Accessible Yoga Podcast

Join host Jivana as he talks with his friend Anjali Rao, author of Yoga as Embodied Resistance, about the impact of her book one year after publication. Anjali describes the book’s focus on gender, caste, and the complexity of yoga history, and how it has resonated with South Asian readers by examining caste privilege and patriarchy in yoga spaces. Together they reflect on the problem of AI-genera...

In this episode, Jivana sits down with Sally SJ Brown, author of the newly released book The Diversity Gap in UK Yoga: Outsider Perspectives, which examines barriers to yoga access and ways the yoga community can address exclusion. Sally shares how the book draws from interviews with 17 people from marginalized groups in northern UK cities, her PhD research, and her experience as a community yoga...

Join Jivana as he talks with Theo Wildcroft and Beverley Nolan about their new book Leading Safe and Simple Yoga Nidras. Theo and Beverley unpack the complex history of yoga nidra, its relationship to sleep science, and why demystifying the practice is one of the most important things we can do to make it safer. Together they explore the ethical responsibilities of anyone who leads this practice a...

Join host Jivana Heyman and guest Becky Aten, founder of Yoga for Neurodiversity, for a conversation about making yoga accessible and affirming for neurodivergent students. Becky shares how their autism diagnosis at age 38 shaped their approach as a yoga facilitator and led them to create peer support spaces for neurodivergent people. Together, Jivana and Becky explore what makes a neurodiversity-...

In this episode, Jivana sits down with Tracee Stanley, author of the newly released book Living Ritual: Infuse Each Day with Purpose and Spirit . Tracee shares how she treated the writing of the book itself as a ritual and shares how practicing Bhakti Yoga through chants, mantras, and mental puja (manas puja) blossomed her personal practice. Together, Jivana and Tracee talk about the devotional as...

Join host Jivana as he talks with his friend and fellow author, Indu Arora, about the philosophical essence of yoga, the householder path, and the importance of individual experience. Indu shares about what it really means to "teach" yoga, why she calls herself a student rather than a teacher, and how her own teachers shaped that humility. They talk about living yoga philosophy and why yoga's heal...

Join host Jivana as he talks with Libby Hinsley, a yoga teacher and physical therapist based in Asheville, North Carolina, about yoga and hypermobility. Libby, who lives with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome herself, shares how her own health journey shaped her approach to treating clients with hypermobility syndromes and connective tissue disorders, and why she wrote her book, Yoga for Bendy Pe...

Content Warning: The second part of the episode talks about death and grief In this episode, Jivana sits down with Jo Stewart, author of the new book Eight Limbs of Aerial Yoga: Adapting Practice for Accessibility, Neurodiversity, and Physical Support. Jo shares how she connects aerial yoga to yoga philosophy, using Patanjali's eight limbs as a framework, and reframes the aerial hammock as an acce...

Join host Jivana Heyman as he talks with Mookaite Jasper (Kite), a queer, trans, non-binary, and autistic yoga teacher from Middlesbrough, England, about their book Queer Yoga: A Guide to Well-Being Through Inclusive and Accessible Yoga. Kite shares their journey from discovering yoga in Thailand, coming out, getting sober, and how the queer community yoga nonprofit they founded eventually inspire...

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...