Yogaland Podcast

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...

Why don't you have a seat and stay awhile? If you think meditating is boring, hard, pointless, or too time consuming, this episode is for you! This week, Jason and I discuss everything meditation. We unpack why it's important for yoga students to meditate. Plus, we'll give some practical tips for to start if you're new to the practice (or start again if not very consistent). We promise, you'll be...

There's a special place in my heart for Tias Little. I studied with him many years ago and the vivid imagery and metaphor he used had a profound impact on the way I think about the body. He's also got this dry, dry, dry humor that I love. In the years since I studied with Tias, he has started doing dharma talks and one of them inspired this episode. You see, I think most of us are perfectionists....

When your body hurts, it can feel like your soul hurts. And when you sustain an injury from yoga, it can be even more rattling. When an injury threatened Laura Burkhart's yoga practice—and her livelihood—she was forced to dig deep, be creative, and step into a new role as a yoga teacher, too. In this episode, she explains how she survived with humility and humor. (PS: Don't forget to read Laura's...

When I first started taking yoga classes from Jason many years ago, I was struck by his voice. He has a voice that draws you in. It's soothing and encouraging. He speaks in a measured, comfortable pace. And he's a clear, succinct communicator. In essence, he's a natural when it comes to verbal communication. This week, I ask Jason to share how he's developed this skill set. And, although...

Jason's back on the podcast answering some of our listeners most common questions. This week, we tackle questions related to Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance). We dive into: * Headless Headstand - An alternative pose that recommends for students who are new to Forearm Balance * Three things the shoulders need to be in order to practice Forearm Balance * A conversation about Jason's biggest pet p...

On this week's episode, neurophysiologist Dr. Robyn Capobianco returns and we cover a ton of interesting ground. I walked away from the conversation asking myself, ‘Are there absolutely, definitively good movements and bad movements within the framework of yoga poses? And do we know what they are?’ Here are the other points we discuss: * The difference between the "anatomy," "biomechanics," and "n...

We decided to give male listeners some TLC this week by answering their questions. While we focus on yoga for men in this episode, it has tons of insights for women who want to relate to the men in their classes and for teachers who want to help their male students. Besides, we've all struggled with feeling like the only person in class who can't do something , right? We talk about: * What it's li...

This episode is in response to the overwhelming number of questions we've gotten about Handstand. We explore the logistical side -- what are the best prep poses for Handstand? And the emotional side, i.e., how do I cope with my fear of Handstand? You'll also learn: * The vital triad of forearm, finger, and shoulder strength for Handstand * Helpful prep poses yoga poses to help you build the s...