When Allison signed up for an on-air coaching call, she thought she wanted help with narrowing her focus and keeping her classes interesting - but the byproduct of that work was to optimize her teaching schedule and hone back in the reasons she loves teaching in the first place. Why excellent teaching is always about coming back to your intention. The deeper reasons that your cues feel stale - and what to do about it. How to structure your class schedule to be a win-win for you and your students...
Feb 21, 2019•50 min
Learn what is really happening in your body when you stretch and how to use this information in your classes and personal practice. Trigger point therapist and yoga teacher Cat Matlock takes us on a tour of the human muscular system and the way it interacts with the nervous system. Highlights: The key sensory organ that resides in your muscles and regulates your ability to stretch. The reason you cannot do yoga specifically for your muscles or specifically for your fascia. The difference between...
Feb 14, 2019•40 min
Do you (really) understand the relationship between stretching and strengthening? Yoga teacher and physical therapist Ferris Fakhoury sets us straight about the relationship between these two concepts. (Hint - they aren’t opposites). She also drops wisdom about: Changes in our understanding about the human body that are happening in both the PT and yoga worlds. How to determine healthy and unhealthy movement patterns in yoga Why she believes that beginners are best served by starting out with pr...
Feb 07, 2019•39 min
Is knowing anatomy really important for being a great yoga teacher? Many of the yoga teachers I talk to believe that anatomy is their biggest learning opportunity for becoming a better yoga teacher. It's the number one topic I hear people wish was covered more thoroughly in their teacher training. But... I think most yoga teachers misunderstand the purpose and place of studying anatomy. Listen to this episode to hear: A bit about my journey from alignment based yoga teacher to anatomy based yoga...
Jan 31, 2019•17 min
Jill Miller had a hip replacement a little over a year ago. In this episode she shares new insights that she realized in the past few weeks about the factors that contributed to severe degeneration of her hip and the inevitability of a hip replacement. She also covers: The unique approach her surgeon took (and an overview of the more traditional approaches) The upgrades in hip replacement hardware made in the past few years (and why, as teachers, we should assume student have the old hardware un...
Jan 24, 2019•1 hr 1 min
Is sales a dirty word in yoga? It is certainly not what we signed up to do when we became yoga teachers. In this episode, my guest Amanda Kingsmith makes the case that sales are a necessary part of being a yoga teacher, that they don't have to feel slimy, and that they can actually be a catalyst for personal growth. Our conversation also dives into: -->What Amanda learned working on the sales floor at Lululemon -->The difference between convincing and offering -->The inner work that is ...
Jan 17, 2019•49 min•Ep. 36
Learn to create a yoga class plan that is easily searchable and repeatable. In the second episode of this two part series I will build on the information from last week, so make sure to listen to part one first. Some of the topics I cover include: how often to change up your plan the most common ways to structure your plans how to create a system to make it easy to reuse your class plans adapting the same plan for different populations. why your plan doesn't need to be perfect Links and Resource...
Jan 10, 2019•26 min
Learn tips and techniques for planning your classes to keep you focused, effective, and inspired. Part one of this series focuses on the nuts and bolts of how to create a plan that has enough structure to be helpful, but enough flexibility to be adaptable to unexpected circumstances. Topics covered include: The difference between a sequence, a theme, and a class plan. Why it's important to treat your plan like a tool, not like a rule. A simple trick to energize any theme that feels one-dimension...
Jan 03, 2019•21 min
Tips and practical advice for your own meditation practice and how to share it with your students. In this episode, Kelly Smith from Yoga for You online shares practical and down to earth advice about practicing and teaching meditation, including: The best time of day to meditate How to choose a meditation position What to do if you tend to fall asleep during meditation She also shares ideas for teaching meditation such as: How to talk to your students about meditation in a way that meets them w...
Dec 27, 2018•54 min
If you feel nervous before teaching - you are not alone. Feeling nervous is something that happens to everyone, yet somehow we tent to think we are the only ones who feel that way! In this episode, I will share my personal ideas, feelings, and strategies around how to handle getting nervous about your teaching. What being nervous really means Why it's actually a good thing What to do when you feel so nervous you think it might affect the quality of your teaching. Internal and external strategies...
