Yogaland Podcast

We're introducing another weekly episode into your feed -- it's a less scripted, more casual conversation we're calling Yoga-ish. Just like it sounds, it will be about yoga, but not only about yoga. Because, as we always say, yoga isn’t just about poses; it’s a lens through which we view life. This week! We share Mike Tyson's unexpected wisdom, the quirky joys of our bedtime routine, what made (sort of) Jason cry last week, and how we're currently attempting to respond to the craziness of our social media feeds post-election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The morning after the US Presidential election last week, Jason woke up and had to teach his 300-hour teacher training students. As soon as he finished the call, he told me how difficult to stay focused on teach. Out of that experience came this podcast, where Jason shares two things: His own personal history with politics (and how it has always been separate from his yoga practice) as well as advice for teaching yoga during turbulent times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On last week's episode, we talked about the importance of "putting yourself out there" as a yoga teacher. But most of us genuinely struggle to do this. So, today's episode struggles on embracing the vulnerability that naturally comes with teaching yoga. Jason shares his insights and stories to help you build resilience or, as he says, "become an empath with thick skin." Also, coming up! Jason's 100-hour module -- Shoulders, Neck, & Upper Back starts in just a few days. Get more info at: jasonyoga.com/300 And if you are interested in becoming a yoga teacher, Jason's 200-hour is happening and now's the time to lock in the early bird price. Get more in here: jasonyoga.com/200 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's the good news: There are many different ways to build a sustainable career as a yoga teacher. The not so good news? There are so many different ways to spend your time and energy that it can be overwhelming. As yoga business owners ourselves, we feel this deeply. On this episode, we hone in on the most essential steps to take when building your yoga business. Reminders: jasonyoga.com/300jasonyoga.com/200 For links and podcasts mentioned in this episode, go to the shownotes page: yogalandpodcast.com/episode341 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're considering doing a 200-hour yoga teacher training, this episode is a must-listen. Jason answers the most common questions to consider so that you select the right training for you. Listen to this episode to get the most out of your 200-hour teacher training experience! We talk about: Jason will be offering his online 200-hour yoga teacher training in January 2025. To learn more and to lock in the early bird price: jasonyoga.com/200 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feeling overwhelmed with sequencing is one of the biggest challenges that most teachers face. Even worse, it leads to burnout and lack of confidence. On this episode, Jason breaks down the 5 essential keys to help you focus your sequences, build confidence, and feel greater joy teaching your classes. Highlights: 1:08 -- Yoga Sequencing Template 8:45 -- The Importance of Consistency 15:56 -- Anchor with Focal Points 21:29 -- Simplify your Sequences 26:44 -- Trust Yourself We have tons of free sequencing content, including past podcasts, YouTube tutorials, and home practice sequences on our web site here: jasonyoga.com/blog/yoga-sequences/ Jason also offers a self-paced online course, The Art of Yoga Sequencing, which you can learn about at: jasonyoga.com/sequencing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you go through challenging times in life, does your usual yoga practice go out the window? For most of us, the answer is a begrudging, "yep." And yet, we need our yoga and meditation and self-care practices the most when life gets tough. On this episode, Jason and I chat about how we adapt our practice (and add to it), to help create the support, awareness, and safety we need to move through the inevitable hard patches of life. You can find shownotes with resources on this episode at: yogalandpodcast.com/episode337 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Gail Parker joins me on the podcast this week! Gail is a psychologist, yoga educator, and author of two companion books that center restorative yoga as a potent healing modality for ethnic and race-based trauma. These books are incredible and have taught me so much, which is why I wanted to share them with you. Here are a few things I learned from the books and this conversation with Gail: not When we attempt to learn about racism and race-based trauma, we can (hopefully) make our yoga spaces more welcoming and inclusive! Thank you for listening and go to the shownotes for Gail's books: yogalandpodcast.com/episode336 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason joins me on this episode, where we delve into the practice of letting go. We talk about the many instances where the concept of letting go appears in yoga philosophy, why it's beneficial, and what is required before we endeavor to let go. We also share our personal journeys toward cultivating emotional maturity, surrender, and resilience in the face of life's challenges. Highlights: 02:37 The Art of Letting Go 03:08 Core Strength and Yoga Philosophy 10:48 The Concept of Surrender in Yoga 16:13 Practical Applications of Letting Go 22:42 The Importance of Inner Safety 25:31 Exploring the Sensation of Safety in Yoga 26:05 Meditation and Inner Resilience 26:50 Community and Mindfulness 28:20 The Mental Game in Yoga Poses 31:43 Present Moment Awareness 34:59 Letting Go of Future Worries 37:44 Personal Stories of Letting Go 43:24 Challenges of Aging and Physical Limitations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this solo podcast, Jason shares a roadmap for making a sustainable living as a yoga teacher. He breaks down the importance of yoga teacher training in your career development, the importance of learning to teach higher ticket offerings, and the best ways to develop and maintain a consistent student base. Highlights: Train with Jason's Yoga Alliance accredited trainings! Enroll in his 300-Hour YTT: jasonyoga.com/300 Hone your sequencing with Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing: jasonyoga.com/sequencing The last yoga anatomy course you will need to take! Essential Yoga Anatomy: jasonyoga.com/anatomy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason joins me on this episode to