The Mentor Sessions

I'm sure you've noticed that many stock images and illustrations of yoga practitioners show a very narrow representation of bodies and abilities. Harmony Willow Hansen is a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and yoga practitioner who creates beautiful images that represent the true diversity in the student body of yoga practitioners worldwide. She created a beautiful book called You Are Strong And Worthy that showcases these images. Willow also has lots of resources available for yoga teachers and studios who want their images and branding to reflect the beautiful multifariousness of their students. In this episode you'll hear: what Willow saw in the bodies around her in class that inspired her to start making art what she hopes people take away from seeing the images she created all about the custom art and images she has created for yoga studios and teachers Learn More From Harmony: Website Instagram You Are Strong and Worthy (Book)

Teaching teachers how to teach yoga is a massive responsibility. (How many times am I going to write the word "teach" in this intro???) Many people who listen to this podcast either already are, or are hoping to be a teacher of teachers. I get asked all the time for advice on creating and leading a teacher training. I have created a very successful speciality training, The Science of the Private Lesson, and a big part of my business is mentoring yoga teachers. I have supported teachers in writing their own 200 hour teacher training, but I have never actually created or led my own foundational 200 hour teacher training. So to have this conversation I asked my Yoga Mama, and the ultimate Teacher of Teachers Cyndi Lee, to join me and walk us through how to create and lead a teacher training. In this episode you'll hear: how to decide what to cover in a teacher training since yoga is so vast and expansive what is most important to consider when you first start to write the manual or syllabus for your teacher training how to teach sequencing and class planning to future yoga teachers what Cyndi thinks about marketing a teacher training as a way to "deepen your practice" without an intention to teach how teacher trainers can stimulate creativity and confidence in their learners Learn More From Cyndi: Website SUBSTACK: Drip, Drip, Drip Instagram Facebook

In today's episode, we have a very special guest, Anjali Rao (she/her). Anjali is a yoga teacher, writer, and podcast host who offers profound insights into the often obscured stories and histories of yoga. An Indian American immigrant and cancer survivor, Anjali beautifully integrates yoga philosophy and history with storytelling, imagery, and poetry. Anjali and I had a thought-provoking conversation about the sociopolitical context of yoga and its historical beginnings. We delve into topics such as the caste system, the intersections of power and access to knowledge, and the erasure of South Asian teachers in modern yoga spaces. In this episode you'll hear: all about Yoga's relationship with the caste system a deep dive into Yoga's relationship with hinduism and other religions how Anjali recommends we can teach and practice yoga with integrity about the political nature of yoga and the connection between spiritual teachings and the pursuit of social change a conversation on ahimsa and its active role in disrupting harm (rather than passive inaction) the importance of self-reflection and understanding one's positionality as a yoga practitioner and teacher Learn More From Anjali: On Instagram At her website On her podcast "The Love of Yoga"

I have wanted to have a teacher on the podcast to talk to us about The Yoga Sutras for years, and I finally found the teacher we needed! Vikram Jeet Singh is here today to share an exploration of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras that is both accessible and deep. Vikram is a certified yoga teacher with over twelve years and 11,000 plus hours of teaching experience. Besides asana, Vikram also teaches courses and workshops on classical yogic texts such as Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. Additionally, he runs mentorship courses and workshops for teachers and practitioners to help bring yoga in every aspect of their lives. A strong advocate of diversity & inclusion, Vikram consults yoga teachers and studios on cultural appropriation, decolonization and inclusion in yoga and related spaces. Having moved from Toronto three years ago, Vikram and his family live in Goa. In this episode you'll hear: what has shifted in Vikram's teaching as a result of his study of the Sutras the main differences between some of the popular commentaries and the ones he recommends what is most important for yoga teachers to know about Sutra 1.2 how the Sutras define practice the main differences between the first and second books a deep dive into the Kleshas how free will plays out in terms of Kleshas and Karma

Back in February of 2018 I shared an intimate view of a full week in my teaching and work life. I shared my daily habits and routines, the things I was working on in my group classes, and how I met each of my private clients. (Listen to that episode here!) Well, the world at large, and my little world too, has changed drastically since then, so I wanted to share an updated version! In this episode you'll hear: how I'm managing parenthood while keeping my business afloat what has shifted in my mindset around business growth since having a kid how I make time for my own practice in the morning what's been working well in my group classes lately specific things I do with private clients who work with chronic pain Resources Mentioned: 15: A Week In the Life (A Peek Inside My Daily Schedule and Rituals) The Mentor Sessions Sangha Ethan Nichtern (my teacher)

Today I'm here to share a vulnerable update of my life lately, and some tools I'm using to teach great yoga classes even though I'm in a very challenging season. I'll be honest, there almost wasn't a podcast episode this month. This has been one of the hardest summers of my life and I've been feeling totally under water. I realized the middle of the month had already passed and I had no interviews scheduled and no ideas for a podcast episode. But then I remembered... I've been teaching through it all! And I've actually felt great about what and how I've been teaching. So today I am sharing a few ideas that I hope support you if you're struggling to find inspiration for your teaching. In this episode you'll hear: how to identify why you are not feeling inspired the difference between private clients and group classes when you're lacking inspiration why being gentle with yourself is always the first instruction how to come up with dharma teachings when you're struggling how to freshen up stale sequences why taking a class without the intention of actually taking it is a good idea! Resources Mentioned: 115: The Case For Teaching Leveled Classes 116: Integrating Buddha Dharma and Asana with Meredith Witte – Live Mentoring Session 118: My Group Class Planning Process 119: All About My Morning Routine (And Suggestions For Yours!)

Are there poses you used to love and teach, but have recently stopped teaching for some reason?? It turns out we all have a long list of poses that we find ourselves leaving out of our classes for a multitude of reasons. We recently had a super interesting conversation inside The Mentor Sessions Sangha all about this! And on the podcast today I'm sharing an edited sneak peak of that discussion to get your creative juices flowing! In this episode we discussed: our priorities and choices in teaching the importance of getting clear on the intended benefits of poses varying perspectives on poses like headstand, arm balances, and lotus pose why personal preference is a great reason to avoid certain poses AND why it's so important to understand the reason behind those preferences

