Over the past decade, there has been a welcome push towards a more inclusive approach to yoga. But what does that look like on a practical level? Jivana Heyman has been at the center of the accessible yoga movement as the founder of the Accessible Yoga Project and the author of The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga, Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body. In this episode, Jivana shares an anti-perfectionist approach to accessible yoga that centers the relationship between teacher and student. The conversation delves into insecurities and imposter syndrome, the interplay between teach ..read more

Series classes deepen your relationship with your students, helps them commit to their practice, and provides financial stability for you as the teacher. Nyk Danu, a certified yoga therapist and business mentor, shares her insights on creating a sustainable yoga teaching business through a registered series. Listen in to hear practical advice on setting up your series, handling logistics like space rental and insurance, and filling your series classes. Nyk also touches on considerations for yoga studio owners thinking about transitioning to a registered series. If you value teacher-student con ..read more

Yoga is for everyone, but when people of varied physical abilities show up in the same class it can be difficult to meet all their needs at the same time. In this episode, Mado and Libby offer a framework for understanding why your students might struggle with a particular asana and how to offer variations that provide a similar experience to people with different physical abilities.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 00:00 Why teaching mixed ability yoga classes is harder than it needs to be 02:49 How to plan for an all levels class 03:35 Understanding progression and regression 04:46 Four reasons a ..read more

Laura reached out for help to increase enrollment in her online classes. Despite her success in drawing people to her global retreats, she struggles to fill her online series and workshops. In this conversation, we discuss strategies to improve sign-ups for online offerings. Some of the ideas we consider include positioning online classes as 'extensions' of the retreat experiences, frequency and timing of communication, incentives for retreat participants, and the importance of urgency in online sign-ups. We then created a plan to convert her current library membership into something that migh ..read more

Johanna is a new yoga teacher who struggles to lead her yoga class without physically practicing along with her students. Mado helps her unpack why she wants to develop this skill and provides simple strategies to build her ability to cue without practicing along with the class. Along the way, they explore internal vs external motivation and learning to trust your inner voice.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 02:17 Johanna's journey to becoming a yoga teacher 06:25 Why Johanna struggles to teach without practicing along 07:42 The conflict between internal and external motivation 12:22 How people ple ..read more

Transitioning from in-person classes to online can shake up every aspect of your teaching. When Lily Dwyer Begg dove headfirst into this process, she found greater clarity in her voice and a blossoming creative potential in her teaching. In this episode, Lily shares advice for the art of teaching yoga online including demonstration, verbal cues, class planning, and how to substitute direct touch. She also reveals some of the challenges and opportunities that arose when she stopped teaching at studios and started running her own platform.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 00:00 Introduction 00:53 A co ..read more

Learn the nuts and bolts of setting up an online yoga studio. Despite describing herself as a 'Luddite', Lily started teaching online when in-person classes shut down during COVID. She found that online teaching allowed her to teach fewer classes, increase her income, and boost her creativity. In this episode, she shares practical advice on optimizing audio and visual quality, choosing clothing for online classes, and using editing tools to refine recorded classes.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 00:00 Introduction to online teaching 01:02 How Lily transitioned to teaching online during COVID 03:19 ..read more

Have you heard of “nocebic” language? Learn the way our brains react to expectations, why it’s important to notice fear based language and how to transform your words to empower your students.   Episode Highlights:  How to help your students feel confident and inspired to be in charge of their bodies The importance of looking for what’s right instead of what’s wrong Scope of practice and boundaries in the yoga class setting Psychological and physiological power of messaging in yoga What you can do to nip fear based language in the bud How learning anatomy helps yoga teachers evaluat ..read more

Learn how to incorporate self-massage into your own yoga practice and your yoga classes to build awareness, familiarize yourself with sensation and guide your nervous system toward relaxation.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:  What you need to know before bringing self-massage into your classes Sequencing and how to teach a class or workshop with therapy balls  Risks, cautions and contraindications associated with self-massage The difference between intensity and pain Self-massage as a tool to learn anatomy   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Libby Hinsley Anatomy Bites Follow Libby on ..read more

Collaborating with other yoga teachers can be inspiring and fun - but it can also be a big disaster. Get a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a collaboration successful, when you should partner with someone on a project, and how to choose the right person to collaborate with.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:  A discussion of imposter syndrome, comparison, and motivations behind partnerships  When and why choosing to collaborate on a project is a good idea Finding the right person to collaborate with  How partnerships help facilitate productivity and growth in your business  Wh ..read more