Sarah Garden - [email protected] Sarah Garden on Instagram and Facebook The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 304: How Are We Still here? with Rebecca Sebastian Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko (Code: BALANCE) Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "It's not just like the work that I do going in to teach the class, but it's all this preparation." "The way the yoga industry runs is it's hard to make a living as a yoga teacher. You have to teach a lot." "Full-time teaching isn't often financially sustainable, nor is it energetically sustainable. And so, what do we do to do that? I think we have to fall back on our own practice." "Checking in with body tension patterns is a really nice way to notice if you're feeling deregulated, [and] checking in with your emotional regulations." "Relaxation or finding greater ease in your body isn't a process of addition, it's always a process of subtraction. We're doing work that we don't need to be doing."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 324: Niches & Yoga Business Chat with Sunita Patil & Shannon Crow Description: It can feel challenging to find your place as a yoga teacher in the yoga industry. That's where finding your niche can be helpful in standing out and serving your dream students. In this episode, Shannon Crow and Sunita Patil discuss niching down in your yoga business. This episode was recorded for the Meditation, Yoga & Stuff with Sunita Podcast. Sunita has over 30 years of experience in the personal practice of yoga. Over the past 20 years, she has taught thousands of students in Australia, USA, and India. Sunita has studied Yoga and Meditation, Sanskrit, Ayurveda, and the Vedas and Upanishads with teachers from around the world. Today, she offers mentoring sessions, group sessions, talks, workshops to bring the wisdom of Yoga and Ayurveda into day-to-day life. Shannon and Sunita discuss why finding a niche is important for yoga teachers, their own individual journeys discovering their niches, and how you can figure out your own niche. Shannon also highlights some of the myths around niching down and shares some tips for overwhelmed yoga teachers. Key Takeaways: [1:27] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Sunita Patel. This episode was recorded for Sunita's podcast, Meditation, Yoga & Stuff with Sunita. [3:14] Sunita opens the podcast and Shannon introduces herself. [4:47] Many yoga teachers struggle to find their footing in the yoga industry. Shannon shares her journey of how she discovered what worked for her and her suggestions that can help yoga teachers. [9:29] How can yoga teachers find their niche? [12:57] Sunita shares her struggles with finding her niche. [16:42] Shannon highlights that there's a little bit of a myth about finding your niche. It's not just that you figure out your niche and that's it. There's more to it! [18:26] Finding your niche can be a lot about experimentation and taking stock of what's working and what isn't. [22:13] Sunita shares her perspective on why she hosts her podcast. [25:11] Shannon explains how she got interested in the topic of pelvic health and explains a little about the pelvic floor. [29:53] Sunita and Shannon discuss how there is a lot of taboo and shame associated with talking about the pelvic floor and how yoga can help. [33:14] Shannon gives a shout out to sponsor OfferingTree. [35:02] How did the Connected Yoga Teacher come about and how has it evolved? [39:21] Starting a yoga business can be a lot with many moving parts and things to consider. What are some of Shannon's tips for yoga teachers who may be feeling overwhelmed? [43:56] Everything changes really fast, especially with marketing. [46:29] Shannon shares her contact details and how to join the Facebook group. [49:24] Shannon shares some final closing thoughts and information. Links: Sunita Patil Meditation, Yoga & Stuff with Sunita Podcast Sunita Patil on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 323: Finding Support in Yoga Philosophy with Sunita Patil The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 084: Yoga for Scoliosis with Christine Jaureguiberry Reflect & Plan Framework - The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 250: Reflect & Plan [Part 1] with Shannon Crow - The Connected Yoga Teacher Hypopressive Technique - The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 007: Breath and Pelvic Health with Trista Zinn Mula Bandha - The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 009: Kegels, Mula Bandha and Pelvic Health with Shelly Prosko Teaching Online Resources The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 139: Grow Your Yoga Business via Email with Tarzan KayTarzan Kay Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko (Code: BALANCE) Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree. Quotes from this episode: "What helps me … is focusing on: How can I help people? How can I share and how can I just invite people if it feels like a good fit?" - Shannon "Niche work is not easy." - Shannon "There's a myth that entrepreneurs and yoga teachers just like get to a point where they have it all figured out." - Shannon

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 323: Finding Support in Yoga Philosophy with Sunita Patil Description: Yoga philosophy is an important part of yoga. Yet, interpreting and applying those principles to our modern lives can be difficult. So how can we find support for our yoga practice in the sutras and yoga philosophy? Sunita Patil has some insights. Sunita has over 30 years of experience in the personal practice of yoga. Over the past 20 years, she has taught thousands of students in Australia, USA, and India. Sunita has studied Yoga and Meditation, Sanskrit, Ayurveda, and the Vedas and Upanishads with teachers from around the world. Today, she offers mentoring sessions, group sessions, talks, workshops to bring the wisdom of Yoga and Ayurveda into day-to-day life. Sunita explains about how we can make yoga, yoga philosophy, and the teachings from the sutras simple and adaptable to our daily life, and what the true essence of yoga philosophy is. Shannon and Sunita also discuss self-care for yoga teachers, how to maintain peace and calm in our hectic lives, and so much more. Key Takeaways: [2:32] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Sunita Patel. [5:02] What does Sunita do and who does she do it for? [7:36] How can yoga philosophy support yoga teachers? [16:14] What are Sunita's thoughts on the different translations or interpretations of yoga philosophy out there? [20:10] Sunita talks a little bit about the first principle of yoga. [24:58] What are some of Sunita's takeaways from the character of Arjuna in the Gita? [26:37] Shannon gives a shout out of thanks to sponsor, OfferingTree. [28:26] What are some of Sunita's ideas of how to incorporate yoga into our daily lives? [34:39] What are some things that Sunita does to bring calm and ease to her life? [43:12] Sunita shares some inspiration from yoga philosophy for yoga teachers who might be feeling that life is a lot right now. [53:01] Get in touch with Sunita via her website and social media. [54:19] Shannon shares her biggest takeaway from this conversation with Sunita. Links: Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko (Code: BALANCE) Sunita Patil Sunita Patil on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 297: Yoga Philosophy & Business with Rebecca Sebastian The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 269: Yoga Philosophy and Colonialism with Shyam Ranganathan The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 142: Living the Sutras with Kelly DiNardo The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 243: What Yoga Texts Should I Read? with Chase Bossart Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "With the yoga philosophy, it's basically coming back to stillness." "My always intention is how can I make it simple to adapt to my life, this modern life?" "This is the beauty of yoga like you can adapt it according to your need." "As we grow in the practice, we will change the practice."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 322: The Creative Cycle with Wenlin Tan Description: Feeling stuck, procrastinating, and facing a day when you don't want to do the work that is ahead of you as an entrepreneur are all normal parts of life and business. How can we understand these phases and move with them? Wenlin Tan shares insights about the creative cycle and how we can work with it instead of against it. Wenlin Tan is a Qigong and Yoga Teacher Trainer, women's health & well-being specialist, growth consultant and curious human. She specializes in supporting female yoga teachers, healers and changemakers to optimize their well-being and impact in the world by aligning with the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Eastern Philosophy, Qigong, yoga and psychology. In this episode, Wenlin explains the creative cycle and how it ties into the common challenges many entrepreneurs face such as resistance and procrastination. She shares some tools that we can use to overcome these challenges and reminds us that our ideas are not ours and we are merely vessels bringing them to the world. This is a deeply insightful conversation that can bring perspective to how we show up in our work in the world. Key Takeaways: [2:43] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Wenlin Tan. [5:30] What does Wenlin do and who does she do it for? [6:18] Wenlin explains a little about what the creativity cycle is. [9:10] What are some common challenges that understanding the creative cycle can help with? [12:51] We can often get stuck in trying to focus on planting new seeds (ideas) rather than doing the work of moving one seed (idea) through an entire cycle. How do we know what are "good seeds" to focus on? [16:29] The seeds do not belong to us - we are merely vessels for them. It's important not to take our "failures" personally. [17:42] The creative cycle can be related to the menstrual cycle, and it applies even for people who don't menstruate. [27:53] Shannon pops in with a word of thanks to sponsor OfferingTree. [29:36] What are the elements associated with the creative cycle? [36:35] What is the biggest struggle Wenlin sees among yoga teachers and other creatives? [41:00] What are some tools that Wenlin finds useful when you are experiencing resistance? [44:02] Wenlin shares some of the ways she finds the balance between tasks she is excited about and tasks she does not enjoy. [46:47] Learn more about Wenlin and her work via her website and social media. [49:50] Wenlin has a message for listeners. [54:39] Shannon shares some of her biggest takeaways from this conversation. [57:54] Hang out with Shannon in real time at the Balance Flow Yoga series with Shelly Prosko Links: Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko (Code: BALANCE) Wenlin Tan Wenlin Tan on Facebook and Instagram What is the Creative Cycle? By Wenlin Tan The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 309: Four Seasons of Business with Shannon Crow Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "The idea that things are linear is actually not true. The idea of growth and businesses, how we expand is actually cyclical." "Before even thinking about what seed to get attached to or what seed is a really good seed is to remember that none of the seeds really belong to us." "We can practice this cycle, but we cannot force creativity." "Growth is not linear. Work is not linear. Life is not linear. And more importantly, your path, your cycle, your strengths, your challenges will be different from someone else's."