Podcast appearances and mentions of amber karnes

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 380: Yoga for Stress Management with Radhika Mukhija   Description: We all live incredibly stressful lives, dealing with pressure from work, families, friends, and the political climate, on top of multiple crises around the world. It can all add up and leave us feeling stressed, burned out, exhausted, and overwhelmed. How can yoga and Ayurveda help us manage this stress?   Radhika Mukhija is the founder of Holistic Prana. For over a decade, she has guided women on a regenerative journey to wellness, helping them connect with their innate wisdom, embody their true selves, and create fulfilling lives. With experience in health, life, and executive coaching, Radhika merges ancient and modern science to create a holistic approach that blends ancient wisdom with clinical sensibilities, including neuroscience and biohacking.   Radhika shares how her mother's cancer diagnosis inspired her to embark on this journey. She explains how she defines stress, the symptoms of chronic stress, and how yoga and Ayurveda can be useful tools to alleviate this stress. Shannon and Radhika also discuss creating consistent routines and rituals to nurture ourselves, finding balance, the role food plays in our well-being, dealing with “un-yogic” feelings like rage and frustration, and more.   Key Takeaways: [0:21] Shannon shares something she recently re-learned. [3:51] Shannon gives a shout-out to the sponsors, OfferingTree and Shannon's 20-hour Yoga for Pelvic Health Training. [7:20] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Radhika Mukhija. [11:07] What does Radhika do and who does she do it for? [11:50] What got Radhika started in doing this work? [16:23] There are many different types of stress we experience. How does Radhika define stress? [20:03] How does stress manifest or show up? What are the signs we might be experiencing chronic stress? [22:49] How can we balance everything that is going on in the world - social justice movements, the after-effects of the pandemic, bearing witness to a genocide - on top of all the stresses of daily life? [28:11] What are some of the practices that Radhika shares to help people return to a place of restoration, peace, and balance? [32:29] Shannon pops in with a quick note about creating memberships and how OfferingTree can support you in that! [35:10] How can we distinguish between unplugging or going inward as a form of self-care to be able to be effective out in the world, versus something that is just ignoring things that are stressful? [48:04] How does Radhika introduce new practices to people knowing that they need to check in with themselves about what they need and people often don't like to be told what to do? [53:14] Connect with Radhika via Instagram or learn more from her via her courses and upcoming book! [58:07] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Radhika. [64:18] Join the Facebook group to become part of a supportive community of yoga teachers and do leave a review for the podcast too! [65:39] Shannon shares a message from a podcast listener. Links: Radhika Mukhija Radhika Mukhija on Instagram Practical Embodiment - Self-Paced Online Seasonal Living Course The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 360: Nature Meditations with Ray Zott Ray Zott's Website Ray Zott on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 309: Four Seasons of Business with Shannon Crow Eating Disorders Education and Anti-Diet Podcasts 048: Eating Disorder Education for Yoga Teachers with Tabitha Farrar  348: Yoga for Eating Disorder Recovery with Abbey Morris  218: Body Positive Yoga with Gillian McCollum 293: Eating Disorder Recovery & Yoga with Vivian Selles 338: Eating Disorder Informed Yoga with Jennifer Kreatsoulas 292: Taking Diet Culture out of Yoga with Jessica Grosman & Elyssa Toomey 067: Yoga for Every Body with Amber Karnes 219: Yoga for Abundant Bodies with Dianne Bondy The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 369: Struggling to Write Content is Normal with Billie Smith Move with Billie - Anti-diet Workshop The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 375: Why Marketing is Different Now with Tristan Katz & Brooke Monaghan The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 376: Collective Care Over Individualistic Self-Care with Muna Shakour The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 377: Cultivating Contentment with Mary Flaherty The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals   Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree, and Yoga for Pelvic Health 20-hr Online Training with Shannon Crow.   Quotes from this episode: "There's good stress and bad stress."   "How do we just shut the noise of what people are telling us to do or what the books are asking us to do and how do we really get in tune with our inner wisdom?"   "How do we balance all of this? We need to begin with ourselves and what we can control... it has to come from a place where we, not just our body, but our mind is in a state of balance and homeostasis."

CONTENT WARNING: Diet culture, mental health, death In this interview, I brought on Jivana Heyman, C-IAYT, E-RYT500 to talk about his incredible work in the yoga industry. In this episode, we discuss the origins of The Accessible Yoga Association and Accessible Yoga School and unpack ways that yoga teachers can create change in an industry that has strayed so far away from the roots of yoga. Jivana's bio & links: Jivana Heyman, C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the founder and director of the Accessible Yoga Association, an international non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings. He's the author of Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body and Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion (Shambhala Publications). Jivana has specialized in teaching yoga to people with disabilities with an emphasis on community building and social engagement. Out of this work, the nonprofit Accessible Yoga Association was created to support education, training, and advocacy with the mission of shifting the public perception of yoga. Accessible Yoga offers Conferences, Community Forums, a Podcast, and a popular Ambassador program. Jivana coined the phrase, “Accessible Yoga,” over ten years ago, and it has now become the standard appellation for a large cross-section of the immense yoga world. He brought the Accessible Yoga community together for the first time in 2015 for the Accessible Yoga Conference, which has gone on to become a focal point for this movement. Jivana is also the creator of the Accessible Yoga Training and the co-founder of the online Accessible Yoga School with Amber Karnes, which is a platform for continued education for yoga teachers in the field of equity and accessibility. They also created the Accessible Yoga Podcast in 2020. Over the past 25 years, Jivana has led countless yoga teacher training programs around the world, and dedicates his time to supporting yoga teachers who are working to serve communities that are under-represented in traditional yoga spaces. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yoga-biz-podcast/message

In episode 42, Amber Karnes interviews Jivana Heyman about his upcoming book, Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage and Compassion. We discuss what a “yoga revolution” means, the relationship between yoga and social justice, the role of self-care in our work, and much more. This interview invites us to take a look at the “why” behind our personal yoga practice and consider possibilities for expanding how we use our yoga in the world on and off the mat. *Note: Yoga Revolution's publishing date has been pushed back to December 7, 2021. In Episode 42: Why Jivana chose “Yoga Revolution” for the title of his book and what he means by a yoga revolution What does it mean to build a practice of courage and compassion? What is the relationship between yoga and social justice? How your inner practice affects your actions in the world (activism) and helps us see humanity and honor wholeness The different traditions in yoga on and off the map and a renewed look at the tradition of yoga as a path of service How Jivana took inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement to fuel his current activism What it means to have a “rainbow mind” or a Queer approach to yoga The role of self care in our service / justice work A question we are sitting with this week: What is the goal or focus of your personal practice (enlightenment, less stress, strength & flexibility, physical healing)? How does that show up in your life? Links from the episode: Learn more and order Yoga Revolution by Jivana Heyman Yoga Revolution free practices Aarti Inamdar Untitled [I talk to my inner lover] by Kabir AY Conference

