The Mentor Sessions

Anytime I connect with a new-ish yoga teacher I end up giving a lot of the same advice, so I collected all of it in one place, right here in today's podcast episode! Whether you are a new teacher or an experienced one in a phase of rebuilding (haven't we all been rebuilding lately??) this episode has all my best pearls of wisdom, hard won over the last twenty years of full-time yoga teaching! In this episode, you'll hear: why you should start a business bank account the most important thing you can do as a new teacher the difference between teaching and creating content how important (or not) a website and branding is what kind of teaching gigs I recommend for new teachers how to get your first teaching jobs This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree!   Sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor to get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).  With OfferingTree, yoga teachers put their schedule on a personally branded website where students can book classes and even pay or donate online.  All of this can be set up in 10 minutes or less.  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up.

You all know that I am only minimally interested in business-- I'd much rather talk about the actual craft of teaching yoga. But we do need to make money, and if we have chosen yoga teaching as our job, we need to be SMART about business because it is not the easiest way to make a living! Having some smart foundational systems in place can make a huge difference in your yoga teaching career path, and today we have Lauren Schoenfeld (she/her) on the podcast to help us out! In this episode, you'll hear:  the foundational systems that all solopreneurs should have in place what yoga teachers should look at if they want to cut unnecessary expenses how to establish a cash flow plan for our businesses Lauren's suggestions for helping yoga teachers to increase revenue Lauren Schoenfeld is the founder of Active Core Consulting, offering fractional CFO, bookkeeping, sales, and operations coaching for health and wellness entrepreneurs. A self-proclaimed numbers nerd and athlete, Lauren empowers CEOs and business owners to confidently manage their finances and prioritize profit. She has grown her business while healing her body through nontraditional modalities and is on a mission to end hustle culture for entrepreneurs! Learn More From Lauren: Active Consulting Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn Follow Lauren on Instagram Learn more about Active Core Consulting, their free resources, programs, and learning opportunities This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree!   Sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor to get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).  With OfferingTree, yoga teachers put their schedule on a personally branded website where students can book classes and even pay or donate online.  All of this can be set up in 10 minutes or less.  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up.

More than ever our work as yoga teachers is challenging and important. We don't want to be like this lady, right? Trying to sell people something they don't need while their house burns down? People need yoga, but they need the kind of yoga that supports awareness, connection and care (which could mean lots of different things for different students and teachers!). People do not need the kind of yoga that encourages disconnection and shutting down.  Over the last two months we've been exploring how to address current events in your yoga classes, first wth a solo episode: Should You Talk About Current Events In Yoga Classes?? ... and then I looped my friend Hari-Kirtana into the conversation and he shared How To Give a Dharma Talk When The World Is On Fire.  And today we are diving into Part 2, What The Teachings Say About Current Events with Hari-kirtana Das (PART 2)! In this episode, you'll hear: how to make the connections between current events and yoga philosophy what are "the teachings?" ...an observation of the range of yoga wisdom traditions to draw from what does yoga epistemology (pramana) say  what do yoga's core principles / ethics / values say advice for Red State yoga teachers examples of on the spot created dharma talks based on actual current events Hari-kirtana das (he/him)  is a yoga teacher, spiritual mentor, and the author of two books on yoga philosophy: Journey Into the Bhagavad Gita: A Guide to Exploring Timeless Principles of Transcendental Knowledge and Integrating Them Into Your Life and In Search of the Highest Truth: Adventures in Yoga Philosophy.  Hari has been practicing devotional and other yogic disciplines for over 40 years, has lived in yoga ashrams and intentional spiritual communities, worked for Fortune 500 companies and Silicon Valley start-ups, and brings a wide range of spiritual knowledge and life experience to his classes, workshops, and presentations. Learn More From Hari-kirtana Das: Hari-kirtana das' website Hari-kirtana das on Facebook and Instagram Hari-kirtana das' book Journey Into the Bhagavad Gita Free Dharma Talk EBook Free Community Conversations On-Demand Workshops and Other Free Resources   OfferingTree is a proud sponsor of this episode and I am honored to be an affiliate.  Visit OfferingTree at www.offeringtree.com/mentor and you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).   OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up and I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.  