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 321: Accessible Yoga & Pelvic Health with Jivana Heyman Description: Why is pelvic health important and how can we make it more accessible in our yoga classes? In this episode, which first aired on the Accessible Yoga Podcast hosted by Jivana Heyman, Shannon Crow appears as the special guest to talk about pelvic health and making it accessible. Jivana Heyman is the founder and director of the Accessible Yoga Association, an international non-profit organization devoted to making yoga teachings more accessible. He is also the author of Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion and Accessible Yoga: Poses & Practices for Every Body. Jivana and Shannon kick off this episode by discussing their shared love for supporting and connecting yoga teachers to each other and to information and their messy process of learning. Shannon then shares more about why she started Pelvic Health Professionals, the role of gendered language in discussing pelvic health, and how it plays a part in yoga. They also discuss trauma, fear–based language vs clear contraindications, what it really means to engage the pelvic floor, the core, and the difference between weak and relaxed pelvic floor. Tune in to learn more about how to share about this important topic with your students in a way that is accessible to all! Key Takeaways: [1:39] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Jivana Heyman. This podcast episode was originally recorded for the Accessible Yoga podcast. [4:18] Jivana introduces Shannon and she tells listeners a little more about herself. [8:26] Being open to new information and learning is so important, and it can be a messy process. [10:36] Shannon invites experts in pelvic health to share information with other professionals. Is she intimidated by the expertise others bring to the table in her membership community? [13:09] Pelvic health is often seen as a gendered topic that applies more to cis-gender women or people who are giving birth. [14:49] How does Shannon help the people she works with connect with their pelvic floor without gendered language? [16:37] Jivana voices his frustration that there are a lot of gender assumptions in yoga spaces as well. [20:14] If you are keen to learn more about gendered language, Shannon has a coupon code for you. [21:08] What could it look like if yoga teachers started exploring how to remove gendered language from their classes? [23:20] Jivana and Shannon discuss how anatomical terms should be used in trauma-informed teaching. [26:13] Shannon gives a shout out of thanks to sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [28:10] What are some specific things yoga teachers could be saying to help yoga students understand more about pelvic health within the context of a yoga class? [31:27] Jivana highlights contraindications in yoga and the pushback against that in the yoga community. Shannon offers some tips on how to avoid fear-based language. [38:36] Shannon shares how she provides yoga cues without using fear-based language. [41:41] It's common for yoga teachers to cue engagement of the pelvic floor or core. Shannon explains why this may not be a useful cue and how to cue this engagement instead. [47:05] What is the connection between the breath and the pelvic floor? [51:30] Being aware and staying within your scope of practice as a yoga teacher is very important. [53:38] Shannon shares some final thoughts around being subtle in your practice and questioning everything we come across. [60:00] Have more questions about pelvic health? Send Shannon an email or a voice note, or join Pelvic Health Professionals to learn from experts! Links: Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko (Code: BALANCE) Jivana Heyman Accessible Yoga Accessible Yoga Podcast The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 138: Accessible Yoga Beyond Asana with Jivana Heyman The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 273: Yoga is a Revolution with Jivana Heyman The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 251: Self-Reflect and Plan [Part 2] with Shannon Crow and Jivana Heyman The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 284: Beyond Pronouns and Pride Month with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 033: A New Perspective on Diastasis Recti with Dr. Sinead Dufour The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 267: Thoughts on Belly Breathing with Shannon Crow Accessible Yoga Community on Facebook Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Every single human is walking around with a pelvis, with a pelvic floor." - Shannon "I think it's really important that we start to talk about pelvic health and take out the gendered language." - Shannon "We all need to be more conscious with our words, especially if you're in the position of teacher or any kind of authority." - Jivana "We forget sometimes that if y

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 320: What to Pack for a YTT with Shannon Crow Description: Once you are signed up for a yoga teacher training (YTT) program, what should you pack to bring with you? This is a common question among yoga teachers. Shannon Crow did a survey in the Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group to find out what people recommend! Tune in to this episode to find out what are some must-haves, some nice-to-haves and to get Shannon's full list of what she packs for a YTT! This is the perfect episode to listen to if you are wondering what you need to bring for your next YTT. Key Takeaways: [2:00] Shannon Crow introduces the topic for this episode - what to take with you to a yoga teacher training. [4:25] First few items on Shannon's list are a yoga mat and props. [5:19] Some yoga teachers bring a yoga mat cleaner but Shannon advises against it. She explains why. [7:10] Shawls, scarves, and layers of clothing are all useful items to add to your packing list for a YTT. [8:37] Shannon gives a shout out to sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [11:22] Shannon always packs writing instruments to attend a yoga teacher training. [13:10] Shannon shares some other personal items you may want to include in your packing list like deodorant, snacks, water bottles, and tissues. [15:52] Cell phones can be a useful tool to capture parts of your learning experience at the YTT, and a large tote bag to hold all your belongings is handy too! [17:11] Don't forget to bring an open mind and your critical thinking skills! [18:20] You might want to bring along a towel and your yoga business cards as well! [19:46] What are some of your essentials to bring to a yoga teacher training? Share them in the comments! What to Bring to a YTT: Yoga Mat Blocks Yoga Belt Blanket Bolster Eye Pillow Meditation Cushion Yoga Mat Cleaner (without essential oils if possible) Shawl or Scarf Layers of (or extra) Clothing Notebook, Journal and/or Clipboard Coloured Pencils, Markers, Pens or Crayons Deodorant Snacks, Food & Drinks Water Bottle Kleenex Phone & Charger Large Tote Bag An Open Mind AND Critical Thinking Skills Hand Towel and/or Mat Towel Business Cards Links: Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko (Code: BALANCE) Yoga Teacher Training Question Facebook Thread in The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Article - Doodling: Listening with a Pencil The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 318: Questions to Ask Before Any YTT with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 319: Do I Need Another Yoga Training? with Shannon Crow Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Don't forget to bring an open mind." "Be ok with questioning and asking for information that supports something that is said in class."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 319: Do I Need Another Yoga Training? with Shannon Crow Description: It is a common trend among yoga teachers to take one yoga teacher training (YTT) program after another. But is it really necessary and when should you consider taking another YTT? Shannon Crow explores some of the main reasons yoga teachers sign up for YTTs. There are several reasons why yoga teachers take YTTs. Continuing education is important, but for many yoga teachers, it is often a case of wanting to get more students, make more income, be offered more teaching opportunities, and deepen their expertise in a speciality. Shannon dives into why a YTT may not be the right course of action in some cases, and when it does add value. She also touches on the pyramid scheme of YTTs and some things to watch out for before signing up. This is the perfect episode to listen to if you are considering signing up for another YTT - give this a listen and ask yourself if you really need another yoga training or if there's something else that would help you achieve the results you are looking for instead. Key Takeaways: [2:25] It's common for yoga teachers to take many yoga trainings, but this may not be necessary! [4:44] Do you really need another yoga teacher training right now? Shannon shares a question she asked in The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group. [6:15] Shannon explores the first reason people have for signing up for another YTT - to get more students in their classes or increase their income - and what you could do instead. [8:22] Another reason yoga teachers cite for taking another YTT is they want to be recognized as more of an expert or they want more teaching opportunities. [10:00] Shannon gives a shout out to sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [12:36] Yoga teachers often take a YTT to upgrade their skills or education to teach specific styles of yoga or a specific population. [13:27] There are also yoga teachers who sign up for YTTs for the community it offers. [13:51] What if you waited to make some profit and then use that profit to invest in your next yoga teacher training or continuing education course? [14:52] Shannon addresses something she has observed in the yoga industry - pressuring yoga teachers to "invest" in continuing education, mentorship, or coaching. [17:26] You can wait to make a profit in your yoga business first before signing up for the next course or training. Links: Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko (Code: BALANCE) The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 318: Questions to Ask Before Any YTT with Shannon Crow Yoga Teacher Training Question Facebook Thread in The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 295: Make Money Teaching Yoga with Betty Welsh The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 187: How to Choose a Yoga Teacher Training with Cecily Milne The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 280: Get Paid as a Yoga Teacher with Shannon Simmons Email Shannon Crow Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Are your students who are signing up going to know that you took this other teacher training?" "You could take all the training in the world. But if you're not telling people about that niche, that is not going to move the needle for you in terms of being recognized as an expert or getting more teaching opportunities." "What would it feel like if you waited to make some profit and then use that profit to invest in your next yoga teacher training or continuing education course?"