I feel a little shy sharing this intimate view of my morning practice, but when I asked y'all if this topic was of interest I heard a resounding YES. As yoga teachers I think it is important that we make time to engage with our practice and take good care of ourselves so we can be of service to our students and communities. But like, WHEN ARE WE SUPPOSED TO MAKE TIME FOR THAT? Life is so full for many of us. We have work and caretaking responsibilities that fill every waking hour (and some of the sleeping ones...). Before the birth of my son I had a two hour morning routine that I did every work day, even though most days I started teaching at 7am. After the arrival of my son in spring of 2022, the availability of that morning time totally disappeared. But after more than a year in this new life, and after lots of trial and error, I have found a way to have a morning routine that sets me up to be the best teacher and parent I can be. It took me a while to figure out how to manage it, but I feel really good about where I've landed and I'm excited to share it with all of you! In this episode you'll hear: some questions to ask yourself when thinking about your own morning routine the purpose of my morning routine all seven things I'd like to do every day how I manage the morning routine even with unpredictable baby sleep schedules what time I get up and how long I spend with each part of my practice how I prioritize to scale down my morning practice how to manage if you have inconsistent time available in the morning Click here to see a video version of my morning routine! Resources Mentioned: Stillness + Movement Studio The Mentor Sessions Sangha

In January I started sharing my group class planning process in short videos on Instagram and y'all had questions! The more I shared, the more questions I got! So today we've got a solo episode on the podcast where I am answering all your questions about my group class planning process. In this episode you'll hear: how I try to bring recognizable sun salutation templates AND sequences that vary into each class why a thread of physical and emotional consistency woven throughout class makes it memorable to students a deep dive into the template I use in every class I teach what I recommend for teachers who often run out of time in class different ways to get inspiration for a theme a discussion on whether to create new sequences for every class or recycle old class plans what to do when the class you planned won't work for the students who showed up *After I recorded this episode, I taught four classes that are perfect examples of the things I discussed in the episode. Click here to buy this bundle of four classes at a discount.

Many yoga teachers in our community either already specialize in teaching seniors, or would like to. Yoga can be a wonderful practice for older people and it is important that yoga teachers consider what is most helpful when working with this population. We are so lucky today to have Yoga for Seniors expert, Chintamani Kansas, walking us through this conversation. Chintamani has been teaching Yoga for over 20 years and has studied Meditation, Embodied Anatomy, Ayurveda, Yoga Therapy, Thai Massage. In 2020, Chintamani launched a series of daily therapeutic yoga classes via Zoom for a community of committed Yoga Lovers, many of whom are active older adults. Yoga for Strong Bones and Core Yoga for Strong Bones classes are designed to stimulate bone density in key areas of vulnerability and eliminate movements that are potentially injurious to people with Osteopenia, Osteoporosis, Arthritis, and back pain. People of all ages attend the classes for joint mobilization, stretching, energizing yoga, strength, balance, and relaxation. In this episode you'll hear: common injuries and conditions our students might have three rules to keep in mind when teaching people with osteoporosis some thoughts about twists in a Yoga for Seniors class how to make a "flowy" sequence without the forward bends of a classical sun salutation step by step cueing for Downward Dog and why it's so helpful for seniors the kyphosis controversy around bridge pose and how to work with that working with hip replacements and how it shows up in Garuda the controversy around Side Plank and who it might be good for a deep dive into the biomechanics of Child's Pose and how to make it accessible how using empowering language makes you a better teacher for all populations Learn More From Chintamani: Website: yogawithc.com Instagram: @yogawithc Private Yoga Info: yogawithc.com/private-yoga Other Episodes and Resources Mentioned: 98: Trauma-Conscious Yoga Is A Philosophy, Not A Specialty Class with Hannah Davis 85: The Trans* Yoga Project with M Camellia + River Redwood Bone Health And Osteoporosis Foundation Yoga-Grip Wrist Alignment props Wrist Buddy Yoga Blocks

Many of the yoga teachers I've worked with feel more comfortable and confident teaching asana than they do teaching the other seven limbs of yoga. This was true of me as a new teacher also! Questions about how to skillfully interweave dharma and asana come up frequently with the teachers in our community. I'm so happy to share with you this Live Mentoring Session with longtime listener of the show and wonderful yoga teacher Meredith Witte, of The Playground App. Meredith brought excellent, thoughtful questions that inspired an in-depth conversation about finding my voice and integrating dharma and asana. Show Notes: https://www.francescacervero.com/category/podcast/ Meredith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplayground.app/ Meredith's website: http://www.theplaygroundapp.com

The thinking behind this episode has been a long time in the making. I haven't talked about this much publicly, but If you've done 1x1 mentoring with me, if you've taken my group classes, if you're in The Mentor Session Sangha, or if you've taken a teacher training with me, then you've heard me talk about it.... ...and today I'm publicly making The Case for Teaching Leveled Classes. I haven't talked about it publicly because it's nuanced and complex and challenging to present in a one-sided conversation. So what I hope to share today are some questions to help you reflect on your teaching as an individual, some questions to help you reflect on the institutions you are teaching at, and some some questions for us as a wider yoga community. In this episode you'll hear: why I think leveled classes can be helpful for both teachers and students how to create leveled classes and still dismantle the notion of hierarchical progress in yoga the different language we use to talk about "Open Level" classes, and what actually happens most often what I think belongs in an "advanced" yoga class how leveled classes have the opportunity to be more accessible, not less why a beginner's class is not the same things as a gentle class how to support a student who has been in a Level 1 class for many years the difference between something being taught or "offered" where to take this conversation deeper!

Our students' movement patterns directly impact their pelvic health, and their pelvic floor impacts their movement patterns! With those two aspects of our students' health so intertwined, it's really important that yoga teachers understand the nuances of that relationship. We are so lucky to have longtime yoga teacher, teacher's mentor, and yoga for pelvic health expert Shannon Crow on the show with us today!

Ariele Foster is a doctor of physical therapy and the founder of Yoga Anatomy Academy, a no-nonsense, evidence-based resource for learning yoga anatomy and movement science. She runs an integrative physical therapy clinic in Washington DC (and via telehealth). In addition to teaching online courses and an anatomy mentorship through Yoga Anatomy Academy, she has also taught online courses for and written for Yoga Journal on hip stability and fascia release. Ariele began teaching yoga in 2001 and her grandmother was also a yoga teacher.

Mary Reddinger is joining us on the show today to share how she built her full-time private yoga practice just recently! Mary and her family moved in the middle of the pandemic, and with her husband in school, her yoga teaching is their sole source of income. Mary worked incredibly hard to build a private practice and she did it quite quickly! She has a full roster of dedicated students who are engaged in their practice and appreciate her work immensely.

Over the last few years more and more yoga teachers have worked to create their own teaching offerings outside of a studio setting, and I think this is a great thing! While I absolutely value the community space a yoga studio can create, I also think creating learning opportunities for students (especially new students) outside of a typical yoga studio can be wonderful. And it can be great for us as teachers to begin to build our own teaching opportunities and small businesses. A longtime member of my community, Dara Madigan, created and ran her first Beginner's Series on her own this fall, and it was such a smashing success I asked her to come on the podcast and share all the details with y'all so you could model your own Beginner's Series after hers! And I'm intentionally releasing this in October, because I think mid-January next year would be a great time to run in, which means you need to start planning it now!