talk about the challenges of making a living as a yoga teacher and how he has managed those challenges over the past 30 years. There have been many twists and turns and even some failures. We give you a peek behind the curtain of his career, honing in on 6 pivotal moments and what Jason learned from them. Related to this episode! Next week Jason is hosting a webinar where he shares his roadmap how to make it as a yoga teacher. You can sign up for this free webinar at www.jasonyoga.com/webinar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Giana Gambino and Bradshaw Wish of CAYA Yoga School join me this week to talk all things yoga retreats! These two have come together to create a dream-team when it comes to retreats -- they offer several domestic and international retreats per year (look for their 2025 retreat in Italy) and they've honed their process. They generously share all of their secrets in this conversation. We cover: You can get to know Giana and Bradshaw better on their podcast A Funny Thing About Yoga I'll put links to their retreats and yoga school on the shownotes page here: yogalandpodcast.com/episode332 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn how to improve your Camel Pose (Ustrasana) and help your students go deeper. This episode breaks down how to make the lower back, knees, and neck more comfortable in this posture. It also outlines the best cues to help everyone feel stronger, more flexible, and more comfortable in this backbend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Practicing--and teaching--Down Dog the same way every time leads to diminishing returns and stale cues. This episode breaks down 5 ways to improve Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) to focus on opening your shoulders, opening your hips, stretching your hamstrings, stretching your calves and more. Perfect for yoga students and yoga teachers alike. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I love hearing how longtime yoga teachers make this career work. This week's guest, Erin Jorich, has figured out how to use her skillset as a yoga teacher and combine it with her love for dogs. Along with her dog, Wallace, Erin works part-time for Canine Inspired Change, an organization that brings dogs into schools, juvenile detention centers, and other settings to improve the well being and social emotional skills of the people there. On this episode, Erin talks about how her yoga skills are transferable to the dog therapy work she does: Her years of teaching yoga make it easy for her to communicate clearly and effectively with the dog/human "teams" she trains. Her trauma-informed yoga certification means she understands the importance of giving kids choice and agency when they're working with the dogs. Erin finds that splitting her time between Canine Inspired Change and working as a yoga teacher afford her balance and stability that she might not have if she chose one over the other. Most importantly, as the folks she works with gain a variety of skills -- from more confidence to self-compassion to self-regulation -- she gets to witness the healing power of dogs firsthand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dianne Bondy's web site declares in bold letters, "Yoga is for Every Body. No exceptions. You can do yoga." And she has devoted her teaching career to making sure this is the case. Over the past few decades, she has been proactive in creating yoga spaces that are empowering, inclusive, and equitable for all. I know Dianne from her playful and educational social media presence -- I had even more fun with her magnetic and charismatic presence in our talk. In our conversation she shares: To learn more about Dianne, go to our shownotes page: https://yogalandpodcast.com/episode330 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susanna Harwood Rubin is back! Susanna was my guest on episode 165, and we continue our intimate conversation here. Our conversation runs the gamut (but somehow all ties together), ranging from her recent trip to her spiritual home in India, to living fully and joyfully with metastatic breast cancer, to her passion for teaching her own form of "embodied writing." Shownotes for this episode can be found at yogalandpodcast.com/episode329 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam and Holly Husler are an impressive yoga duo: Holly has gone from performing in a girl-band to singing healing mantras and becoming one of the UK’s leading crystal bowl sound healing trainers. Adam has taught classes, workshops and trainings in over 60 studios in over 20 countries, with a robust home schedule in London's leading studios. Together they are parents to a young son and co-hosts of the podcast, Honestly Unbalanced. On this episode, Jason and I catch up Adam and Holly to ask them the questions that folks often ask us: How do they balance their relationship while working and podcasting together? How has their practice changed and supported them as they've become new parents? How did Adam stumble and eventually find his voice as one of Instagram's funniest yoga reels creators? Plus, Holly shares all the goods on Sound Healing: How it works, why she started teaching it, and the empowering approach she takes when leading her online Sound Healing trainings. For links to Adam and Holly's trainings, Holly's album, and the interview Andrea did on Honestly Unbalanced, go to : yogalandpodcast.com/episode328 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I needed my yoga to find me, to comfort me -- not be another box to check off." An open and inquisitive conversation about navigating the challenges, grief, and joys of perimenopause and menopause -- and how to craft a yoga practice that meets you in the moment. For shownotes, go to yogalandpodcast.com/episode327 Thank you for listening and for sharing the podcast with friends and students! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Jason and I talk about why a home practice is essential if you want to integrate yoga in your day to day life. We also offer our thoughts on what constitutes home practice so that you give yourself a break and focus on what's important -- getting on your mat! Our hope is that home practice can be the thing in your life that consistently feels like a respite, a refuge, a haven. We hope you enjoy this conversation where we talk through these 7 distinct reasons that developing a home practice is beneficial: I've linked to five essential sequences on our shownotes page: yogalandpodcast.com/episode326 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.