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 318: Questions to Ask Before Any YTT with Shannon Crow Description: Continuing education is an important part of your professional development as a yoga teacher but with a multitude of yoga teacher training (YTT) programs available, it is important to pick the right one. Shannon Crow shares some of the questions she asks before signing up for a YTT. Shannon has had the experience of going from one YTT to the next and this is something that you may experience if you are a newer yoga teacher. While it is important to build the necessary skills to teach, we need to also be aware of where we are investing our time, energy, and money. Shannon recommends asking questions about the YTT before signing up. Some things to consider include the accessibility and inclusion of the program, the yoga school's stance on cultural appropriation, and their values. She also invites you to ask questions about the lead trainers' experience, their position on medicine and science, religion and spirituality and anything else that may be important for you. The important thing is to ensure that the yoga teacher training you choose is aligned with your values. Key Takeaways: [1:40] Continuing education is an important part of your professional development as a yoga teacher but there are some hard truths we should be aware of before signing up for the next yoga teacher training. [2:31] Shannon shares her personal experience with yoga teacher trainings and continuing education. [7:14] Shannon shares some questions she would ask if she were signing up for a yoga teacher training today. [10:13] Shannon gives a shout out of thanks to sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [12:30] Shannon talks about how she ended up in a yoga teacher training where the lead teacher talked about aliens instead of yoga sutras! [13:33] Some other questions Shannon would ask include their yoga philosophy for the trainings and scope of practice. [14:28] Shannon highlights some other questions you might be interested in asking a yoga school or yoga teacher training program before you sign up. [16:29] It can also be helpful to ask to speak with past graduates and lead trainers of a yoga teacher training to see if it is a good fit for you. [19:21] It's important to ensure that the yoga teacher training you choose is aligned with your values. Questions to Ask Before Any Yoga Teacher Training Do you teach how to make yoga accessible? What are your thoughts on cultural appropriation? Do you have a diverse group of teachers? How are you paying your teachers and assistants? What do you do to protect students from abuse of power? Can I look over your ethics, values, and philosophy statements? What are your thoughts on social justice? Do you and your teachers share their pronouns? Is your business model built on training more and more yoga teachers? What is your diversity, equity and inclusion policy? Does your yoga school encourage referrals to medical professionals or do you think science isn't real? Are you going to talk about your belief in aliens instead of the yoga sutras during lecture? What yoga texts do you refer to for yoga philosophy? May I see the bibliography section of your manual? What do you teach about scope of practice? How do you ensure that all trainers and teachers are not talking about food and nutrition? What is your policy on scholarships, payment plans and refunds? What are your thoughts on religion and spirituality with regards to yoga? What is the schedule like in this YTT? Will I be reaching the point of exhaustion? Do you believe in "breaking people down" emotionally or physically in a YTT? Has your yoga lineage had any reported (or unreported) abuse? Do you have training with regards to trauma and is this incorporated into your YTT? How can I talk with past graduates and lead trainers of your YTT? How many YTTs have you led and how long have you been teaching yoga? What does your YTT offer with regards to business education? Where can I view the syllabus for the training? How many contact hours are in the training? How much practice teach time is in the training? Links: Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 312: We Stand with Survivors with Rebecca Sebastian & Colin Hall Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Looking back now, I feel like it was part of a weird culty pyramid scheme." "If I was going to sign up for a yoga teacher training today, I would be asking a lot of questions." "Make sure you're in a training where you can ask questions and question what is being taught in that moment." "Make sure really that the yoga teacher training that you choose is in alignment with your values." "Do not be afraid to ask a lot of questions before you sign up and you invest your time and your money. And also

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 317: Balance Flow Yoga with Shelly Prosko Description: As we age, our balance reaction changes, our strength decreases, and our general mobility is reduced. This can put us at greater risk of falls. Movement is a great tool to help prevent falls, improve balance, and also reduce the risk of injuries. In this episode, Shelly Prosko shares more about her new offer - Balance Flow Yoga - designed to address these common concerns. Why is balance so important for yoga teachers, yoga students, and people who are interested in pelvic health? Shelly explains how she came to offer Balance Flow Yoga and why it is such a relevant topic for everyone. This offer is created in such a way that yoga teachers would be able to experience it and then go on to share it in their community - why was this such an essential part of how this program is structured and what's covered in the program? Shelly answers these questions and more. Tune in to learn more about Balance Flow Yoga and how you can join the upcoming training sessions with Shelly Prosko! Key Takeaways: [1:13] Shannon gives a shout out to sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [2:29] Shannon welcomes returning guest Shelly Prosko to the podcast. [2:29] What is the work that Shelly does? [4:26] How did the idea for Balance Flow Yoga come about? [7:36] How has Shelly been sharing Balance Flow Yoga out in her community? [9:16] Why did Shelly think that it was important for yoga teachers to be able to share this in their community? [16:39] Shannon pops in with a quick message about OfferingTree. [18:15] Shelly talks about some of the things they cover in terms of the balance aspect in her course. [19:13] Balance Flow Yoga also has a connection to the pelvic floor. [22:14] Shannon shares the details of the upcoming Balance Flow Yoga course. [23:01] Who should attend and what should you bring when you sign up? [25:11] Get the early bird pricing if you sign up by the end of March! [25:56] Sign up for Balance Flow Yoga with Shelly Prosko on the Pelvic Health Professionals website. Links: Shelly Prosko Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: ""We have evidence that shows movement is really good to help prevent falls, to help improve our balance and also reduce the risk of injuries." "It's wonderful to be able to translate the research... and then to actually offer that in the community for everybody." "Our world just kind of gets smaller and smaller and we do less and less because we're afraid to fall. And then that causes it, it perpetuates the cycle." "We can look at different meditative practices and different breathing practices that can not only help us with our movement but also with the emotions of confidence and self compassion."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 316: Holidays, Vacation & CEO Days with Shannon Crow Description: Do you plan out your vacation days, holidays, and CEO days? Do you schedule them into your calendar to ensure you have no-work days to look forward to? If you don't already do this, this episode is for you! It can feel uncomfortable to take time off work, or even impossible but we need to find a balance. Shannon shares how she has managed to take time off for holidays and vacations even as a single mother of three young children and encourages you to reflect on the time you would like to take off in your yoga business. She also talks about the importance of taking CEO days in your business to plan and move forward. Listen in for tips on how to plan for vacations and holidays in your business, especially if you feel like you don't have time to take time off from work! Key Takeaways: [1:25] Shannon continues the theme of the last few podcast episodes in talking about taking breaks, time off, and vacations. [4:01] Shannon gives a shout out of thanks to sponsors OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [6:56] To help plan out her vacations and time off from work, Shannon recommends looking at a big annual calendar to see the year at a glance. [8:29] Ask yourself: How many days off a year do you want to take for a vacation, staycation, or just to not work? [10:25] Shannon invites you to reflect on a number for the amount of time you would like to take off working and to notice what comes up for you. [11:53] You can plan for time off and give yourself the flexibility to change things if needed. [12:54] Add your vacation time to your calendar. Then mark off the holidays that you want to take off work too. Include state and country holidays, but also think about if there are special days (birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations) you want to be off work too! [13:33] Shannon uses OfferingTree to help her to plan her vacations, holidays, and time off. [15:00] CEO days are planning times for you to look at data from your business and your goals and make big plans. [18:27] Shannon shares some other resources that may be helpful to you as you plan out your vacations, time off, and CEO planning days. [19:56] Hang out with Shannon in real-time! Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 314: Plan Your Breaks with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 315: Let's Talk Time Off with Shannon Crow Steph Crowder (Year on the Wall) Google Calendar People in These Countries Get The Most Paid Vacation Days | World Economic Forum The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 166: When & How to Hire a VA (virtual assistant) with Sandra Booker The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 308: Time to Rest and Refuel with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 309: Four Seasons of Business with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 310: How To Create a Yoga Routine with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 311: A Small Seed of Personal Practice with Shannon Crow Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "How many days off a year do you want to take for vacation or a staycation?" "The important thing is that you are adding some vacation time to your calendar." "CEO planning time is where you get to look at the data from your business and your big goals and dreams and ideas and you get to plan big." "I want to see you really sustain yourself and be in this and enjoying your life outside of work."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 315: Let's Talk Time Off with Shannon Crow Description: Apart from taking breaks in your work day, it is also important to take time off from work. Whether that's vacations, time away from teaching yoga, or time off for personal development or your mental health and wellbeing, this is a critical element of not getting burnt out. Shannon Crow shares insights from our very own Connected Yoga Teachers. Shannon reads comments from different yoga teachers in the Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group about how and when they take time off. Everyone's situation is unique and what works for one person may not for others. Tune in to hear how different yoga business owners are working time off into their schedule and use this episode as an inspiration for you to take more time off work too! Key Takeaways: [1:02] This week's episode will focus on taking time off, especially when you're feeling overworked and stretched to your limit. [1:48] Have you heard about the 4-day work week? Shannon shares some findings from the largest trial of the 4-day work week. [3:25] Shannon plans her time off and then fits her work time in. [5:33] Shannon gives a shout out to sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [7:07] Shannon recently asked yoga teachers in the Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group about their thoughts on taking time off. [8:35] Shannon reads a reply from Erin Olsson. [10:59] Shannon shares some comments from Jennifer Parker about how taking time off has evolved for her, and Rebecca Sebastian's comment about how Jennifer inspired her. [14:42] Shannon reads a comment from Nathan Shiva retiring early to follow his passion - yoga. [15:51] Before reading a few more shares from yoga teachers, Shannon answers a question she often gets about how to create an online studio membership. OfferingTree is a great option to check out! [17:07] Charisma Whitefeather commented on the post that she takes about 50 days off a year! [17:42] If you feel like it's impossible for you to take that many days off, Shannon invites you to explore how you can start taking action to make that a reality. [18:58] Some yoga teachers shared their less-than-ideal situation with taking time off. [21:59] Another yoga teacher, Sarah Garden, commented that most yoga teachers who live off their yoga income alone work too much. [24:10] Shannon reads another comment shared by Barbara Germershausen. [26:24] Everyone has a unique situation - not everyone's 24 hours looks the same. [28:11] Shannon gives us a sneak peek into the upcoming episodes and some exciting real-time events! Links: How a 4-Day Workweek Could Boost Your Mental Health - Healthline Working a four-day week boosts employee wellbeing while preserving productivity, major six-month trial finds - Science Daily The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 314: Plan Your Breaks with Shannon Crow Post about taking time off in The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group Erin Olsson, Elements Yoga Jennifer Parker Rebecca Sebastian Nathan Shiva Kundalini Yoga with Charisma Whitefeather Kat Heagberg Rebar Sarah Garden Barbara Germershausen Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Time off has a really positive impact for employees for sure, but also for companies." "What I actually do is plan my time off and then fit my work time in." "Let's start small and slow if that feels like a good fit for you." "What would be the baby step to make [your dream time off] possible?"

