Yogaland Podcast

This week, my guest is U.K. based teacher, Adam Hocke. Adam -- like Jack Workman in episode 221 -- is serving as a mentor in Jason's current online teacher training program. Adam is such a talented teacher in his own right -- balancing thoughtful and precise vinyasa yoga with his unique brand of warmth and humor. Adam and I spoke about many things but the common thread was one of my very favorite...

This week, I’m talking to Tara Stiles, co-founder (with her husband Michael Taylor) of Strala Yoga in NYC. We cover a lot in this interview -- from how she started sharing yoga on YouTube 12(!) years ago to Strala's humble beginnings in Michael's apartment, to how it has grown and evolved into a practice that integrates Tai Chi, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Qigong. Equal parts artist and entre...

This week, Jason and I are talking about something I think every modern yoga teacher needs to embrace: The art of repurposing content!  It can feel like a grind to create new content for every yoga class, every social media post, and every email. Luckily, you don't have to! I'll let you in on a little secret--no one will mind if you use the same concept or theme in several different ways acro...

Happy New Year! I’m so excited to be back after a long holiday break! Today’s guest is Jack Workman. Jack took Jason’s advanced teacher training when he was just 15 years old, and now he’s a full-time teacher living in San Francisco. He talks about how he came to be interested in the practice at such a young age, why he decided to teach, and how this has shaped his life. We also talk about ho...

Today, I have an inspiring story to share with you that I think many of you will relate to. Erin Landsee is a yoga teacher and mom of three who had finally found a work-life balance that worked for her family--teaching yoga at a local college. Like so many, she found herself starting over when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. With little kids at home 24/7, it wasn't all smooth sailing. But with a little...

Today, Jason and I dive into the topic of leadership in the yoga community. People love their yoga teachers--so much! And while there’s a lot of good that comes from that, it can also set up an unbalanced power dynamic. We talk about the student-teacher power differential and some of the circumstances that put yoga teachers at risk of (knowingly or unknowingly) abusing their power. Then, we get in...

As the world edges ever close to the one year mark of being in the midst of a pandemic, many of us are feeling weary. This week, Jason and I talk about resilience -- how it's been tested and how we tap into it using the tools from our yoga practice both on and off the mat. Hope it helps you tap into your own resilience during these challenging times. Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/ep...

After podcasting for four years, I want to feature YOUR voices--people who study with us. Today, I'm sharing a story from listener Elisabeth Brower, a yoga teacher from Oregon. I love how creative she has been with her teaching during this challenging time. I'd also love to hear from you! Do you have a story about how this pandemic has shaped your teaching? Email me at Andrea@jasonyoga.com . Suppo...

We can all use a little more joy and creativity in our lives right now -- especially after months of teaching and taking online yoga classes. Chicago-based yoga teacher Bradshaw Wish is just the breath of fresh air we all need. It matters not that much of the world is going back into lockdown -- Bradshaw's annual Mariah Carey Christmas Flow must go on! We talk about this upcoming not-to-be missed...

We're getting into the spirit of Thanksgiving in Yogaland! This week, Jason and I are sharing the things we’re thankful for right now (yes, even in 2020!). We feel especially grateful for all of YOU!  Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode217 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's guest, Susanna Barkataki, is the author of a new book on yoga's history and culture called Embrace Yoga's Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice . This book is a call for all who study yoga to take a deeper look at how we interact with Indian culture, how we use our privilege, and how we can advocate for more equity within the practice we love.  Show notes: http://www.jas...

Religious Studies professor Andrea Jain is back on the podcast -- this time to talk to Jason about her new book, "Peace Love Yoga: The Politics of Global Spiritualization." Jain's book explores the connection between global spirituality and neoliberalism. While Jain acknowledges that yoga is healthy practice, she's concerned by the ways in which modern yoga (she uses the U.S., Canada, and India as...

