Yoga Teacher Resource Podcast

Inversions inspire strong feelings. We love them, hate them, or we love/hate them - but how well do we understand them? While inversions are usually thought to be the domain of physically adept yoga practitioners, Kat Heagberg Rebar, author of Yoga Inversions, believes they can benefit anyone who wants a shift in perspective.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Defining inversions: Kat’s take on this ‘controver...

Yoga and business make strange bedfellows. Leaning into that paradox is exactly what’s needed to thrive as a yoga teacher and business owner. Join me for a conversation with Ava Taylor, founder of YAMA Talent and author of Your Yoga Business, on what it takes to build an ethical and sustainable yoga business.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Why it’s important to keep things simple when building a yoga busin...

Becoming a parent is a rite of passage that will change your yoga practice forever. Sarah Ezrin was a dedicated yoga practitioner and long time teacher before having children blew her heart open, humbled her to the core, and turned her expectations about yoga practice upside down. This transition inspired her to write the book she wished she could read as a new parent: compassionate, irreverent, a...

Breathing touches every system of the body, either directly or indirectly. It can be manipulated and shaped to adjust state, to change our perception of pain, to improve and enhance movement, and also to hasten deep restorative relaxation or amplify and excite. In this episode, Jill Miller describes the art and science of using breath as a tool for physical and emotional resilience.   EPISODE HIGH...

Rituals are actions repeated with intention. According to Tracee Stanley, author of Radiant Rest and The Luminous Self, rituals are also powerful tools for knowing yourself more deeply. Join me for a candid conversation where Tracee shares personal experiences, observations, and ideas that led her to share deeply personal stories and sacred practices with the world inside her recently released boo...

Everything in life is for your awakening. This core teaching of tantra yoga is what guides Todd Norian on his quest for whole-hearted self-acceptance. Todd is a musician, founder of Ashaya Yoga, a Kripalu Legacy faculty member, and the author of Tantra Yoga: Journey to Unbreakable Wholeness. In this week’s podcast, Todd shares stories and lessons from forty years as a yoga practitioner, teacher, a...

There are trauma survivors in almost every yoga room - but you can’t necessarily tell who they are from the outside. In this first episode of a series on recently published yoga books, Lara Land, author of The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga, explains how yoga can support trauma survivors and describes how yoga teachers can help or hinder the process.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: An expanded def...

Yoga teachers often feel responsible to protect their students from injury during their classes. This is a big reason why many focus on guiding proper alignment during practice. But how much does alignment really protect students from injury? And are misunderstandings about safety, pain, and discomfort actually causing more harm to our students than good? In this must-listen episode, my guest Dr....

Yoga teachers are often asked to teach for free in the name of Karma Yoga. However, when this term is divorced from the context of yoga philosophy, it can be exploited and misused. In this episode, Mado explores the practice of Karma Yoga and some of the less obvious implications behind the decision of whether or not to teach for free.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: How the term Karma Yoga is commonly misu...

Want to promote body autonomy in your classes but aren’t sure what that looks like? Featuring Dr. Libby Hinsley, this episode covers ways that yoga teachers may be unintentionally hindering body autonomy for their students and strategies for making your classes a self-empowering space for your students.    EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Why body autonomy is essential for yoga practice - and a revolutionary a...

Social media can be a great tool but it can also be a detriment to mental health. In this on-air coaching call, Kathy, a kid’s yoga teacher trainer shares her strategy for bypassing social media to reach her customers more directly.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: How to balance the benefits and the drawbacks of technology Old-school marketing strategies How & why to survey your students Offering more t...

Learn to bridge the gap between your social media following and your email subscribers with Mado in this on-air coaching call. Christy is a yoga teacher who teaches inclusive yoga for bigger bodies. She’s found an audience for her message on Instagram but isn’t sure how to translate that following into email subscribers and course sales.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Why Christy hated yoga the first time...