I've been collecting your questions over the last few weeks, and I'm so happy to share this Q+A episode with you today! (It's an off the cuff, casual vibe. I think you'll like it!) In this episode I'll answer questions like: How do you work with plantar fasciitis? How do we work with our students' injuries when we think some movement might be helpful, but a doctor has told our student to stay away from movement? What happens to our classes and our students when we take an extended period of time off? How did you plan for and manage your maternity leave? What is the best way to recover from a hamstring injury? How are you balancing your teaching/work schedule with being a new parent? How do you make time for/organize continued education and study in relation to your teaching?

Hello! After a long maternity leave I'm back in front of the podcasting mic and so excited to be here. This episode is quite a departure from our usual conversations about the craft of teaching yoga. Since I've been out for so long I wanted to connect with all of you in a more intimate way, so this episode is more personal than usual! I'm going to share the Ten Things Saving My Life Right Now to give a little inside peek into my season of life, my plans for teaching and how I'm calling in support. In this episode you'll hear: all the places I'm getting support as I make this big transition what I replaced social media scrolling with all about the best food delivery service I've ever used! the online communities where I love to hang out my favorite places for online asana classes how I slowly started teaching again this summer where I keep all my to do's organized a breakdown of my entire fall weekly schedule!

Avita Bansee (she/they) is here today to talk to us about what Anti Capitalist, Anti Racist Yoga looks like. Avita is a graduate of Yogaworks 200 hour RYTT and their life experiences and continuous study of yoga philosophy, anatomy, pranayama and biomechanics inform their teaching and self-practice.

One of the most downloaded episodes of this podcast is Episode 59: ROM, Neuroscience + Yoga with Garrett Neill. In that episode we talked about the difference between Active Range of Motion and Passive Range of Motion, the three main barriers to range of motion that show up in our joints, some of the reasons the body might "tighten" and limit our range of motion, what we should we be thinking about in terms of how we teach movement when it comes to creating stability and how mobility and flexibility are different from one another.

Much of a yoga practice can, from the outside, look like very little is happening. In a meditation practice it might look like we are just sitting there, but as we all know, that "just sitting there" can be a wild experience and a potent place to make friends with ourselves. Pausing in an asana practice to rest in Child's Pose can look like a lull in the action, even though we know the space between is sometimes the most powerful. Resting in a restorative yoga pose can look like an extra cozy nap... And while it can be that, Octavia Raheem (she/her) is here today to tell us why deep rest can serve as a tool for courage and resilience!

The historical teachings of yoga have incredible lessons for our modern world. Understanding and unpacking the ancient teachings is a lifelong process, and those of us lucky enough to practice, study and teach yoga must investigate how these teachings can shape our worldview. The bottom line is that the teachings of yoga point towards care of the collective as a path to enlightenment. The liberation of all beings (including ourselves) is where my personal study has led me over and over again. In our world today, that often looks like what we call social justice. Jivana Heyman, is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an international non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings.

Deb Flashenberg (she/her) is the founder and director of the Prenatal Yoga Center which she founded in NYC in 2002. Along with being a prenatal yoga teacher, she is also a labor support doula, Lamaze childbirth educator, mother of two and self proclaimed "birth and anatomy geek". After the challenging birth of her first child, Deb became incredibly interested in pelvic health and has since earned her Pelvic Floor Yoga Certification with Leslie Howard. Deb is currently knee deep in an intensive program with Dr. Sarah Duvall to earn her Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist certification.

I know that questioning whether the practices of yoga have a political aspect to them is a popular conversation, even controversy. But from my reading and study of the yogic and Buddhist teachings, there is no way to see dharma as separate from the world we live in, and with the world we live in being so full of injustice, that makes the teachings inherently political. If the intention of the teachings is to help us be stronger, more self aware, more compassionate and more awake to the nature of our world, in my view that is a strong and specific viewpoint. If in our practice we intend to send care and safety to all beings, and all beings are not well or safe because of the structures of oppression that are woven through our culture, that sets our work on a clear path to make the world a safer and more just place. And for this reason I am so incredibly excited to introduce you to my friend Jacoby Ballard. Jacoby Ballard (he/they) is a social justice educator and yoga teacher who leads workshops and trainings around the country on diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a yoga teacher with 20 years of experience, he leads workshops, retreats, teacher trainings and teaches at conferences. Since 2006, Jacoby has taught Queer and Trans Yoga, a space for queer folks to unfurl and cultivate resilience and received Yoga Journal's Game Changer Award in 2014 and Good Karma Award in 2016. In this episode you'll hear: why Jacoby experiences both his identity and teaching as political the relationship between the Brahma Viharas and social justice, and how to make it actionable a new insight into the First Noble Truth of Buddhism and why it was so powerful for me personally how we as practitioners and teachers can reconcile the idea of contentment with our desire to make the world a better place the effect that late stage capitalism has on the way the yoga teachings are shared in the US today how the teachings of yoga and Buddishm can play a part in the necessary reallocation of resources and power all about the Trans and Queer yoga classes Jacoby teaches!

I imagine by now you've probably heard that over 65% of COVID misinformation is spread by just 12 people, and those 12 people are almost all from the wellness community. As yoga teachers we may loosely (or closely) identify with the wider wellness community and so addressing these issues is important! What you may not know is that several of those people also have the same publisher-- Hay House Publishing. Our amazing guest today, Rebekah Borucki, is a very popular meditation guide and author who publicly left Hay House Publishing last year. She left because of their refusal to address the rampant misinformation some of their authors were spreading about COVID and their unwillingness to address the lack of diversity in the authors they publish as well. Speaking of... did you know that publishing is 79% white, 89% straight, 96% non-disabled and 99% Cisgender? With stats like that, just imagine all the stories that aren't being told! I am so excited to tell you about the brand new wellness publishing house that our guest has founded! It is called Row House Publishing and they are "Raising the Volume on Voices That Matter™" and publishing books at the intersection of personal development and social justice. Their work is actively decolonizing the wellness community! Rebekah "Bex" Borucki (she/they) is a mother-to-five, self-help and children's author, and the Founder and President of Row House, Wheat Penny Press (Row House's children's imprint), and the WPP Little Readers Big Change Initiative. Rebekah is driven by a commitment to make wellness tools available to all and to help others recover the liberation stolen from them by White Supremacy. She lives with her family in New Jersey. In this episode you'll hear: how Rebekah began studying and then teaching yoga and meditation how Rebekah got her first book deal with Hay House Publishing why Rebekah publicly left Hay House and how it felt to do that why the idea that you can offer some silent solidarity is a myth why Rebekah founded this new publishing house all about the inequitable and unfair aquisionton practices that make it difficult for emerging voices to get heard a little bit about the amazing authors already in contract with Row House

