Accessible Yoga Podcast

Join host Jivana Heyman as he talks with yoga therapist and author, Carol Krucoff. Carol shares her journey from her early career as a journalist for the Washington Post to her current role as yoga therapist at the Duke Integrative Medicine Center. Carol shares how she stumbled into teaching older adults through a volunteer gig and what a near-death experience at a marathon finish-line revealed ab...

Content Warning: This episode talks about death and grief Join host Jivana as he talks with Dr. Yasmin Bedi, a UK-based gerontologist and yoga therapist, about her unique integration of Western medicine and yoga. Dr. Bedi describes how yoga has made her more mindful and holistic in patient care, especially in caring for older adults. Together, they reflect on balancing service and self-care, the r...

Content warning: This episode and show notes include discussion of gun violence, death, and ICE agent brutality In this episode, Jivana Heyman sits down with Lucia Yess, owner of Yess Yoga studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota to hear how her community responded to the violent ICE surge that swept through their city. Lucia shares the moment Alex Pretti was murdered one block away from the studio and ho...

In this episode, Jivana Heyman sits down with his longtime friend and Accessible Yoga collaborator, Rodrigo Souza, to explore the season's central theme of balancing self-care with service. Rodrigo, who lives with a complete spinal cord injury, shares candidly about managing limited energy, letting go of guilt around rest, and learning to stop measuring his worth by how much he produces. Together,...

Welcome to season five of the Accessible Yoga Podcast! In this launch episode, Jivana Heyman and Deanna Michalopoulos reunite to catch up, share what's been inspiring them lately, and reveal their personal journeys to finding balance in their lives. They offer a preview of this season's overarching theme of self-care and balancing self-care with service, especially for yoga teachers. Jivana shares...

Join Jivana Heyman and Deanna Michalopoulos for the final episode of the Accessible Yoga Podcast’s fourth season, celebrating Jivana's 30 years of teaching. In this reflective conversation, Deanna turns the tables and interviews Jivana about his journey, asking him to answer the paramount question posed to every guest throughout the season, “What is one teaching that's made an impact on your life...

Join Jivana Heyman in conversation with his friend, Itzel Hayward, a former lawyer turned yoga teacher who brings together yoga, Buddhism, nonviolent communication, and social justice work. Itzel shares her journey of integrating these seemingly separate parts of her life into a unified practice centered on service, empathy, and compassion. The conversation delves into the philosophy of restorativ...

Join host, Jivana Heyman, as he welcomes Oneika Mays, for an inspiring conversation about her forthcoming book, " Sit with Me : A No BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation ," which details her transformative work at Rikers Island prison in New York City. Oneika shares her journey, the challenges of teaching mindfulness in a prison setting, and her practice and understanding of metta (loving-kind...

Join Jivana Heyman in conversation with his longtime teacher and mentor, Swami Ramananda, a monk (sannyasi) in the Integral Yoga tradition. Swami Ramananda, who has dedicated nearly 50 years to the practice and teaching of yoga, shares profound insights, offering practical wisdom on working with the mind and cultivating inner peace. He discusses the challenges and rewards of monastic life, and how...

Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of mental health challenges and suicidal ideation. Please practice self-care when deciding whether to listen. In this episode, Jivana Heyman sits down with longtime friend and colleague ML Maitreyi to discuss her journey as a yoga teacher living openly with bipolar disorder. Maitreyi shares candidly about how yoga became a lifeline in managing her...

Join Jivana Heyman for an inspiring conversation with Heather Sheree Sanders, founder of the Sedona Yoga Festival, about karma yoga, community organizing, and the often overlooked work that happens behind the scenes in the yoga world. Their conversation explores what it means to be a humble leader in yoga, the transformative power of yoga, and why Western yoga may finally be reaching a pivotal mom...

Join Jivana Heyman for a heartfelt conversation with fellow yoga teacher, Francesca Cervero, host of The Mentor Sessions Podcast. Together, they explore teaching during difficult times, yoga and parenting, the art of one-on-one teaching, and the power of co-creating a yoga practice with students. Drawing on her training in Tibetan Buddhism, Francesca discusses how loving-kindness meditation helps...

In this episode, host Jivana Heyman sits down with Finlay Wilson, known on social media as the Kilted Yogi. Together they explore what it means to make yoga truly accessible, the power of community-based service, and the importance of authentic representation in the yoga world. Finlay shares about his new book, Adapting Chair Yoga for Every Body, and the work of his nonprofit organization in Scotl...