You don't me to tell you that the world as we know it is burning to the ground. This makes teaching yoga hard, important and strange. A few episodes back I answered the question, “Should we talk about current events in our yoga classes?” By essentially saying, “maybe… but most likely YES.” In that episode I talked about how important it was to have an understanding and point of view about what the yoga teachings would say about current events. I received a ton of great feedback about that episode, and also a lot of questions. So we are diving deeper into those questions with my friend Hari-Kirtana Das.  Hari-kirtana das (he/him)  is a yoga teacher, spiritual mentor, and the author of two books on yoga philosophy: Journey Into the Bhagavad Gita: A Guide to Exploring Timeless Principles of Transcendental Knowledge and Integrating Them Into Your Life and In Search of the Highest Truth: Adventures in Yoga Philosophy.  Hari has been practicing devotional and other yogic disciplines for over 40 years, has lived in yoga ashrams and intentional spiritual communities, worked for Fortune 500 companies and Silicon Valley start-ups, and brings a wide range of spiritual knowledge and life experience to his classes, workshops, and presentations. He's on the faculty of numerous Yoga Teacher Training programs, offers live online workshops and courses throughout the year, and his mission is to illuminate the many ways in which the yoga wisdom tradition can guide us toward meaningfully transformative spiritual experiences. In this episode, you'll hear: why it makes sense for yoga teachers to talk about current events and politics in class how  teachers can start to make the connections between current events and yoga philosophy Hari's formula for delivering a great dharma talk ideas to help teachers integrate philosophy into asana class And stay tuned for Part 2 of this conversation coming soon! Learn More From Hari-kirtana Das: Hari-kirtana das' website Hari-kirtana das on Facebook and Instagram Hari-kirtana das' book Journey Into the Bhagavad Gita Free Dharma Talk EBook Free Community Conversations On-Demand Workshops and Other Free Resources This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.

Solo or with guests,  I explore the craft of teaching yoga, as its own practice. I'm seeking answers to the questions about why we teach something the way we do, how we could be more expansive and inclusive in our teaching, and how we can continue to grow and evolve in our teaching practice. I would like to release episodes more frequently and your feedback will determine the kinds of episodes I record. I'd love to offer a bit more personal content including what I'm learning and the routines I use to keep everything running if that would be of interest. Please let me know! Click here for the survey. Thank you for your thoughts!  

Even if you first learned yoga from your parents and your grandparents, the path to truly embodying the philosophical yogic teachings can be long and winding. Today we have a beautiful conversation with Reema Datta to share with you that explores: the path from a physical focus in teaching to a philosophical practice how kleshas impact on our spiritual growth and physical well-being how to work with the koshas in an asana practice the three-step process the vedic tradition prescribes for receiving a spiritual teaching that is so relevant for teachers the biggest differences in the way yoga is taught in the US and India an intimate share from Reema about the way her Indian grandfather responded to her becoming a yoga teacher the yogic perspective on how to create a more compassionate and conscious world   Reema Datta is the author of The Yogi's Way: Transform Your Mind, Health, and Reality. Datta first learned yoga and Ayurveda from her mother and grandmothers as well as her grandfather, who wrote several books on Vedic philosophy. Since 2002, she has taught yoga and Ayurveda workshops, retreats, and trainings in twenty countries across five continents.  Learn More From Reema: Reema's website Instagram Facebook X/Twitter LinkedIn 12-Week Online Course Beginning September 21st Her book   This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. The best thing about OfferingTree is you can get up and running in 10 minutes with no tech skills needed. As an added bonus, If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.  

You don't need me to tell you what a wild and scary time we are living through. We know that the tools of yoga can be incredibly supportive in difficult times and also have things to say about the difficult times we are living in. So are you talking about this in your classes? Should you? I am, and I've been getting a lot of questions about it! So today's episode is going to dive deep into this question: Should you talk about current events in your yoga classes? In this episode you'll hear: some questions to ask yourself to help you decide how to navigate this how your students and their needs should be taken into account how I handle this in group classes how I handle this in private lessons an example of a physical theme /dharma teaching pairing that addresses current events Resources: My virtual yoga studio My teacher's community   This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree!   Sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor to get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).  With OfferingTree, yoga teachers put their schedule on a personally branded website where students can book classes and even pay or donate online.  All of this can be set up in 10 minutes or less.  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up.  

