Yogaland Podcast

Jason and I celebrated our 10th anniversary in early October -- that's a whole DECADE of wedded bliss, you guys!. In an unusual moment of sentimentality, we decided to share a bit more about our relationship in this episode. We reflect on - How we went from colleagues to dating to married - How we moved from student-teacher relationship (and editor-writer relationship) to romantic partnership - Ho...

Most people consider arm balances and inversions challenging poses, but we think they're worth the effort. This week, I talk to Jason about his approach to teaching these popular poses, and how he breaks them down to make them more accessible for every student. We also share our newest mini-course (it's free!) , which goes deep into one of the most foundational arm balances, Bakasana (also known a...

It was such a pleasure to talk to yoga teacher and astrologer Susannah Freedman for this very special episode. Susannah has been teaching yoga and doing astrology readings since 2010 and has a Masters in Philosophy and Religion, but both her yoga and astrology journeys started during her self-described "hippie childhood." In this interview, Susannah explains how she sees someone's chart as their "...

Today's guest is Melanie Klein, a professor of Sociology and Women's Studies, co-founder of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition, and author of the new book, Yoga Rising: 30 Empowering Stories from Yoga Renegades for Every Body. Her work has made her a respected leader in the conversation around yoga and body image.   In this interview, we talk about how she came to be such an advocate for the p...

I'm so excited to share this interview with Dr. Will Cole! Dr. Cole is a functional medicine doc whose new book, Ketotarian , offers a mostly plant-based approach to the ketogenic diet that's much healthier than the traditional bacon and bunless burgers regimen. I've been on the ketogenic diet for a few years and I value Dr. Cole's approach -- it's compassionate, research-driven,and balanced. Plus...

There are so many interpretations of the seminal yoga text, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. This week, I talk to two women who've written one that is refreshingly different. Kelly DiNardo and Amy Pearce-Hayden join me to talk about their book new book, Living the Sutras: A Guide to Yoga Wisdom Beyond the Mat . Their book is not a formal, scholarly translation of the Yoga Sutra. Instead, DiNardo and Pearce...

I got a great question from a listener recently in response to episode 119, so I decided to start this episode with Jason's response. The listener, Neil, asks, "If we're creating a practice that's sustainable, does it really makes sense to repeat the same sequence over and over again?" And what's the best way to handle pressure from studio and gym owners to "freshen things up?" We also answer a co...

Today's guest, Nikki Myers, a yoga therapist and the founder of Y12SR (Yoga of 12-Step Recovery), shares how yoga has helped with her personal struggles with addiction and helped thousands of people through Y12SR. Even if you've never been touched personally by addiction, her insights and advice apply to anyone who's had to overcome a challenge in life.  We talk about: * Nikki's personal...

Jason is back this week to answer a few questions that came up about our Summer Series. The questions came from students in Jason's advanced yoga teacher training class, but they are applicable to any serious practitioners.  We address: * His sequencing philosophy + the one biggest mistake he thinks yoga teachers make when they're planning their yoga class sequences. * How to help students fi...

J. Brown is a yoga teacher, former yoga center owner, blogger, and the host of the popular podcast J. Brown Yoga Talks. On this episode, I ask J. about his yoga origin story as well as the current iteration of his yoga life -- both online and off. J. also shares how the powerful words he said to his mother toward the end of her life have had a lasting impact on who he is today and helped lead...

When I have Jason on the show, we talk a lot about postures and technique, so I thought it would be interesting to talk yoga philosophy on the podcast this week. I asked Jason to share his favorite yoga books (that are not focused on the physical practice). These are just a few of his favorites, spanning yoga philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, and neuroscience. You can find links to all of the books...

Claire Missingham is back on the podcast this week, and we're talking about how she's been using yoga and other natural healing modalities to manage a recent diagnosis of an autoimmune disease. She tells us: *How the grief of losing a yoga teacher in her community to suicide led her to start running, learn to swim (as an adult), and compete in marathons and triathalons *How she became diagnosed wi...

