Yogaland Podcast

This week's episode is a special interview with public speaker and yogi Jason Freeman. Jason has a speech impediment due to cerebral palsy, which he was born with. He talks about how being different impacted him from an early age and how his yoga practice helped him to embrace his "imperfect best" as he puts it.Also on this episode is Jamie Martin, Jason's yoga teacher, who shares her insights about how to create an inclusive environment in the yoga room.This episode is a must for anyone who's ever felt like an outsider and everyone who hopes to make yoga studios a more welcoming place for people from all backgrounds and abilities.Here are some highlights:*How Jason F. ended up in his first yoga class, and how the practice of yoga helped him learn to accept himself and feel better in his body*Jason's advice for yoga students about how to feel more comfortable and connect with their teachers*Jamie speaks about how to help all students feel welcome and included and not singled out for their different abilities*We talk about the many ways yoga teachers can make a lasting impact on their students without ever knowing it*Plus, Jason talks about how Handstand became a goal for him, and what shifted once he finally learned to do the poseShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode140SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 50% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND50.3, PoshMark carries second-hand women’s, kids, and men's clothing. They have tons of great brands like Lululemon, MadeWell, and Antropologie, which are all at your fingertips from the app. Shipping is easy for both the seller and the buyer. Find me at PoshMark.com at ferrettiO. Enter invite code YOGALAND to get $5 off your first purchase. 4. GreenChef is a USDA certified organic company and meal delivery service. Everything is hand-picked, delivered right to your door, pre-measured, perfectly portioned, and mostly prepped. You can choose from Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Keto, Gluten-Free, Omnivore, and Carnivore. If you’re on a structured meal plan like me, it’s a great way to get more variety into your diet without the hassle of doing all the planning and prep work yourself. For $50 off your first box of Green Chef, go to Greenchef.us/yogaland.5. If you’re like me and you wear your gym or yoga clothes 6 or 7 days a week, you want to look put together. My life has changed since Fabletics became a sponsor of the podcast. Their styles are super adorable and affordable. Get two pairs of leggings for $24 when you sign up to be a VIP. Go to Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My husband, Jason Crandell, is back this week, and he's sharing practical tips for teaching beginning students when they come to a mixed-level class.Here are a few things you'll learn:* How to keep a new student safe without making them feel singled out (and when to just let things go!)* Strategies for helping beginners (and everyone else, too!) through the Chaturanga/Up Dog/Down Dog transition and alternatives* Tips for helping students step from Down Dog to a Lunge in Sun Salutations* Teaching the details of Down Dog   - Troubleshooting for tight students   - How to find the appropriate distance between the feet and hands* How to help students find the right distance between their feet in standing posesShow notes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode139/SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 50% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND50.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all start out as beginners. But that doesn't mean that teaching beginning yoga students is intuitive. In this episode in our Begin Again series, Jason tackles the specifics of teaching asana to beginning students. Jason shares:* Why it's important to help students pay attention to their whole experience in a particular pose, not just the muscle or muscle groups that they're stretching* How to help students avoid comparing themselves to other students (or to what they were able to do in the past if they're beginning again after stepping away for a while)* A skillful way to teach breath and movement in a vinyasa-based class* Why power, precision, and mindfulness are the three elements Jason focuses on most when he teaches beginnersShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode138SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 50% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND50.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yoga and meditation teacher Tias Little returns to the podcast this week. (Tias joined me on episode 102 to talk about perfectionism). On today's episode, we talk about how our culture of speed affects us holistically and why it’s important--but also challenging--to slow down. We discuss:*The new book that Tias is working on and how it's different from other projects he's worked on*Why, from a spiritual perspective, moving fast and checking things off of a to-do list is the opposite of progress*Which parts of the body are most impacted by our go-go-go culture*What we need to do to feel like we have more time, both on a personal level and as a collective *How Tias applies the lessons of slowing down to his asana practiceShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode137SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 50% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND50.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second episode of our Begin Again series, we talk about what keeps us motivated to practice when yoga is feeling stagnant and Jason offers useful tips for teachers who are faced with the difficult (but rewarding!) task of teaching yoga to beginners.He also talks about how to introduce philosophy to beginning students and how to motivate students to keep coming back to their mats. Here’s an overview of the episode:* Why beginning again can be a great thing even for experienced yoga practitioners* Some common mistakes yoga teachers make when they teach beginners* How to approach teaching philosophy to beginners in a way that doesn’t confuse or overwhelm* How he navigates sharing the philosophical dimensions of yoga so that they are useful to everyone regardless of their cultural and ideological belief systems* Tips for being a good host to new students and why he thinks that’s a key component to keeping students motivated*BONUS: Jason explains some of the yamas and niyamas and puts them into a modern contextShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode136SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 50% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND50.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a new year comes a flood of new students into yoga classes everywhere. Many of those students will be brand new to yoga, while others have re-committed to their yoga practice.In this first episode of our series on yoga beginners, Jason shares some tips for how to welcome these new students and make them feel "supported, but not hounded" in the yoga room.While the series will be geared toward teachers, it's important info for those yoga students who will be seeing lots of new faces in their classes, too.We discuss:* Why it's so important to put yourself back into the mindset of a beginner if you're teaching new yoga students* Jason's principles for teaching asanas, or yoga poses, to beginners--and how he keeps his classes consistent without letting them get too boring or stale* A few strategies for making beginning students feel more comfortable in a new environment and how to be a good host to all of your students* How yoga teachers can keep their beginning students safe without making them feel called out or inadequate* More on how the beginning of the year can be an opportunity for yoga teachers to reflect, learn something new, and make tweaks to their teaching approach, tooShownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode135/SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the last interview of 2018, I am so excited to share an interview with Insight Yoga founder Sarah Powers. Sarah has been a huge influence on my yoga practice, my meditation practice, and my life. Here's what we talk about:* Yoga and parenting: How Sarah introduced her daughter to yoga and what impact she believes growing up in a yoga family had on her daughter  * How Sarah and Ty came to the decision to home school their daughter and how that decision made Sarah a better yoga teacher* Why continuing to make time to attend workshops and retreats as a student is still an essential part of Sarah's life* She talks about the amount of time it took for her to feel confident as a yoga teacher, especially since she brings so many different elements of yoga, meditation, Buddhism, and psychology into her teaching* Plus, she offers some practical advice for yoga teachers Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode134SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.3. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.4. Away is a new kind of luggage that is designed to be resilient resourceful and essential to the way you travel today. They use high-quality materials at a lower price point than other brands because they sell directly on the Internet. For $20 off a suitcase, visit awaytravel.com/yogaland and use promo code YOGALAND at checkout.5. Omax3 Ulta-Pure is the purest Omega 3 fatty acid supplement on the market. Omax puts their product through an intense distillation process to remove saturated fats, toxins, and PCPs, so you’re left with a really pure product. Go to tryomax.com/yogaland to get a box of Omax3 Ultra-Pure for free with your first purchase.6. ModCloth is your go-to to get your closet ready with adorable, fresh pieces. The company celebrates all women, which is why they offer a full range of sizes, from XXS to 4X. To get 15% off your purchase of $100 or more, go to MODCLOTH.com and enter code YOGALAND at checkout.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I talk with Ty Powers. You might know Ty as the husband an influential yoga teacher for me (and many others!) -- Sarah Powers. He's also an incredibly insightful teacher in his own right, a meditation teacher, and coach. Recently, he's also been leading workshops called Changes and Transitions in Midlife--something that is of particular interest to me now that I'm in my 40s.Here are some highlights from our conversation:*Ty talks briefly about parenting and race and how both of those things have impacted his life*We commiserate about the challenges of having a spouse who's an international yoga teacher *We talk about how things change once a person gets into their 40s and 50s, the process of aging and how to make sense of the changes to your body. And Ty shares why he thinks people are beginning to ask the big questions about life and spirituality earlier today than ever before.