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 314: Plan Your Breaks with Shannon Crow Description: Taking breaks as an entrepreneur and yoga business owner is important, yet difficult to do. It can be easy to dive into your work and forget about taking time off until you hit burnout or start to resent your schedule and even the work you do! Planning your breaks into your schedule can be helpful. Shannon Crow shares a series of journaling prompts that you can use to reflect on what your ideal week would look like, as well as to include breaks into your work schedule. Using these journal prompts, take some time to write your responses and see what comes up for you. Then, start getting creative on how you can implement this into your life. This episode is perfect for anyone who is serious about taking breaks from work and is keen to take action to create their ideal schedule! Key Takeaways: [0:56] Taking breaks as an entrepreneur and yoga business owner is important, yet difficult! [2:32] Shannon gives a shout out to sponsors, OfferingTreel and Pelvic Health Professionals. [3:56] Sometimes, we are in a season where we don't get time off. [6:25] This podcast is an actionable podcast, so go get your paper and pen or somewhere to write! [8:33] Shannon has some journaling prompts for you if you are serious about taking time off. [15:59] Take your time with these questions and make your responses as detailed as possible. [16:26] How can you set up reminders for yourself about the important things as you set up your work schedule? [16:56] Shannon shares a tip that has worked very well for her to manage her schedule. [18:17] Join the conversation about taking time off in the Connected Yoga Teachers Facebook group and share your ideal week with Shannon! [19:05] If you want to connect with Shannon in real time, there are some fun ways to do that! Journal Prompts On an ideal work day, I feel… I can easily get my meaningful work done between the hours of _____ to _____. An ideal start to my day feels… Before I start work for the day, I want to… The next one is my lunch break is _____ hours. Between work, I take _____ minute breaks where I… At the end of my workday, I feel… To close my workday, I do these three things. Before I move into "after work" time, I… In my average work week, I have _____ days off. Is there anything else that you want to feel or outline to have your ideal work week? Links: Balance Flow Yoga: 7-Week Online Series with Shelly Prosko Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "It can be so easy to focus on the work and forget about time off until you hit burnout." "We want to build a schedule that is not only sustainable but is also your dream schedule because that's why you became an entrepreneur." "Notice with compassion what feelings start to come up as you outline your work hours."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 313: 6 Years of Podcasting with Shannon Crow Description: Shannon is celebrating six years of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast! Thank you, dear listener, for your continued support of the podcast through the years. Shannon reflects on her journey in the past six years of podcasting and shares her gratitude for the team, sponsors, and people around her who have helped keep the podcast going. Keeping a podcast going for six years is no small feat. Shannon also shares some of the tools she uses to keep organized and how she has managed to never run out of content ideas! Tune in to hear some of Shannon's lessons learned from podcasting. Key Takeaways: [0:57] Shannon is celebrating six years of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast! [2:18] Shannon thanks you, the listener, for your continued support of the podcast. [3:55] Shannon gives a shout out to the team that helps create the podcast each and every week. [7:02] Special thanks to the sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [8:37] How does it feel to be podcasting for six years? [9:31] Shannon has a spreadsheet where she keeps track of every single podcast episode. It shows every single topic that was covered and the guests who have come on the podcast. Shannon reflects on this. [11:08] One thing that keeps Shannon going on the tough days is thinking about how she helps yoga teachers. She keeps the podcast organized with Trello. [13:05] For Shannon, a huge part of being able to come up with content for the podcast has been focusing on her niche. [14:58] How can you apply to be a guest on the podcast? [16:47] Shannon has a quick message for you about OfferingTree. [19:03] Shannon is grateful to be in a place where it feels like the work she does is the right fit. [20:24] Shannon shares her gratitude for other people who have helped her keep the podcast going by supporting her. [22:28] Shannon has learned some big lessons from her podcasting journey. [23:32] Shannon summarizes her six-year podcasting journey. Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team Trello Apply to be a podcast guest Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "If you are looking at a big project, don't look at all the what ifs and where that might lead. Don't let that hold you back or scare you." "Podcasting is not about having all the answers, it is about listening." " I am incredibly grateful and a lot of that gratitude is to you because you are here listening and supporting the podcast and you're the reason for the podcast." "If you have an idea, what is one small baby step that you could do towards that idea today?"

