This week, Jason and I are tackling another common question that modern yoga students ask: Is yoga enough to keep you healthy? Or do you need to do other forms of exercise to stay fit? The answer, of course, depends on the goal. But we chat about our own thoughts as long-time practitioners and weigh in on some of the benefits we’ve noticed from adding additional forms of exercise into our routines. SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS Stitchfix makes it possible for you to have a professional stylist curate...
Nov 19, 2019•36 min•Ep. 171
International yoga teacher and activist Seane Corn joins us this week. Seane recently added another title she says she never thought she’d hold to her list of accomplishments: Published author. Her new book, Revolution of the Soul, is a powerful mix of personal narrative and a thoughtful unpacking how yoga and mindfulness practices + other healing modalities can help one’s personal healing journey. The book is raw and real--she tells her story from the beginning and goes into such detail that it...
Nov 12, 2019•58 min•Ep. 170
Whether you're yoga teacher or a student, you've witnessed: ** The Moaner -- The student who seems to be enjoying class a leetle too much. ** The Rebel -- The student who's just gotta do their own thannnng (and ignore what the rest of the class is doing) ** The Savasana Protester -- So what if everyone's in Savasana? She's kicking into Handstand and no one's gonna stop her. We talk about all of the behaviors -- and more -- on this week's podcast. Tune in to find out how Jason handles the...
Nov 05, 2019•46 min•Ep. 169
For decades Yoga Alliance has been the main credentialing body for yoga teachers and schools. But the organization has been widely criticized for being nothing more than a list service that teachers feel required to pay for. Over the past few years, the leadership at Yoga Alliance has changed and current CEO, Shannon Roche, is my guest this week. My goal for this interview was to get a full picture of what the goals are within the organization right now, how they plan to provide real value to yo...
Oct 29, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 168
One of the more polarizing topics in modern yoga is the merits (and potential dangers) of attending yoga in a heated room. (To be clear, we're not talking about Bikram or Bikram-derived sequences in this ep; but vinyasa in a heated room.) So, this week Jason and I share what we believe are the pros and cons: How can you assess whether it's better for you physically? Does it encourage mental steadiness or is it distracting? And can you really "sweat out toxins?" All this and more this week! Show ...
Oct 22, 2019•32 min•Ep. 167
The scent of lavender wafting from every local yoga studio’s doors may be a relatively recent phenomenon, but essential oils have been used to bolster health and well being for thousands of years, says this week’s guest Elena Brower, who is a New York yoga teacher and Doterra wellness advocate. If you’re curious about how essential oils work, which ones are best for certain situations, and how to use them to help keep you and your family at optimal health, this episode is for you. Here’s what we...
Oct 15, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 166
It's October. Which means it's Breast Awareness Month. It's not an easy month for breast cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, or for those who have lost loved ones to the disease. So, for this episode I spoke to Susanna Harwood Rubin, a yoga teacher who has been raw and real about her own struggle with breast cancer this past year. Susanna shares specific ways that her practice supported her through her cancer experience, what you can do to support a loved one with cancer and more. I both hop...
Oct 08, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 165
You want to leave your yoga audition with a big fist pumped saying, "Nailed it," right? This week's episode can help -- Jason gets real about how to ride the waves of the modern yoga job audition, where you get a very short amount of time to showcase your skills, your approach, and your personality. He offers his thoughts as well as some commiseration. Here’s an overview of what we cover: * The one thing that the yoga teacher hiring manager is likely looking for from yoga teacher auditions * Ke...
Oct 01, 2019•43 min•Ep. 164
This week, I’m talking to Lara Benusis, a longtime yoga teacher and yoga therapist who has taught yoga in a healthcare setting for years. (She was the first full-time yoga teacher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.) She’s also on the PhD track at Columbia University studying applied physiology. Her focus is exploring the efficacy and mechanisms of exercise and yoga on the survivorship of cancer. Lara is a wealth of knowledge and a critical thinker. I love what he has to say about yoga re...
Sep 24, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 163
Being a yoga teacher takes skill, knowledge, dedication, and often, perseverance. But you can have all of those things in spades and never quite earn enough money teaching group classes to be financially secure. Not to mention, racing from one studio to the next teaching group classes can be draining—both physically and mentally. One way to avoid this kind of burnout and bolster a your income is to find a few regular private yoga clients—something Jason enjoyed doing for many years. In this epis...