In episode 42, Amber Karnes interviews Jivana Heyman about his upcoming book, Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage and Compassion. We discuss what a “yoga revolution” means, the relationship between yoga and social justice, the role of self-care in our work, and much more. This interview invites us to take a look at the “why” behind our personal yoga practice and consider possibilities for expanding how we use our yoga in the world on and off the mat. *Note: Yoga Revolution's publishing date has been pushed back to December 7, 2021. In Episode 42: Why Jivana chose “Yoga Revolution” for the title of his book and what he means by a yoga revolution What does it mean to build a practice of courage and compassion? What is the relationship between yoga and social justice? How your inner practice affects your actions in the world (activism) and helps us see humanity and honor wholeness The different traditions in yoga on and off the map and a renewed look at the tradition of yoga as a path of service How Jivana took inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement to fuel his current activism What it means to have a “rainbow mind” or a Queer approach to yoga The role of self care in our service / justice work A question we are sitting with this week: What is the goal or focus of your personal practice (enlightenment, less stress, strength & flexibility, physical healing)? How does that show up in your life? Links from the episode: Learn more and order Yoga Revolution by Jivana Heyman Yoga Revolution free practices Aarti Inamdar Untitled [I talk to my inner lover] by Kabir AY Conference

In this episode, Larissa & Elizabeth discuss what play and getting curious have to do with liberation. If we could sum up this episode in one sentence: How we create a better world is by creating opportunities for people to play together, and to enjoy being together.Stuff we mentioned:Honorée Fanonne Jeffers' book, ‘The love songs of WEB DuBois''Cloud cuckoo land' by Anthony Doerr.Stuart Brown TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_play_is_more_than_just_fun/transcript?language=en#t-758879Summary of Brown's work by Larry Maguire-- Larissa found this while googling for a list of the properties and it's just very concise.Willy Wonka and the Chocolate FactoryWe mentioned, but did not quote, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's work on flow.Dianne Bondy & Amber Karnes, Yoga for AllMusic by ZakharValaha from Pixabay Music by ZakharValaha from Pixabay

Today I'm honored to be talking with Amber Karnes, founder of Body Positive Yoga.Amber is a pioneer in the yoga industry, challenging the norms around what yoga is, how bodies are represented and creating a space for inclusion and accessibility. Here are some highlights from this amazing conversation: Reframing body image away from being about how you look and towards what your beliefs are about yourselfUsing movement as a way to reconnect and access your body in a positive wayTaking away the negative connotation around using the word fatAmber's personal story of living in a bigger body, coping with negative self talk and finding her place in a yoga classCreating awareness around our intrinsic and cultural biases against fat peopleHow Amber creates and holds space as a yoga teacher for people who don't fit the marketing norms of yogaConnect with AmberInstagramWebsiteConnect with JordanaFind me on InstagramSign up for my Monday newsletter with lots of nutrition, exercise and mindset tipsCheck out my website

In this episode, Gillian shares her journey and how she shifted her yoga teaching and health coaching to be more inclusive.She shares:

This week Amber Karnes join Jivana to chat about body liberation, the importance of representation, and how to use the yoga teachings in the service of all. In addition to being Jivana's good friend, collaborator, and co-host of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber is founder of Body Positive Yoga and creator of the Body Positive Clubhouse. Amber trains yoga teachers and movement educators to create accessible, equitable spaces for liberation and belonging and encourages folks to make peace with their bodies and build unshakable confidence. Amber and Jivana discuss how to apply the limbs of yoga to our lives and how to move from yoga as a practice to self-soothe to a practice that can help build community and honor the breadth and depth of our humanity. Learn more about Amber and Body Positive Yoga.Follow Amber on Instagram.Read Amber's Yoga Journal cover story. Learn more about Jivana's book.Learn more about Jivana.Pre-order your copy of Yoga Revolution at Shambala, Amazon, or wherever books are sold.

Keep up with future guests, blog posts, resources our therapists are loving, and more by joining The Gaia Ceneter at bit.ly/thegaiacenternews

In Episode 39 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes sits down with Anjali Rao to discuss the connection between yoga and activism. Anjali Rao is a yoga teacher, social justice activist, multi-cultural training specialist, and a cancer survivor. She is an Indian American immigrant from Bangalore, India. Her work explores yoga philosophy and history integrating marginalized voices using storytelling, imagery and poetry. In this interview, Amber and Anjali discuss the history of activism in yoga, including how yoga philosophy and social justice are connected. For folks who are hesitant to step into the space of activism or call themselves an activist, this interview is for you. Anjali addresses the role of the activist and discusses how we can build capacity for resilience using our practice. Finally, she discusses her new course with the Accessible Yoga Training School, Yoga & Activism: A Blueprint for Collective Transformation, which is open for enrollment now! In this episode: Anjali introduces herself and talks about her work in the world How are yoga and activism connected historically? What is the lineage of yoga and activism? Yoga Is a container of practices, thoughts, concepts which can build capacity & resilience for activism Yoga helps us be aligned with our deepest dharma Yoga is about expansion of consciousness: what are you using your expanded consciousness to accomplish? How your social location is connected to your dharma Who is an activist? What “counts” as activism? How perfectionism and black-and-white thinking hold us back Rituals and practices that can anchor us in our purpose The importance of community for activists Anjali's course, Yoga & Activism: A Blueprint for Collective Transformation, which is open for enrollment through June 19 A call to action for all of us Show notes and links can be found at accessibleyogatraining.com.

In Episode 39 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes sits down with Anjali Rao to discuss the connection between yoga and activism. Anjali Rao is a yoga teacher, social justice activist, multi-cultural training specialist, and a cancer survivor. She is an Indian American immigrant from Bangalore, India. Her work explores yoga philosophy and history integrating marginalized voices using storytelling, imagery and poetry. In this interview, Amber and Anjali discuss the history of activism in yoga, including how yoga philosophy and social justice are connected. For folks who are hesitant to step into the space of activism or call themselves an activist, this interview is for you. Anjali addresses the role of the activist and discusses how we can build capacity for resilience using our practice. Finally, she discusses her new course with the Accessible Yoga Training School, Yoga & Activism: A Blueprint for Collective Transformation, which is open for enrollment now! In this episode: Anjali introduces herself and talks about her work in the world How are yoga and activism connected historically? What is the lineage of yoga and activism? Yoga Is a container of practices, thoughts, concepts which can build capacity & resilience for activism Yoga helps us be aligned with our deepest dharma Yoga is about expansion of consciousness: what are you using your expanded consciousness to accomplish? How your social location is connected to your dharma Who is an activist? What “counts” as activism? How perfectionism and black-and-white thinking hold us back Rituals and practices that can anchor us in our purpose The importance of community for activists Anjali's course, Yoga & Activism: A Blueprint for Collective Transformation, which is open for enrollment through June 19 A call to action for all of us Show notes and links can be found at accessibleyogatraining.com.