As I sit down to write these show notes, RFK Jr is currently in his senate confirmation hearing. By the time you read these words it is my assumption that he will be the new head of Health and Human Services for the United States, a job with incredible power. Anything is possible, so there could be a different outcome, but it seems unlikely.  You might ask, “what does that have to do with teaching yoga?”  And I would answer you by saying “quite a lot.”  Many yoga teachers are interested in the health and wellness industries in general and I think the yoga teachings have a LOT to say about public health. As we gear up for another four years of a Trump administration I wanted to have a conversation that highlighted the ways that wellness-interested people were being fed harmful misinformation, so I am incredibly excited to introduce you to Dr. Jessica Knurick. She is a Registered Dietitian with a PhD in nutrition science and she focuses on evidence-based nutrition, public health and science communication. As a researcher, speaker, and mom of two, Jessica is passionate about reshaping conversations around health to make science accessible and actionable. In this episode, you'll hear: how the MAHA movement started  the biggest factors that make Americans unhealthy individual health vs public health what the yoga teachings tell us about public health the truth about seed oils what to know about raw milk what to keep in mind as you consume content about health and wellness Learn More From Dr. Jessica: Visit Dr. Jessica's Website Connect with Dr. Jessica on Instagram Please note: This episode does not cover RFK Jr's problematic position on vaccines. This does not reflect a lack of concern from myself or my guest about his position on these life-saving measures. We are both firmly pro-vaccine and are VERY concerned about what will happen to public health with RFK Jr. in charge. The mainstream media has done a great job of covering the dangerous potential outcomes of vaccines being harder to access. I wanted to focus this conversation on some of the other health and particular nutrition-based ideas that the MAHA movement brings, because they are a wolf in sheep's clothing. They might seem like harmless or even good ideas, but the hyper fixation on individual ingredients takes the focus away from where it is most needed.  OfferingTree is a proud sponsor of this episode and I am honored to be an affiliate.  Visit OfferingTree at www.offeringtree.com/mentor and you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).   OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up and I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.

Building a career as a yoga teacher is challenging because unlike many other kinds of jobs, you have to build out a career in one hour blocks, working to get and then manage each gig separately. While the explosion of online offerings and social media as a marketing tool has changed much about the landscape, there is one thing it hasn't changed. In my view, the best way to build a career as a yoga teacher is to teach private clients. But what is the best way to find and connect with new potential students?? In 20 years I've had to rebuild my practice several times, and I have an old school strategy that I think works really well! We're breaking it all down in this solo episode of the podcast! In this episode, you'll hear: why teaching private clients is the best way to build a thriving yoga career  what people are getting wrong about digital products  my favorite old school way to connect with potential private clients a step by step process for reaching out to your community four core principles for helping students get really excited about their yoga practice Resource Mentioned: Email templates to send to potential students This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.    

Octavia Raheem first wrote a book called Gather where she talked about gathering ancestors, gathering courage and gathering rest. Then she wrote a book, Pause Rest Be, about how rest has served as a tool for courage and resilience for her and the people she's worked with.    And lucky for us, Octavia has written a new book called Rest Is Sacred, that takes these ideas and weaves them together, taking her readers into a deep place inside themselves Octavia F. Raheem (she/her) is a wife, mother, three time author, rest coach, and restorative + Yoga Nidra Teacher. She is the founder of Devoted to Rest® a transformational rest focused immersion for visionary leaders. She is a true luminary in the areas of rest, restorative arts, wellness, and yoga. Octavia has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Yoga Journal, Well + Good, Tricycle, at Essence Festival and more. You can listen to our previous conversations- 47: How To Hold Space and 107: The Power of Rest In this episode, you'll hear: why rest is sacred for Octavia, and all of us what rest can help us reclaim why our culture makes rest so challenging for everyone rest in the most practical terms  what Octavia does for her practice and how she makes time for it Learn More Octavia: Ocativa's Book Rest is Sacred Follow Octavia on Instagram Octavia's Website This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. The best thing about OfferingTree is you can get up and running in 10 minutes with no tech skills needed. As an added bonus, If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.

