Accessible Yoga Podcast

Join host, Jivana Heyman, as he talks with renowned yoga teacher and writer, Kathryn Budig. Kathryn shares her journey through injury, healing, and transformation in her yoga practice and teaching. Together, they discuss the evolving world of yoga, the shift away from celebrity culture, the importance of authenticity as a teacher, and why it's okay — and essential — to be yourself. Kathryn opens u...

In this thought-provoking conversation, Jivana Heyman speaks with educator, yoga teacher, and sound healer, Shawn Moore, about the deeper dimensions of teaching yoga—especially the often-overlooked role of the yoga teacher as a leader and space holder. Shawn shares insights from his background in higher education, Buddhism, and stillness-based practices, unpacking what it means to hold ethical and...

In this episode, host, Jivana Heyman, reconnects with his guest and good friend, Amber Karnes, to reflect on non attachment and self acceptance through challenges and life changes. Amber, whom Jivana credits for shifting contemporary yoga culture, shares about her professional and personal journey since COVID. Together, they remember the work they have done together over the years, including start...

Join host, Jivana, and guest, Rodrigo Souza, as they discuss teaching yoga with compassion and awareness, the role of yoga in healing trauma, and the importance of representation and advocacy for people with disabilities in yoga. Rodrigo shares his journey of living with a spinal cord injury and how yoga became a transformative tool for healing and self-acceptance. He reflects on his first time te...

In this powerful episode, host, Jivana Heyman, and guest, Tamika Caston-Miller, examine yoga as revolutionary—being a catalyst for personal and collective transformation. Tamika shares about her work in Houston, Texas, as both an educator and a permaculturist, creating a culture of sustainability, both in nature and within the community. Together they discuss their commitments to learning and expa...

Join host, Jivana, and guest, Melissa Shah, to reflect on the fullness of the path of yoga as an inner practice that translates to outer action and service. Melissa shares about her grassroots efforts to support her LA community after the recent fires and together they discuss how yoga helps foster resilience, prevent burnout, and serve as a tool for community care. They share thoughts on the impo...

In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode, Jivana spends time with artist and yoga teacher, Scottee, to explore identity, accessibility, and the power of yoga to support marginalized communities. Scottee shares stories of growing up in working-class North London to finding yoga as a form of healing and expression. Together, they discuss the intersections of queerness, class, neurodiver...

“You can only wake up someone who is asleep, not someone who is pretending to be asleep.” - Indu Arora In this episode, host, Jivana Heyman, chats with his guest and good friend, Indu Arora, who shares her journey in yoga and the lessons she learned in her youth, which began a lifelong study of yoga. Together, they emphasize the importance of ethics and explore profound themes like humility in tea...

Host, Jivana Heyman, kicks off this celebratory series with the first of 30 conversations marking his 30th year of teaching yoga. In this episode, Jivana welcomes Shannon Crow, host of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast and cherished friend, for an inspiring conversation about their shared journeys, the profound teachings of yoga, and the lessons that have shaped them. The question to start these...

Welcome to season four of the Accessible Yoga Podcast! Host Jivana Heyman celebrates 30 years of teaching yoga by reflecting on his journey and setting the stage for a season filled with meaningful conversations with dedicated yoga practitioners and teachers. This episode is a heartfelt introduction to Jivana’s personal story, the history of Accessible Yoga, and what to expect from this season. Jo...

In this final episode of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Anjali and Jivana discuss:  What does it mean to make yoga accessible? The danger of oversimplifying a yoga practice The importance of reflecting on who we see as “experts” in yoga How caste still influences yoga today     The nuances of saying “I’m not the teacher for everyone” Accessible Yoga Association’s newest podc...

Saira (NOT Sara) Rao grew up in Richmond, Virginia, the daughter of Indian immigrants. For forty years, she wasted her precious time aspiring to be white and accepted by dominant white society, a futile task for anyone not born with white skin. Several years ago, Saira began the painful process of dismantling her own internalized oppression. Saira is a lawyer-by-training, a former congressional ca...