In Episode 38 Amber Karnes sits down with Tristan Katz and Maygen Nicholson to address a few common transphobic talking points and discuss how we can support our trans and gender expansive community members. Tristan and Maygen are both educators who focus on LGBTQ+ awareness, advocacy, and wellness at the center of their work. In this interview, Tristan and Maygen discuss gender identity, why we should all be invested in dismantling the gender binary, and why representation matters. They debunk many commonly held, harmful narratives about trans and gender non-conforming folks, and talk about action steps for learning and beyond. This conversation invites us to take a deeper dive into understanding gender identity and creating affirming space for our trans siblings. Note: This conversation was recorded in response to the March 22nd J. Brown yoga podcast interview with Katchie Ananda on the topic of “Gender Spectrum and Biological Sex.” Both J. and Katchie are cisgender individuals. The conversation they shared was rooted in biological exceptionalism, trans* exclusionary feminism, transphobia, homophobia, racism, and tokenization. We found it deeply hurtful and problematic and felt the need to address it publicly to stand in solidarity with our trans* and non-binary siblings. Get show notes, links to everything we discuss in the podcast, and subscribe here.

In Episode 38 Amber Karnes sits down with Tristan Katz and Maygen Nicholson to address a few common transphobic talking points and discuss how we can support our trans and gender expansive community members. Tristan and Maygen are both educators who focus on LGBTQ+ awareness, advocacy, and wellness at the center of their work. In this interview, Tristan and Maygen discuss gender identity, why we should all be invested in dismantling the gender binary, and why representation matters. They debunk many commonly held, harmful narratives about trans and gender non-conforming folks, and talk about action steps for learning and beyond. This conversation invites us to take a deeper dive into understanding gender identity and creating affirming space for our trans siblings. Note: This conversation was recorded in response to the March 22nd J. Brown yoga podcast interview with Katchie Ananda on the topic of “Gender Spectrum and Biological Sex.” Both J. and Katchie are cisgender individuals. The conversation they shared was rooted in biological exceptionalism, trans* exclusionary feminism, transphobia, homophobia, racism, and tokenization. We found it deeply hurtful and problematic and felt the need to address it publicly to stand in solidarity with our trans* and non-binary siblings. Get show notes, links to everything we discuss in the podcast, and subscribe here.

On this episode, Tristan (they/them) and Lauren (she/her) chat with Amber Karnes (she/her), yoga teacher trainer, ruckus maker, the founder of Body Positive Yoga, and a lifelong student of her body. Amber trains yoga teachers and movement educators how to create accessible and equitable spaces for liberation and belonging.Tune in to hear Amber share about:- her trajectory of community building and activism, from the hard-core punk rock scene to body positive yoga- how she came to yoga, quickly noticing it helped to turn off her negative self-talk voice- creating new spaces we need, particularly for those of us who hold marginalized identities- pivoting in COVID and devoting her time and energy to helping the Accessible Yoga Training platform take off- her experience with her Yoga Journal cover article- her thoughts on having hard conversations& more!Here's where you can view a transcript of this episode of ALL THE F*CK IN. Teachers and resources mentioned in this episode:Dianne BondyYoga for All TrainingNikki MyersMara GlatzelAccessible Yoga AssociationAccessible Yoga Training SchoolJivana HeymanKelley PalmerRace & Equity in Yoga: Disruption as a PracticeTrans Yoga ProjectAccessible Yoga podcastYoga Journal cover storyTiph Browne PhotographyYou can support this podcast by subscribing on Apple or Spotify, and leaving a 5-star rating and review on Apple. We'd also love for you to take a screenshot of where the episode resonates with you and tag us in your Instagram stories at @alltfinpodcast, @tristankatzcreative, and @laurenkayroberts.Thanks to Son of Nun and DJ Mentos for the music. You can find their work at sonofnun.bandcamp.com and djmentos.com. You can also support a mutual aid fund they're involved with, Tubman House Coronavirus Support, at this link and specify Tubman House Coronavirus Support in the "special instructions to seller" field.

In Episode 33, Amber Karnes talks with Anjali Sunita. Anjali is a yoga teacher, writer, Ayurveda practitioner, and the business owner behind Baltimore Yoga Village. In 2021, Anjali completely pivoted the Baltimore Yoga Village business model from two brick and mortar yoga studios to an online wellness ecosystem that platforms individual instructors and practitioners. In this episode, Anjali and I talk about pivoting to an online model during a pandemic, what the new business model is, and how others might consider moving to a more collaborative way of working. We discuss how our mindset around co-creating and co-working within our communities can be supportive rather than competitive. We also explore topics like resilience, failure, and why “starting over” can be a good thing, if we let it. For show notes and links, visit the Accessible Yoga Podcast page or episode 33 here.

In Episode 33, Amber Karnes talks with Anjali Sunita. Anjali is a yoga teacher, writer, Ayurveda practitioner, and the business owner behind Baltimore Yoga Village. In 2021, Anjali completely pivoted the Baltimore Yoga Village business model from two brick and mortar yoga studios to an online wellness ecosystem that platforms individual instructors and practitioners. In this episode, Anjali and I talk about pivoting to an online model during a pandemic, what the new business model is, and how others might consider moving to a more collaborative way of working. We discuss how our mindset around co-creating and co-working within our communities can be supportive rather than competitive. We also explore topics like resilience, failure, and why “starting over” can be a good thing, if we let it. For show notes and links, visit the Accessible Yoga Podcast page or episode 33 here.

Hey Episode 31: Q & A In Episode 31, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down to answer questions submitted by our listeners and community. In this episode, we will discuss how the practice can support mental health treatment in a responsible and ethical way, scope of practice, the importance of collaboration in our communities, as well as a question about exploring practice while experiencing vertigo. This week we explore: How the practice can be used to support mental health treatment in a responsible and ethical way The importance of understanding scope of practice How important it is to build collaborative working networks in your community The importance of having clear descriptions for our classes The importance of destigmatizing mental health support within the wellness and yoga communities The importance of giving power back to students in our class spaces How to explore the practice during vertigo

Hey Episode 31: Q & A In Episode 31, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down to answer questions submitted by our listeners and community. In this episode, we will discuss how the practice can support mental health treatment in a responsible and ethical way, scope of practice, the importance of collaboration in our communities, as well as a question about exploring practice while experiencing vertigo. This week we explore: How the practice can be used to support mental health treatment in a responsible and ethical way The importance of understanding scope of practice How important it is to build collaborative working networks in your community The importance of having clear descriptions for our classes The importance of destigmatizing mental health support within the wellness and yoga communities The importance of giving power back to students in our class spaces How to explore the practice during vertigo

Episode 30: Re-Imaging Our Work In Episode 30 Amber Karnes talks with Kelley Palmer. Kelley is a writer, creative, advocate, and yoga teacher who focuses on the service of making wellness spaces equitable, accessible, sustainable, and safe for Black, Indigenous and people of color. In this episode, Kelley and I talk about orienting ourselves toward race equity work in our current moment. We talk about what can happen when we use our imagination to creatively solve problems together, rather than getting stuck in guilt, inaction, or a sense of “it's always been that way and is impossible to change.” We also talk about developing resilience for staying with the discomfort that conversations about race and equity can bring up. Finally, we chat about Kelley's upcoming course, Race & Equity in Yoga, and let folks know what they can expect if they join. This week hear more about: How Kelley developed her upcoming course, Race & Equity: Disruption As A Practice How the demand for Kelley's work has shifted in the last 12 months How Kelley is feeling about her work, the current moment and our ongoing responsibility The importance of understanding the legacy of oppression that has benefited some and made it unsafe for some to exist The importance of knowing we can feel more than one thing at a time How the word unity is being co-opted in this moment How we can reclaim our imagination when thinking about social justice action and solutions How Kelley is shifting to honor what feels like the best use of her energy What to expect in Kelley's upcoming course, Race & Equity: Disruption As A Practice