I have been an active participant in the yoga industry since the early 2000s, and I have never really understood how brick and mortar yoga studios, especially locally owned ones without corporate backing, made it work.  I've been curious about it, and I have seen a few studios run incredibly well and last a long time, but we all know those are the outliers. These spaces are so important for us as teachers and students, and for the wider community as well, but they so often struggle to survive the impact of late stage capitalism.  And that was true even BEFORE the pandemic, when so many of our favorite local businesses closed down. There are not that many yoga studios that have been around for a long time, but we are VERY lucky today to hear from one of my old friends, Deb Flashenberg who has had a thriving locally owned yoga studio in New York City since 2002. AMAZING.  (and if you want to listen to my previous episodes with Deb please check out 31: How To Work With Pregnant Yoga Students and 104: Postnatal Considerations in Asana with Deb Flashenberg) In this episode you'll hear: what the vibes were like back in 2002 what changed in the landscape between 2002 and 2019 how and why Deb and the Prenatal Yoga Center survived COVID what the “comeback” post-COVID been like what thoughts and advice Deb has for people thinking about opening up a brick and mortar space now Learn More From Deb: Prenatal Yoga Center website Prenatnal Yoga Center on Instagram Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training  

If you are a yoga teacher trying to make anything close to a full time income with your work, then you are an entrepreneur. Many of us resist that truth, or we at least resist some of the work that is associated with being a small business owner. That is why today I'm so excited to introduce you to Jackie Murphy. She is here to give us all a business strategy pep talk! Jackie Murphy (she/her) is the host of the Studio CEO podcast and helps yoga teachers become profitable CEOs by offering them the most effective marketing, sales, and business foundation strategy in the industry. Using her 10 years of experience teaching, opening studios, and leading teacher trainings, Jackie is changing the $115B yoga industry by putting more money in the hands of the people who actually teach yoga. In this episode, you'll hear: the differences between thinking like an employee and thinking like a CEO how to change the way you are working to make a more sustainable living what helps students show up to class consistently  integrating the philosophy of yoga into ethical and profitable business and what that looks like in action how to understand the tension of teaching a spiritual and healing practice inside of late stage capitalism  the best way to think about selling the importance of having a clear niche and how to do it effectively  Learn More From Jackie: The Yoga Boss Group Follow Jackie on Instagram Like Jackie on Facebook OfferingTree is a proud sponsor of this episode and I am honored to be an affiliate.  Visit OfferingTree at www.offeringtree.com/mentor and you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).   OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up and I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.

The learning journey I've been on regarding hypermobility is incredibly personal. I was plagued with nearly constant minor and serious injuries most of my life. As a dancer that seemed normal, but it was very difficult and I was often injured more than anyone else I knew. I worked so hard to “build more stability” and “get out of my patterns of gripping” and some things did help quite a bit, most notably Feldenkrais. But it was really only in the last ten years, as information about hypermobility started to spread first through the movement world, and then through into the mainstream culture, that I began to understand my body and how to work with it effectively. I'm so happy to report that despite being about 7 years past due for when it was suspected I would need a full hip replacement (get the full backstory here) and having a toddler and very little time for self care, I have less pain now then I ever have in my whole life! Learning about how to work with hypermobility in myself and my students has been nothing short of life changing for me. And understanding how to work with hypermobility is particularly important for yoga teachers! That is why I'm so thrilled to finally have Libby Hinsley on the show today.  Libby Hinsley (she/her)  is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, personal trainer, and Yoga Therapist specializing in the treatment of people with hypermobility syndromes and chronic pain As a person living with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, she is passionate about raising awareness about hypermobility syndromes in the yoga community and beyond. In this episode you'll hear: a deep dive into different kinds of connective tissue and how they respond to load what is different about the connective tissue of someone with HEDS symptoms all about the EDS diagnosis some common co-occurring conditions that are good to know about the science behind the heightened interoception and decreased proprioception of someone with HEDS symptoms and how to work with that in a yoga class Learn More From Libby: Libby's website Libby on Instagram Anatomy Bites: use coupon code MENTOR at checkout for 10% off Anatomy Bites On Demand Courses: use coupon code MENTOR at checkout for 10% off Hypermobility Hub   This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.