In teaching yoga and asana we end up working with bodies quite a lot. Many, if not most, of our students will likely be dealing with some kind of discomfort, whether it be the aches and pains of modern living, or full-blown, diagnosed injuries. As yoga teachers it is entirely out of our scope to diagnose or treat pain or injuries. Full stop. I do, however, think we should be educated and thoughtful about working with bodies in a way that allows our students' yoga practice to be supportive, sometimes even in highly specific, physical ways. I have studied massive amounts about anatomy, biomechanics, injuries and therapeutics, and have also worked through many very serious injuries in my own body. Because of this history I love helping fellow yoga teachers brainstorm ways to best support their students who have pain or injuries and this episode is dedicated entirely to your questions! In this episode, you'll hear questions and discussions about: adductor and pelvic pain SI joint pain nerve pain in the glutes elbow pain discomfort in the QL burning hip discomfort in hip flexion shoulder pain in overhead flexion imposter syndrome when talking to healthcare providers

I'm excited to share this quick bonus + important announcement episode with you. In the episode, I share the updated description of the podcast, why I'm releasing one episode per month starting now, and how important reviews are. (And did I mention a really important announcement?!) Each & every review counts! Thank you so much! If you'd like to submit a review on your computer from a web browser: Visit The Mentor Sessions | Support + Strategy for Yoga Teachers in your web browser Click "Listen on Apple Podcasts" to the right of the logo; then accept the pop-up asking if you want to launch iTunes In iTunes, click "Ratings & Reviews" under the main title To rate the show, select a number of stars between 1 and 5 next to the words "Click to rate" under the Customer Ratings headline To write a review, click "Write a Review" under the Customer Reviews heading If you'd like to submit a review using your iPhone or iPad: Open your Podcast app Search for The Mentor Sessions | Support + Strategy for Yoga Teachers Tap on the SHOW image (not the Episodes) Scroll down to Ratings & Reviews Click on 'Write a review'

Today is our 100th episode and to celebrate we have two very special guests! Joining us on the podcast are two nationally renowned professors who are experts in online learning and teacher education, and... they also happen to be my parents! As I hope comes through on The Mentor Sessions podcast, I am very interested in studying the craft of teaching yoga, as its own practice. I love asking questions about why we teach something the way we do, how we could be more expansive and inclusive in our teaching, and how we can continue to grow and evolve in our teaching practice. When you meet my parents today, you won't be at all surprised that these are the kinds of questions I find inspiring. In my family's case, the apple appears to have fallen directly underneath the tree 😂 It's funny though, because I don't remember long conversations about quality teacher education around the dinner table or anything... I was a dancer pursuing a professional career, and very much felt that I was on my own path. But as my focus shifted away from the dance world, and towards the yoga world, I quickly became very interested in unpacking what good quality teaching looks like (it looks like 1 million things, of course!) and making space for conversations around that. Today I'm so excited to introduce you to Janna and Ron, my parents, so we can hear from an academic view what good quality teaching looks like and how we might bring these inquiries into the yoga world. In this episode you'll hear: an explanation of the basic idea of pedagogy what we have we learned from recent studies in neuroscience about how people learn what good quality teacher education look like and how we might evaluate that how my Dad brought online learning to the University of Georgia way back in 2001 how online learning has changed in the last 20 years the joke my Mom told at my wedding that had everyone cry-laughing

In The Mentor Sessions Sangha we have been having a robust conversation about online yoga class library memberships. These are very popular now, and can be a great way to diversify your teaching income and support your students. They also require a decent amount of work to set up, there are an endless number of ways to organize the process and the pricing for these offerings are all over the map. If you have thought about creating an online class library, or a membership model for your live classes, I think today's podcast episode with Catherine la O' will be inspiring for you! Catherine is a long time yoga teacher, who despite not feeling very tech savvy, decided to set up a membership and online class library for her students in the summer of 2020. In this episode you'll hear: why Catherine felt this was the best way to continue teaching through the pandemic how much it cost to set up a deep dive into all the platforms and software she uses to film her classes and host the online library a specific breakdown of her teaching, filming, editing and uploading process the pricing structure of her membership how many members she has currently why her unique collaborative approach with other teacher colleagues is serving both her and her students so well how she recommends teachers get started if they are interested in creating something similar

When you think of teaching a trauma-informed yoga class, what comes to mind? Do you think of teaching a special class for a specific population, like veterans recovering from PTSD or survivors of abuse in a shelter? Those are populations that certainly benefit from a very well trained and thoughtfully trauma-conscious teacher (and specialty class!), but the truth is every single human has experienced some kind of trauma, and that is important to keep in mind in every yoga class we teach. I'm thrilled today to introduce you to yoga teacher, social worker and trauma-informed yoga expert Hannah Davis! Hannah Davis (she/her) is a body-focused clinician and yoga teacher specializing in mind-body healing. She has training in somatic healing, Ayurveda, mindful vinyasa, and various trauma-sensitive approaches. She leads several trauma-informed community-based yoga classes through Vikara Village and is a Licensed Social Worker in Maryland and DC. In this episode you'll hear: an important, foundational definition of trauma why yoga is such a powerful modality for people living with and healing from trauma why trauma-informed yoga is an entire philosophy not *only* a specialty class an explanation of the universal precautions as a core trauma-informed concept the important skills of a Safe Space facilitator whether or not it is possible to have a truly trauma-informed approach to hands-on adjustments the place philosophy and subtle body teachings have in a trauma-conscious philosophy Learn More From Hannah: At her website Learn more about Vikara Village here Follow Hannah on Instagram here Follow Hannah on Facebook here Download this Trauma-Informed Checklist! Take class with Hannah at Stillness + Movement here (use code NEWSTUDENT for your first class free!)