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 312: We Stand with Survivors with Rebecca Sebastian & Colin Hall Description: We must not be afraid to speak up when we see harm taking place in the yoga world - that is part of yoga. Recently, there was recent news that Bikram Choudhury was scheduled to teach in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. If you are unaware of this, there are some resources you can use to learn more about why this is problematic and why it is upsetting many people in the yoga world. In this episode, Shannon Crow is joined by Rebecca Sebastian and Colin Hall to discuss this recent event. They share what actions they and others in the yoga community took to put pressure on the organizers and hotel to stop the event from happening and what additional actions we can take to bring Bikram to justice. Bikram will no longer present at the event as he was originally scheduled to but there is still more to be done to hold him accountable for his actions and the abuse he inflicted on women in his yoga classes and trainings. Tune in to find out more about what you can do and how we can collectively disrupt the sexual assault and harm that occurs in yoga spaces. Key Takeaways: [0:00] Shannon reads a note to the survivors. [3:39] This podcast interview was recorded live with Rebecca Sebastian and Colin Hall to discuss the recent news of Bikram Choudhury teaching in Vancouver, BC, Canada. [5:14] Shannon shares some resources where you can read more about the current situation. [7:10] Shannon gives thanks to the sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [8:43] There has been a recent wave of effort to keep Bikram out of Canada, and it has worked but there are many more questions arising from this situation. [13:36] Colin Hall, Rebecca Sebastian, and Shannon Crow introduce themselves. [16:09] Rebecca and Colin share some resources where you can get the backstory of what happened with Bikram. [18:59] Colin started investigating who was behind bringing Bikram to Canada. [22:27] Rebecca shares some of her tips on how to make movement happen, especially when dealing with non-profits. [24:31] Shannon shares that there are survivors of abuse from Bikram who are being threatened by organizers of this event. [27:11] Is this water under the bridge? Is this something that happened and we should all move on? Colin explains why not. [29:20] Josh Cooper joins the call to share his experience in speaking directly with the GM of the hotel where the event was set to take place. [32:04] Shannon gives a shout out of thanks to sponsor, OfferingTree. [33:11 - 33:12] Rebecca has some action steps that you can take if you are in the US. [35:10] Colin explains some of the actions that he and other Canadian yoga teachers took to stop Bikram from teaching yoga in Canada and what actions you can take now. [39:45] How can we decrease sexual assault and harm caused by the power imbalance in yoga? [43:19] Shannon and Rebecca share their thoughts on why people might still be signing up for Bikram's trainings and what we can do about it. [49:18] Not everyone, even in the yoga world, is aware of Bikram and what he did. [52:05] How do we separate the yoga that we do from the people and the harm they caused? [57:42] When people get together and organize, you can get results. [60:16] Rebecca shares some resources for people who have experienced sexual assault. [61:03] Shannon shares some takeaways and upcoming events you can join. Links: Hotline for Women Against Violence Against Women in Canada - (877) 392 7583 National Sexual Assault Hotline (USA) - 800 656 4673 Rainn.org Rebecca Sebastian on Instagram Colin Hall on Instagram Josh Cooper on Instagram Online Protestors Express Outrage in Response to Bikram Choudhury's Scheduled Classes in Canada, Article by Sarah Herrington and Renee Marie Schettler for Yoga Journal Controversial Bikram yoga founder's planned Vancouver workshops raising flags, Article by Sarah Grochowski for Vancouver Sun Organizers say controversial Bikram Yoga event will be "rescheduled", Article by Megan Devlin for Daily Hive Navigating Narcissism with Dr. Ramani Podcast Episode: ‎Bikram Yoga and the Abuse of Power w/ Mandeep Kaur Sandhu Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain, and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Competitive Yoga Benjamin Lorr Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator, Netflix Documentary LA County Courthouse Department of Justice Reports Change.org petition Vancouver Board of Tourism Vancouver CBC OfferingTree User Group on Facebook Canada Yoga Sports Federation Alison Henry of Bikram Yoga Gardom Lake Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "How do we stop the abuse of power that is so prevalent in the yoga world?" - Shannon "The truth is that we will get more impact by following the money." - Rebecca "So many people are coming into our practices with that vulnerability piece." -

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 311: A Small Seed of Personal Practice with Shannon Crow Description: Your personal yoga practice doesn't have to be long and complicated. It can be short and simple. You can start with a small seed and grow your personal practice from there. The important part is taking the time daily to do something that feels helpful and nurturing to you. In this episode, Shannon Crow invites you to take a few minutes to do this short personal practice with her. If you have been wanting to start a short personal yoga routine but feel overwhelmed or like you don't have time, this episode is for you. Key Takeaways: [2:19] Shannon introduces her topic for this episode - planting the first seeds of a personal practice. [5:56] Shannon thanks the sponsors of the podcast, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [9:03] Are you doing something daily that feels helpful and nurturing just for you? [10:22] Shannon invites you to find a comfortable spot to start your personal practice right now. [11:24] Check in with yourself to see what you need in this moment. [12:05] Shannon shares the poem The Cleverness of Seeds, by Pat Brisson. [14:11] Shannon reads an email she received from the author of the poem, Pat Brisson. [15:50] This is an example of a very short personal practice. [16:45] Shannon has some resources that might be helpful as you explore building your own personal practice. [17:44] Do you have a short personal practice? Share it with Shannon! Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 308: Time to Rest and Refuel with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 309: Four Seasons of Business with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 310: How To Create a Yoga Routine with Shannon Crow The Cleverness of Seeds, by Pat Brisson The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 002: Reconnect With Your Yoga Practice with Nina Andic [Consultation Call] The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 030: Rituals to Start and End Your Day with Puja Madan The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 096: How to Create a Yoga Practice Habit with Matt Kowald The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 114: Compassion Fatigue with Diane Liska The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 123: Habits for Health & Business with James Clear The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 164: Deepen Your Yoga Practice with Barrie Risman The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 200: Practice, Parenting & Perfectionism with Judith Hanson Lasater & Lizzie Lasater The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 274: Self-Care for Caregivers with Jo Bregnard - Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Are you doing something daily that feels helpful and nurturing just for you?" "Check in and see: What do I need in this moment?" "Sometimes we're starting with something that's way too complicated when we're trying to add in a personal practice. So I hope this illustrates how short it can be, how simple it can be."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 310: How To Create a Yoga Routine with Shannon Crow Description: Many yoga teachers started teaching yoga because they experienced the benefits of it for themselves and wanted to share it with others. However, once they start teaching and dive into running a yoga business, it can feel challenging to maintain a consistent personal yoga practice. In this episode, Shannon Crow explores the reasons yoga teachers often give for not creating a self-care practice that feels nurturing to them, and what the benefits are of cultivating that personal practice. She shares her tips and strategies that have helped her form habits around her personal yoga routine and explains why falling away from our practice is normal - and how to get back to it. If you have been wanting to start a yoga routine for yourself, this episode is for you. Key Takeaways: [1:41] Shannon introduces her topic for this episode - how to create and maintain a personal yoga practice. [3:17] Shannon gives a shout out to sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [4:40] What is holding you back from creating a self-care practice that is nurturing for you? [6:22] You are not alone if you have fallen away from your personal yoga practice. [9:15] Why is having a personal practice so important? [10:34] Shannon invites you to consider the intention of your personal practice as well as what your dream personal practice looks like. [12:03] If creating a personal practice feels impossible to you right now, Shannon encourages you to dig into why that is. [12:33] You don't need to choose movement as a part of your personal practice if it doesn't feel good to you. [14:28] You can try out your chosen practice for a set amount of time to see how it feels to you. [16:29] Shannon pops in to share how she is personally using OfferingTree to book podcast guests. [18:18] Why is creating a routine around our personal practice so important? [20:01] Shannon shares some tips and strategies to make it easier to start and maintain a habit. [23:34] How can we get back to our personal practice when life throws us off track? [27:06] How do you build a personal practice and stick to it? What are your tips and ideas? Share them! [27:56] Shannon shares ways that you can connect with her in real time. Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 308: Time to Rest and Refuel with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 309: Four Seasons of Business with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 096: How to Create a Yoga Practice Habit with Matt Kowald The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 123: Habits for Health & Business with James Clear The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 253: Reflect and Plan [Part 4] with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 053: Yoga Mentors and Lineage with Chase Bossart Email Shannon Crow Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "What is holding you back from creating a self care practice that is nurturing for you?" "Your personal practice is an amazing source of fuel for your life and business. It's like a promise that you make to yourself." "Don't wait for the someday of it. Build your ideal personal practice and you'll slowly see that your ideal schedule will also build out of that." "Similarity and routine really brings us comfort as humans and it really helps us to build it into being a habit."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 309: Four Seasons of Business with Shannon Crow Description: Just like in nature, we go through different seasons in our business and in life. Each season is characterized by different rhythms and needs, and no one season lasts forever. How can we embrace these changing seasons and get the most out of each season instead of fighting it? In this episode, Shannon Crow shares more about the four different seasons you may encounter in your business. She explains what you may be feeling in winter, spring, summer, and fall/autumn, as well as how you can adapt your business activities to match the seasons. Shannon also reminds us that your season in business may be impacted by things outside your control and that other people may be in different seasons from you. Tune in to find out how to work with the seasons and find balance in your business. Key Takeaways: [2:18] Shannon introduces her topic for this episode - the four seasons of business. [2:29] Shannon gives a shout out to sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. [5:34] What season of life or business are you in now? This may not align with the seasons of nature or the seasons of the people around you, and may be impacted by things outside your control. [8:09] As there are four seasons in nature, there are also four seasons in business. [8:23] Shannon outlines some of the things that you might experience in a winter season of your business. [11:54] Avoid looking at other people who may be in a different season in their business and comparing yourself to them. [13:42] What can a spring season bring for your business? [16:28] Shannon shares how she is using OfferingTree in her business. [18:13] Summer is the season of growth and thriving in your business. [22:22] Fall is the season of harvest. It is also a time to clean up and get ready for the next growing season. [24:41] Fall is also a great time to save up. [26:01] What have you noticed about the seasons of business or life that you're experiencing or have experienced? [27:35] Connect with Shannon in real time in the Pelvic Health Professionals membership site. Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 308: Time to Rest and Refuel with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 065: Create Your Ideal Yoga Schedule with Shannon Crow Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Seasons always change and there's a way to embrace it and get the most out of it instead of fighting against it." "Winter is an amazing time to evaluate what's working, to check in on what's draining you, and let go of what is no longer a good fit." "[Spring] is all about possibility and potential new growth." "Fall is also a great time to save up."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 308: Time to Rest and Refuel with Shannon Crow Description: As yoga teachers, we all know that we cannot pour from an empty cup. We cannot give to others or connect with others, nor do our most creative and meaningful work when we're feeling exhausted, drained, and depleted. That's why it's important to take time to rest and refuel when things feel tough and overwhelming. In this episode, Shannon Crow shares some of her strategies for finding time to rest and recharge every day and why rest is so important for us. However, rest isn't just about sleeping and there are different kinds of rest we need. Shannon invites you to consider: What would it look like for you today if rest and refuel time was your top priority? Key Takeaways: [1:16] Shannon introduces the topic for this episode - taking time to rest and refuel. [1:41] Shannon shares an update from sponsor, OfferingTree. [4:32] What can you do in this moment that would bring you ease and comfort as you listen? [5:52] Check in with yourself to see what emotions are here for you at this moment. [7:13] Shannon shares why noticing your emotions is a key part of resting and refueling. [9:47] Shannon shares a little about her own journey in finding time to rest and refuel. [15:23] Yoga teachers and entrepreneurs often ask Shannon how she's gotten to a place where she's been podcasting for almost 6 years and working for herself for 18 years. [15:23] We can often have our inner critic kick in. It is important to notice when this happens. [16:30] When she's going through a tough time, Shannon asks herself two questions. 1) How am I feeling?, 2) What baby steps can I take to bring more ease and comfort in this tough moment? [18:56] We can find ways to fit rest and restoration into our daily lives. [21:29] What would that look like for you today if rest and refuel time was your top priority? [24:00] Shannon shares what's upcoming on the podcast. Links: Tess Jewell-Larson, Tytoni Yoga The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 304: How Are We Still here? with Rebecca Sebastian The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 247: Being Wrong is Part of Learning with Shannon Crow The real reason why we are tired and what to do about it | Saundra Dalton-Smith | TEDxAtlanta Quote by Brandon Kyle Goodman, Author of You Gotta be You, posted by Michael James Schneider (@blksmth) The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 300: Celebrating 300 Episodes! with Shannon Crow Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "What could you do in this moment that would bring you ease and comfort?" "Acknowledge those feelings, it's okay to not be okay." - Tess Jewell-Larson "We can't just depend on sleep to restore us." "What would that look like for you today if rest and refuel time was your top priority?"