Episode 30: Re-Imaging Our Work In Episode 30 Amber Karnes talks with Kelley Palmer. Kelley is a writer, creative, advocate, and yoga teacher who focuses on the service of making wellness spaces equitable, accessible, sustainable, and safe for Black, Indigenous and people of color. In this episode, Kelley and I talk about orienting ourselves toward race equity work in our current moment. We talk about what can happen when we use our imagination to creatively solve problems together, rather than getting stuck in guilt, inaction, or a sense of “it's always been that way and is impossible to change.” We also talk about developing resilience for staying with the discomfort that conversations about race and equity can bring up. Finally, we chat about Kelley's upcoming course, Race & Equity in Yoga, and let folks know what they can expect if they join. This week hear more about: How Kelley developed her upcoming course, Race & Equity: Disruption As A Practice How the demand for Kelley's work has shifted in the last 12 months How Kelley is feeling about her work, the current moment and our ongoing responsibility The importance of understanding the legacy of oppression that has benefited some and made it unsafe for some to exist The importance of knowing we can feel more than one thing at a time How the word unity is being co-opted in this moment How we can reclaim our imagination when thinking about social justice action and solutions How Kelley is shifting to honor what feels like the best use of her energy What to expect in Kelley's upcoming course, Race & Equity: Disruption As A Practice

In this episode, Amber Karnes talks with Cory Sterling of Conscious Counsel. Cory is a yoga teacher, practitioner, author, and an attorney, and he's here to answer all our legal questions! (Or most of them, probably.) As Cory will tell us in the podcast, law in 2021 means communicating your expectations openly and honestly with heart-leading documents written in plain language. In this episode, we'll talk about things like waivers, intellectual property, insurance, teaching online, LLCs, and much more. This week hear more about: The importance of using legal documents to clearly and honestly communicate expectations within our yoga spaces The importance of understanding your responsibility to students in your care The importance of understanding “the duty of care” and “the standard of care” The myth that waivers of liability do not protect teachers and studios The difference in responsibility for in person and virtual classes The difference between a waiver and a disclaimer for offering classes on different platforms How to legally create boundaries for consent for touch, assists and adjustments How to ethically navigate legal issues, complaints and accusations of harm The importance of finding the right insurance for you How different business structures offer different benefits and protections The difference between being an employee vs. a contractor

In this episode, Amber Karnes talks with Cory Sterling of Conscious Counsel. Cory is a yoga teacher, practitioner, author, and an attorney, and he's here to answer all our legal questions! (Or most of them, probably.) As Cory will tell us in the podcast, law in 2021 means communicating your expectations openly and honestly with heart-leading documents written in plain language. In this episode, we'll talk about things like waivers, intellectual property, insurance, teaching online, LLCs, and much more. This week hear more about: The importance of using legal documents to clearly and honestly communicate expectations within our yoga spaces The importance of understanding your responsibility to students in your care The importance of understanding “the duty of care” and “the standard of care” The myth that waivers of liability do not protect teachers and studios The difference in responsibility for in person and virtual classes The difference between a waiver and a disclaimer for offering classes on different platforms How to legally create boundaries for consent for touch, assists and adjustments How to ethically navigate legal issues, complaints and accusations of harm The importance of finding the right insurance for you How different business structures offer different benefits and protections The difference between being an employee vs. a contractor

In Episode 27, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down a few days after the attack on the US Capitol to dig into a personal conversation about race and the role they play in upholding white supremacy. They both share how the current events and political climate has impacted them and allowed them to do self study and tune into necessary self care. Amber and Jivana each talk about the importance of investigating how we are each upholding systems of oppression. This intimate conversation is an invitation to be mobilized towards action that supports a sustainable change. This week hear more about: How the attack on the US Capitol impacted Jivana and Amber How Amber centers care of self to ground and fortify The importance of being intentional with our media consumption The difference they noticed in how peaceful protesters have been treated at the US Capitol in contrast to what unfolded during the attack on the Capitol How Jivana was arrested while protesting at the US Capitol in the 90s Tools for grounding when anxiety, stress and sadness follow current events How support for Q'Anon within yoga communities is harmful The importance for white people to have uncomfortable conversations about race and injustice The importance of leaning out of guilt and centering action The importance of supporting the folks and organizations already doing the work instead of trying to lead change The importance of looking at your own daily life, community and practices to understand the power and privilege you might hold

In Episode 27, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down a few days after the attack on the US Capitol to dig into a personal conversation about race and the role they play in upholding white supremacy. They both share how the current events and political climate has impacted them and allowed them to do self study and tune into necessary self care. Amber and Jivana each talk about the importance of investigating how we are each upholding systems of oppression. This intimate conversation is an invitation to be mobilized towards action that supports a sustainable change. This week hear more about: How the attack on the US Capitol impacted Jivana and Amber How Amber centers care of self to ground and fortify The importance of being intentional with our media consumption The difference they noticed in how peaceful protesters have been treated at the US Capitol in contrast to what unfolded during the attack on the Capitol How Jivana was arrested while protesting at the US Capitol in the 90s Tools for grounding when anxiety, stress and sadness follow current events How support for Q'Anon within yoga communities is harmful The importance for white people to have uncomfortable conversations about race and injustice The importance of leaning out of guilt and centering action The importance of supporting the folks and organizations already doing the work instead of trying to lead change The importance of looking at your own daily life, community and practices to understand the power and privilege you might hold

In Episode 24, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down to answer questions submitted by our listeners and community. First, Jivana and Amber talk about the ways that we can offer accessible classes in the new virtual landscape while taking into consideration the impact of the pandemic on teaching yoga. Jivana shares a list of his favorite texts for studying yoga philosophy, and finally, Amber and Jivana give some tips on how to include philosophy and self-study in your classes. This conversation was an invitation for Amber and Jivana to answer questions from listeners and share some of their favorite learning resources. This week we explore: How they each feel about the pandemic's influence on the year and the pending vaccine How to support students with an accessible yoga class in the virtual landscape The importance of having grace and compassion for ourselves as teachers we learn to navigate the virtual teaching spaces The importance of making sure your class descriptions provide clear indications of things like who will be served, the types of movement and what they can expect from the class The importance of asking your students for feedback on the classes you offer as a learning tool The importance of continuing our studies of yoga philosophy How to build time into your class offerings for check ins, talking about the philosophy of this practice and cultivate a community learning space.