As you are well aware, we are living through a devastating public health crisis and masks and vaccines are our most important wellness tools right now (BY FAR). We know from our spiritual study that we are all interconnected, and none of us are truly well unless we are all well. I know this is a divisive topic in the yoga world and that makes it even more important that we talk about it. My guest today is Wolf Terry (she/her), a retired e-ryt and a contributing writer for Yoga Journal. Before walking away from the seat of the teacher, Wolf had taught over 2000 hours of classes, teacher trainings, and workshops, while answering letters for her former Yoga Journal advice column, Wolf Wisdom. Wolf is now a full-time writer, writing coach, social justice, mental health, and public health activist. She is originally from Maine, but now resides in Colorado with her husband and son. In this episode you'll hear: why it was so important for Wolf to write the essay for Yoga Journal entitled, Getting Vaxxed Was My Act of Ahimsa the response Wolf received from the yoga community after that essay was published why it is more important that ever that we mask up (yes, even if you're vaxxed) why the yoga world is polarized on these topics (hint: white supremacist capitalism is a big part of the problem!) the most common misinformation spreading about the vaccines the responsibility we have to each other as a community of yoga teachers and practitioners the response from my students at my last in-person class in 2020 (I cry every time I tell this story!) how to talk to those in our communities who are vaccine hesitant

The "BEST" way to teach twisting movements! What kind of rules have you been taught about the safest way to twist? What do you teach your students about the best way to rotate through the spine? Today we are taking a deep dive into these questions and I couldn't be more excited! Your fellow teacher and podcast listener Madison Houck joins us today to unpack this conversation, as it was inspired by a really interesting private lesson Madison and I had. In this episode you'll hear: how the spinal vertebrae relate and react to each other the single good reason to focus twisting movements in the thoracic spine several specific twisting movements to try with your students some ideas for cueing in a specific, but expansive way why brining nuance into movement teaching is so challenging, and so important Resources: The Science of the Private Lesson The Mentor Sessions Sangha Madison on Instagram Madison's website

Kearsten Lyon (she/her) is the founder and owner of an extended health care clinic called Total Movement Therapy based in Toronto, ON and sees clients virtually all over the world. Kearsten has been working and teaching within the Pilates and Rehabilitation Therapy industry since 2011. She utilizes a unique blend of Pilates, The Oov, Franklin Method, Movement for Trauma, traditional strength and conditioning exercises, client education and client–directed tissue release work in each session with her clients. In working with her I have learned so much about the human body, my own movement patterns and most especially I've had my eyes opened to some of my movement blindspots and biases. It's been incredible, for me personally and for my teaching! In this episode you'll hear: what is important for teachers to think about when they're integrating ideas from different movement frameworks all about Whole Body Cueing and how can yoga teachers incorporate that into their teaching a deep dive into fascial slings and why they are important to think about when cueing movement a conversation about uncovering some of my own unconscious movement biases a little bit about the biopsychosocial model and how can we incorporate that into our yoga teaching

I often feel like marketing is hard, and the things the "experts" tell us to do are slimy and also don't work. You feel me? That's why I'm so excited to have Mado Hesselink (she/they) on the show today! After teaching yoga for ten years, Mado met their fairy godmother business coach. She appeared in their life just long enough to plant the seeds that good business and good yoga can co-exist. Mado nurtured those seeds by studying all things business, marketing, and productivity and to her surprise found a new passion: finding the places where business principles and yoga principles overlap in order to help yoga teachers make a bigger impact with their teaching. In this episode you'll hear: the most important steps a new yoga teacher needs to take to get themselves set up why marketing is so hard what compelling marketing looks and sounds like the difference between a target market and a niche what good market research looks like the best way for new teachers to find students

Teaching yoga to kids has the potential to be incredibly impactful for kids and their communities, but there are many challenges that arise when we try to take the deep and meaningful teachings of yoga and make them developmentally appropriate without losing the heart of the teachings! Lucky for us, today we have Crystal McCreary on the podcast to talk about how to model and teach yogic practices that are empowering and transformative for kids, ourselves, and our world. And even if you don't teach kids yoga, I think you will get SO MUCH out of listening to this conversation. It turns out that learning to teach children well holds many lessons for teaching adults skillfully also. Crystal McCreary (she/her) is a yoga, mindfulness, and health educator, actor, speaker, and writer. Crystal's programs emphasize self-care as the gateway to social justice and community healing and she works full-time as a health educator at an independent K-12 school in New York City. In this episode we'll answer questions like: What are the biggest differences between kids facilitation and adult facilitation? How do you bring in the philosophy and dharma elements of the practice in a way that is developmentally appropriate? How do you teach yoga to kids in a way that helps them cultivate empathy, curiosity, kindness, emotional balance, and compassionate action? Where do you stand on whether or not yoga can be considered secular? Does kids yoga belong in schools?

Teaching yoga in 1x1 settings is such a wonderful way to inspire and support meaningful change in our student's lives. But the possibilities for what and how you could teach a private lesson are endless and as a teacher that can feel overwhelming! How do you decide what to focus on?? Teaching yoga one-on-one requires a different skill set than teaching group classes, and these unique skills are left out of most teacher trainings. In this podcast episode I'll share the simple framework I use to teach private lessons in a way that is balancing and helpful for my students without being draining for me and I answer questions like: What is your class format for a private session? How do you make it special? Many folks don't have a clear objective in mind. How do you help people figure out what they want to work on? Are your zoom privates cheaper than your in person privates? How are you gauging private client progress within a session or group of sessions? What metrics do you use to measure goals and how do you monitor achievable outcomes for physical, mental and emotional progress? How do you stay on time, particularly when wrapping up to leave? Plus, I answer a bonus question about bakasana! Resources Mentioned In The Episode: The Support/ Challenge Matrix of Private Lessons (podcast episode) The Science of the Private Lesson (online training) The Mentor Sessions Sangha (online community)

As yoga teachers most of us are legally and financially out on our own; we are small business owners and independent contractors cobbling together enough work to make a living. There is much that needs to change about our systems, but today I want to start small and offer this free training on legal protections for yoga teachers and I'm so happy to introduce you to Cory Sterling (he/him)! Cory is a lawyer, small business owner, group fitness instructor and yoga teacher. He wrote The Yoga Law Book and has served hundreds of clients in the yoga, health and fitness space all across the world, the majority of whom own or operate a fitness/health studio. I brought Cory on the podcast to answer all the questions you send me about legal protections! He answered questions like: What is a waiver and what needs to be included in a waiver? Do waivers even count/hold up in any way if someone wanted to sue? Do electronic waivers count or do we need printed signatures? Has there ever been a lawsuit where a student sued a yoga teacher for injuring them in a situation where this teacher only taught using verbal cues? Can teachers legally require covid vaccines of participants prior to traveling on a retreat? What specific covid-related release of liability should we have in our retreat waivers? What is the difference between a trademark, patent and copyright and when should teachers use these tools to protect their work? And so much more! Resources Mentioned in this episode: Yoga Legal Checklist Cory on Instagram Cory on Facebook Cory's Website