Dec 20, 2018•16 min
Alexandria Crow shares insights on how yoga teachers can use social media in a way that is both ethical and effective. Highlights Benefits and pitfalls of social media for yoga teachers Alex’s elevator pitch How to decide which social media channels to use How to create content to post on social media How to measure your success on social media Invitation for Inspired Action Create your elevator pitch and share it on the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group ! Links and Resources Yoga Teacher Res...
Dec 13, 2018•1 hr 18 min
If you struggle with pricing or are unsure about how to set prices for your teaching, this episode is a mini-training to help you set a minimum hourly rate.
Dec 06, 2018•24 min
Physical therapist and yoga teacher Libby Hinsley discusses the significance of the psoas muscle and how yoga teachers can most effectively work with it in their classes. Highlights The primary role of the psoas muscle (it’s probably not what you think) Symptoms of psoas dysfunction Two reasons why modern humans have more problems with the psoas than our ancestors How the psoas shapes the body Two neuromuscular principles for supporting the psoas to lengthen A formula for working with the psoas ...
Nov 29, 2018•50 min
Is it ethical to charge for yoga? Highlights What yoga teachers are selling (it's not yoga) Why free yoga may not be in the best interest of the student. Why money causes so many people to behave unethically - and why yoga teachers are far from immune. How to make better decisions around money. Lessons from ancient yogic texts such as the yoga sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. Links and Resources Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Email list to get access to bonus co...
Nov 22, 2018•32 min
Nov 15, 2018•55 min
Learn how to market your offerings in a way that is both honest and effective - and avoid the most common marketing pitfalls along the way. Highlights The evolution of the ‘yoga industry’ in the past few decades Why most yoga teachers think of marketing in backwards - and how turning that thinking around can transform their relationship to marketing The weird reason I used to be afraid of marketing - and how I got over myself How (and why) to depersonalize the results of your marketing One power...
Nov 08, 2018•16 min
Bernie Clark shares how you can use knowledge of anatomical variation to make your yoga classes more inclusive and supportive of long term optimal health for your students. Highlights The most important anatomical concepts that yoga teachers often get wrong. The most important question for yoga teachers and students to ask themselves about asana. How to know if you should study anatomy as a yoga teacher. The anti-fragility curve and what it means for yoga teachers Common poses to avoid teaching ...
Nov 01, 2018•53 min
Learn strategies for thriving as a yoga teacher when you live in a rural and/or seasonal area in this on-air coaching session with Valarie Anderson. Highlights How to approach the concept of niche when you live in a very small town. How to talk about yoga with people who only have had a very limited exposure to it and may feel skeptical about it. How to structure your class offerings when you live in a place with huge seasonal changes in weather and/or population. How to get over feeling awkward...
Oct 25, 2018•1 hr 8 min
An innovative yoga studio business model that is designed to center the needs of yoga teachers and support them to make a living as a teacher. Highlights ~ Why Kaya chose this business model ~ The three prongs of a yoga studio ~ the students, the studio, the teachers and whether all three can "win" ~ Who this kind of model is for and who it isn't for ~ Why running a studio as simply as possible is good for resolving the "good girl" syndrome of perfectionism and overdoing Invitation for Inspired ...
Oct 18, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 23
Mado shares how you can use the latest research in neuroscience to turn your personal practice from a resource intensive decision to a nourishing habit. Highlights Why habit formation is a missing piece in most teacher trainings The three main components of a habit and how to manipulate them to create an effortlessly consistent personal practice 5 types of triggers how to strengthen their effect Ritual, accountability and small wins Invitation for Inspired Action Look for an accountability partn...
Oct 11, 2018•17 min•Ep. 22
The queen of alignment and grandmother of yoga in Asheville shares some wisdom about functional anatomy and the best way for yoga teachers to use her book “Healing Our Backs with Yoga”. Highlights The difference between positive pain and negative pain. How to use the image of a clock face to guide your students into optimal core alignment and activation. How to work progressively to heal back pain, including what goals to prioritize in what order. The best way for yoga teachers to get started us...