What do you (actually) need to invest in when you start a yoga business? Business owners are the target of a seemingly endless number of services trying to convince you that their product is essential for your success. In this episode, Mado helps you figure out what’s essential and what can wait.    EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Mistakes to avoid when investing in the early stages of your business The hidde...

Learn how to bring more peer support into your life. Sheri, John, and Allison are a group of yoga teachers that found each other online and have been supporting each other since the height of the pandemic. Mado also shares how she taps into peer support and what to look for when starting your own collaborations.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Why peer to peer support is so important, yet often overlooked D...

Wish you knew how to lead yoga retreats that are stress free and well paid? In this episode, Mado & Lily draw from their upcoming online course Retreat Roadmap to share 3 key insights that will make the difference between your retreat feeling like an invigorating hike instead of a wild roller coaster ride. Whether you’re a seasoned retreat leader or a retreat leader wannabe, these tips will bolste...

For the 5th Anniversary of this podcast, Mado shares what she would do differently if she had a do-over at several pivotal points in her teaching career.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Four simple habits to build as a new yoga teacher Some of the differences in being a new yoga teacher in 2005 vs today One thing I regret putting off for five years How to specialize when you have no idea about a niche How t...

Let’s talk about alignment. Some teachers center their entire teaching technique around alignment, while others argue that it does more harm than good and that students should be encouraged to explore asanas in a more open-ended way. In this episode, Mado shares how her own relationship to the concept of alignment has evolved over the past 20 years and her thoughts about how alignment can be both...

Yoga Nidra is an aspect of yoga that is accessible to a wide variety of people - including children. Rina Deshpande, author of Yoga Nidra Lullaby shares the practice of yoga nidra from a cultural, practical and neuroscientific perspective.    EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Rina’s experience with yoga as a child What is yoga nidra How devices impact our nervous system Neuroscience and different forms of rest...

Is teaching online the right choice for you now that the pandemic is over? In this week’s on-air coaching call, Anna questions about teaching online. She lives in a small community and worries that she has already maxed out her student base. Is teaching online the answer or are there still untapped opportunities in person?   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: The pros and cons of teaching online When is teaching...

Being a yoga teacher is harder than it looks from the outside! All yoga teachers go through periods of time when they question their choices and consider quitting. If you can relate, listen to this episode to expand your perspective and feel confident in your decision.    EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Why quitting should always be on the table How to measure success as a yoga teacher The most common cause o...

How relevant are yoga’s ancient texts for the modern yoga practitioner? Chase Bossart shares insights on yoga philosophy, ancient texts, and the meaning of practice from his years as a private student of Mr. TKV Desikachar.    EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: The role of philosophy and yoga’s ancient texts for a modern practitioner How the traditional meaning and purpose of yoga practice differ from how it’s u...

Is offering a yoga retreat in your future? Lily Dwyer Begg shares tips and practical strategies to help you avoid rookie mistakes and run your very first retreat like a pro.    Episode Highlights:   Benefits of leading and attending retreats How to choose a location and retreat center How to plan for safety and avoid major mishaps Logistics for leading retreats when you have a family Tips for crea...

How do you know if you’re ready for a coach? With coaches for yoga teachers popping up all over the place, you might wonder whether or not coaching is worthwhile for a new teacher. Let’s dig beneath the marketing hype to understand what a coach actually does and how to decide whether or not you want one.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: What a coach can (and cannot) do How transformation happens How to decid...

Even experienced yoga teachers struggle with self-doubt! In this on-air coaching call, long-time yoga teacher Elyce asks for permission to focus on growth in her business. This vulnerable and relatable conversation touches on raising prices, changing goals, taking risks, and trusting that growth is inevitable.    EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: How to interrupt stagnation Strategies for raising prices (when y...

Ready to hire a web designer? Or on the fence about whether or not you are ready? In this final installment of the website miniseries, Angela and I unpack the ins and outs of hiring someone to create your website.    Episode Highlights: Is investing in a website right for you? Budget: what to expect in early 2023 How to vet a designer Time investment for DIY vs using a developer The importance of...