Sep 17, 2019•42 min•Ep. 162
I am so excited to share this new season of Yogaland with you! This week, we kick off the season with a live episode that Jason and I recorded at triyoga in London during Jason’s recent teacher training. If you’re a long-time listener, you might know that both Jason and I identify as introverts. So, we understand why some students tend to shy away from speaking up or asking questions in a large group settings. Jason encourages engagement by asking students in his trainings to split into smaller ...
Sep 10, 2019•46 min•Ep. 161
For our season two finale episode, we’re talking to Las Vegas-based yoga teacher and author Jules Mitchell. We dive deep into the biomechanics of yoga in this episode and talk about Jules’ new book, which is a comprehensive look at the science of stretching. We can’t cover the whole book in this short format, but I think you’ll find the highlights are fascinating, thought provoking, and relevant to the broader discussions we’re having in the yoga community today. We talk about: * Why it was so i...
Jul 30, 2019•55 min•Ep. 160
If there’s one topic that eludes yoga teachers most, it’s not the correct angle of the front knee in Anjaneyasana. It’s how to teach yoga and make a livable wage. We recorded this week's episode live at Jason’s 300-hour training at Lovestory Yoga in San Francisco and answered student questions creating content that's authentic and sustainable. We talk about: * Why quality is so much more important than quantity when it comes to content--even in the fast-paced world of social media * A few ideas ...
Jul 23, 2019•56 min•Ep. 159
Today’s guest is Nicole Cardoza, founder of Yoga Foster. I couldn't be more excited about Nicole's mission to bring more movement into classrooms across the country. Her approach is innovative, too -- Nicole's background in tech inspired her to create a platform that offers yoga curriculum and teacher trainings to classroom teachers. It's a scalable idea and one that empowers classroom teachers to bring mindfulness breaks into their classrooms throughout the day. I love the idea of yoga being in...
Jul 16, 2019•37 min•Ep. 158
I've talked a lot on the podcast about how motherhood has changed my yoga practice. I know first-hand how easy it can be to fall into the trap of mom guilt and feeling like you just can't keep up with your practice and the demands of your family life. So, I'm so excited to share this episode with Anne Cushman with you. Anne writes beautifully about motherhood as a spiritual practice in her new book, The Mama Sutra: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Path of Motherhood . Anne shares: * The creative p...
Jul 09, 2019•42 min•Ep. 157
This week, we're talking to Erica Rodefer Winters, a yoga teacher in Charleston, SC who specializes in teaching prenatal yoga and postnatal yoga. When the magical, "natural" birth of her first daughter didn't go to plan, Erica reflected and changed her approach the second time around. Instead of magical thinking, she leaned into her intuition and used her yogic tools to go deeply inward and trust herself. She uses this guiding philosophy now when she teaches her students. It's a great reminder t...
Jul 04, 2019•49 min•Ep. 156
This week I talk to Sarah Kucera, author of The Ayurvedic Self-Care Handbook: Holistic Healing Rituals for Every Day and Season, all about her book and what Ayurveda can teach us about taking care of ourselves. If you’ve followed this podcast for a while, you know that I think self-care is vitally important in order to live a happy, healthy life. (I even created an online course about self care!) You might also know that I dabble in Ayurveda, and I’m fascinated about what little nuggets of wisdo...
Jun 25, 2019•44 min•Ep. 155
The thoughtful and articulate Bernie Clark joins us on the show this week! Bernie is perhaps best known for his influential Yin yoga teachings as well as his books, The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga , and Your Body, Your Yoga. When Jason and I shared our thoughts about Yin Yoga at the end of season 1 (episode 147), we hadn't expected it to be so polarizing. After seeing Bernie's response to the episode in one of his forums and after listening to you, our listeners, we asked him on the show. We cove...
Jun 18, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 154
This week, I talk to Bay Area yoga teacher Quamay Sams. Quamay grew up in New York, where he was a dancer before he enrolled in a yoga teacher training program (without ever having set foot in a yoga studio). He now considers teaching yoga a calling -- and a big responsibility. We talk about: * Why Quamay felt like a misfit (his word) growing up and how that impacted the course of his life. * Dance. He tells us more about a style of dancing called krumping, why he loves it, and how it became an ...
Jun 11, 2019•46 min•Ep. 153
Today, we're talking to Cyndi Lee, who was the first Western female yoga teacher to combine Tibetan Buddhism and yoga. Cyndi and I worked together many times when I was an editor at Yoga Journal and I have so much respect for her. You'll see why in this candid, down-to-earth interview. Cyndi is is not only inspiring, but she's a living testament to how practicing yoga and meditation for many years can help you navigate life's ups and downs with grace. We talk about: * Cyndi's career as a profess...