In Episode 24, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down to answer questions submitted by our listeners and community. First, Jivana and Amber talk about the ways that we can offer accessible classes in the new virtual landscape while taking into consideration the impact of the pandemic on teaching yoga. Jivana shares a list of his favorite texts for studying yoga philosophy, and finally, Amber and Jivana give some tips on how to include philosophy and self-study in your classes. This conversation was an invitation for Amber and Jivana to answer questions from listeners and share some of their favorite learning resources. This week we explore: How they each feel about the pandemic's influence on the year and the pending vaccine How to support students with an accessible yoga class in the virtual landscape The importance of having grace and compassion for ourselves as teachers we learn to navigate the virtual teaching spaces The importance of making sure your class descriptions provide clear indications of things like who will be served, the types of movement and what they can expect from the class The importance of asking your students for feedback on the classes you offer as a learning tool The importance of continuing our studies of yoga philosophy How to build time into your class offerings for check ins, talking about the philosophy of this practice and cultivate a community learning space.

In Episode 23 Amber Karnes sits down with Karin Carlson, yoga teacher, community advocate, and founder of Return Yoga. Through Return Yoga's teacher training program and community outreach, Karin and other local teachers work in domestic violence shelters, jails, youth crisis centers, mental health contexts, and substance abuse treatment centers. Karin and Amber jump into a conversation about the ways white folks do harm when they rush to diversify their studios without actually understanding or investigating the problem. Karin shares quite candidly about her experience of charity versus solidarity and the ways it continues to cause harm in under-resourced communities. This conversation invites us all to consider how we build truly authentic communities, sustainable movements for change, and work in solidarity with communities outside of our own. This week we explore: How activism was ignited in her home city of Minneapolis and exposed harm from the local yoga community and a lack of awareness about the role white folks in those spaces should play in community care How harm occurs when we rush to “fix” a problem in a community we are not apart of and do not fully understand the problem and our role to play in coming up with solutions The importance of understanding the difference between solidarity and charity How the yoga community still focuses on the business of making money instead of equitable solutions and real shifts in culture The importance of learning to sit with discomfort, grief and other strong feelings, especially for white people How the attention once focused on social change have shifted and lost momentum as the pandemic continues The importance of understanding how “whiteness” causes harm to BIPOC communities around this country How important it is to ask “How can I be of service?” and listen to the answer from the communities we wish to serve How Karin went about creating a community to share this practice with through authenticity and honoring her lineage How Karin developed her “Anti 200 Hour” program How the pandemic is going to permanently shift how yoga and yoga teacher trainings are being offered How Karin has been able to develop community connection in virtual spaces

In Episode 23 Amber Karnes sits down with Karin Carlson, yoga teacher, community advocate, and founder of Return Yoga. Through Return Yoga's teacher training program and community outreach, Karin and other local teachers work in domestic violence shelters, jails, youth crisis centers, mental health contexts, and substance abuse treatment centers. Karin and Amber jump into a conversation about the ways white folks do harm when they rush to diversify their studios without actually understanding or investigating the problem. Karin shares quite candidly about her experience of charity versus solidarity and the ways it continues to cause harm in under-resourced communities. This conversation invites us all to consider how we build truly authentic communities, sustainable movements for change, and work in solidarity with communities outside of our own. This week we explore: How activism was ignited in her home city of Minneapolis and exposed harm from the local yoga community and a lack of awareness about the role white folks in those spaces should play in community care How harm occurs when we rush to “fix” a problem in a community we are not apart of and do not fully understand the problem and our role to play in coming up with solutions The importance of understanding the difference between solidarity and charity How the yoga community still focuses on the business of making money instead of equitable solutions and real shifts in culture The importance of learning to sit with discomfort, grief and other strong feelings, especially for white people How the attention once focused on social change have shifted and lost momentum as the pandemic continues The importance of understanding how “whiteness” causes harm to BIPOC communities around this country How important it is to ask “How can I be of service?” and listen to the answer from the communities we wish to serve How Karin went about creating a community to share this practice with through authenticity and honoring her lineage How Karin developed her “Anti 200 Hour” program How the pandemic is going to permanently shift how yoga and yoga teacher trainings are being offered How Karin has been able to develop community connection in virtual spaces

In Episode 21 Amber Karnes welcomes Francesca Cervero, private yoga teacher and teacher's mentor. Francesca gives insight into how she built her career and offerings as a teacher and mentor. Amber and Francesca discuss the ways we build trust, depth and understanding for ourselves and our students on the journey of self discovery using the tools of this practice. This conversation holds space for us to examine the ways teachers can empower and educate our students in group and private yoga and wellness spaces. This week we explore: How Francesca grew her teaching practice and business How Francesca started mentoring other teachers How Francesa created her podcast How students and teachers can benefit from ongoing private sessions How supporting students can expand our perspectives as teachers How to build a supportive teaching practice to best serve your students How to build a trusting bond with students The importance of inquiry vs aesthetics in teaching physical posture How to re-imagine progress for ourselves and our students How to empower and educate students beyond the physical accomplishments often attached to this practice in current yoga culture. The importance of observing students during practice, instead of practicing alongside them How Francesca shifted to virtual teaching in response to COVID-19 and how it has impacted/shifted her offerings

In Episode 21 Amber Karnes welcomes Francesca Cervero, private yoga teacher and teacher's mentor. Francesca gives insight into how she built her career and offerings as a teacher and mentor. Amber and Francesca discuss the ways we build trust, depth and understanding for ourselves and our students on the journey of self discovery using the tools of this practice. This conversation holds space for us to examine the ways teachers can empower and educate our students in group and private yoga and wellness spaces. This week we explore: How Francesca grew her teaching practice and business How Francesca started mentoring other teachers How Francesa created her podcast How students and teachers can benefit from ongoing private sessions How supporting students can expand our perspectives as teachers How to build a supportive teaching practice to best serve your students How to build a trusting bond with students The importance of inquiry vs aesthetics in teaching physical posture How to re-imagine progress for ourselves and our students How to empower and educate students beyond the physical accomplishments often attached to this practice in current yoga culture. The importance of observing students during practice, instead of practicing alongside them How Francesca shifted to virtual teaching in response to COVID-19 and how it has impacted/shifted her offerings

In Episode 20 Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit to talk about chair yoga and how it can be used as a tool to democratize asana practice. We begin with a conversation about how lineage and “guru culture” are shifting as abuse is being revealed. Jivana and Amber also talk about the way dominant culture conflates health and wellness as a basis for a human being's worth and value. They each share about the ways that this belief keeps folks from understanding the potential of chair yoga and creates more ableism in our yoga spaces. The conversation also talks in depth about how chair yoga can be used to serve folks in diverse bodies who have different needs from the physical practice. This week we explore: How the end of “Guru culture” through the revealing of ongoing abuse is shifting yoga culture How we continue to have a collective focus on extreme physical asana How Amber thinks about her learning lineage in yoga How Jivana thinks about his Guru and lineage How toxic diet culture and dominant culture have influenced who we see as an expert or “yoga celebrity” How props like chairs are still seen as less than in mainstream yoga spaces How we uphold health as the basis for value in others, on and off of the mat How the sutras talk about our care, feelings and thought about our bodies The importance of creating right relationship with our body and spirit through acceptance How to easy use a chair to make the other limbs of the practice accessible to anyone How the chair can be used as a prop to support postures, making them more accessible This week's question: What is the right relationship with your body?