Teo Drake is an organizer, a teacher, and an artisan who works in wood and steel. As a queer and trans long-term HIV/AIDS survivor, the practices and philosophies of yoga and Buddhism have been both life-saving and provided the foundation for his organizing and teaching. He is a co-founder of the Transforming Hearts Collective, a collective dedicated to the spiritual care and liberation of queer a...

Tejal Patel is a first-generation Indian American yoga teacher, writer, podcaster, and community organizer. She advocates for yoga through a social justice lens and educates and empowers individuals and groups around the world to do the same. She accomplishes this with the Tejal Yoga online studio, the abcdyogi global community, and the Yoga is Dead Podcast . In this live episode, Jivana and...

Anusha is the Wellness Consultant for Hoag Hospital, one of the top rated hospitals in the USA where she leads on integrative medicine and implementing mindfulness and meditation practices for maternal mental health programs, early risk assessment for breast & ovarian cancer prevention programs and breast cancer survivorship programs. Anusha is very passionate about her work in STEM and is one...

The Accessible Yoga Podcast is back for Season 3 with a live podcast recording as a part of the grand opening of the new Accessible Yoga Community ! In this special episode, Jivana and Anjali discuss: The new Accessible Yoga Community How Anjali started practicing asana How yoga intersects with social justice The relationship between yoga and politics Binaries in yoga spaces What to expect during...

In this Season 2 finale, Amber and Jivana discuss: Their lives and current challenges How our activism and practice is showing up for us in this moment Amber’s bike reels on instagram Themes from Season 2: Community Care/Sharing Power/Community Collaboration Shift from top down teaching to community led Jivana’s remixes on instagram The current contemporary yoga world is complex, shifting to local...

Shannon Crow is the host of The Connected Yoga Teacher podcast and a consultant for yoga teachers. She shares what she has learned (and continues to learn) as a yoga entrepreneur. She’s also the founder of Pelvic Health Professionals.  Shannon is passionate about this work so that yoga teachers have more time and energy to share the yoga that lights them up. She became a yoga teacher in 2006...

A community organizer, wellness activist and author of the book American Detox: The Myth of Wellness and How We Can Truly Heal, Kerri is recognized across communities for her work to bridge transformational practice with social justice. She’s been teaching yoga for over 20 years and is known for making waves in the wellness industry by challenging norms, disrupting systems and mobilizing people to...

Matthew Sanford is an expert in the process of transformation through the healing power of yoga. Paralyzed from the chest down at age thirteen and beginning yoga at age twenty-five, Matthew knows firsthand the transformative effect that yoga can have on the mind-body relationship. He’s the author of Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence, and the founder of the nonprofit organization, Mind B...

In this episode, Amber and Jivana discuss: How Accessible Yoga is often misused to make us fit in rather than to celebrate our differences and individuality How ableism prevents folks from being seen in our classes What’s missing in our contemporary yoga practice How to make yoga classes more equitable Ways to share power with your students How to encourage students to find individuality in commun...

Cindu Thomas-George is the Founder and Principal Trainer of Shakti Diversity and Equity Training. As a DEI practitioner, she designs and facilitates professional development experiences that promote equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and intercultural competence. As a nationally recognized speaker, Cindu’s speaking engagements are focused on encouraging cross-racial allyship, disrupting anti-Asian ha...

Content warning: disordered eating, sexual trauma Nityda Gessel (she/her), LCSW, E-RYT, is a mother, licensed somatic psychotherapist, trauma specialist, yoga educator, speaker, author, and heart-centered activist, residing on the unceded land of the Chesepian people, commonly known as Virginia Beach, VA. Nityda has devoted her life to uplifting others, working at the intersection of Eastern spiri...

In episode 56, Jivana and Amber discuss practical ways we can embody the yoga teachings’ concepts in the way that we teach. They explore three themes from the yoga teachings (atman, non-attachment, and brahmacharya) and discuss how we can shift our teaching methodology to model these concepts for our students, making them more relevant to their real lives. In this episode... Amber & Jivana dis...

In episode 55, Amber interviews Laura Sharkey, an autistic meditation teacher and social justice activist. They speak about their experience of ableism and other forms of oppression that are present in many yoga communities, as well as practical tools that non-disabled folks can use to confront bias. We discuss the importance of seeing our disabled community members as whole, capable human beings...