Join host, Jivana Heyman, as he talks with Rebecca Sebastian, host of the Working In Yoga Podcast and cherished friend. Together they explore the evolving landscape of yoga teaching, the importance of creativity in practice, and the irreplaceable value of human interaction. Rebecca shares her journey from accidental yoga teacher to studio owner and yoga therapist, and how she found a sense of belo...

In this special episode, host, Jivana Heyman, sits down with longtime friend and colleague, Anjali Rao, to discuss her groundbreaking new book, Yoga as Embodied Resistance: A Feminist Lens on Caste, Gender, and Sacred Resilience in Yoga History. Together, they discuss yoga's complex history and the need to bridge scholarship and practice. Drawing from both her Indian heritage and 30 years of livin...

Join host, Jivana Heyman, as he welcomes his guest and longtime friend, David Lipsius, for a powerful conversation on ethics and the evolution of yoga institutions in the West. Together, they explore how personal spiritual practice sustains authentic leadership and share wisdom for yoga teachers about discovering their true calling and serving their communities with integrity. David shares his jou...

In this episode, host, Jivana Heyman, spends time with his good friend, Steffany Moonaz, research scientist, author, yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and founder of Yoga for Arthritis. Together they reflect on their parallel journeys and explore the intersection of yoga tradition, modern science, and accessibility. Steffany, who describes herself as “evidence-based and heart-centered,” brings her uni...

“Am I observing or absorbing? Am I caring or carrying?” Join host, Jivana Heyman, as he talks with Zabie Yamasaki, accomplished author and founder of Transcending Sexual Trauma Through Yoga. Zabie shares about her mission to empower survivors of sexual violence, highlighting her work on college campuses and how trauma-informed yoga supports survivors in their healing journey. Together, Jivana and...

In this episode, host, Jivana Heyman, reconnects with his guest and longtime friend, Uma Alessandra Cocchi, who shares Accessible Yoga internationally, leading trainings in Italy, London, and beyond. Jivana and Uma reflect on their memories together since first meeting in 2013 and discuss how Accessible Yoga provides a gateway to personal transformation, community, and empowerment. Their conversat...

In this episode, Jivana Heyman speaks with yoga teacher and spiritual guide, Shanna Small, about accessibility, mantra, and yoga philosophy. Their conversation highlights the importance of integrating yogic teachings into everyday life and finding a personal yoga practice that is intuitive and joyful. Shanna opens up about the challenges of navigating abusive yoga lineages, the awakening that foll...

Join host, Jivana Heyman, and guest, Michelle Cassandra Johnson, for a rich and insightful conversation about community, collective care, and the creative process. Together, Jivana and Michelle explore the evolving role of the yoga teacher, the importance of being grounded in humility and service, and how we can use yoga as a path to truth and connection. As an accomplished author, educator, and a...

Join host, Jivana Heyman, as he welcomes his longtime mentor and pioneer in yoga and accessibility, Matthew Sanford, for a powerful conversation about yoga and human potential. As Jivana reflects on his 30 years of teaching, they discuss the influence of Matthew's work on Jivana's journey and how Matthew’s first book, Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence , inspired Jivana to start Accessib...

In this thought-provoking episode, Jivana Heyman speaks with marketing expert and equity activist, Tristan Katz, about the intersections of yoga, truth, identity, and social justice. Together, they explore how yoga can be a tool for personal and collective liberation, especially for the trans and queer communities in a time of sociopolitical tension and violence. In the second part of the episode,...

"Yoga isn't about achieving something. It's about being with what is and trusting that that's enough in the moment." – Sunny Barbee Join host, Jivana Heyman, and guest, Jacquie “Sunny” Barbee, for an uplifting conversation full of humor, vulnerability, honesty, and deep insight. Sunny shares her journey from self-doubt to self-acceptance, offering powerful reflections on satya (truthfulness) and h...

In this heartfelt episode, Jivana Heyman reconnects with longtime friend and fellow yoga teacher, Kristie Dahlia Home. The two first met in their 200-hour yoga teacher training in 1995 and together they reflect on the evolution of their practice, their shared history with Integral Yoga, and the role of spiritual community over the decades. Dahlia shares her radical life decision to live on a boat...