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 307: Taking Diet-Culture Out of Ayurveda with Diane Finlayson Description: One of the harmful messages that we get in the broader health and wellness industry and in the yoga world is arounddiet culture. How does it show up in Ayurveda as well, and what can we do about it? Diane Finlayson shares her insights. Diane Finlayson has been educating yoga teachers, therapists, ayurvedic and meditation facilitators for the past 20 years. Diane recently retired from her service at MUIH (Maryland University of Integrative Health) as the Department Chair for Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda. Prior to that, Diane had 3 yoga studios and ran YTT 200/300 Ayurveda trainings as well as meditation facilitator trainings for 15 years. Diane also serves the recovery community in her private practice. Diane explains what Ayurveda is and how colonization has affected Ayurveda. She highlights the differences in practice between North America and India, and the scope of practice of different practitioners in the industry and what to be aware of before working with someone in Ayurveda. Diane also shares more about the ways in which diet culture can show up, what she does when she sees it online, and how people interested in adopting Ayurvedic practices can learn and integrate them in their lives more safely. Key Takeaways: [3:14] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Diane Finlayson. [7:29] What does Diane do and who does she do it for? [8:06] How does Diane feel about all the changes in her life at this time, especially around retirement? [9:29] What is Ayurveda? Diane shares a little about the history of Ayurveda and the impact colonization had on it. [14:28] Diane explains how Ayurveda is shared and consumed in North America. [16:05] The scope of practice in Ayurveda around talking to people about food is really blurred. Diane explains how you can be aware of what you're getting into and how to check the credentials of a practitioner. [19:41] Diane highlights some of the different levels of practitioners you might encounter and what they might offer. [22:23] What is orthorexia? [27:08] What are some things Diane wishes yoga teachers knew about orthorexia? [30:06] Shannon pops in to share some news about OfferingTree. [33:19] What are Diane's thoughts about how we talk about the food that we're putting into our own bodies? [37:55] What was it like for Diane deciding which of her teacher's recommendations to follow? [41:01] Whether you're teaching yoga or sharing Ayurveda, how can you encourage agency with our students? [44:58] Shannon reflects that in a lot of our relationships as yoga teachers or Ayurveda practitioners, the other person may be looking for you to tell them what to do. [45:43] Rather than approaching with an attitude of understanding and certainty, try keeping curiosity at the forefront. [47:01] Where does Diane recommend going to learn more about Ayurveda? [49:46] What is something that has really impacted Diane or the people she works with? [53:14] Connect with Diane on social media to continue this conversation. [53:55] What does Diane do when she sees harmful comments or perspectives shared online? [56:31] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this episode. [58:50] Please leave the podcast a review on iTunes! [60:03] Hang out with Shannon in real-time online in the Pelvic Health Professionals membership. Links: Diane Finlayson on LinkedIn The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 292 with Jessica Grosman & Elyssa Toomey The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 303: Ayurveda for Better Digestion with Mona Warner The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 248: Ayurveda is All About Self-Care with Chara Caruthers The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 128: Ayurveda, Doshas & Yoga with Angela Glaz National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America The Love of Yoga Podcast with Anjali Rao The Love of Yoga Podcast with Anjali Rao Episode 01. The Trauma of Caste with Thenmozhi Soundararajan The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning, by Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham The Ayurvedic Institute Himalayan Institute Arsha Vidya Gurukulam College of Ayurveda in California California College of Ayurveda Dr. Sunil Joshi David Frawley The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group OfferingTree on Instagram OfferingTree on Facebook Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Diet culture has already put so many rules and weirdness in place on individuals that [orthorexia] is just one more flavor of eating disorder that can take hold." "When a person can be curious and mindful about their lived experience, they can, in my opinion, better care for themselves because they have a deeper connection to self." "It's about understanding how this digestive system we have operates and being

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 306: Is There More Room for Online Yoga? with Sadie Nardini Description: If you have ever had the thought that "everyone is teaching yoga online, why should I add to the mix?" or felt like "someone else has already done what I want to do, why should I even bother", you are not alone. Sadie Nardini answers the question that many yoga teachers are asking these days - is there more room for online yoga? Sadie Nardini is the founder of Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga®, an anatomy-enhanced yoga style, and The Yoga Shred®, a joint-safer HIIT + Yoga fitness style, designed to help people get stronger more safely, without wasting time or energy. She is a top online yoga and fitness course creator with a thriving online subscription studio: The Fit & Fierce Club. She translates her years of technical knowledge into success tools that are easy to understand and implement. Sadie is also the lead singer of the rock band Sadie & The Tribe. As someone who was teaching yoga online long before the pandemic started, Sadie has a lot of experience in the online space. She shares her opinions about whether there is really room in the yoga world for more online yoga especially now that a lot of yoga teachers and studios have moved online because of the pandemic. Spoiler alert - there's PLENTY of room for everyone. Sadie also explains why it's so important to show up as yourself, regardless of how you look or how young or flexible you are (or aren't) and how this can make your marketing online unique. She shares tips on how to tap into your creativity, how to stay consistent in your marketing, and more! Key Takeaways: [0:51] Shannon invites listeners to thank OfferingTree for sponsoring this podcast for a full year by creating a post on social media. [3:28] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Sadie Nardini. [8:46] Who is Sadie and what does she do? [12:00] Sadie shares how she discovered her own style and uniqueness as a yoga teacher. [14:46] As a surprise for Rebecca Sebastian (Ep. 304), Shannon invited her to join this call with Sadie. [19:10] What would Sadie say to a yoga teacher who believes that there is no room for them to teach yoga online, especially since the pandemic? [20:35] How can yoga teachers market themselves online without having to leverage their sad stories or trauma? [25:28] How does Sadie plan her marketing so that she is consistently offering people value in some way? [28:51] Sadie recently made a shift in the audience she was connecting with. What was that experience like? [34:10] Shannon highlights the fact that people do want to learn from teachers who are older or have experienced pain or mobility issues because they bring that experience to their classes. [36:40] There is a shift happening in the yoga industry as the first real generation of women yoga teachers are aging - how do they navigate continuing their careers? [40:54] Shannon pops in to share a little about OfferingTree and how it has helped her run her business more efficiently. [42:40] How can yoga teachers recognize their gifts and know that they have something unique and important to share online? [45:39] Sadie shares some insights about how to practice yoga so that it doesn't have a negative impact on our bodies in the future. [50:16] What tips does Sadie have for a yoga teacher who is just starting out and doesn't have the same level of support? [55:42] What strategies does Sadie use to open the lines of communication with her audience online? [58:28] What are some things that Sadie does to foster her creativity? [62:35] You need to sit with yourself to get the inspiration and creativity from within. [65:50] What are your biggest takeaways from this conversation with Sadie? Links: Sadie Nardini Sadie Nardini on Instagram The Fit & Fierce Club The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 304: How Are We Still Here? with Rebecca Sebastian Hey Marvelous Hannah Uiri Canva The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group OfferingTree on Instagram OfferingTree on Facebook Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "It was me realizing I wasn't being true to myself and just deciding to do something I wasn't seeing out there and I think that's where my success came from." "Everyone has something unique to offer." "If you don't go [online] you have a 100% chance of failure. And if you do go on there, the percentage is way less." "It's deeply scary to change anything. Even if you know it might be for the best." "If you're not in the business of serving other people and helping them, then go get a job that pays you better." "Generating content from your passionate inner core is really important because it's just shinier energetically." "When we get together, we rise together."