The yoga world has changed so much since I started teaching 16 years ago. Back then I didn't have a website, use social media or have any fancy tech equipment, and I didn't know many (any?) yoga teachers who did! The need to be able to understand and use technology has changed a lot since 2005, and even more so in this last year...obviously. I'm so happy to have an episode for you today that has super practical answers to all your yoga-tech questions! My guest today is Alex Haley (he/him) and in addition to being a long time meditation teacher, he is one of the co-founders of the public benefit corporation OfferingTree, which provides an all-in-one platform for yoga teachers and studios to build a website, manage scheduling, take payments and coordinate communication. Alex has also worked for start-ups, mid-sized companies and large multinationals in business roles, so he has tons of practical experience to share with us! Alex is on the pod today to answer all your tech questions like: What is the best webcam? What is the best microphone? What is the best lighting setup? What are your thoughts about playing music through Zoom? What do you think yoga and meditation teachers most need in their website? What is the best way to seamlessly connect class registration to zoom links, billing and email reminders? How do you recommend yoga teachers effectively use SEO? What is the best way to collect payment for online and in-person classes? Resources Mentioned in this episode: webinars from OfferingTree, especially Meg Casebolt and Danait Berhe Logitech C920 ( ~$79)\ DSLR camera - Panasonic GH4 ( ~$650) Blue Yeti (podcast / video recording) Rode Wireless Go ( live teaching / movement / video recording ) Audio Technica AT2020 ( guided meditation / podcast / video recording ) Jabra Elite - many different models ( guided meditation / video recording ) AirPods Pro (live teaching / movement) Free Music Archive - Creative Commons Best Practices For Teaching Online Acuity is another great platform that syncs payments, registrations and Zoom links and my own right hand project manager Jess is an expert in it!

It has been just over one year since I shifted from teaching yoga full time in-person, to teaching full time online. It has been a huge change (obviously) in my approach to teaching and my day to day schedule. In this episode I share some updates with you about how it's going in general (well!) how my students are doing (so much beautiful growth and adaptation) and what my teaching plans look like for the future (I don't know!). I also wanted to expand on a foundational part of my teaching philosophy: the importance of being able to teach without demonstrating, and investigate how that impacts online teaching. I address some of the questions that come up inside the camera on/ camera off debate AND make an announcement about some very fun things happening in our community soon! In this episode you'll hear: an update on online teaching and my plans for the future why it is both important and challenging to teach without demonstrating why students benefit from our attention more than they do from our demonstrations some suggestions for helping our students feel more comfortable being on video how to support students who are visual learners advice I would give my March 2020 self! Resources Mentioned in this episode: Stillness + Movement Virtual Yoga Studio: Use the coupon code MENTOR at checkout to take your first class free. The Mentor Sessions Sangha: Registration will open for the first time on June 1st 2021 Toronto Movement Therapy The Science of the Private Lesson online training

Do you know Tori Lunden (she/her)? She is known as Bad At Yoga on social media and if you haven't come across her work yet I'm SO excited I get to introduce you to her today. If you do know Tori's work, you won't be surprised at all to know that I jumped at the chance to connect with her, (and we had a blast!) because there are many similarities in our work! After two and half decades of spiritual searching, Tori's outlook on life can be summed up simply as, "Just be kind and maybe try therapy." A teacher since 2008, Tori's approach to yoga is a balance of pragmatism and irreverence. Tori has a degree in Social Work through the University of Calgary. Though no longer practicing social work in a formal setting, she remains committed to social justice and building healthier communities. Her current yoga teaching practice is guided by the three pillars of her social work practice; person centered, anti oppressive, and strengths based. Tori self published her first book, "How not to Teach Yoga: Lessons on Boundaries, Accountability, and Vulnerability - Learnt the Hard Way" in February of 2021 and I got to talk to her all about the hard lessons she's learned as a yoga teacher, and some wisdom and advice she has for the rest of us. In this episode you'll hear: why more information isn't helpful if we haven't done the work of learning how to apply it what Tori suggests we do to integrate the yoga teachings into the way we show up as teachers the reasons there is so much doubt along a yoga teaching path and how we can work with that why manipulation, spiritual bypassing and authoritarian teaching styles are common and how we can work with them when they show up in our own lives the difference between "big hands teaching" and "small hands teaching" what it takes to cultivate professional self trust as a yoga teacher Learn More From Tori: At her website buy her book Follow her on Instagram This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree! Sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor to get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan). With OfferingTree, yoga teachers put their schedule on a personally branded website where students can book classes and even pay or donate online. All of this can be set up in 30 minutes or less. This is a great product that I highly recommend!

Trauma-informed practice is a popular topic in the yoga world, and with good reason. Most people have experienced some kind of trauma and if yoga is to be a healing practice, as teachers and practitioners we must take into account what could make a practice unsafe or triggering for folks, including ourselves. But like so much of yoga in the west, trauma-informed conversations can often veer into the dogmatic, as if there was only one way to to make a student feel unsafe, or as if there were set, universal, right and wrong ways of teaching trauma-informed practice. There are certainly some best practices that many experts agree on, but there is also quite a bit of nuance, as there always will be when we're talking about the human experience. And this is why I'm so excited to introduce you to Sangeeta Vallabhan. Sangeeta is a long-time yoga teacher; she has been teaching yoga in NYC since 2003. She began studying trauma-informed yoga with many different teachers in 2013 and pursuing these studies enabled her to better face her own experiences with trauma. Her recovery has inspired her to help others and in 2019, Sangeeta started training teachers in trauma-informed yoga with her own training, solemarch. She just started The Practice Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to providing trauma-informed yoga and to taking care of the teachers who offer it. In this episode you'll hear: about Sangeeta's foundational view of trauma informed practice what Sangeeta feels is most important to offer teachers in trauma-informed training how colonialism shows up in the yoga world and specifically in trauma-informed teaching boundaries that are especially important in trauma informed teaching all about The Practice Coalition and what makes this new organization so special! Learn More From Sangeeta: at her website The Practice Coalition an important article Sangeeta wrote about her experience with trauma Sangeeta on Health.Com ! Are You Traveling to India for the Right Reasons?- article by Sangeeta What It's Like Being an Indian-American Yoga Teacher- article by Sangeeta solemarch - a trauma informed yoga training (Swiss) solemarch at yogavida in november 2021 (link is not updated yet, but will be soon!) take an asana class with Sangeeta at The Connective!