Holding grounded space as a teacher is one of the most important and most hard to teach skills for new yoga teachers. How can you be confident doing something you are new at? Do you need to actually be confident? What do we do when challenging situations knock us off our center? To answer these questions and more, I'm so honored to have my teacher and friend Ethan Nichtern with us today. Ethan Nichtern (he/him) is a renowned contemporary Buddhist teacher and the author of Confidence: Holding Your Seat through Life's Eight Worldly Winds and several other titles, including the widely acclaimed The Road Home. In this episode you'll hear: how we define confidence, and why as a teacher of buddhism, Ethan wanted to write a book about it how a conversation about privilege and social location is necessary when talking about confidence the myth that Buddhist teachings advocate for overcoming a sense of self and how fits into a Buddhist book about confidence a overview of the 8 worldly winds and how they show up in our lives US election thoughts and predictions!

I had a profound conversation with yoga teacher and writer Karin Lynn Carlson (she/her) and I can't wait for you to listen.  Karin is a thoughtful teacher and a beautiful writer and has so much to share on the intersection of ethics and yoga teaching. This episode is packed with both valuable insights and practical advice. We talked about implementing a code of ethics akin to those in social work and discussed problematic behavior and abuse within the yoga world. Karin offered insights about how to support survivors, foster a healthier yoga community and move forward together. These are crucial topics as we envision a future where yoga communities are more accountable, supportive, and ethical.  In this episode, you'll hear: the importance of implementing a code of ethics in the yoga community boundaries, teacher-student relationships and who is responsible for holding the container the essential role of believing and supporting abuse survivors in the yoga community  advice for teachers who are struggling to move forward after their teachers have let them down Learn More From Karin: Return Yoga Karin on Substack Yoga Club community  

How to teach yoga in a trauma sensitive way is a conversation that floods mainstream yoga spaces these days. And with good reason. Every person has small t traumatic experiences, and most people have also experienced Big T Trauma as well.  It is very easy for yoga and asana to be taught in ways that are not trauma sensitive. Being aware of teacher-student power dynamics and how they impact students with trauma is paramount to skillful teaching.  That is why I am so happy to introduce you to Jenn Turner (she/her). She is a trauma-informed therapist and yoga teacher, and has been at the forefront of combining those two modalities since the early 2000s.  She has also been involved in two different spiritual and healing communities that experienced abuse of power by the leader, as so many of us have. She has advice and a way forward for communities that have experienced this kind of harm. In this episode you'll hear: what  has changed the most in the landscape of trauma sensitive yoga since 2008 what is most important for yoga teachers to know about when it comes to trauma informed practice how power, self reflection and holding containers are all things we need to be thinking about as yoga teachers what communities and individuals can do when they recover from abuse inside places that are supposed to be healing spaces Learn More From Jenn: Center for Trauma and Embodiment Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga Jenn on Instagram  

This episode is one of the most important interviews I've ever recorded. Our guest, Katie Blecker (she/her) is here to talk about two of my favorite things, accessible yoga and teaching yoga. And even better, we are going to talk about the intersection of those two things in a conversation that is LONG overdue on this podcast: Making the vocation of teaching yoga accessible to all yoga teachers. Katie Blecker (she/her) is a yoga teacher, disability advocate, and visual artist. Her work as a trauma-informed, adaptive yoga facilitator centers supporting folks of all ages who live with chronic illness and pain, disability, and chronic stress using tools such as therapeutic asana, pranayama, and meditation. She believes deeply in the power of restorative yoga practices to support our self- and community-care. Katie is also a member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Her lived experience with multiple complex chronic illnesses informs her worldview and inspires her passion for disability advocacy and accessibility in yoga.  In this episode you'll hear: what it is like for Katie to live and teach yoga with chronic fatigue syndrome a message for new yoga teachers, especially ones that may not fit the dominant culture yoga teacher mold some of the accommodations Katie has to make personally to make the practice of yoga teaching accessible for her what yoga studios can do to make teaching more accessible a deep dive into healthism and how it shows up in western yoga culture   Learn More From Katie: Katie's Website Connect with Katie on Instagram  