*How culturally, we're missing the mark in preparing for all of life's transitions, and how practices like yoga and meditation can help us to prepare ourselves for that processShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode133 SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.3. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.4. Away is a new kind of luggage that is designed to be resilient resourceful and essential to the way you travel today. They use high-quality materials at a lower price point than other brands because they sell directly on the Internet. For $20 off a suitcase, visit awaytravel.com/yogaland and use promo code YOGALAND at checkout.5. Omax 3 Ulta-Pure is the purest Omega 3 fatty acid supplement on the market. Omax puts their product through an intense distillation process to remove saturated fats, toxins, and PCPs, so you’re left with a really pure product. Go to tryomax.com/yogaland to get a box of Omax 3 Ultra-Pure for free with your first purchase.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest, Melissa Townsend is the author of two beautiful books about the Yoga Sutras. Townsend, a long-time yoga student, artist, Sanskrit enthusiast, and psychic, wasn't always enthusiastic about the sutras. But in the same way that psychic visions come to her, so did the idea to use her art to share the Yoga Sutras. On this episode, I had the opportunity to ask her all about the creative process of her Yoga Sutras art and translations. We're also joined by Stephanie Snyder, a popular yoga teacher who loves to study and share the sutras.We have an in-depth conversation about why we all find this work fascinating, talk about their approach to studying the sutras, and explain why the text is so much more than just the meaning of words or interpretations that you read. You might have to listen to the episode to understand, but I promise you'll be glad you did. It might just change the way you've been approaching the study of yoga philosophy.Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode132SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.3. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.4. Away is a new kind of luggage that is designed to be resilient resourceful and essential to the way you travel today. They use high-quality materials at a lower price point than other brands because they sell directly on the Internet. For $20 off a suitcase, visit awaytravel.com/yogaland and use promo code YOGALAND at checkout.5. Omax 3 Ulta-Pure is the purest Omega 3 fatty acid supplement on the market. Omax puts their product through an intense distillation process to remove saturated fats, toxins, and PCPs, so you’re left with a really pure product. Go to tryomax.com/yogaland to get a box of Omax 3 Ultra-Pure for free with your first purchase.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Historically, during times of political and cultural strife, people become more interested in self-care. That means that right now, self-care is an incredibly important and popular topic (to the tune of 9 million hashtags on Instagram!). Self-care means different things to different people. It's not all bubble baths and mani/pedis (although, there's certainly nothing wrong with those!)I think of yoga as a radical form of self-care because yoga builds self-awareness -- of your unique constitution, your needs, your strengths, and the parts of you that require extra attention and shoring up. That's why I decided to focus on self-care for this episode. It's a live episode recorded at the prAna store in San Francisco, with yoga teacher and astrologer Susannah Freedman and nurse practitioner Caitlin Hildebrand. We talk about:* How remembering one's purpose can be a motivation for self-care* Teaching yoga as a form of self-care* What yoga philosophy says about self-care and how we can apply that to modern life* The line between self-care and self-obsession/narcissismSHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. It's been about a year since Sunbasket has been a sponsor of Yogaland. Each week, I get a Sunbasket box delivered to my door and I still get excited! The recipes are creative and delicious with organic produce and clean ingredients. I do the Paleo plan but there are many to choose from -- Vegetarian, Vegan, Lean & Clean, Quick & Easy, & Mediterranean, to name just a few. Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. I'm so delighted to have Fabletics as a sponsor! Their clothes fit so well -- no, I do not feel like I am stuffing myself into a sausage casing. And the styles are seriously SO. CUTE. Plus, you literally cannot be their price point anywhere. As a special offer to Yogaland listeners, get TWO PAIRS OF LEGGINGS FOR $24. Yep, you read that correctly. Go to fabletics.com/yogaland and enter promo code YOGALAND at checkout.3. Follain is a clean beauty retailer that believes that no one should have to compromise their health for beauty. They are uncompromising — some might say relentless — in the quest to find the best products. I have their Clean Essentials Kit and I love it -- I've been using it while we travel and my very sensitive skin is happy and hydrated. You can try the Clean Essentials Kit today for $22 (that’s over 50% off!). Go to follain.com/yogaland to get four everyday, non-toxic skin essentials!4. Instead of buying things new, Poshmark allows you to shop from millions of closets across America. When you download the Poshmark app, you'll find clothes for women, men, and children. I found kids brands like Circo & Gap, and my own favorite brands like Anthropologie & Mother. Yogaland listeners get $5 off your first purchase! Just enter the invite code: YOGALAND when you sign up. That’s invite code: YOGALANDSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One out of three people will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. While a regular yoga practice might not prevent cancer, it can certainly help ease the fear, anxiety, and emotional anguish that can come with it. Today's guest, Dr. Timothy McCall, is a medical doctor and yoga teacher, who talks with us this week about his road to recovery from throat cancer. His story is an inspiring testimony to the power of a yoga and meditation during hard times.Timothy shares how he discovered his cancer, how he chose his care team, and which asanas supported him through treatment. He also talks about the benefits of fasting prior to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. And how he both prepared for treatment and convalesced after treatment in Kerala, India with Ayurvedic treatments -- and the effect they had on him. You can pre-order Timothy's self-published book, Saving My Neck: A Doctor's East/West Journey Through Cancer on Amazon.SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. It's been about a year since Sunbasket has been a sponsor of Yogaland. Each week, I get a Sunbasket box delivered to my door and I still get excited! The recipes are creative and delicious with organic produce and clean ingredients. I do the Paleo plan but there are many to choose from -- Vegetarian, Vegan, Lean & Clean, Quick & Easy, & Mediterranean, to name just a few. Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. I'm so delighted to have Fabletics as a sponsor! Their clothes fit so well -- no, I do not feel like I am stuffing myself into a sausage casing. And the styles are seriously SO. CUTE. Plus, you literally cannot be their price point anywhere. As a special offer to Yogaland listeners, get TWO PAIRS OF LEGGINGS FOR $24. Yep, you read that correctly. Go to fabletics.com/yogaland and enter promo code YOGALAND at checkout.3. Follain is a clean beauty retailer that believes that no one should have to compromise their health for beauty. They are uncompromising — some might say relentless — in the quest to find the best products. I have their Clean Essentials Kit and I love it -- I've been using it while we travel and my very sensitive skin is happy and hydrated. You can try the Clean Essentials Kit today for $22 (that’s over 50% off!). Go to follain.com/yogaland to get four everyday, non-toxic skin essentials!4. Instead of buying things new, Poshmark allows you to shop from millions of closets across America. When you download the Poshmark app, you'll find clothes for women, men, and children. I found kids brands like Circo & Gap, and my own favorite brands like Anthropologie & Mother. Yogaland listeners get $5 off your first purchase! Just enter the invite code: YOGALAND when you sign up. That’s invite code: YOGALANDSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode focuses on adaptogenic herbs and nootropics, which are herbs and supplements that are thought to help us adapt to stress, improve cognitive function, and memory. They're everywhere these days -- in our smoothies, on the shelves of Whole Foods, in teas. And as with all trends, I both want to embrace anything and everything that's said to improve health while simultaneously feeling completely skeptical.So, I thought I'd have Ayurvedic practitioner, Niika Quistgard on the show to have a frank conversation about adaptogens and nootropics -- what are they? Do they work? How do they work best? Does it make sense to throw them all in your smoothie and hope for the best? Niika, as always, offers an honest and interesting perspective. Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode129SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. It's been about a year since Sunbasket has been a sponsor of Yogaland. Each week, I get a Sunbasket box delivered to my door and I still get excited! The recipes are creative and delicious with organic produce and clean ingredients. I do the Paleo plan but there are many to choose from -- Vegetarian, Vegan, Lean & Clean, Quick & Easy, & Mediterranean, to name just a few. Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. I'm so delighted to have Fabletics as a sponsor! Their clothes fit so well -- no, I do not feel like I am stuffing myself into a sausage casing. And the styles are seriously SO. CUTE. Plus, you literally cannot be their price point anywhere. As a special offer to Yogaland listeners, get TWO PAIRS OF LEGGINGS FOR $24. Yep, you read that correctly. Go to fabletics.com/yogaland and enter promo code YOGALAND at checkout.3. Follain is a clean beauty retailer that believes that no one should have to compromise their health for beauty. They are uncompromising — some might say relentless — in the quest to find the best products. I have their Clean Essentials Kit and I love it -- I've been using it while we travel and my very sensitive skin is happy and hydrated. You can try the Clean Essentials Kit today for $22 (that’s over 50% off!). Go to follain.com/yogaland to get four everyday, non-toxic skin essentials!4. Instead of buying things new, Poshmark allows you to shop from millions of closets across America. When you download the Poshmark app, you'll find clothes for women, men, and children. I found kids brands like Circo & Gap, and my own favorite brands like Anthropologie & Mother. Yogaland listeners get $5 off your first purchase! Just enter the invite code: YOGALAND when you sign up. That’s invite code: YOGALANDSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the sixth year Jason led his week-long retreat on Maui, but the FIRST year we did a live Yogaland podcast! We did not humble brag about the beautiful setting, the food, the roosters, or the camaraderie of the students -- we just full on brag bragged. But we also answered student questions, which happened to mainly focus on backbending.Here's an overview:* We talk about the benefits of immersing yourself in yoga on retreat and how Jason thinks of it as a mini-training* Jason shares his approach to teaching Ujjayi breathing, and why he believes that fast, vinyasa flow classes have the potential to undermine the benefits of the practice* We discuss how to tell the difference between structural limitations and non-structural, changeable limitations in backbends* Tips on how to progress to more advanced backbends after you've mastered Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose or Upward-Facing Bow Pose)Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode128SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. It's been about a year since Sunbasket has been a sponsor of Yogaland. Each week, I get a Sunbasket box delivered to my door and I still get excited! The recipes are creative and delicious with organic produce and clean ingredients. I do the Paleo plan but there are many to choose from -- Vegetarian, Vegan, Lean & Clean, Quick & Easy, & Mediterranean, to name just a few. Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. I'm so delighted to have Fabletics as a sponsor! Their clothes fit so well -- no, I do not feel like I am stuffing myself into a sausage casing. And the styles are seriously SO. CUTE. Plus, you literally cannot be their price point anywhere. As a special offer to Yogaland listeners, get TWO PAIRS OF LEGGINGS FOR $24. Yep, you read that correctly. Go to fabletics.com/yogaland and enter promo code YOGALAND at checkout.3. Follain is a clean beauty retailer that believes that no one should have to compromise their health for beauty. They are uncompromising — some might say relentless — in the quest to find the best products. I have their Clean Essentials Kit and I love it -- I've been using it while we travel and my very sensitive skin is happy and hydrated. You can try the Clean Essentials Kit today for $22 (that’s over 50% off!). Go to follain.com/yogaland to get four everyday, non-toxic skin essentials!4. Instead of buying things new, Poshmark allows you to shop from millions of closets across America. When you download the Poshmark app, you'll find clothes for women, men, and children. I found kids brands like Circo & Gap, and my own favorite brands like Anthropologie & Mother. Yogaland listeners get $5 off your first purchase! Just enter the invite code: YOGALAND when you sign up. That’s invite code: YOGALANDSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason and I celebrated our 10th anniversary in early October -- that's a whole DECADE of wedded bliss, you guys!. In an unusual moment of sentimentality, we decided to share a bit more about our relationship in this episode.We reflect on- How we went from colleagues to dating to married- How we moved from student-teacher relationship (and editor-writer relationship) to romantic partnership- How we balance our work relationship with our home life- The huge role that yoga has played in our relationship from day one, and how it continues to help us to relate to each other and even navigate our differences- The parallels we draw between being in a long-term relationship with another person and being a long-time yoga studentShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode127SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. It's been about a year since Sunbasket has been a sponsor of Yogaland. Each week, I get a Sunbasket box delivered to my door and I still get excited! The recipes are creative and delicious with organic produce and clean ingredients. I do the Paleo plan but there are many to choose from -- Vegetarian, Vegan, Lean & Clean, Quick & Easy, & Mediterranean, to name just a few. Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. I'm so delighted to have Fabletics as a sponsor! Their clothes fit so well -- no, I do not feel like I am stuffing myself into a sausage casing. And the styles are seriously SO. CUTE. Plus, you literally cannot be their price point anywhere. As a special offer to Yogaland listeners, get TWO PAIRS OF LEGGINGS FOR $24. Yep, you read that correctly. Go to fabletics.com/yogaland and enter promo code YOGALAND at checkout.3. Follain is a clean beauty retailer that believes that no one should have to compromise their health for beauty. They are uncompromising — some might say relentless — in the quest to find the best products. I have their Clean Essentials Kit and I love it -- I've been using it while we travel and my very sensitive skin is happy and hydrated. You can try the Clean Essentials Kit today for $22 (that’s over 50% off!). Go to follain.com/yogaland to get four everyday, non-toxic skin essentials!4. Instead of buying things new, Poshmark allows you to shop from millions of closets across America. When you download the Poshmark app, you'll find clothes for women, men, and children. I found kids brands like Circo & Gap, and my own favorite brands like Anthropologie & Mother. Yogaland listeners get $5 off your first purchase! Just enter the invite code: YOGALAND when you sign up.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people consider arm balances and inversions challenging poses, but we think they're worth the effort.This week, I talk to Jason about his approach to teaching these popular poses, and how he breaks them down to make them more accessible for every student. We also share our newest mini-course (it's free!), which goes deep into one of the most foundational arm balances, Bakasana (also known as Crane Pose or Crow Pose).We talk about:* Why practice arm balances and inversions in the first place?* Crane Pose vs. Crow Pose - What's the difference?* The two most important poses to practice if you want to learn Bakasana* The role and movement of the shoulder blades in straight-arm Bakasana and a pose to practice to begin to get the action down* Why Jason thinks core strength might not be THE most important thing to focus on when learning arm balances (even though he concedes that it is important)* BONUS: Learn about Andrea's new therapeutic pumpkin carving practice.* EXTRA SPECIAL BONUS: Take Jason's FREE Bakasana Mini-Course on Yogaglo!Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode1261. It's been about a year since Sunbasket has been a sponsor of Yogaland. Each week, I get a Sunbasket box delivered to my door and I still get excited! The recipes are creative and delicious with organic produce and clean ingredients. I do the Paleo plan but there are many to choose from -- Vegetarian, Vegan, Lean & Clean, Quick & Easy, and Mediterranean, to name just a few. Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. I'm so delighted to have Fabletics as a sponsor! Their clothes fit so well -- no, I do not feel like I am stuffing myself into a sausage casing. And the styles are seriously SO. CUTE. Plus, you literally cannot be their price point anywhere. As a special offer to Yogaland listeners, get TWO PAIRS OF LEGGINGS FOR $24. Yep, you read that correctly. Go to fabletics.com/yogaland and enter promo code YOGALAND at checkout.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was such a pleasure to talk to yoga teacher and astrologer Susannah Freedman for this very special episode. Susannah has been teaching yoga and doing astrology readings since 2010 and has a Masters in Philosophy and Religion, but both her yoga and astrology journeys started during her self-described "hippie childhood." In this interview, Susannah explains how she sees someone's chart as their "karmic blueprint." Unlike some who approach astrology from a prescriptive point of view, Susannah see the chart as a way to help validate or reveal our innate strengths and weakness (or samskaras) so that we can then work through them in this lifetime. The connection she makes between astrology and yoga really made sense to me! And it was so much fun to talk about. Susannah also describes how she combines yoga and astrology in her AstroFlow workshops, she offers her thoughts on seeing the state of the world via the current transits, and she debunks common myths about astrology. Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode125SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. It's been about a year since Sunbasket has been a sponsor of Yogaland. Each week, I get a Sunbasket box delivered to my door and I still get excited! The recipes are creative and delicious with organic produce and clean ingredients. I do the Paleo plan but there are many to choose from -- Vegetarian, Vegan, Lean & Clean, Quick & Easy, & Mediterranean, to name just a few. Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. I'm so delighted to have Fabletics as a sponsor! Their clothes fit so well -- no, I do not feel like I am stuffing myself into a sausage casing. And the styles are seriously SO. CUTE. Plus, you literally cannot be their price point anywhere. As a special offer to Yogaland listeners, get TWO PAIRS OF LEGGINGS FOR $24. Yep, you read that correctly. Go to fabletics.com/yogaland and enter promo code YOGALAND at checkout.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's guest is Melanie Klein, a professor of Sociology and Women's Studies, co-founder of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition, and author of the new book, Yoga Rising: 30 Empowering Stories from Yoga Renegades for Every Body. Her work has made her a respected leader in the conversation around yoga and body image. In this interview, we talk about how she came to be such an advocate for the positive body image movement. Plus, since I am a former editor for Yoga Journal, we have a candid conversation about how media has contributed to this dialogue--for better and worse. Here are some highlights: * Melanie tells her "body story" and how yoga helped her move from an unhealthy preoccupation with her body to body acceptance * I learn the phrase "the body project" -- the idea that we spend so many resources working on our bodies in hopes that one day we'll be "perfect" -- and I feel like a giant lightbulb has been turned on. What would the world be like if women redirected all of that time, energy, money, and brain power toward other projects? * The ways that being a yoga practitioner has perpetuated "the body project" for both of us * The calling that Melanie felt to start YBIC * How yoga teacher, Bryan Kest, helped Melanie shape her views on body image Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode124 SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order. 