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 305: Kicked Out of Yoga [Part 2] with Chioma Njoku Description: Learning and unlearning is part of our journey as yoga teachers and as humans. In Episode 275, Shannon shared stories from people who had been kicked out of yoga class or made to feel unwelcome in yoga spaces. Chioma Njoku, podcast listener, shared a response to this episode, featured here. Chioma is the owner and Chief Mindful Operator at the Mindful Bookkeeper. She is also the host of the Cheers to Your Prosperity podcast. Using the lessons she has learned from her own financial struggles, her professional experience as an accountant for over 18 years, and Financial Coach, Chioma helps entrepreneurs and small business owners keep more of their hard-earned money in the bank without sacrificing the things that make life enjoyable. In her response, Chioma reflects on how she may have contributed to making her yoga classes feel unwelcoming to some people because of what and how she was taught. She also shares a personal experience where she was kicked out of a yoga class. It is brave and vulnerable and we can all learn a lot from this to do better as yoga teachers and make the yoga world a more welcoming space for everyone. Key Takeaways: [3:28] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Chioma Njoku. [6:50] Chioma shares a response to the podcast episode about being kicked out of a yoga class. [11:52] Shannon pops to share a resource that has helped her book her podcast interviews. [13:54] Chioma shares the incident that got her kicked out of a yoga studio. [18:06] Shannon invites you to share your thoughts about this topic or anything else in the yoga world. [20:37] Shannon shares some ways you can connect with her and continue learning forward. Links: Chioma Njoku, The Mindful Bookkeeper Chioma Njoku on Instagram Cheers to Your Prosperity Podcast with Chioma Njoku The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 304: How Are We Still Here? with Rebecca Sebastian The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 275: Kicked Out of a Yoga Class?! with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 279: Bowel Health and Yoga with Shannon Crow M.B.Om Podcast Pelvic Health Resources Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "I understand that everything I just said in terms of what I was taught is foolish because your practice is your practice." "Not many people are willing to speak to some of the unfortunate things of the industry, but in understanding some of the shadows of any industry, specifically this industry that's overall intended to be good, it helps those of us who do teach yoga." "Sometimes we do have to take the negative feedback, the neutral feedback along with the positive feedback to really make this a much better situation."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 304: How Are We Still here? with Rebecca Sebastian Description: Have you ever felt like you wanted to quit the yoga industry? You are not alone. Shannon Crow, host of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast, and Rebecca Sebastian, host of the Working in Yoga Podcast, chat about what it's like to feel like quitting - and why they have stayed on and continued their work in this space. Rebecca Sebastian has been teaching yoga for 20 years and working as a yoga therapist for a decade. She is also a yoga studio owner, yoga non-profit founder, and the host of the Working In Yoga podcast. She isn't afraid to stand up for human rights and yoga – and she also isn't afraid to discuss tough topics in the yoga industry. Shannon and Rebecca discuss some of the big topics that have come up in the yoga industry in 2022. They talk about how yoga teachers are feeling isolated, competition in the industry, some toxic practices that have taken hold, and what we can do about it. They also explore what teaching yoga may look like in 2023, marketing for yoga teachers, how to build a better yoga industry going forward, and much more. Key Takeaways: [2:37] This episode was originally recorded for Rebecca Sebastian's podcast, Working in Yoga. Shannon and Rebecca discuss how they have continued in the work they do despite wanting to quit. [5:29] With everything that has happened in the yoga industry in 2022, why are Rebecca and Shannon still here? [9:05] Many yoga teachers feel isolated in this profession. [11:47] Everyone in the yoga industry is trying to navigate building their business as best as they can but some things can create a toxic environment. How do Shannon and Rebecca deal with negative elements like diet culture in the industry. [17:26] Rebecca encourages us to talk more about the benefits of yoga, like nervous system regulation. [21:27] What is the yoga industry going to look like in 2023 in terms of virtual and in-person classes? [29:26] Sadie Mardini responds to Rebecca's question about how yoga teachers and studios who had been online before the pandemic were impacted by everyone else moving online. [31:15] Shannon pops in with a reminder to put yourself out there and to create your website if you don't have one! [35:11] What does the competitiveness of the industry look like in 2022? [37:54] Rebecca invites listeners to create a meet up to meet people in your local community. [42:54] You can also find great communities of yoga teachers online to connect with. [45:52] Shannon shares a tip for anyone running a Facebook group to moderate posts. [48:39] Rebecca encourages us not to limit ourselves. The yoga's enough all on its own. [49:26] Shannon and Rebecca discuss marketing in yoga. [52:38] Rebecca and Shannon reflect on the things that made them think about quitting the yoga industry in 2022. [58:42] There are some parallels between yoga and entrepreneurship. [62:45] Does Rebecca think about building her business just to sell it? Shannon and Rebecca discuss what that could mean and how it might work. [70:40] What is your retirement plan as a yoga teacher? [71:46] Rebecca calls out how unsustainable the career path is in the yoga industry and shares some thoughts about how things can be done differently. [76:52] The power dynamic in the yoga industry needs to be reexamined. [81:12] What are Rebecca and Shannon hopeful and excited about for 2023? [89:50] Shannon shares some final thoughts. Links: Rebecca Sebastian Rebecca Sebastian Yoga Rebecca Sebastian on Instagram Working in Yoga Podcast with Rebecca Sebastian The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 297: Yoga Philosophy & Business with Rebecca Sebastian - Kristine Weber, Subtle Yoga Diane Liska The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 114: Compassion Fatigue with Diane Liska The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 175: Coping During a Crisis with Diane Liska Michelle Lyons The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 279: Bowel Health and Yoga with Shannon Crow Sadie Nardini Jivana Heyman The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 094: Instagram Content Strategy and Stories with Tyler McCall The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 301: Trauma and Business Ownership with Nicole Lewis Keeber Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "We need to acknowledge this has been another hard year for us for our industry. Like, you're not alone." - Rebecca "I think that makes our industry more powerful and more impactful overall when we're able to share stories with each other." - Rebecca "The yoga's enough all on its own." - Rebecca "How we sell what we're selling matters." - Rebecca "Yoga in itself is a spiritual discipline that asks you to reevaluate and rethink literally every fiber of your being. Guess what entrepreneurship is?" - Rebecca

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 303: Ayurveda for Better Digestion with Mona Warner Description: Ayurveda is considered yoga's sister science but it is still not widely understood in the yoga community. Why is there such a strong focus on digestion in Ayurveda and how does it tie in with yoga? Mona Warner shares her expertise on Ayurveda and digestion. Mona is a warm and joyful educator who leads by example. Her depth of knowledge, passion, and dedication to the practices of Āyurveda and Yoga are evident in her classes. Mona offers deliberate and mindful practices, details on why certain things are done in certain ways, and a grounded sense of humor. She shares approaches to well-being for anyone who needs to learn. Mona has also authored several books, including her latest, Ayurveda's Three Pillars of Health. Mona breaks down what Ayurveda is and how it intersects with yoga in a holistic sense. She explains why there is such a strong focus on digestion and Agni in Ayurveda and why routines and schedules are so important to digestion, and more. Mona also shares tips around improving digestion, about prana, and finding balance in our lives, This is a rich conversation for anyone who's keen to learn more about Ayurveda. Key Takeaways: [3:01] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Mona Warner. [6:21] How did Mona get into working with Ayurveda? [9:56] What is Ayurveda? [12:40] Mona explains some things we need to understand about digestion and elimination from the perspective of Ayurveda. [19:16] How does the body's Agni (and Ayurveda, from a broader perspective) tie in with yoga? [26:42] Mona explains more about how Ayurveda and yoga both encourage people to move towards a balanced mind - and how this can help achieve health. [30:16] Shannon shares an experience she recently had attending an online workshop. [34:04] What are some routines and practices that can help improve digestion? [36:50] Should everyone have the same routines or does it differ for each person? [38:55] What are some things we need to be mindful of in terms of how we are pooping and what our bowel movements look like? [42:36] What is something about digestion that Mona wishes everyone knew? [44:08] What else are we digesting apart from food? [51:08] How does Mona work with people now through the pandemic and how are they doing? [54:27] Connect with Mona and learn more from her via her book and website. [56:58] Shannon shares her key takeaways from this conversation with Mona. Links: Mona Warner Ayurveda's Three Pillars of Health, by Mona Warner The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 128: Ayurveda, Doshas & Yoga with Angela Glaz The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 248: Ayurveda is All About Self-Care with Chara Caruthers The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 279: Bowel Health and Yoga with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 293: Eating Disorder Recovery & Yoga with Vivian Selles The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 292: Taking Diet Culture out of Yoga with Jessica Grosman & Elyssa Toomey The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 048: Eating Disorder Education for Yoga Teachers with Tabitha Farrar From Pain To Possibility with Susi Hately Episode #85: Brain, Belly and Bowels with Mona Warner Bristol Stool Chart Meet The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Ayurveda is this system that has created a whole bunch of different maps that lets us navigate the terrain of life." "Ayurveda has the maps, the tools, and the ability to help us live a fruitful and a health-filled life." "Our Agni, our digestive fire, is the sun of our individual solar system or incarnation." "For yoga, the traditional goal is enlightenment. For Ayurveda, the traditional goal is health." "Ayurveda uses this idea of working with the mind through yoga techniques of mantra, meditation, etc. all the time because so many causative factors of disease actually start in the mind." "Whether you like schedules or not, your biology does and your Agni does." "It's important to recognize there's a difference between what you like and what is health-promoting and good for you."