Jun 04, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 152
Like it or not, if you want to be a full-time yoga teacher today, digital marketing is a part of the job. It doesn’t come easily to everyone, but through the years Jason and I have figured out what works for us. In this episode, which was recorded at one of Jason’s yoga teacher trainings at LoveStoryYoga in San Francisco, we share our best advice for yoga teachers who are trying to build a following online. We discuss: * Our best tips for creating consistent, authentic content for social media w...
May 28, 2019•43 min•Ep. 151
Robyn Capobianco, PhD, is back on the podcast this week to talk about the findings of two related studies she and her team conducted about the science of flexibility. The big takeaway from both studies is the same: Doing self-massage with Yoga Tune Up Balls before stretching increases flexibility and creates less of a temporary strength deficit. Translation: On those days when you just want to lie on the floor and roll, DO IT. Is it good for you? Yes! Is it good for your yoga practice? Yes! Is i...
May 22, 2019•57 min•Ep. 150
This week’s episode is a continuation of last week’s discussion on how to cope with changes to your yoga practice and teaching style. Jason shares his practical tips on how to change up your teaching style with grace -- something that is particularly challenging when your livelihood depends on an earlier approach. We talk about: * How Jason got his start teaching in the Ashtanga tradition, and why he began to lose interest in that and move on to more technique-oriented approach to vinyasa yoga *...
May 14, 2019•36 min•Ep. 149
We’re so happy to be back for Season 2! There's that old adage, "Change is the only certainty in life." And it applies to your yoga practice and teaching, too. This week, Jason and I are talking about the internal challenges, doubts, and insecurities that come up when we're managing change in our practice. We talk about: * How Jason has changed as a student and a teacher throughout the years. He shares one transition that was particularly hard for him as a young teacher * He gives advice for peo...
May 07, 2019•41 min•Season 2Ep. 148
Since Jason so often emphasizes the importance of building strength -- especially along the posterior chain (back side) of the body, I get asked all the time, "What does Jason think about Yin yoga?" For the Season 1 Finale, we decided to take on this topic. Yin is a popular style of yoga that emphasizes long, passive holds of various (mostly floor-based) poses. In that light, Jason and I talk about: * What happens to muscles when you stretch them passively for more than 60 seconds * Why it's nev...
Apr 02, 2019•53 min•Ep. 147
This week, I talk to Katherine Priore Ghannam all about yoga for kids and her innovative program Headstand, which offered yoga to low-income K-12 schools around San Francisco. We cover some of the lessons Katherine learned from starting her passion project from scratch, and why it's oh-so-beneficial to introduce yoga and mindfulness in schools. Whether you're interested in sharing yoga with kids or just need some inspiration to keep working toward your goals, this episode is for you. We talk abo...
Mar 26, 2019•44 min•Ep. 146
The recent episode where Jason and I discuss teaching yoga part-time vs. making it a full-time career really struck a chord. I was surprised by the number of emails, direct messages, and comments that listeners sent my way. As usual, you were full of insights. So for this week's episode, I decided to share some of those comments as inspiration, motivation, and support for others who are fulfilling their dharma of sharing yoga. Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode145 SHOUT-OUT TO ...
Mar 20, 2019•21 min•Ep. 145
For almost three years, Jason has resisted addressing your questions about the sacroiliac joint (SI) -- mostly because it's such a complex topic for a podcast. But today! I wore him down. He addresses a listener question about the mysterious sacrum and the soreness that so often comes along with yoga practice. He talks about: *Why, why, why?? do we so often experience sacral pain in yoga *What is often happening to the sacrum when we experience pain flare-ups *The role that the piriformis can pl...
Mar 13, 2019•52 min•Ep. 144
In this episode, Jason breaks down what he sees as some of the pros and cons of teaching full-time vs. teaching part-time. The bottom line is this: There's not one right choice, but no matter whichever direction you choose, there are some challenges to overcome. (And if you're considering becoming a yoga teacher because you think it would be an easy, relaxed lifestyle, well, you might want to reconsider.) Here are a few of the things we discuss: * Jason debunks the myth that yoga teachers have a...
Mar 05, 2019•35 min•Ep. 143
Katie Brauer joins us this week for some straight talk. She shares about her background as a professional snowboarder turned yoga teacher, money mindset, and how she's using her insights to help other teachers bust through their money blocks and create sustainable businesses. Here are some highlights: * Katie talks about her time as a professional snowboarder, what she learned from her experiences, and how she's using that to help other yoga teachers * How she overcame several injuries to come b...
Feb 26, 2019•55 min