In Episode 20 Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit to talk about chair yoga and how it can be used as a tool to democratize asana practice. We begin with a conversation about how lineage and “guru culture” are shifting as abuse is being revealed. Jivana and Amber also talk about the way dominant culture conflates health and wellness as a basis for a human being's worth and value. They each share about the ways that this belief keeps folks from understanding the potential of chair yoga and creates more ableism in our yoga spaces. The conversation also talks in depth about how chair yoga can be used to serve folks in diverse bodies who have different needs from the physical practice. This week we explore: How the end of “Guru culture” through the revealing of ongoing abuse is shifting yoga culture How we continue to have a collective focus on extreme physical asana How Amber thinks about her learning lineage in yoga How Jivana thinks about his Guru and lineage How toxic diet culture and dominant culture have influenced who we see as an expert or “yoga celebrity” How props like chairs are still seen as less than in mainstream yoga spaces How we uphold health as the basis for value in others, on and off of the mat How the sutras talk about our care, feelings and thought about our bodies The importance of creating right relationship with our body and spirit through acceptance How to easy use a chair to make the other limbs of the practice accessible to anyone How the chair can be used as a prop to support postures, making them more accessible This week's question: What is the right relationship with your body?

In Episode 19 Amber Karnes sits down with Pamela Stokes-Eggleston. Pamela is a published author, stress management consultant, wellness resilience expert, national speaker, and sleep wellness coach. She founded Yoga2Sleep due to her challenges with insomnia and secondary post-traumatic stress. Pamela goes into deep detail about how her own life experiences led her to focus on the connections between yoga, sleep, and supporting veterans and their families. Pamela shares about the importance of tapping into what she calls “tiny bits of joy.” Join Amber and Pamela for this conversation that invites us to each use this practice to serve others. This week we explore: How Pamela created Yoga 2 Sleep and came to this work from her own experience with sleep disorders The importance of sleep for our overall wellness and ability to navigate stress How common it is for folks to navigate sleep disorders How Pamela came to focus on working with veterans How Pamela's experience as a military spouse brought her back to her yoga practice and led to her being a teacher How Pamela saw yoga serving veterans and their families How working with veterans taught Pamela about the needs of caregivers and families of wounded veterans How we can build small practices into our daily lives to support our stress and responsibilities How this practice holds the space to embody resilience and strength in a sustainable way The question, “What are you prepared to do?”

In Episode 19 Amber Karnes sits down with Pamela Stokes-Eggleston. Pamela is a published author, stress management consultant, wellness resilience expert, national speaker, and sleep wellness coach. She founded Yoga2Sleep due to her challenges with insomnia and secondary post-traumatic stress. Pamela goes into deep detail about how her own life experiences led her to focus on the connections between yoga, sleep, and supporting veterans and their families. Pamela shares about the importance of tapping into what she calls “tiny bits of joy.” Join Amber and Pamela for this conversation that invites us to each use this practice to serve others. This week we explore: How Pamela created Yoga 2 Sleep and came to this work from her own experience with sleep disorders The importance of sleep for our overall wellness and ability to navigate stress How common it is for folks to navigate sleep disorders How Pamela came to focus on working with veterans How Pamela's experience as a military spouse brought her back to her yoga practice and led to her being a teacher How Pamela saw yoga serving veterans and their families How working with veterans taught Pamela about the needs of caregivers and families of wounded veterans How we can build small practices into our daily lives to support our stress and responsibilities How this practice holds the space to embody resilience and strength in a sustainable way The question, “What are you prepared to do?”

In this episode of The BEYOND YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Podcast, Sandy has a conversation with guest Shanna Small about the impact of structure and discipline within the yoga practice and our lives. Shanna Small s a writer and Yoga teacher who speaks to the intersectionality of Yoga and social justice. She has practiced Ashtanga Yoga and studied the Yoga Sutras since 2001. She has studied in Mysore with Sharath Jois. Shanna finds joy in making the Ashtanga practice accessible for all. She studied with Amber Karnes and Dianne Bondy and is Yoga For All certified. She is a regular contributor for Yoga International, OmStars, and the Ashtanga Dispatch. She teaches diversity and inclusivity as well as accessibility training and workshops. She is a founding member of the Yoga For Recovery Foundation, a non-profit that helps those recovering from addiction, trauma, and systemic oppression. For information on workshops, please e-mail shanna@ashtangayogaproject.com https://ashtangayogaproject.com/blog/ IG: wellness_yogini --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sandy-raper/support

In Episode 18 Amber Karnes sits down to chat with Kimberly Dark, a writer, professor and teacher who works to reveal the hidden architecture of everyday life so that we can reclaim our power as social creators. Amber and Kimberly talk about the bias present in us all and how to begin unpacking the biases we hold that do harm, especially in regards to bodies and their variations. Kimberly shares the importance of being open to discomfort as a gateway to embodied learning and culture shifting. Kimberly also talks richly about the ways we can honor our lived experiences and the fullness of who we are. This candid conversation between Amber and Kimberley invites us all to lean heavily into our own discomfort in the service of creating a better world. This week hear more about: How Amber and Kimberly met at a retreat Kimberly offers The importance of learning to accept the presence of bias The power of unpacking the cultural biases that dehumanize us all How healing spaces can ignore the intersections of identity, bias and accessibility The importance of unpacking the systems of oppression in our lived experiences How to navigate call-ins and critiques of our work with self study and clarity The invitations available in Kimberly's new book “Fat, Pretty and Soon To Be Old” How we as teachers can learn from the students who show up in our classes How social change happens over time and not in one moment How the idea of resilience has been commodified and warped How we model humanity for others, like our children and the importance of honoring all of who we are and what we experience Exploring the question “How do you rest?”

In Episode 18 Amber Karnes sits down to chat with Kimberly Dark, a writer, professor and teacher who works to reveal the hidden architecture of everyday life so that we can reclaim our power as social creators. Amber and Kimberly talk about the bias present in us all and how to begin unpacking the biases we hold that do harm, especially in regards to bodies and their variations. Kimberly shares the importance of being open to discomfort as a gateway to embodied learning and culture shifting. Kimberly also talks richly about the ways we can honor our lived experiences and the fullness of who we are. This candid conversation between Amber and Kimberley invites us all to lean heavily into our own discomfort in the service of creating a better world. This week hear more about: How Amber and Kimberly met at a retreat Kimberly offers The importance of learning to accept the presence of bias The power of unpacking the cultural biases that dehumanize us all How healing spaces can ignore the intersections of identity, bias and accessibility The importance of unpacking the systems of oppression in our lived experiences How to navigate call-ins and critiques of our work with self study and clarity The invitations available in Kimberly's new book “Fat, Pretty and Soon To Be Old” How we as teachers can learn from the students who show up in our classes How social change happens over time and not in one moment How the idea of resilience has been commodified and warped How we model humanity for others, like our children and the importance of honoring all of who we are and what we experience Exploring the question “How do you rest?”

In the latest episode of the Yoga Show with Lindsay Tucker (@linds.tucker), we chat with November/December cover yogi, Amber Karnes (@amberkarnesofficial) -- founder of Body Positive Yoga (bodypositiveyoga.com) -- about re-thinking oppressive systems and why yoga is for all bodies. 