The yoga world has changed so much in the last 5 years, and more and more yoga teachers are finding they need to build and create their own opportunities to teach. Even before the pandemic it was nearly impossible to build a full time career teaching group classes at studios. The pay is too low, the opportunities too rare and the workload is way too high to exclusively teach at a yoga studio.  But paving your own path can be challenging, especially if you don't see anyone like you doing it. That is why I'm so excited to introduce you to Emily Anderson. No one is paving their own path better than she is.  Emily Anderson (she/her)  is a self employed yoga therapist in training. She shares yoga as a way to reconnect with the body and mind, process trauma or pain, and to build resiliency in a fatphobic, ableist world. Her virtual studio All Bodies Welcome Yoga centers folks who are fat, chronically ill, disabled, and/or looking for an accessible yoga class outside of diet culture and fitness spaces. Emily invites students to explore with gentleness, empathy, fun, and patience, and to shed body shame and comparisons. In this episode you'll hear: what led Emily to want to be a teacher and her journey from student to teacher  what it is like to train to be a yoga therapist and Emily's teaching schedule how Emily got established in her local community and created her own teaching opportunities the kind of business education that is missing from foundational teacher training how Emily supplemented the missing business education with her own research Learn More From Emily + Resources Mentioned: Emily's website Emily on Instagram Small Business Development Centers SCORE Mentors Emily's Marketing Coach Inner Peace Yoga Therapy A video of Emily's first yoga teacher, Arthur, and his journey to regain mobility (tw: some weight loss talk) Joseph Le's Yoga Toolbox  

Today on the podcast I am introducing you to someone very special to me: one of my most important teachers, Sara Avant Stover. I started studying with Sara privately in the fall of 2012 and what I learned from her radically altered my life path. I went on several deep, immersive retreats with her, the last one in 2016.  Since the last time we saw each other Sara has suffered several very intense heartbreaks and gone deeper into her practice than ever before. Surviving these challenging times and coming out more whole and happy than ever before has expanded her teaching immensely and I'm so honored to share her deep wisdom with you today.  Sara Avant Stover (she/her) is a Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Practitioner and teacher and mentor of women's spirituality, empowerment,  and entrepreneurship. She's also the author of The Way of the Happy Woman , The Book of SHE , and Handbook for the Heartbroken.  In this episode you'll hear: about the heartbreak journeys that led Sara to write this book the the aspects of Sara's heartbreak journey that she struggled with the most a deep dive into Internal Family Systems and how it helped both Sara and I heal from trauma what Sara has seen change in the landscape of online yoga and meditation and teacher trainings since she started offering them in the early 2000s advice from Sara about building a career as a yoga teacher right now Learn More From Sara: her Self podcast Handbook for the Heartbroken Sara's LinkedIn Sara's Instagram Sara's YouTube  

I believe the invitation of life is to become ourselves, live fully and freely, and then, if you are a student of yoga, to extend that full, free, safe living out to all beings everywhere. But how often do we get to see someone really do that?   Today I have a treat for you: a person who is doing just that. Becoming. My friend Miles Borrero (he/him) has survived fronting a Latin rock band, riding horses competitively, acting on various stages across the US, and nannying a six-year-old. He has been Catholic, Jewish, and a frequent guest at Krishna's house, and has lived life as a boy, a girl, a woman, a man, and something in between. Now a senior yoga teacher who leads retreats and trainings all over the world, Miles is passionate about dismantling the systems within ourselves that keep us small. And he has written a beautiful book called Beautiful Monster: A Becoming. The book reads like one long dharma talk, full of creative writing and yogic wisdom. In this episode you'll hear: how Miles was Rodney Yee's best student even though they never met why was it yoga teaching that really stuck for Miles, despite having so many jobs and creative endeavors  what it was like for Miles to teach in his native language after learning to teach yoga in English first all about Miles' teacher Raghunath and what Miles learned from him what changed in Miles'  asana practice after his top surgery and taking testosterone   Learn More From Miles: Website Chant Your Way to Freedom (Course) 100 YTT with Miles Miles Book, “Beautiful Monster:  A Becoming”  

