We're back! This week we're talking through four life skills for every yoga teacher to master. These four skills are attributes that we work on in our own work and personal lives through our practice. They are also the four pillars around which our upcoming January program -- Mind-Body Reset -- is built. The four skills are: Self-compassion -- the skill of being an ally to yourself and accepting yourself, as you are. Self-awareness -- taking a look inward and acknowledging your areas of strength...
Nov 29, 2023•45 min
Fall doesn't just mean pumpkin spice lattes. It means that you will likely start to hear a cacophony of sniffles and coughs when you're ordering said pumpkin spice latte -- or wherever you go. It's a great time to thinking about your yoga practice as a tool for building your resilience. Iyengar Yoga teacher Lisa Walford joins me this week to talk about her approach to immune health and how to use asana, pranayama, and meditation as part of your support system. Lisa also opens up about her own pe...
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Inversions can be fun, empowering, and strength-building -- if they are introduced thoughtfully and systematically. On this episode, Jason walks through how to introduce four key inversions to beginners: Handstand, Forearm Balance, Headstand, and Shoulderstand. He shares the building blocks that will create a blueprint for each pose, keeping them safe and beneficial. We have companion sequences for these poses on our website! Find them on the shownotes page here: yogalandpodcast.com/episode313 J...
Oct 06, 2023•47 min
Carving out a place for yourself as a yoga teacher is no easy task. It was such a treat to have multi-hyphenate Neeti Narula on the show to hear how she has done it. Neeti is an NYC-based yoga and meditation teacher, as well as a mother of two, a contributor at Yoga Journal and now, a freshly minted contributor on the lifestyle platform, Melissa Wood Health. Neeti shares so many helpful gems on this episode including: How yoga came into her life and helped her begin to heal from loss The thing t...
Sep 27, 2023•1 hr 2 min
This week we continue on with our series for beginners (and those teaching beginners): Our focus is the best arm balances for beginners. Arm balances are typically poses that beginners really enjoy playing around with, because they offer shapes that we don't typically do in other disciplines (unless you're a gymnast or a pro skateboarder). Arm balances can build stability, balance, strength, mobility. They're also aesthetically beautiful and novel -- unless you're a gymast or a pro skateboarder,...
Sep 20, 2023•50 min
Modern life is not great for your back -- sitting in chairs tightens the hip flexors, which can lead to a chain reaction that stresses the low back. When we type at a computer, we typically roll the shoulders forward or hunch the upper back. And looking at our phones constantly can lead to the dreaded and painful "tech neck." -- chair sitting, typing, and looking at our phones. Simple backbends are a fantastic antidote. But which backbends are most beneficial for beginners and why? Jason shares ...
Sep 12, 2023•51 min
Jason joins me on this week's episode to talk about how yoga teacher training goes beyond skill acquisition and can become a catalyst for self-transformation. We just hosted a webinar on the topic last week and we enjoyed it so much we thought we'd re-record the episode especially for the podcast. This is a fun episode if you're considering YTT or if you've already done a YTT and you'd like to reminisce about all the ways that learning this discipline deepens your understanding of yourself and c...
Sep 06, 2023•40 min
Today's conversation is with Alison Zak, who recently published her first book, " Wild Asana: Animals, Yoga, and Connecting Our Practice to the Natural World ." Zak's unique nature memoir artfully weaves together her personal stories, ecological context, and yoga asana. Her book is a moving and urgent call for us to remember our connection to the natural world. As Zak says, "We're more alike than different from even the animals that might seem quite different from ourselves, like a scorpion or a...
Aug 29, 2023•45 min
There’s something about fall that just feels like back to school time for me, even as an adult. Jason’s 200-hour YTT is coming up October 24th, so we thought we’d review what to look for if you’re thinking about going back to yoga school! We talk through the importance of adapting asana to modern knowledge and safety standards, the significance of understanding yoga anatomy in a functional context, and prioritizing strength and stability in practice. We also tough on the need for a thorough unde...