In Episode 13, Jivana Heyman interviews Amber Karnes about her upcoming course, Making Peace With Your Body. Amber shares openly about why she chose to do this work and how this work is intertwined in her own experience as a fat person. This conversation talks about the toxic nature of diet culture, the harm inflicted on folks in larger bodies within the medical industrial complex, and the ways dominant culture devalues folks in bigger bodies. Amber shares about how we can divest ourselves from diet culture and lean into our personal power, and what body image work has to do with social justice. In this episode we dig in about: Why Amber began this work How Amber came to identify as fat How the medical industrial complex treats folks in larger bodies How diet culture shapes our wellness and yoga spaces. How we systems of oppression influence dieet culture and our widely held beauty standards How we each hold a hierarchy of bodies that devalue those in bigger bodies How all of the devaluation of larger bodies trickles down to influence the distribution of resources How fatphobia shows up in the decisions we make about food, dieting and wellness How much time and energy we put into trying to fix ourselves and fit into beauty standards How we can lean out of toxic diet culture and reclaim our personal power How we can heal the relationship we have with ourselves How disrupting toxic diet culture is a part of dismantling white supremacy and other systems of oppression How Amber's new course will work and what to expect Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: What would you do with all the resources (money, energy, time, etc.) that you have spent on trying to fix yourself and your body if you could get it back?

In Episode 13, Jivana Heyman interviews Amber Karnes about her upcoming course, Making Peace With Your Body. Amber shares openly about why she chose to do this work and how this work is intertwined in her own experience as a fat person. This conversation talks about the toxic nature of diet culture, the harm inflicted on folks in larger bodies within the medical industrial complex, and the ways dominant culture devalues folks in bigger bodies. Amber shares about how we can divest ourselves from diet culture and lean into our personal power, and what body image work has to do with social justice. In this episode we dig in about: Why Amber began this work How Amber came to identify as fat How the medical industrial complex treats folks in larger bodies How diet culture shapes our wellness and yoga spaces. How we systems of oppression influence dieet culture and our widely held beauty standards How we each hold a hierarchy of bodies that devalue those in bigger bodies How all of the devaluation of larger bodies trickles down to influence the distribution of resources How fatphobia shows up in the decisions we make about food, dieting and wellness How much time and energy we put into trying to fix ourselves and fit into beauty standards How we can lean out of toxic diet culture and reclaim our personal power How we can heal the relationship we have with ourselves How disrupting toxic diet culture is a part of dismantling white supremacy and other systems of oppression How Amber's new course will work and what to expect Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: What would you do with all the resources (money, energy, time, etc.) that you have spent on trying to fix yourself and your body if you could get it back?

In episode 11, Jivana Heyman and Amber Karnes sit down to discuss their individual journeys with anxiety. They both share the ways yoga has been helpful and discuss what has not served them. This conversation holds the space to normalize the fact that we are all navigating anxiety and that some of us are navigating anxiety disorders. Jivana, who is writing a new book, felt it was important to have this conversation, giving a space for him to share authentically about his journey through grief and anxiety. In this episode Jivana shares deeply about reshaping his practice diving deeply into self exploration as a way to learn to accept the role anxiety plays in his life. Amber also talks in depth about how yoga gave her new tools to navigate her thoughts, patterns and negative self-talk. The importance of stepping away from technology for our wellness How we can create space for our wellness practices to honor the lives we are living How we can drop the stigma of discussing mental illness How the death of Jivana's mother triggered an emergency anxiety attack How being a yogi doesn't not exclude us from navigating anxiety How navigating anxiety has reshaped Jivana's personal practice and his new book How teaching brought Jivana back to his personal practice The importance of allowing others to teach and lead us as teachers How the practice holds space for us to feel our feelings How we can lean into creativity and avoid cultural appropriation How wellness communities lean into ableism in the face of mental health conversations How to navigate negative self talk within our practice Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: How do you remain respectful of the traditions of yoga and make it accessible? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In episode 11, Jivana Heyman and Amber Karnes sit down to discuss their individual journeys with anxiety. They both share the ways yoga has been helpful and discuss what has not served them. This conversation holds the space to normalize the fact that we are all navigating anxiety and that some of us are navigating anxiety disorders. Jivana, who is writing a new book, felt it was important to have this conversation, giving a space for him to share authentically about his journey through grief and anxiety. In this episode Jivana shares deeply about reshaping his practice diving deeply into self exploration as a way to learn to accept the role anxiety plays in his life. Amber also talks in depth about how yoga gave her new tools to navigate her thoughts, patterns and negative self-talk. The importance of stepping away from technology for our wellness How we can create space for our wellness practices to honor the lives we are living How we can drop the stigma of discussing mental illness How the death of Jivana's mother triggered an emergency anxiety attack How being a yogi doesn't not exclude us from navigating anxiety How navigating anxiety has reshaped Jivana's personal practice and his new book How teaching brought Jivana back to his personal practice The importance of allowing others to teach and lead us as teachers How the practice holds space for us to feel our feelings How we can lean into creativity and avoid cultural appropriation How wellness communities lean into ableism in the face of mental health conversations How to navigate negative self talk within our practice Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: How do you remain respectful of the traditions of yoga and make it accessible? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

“I'm not going into my practice to look for a way out of life, but a way in...to experience the fullness of my life.” -Jivana Heyman In episode 7 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman talk about duality—the up and down, light and dark, "both/and" nature of life. We talk about how attachment to outcomes and the stories we tell ourselves keep us in a place of suffering, and the antidote to that (spoiler alert, it's non-attachment and acceptance). We discuss personal experiences and practical ways that we each work with our emotions and grief in our yoga practice. We also talk about the danger of spiritual bypass and how embracing the fullness of our human experience honors the yoga teachings and helps us accept ourselves as we are. In episode 7, Amber & Jivana discuss: How we are holding opposing truths at the same time and why accepting reality as it is helps us suffer less How social media gets us stuck in comparison and the tricks our brain does to try to protect us Jivana talks about how his mom's death led to exploring his emotions as part of his yoga practice Amber talks about how being grounded in non-attachment helped her cope with the huge grief and changes to her life and business post-COVID How to use your yoga practice to make friends with your mind, rather than trying to control or discipline your mind How Jivana's journey of fatherhood and parenting his children helped him learn to give himself the tender compassion he gave his children Amber talks about a step-by-step way that she processes big emotions like anger Jivana discusses how he works with emotions in his meditation practice How spiritual bypass and “good vibes only” ignore the reality of life and stop us from When we use our yoga practice only for self, we miss a huge opportunity to realize our interconnectedness and honor the depth of the practice and our humanity Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: Are you willing to accept all aspects of yourself? And if not, why? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

