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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.
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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! 😬
Learn More From Ethan via his socials below:
Instagram
Threads
YouTube
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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
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How to teach yoga in a trauma sensitive way is a conversation that floods mainstream yoga spaces these days. And with good reason; almost everyperson in the world has had some experience of trauma, so our yoga classes are filled with people who have had exposure to trauma.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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”
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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”
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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
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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)
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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!)
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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
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