This episode scratches the surface of how to approach knee pain in yoga poses. Jason talks us through how he approaches knee pain in Pigeon Pose, Bridge Pose, and Virasana (or Vajrasana, which is sitting on your shins). Shownotes include a link to our blog: 3 Backbend Cues for Tweaky Knees & Hips. Visit yogalandpodcast.com/episode214 to check it out! You can also train with Jason next week in...

On today's episode, Jason talks with Portland yoga teacher Abby Kraai about her experience of teaching and practicing yoga with scoliosis. This episode is packed with practical info about how to help students with scoliosis approach different yoga poses, which postures that people with varying degrees of scoliosis might want to avoid, and where to go to learn more. Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga...

What do you do when a student comes to you hoping you can help them with an injury? Just what is appropriate or inappropriate? How can you help students heal while not overstepping into the realm of medical clinician? Find out on today's episode! Show notes: http://jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode212 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...

It was once common practice for yoga teachers to start every class with a simple question: "Is anyone working with any injuries or medical conditions?" On this episode, Jason talks about the reasons that this question does -- and does not -- hold up. The goal isn't to tell teachers what to do, but to share the pros and cons so that you can make the decision for yourself. Show notes: http://www.jas...

In this episode, Jason and I tackle yoga injuries, There may not be a way to completely prevent all injuries, but we're sharing some best practices that teachers and students can practice to minimize the risk. We cover a lot of ground, but here are a few top-level points: * Why there’s no one “right” way to approach any pose in order to prevent injury. * The four key things you should consider in...

As yoga practitioners we all know that the body is amazingly complex -- and there is so much to learn when it comes to getting the body into those shapes we call yoga poses. But even though yoga postures are complicated, yoga sequencing doesn't have to be. On this episode, Jason explains his simple yet thorough approach to sequencing for twists and backbends. Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/p...

It’s been a while since we devoted an episode to answering listener questions, so that’s exactly what we’re doing this week.  In this episode, Jason tackles a few of the questions that have been submitted recently such as: *Internal or external hip rotation in forward folds? (A simple question with a not-so-simple answer) *Does that upper arm bone externally rotate in Chaturanga? *Is passivel...

I’ve received a lot of questions from white yogis recently about how we can be better allies to our BIPOC friends and studio owners in the community. My guest today, Dr. Jennifer Hutton, offers insightful guidance for this type of self-inquiry. Jennifer is a pediatric physical therapist from Nashville with a passion for nurturing children with developmental delays. She’s also become a leader in ta...

Helping yoga teachers make a decent living is something Jason and I are both passionate about. So in this episode, Jason and I have a candid conversation about what it takes to have a successful yoga business--particularly, how to get noticed by potential students online.  The big takeaways: Yes, it takes time and energy to grow a following online, but it is very doable, too. And there’s...

If you've practiced yoga for awhile, it's likely that you've heard a sweeping generalization about alignment in a pose. Often these generalizations get passed around until they become cemented as absolute truths -- when in fact, they're really just true under certain conditions at certain times. Or they're simply myths.  My guest today is Judith Hanson Lasater, who addresses all of this in he...

My guest this week wears so many hats! She's a yoga and Bollywood dance teacher, studio owner (Aham Yoga in Redmond, WA), and a brand new yoga podcaster! (Her pod is called Let's Talk Yoga.)⁠ ⁠ Arundhati hails from Southern India and moved to the states with her husband seven years ago. In her own words, "I've built a successful business as an immigrant, WOC yoga teacher with no business backgroun...

We’ve been giving a lot of tips for bringing your teaching online during the pandemic lately. This week, we talk through the challenges both teachers and students are going through. Then, we offer some thoughts and creative ideas (many of them from our students) on how to cope with those challenges. The challenges -- overcoming Zoom fatigue, the broken teacher-student “feedback loop,” the absence...

This week, Jason and I chat about a topic that's near and dear to my heart: Creating online content to help grow your teaching business. We don't yet know how COVID is going to impact the future of yoga teaching. But there's one thing I know for sure: Creating online content is incredibly beneficial. It helps you grow, it helps you hone your voice, it attracts students who are interested in your a...