In case you don't know, Jivana is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers. He's the author of the books: Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and a new book, The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body. His books, classes, and trainings offer support to yoga teachers and yoga therapists in finding ways to bring creativity and collaboration into their teaching while still respecting the ancient yoga tradition. Check out the other two episodes with Jivana: 70: Yoga, Human Rights, and Accessibility with Jivana Heyman 105: Yoga And Social Justice with Jivana Heyman In this episode you'll hear: how Jivana recommends we balance  tradition and innovation in asana how teachers can innovate in a way that honors the roots of yoga some thoughts on the abuse present in so many lineages and why ethics creates accessibility the specific skills that yoga teachers can learn to make their offerings accessible to everyone the inherent power imbalance between student and teacher how we can use language to make the practice invitational AND clear the kinds of support Jivana recommend yoga teachers find the recurring teaching nightmare that both Jivana and I have!! Learn More From Jivana: Instagram Facebook Accessible Yoga School The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga Book

The brain and the nervous system play a HUGE role in how we integrate sensory information, experience pain and create movement patterns but this topic is not often covered in foundational yoga teacher trainings. That is why I'm so excited to introduce you to Missy Bunch (she/her), a multi-certified movement therapist who has been educating and coaching for over 14 years. As a young professional dancer, she battled many injuries over her career and one day she found someone who studied neurology (the study of the brain and nervous system). After one session with this person, her 4-year knee pain was completely gone. She knew she wanted to teach this approach to the world. The importance of brain function and using the nervous system to rapidly “debug” movement patterns, decrease pain and increase performance, has led her to teach and create lightning-fast improvements with people from all walks of life. Her specialties include injury prevention, injury rehabilitation, joint mobility and decreasing pain, holistically.  In this episode you'll hear: a deep dive into assessments including how to cue them and what are we looking for when we reassess what it mean to move into a shape “reflexively” how can we work with the brain to decrease pain the role of the nervous system in integrating inputs and creating motor output all about the opposing joint theory and how to use it with 1x1 students an overview of cranial nerves and how and why to stimulate them Resources Mentioned: Missy's website Missy on Instagram The Science of the Private Lesson The Mentor Sessions Sangha

Today I will answer a bunch of questions that you all have sent in about teaching private lessons! In this episode you'll hear: suggestions for helping a student establish a neutral pelvis in daily life advice and guidance for hands-on work in private lessons tips for finding private clients outside of the studio tips for when you need to make some money fast support in lightening up a teaching schedule how (and why!) to raise your rates help for a  private student who wants to learn to meditate, but always seems agitated when practicing  Resources Mentioned: 37: Q + A About Private Lessons with Francesca 62: Q + A About Private Lessons with Francesca #2 92: Planning And Progress In Private Lessons (Q+A!)  Teachprivateyoga.com The Mentor Sessions Sangha  

Well, this is an unusual episode!! Since I released a podcast episode last year about my group class planning process I've been getting more and more questions about my unique teaching style.  It's been described as Buddha Dharma Meets Corrective Exercise With A Little Vinyasa In The Middle For Some Fun. It's a specific style that has been cultivated over almost 20 years of very full time teaching, and I especially love the way it lands online and in an audio format.  So this episode is a short explanation, and then a full length practice! You might find it interesting to listen to even if you can't or don't want to do the physical part of the practice. Resources Mentioned: The Mentor Sessions Sangha The Science of The Private Lesson Training 115: The Case For Teaching Leveled Classes 116: Integrating Buddha Dharma and Asana with Meredith Witte – Live Mentoring Session 118: My Group Class Planning Process

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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