2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe. 3. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm so excited to share this interview with Dr. Will Cole! Dr. Cole is a functional medicine doc whose new book, Ketotarian, offers a mostly plant-based approach to the ketogenic diet that's much healthier than the traditional bacon and bunless burgers regimen.I've been on the ketogenic diet for a few years and I value Dr. Cole's approach -- it's compassionate, research-driven,and balanced. Plus, it was a real treat for me to bounce all of my keto questions off of someone! I got to ask Dr. Cole -- Is the ketogenic diet really suitable for everyone? What's the science and history behind it? What's his advice for balancing the strict aspects of keto without going overboard into orthorexia? If you're in overall good health, how can keto be beneficial to you? We also talk about soy, lechtins, fancy cows, and the importance of self-compassion when approaching any eating plan.Shownotes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode123SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.3. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are so many interpretations of the seminal yoga text, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. This week, I talk to two women who've written one that is refreshingly different. Kelly DiNardo and Amy Pearce-Hayden join me to talk about their book new book, Living the Sutras: A Guide to Yoga Wisdom Beyond the Mat. Their book is not a formal, scholarly translation of the Yoga Sutra. Instead, DiNardo and Pearce-Hayden have created a guide that can help you take the sutras, reflect on them, and then apply them to your life. Their approach is lively, relevant, modern and also informed by years of practice and study.Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode122SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.3. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I got a great question from a listener recently in response to episode 119, so I decided to start this episode with Jason's response. The listener, Neil, asks, "If we're creating a practice that's sustainable, does it really makes sense to repeat the same sequence over and over again?" And what's the best way to handle pressure from studio and gym owners to "freshen things up?"We also answer a couple of other questions that come in often, in many different forms, essentially:* What's the best way to cope with pre-class nerves?* How do I feel more confident about self-promotion?Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode121SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.3. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's guest, Nikki Myers, a yoga therapist and the founder of Y12SR (Yoga of 12-Step Recovery), shares how yoga has helped with her personal struggles with addiction and helped thousands of people through Y12SR.Even if you've never been touched personally by addiction, her insights and advice apply to anyone who's had to overcome a challenge in life. We talk about:* Nikki's personal road to recovery, what she learned along the way, and how yoga helped her heal* Why an important part of practicing yoga is embracing ALL sides of yourself, and why it's important not to deny or hide the things you're less proud of* How the 12-step program is similar to yoga and why yoga is such a great complement to the 12 steps* Nikki and Andrea share their thoughts on the opioid crisis and how, as bad as things are, the good that has come from it. It's forcing government officials and the healthcare establishment to take a look at the emotional side behind the disease of addiction* What co-dependency really is and how it relates to addiction Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason is back this week to answer a few questions that came up about our Summer Series. The questions came from students in Jason's advanced yoga teacher training class, but they are applicable to any serious practitioners. We address:* His sequencing philosophy + the one biggest mistake he thinks yoga teachers make when they're planning their yoga class sequences.* How to help students find a slow, steady breath during vinyasa classes -- including how to breathe for backbends like Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose), Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), and dropping back into Urdhva Dhanurasana.* Why consistency is such an important element for teaching and practicing yoga.* Jason's thoughts on finding an appropriate pace for vinyasa yoga classes.Shownotes: http://www,jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode119SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.3. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

J. Brown is a yoga teacher, former yoga center owner, blogger, and the host of the popular podcast J. Brown Yoga Talks. On this episode, I ask J. about his yoga origin story as well as the current iteration of his yoga life -- both online and off. J. also shares how the powerful words he said to his mother toward the end of her life have had a lasting impact on who he is today and helped lead him to yoga. J.'s mother died before he graduated from high school, and what he once saw as a wound he now sees as an event that has filled him with purpose and, ultimately, gratitude. PS: J. had me on his show a few months ago, the link is on the shownotes page if you want to check it out.Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode118SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When I have Jason on the show, we talk a lot about postures and technique, so I thought it would be interesting to talk yoga philosophy on the podcast this week. I asked Jason to share his favorite yoga books (that are not focused on the physical practice). These are just a few of his favorites, spanning yoga philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, and neuroscience.You can find links to all of the books mentioned in the episode on the show notes page: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode117SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service — they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.3. Truth: I am not a perfume gal. They’re usually too cloying for me and I don’t trust that the ingredients are safe. But I’m in love with the scents created by Skylar Body. They’re vegan and never tested on animals. And they’re free of parabens, phthalates, and other potentially harmful chemicals and they smell so amazing. To see which scent you like best, you can try the Skylar sample palette with free shipping plus earn a $20 credit towards your next full-sized perfume purchase, visit Skylar.com/yogaland.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Claire Missingham is back on the podcast this week, and we're talking about how she's been using yoga and other natural healing modalities to manage a recent diagnosis of an autoimmune disease.She tells us:*How the grief of losing a yoga teacher in her community to suicide led her to start running, learn to swim (as an adult), and compete in marathons and triathalons*How she became diagnosed with Lupus, and how she manages it through food, adaptogenic herbs, and other natural methods of healing*Why she takes a freezing cold shower every morning before her yoga practice and wears a bikini in the snow!*What herbs she found to be most helpful in her healing, travel, and daily life and why she says they're worth every penny (Plus, she offers a fewtips for stretching your dollar when buying and using herbs)*How her diagnosis has impacted her asana practice and her thoughts on how yoga is always changing to meet her where she isShow notes (and Claire's smoothie recipe) at: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode116SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.3. Truth: I am not a perfume gal. They're usually too cloying for me and I don't trust that the ingredients are safe. But I'm in love with the scents created by Skylar Body. They're vegan and never tested on animals. And they're free of parabens, phthalates, and other potentially harmful chemicals and they smell so amazing. To see which scent you like best, you can try the Skylar sample palette with free shipping plus earn a $20 credit towards your next full-sized perfume purchase, visit Skylar.com/yogaland.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, I'm joined by yoga teacher and holistic health coach Rosie Acosta. Rosie shares her personal story of growing up in East L.A. in the 90s where chaos and violence surrounded her daily. By the time she was a teen, she'd been arrested, she was physically unhealthy, and she didn't see much of a future for herself. And yet, here she is now, living a bright, fulfilled life. Her story is inspiring and speaks to the power of the human spirit and the power of a dedicated yoga practice. ✨ "The minute I walked into that [yoga] room, I felt like I was home." ✨Rosie shares:- How one of the biggest mistakes of her life as a teen was actually a catalyst for positive change- The internal conflict of wanting to create a better life for herself while knowing that he family feared losing her if she "got out"- How growing up with instability created a deep internal craving for stability- How she juggled several jobs and explored different paths before finding the right fit with yoga- Her advice for finding the right yoga teacher for youThis interview is a must-listen for anyone who has ever felt the odds are against them. I just love Rosie, and I know you will, too!Shownotes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode115SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.3. Truth: I am not a perfume gal. They're usually too cloying for me and I don't trust that the ingredients are safe. But I'm in love with the scents created by Skylar Body. They're vegan and never tested on animals. And they're free of parabens, phthalates, and other potentially harmful chemicals and they smell so amazing. To see which scent you like best, you can try the Skylar sample palette with free shipping plus earn a $20 credit towards your next full-sized perfume purchase, visit Skylar.com/yogaland.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've been thinking a lot about ego lately. I've been talking to Jason's teacher trainees about social media strategy and putting yourself out there. And yet, I personally feel like social media brings out the most immature aspects of my ego. I thought it would be a good refresher for all of us to think about what yoga teaches us about the ego.This week, Sally Kempton and I talk about the purpose of the ego, misunderstandings around it (no, you don't ever annihilate your ego -- if you did, you probably wouldn't shower or pay your bills on time), and how to approach it from a yogic perspective. We get into how our ego is potentially affected by social media, and Sally offers helpful, practical self-inquiry techniques to help you relax your ego when it's triggered.Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode114SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.3. Truth: I am not a perfume gal. They're usually too cloying for me and I don't trust that the ingredients are safe. But I'm in love with the scents created by Skylar Body. They're vegan and never tested on animals. And they're free of parabens, phthalates, and other potentially harmful chemicals and they smell so amazing. To see which scent you like best, you can try the Skylar sample palette with free shipping plus earn a $20 credit towards your next full-sized perfume purchase, visit Skylar.com/yogaland.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A lot of people come to yoga to help them balance some of the activities they do on a daily basis. After all, yoga is a great antidote to sitting in a chair, looking at a computer or iPhone screen, and other things sedentary people do.But you might not realize that if you're an avid yogi who practices daily, it can be helpful to add other types of movement into your routine to counterbalance the effects of the yoga asanas.That's what today's guest, longtime vinyasa yoga teacher and CrossFit trainer Debbie Steingesser, came to realize after she suffered a hip injury that required physical therapy and strength training to heal.This week, I talk to Debbie about how strength training has changed her practice--and her life!We talk about:*How a hip injury led Debbie to physical therapy and eventually CrossFit and how that experience changed her view on what yoga could do for her*What is CrossFit is and how can it be a complementary practice for yoga students*How the benefits of cross training go beyond the physicalShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode113SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.3. Truth: I am not a perfume gal. They're usually too cloying for me and I don't trust that the ingredients are safe. But I'm in love with the scents created by Skylar Body. They're vegan and never tested on animals. And they're free of parabens, phthalates, and other potentially harmful chemicals and they smell so amazing. To see which scent you like best, you can try the Skylar sample palette with free shipping plus earn a $20 credit towards your next full-sized perfume purchase, visit Skylar.com/yogaland. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast, we talk to our favorite Ayurvedic expert, Niika Quistgard, all about how to use principles from Ayurveda to bring our bodies back into balance in the heat of summer.She shares:* How to adapt your lifestyle during pitta season--we get into how to approach your yoga practice, meditation, breathing techniques, and which foods to eat (and avoid) during Pitta season* A few specific poses and practices that are calming for Pitta* The one thing that's even more important than you dominant Ayurvedic constitution. (It's all about balance, baby!)* What Niika means when she talks about taking "self-leadership" on your yoga mat and in your life*BONUS: Enjoy the soothing sounds of nature throughout this interview as Niika is talking to us outdoors among some particularly melodious birds.Show notes: http://jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode112Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've gotten several questions from listeners about how to find the right balance between working hard and surrendering during yoga postures. How to find that elusive balance of two seemingly conflicting ideals, whether on our yoga mats or in our lives, leaves many of us scratching our heads.Like so many things in yoga, the answer is complicated. But in this episode, Jason and I share some of our insights and do our best to tackle the question.Here's what we cover:* What Patanjali wrote about the idea of effort and ease in The Yoga Sutra and how Jason interprets it* What Joel Kramer meant by "playing the edge" in yoga postures and how Jason and I approach the concept* Practical advice for when to work hard and when to back off* How to tell whether physical limitations are in the structure of the joint or the soft tissueShow notes: http://jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode111 SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.3. Truth: I am not a perfume gal. They're usually too cloying for me and I don't trust that the ingredients are safe. But I'm in love with the scents created by Skylar Body. They're vegan and never tested on animals. And they're free of parabens, phthalates, and other potentially harmful chemicals and they smell so amazing. To see which scent you like best, you can try the Skylar sample palette with free shipping plus earn a $20 credit towards your next full-sized perfume purchase, visit Skylar.com/yogaland. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, Jason and I are live from Detroit Yoga Lab answering student questions about some of the most common yoga injuries, how to prevent and avoid them. Bonus banter: Find out why Jason has a black eye - unsurprisingly, it's not from yoga or a bar fight. And learn what Jason's three favorite bands are.(Our regular listeners will not be surprised to hear that Salabhasana (Locust Pose) come up a time or two.)Here's what we discuss:* Alternative poses for Warrior I and II for practitioners with SI joint pain* Best poses and modifications for hamstring overstretch issues* Which movements during an asana practice could cause excess shoulder and neck tension and which counter poses or practices can students do to find relief* Have we demonized Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)? Plus, how to transition from Plank to the floor in a way that's less likely to cause injuryShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode110 SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. Care/Of is a new online vitamin company that is devoted to personalization and authenticity in its sourcing. Set your health goals, take their quiz, and they’ll give you vitamin, mineral, and adaptogen recommendations. They also include sourcing information and studies to give you background on your choices. I’ve had fun trying them out! Visit takecareof.com and use offer code YOGALAND at checkout for 25% off your first month of vitamins. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I put together this episode after the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. The loss of both of these talented, successfully, beloved people in one week was tragic. A few days after it happened, I read two great stories that talked about how important it is to tell our stories about getting through depression. When the news media focuses on a suicide and how it happens, it can lead to contagion. But when people tell their personal stories of getting through depression or suicidal thoughts or attempts, it helps people in the midst of a crisis see that they can survive.In that spirit, I offer up the things I've learned from surviving depression, as well as how I got through it. I hope it helps you or someone you love. I'm posting links to the two articles mentioned on the shownotes page, which you can find here: yogalandpodcast.com/bonusepisodeSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you remember the first time you did your favorite pose? Was it true love the first time you took the shape? Or did it take a few tries (or maybe even years!?) to appreciate it?A few weeks ago, I shared on Instagram that when I first started practicing Side Angle Pose, I thought it was a total snooze and now it's one of my favorite poses. I asked if anyone else has had this experience with a pose and got a resounding yes. For me, the process of appreciating Side Angle Pose represents the way the practice fuels growth and contentment: I used to need a big pose to capture my attention, but now the simpler shapes can bring me to a place of focused attention, awareness, and absorption.It also shows the beauty of a long-term, sustainable practice -- you change over time and your practice can change, too. This week, Jason and I unpack all of this -- the poses we once overlooked, as well as the poses we used to long for that don't hold much weight anymore. And I share some of the (awesome) comments you all left on the 'gram. And bonus: Jason also talks about his approach to drishti (or gaze).We'd love to hear from you and the poses you've grown to love -- post them on Instagram and use the hashtag #yogalandstories so we can find you!Check out the shownotes page for links to pose breakdowns for some of the poses mentioned in the episode: yogalandpodcast.com/episode109 SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.3. Care/Of is a new online vitamin company that is devoted to personalization and authenticity in its sourcing. Set your health goals, take their quiz, and they’ll give you vitamin, mineral, and adaptogen recommendations. They also include sourcing information and studies to give you background on your choices. I’ve had fun trying them out! Visit takecareof.com and use offer code YOGALAND at checkout for 25% off your first month of vitamins.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're like a lot of yoga students, you probably feel a bit conflicted when it comes to social media: You want to spend more time in the present moment, but you also love how social media makes you feel connected with the people you love and what's going on in the world. It can be so hard to find a balance that allows you to enjoy the best social media has to offer without feeling like a slave to technology.In this episode of Yogaland, Jason and I share some practical tips on using social media both as consumers and as yoga teachers (who need to use it as a marketing tool and as a way to connect to their students).We talk about:* How to stop comparing yourself to the edited highlight reel you see of others' lives on social media* Creating healthy boundaries around how and when you use social media* What yoga teachers can do to stay authentic on social media and use it to nurture the relationships they have with their studentsPodcast notes: http://jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode108SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.3. Care/Of is a new online vitamin company that is devoted to personalization and authenticity in its sourcing. Set your health goals, take their quiz, and they’ll give you vitamin, mineral, and adaptogen recommendations. They also include sourcing information and studies to give you background on your choices. I’ve had fun trying them out! Visit takecareof.com and use offer code YOGALAND at checkout for 25% off your first month of vitamins.