Aug 23, 2023•38 min
On our live episode two weeks ago, we answered the question, ‘Is this thing that we’re doing still yoga?’ Jason shared five principles that make even the most modern practices a yoga practice. On this episode, we will walk through how yoga teachers can bring these principles to life in their teaching. Here are some of the ideas we talk through: Reflecting on whether classes still have liberatory qualities, inviting students to grow beyond self-limiting beliefs and identifications. Introducing in...
Aug 16, 2023•48 min
As many of yoga know, Sally Kempton was hugely influential to me. She was an expert guide, a loving presence, and a creative inspiration. She passed away on July 10th and has been on my mind constantly since then. I put together this episode to honor and remember her with my friend, the former editor-in-chief of Yoga Journal, Kaitlin Quistgaard. We had a lot of fun sharing stories and memories of Sally. The second part of this episode features my favorite episode that I did with Sally a few year...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr 18 min
This discussion was recorded in London at the new Mission studio where Jason led Module I of his hybrid YTT a few weeks ago. Together, Jason and I explored the question -- Is this thing that we're all doing still actually yoga? Our power-hour or our 30-minute glo class or our rolling on foam rollers with some poses sprinkled in -- are those still yoga? Or has yoga in the West evolved into something else altogether? A few tidbits that we discuss in the episode: The fact that the word "yoga" has m...
Aug 02, 2023•57 min
Today we're talking about five things that Jason wishes he knew earlier in his yoga teaching career. We hope this discussion helps yoga teachers everywhere take some pressure off of themselves to be everything to everyone all the time. Enjoy! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 14, 2023•26 min
Jason takes over this week to present a special comprehensive lecture on Patanjali, aka, his Patanjali “Super Lecture.” This episode essentially combines our three existing episodes on Patanjali plus additional content featuring essential philosophical concepts to teach beginners. We wanted to provide a place for all of these conversations to exist together so you have them at your fingertips. The topics we take on include: The Sutras: Unpacking Purusha and Prakriti The Sutras: Defining Chitta, ...
Jul 11, 2023•2 hr 48 min
Deepen your knowledge of yoga anatomy and the anatomy of twists, in this 20-minute detailed conversation. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 07, 2023•21 min
This week I'm sharing 8 things I've learned in the process of creating this podcast for the past 8 years. Jason joins as my sound board and points out that a lot of these ideas about how to create content -- things like defining your editorial scope, sustaining your passion, and having a thick skin -- apply to teach yoga, too. So -- you get a twofer here: lessons for sharpening your content creation/podcasting skills that can also help boost your confidence, creativity, and effectiveness as a yo...
Jul 03, 2023•35 min
It's the 300th episode of Yogaland -- huzzah! For this momentous occasion, I've decided to reflect on the past 8 years. So much has changed in yoga and in podcasting and I wanted to take a look back together. On the episode I share where and why podcasting started for me (it was a comfort during radiation treatment for breast cancer treatment), what my aim was in starting the podcast, and what the podcasting landscape was like at that time vs. now. I share some personal details of how these past...
Jun 29, 2023•39 min
In this last of our "essentials" series, Jason shares 5 essential ideas for finding ease and stability in your shoulders during yoga practice. On this episode, you will learn: Why it's particularly crucial to build shoulder stability if you practice vinyasa yoga -- and which joint (of the four) in the shoulder is the most unstable A common misconception about what to do with your shoulders when your arms move overhead The cue that you can give when arms move overhead that will prevent neck and s...
Jun 21, 2023•42 min
On this episode, Jason clarifies what we mean when we talk about the core in yoga. Once you're finished listening, the core will no longer be a vague two-dimensional region that you aspire to pummel into submission. Instead, you'll understand: The difference between the abdominals and the core The functions of the core -- it contains! connects! supports! It's like a Swiss Army Knife! The part of the core that is typically the tightest; the part of the core that is typically weakest How to counte...