There are two things I'm really passionate about in my teaching: One is dismantling the notion of linear, hierarchical, universal progress, especially when it comes to movement. The other is teaching in a way that students feel 100% agency to make autonomous, empowered, educated decisions about their own movement practice. These two concepts come together really beautifully when we unpack regressions and progressions in movement because for every modification that could be considered a regression there is an example of the kind of body or situation in which that version is actually a progression and vice versa. For this reason, I am STOKED to have my friend Trina Altman back on the podcast to dive DEEP into these concepts. Trina Altman is the creator of Yoga Deconstructed® and Pilates Deconstructed®, which helps movement teachers foster an embodied understanding of their teaching and create a more sustainable practice through an interdisciplinary approach based on current movement science. Her work has been published in Yoga Journal, Yoga International and Pilates Style. Her book, Yoga Deconstructed®: Movement Science Principles For Teaching was published by Handspring Publishing in December 2020. Check out our previous conversations in Episode #3 (about her Yoga Deconstructed approach) and Episode #34 (all about a creative use of props in asana class). In this episode you'll hear: what the research shows about why yoga-related injuries are quite common the difference between internal and external cueing and when you might use one rather than the other the nine different factors to consider when regressing or progressing a movement various movement adaptations based on these nine factors and when they would likely be regression and when they are more likely to be a progression what yoga teachers listening can do to integrate these ideas into their teaching Learn More From Trina: on her website buy her book! on Instagram

The Trans* Yoga Project is doing incredibly important work in the yoga and wellness spaces and I'm honored to introduce you to two of the founding members, River Redwood (they/them) and M Camellia (they/them). The Trans* Yoga Project creates and holds space for Trans* people to live wholly and thrive loudly by dismantling barriers to access in yoga and wellness spaces and by offering classes and wellness services as affirming, Trans*-centered containers where their siblings can explore their own inner landscapes, tap into their various innate wisdoms, and co-create healing environments that serve their deepest needs. They further support the Trans* community by (re)educating allied yoga teachers and wellness professionals through trainings and resources that honor the expansive nature of Trans experience and the practices of yoga and liberation. River Redwood (they/them) River is a non-binary trans being and they've been transitioning since 2006. Their passions are spirituality, tarot, yoga, astrology, Trans history, and traveling. Their favorite places are lush forests, rugged coastlines and painted deserts. River is inspired by their cat Henry and their dog Hank, who drop everything and stretch their spines whenever their bodies ask. They currently live in Los Angeles, California and their purpose in life is to boldly and unapologetically be themself. M Camellia (they/them) is a fat, queer, non-binary, neuro-emergent yoga teacher and advocate, called to create profoundly accessible spaces for self-inquiry by integrating mindfulness and adaptive movement practices with the spirit of social justice. They believe that the goal of yoga, as of life, is collective liberation and in turn challenge contemporary yoga practitioners to dismantle the systems and beliefs that hold us all back. M teaches classes and workshops in the Washington DC Metro Area and online, and trains teachers in trauma-informed teaching practices, consent, and accessibility. They are a founding collaborator with the Trans Yoga Project and serve on the staff of Accessible Yoga. They've been called a "tour-de-force of encouraging radical self-love" (DC Refined) and listed among the "top thinkers and activists in the field of body positivity" (OmStars). In this episode you'll hear: about the urgent need to educate allied yoga teachers and wellness professionals so the expansive nature of Trans* experience is honored and yoga is truly a practice of liberation what can cis-studio owners and yoga teachers listening can do to create inclusive and affirming environments for all queer and trans* people ways to alter and adapt cueing so it is not gendered and so much more! Learn More About The Trans* Yoga Project: Check out M's website here Follow M on Instagram here The Trans* Yoga Project website Follow the Trans* Yoga Project on Instagram Support the Trans* Yoga Project on Patreon here Follow River on Instagram Upcoming offerings at TYP will be the 3rd and 4th episodes of their Transitions series

Pranayama is incredibly rich practice because breath is a powerful vehicle to explore our most intimate relationship, the one we have with ourselves. I'm really excited to introduce you to my friend Mirabelle, because studying and teaching the intricacies of pranayama is a great passion and expertise of hers! I was lucky enough to have a private pranayama lesson with her in the fall and it was a beautiful experience. Mirabelle D'cunha (she/her) supports committed yoga lovers to savour the luxury of inner experience and find purpose, pleasure and joy in life through breath. She provides a loving space for them to unplug from urgency, into deep trust and allowing. Her signature offerings are Sadhana Club - an online sanctuary that brings grace, clarity, and community to yoga teachers and practitioners - as well as her Radiant You private mentoring program for healing through breath. Mirabelle is in an intimate relationship with yoga as a breath-ing experience and has been on the path of living yoga for 19 years, studying with swamis and teachers from the Sivananda Saraswati lineage and at Mumbai University. Mirabelle has taught at yoga ashrams and studios in India, the USA, Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands and is a guest teacher in yoga teacher trainings on pranayama, bhakti yoga, and the deeper nuances of yoga as a living practice. She has also been a speaker and panelist for Yoga Alliance. In this episode you'll hear: how much of Mirabelle's teaching came to focuses on pranayama practice why Mirabelle works with the nuances of anuloma viloma only and doesn't teach other pranayama practices the effects Mirabelle has seen in students who dive deep into their pranayama study and practice the difference in the attention on pranayama in the west and in India what Mirabelle sees as the burial of this limb of yoga and the repercussions this has on the practice of meditation how Mirabelle recommends pranayama teaching could be more comprehensive Learn More From Mirabelle: On Instagram On her website

The Connective is a virtual movement studio that is cooperatively owned and powered by teachers. They provide a sustainable livelihood for yoga and movement professionals and raise industry standards for quality, diversity, anti-racism, and accessibility. They offer students an online space to explore movement, build community, and discover new potential. I am so excited to have two of the teacher-owners on the podcast today to tell us all about this new organization! Shamina Rao (she/her) Shamina's passion for yoga spans over 25 years. She was born in Mumbai, India, and spent her childhood traveling throughout India, the Far East and parts of Africa, all the while soaking in the teachings of these different cultures. She brings what she absorbed over the years to her classes believing in the benefits of yoga for ALL people. She has created and led yoga workshops for teens, young adults and also teaches prenatal yoga. Her classes are all-levels, breath-centered vinyasa with a focus on the subtle and energetic body through the chakras. She teaches through the lens of observing the physical, emotional, and spiritual body's interconnectedness and response to the world around us. Off the mat, her yoga practice grounds her work as a birth doula as she encourages birthing people to connect to their bodies through mindfulness, movement and breath as they bring their babies into this world. Elizabeth Barnett (they/them) teaches poetic, thematic classes with chanting, philosophy, and music that moves. Options for meeting yourself in the moment are always offered and self-determination is encouraged to lead the way. They've been teaching yoga for 12 years and in the last few years have been deeply shaped by trauma-informed teachings. Elizabeth continues to learn and unlearn, working to unsettle their practices, queer their world, and cultivate care and creativity in pursuit of collective liberation. In this episode you'll hear: how the idea for a teacher-owned co-op came about and how the teachers feel about it what is special about the specific legal structure of a cooperative about the livestream, pre-recorded and workshops The Connective offers how Elizabeth and Shamina are feeling about virtual teaching almost 1 year in why The Connective is calling attention to the worker exploitation that is common in yoga studio culture here in the States and what they are doing to try to change the culture the agreements in place at The Connective so they can be part of deeply necessary change on the issues of racism and cultural appropriation in the yoga world how Elizabeth and Shamina suggest yoga teachers who are interested in forming their own co-op get started! Learn more about The Connective: On their website here Follow The Connective on Instagram here