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this year's summer series, Jason and I are focusing on "Building a Sustainable Yoga Practice." Over the past year we've talked about injuries, fear of injuries, predatory teachers and we thought -- LET'S FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE FOR PETE'S SAKE. Let's empower ourselves to create a yoga practice that serves our needs. For the first episode, Jason and I talk about which poses are taught as beginner or "easy" poses and are actually torturous for us to execute. And the inverse of that -- which poses are thought to be advanced, but have always been pretty accessible to us because of body type. My hope is that this talk will help unravel that sense of competition (either with others or just with ourselves) that we all feel from time to time on the yoga mat. The truth is that certain poses that are easier and more difficult simply because of the body you're born with.That means that those awe-inspiring poses you see on Instagram may not be a reflection of skills and years of study, but rather just something that that person is able to do naturally. Of course, that means the flip side is true too: You're not a bad yogi if you can't balance in Tree Pose to save your life.If you've ever struggled with any pose (or with feeling bad about yourself because of that struggle), you don't want to miss this one!Poses we discuss:* Vrksasana (Tree Pose)* Garudasana (Eagle Pose)* Hanumanasana (Monkey Pose)* Seated Forward Bends* Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance)* Bakasana (Crane Pose)SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.3. Care/Of is a new online vitamin company that is devoted to personalization and authenticity in its sourcing. Set your health goals, take their quiz, and they’ll give you vitamin, mineral, and adaptogen recommendations. They also include sourcing information and studies to give you background on your choices. I’ve had fun trying them out! Visit takecareof.com and use offer code YOGALAND at checkout for 25% off your first month of vitamins.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yoga offers us so much more than creating a healthy body and mind--it also helps us to get to know ourselves on a deep, intimate level. That deep knowing can help us make better decisions about every aspect of our lives, which is especially true during the childbirth process, says this week's guest Rachel Yellin.Rachel is a prenatal yoga teacher, childbirth educator, hypnotherapist, and a dear friend of mine. All of her work is centered around the idea of using mindfulness to help people tap into their own wisdom. It's transformational. And it's all yoga.This episode isn't just for pregnant moms (or even parents). It's for anyone who wants to learn to tune out external criticisms, judgments, and expectations so you can be guided by your own authentic, inner voice.Here's are some things we cover:* Finding the balance between the tradition of yoga, where students are guided through every pose by a teacher, and learning to allow your your own body and intuition lead the way* How Rachel's different businesses are based on yoga and being present, knowing yourself + the creative way she grew her yoga business without depleting herself through marketing efforts, constant travel, etc.* Ideas for parenting with more presence. Hint: it's not about reading parenting books, but reading your individual child and responding to her needs* Advice for yoga teachers who feel pressured to build a following on social mediaShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode106SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.3. HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients. They have three plans to choose from -- Classic, Veggie, and Family and every week there’s a 20 minute meal on the classic menu if you really don’t have even 30 minutes! Which let’s face it, happens! For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter YOGALAND30 at checkout.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, I speak to Julia Lowrie Henderson, the producer behind ESPN's new 30 for 30 podcast series "Bikram."Bikram Choudhury arrived in the U.S. from Calcutta, India and opened a yoga studio in Beverly Hills in 1973. His intense system of yoga caught on quickly and Bikram became known as the "guru to the stars," with devotees ranging from Shirley MacLaine to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Raquel Welch. Within two decades, Bikram built a "yoga empire" that included national television appearances, a massive following of devoted students, and a multi-million dollar brand. But Bikram's rise to power came at a cost to many of his students and employees. By 2015, six women had filed civil lawsuits against him, with allegations ranging from sexual harassment to assault to rape.For the podcast series, Lowrie Henderson spent more than a year of her life traveling to India, interviewing students from the Bikram community, and speaking Bikram himself so that we can hear the truth of his story.In this interview, Lowrie Henderson offers insight into Bikram's early rise to fame, his teacher training methodology, and how the 26/2 system is faring without Bikram in the U.S.Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode104/SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.3. HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients. They have three plans to choose from -- Classic, Veggie, and Family and every week there’s a 20 minute meal on the classic menu if you really don’t have even 30 minutes! Which let’s face it, happens! For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter YOGALAND30 at checkout.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ai Kubo received a PhD in cancer epidemiology from Columbia University, and has nearly 40 scientific publications in peer-reviewed medical journals. Years ago, Kubo was told flat out, by one of the most renowned mindfulness researchers, not to try to create (and fund) mindfulness studies. At that time, studying mindfulness and yoga was too fringe, she was told. She heeded this advice and spent a decade studying the effect of nutrition on cancer. But, as a yoga teacher, she felt that something was missing, so she decided to change the focus of her research. These days, Kubo is hard at work creating studies that examine the effect of mindfulness for cancer patients and their families in reducing stress and depression. We had a lively conversation about her current studies, her approach to eating and living in a way that minimizes cancer risk, and the details on her 3-week Mindfulness Cleanse, which focuses on helping the body rest and reset.Shownotes for this episode: www.yogalandpodcast.com/episode105SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.3. HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients. They have three plans to choose from -- Classic, Veggie, and Family and every week there’s a 20 minute meal on the classic menu if you really don’t have even 30 minutes! Which let’s face it, happens! For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter YOGALAND30 at checkout.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why don't you have a seat and stay awhile? If you think meditating is boring, hard, pointless, or too time consuming, this episode is for you!This week, Jason and I discuss everything meditation. We unpack why it's important for yoga students to meditate. Plus, we'll give some practical tips for to start if you're new to the practice (or start again if not very consistent). We promise, you'll be glad you did!PS: Jason just launched a program on yogaglo called, "I Don't Meditate." It's six classes and we think it will convert even the biggest meditation skeptics. You can find it here: http://bit.ly/meditate_with_jasonHighlights from this episode:* The difference between a person's identity and their habits + how to unravel those to make meditating seem more possible* Some of the common fears (and excuses!) that keep people from meditating* Why meditation is an important part of a well-rounded yoga practice and if there's anyone who shouldn't meditate* Jason's approach to teaching seated meditation and how it's similar to how he teaches asanas* Plus, we talk about our personal meditation practice, who we've studied with, and how it's helped usShownotes for this episode: www.yogalandpodcast.com/episode103SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.3. HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients. They have three plans to choose from -- Classic, Veggie, and Family and every week there’s a 20 minute meal on the classic menu if you really don’t have even 30 minutes! Which let’s face it, happens! For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter YOGALAND30 at checkout.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a special place in my heart for Tias Little. I studied with him many years ago and the vivid imagery and metaphor he used had a profound impact on the way I think about the body. He's also got this dry, dry, dry humor that I love. In the years since I studied with Tias, he has started doing dharma talks and one of them inspired this episode.You see, I think most of us are perfectionists. And, as much as I love to put in a hard day's work full of drive and goal-crushing, perfectionism doesn't lead to happiness. It's an illusion of control that (mostly) takes us out of the present moment and into a myth of life being neat, tidy, and complete. It can also bleed into our relationships with those we care about most -- friends, partners, children -- creating conflict and suffering that's unnecessary.In this episode, I ask Tias how we can use yoga and Buddhist psychology to become aware of our perfectionist tendencies and reframe them. Over the past few weeks since our conversation, Tias' words have stayed with me and helped me find more freedom and ease. I hope it does the same for you.SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.2. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.3. HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients. They have three plans to choose from -- Classic, Veggie, and Family and every week there’s a 20 minute meal on the classic menu if you really don’t have even 30 minutes! Which let’s face it, happens! For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter YOGALAND30 at checkout. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When your body hurts, it can feel like your soul hurts. And when you sustain an injury from yoga, it can be even more rattling. When an injury threatened Laura Burkhart's yoga practice—and her livelihood—she was forced to dig deep, be creative, and step into a new role as a yoga teacher, too. In this episode, she explains how she survived with humility and humor. (PS: Don't forget to read Laura's most recent Yoga Journal blog post!)We talk about:* Laura's experience sustaining a hip injury during her yoga practice, how it was diagnosed (when she didn't have health insurance), and the path she took to begin to heal* How she coped with the fear, shame, and frustration that came up* The process she used that allowed her to shift from a negative mindset to one that help her completely reprioritize her life and work* The biggest insight she learned from the ordeal: Don't get your identity from your physical abilities or your career, but in something deeper and more meaningful* How she approaches her practice and her teaching these days* The advice she has for yoga teachers or practitioners who hope to work smarter, not harderSHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. Careof is a monthly vitamin subscription service that's tailored to your exact needs. Their recommendations are based on clinical research with input from doctors and nutritionists. Vegan and veg supplement options are available! For 25% off your first month of personalized vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter YOGALAND.2. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.3. Molekule is a new air purification experience -- unobtrusive, portable, and 100% effective. Molekule’s PECO technology goes beyond HEPA filtration to not just capture, but completely destroy the full spectrum of indoor air pollutants, including those 1000x smaller than a HEPA filter can trap. For $75 off your first order, visit MOLEKULE.com and enter code YOGALAND at checkout.4. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When I first started taking yoga classes from Jason many years ago, I was struck by his voice. He has a voice that draws you in. It's soothing and encouraging. He speaks in a measured, comfortable pace. And he's a clear, succinct communicator. In essence, he's a natural when it comes to verbal communication.This week, I ask Jason to share how he's developed this skill set. And, although this episode is specifically geared toward yoga teachers, the ideas we here apply to everyone. We all have times when clear verbal communication is vital -- in client meetings, with our loved ones, during presentations -- and some of us struggle with it more than others. My hope is that you'll gain confidence and clarity from this episode.We talk about:* Why verbal communication might be the most important skill for yoga teachers* Using each class you teach as a practice for personal growth in the area of verbal communication* The struggles we (Jason and Andrea) have when it comes to speaking in front of a group* How choosing one or two takeaways for your students can dramatically improve your teachingShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcasts/episode100SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. Careof is a monthly vitamin subscription service that's tailored to your exact needs. Their recommendations are based on clinical research with input from doctors and nutritionists. Vegan and veg supplement options are available! For 25% off your first month of personalized vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter YOGALAND.2. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.3. Molekule is a new air purification experience -- unobtrusive, portable, and 100% effective. Molekule’s PECO technology goes beyond HEPA filtration to not just capture, but completely destroy the full spectrum of indoor air pollutants, including those 1000x smaller than a HEPA filter can trap. For $75 off your first order, visit MOLEKULE.com and enter code YOGALAND at checkout.4. RxBar are protein bars made from 100% whole foods. That means RxBars do not contain artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fillers. They also do not contain added sugar. They’re also delicious! For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/yogaland and enter the promo code YOGALAND at checkout.5. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason's back on the podcast answering some of our listeners most common questions. This week, we tackle questions related to Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance).We dive into:* Headless Headstand - An alternative pose that recommends for students who are new to Forearm Balance* Three things the shoulders need to be in order to practice Forearm Balance* A conversation about Jason's biggest pet peeve that he sees students do when they're setting up for Pincha Mayurasana and Headstand (and why Andrea has decided to politely agree to disagree)* How to avoid having an excessive curvature in the low back (a phenomenon often called "banana back") in Pincha Mayurasana* Four helpful variations on Pincha MayurasanaShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode99SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORSCareof is a monthly vitamin subscription service that's tailored to your exact needs. Their recommendations are based on clinical research with input from doctors and nutritionists. Vegan and veg supplement options are available! For 25% off your first month of personalized vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter YOGALAND.I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.Molekule is a new air purification experience -- unobtrusive, portable, and 100% effective. Molekule’s PECO technology goes beyond HEPA filtration to not just capture, but completely destroy the full spectrum of indoor air pollutants, including those 1000x smaller than a HEPA filter can trap. For $75 off your first order, visit MOLEKULE.com and enter code YOGALAND at checkout.RxBar are protein bars made from 100% whole foods. That means RxBars do not contain artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fillers. They also do not contain added sugar. They’re also delicious! For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/yogaland and enter the promo code YOGALAND at checkout.To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, neurophysiologist Dr. Robyn Capobianco returns and we cover a ton of interesting ground. I walked away from the conversation asking myself, ‘Are there absolutely, definitively good movements and bad movements within the framework of yoga poses? And do we know what they are?’Here are the other points we discuss:* The difference between the "anatomy," "biomechanics," and "neuromechanics" and how they apply to yoga* What Robyn's research has shown her about squeezing the glutes in backbends + the surprising thing that happens when you stop squeezing* How to be a more discerning connoisseur of all the research, articles, and blog posts that are out there and why it matters* Why Robyn believes that the constraints around the practice can sometimes do more harm than good* Is it safe to roll up from Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) to standing?*BONUS: Robyn's favorite mascara brand, which she promises will change your life.Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode98/SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. Molekule is a new air purification experience -- unobtrusive, portable, and 100% effective. Molekule’s PECO technology goes beyond HEPA filtration to not just capture, but completely destroy the full spectrum of indoor air pollutants, including those 1000x smaller than a HEPA filter can trap. For $75 off your first order, visit MOLEKULE.com and enter code YOGALAND at checkout.2. RxBar are protein bars made from 100% whole foods. That means RxBars do not contain artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fillers. They also do not contain added sugar. They’re also delicious! For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/yogaland and enter the promo code YOGALAND at checkout.3. Freshly is the easiest and most convenient way to eat healthy no matter what life throws your way. Freshly’s chef create delicious gluten-free meals delivered fresh to your door. Every single meal comes with a detailed overview of each ingredient in the meal. Get $25 off your first order of 6 fresh-cooked dinners by going to freshly.com/yogaland4. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We decided to give male listeners some TLC this week by answering their questions. While we focus on yoga for men in this episode, it has tons of insights for women who want to relate to the men in their classes and for teachers who want to help their male students.Besides, we've all struggled with feeling like the only person in class who can't do something, right?We talk about:* What it's like to be a male in a majority female yoga class + some good news for men who feel uncomfortable - there are more and more men finding their way into yoga studios* How to handle the awkwardness and frustration associated with being the tightest person in a yoga class (which is something that is not just relevant to men, by the way!)* Modifications for tight shoulders in poses where you interlace the fingers behind the back* How to apply lessons from strength training to yoga practice* Tips for yoga teachers who want to help people who are really struggling with posesSHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. RxBar are protein bars made from 100% whole foods. That means RxBars do not contain artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fillers. They also do not contain added sugar. They’re also delicious! For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/yogaland and enter the promo code YOGALAND at checkout.2. Freshly is the easiest and most convenient way to eat healthy no matter what life throws your way. Freshly’s chef create delicious gluten-free meals delivered fresh to your door. Every single meal comes with a detailed overview of each ingredient in the meal. Get $25 off your first order of 6 fresh-cooked dinners by going to freshly.com/yogaland3.To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.4. Molekule is a new air purification experience -- unobtrusive, portable, and 100% effective. Molekule’s PECO technology goes beyond HEPA filtration to not just capture, but completely destroy the full spectrum of indoor air pollutants, including those 1000x smaller than a HEPA filter can trap. For $75 off your first order, visit MOLEKULE.com and enter code YOGALAND at checkout.