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 302: Yoga for Grief & Loss with Susan Andersen Description: Most people have personal experiences with loss in its many forms - loss of a loved one or pet, loss of a home or job or business, and even during COVID, the loss of normalcy. Grief is a normal part of loss but how can yoga support us in these times? Susan "Sue" Andersen shares her insights. Sue works with people who have experienced loss and are grieving through yoga and movement. Meditation, mindfulness and breath work are key elements that Sue incorporates into her teaching to connect the physical to the spiritual practice. Her goal is to help students find their own practice and to enjoy all the benefits yoga brings. Sue shares how she got into yoga and grief work after her son died, why yoga is a beneficial tool in navigating grief and loss, and how we can support our yoga students when they come to us with their grief. She also explains the role yoga can play in moving through self-blame and criticism, releasing emotions like anger, shame, and guilt, and why grief looks different for everyone. This episode is a must-listen for every yoga teacher as we support people who will inevitably encounter loss and grief in their lives. Key Takeaways: [3:07] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Susan Andersen. [6:43] What does Sue do and who does she do it for? [7:14] How did Su get into doing this work? [9:50] What is grief? [14:42] Why is yoga effective for grief? [17:21] What can yoga teachers do when a student expresses their loss and grief to them? [19:50] What are some things that wouldn't be helpful when a student is dealing with grief? [22:45] Shannon pops in to share some feedback from Carly, a yoga teacher who is using OfferingTree for her website. [25:07] What are some of the differences between a regular yoga class and a specialty yoga class for grief? [33:39] Does Sue talk about grief in her sessions? Is it helpful? [36:35] What has Sue learned from her personal experience of grief that she wishes she had known at the beginning? [39:20] What would Sue say to yoga teachers who are personally dealing with grief? [41:16] Connect with Sue and learn more from her via her website and on YouTube. [42:17] Sue gives a shout out to Paul Denniston of Grief Yoga. [43:12] Shannon shares her key takeaways from this interview. Links: Sue Andersen Classes & Workshops by Sue Andersen Sue Andersen on YouTube Carly Baumann, radicalrestyoga.com Paul Denniston, Grief Yoga All There Is with Anderson Cooper Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "When we experience loss, we grieve." "All the things that we talk about in these programs can help for any type of grief because it's releasing the emotion from the body." "You can't fix something ... you want to just let that person know that you're there." "In general, I don't think any of us rest enough. In particular, if you're holding a lot of grief or stress, you're probably resting even less." "It is really important to let all of these emotions out and not hold anything in." "Everybody's grief is different. Their timeline is different."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 301: Trauma and Business Ownership with Nicole Lewis-Keeber Description: Everyone goes through events and/or experiences that cause trauma, and they can have an impact on how we show up in and run our businesses. Yet, this isn't something people often talk about. Nicole Lewis-Keeber shares their insights about navigating business ownership and trauma. Nicole Lewis-Keeber is a business therapist and mindset coach for small business owners, entrepreneurs and leaders. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Masters in Social Work and a rich experience of working as a therapist. Nicole is also certified in Brené Brown's The Daring Way™ and Dare To Lead™ methodologies and provides trainings and mentoring for those who want to become daring leaders. They have combined their experience as a therapist and training as a coach to offer therapeutic and business solutions. Nicole explains how trauma ties into creating and running our own business, including what kind of trauma "counts", why starting a business involves diving into our "stuff", and why our "big why" is likely connected to childhood trauma. They also share more about the importance of therapy as an entrepreneur, dealing with burnout, and why we need to separate ourselves from our businesses. If you are keen to learn more about how to create a business you love, this is a must-listen. Key Takeaways: [3:35] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Nicole Lewis-Keeber. [5:38] What does Nicole do and who do they do it for? [6:47] Does everyone have childhood trauma? [8:39] What does trauma have to do with business? [10:04] How do we figure out the traumatic events in our childhoods that inform our deeper 'why', and what is the value of figuring that out? [12:35] What are some examples of how our deeper 'why' tied to trauma can show up as entrepreneurs in the health and wellness space? [15:33] How else can this show up in our businesses? [20:02] Nicole shares some ways that we can start to help ourselves if we recognize that there were some traumatic events in our childhoods that may be playing out in our businesses. [23:53] Shannon gives a shout out to the sponsor, OfferingTree. [25:45] Shannon and Nicole discuss procrastination and how that ties in with everything else. [28:05] What other things can we do in coming to terms with how our trauma influences our business? [30:37] For yoga teachers, it can be more difficult to separate themselves from their business of teaching yoga because of how intertwined their lives can be to yoga. What are Nicole's thoughts on that? [32:29] Nicole shares their thoughts on the discomfort that yoga teachers may have around bringing business into their work with yoga. [35:46] Nicole shares how you can work with her if you are keen on getting more of their expert insight into how your traumas may be informing your business. [37:35] What is something Nicole wishes entrepreneurs knew or understood as they're facing the daily challenges of running a business? [39:18] Shannon shares her key takeaways from this interview with Nicole and encourages you to choose one thing that really resonated for you and implement that. Links: Nicole Lewis-Keeber The Three Whys How to Love Your Business Do No Harm Program The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 299: Yoga for Menopause with Niamh Daly 5 Surprising Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Procrastinate! by Nicole Lewis-Keeber on Medium Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "I've not met anyone yet who hasn't had some kind of traumatic event in childhood that changed things for them." "All the systems around us also can be very traumatic." "A lot of the business schools and a lot of coaches would like you to believe that all you need is a sales plan, a marketing plan, business plan, but I totally believe that you need an emotional sustainability plan for your business." "We start to modify ourselves and how we operate to try and feel safe because of those experiences and that changes how we see ourselves and what we believe is possible for us over time and how we value ourselves." "Big T Trauma explodes, little T trauma erodes, but they are both strong enough to move a mountain."

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 300: Celebrating 300 Episodes! with Shannon Crow Description: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast celebrates 300 episodes! In this milestone episode, host Shannon Crow talks about some of the things that have helped her stay consistent with putting out the podcast and answers some questions from listeners! We are so grateful for your support through these 300 episodes and look forward to bringing you more episodes that will help you stay connected to the information and inspiration that will support you as you build your yoga business! Key Takeaways: [2:25] Shannon celebrates 300 episodes of the podcast! [4:15] Aruna sent in the first question. What was the first thing Shannon outsourced to help her stay consistent and get to 300 episodes and what would she never let go of? [11:30] Shannon gives a shout out of thanks to sponsor, OfferingTree and shares a conversation she had with a fellow yoga teacher, Sarah Villamil, about her experience with OfferingTree. [14:45] Renee has another question for Shannon. What were the top three things that Shannon has learned from all her guests? [25:54] What are the top three things you have learned from this podcast? [30:59] Thank you dear listener for all your support through these 300 episodes! Links: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 247: Being Wrong is Part of Learning with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 039: Advice for New Yoga Teachers The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 296: Can Science & Spirituality Co-Exist? with Stevie Inghram Leave us a review -- ‎The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast on Apple Podcasts Aruna Kathy Humphrys Renee Clair The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 299: Yoga for Menopause with Niamh Daly Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals. Quotes from this episode: "Two things have helped me get to this point of 300 episodes. That is feeling the fear and doing it anyway. And also letting my message be louder than my doubts and my fears." "If there is something that you're doing over and over again and you're not getting a lot of joy out of it and it's an automated task, that is something to look at to pass on to someone else." "Communicate and listen to understand, not to be understood."