You don't need me to tell you that The Year of Our Lord 2020 was (and this is the official designation, I'm pretty sure) A Hot Steaming Pile of Garbage. So much of what made last year difficult is unchanged at the moment and so I wanted to record an episode that is a little different from what we usually do here at The Mentor Sessions. Most of the episodes on this show are interviews with visionaries, experts and thought leaders in the yoga education space. Sometimes I hop on the mic solo to share my thoughts about online yoga or teaching without demonstrating. Even more rarely I share an intimate view of my own life and teaching and one of the most downloaded episodes to date is Episode 56: Avoiding Burnout: Self Care, Boundaries + Daily Routines, recorded in August of 2019. In the spirit of offering myself (and you) tender and compassionate care, today I'm going to share the twelve basic, surface-level routines I incorporated last year that really saved me. In this episode you'll hear: why the way self-care is talked about in the wellness world is problematic how learning about other people's self care routines is helpful for me, even when they aren't habits I would ever incorporate myself the daily practices that help me make transitions (since I never go anywhere anymore!) my favorite podcasts to listen to on my daily walks the technology self-care habits that took zero extra time, but did wonders for my mental health time management strategies that helped me continue to get quite a lot accomplished without working nights or weekends what I recommend to yoga teachers to make new offerings successful without too much stress

The differences between the way yoga is taught and practiced in India and the West are significant, and important for western yoga teachers to be aware of! Lucky for us, today on the podcast we have my friend Arundhati Baitmangalkar to break it down for us! Arundhati (she/her) is an Indian immigrant yoga teacher, studio business owner, podcaster and Bollywood choreographer. Now living in Seattle, Arundhati has been teaching for 14 years and owns 2 studios businesses. She was named as one of the top 20 POC yoga teachers to watch out for by Yogawalla in 2020 and she focuses on merging the eastern and western worlds of yoga authentically through her teacher trainings, her weekly 'Let's Talk Yoga' podcast and other offerings. Her mission is to empower other yoga teachers like her to not only live their yoga but also thrive by building a successful career around it. In this episode you'll hear: the biggest differences between the way yoga is taught in India and in the West why western yoga teachers should reconsider referring to themselves as yogis something very important to understand about cultural appropriation from a yoga teacher who grew up in India a candid conversation about the use of Namaste to open and close yoga classes valuable ideas for yoga teachers leading trainings Learn More From Arundhati: On her website On her podcast On Instagram

The human body is a beautiful and complex system, and people who teach movement always have more to learn! When the scientific concepts of motor control, proprioception and the science of learning itself are integrated into the way we teach movement, they can have significant impacts on mental health, chronic pain and the processing of trauma. Learning about these topics can be overwhelming though, so we are lucky to have Jenn Pilotti with us because she is an expert in an evidence-based approach to mindful movement. Jenn has been teaching movement to people of all ages and abilities since 2003. She is passionate about helping people feel comfortable, strong, mobile and capable in their bodies using concepts rooted in science and she has a special interest in the effect of movement on mental health: specifically on anxiety, chronic pain and trauma. She implements techniques from a variety of disciplines, including yoga, strength and conditioning, Feldenkrais, dance, gymnastics and Natural Movement. In this episode you'll hear: the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset and how a fixed mindset might show up in our yoga teaching all about body maps and how they might impact our student's movement habits the difference between proprioception and kinesthetic awareness and what yoga teachers can do to increase both in our students a deep dive into motor learning and the three phases that take place as a new movement or skill is practiced a conversation about the power of language and how to incorporate more inquiry-based cueing into our group classes about some fun ways to use Jenga blocks in our teaching! Learn More From Jenn: On Instagram At her website Buy her book, BodyMindMovement here Play with some Jenga blocks in your teaching

My friend Susanna Barkataki has written a book called Embrace Yoga's Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice and it is excellent. It is inspiring, galvanizing, a rallying cry. In this episode we talk all about what it really means to embrace yoga's roots and how to integrate our values into our teaching and respect the tradition and culture that yoga comes from. If you don't already know Susanna and her work, you must! We did a deep dive into cultural appropriation in this earlier podcast episode: 54: Unpacking Cultural Appropriation with Susanna Barkataki. An Indian yoga practitioner in the Shankaracharya tradition, Susanna Barkataki is the founder of Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute and runs Ignite Be Well 200/500 Yoga Training programs. She is an E-RYT 500, Certified Yoga Therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists. In this episode you'll hear: why understanding yoga philosophy as an agent for social change matters now more than ever a deep dive into appropriation including specific examples like: the double-sided coin of glamorization and sterilization how to stay away from both white centering and tokenization how to process feelings of discomfort when doing anti-racism work the ways that yogic teachings can be used to suppress civic engagement and how to avoid that what happens when yoga philosophy is weaponized how the studentship of yoga is a wonderful support in the path of anti-racism and decolonization how we can create conditions for true liberation Resources Mentioned in the episode: Buy Susanna's book Follow Susanna on Instagram Susanna's Website Study with Susanna Namaste: How to End Your Yoga Class Confidently and Embrace Yoga's Roots

If you're a yoga teacher who's had to teach while working with an injury, this podcast episode is for you! Or if you see the same injuries over and over again in your students, there are tons of nuggets of wisdom here for you too. Monica Bright is a master yoga teacher in the areas of anatomy, self massage, injuries and recovery strategies. She is also currently teaching full time while recovering from her own shoulder injury. She has a wealth of knowledge to share based on both study and personal experience and I can't wait for y'all to learn from her! In this episode you'll hear: all about the shoulder injury Monica is working with, including the diagnosis, therapy and interventions she's had and how her recovery is going how her current shoulder injury has impacted her teaching the injuries Monica most commonly sees in her students and how she works with those injuries in class the injuries that are more prevalent in people who's only form of exercise is asana and the kinds of modalities she recommends they add into their movement practice advice for yoga teachers who are currently working with an injury why it is so important to let our students have their own experience and a framework to do that consistently Learn More From Monica: At her website On Instagram