Jun 10, 2023•32 min
This week, I speak to yoga teacher, writer, and mama Sarah Ezrin about her new book, The Yoga of Parenting: 10 Yoga Based Practices to Help You Stay Grounded, Connect with Your Kids, and Be Kind to Yourself . As Sarah points out right at the beginning of the episode, there are far more than just 10 practices in this book. There are 34 to be exact, but more importantly it's just brimming with both creative and science-backed ideas to help you grow as a parent, increase those oh-so-essential self-...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Jason joins me this week to share 5 essential ideas for a healthy spine in yoga. How to distribute your physical and mental attention for optimal spinal health while practicing One of the riskiest moves for the spine How shielding ourselves from back pain can lead to a weak back Whether the spine twists from bottom to top or from top to bottom When it's beneficial to round the spine (and how we often forget to do this!) 👉 I've linked to some sequences focusing on the lower back as well as upper...
May 17, 2023•44 min
Libby Hinsley is a yoga therapist and a Doctor of Physical Therapy living with Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Suffice it to say, she is the expert on yoga for hypermobility. Her new book, Yoga for Bendy People: Optimizing the Benefits of Yoga for Hypermobility . This book is so needed in the yoga community and in the medical community, where a dearth of clarity and education abound. We cover a lot ground in this episode, including: The difference between being flexible and having joint hype...
May 09, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Learn the best way to practice, teach and troubleshoot one of Yoga's most important hip openers: Pigeon Pose. In this episode, Jason breaks down the Yoga Anatomy of this essential hip-opener and shows you reliable ways to troubleshoot the knee discomfort that some students experience in this pose. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 08, 2023•20 min
Jason joins me this week to share 5 essential ideas for healthy hips in yoga. Also: Jason's Essential Guide to Yoga Anatomy is open for enrollment! 🎉 Get the details and register at: learn.jasonyoga.com/anatomy Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 27, 2023•52 min
My guest this week is Dara Kennedy, the founder of Ayla Beauty. Having spent more than 10 years in the retail beauty space, Dara started Ayla because she wanted to combine her expertise as a product developer and curator with her passion for yoga and wellness. I've known Dara (as her customer!) for years and the mindfulness she brings to her business is notable. Her friend and the founder of Twelve Beauty, Pedro Catala, has said that she treats her customers like her best friends -- and it's tru...
Apr 18, 2023•52 min
We know that change is a part of life -- it's also a part of the constantly evolving practice of yoga. As religious studies scholar Andrea Jain says in her book, Selling Yoga: From Counterculture to Pop Culture , “I emphasize premodern yoga’s context-sensitivity, heterogeneity, and malleability, rather than any central quality or essence presumed by some to be present across all systems.” In other words, yoga has always been malleable and responsive to the context in which it exists. On this epi...
Apr 07, 2023•1 hr 6 min
These are the five most essential sequencing concepts for teaching yoga classes for beginners. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 24, 2023•21 min
Jason recently did a webinar on how to structure your classes for beginners and there were tons of requests from folks who wanted to be able to re-watch it even after the replay period. So, ta-dah! we are making it available to everyone as a two-part series! Part I focuses on the 5-part class structure that I’ve been using with my beginners for over a decade. Part II will be coming next week! You can also watch this on our Youtube channel, which you can find at: youtube.com @jasoncrandellyoga La...
Mar 17, 2023•22 min
We've noticed the pendulum swinging toward strength in recent years (not a bad thing), and we wanted to offer context for the counterpoint: Stretching. (BTW, This is a great companion to episode 288, 'How much strength does yoga really build?') We take a big, contextual step back and look at: What is stretching? What are the types of stretching? What are some of the contraindications Are there still benefits and if so, what are the most effective protocols for increasing flexibility? At the tail...
Mar 07, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Many of us have an attraction/repulsion thing when it comes to learning yoga anatomy. Why is that? Anatomy reminds us that embodiment is amazing, but it can also be overwhelming and frustrating to feel like we'll never "get it all." Never fear! On this episode, Jason talks about why it's so important to learn anatomy and how to approach it so that you feel empowered and inspired. We've got lots more anatomy content on our blog, which you can find on the shownotes page: www.yogalandpodcast.com/ep...
Feb 28, 2023•48 min