Oct 04, 2018•42 min•Ep. 21
Mado helps a college writing professor with a passion for yoga nidra refine her niche, develop signature offerings, and create a strategy for attracting private clients. They also dive into practices to help overcome mindset issues when feeling resistant to promotion and marketing. Highlights How to set your own standards expectations for the structure of your teaching - no matter what the yoga community is like where you live. How to work backwards when you create your events so that they pract...
Sep 27, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 20
Upgrade your cue-ability with this mini training on language with Laurel Beversdorf. Highlights Why language is so important in the context of teaching movement and even more so when teaching yoga How to use language to support your intention for teaching 4 different types of cues you can use in your classes and why you might choose each one Why watching your students reactions to your instructions is the most important part of cueing Invitation for Inspired Action Share it on the Yoga Teacher R...
Sep 20, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 19
Mado shares her personal practice for using mindful awareness to stop engaging in behaviors that are self-sabotaging or self-destructive. Highlights Why yoga teachers engage in the same self-destructive patterns as everyone else The major reason why we engage in behavior that we know is unhealthy The two steps to diffusing the power of our uncomfortable feelings The reason that resistance to feeling is more painful than the feeling itself Some examples of how I use this practice in my personal l...
Sep 13, 2018•25 min•Ep. 18
Learn everything you need to know to make your first yoga video. Jess Rose shares the inside scoop of what it takes to make a high quality yoga video your first try. Highlights The equipment you really need to make a yoga video and tips for keeping your equipment costs down. The most important things to know BEFORE you start creating your video. The 3 most compelling reasons for yoga teachers to take the plunge and make a video. The pros and cons of recording your audio separately from your vide...
Sep 06, 2018•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 17
Still sending your email list a long boring newsletter filled with all the different events you have coming up? Or do you rarely send one at all? If so, you need this mini training on how to fully tap into of the power of email marketing for yoga teachers. Highlights Understand the mindset issues that prevent a lot of yoga teachers from creating an email list, growing their list, or tapping into the potential of their list and how to overcome them. Why your email list is the most powerful tool a...
Aug 30, 2018•27 min•Ep. 16
On-air coaching calls provide real world examples of how to apply the topics of previous episodes. Hearing several examples will help you apply the concepts from last week’s episode (find and nurture your ideal yoga student) to your own situation. Highlights Karin has been teaching yoga for 10 years and works full time in the healthcare field. She would like for her niche to focus on teaching self-care as a non-negotiable rather than a luxury, but she’s not sure what population to focus on. Fran...
Aug 23, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 15
Increase your impact as a yoga teacher, reduce the time and energy you spend on marketing, support your personal practice, increase your confidence as a teacher, and promote a sense of cooperation and community with other yoga teachers by taking this one key step in your yoga business. Highlights 6 compelling reasons for yoga teachers to get clear on their ideal yoga student. Why some yoga teachers end up turning off their ideal students without even realizing it. Common myths and fears about ni...
Aug 16, 2018•23 min•Ep. 14
In this episode Kristine shares the benefits of slowing down your yoga practice and how the latest research in neurobiology overlaps with a traditional definition of yoga to explain why it works. Highlights A definition of yoga that is grounded in tradition yet fully relevant to modern life The evolution of research in the health and wellness sphere Why the yoga market is actually not saturated, contrary to popular belief How we can take advantage of our body’s natural drive for homeostasis to b...
Aug 09, 2018•58 min•Ep. 13
Mado shares some basic principles of how to take care of your wrists in a yoga class setting. Highlights Two major factors in how much load your wrists can handle The main reason that so many yoga students experience wrist pain My favorite modifications to allow students to participate in classes while still protecting sensitive wrists. (Bonus video download for subscribers) The exercises that I do regularly to support strength, mobility, and adaptability in my wrists. Invitation for Inspired Ac...
Aug 02, 2018•24 min•Ep. 12