On this episode, I'm joined by yoga teacher and holistic health coach Rosie Acosta. Rosie shares her personal story of growing up in East L.A. in the 90s where chaos and violence surrounded her daily. By the time she was a teen, she'd been arrested, she was physically unhealthy, and she didn't see much of a future for herself. And yet, here she is now, living a bright, fulfilled life.  Her st...

I've been thinking a lot about ego lately. I've been talking to Jason's teacher trainees about social media strategy and putting yourself out there. And yet, I personally feel like social media brings out the most immature aspects of my ego. I thought it would be a good refresher for all of us to think about what yoga teaches us about the ego. This week, Sally Kempton and I talk about the purpose...

A lot of people come to yoga to help them balance some of the activities they do on a daily basis. After all, yoga is a great antidote to sitting in a chair, looking at a computer or iPhone screen, and other things sedentary people do. But you might not realize that if you're an avid yogi who practices daily, it can be helpful to add other types of movement into your routine to counterbalance the...

This week on the podcast, we talk to our favorite Ayurvedic expert, Niika Quistgard, all about how to use principles from Ayurveda to bring our bodies back into balance in the heat of summer. She shares: * How to adapt your lifestyle during pitta season--we get into how to approach your yoga practice, meditation, breathing techniques, and which foods to eat (and avoid) during Pitta seaso...

We've gotten several questions from listeners about how to find the right balance between working hard and surrendering during yoga postures. How to find that elusive balance of two seemingly conflicting ideals, whether on our yoga mats or in our lives, leaves many of us scratching our heads. Like so many things in yoga, the answer is complicated. But in this episode, Jason and I share some o...

In this week's episode, Jason and I are live from Detroit Yoga Lab answering student questions about some of the most common yoga injuries, how to prevent and avoid them. Bonus banter: Find out why Jason has a black eye - unsurprisingly, it's not from yoga or a bar fight. And learn what Jason's three favorite bands are. (Our regular listeners will not be surprised to hear that Salabhasana (Lo...

I put together this episode after the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. The loss of both of these talented, successfully, beloved people in one week was tragic. A few days after it happened, I read two great stories that talked about how important it is to tell our stories about getting through depression. When the news media focuses on a suicide and how it happens, it can lead to conta...

Do you remember the first time you did your favorite pose? Was it true love the first time you took the shape? Or did it take a few tries (or maybe even years!?) to appreciate it? A few weeks ago, I shared on Instagram that when I first started practicing Side Angle Pose, I thought it was a total snooze and now it's one of my favorite poses. I asked if anyone else has had this experience with a po...

If you're like a lot of yoga students, you probably feel a bit conflicted when it comes to social media: You want to spend more time in the present moment, but you also love how social media makes you feel connected with the people you love and what's going on in the world. It can be so hard to find a balance that allows you to enjoy the best social media has to offer without feeling lik...

For this year's summer series, Jason and I are focusing on "Building a Sustainable Yoga Practice." Over the past year we've talked about injuries, fear of injuries, predatory teachers and we thought -- LET'S FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE FOR PETE'S SAKE. Let's empower ourselves to create a yoga practice that serves our needs.  For the first episode, Jason and I talk about which poses are taught as be...

Yoga offers us so much more than creating a healthy body and mind--it also helps us to get to know ourselves on a deep, intimate level. That deep knowing can help us make better decisions about every aspect of our lives, which is especially true during the childbirth process, says this week's guest Rachel Yellin. Rachel is a prenatal yoga teacher, childbirth educator, hypnotherapist, and a dear fr...

On this episode, I speak to Julia Lowrie Henderson, the producer behind ESPN's new 30 for 30 podcast series "Bikram." Bikram Choudhury arrived in the U.S. from Calcutta, India and opened a yoga studio in Beverly Hills in 1973. His intense system of yoga caught on quickly and Bikram became known as the "guru to the stars," with devotees ranging from Shirley MacLaine to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Raquel...

Ai Kubo received a PhD in cancer epidemiology from Columbia University, and has nearly 40 scientific publications in peer-reviewed medical journals. Years ago, Kubo was told flat out, by one of the most renowned mindfulness researchers, not to try to create (and fund) mindfulness studies. At that time, studying mindfulness and yoga was too fringe, she was told. She heeded this advice and spent a d...