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is in response to the overwhelming number of questions we've gotten about Handstand. We explore the logistical side -- what are the best prep poses for Handstand? And the emotional side, i.e., how do I cope with my fear of Handstand? You'll also learn:* The vital triad of forearm, finger, and shoulder strength for Handstand* Helpful prep poses yoga poses to help you build the strength for the pose* The importance of understanding scapular motion when learning Handstand * The muscles and actions that people neglect when they're trying to learn Handstand* How to manage and cope with your fear of Handstand* Alternative poses that offer the same benefits as HandstandShownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode96/SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. Mahabis sell incredibly comfortable, Scandinavian-inspired slippers with unique detachable soles. The detachable soles clip on and off easily, so you can even wear your slippers outdoors, or to and from your yoga class! Head to mahabis.com to buy your pair today. Use code YOGALAND for 10% off and free shipping worldwide.2. Summer’s on the horizon. Pack your bags and hit the road in ModCloth’s newest collection! ModCloth’s signature line comes in a range of sizes from XXS – 4X. And you can get free sizing and styling help from their mod stylists. For 15% off your purchase of $100 or more, go to modcloth.com and enter code YOGALAND at checkout. This offer expires April 21st, 2018.3. RxBar are protein bars made from 100% whole foods. That means RxBars do not contain artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fillers. They also do not contain added sugar. They’re also delicious! For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/yogaland and enter the promo code YOGALAND at checkout.4. Freshly is the easiest and most convenient way to eat healthy no matter what life throws your way. Freshly’s chef create delicious gluten-free meals delivered fresh to your door. Every single meal comes with a detailed overview of each ingredient in the meal. Get $25 off your first order of 6 fresh-cooked dinners by going to freshly.com/yogaland 5.To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Coral Brown offers her take on the psychodynamics of the teacher-student relationship in yoga. Coral is both a respected Prana Vinyasa yoga teacher and licensed mental health counselor with great insight into this topic.There are obviously major differences in the therapist/patient relationship vs. the yoga teacher/student relationship. Yet, many of the same psychodynamics arise. Coral shares how transference, countertransference, unmet needs and behaviors all make their way into the yoga room, whether we're aware of them or not.She also shares:*Her thoughts on why the teacher/student model inherently sets up a power differential and what we can do about it*How therapists are trained and prepared to handle the dynamics that arise within the working relationship*How she brings principles from her therapy training to her yoga teacher trainees* Her process for using the chakra system as a roadmap for psychological self-discovery*The role of charisma in elevating a teacher's status*Coral's approach to manual adjustments and how they've changed through the years + how she's changed her teaching style to empower her students to trust their own intuition rather than look just to her for guidanceShownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode95/ SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. Mahabis sell incredibly comfortable, Scandinavian-inspired slippers with unique detachable soles. The detachable soles clip on and off easily, so you can even wear your slippers outdoors, or to and from your yoga class! Head to mahabis.com to buy your pair today. Use code YOGALAND for 10% off and free shipping worldwide.2. RxBar are protein bars made from 100% whole foods. That means RxBars do not contain artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fillers. They also do not contain added sugar. They’re also delicious! For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/yogaland and enter the promo code YOGALAND at checkout.3. Freshly is the easiest and most convenient way to eat healthy no matter what life throws your way. Freshly’s chef create delicious gluten-free meals delivered fresh to your door. Every single meal comes with a detailed overview of each ingredient in the meal. Get $25 off your first order of 6 fresh-cooked dinners by going to freshly.com/yogaland4. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is our first-ever live podcast recording! From Jason's training in San Francisco at Love Story Yoga, we dig deep into how yoga teachers can serve their students better through offering hands-on, or manual, adjustments.We talk about:* The value of hands-on adjustments in yoga postures for students, and which students might benefit most. * Why Jason feels there should be a paradigm shift in the way teachers deliver manual adjustments and what that shift should be.* Ways to approach adjusting super flexible students, tighter students, and those middle-of-the-road students + why it's important to give them all equal attention in class.* Practical advice teachers can implement right now to offer safer, more skillful adjustments that informs their experience of the posture.Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/podcast/episode94SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. Mahabis sell incredibly comfortable, Scandinavian-inspired slippers with unique detachable soles. The detachable soles clip on and off easily, so you can even wear your slippers outdoors, or to and from your yoga class! Head to mahabis.com to buy your pair today. Use code YOGALAND for 10% off and free shipping worldwide.2. RxBar are protein bars made from 100% whole foods. That means RxBars do not contain artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fillers. They also do not contain added sugar. They’re also delicious! For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/yogaland and enter the promo code YOGALAND at checkout.3. Freshly is the easiest and most convenient way to eat healthy no matter what life throws your way. Freshly’s chef create delicious gluten-free meals delivered fresh to your door. Every single meal comes with a detailed overview of each ingredient in the meal. Get $25 off your first order of 6 fresh-cooked dinners by going to freshly.com/yogaland4. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sexual misconduct in the yoga community isn't new. But the evolving #metoo and #timesup movements have brought to light the magnitude of the problem for women from all walks of life -- including within the yoga world. (Rachel Brathen collected more than 300 of them last year). It's opened an important dialogue about how to put an end to sexual misconduct and other abuses of power within the yoga community. There are a few thoughtful yoga teachers leading the way, and I talked with two of them in this week's episode: Judith Hanson Lasater and Mary Taylor. Judith and Mary, with AZIAM founder Alanna Zabel, shared their stories recently with <em>Yoga Journal. </em>Now, they're talking with me about what they feel should be the next steps for healing.We talk about:* The history of ethical standards for yoga teachers and how both Judith and Mary believe these standards should evolve in the future* How the vocation of yoga teacher has changed through the years as yoga has become more commercial* Why it's important for teachers to create an environment where students feel safe and empowered to say "no" * Judith's tip for how to listen to your body to discern if something is wrong* Practical steps yoga teachers can take to further the discussion, support students who have been victimized to share their stories, and create awareness aboutt sexual abuse in the yoga community* Mary's perspective on what's happening in the Ashtanga community on the heels of abuse allegations against founder Pattabhi Jois Show notes: http://jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode93/ SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. Mahabis sell incredibly comfortable, Scandinavian-inspired slippers with unique detachable soles. The detachable soles clip on and off easily, so you can even wear your slippers outdoors, or to and from your yoga class! Head to mahabis.com to buy your pair today. Use code YOGALAND for 10% off and free shipping worldwide.2. RxBar are protein bars made from 100% whole foods. That means RxBars do not contain artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fillers. They also do not contain added sugar. They’re also delicious! For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/yogaland and enter the promo code YOGALAND at checkout.3. Freshly is the easiest and most convenient way to eat healthy no matter what life throws your way. Freshly’s chef create delicious gluten-free meals delivered fresh to your door. Every single meal comes with a detailed overview of each ingredient in the meal. Get $25 off your first order of 6 fresh-cooked dinners by going to freshly.com/yogaland.4. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know that the fastest growing demographic of new yogis is the 55 and older set? Neither did I. I learned all sorts of fascinating facts, statistics, and new research from this week's guest, Baxter Bell.Together with his co-author, Nina Zolotow, Baxter has a new book, Yoga for Healthy Aging and that's the main focus of this episode. I can't think of two people better-positioned to write this book: Baxter spent years practicing medicine as a family doc before becoming a yoga therapist and practicing acupuncturist. Nina is the author of several books on yoga and is a certified yoga teacher, having studied extensively with esteemed teachers like Rodney Yee and Donald Moyer.I don't know about you, but Jason and I have tried -- unsuccessfully! -- to get our parents to do yoga. This book reminds me of how beneficial yoga practice is as we age. I think it's a vital and meaningful book for any thoughtful yoga teacher's toolkit.In this week's podcast we learn more about:* The story behind Baxter and Nina's new book Yoga for Healthy Aging: A Guide to Lifelong Wellness* Why "health span" might be a better goal than a longer life span.* How holding yoga poses can assist with bone strength.* His perspective on "resting" the heart in addition to exercising it.* How spending time barefoot can assist with balance and proprioception as we age.* The importance of flexibility, agility, strength, and balance as we age -- and how they overlap and influence each other.* The best thing we can do to improve cognitive function over time. (It's not crossword puzzles)Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode92/SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. Mahabis sell incredibly comfortable, Scandinavian-inspired slippers with unique detachable soles. The detachable soles clip on and off easily, so you can even wear your slippers outdoors, or to and from your yoga class! Head to mahabis.com to buy your pair today. Use code YOGALAND for 10% off and free shipping worldwide.2. RxBar are protein bars made from 100% whole foods. That means RxBars do not contain artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fillers. They also do not contain added sugar. They’re also delicious! For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/yogaland and enter the promo code YOGALAND at checkout.3. Freshly is the easiest and most convenient way to eat healthy no matter what life throws your way. Freshly’s chef create delicious gluten-free meals delivered fresh to your door. Every single meal comes with a detailed overview of each ingredient in the meal. Get $25 off your first order of 6 fresh-cooked dinners by going to freshly.com/yogalandSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.