“I'm not going into my practice to look for a way out of life, but a way in...to experience the fullness of my life.” -Jivana Heyman In episode 7 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman talk about duality—the up and down, light and dark, "both/and" nature of life. We talk about how attachment to outcomes and the stories we tell ourselves keep us in a place of suffering, and the antidote to that (spoiler alert, it's non-attachment and acceptance). We discuss personal experiences and practical ways that we each work with our emotions and grief in our yoga practice. We also talk about the danger of spiritual bypass and how embracing the fullness of our human experience honors the yoga teachings and helps us accept ourselves as we are. In episode 7, Amber & Jivana discuss: How we are holding opposing truths at the same time and why accepting reality as it is helps us suffer less How social media gets us stuck in comparison and the tricks our brain does to try to protect us Jivana talks about how his mom's death led to exploring his emotions as part of his yoga practice Amber talks about how being grounded in non-attachment helped her cope with the huge grief and changes to her life and business post-COVID How to use your yoga practice to make friends with your mind, rather than trying to control or discipline your mind How Jivana's journey of fatherhood and parenting his children helped him learn to give himself the tender compassion he gave his children Amber talks about a step-by-step way that she processes big emotions like anger Jivana discusses how he works with emotions in his meditation practice How spiritual bypass and “good vibes only” ignore the reality of life and stop us from When we use our yoga practice only for self, we miss a huge opportunity to realize our interconnectedness and honor the depth of the practice and our humanity Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: Are you willing to accept all aspects of yourself? And if not, why? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

Episode 5 Show Notes In episode 5 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Justine Mastin discuss: Justine's yoga story: how she got started, what brought her back to the practice, and how she finally found her community at a comic book convention Why the geek community saw barriers to accessing wellness and how Justine came up with the idea for YogaQuest What to expect from a YogaQuest class, a narrative yoga class based in fandom stories Why representation is important for folks who are traditionally left out of wellness spaces Specific ways Justine created her yoga spaces to be more welcoming to folks from the geek community How Justine stays in inquiry around cultural appropriation and how YogaQuest is like yoga-fanfic Narrative therapy and the power of stories to question social norms and create the lives we imagine Justine's upcoming book and how it helps us to question social norms through the lens of pop culture Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Justine poses a 2-part question: What is the story of my life? Who are the important supporting characters? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

Episode 5 Show Notes In episode 5 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Justine Mastin discuss: Justine's yoga story: how she got started, what brought her back to the practice, and how she finally found her community at a comic book convention Why the geek community saw barriers to accessing wellness and how Justine came up with the idea for YogaQuest What to expect from a YogaQuest class, a narrative yoga class based in fandom stories Why representation is important for folks who are traditionally left out of wellness spaces Specific ways Justine created her yoga spaces to be more welcoming to folks from the geek community How Justine stays in inquiry around cultural appropriation and how YogaQuest is like yoga-fanfic Narrative therapy and the power of stories to question social norms and create the lives we imagine Justine's upcoming book and how it helps us to question social norms through the lens of pop culture Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Justine poses a 2-part question: What is the story of my life? Who are the important supporting characters? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In Episode 3 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman discuss the responsibility of yoga teachers to have a commitment to accessibility in their group classes and how we can't let ourselves off the hook by saying, “I'm just not the teacher for everyone.” In this episode, we discuss: Making a commitment to accessibility and how that's different from trying to please everyone The importance of creating a culture of permission and safety in our learning spaces When a “safe space” for some feels unsafe for others, how we can hear difficult truths without getting defensive Are you giving yourself a pass by saying, “I'm not the teacher for everyone.” The commitment of yoga teachers to creating equitable learning environments Creating a culture of safety and openness where students can feel safe in their bodies Shifting from the role of a fitness instructor to a guide who holds space for our students transformation Being open to inquiry takes the pressure off us to have all the answers and helps us play to our strengths as yoga teachers Shifting away from a physical focus toward the subtler teachings of yoga transforms the way a group yoga class looks Thoughts on “advanced” practice and trauma-informed teaching Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we are sitting with this question: What does having an “advanced yoga practice” mean to you? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In Episode 3 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman discuss the responsibility of yoga teachers to have a commitment to accessibility in their group classes and how we can't let ourselves off the hook by saying, “I'm just not the teacher for everyone.” In this episode, we discuss: Making a commitment to accessibility and how that's different from trying to please everyone The importance of creating a culture of permission and safety in our learning spaces When a “safe space” for some feels unsafe for others, how we can hear difficult truths without getting defensive Are you giving yourself a pass by saying, “I'm not the teacher for everyone.” The commitment of yoga teachers to creating equitable learning environments Creating a culture of safety and openness where students can feel safe in their bodies Shifting from the role of a fitness instructor to a guide who holds space for our students transformation Being open to inquiry takes the pressure off us to have all the answers and helps us play to our strengths as yoga teachers Shifting away from a physical focus toward the subtler teachings of yoga transforms the way a group yoga class looks Thoughts on “advanced” practice and trauma-informed teaching Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we are sitting with this question: What does having an “advanced yoga practice” mean to you? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In Episode 2, Amber Karnes interviews Kelley Palmer, writer, yoga teacher, wellness advocate, and community organizer. In this episode: Kelley introduces herself, talks about how she came to yoga, and explains why social justice has been part of her practice from the beginning How Kelley began teaching yoga and how that was informed by the way anti-blackness shows up in wellness How yoga spaces often mirror the harm that exists in society for folks with marginalized identities The responsibility of studio owners when it comes to social justice and dismantling white supremacy, fatphobia, ableism, homophobia, etc. How we miss the barriers that prevent marginalized folks feeling welcome in a space (especially when that yoga space feels like a “safe space” to some of us) How the conditioning of whiteness keeps us stuck from taking action toward justice Practical ways that folks can redistribute resources or power within our yoga spaces Taking the transactional nature out of our relationships Ways to notice (and dismantle) gatekeeping practices in your yoga spaces Shifting our mindset from a lens of individualism and fear to a focus on the collective and community care Kelley's upcoming course: Race & Equity in Yoga: Disruption As a Practice will be a space for self-inquiry and unpacking our responsibilities toward race equity, yoga, social justice, and more Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Kelley poses a 2-part question: When you think about working toward equity, justice, and liberation, what are you willing to release? What are the obstacles you perceive to releasing those things? Connect with kelley: kelley nicole palmer: Website | Instagram

In Episode 2, Amber Karnes interviews Kelley Palmer, writer, yoga teacher, wellness advocate, and community organizer. In this episode: Kelley introduces herself, talks about how she came to yoga, and explains why social justice has been part of her practice from the beginning How Kelley began teaching yoga and how that was informed by the way anti-blackness shows up in wellness How yoga spaces often mirror the harm that exists in society for folks with marginalized identities The responsibility of studio owners when it comes to social justice and dismantling white supremacy, fatphobia, ableism, homophobia, etc. How we miss the barriers that prevent marginalized folks feeling welcome in a space (especially when that yoga space feels like a “safe space” to some of us) How the conditioning of whiteness keeps us stuck from taking action toward justice Practical ways that folks can redistribute resources or power within our yoga spaces Taking the transactional nature out of our relationships Ways to notice (and dismantle) gatekeeping practices in your yoga spaces Shifting our mindset from a lens of individualism and fear to a focus on the collective and community care Kelley's upcoming course: Race & Equity in Yoga: Disruption As a Practice will be a space for self-inquiry and unpacking our responsibilities toward race equity, yoga, social justice, and more Today's inquiry Each week we'll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Kelley poses a 2-part question: When you think about working toward equity, justice, and liberation, what are you willing to release? What are the obstacles you perceive to releasing those things? Get show notes, downloads, and transcripts at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.