Leadership and Yoga

Today my guest is Marla Tortorice, also known as Marla’s Yoga on instagram. Marla is a yoga instructor who practices both Ashtanga and Vinyasa, and a yoga content creator.  As Marla started Ashtanga a little over a year ago, this is a great episode for you if you want to hear what Ashtanga is and why you might enjoy it from the POV of someone who has encountered great contentment and progress in her newfound practice.  If you are tuning in today, you will also hear about how we often fall into the predicament of being dissatisfied with the present moment because we are chasing some future version of ourselves, our lives or even our practice. Marla shares tips on how we can work towards a goal while also accepting where we are currently at. In other words, if accomplishing the next big thing doesn't bring happiness, what does?  We also touch on how to develop a consistent practice and what that does for us as yoga teachers and students. And finally, we discuss not getting overwhelmed by what’s to come, or as Marla so accurately described it, how we can avoid getting paralyzed by the mountain that is to come. Find Marla on instagram: @marlasyoga  Marla’s website: https://marlasyoga.com/ Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/

Today my guest is Adam Husler. Adam is a yoga teacher based in London who has taught over 10,000 hours of yoga, in over 60 studios across over 20 countries. His background off the mat includes law school, the boxing ring, ultramarathons, the non-profit sector, and being a dad.  In addition to teaching classes, workshops, consulting, mentoring, leading retreats and trainings, and creating content for social media…He is also a host of the honestly unbalanced podcast with his wife, Holly. If you are tuning in today, you will hear primarily about teaching yoga and Adam’s teaching philosophy. See the list below for a detailed breakdown of the topics we cover.  Time stamps: 8:30 Teaching contemporary, non-dogmatic yoga. Tradition is peer pressure.  11:30 How students feel during class, and the role of a teacher and a mentor.  15:15 Selecting a teacher.  17:45 The role of comedy in teaching and the purpose of yoga. 22:30 Yoga without distractions, or distracting music. 26:00 Letting go of comfort blankets while teaching and being comfortable with silence. 28:45 Is teaching yoga a creative endeavor?  31:30 Not pleasing everyone. 32:30 Consistency. Everything takes a year.  34:30 People will be more invested in you if you're your authentic self. 35:30 Avoiding irrelevant feedback.  39:00 Finding what you love to teach. 43:00 Acknowledging that you need to put in the work. 45:30 The billboard question: People care less than you think. Find Adam on Instagram: @adamhusler Adam’s website: http://adamhusler.com/  Holly Husler’s Instagram:  @iamhollyhusler Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/

Today my guest is Laura Cabral, also known as Lau. Lau is a yoga instructor and holistic health coach based in Puerto Rico. She also runs wellness and yoga events, and is the host of the podcast, Dosis de Juguito. Lau’s mission is to help women become the healthiest, most authentic and glowing version of themselves.  If you are tuning in today, you will hear a bit of behind the scenes of Lau’s journey. We’ll start with yoga and wellness, and other topics we’ll touch on include: hosting yoga events, journaling, managing stress and pressure, tips for teaching, self-care and dealing with judgment.   Make sure to listen all the way to the end to hear Lau’s answer to the most important question— the billboard question.  Lau’s ritual song since she started teaching and hosting events:  Firestone Lau’s website: https://laucabral.com/  Follow Lau on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laucabral/  Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/

Today I’m here to tell you about teaching at an event that I quite literally dreamed about— as in I put it on my dream board the minute I saw it last year, and was shocked and thrilled to be invited to teach at this year.  Tune in to hear about how I was able to teach this giant class, how I prepared, and how I was feeling. I share some "oh shit" moments and "oh yes" moments, and my major takeaway.  Plus, I share 6 things you can do to set yourself up for doing something similar or reaching a big goal. Time stamps: 10:20 But what will I teach?  18:50 The mic was the villain.  20:30 Enjoy the process, and the melody of the moment, not the end result.  26:00 6 things you can do to reach a big goal. 26:30 Number 1 - Know what value you have to add. Discover your strengths and invest in developing yourself. 29:30 Number 2 - Know your “why.” 30:45 Number 3 - Know your community.  32:30 Number 4 - Learn to ASK. 33:15 Number 5 - Do whatever it takes, but relax about it.  34:30 Number 6 - Visualize it. First, be able to see yourself doing that “thing” that you might assume is not for you.  Listen all the way to the end to find out this week’s emoji to collect your virtual high-five.  Yerbana Yoga in the Park “Amarillo” on the Colores experience by J Balvin Priming exercise with Tony Robbins that I mentioned.  Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/

Today my guest is Paloma Marin. Paloma, also known as @palo.yoga on instagram, is a yoga instructor and a content creator with over a million followers on Instagram, TikTok and Youtube. Paloma has an online yoga studio called Prayana, and is a host of the podcast “Lo Que Te Mueve.” By training she is also a chemical engineer even though right now she focuses all of her energy on sharing yoga.  If you are tuning in today, you will get a bit of a behind the scenes look at Paloma’s journey, starting with finding yoga and moving to becoming a yoga entrepreneur. Other topics you’ll hear about include: dealing with instability as a yoga entrepreneur, leadership in the world of influencing, tapping into creativity, mental health tools, the yoga lifestyle, and the most important “investment” that we can make in ourselves as teachers.  Timestamps:  13:00 Starting to teach yoga. 16:00 How Paloma got to where she is today, quitting her job and turning to a new purpose. 23:00 Dealing with instability as an entrepreneur.  26:30 Getting in touch with creativity.  30:00 Mental health: 3 tools Paloma uses personally.  35:30 On burnout, experiencing the yoga lifestyle, and finding benefits through your practice as an individual.  38:30 Investing in yourself as a teacher and a leader. 40:00 On authenticity. 43:00 What makes an exceptional leader?  44:30 A moment of pure joy, and the billboard question.  Find Paloma on instagram: @palo.yoga Paloma’s online studio: https://www.prayanayogastudio.com/ Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/

Today my guest is Fernanda Santos. Fernanda is a yoga teacher and a coworker of mine— we teach at the same studio. This is a special episode as it’s not every day that I have a teacher on the podcast that shares a physical practice space with me.  If you are tuning in today, you will hear about how Fernanda found yoga, and her journey building a community in a new country after moving to the US from Brazil. This episode is full of real, authentic stories about teaching yoga and practicing yoga in general. We touch on everything from when anxiety hits while teaching and dealing with judgment, to serving others, shadow work and how to share yoga.  Find Fernanda on Instagram: @iam.fernandasantos Fernanda’s website:https://www.iamfernandasantos.com/ Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/

Welcome to our first 1:1 chat in a while! Today I share with you what I wish I would have known when I first started investing in myself and everything that's waiting for you inside my next retreat.   I cover the value of travel, why you are your most important asset to invest in, and how to invest in yourself. It’s often easier to go into debt for college than it is to trust yourself to make investments in yourself. Why?  To finish off the episode, I get into why I am passionate about hosting retreats and give you an overview with all the details of what to expect on my upcoming retreat in Río Chirripó.  Plus, I share why I started a podcast in the first place, and my moment of PURE JOY that still lives on in my morning routine today.  See more details about my Río Chirripó retreat:https://shawnakru.com/retreats/ Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/

Today my guest is Annysa Baker, also known as Ness and perhaps better known as Inversioness on Instagram. Ness is a yoga instructor, content creator, improvised movement enthusiast and an incredible inversion practitioner. Today you have the opportunity to listen in on our virtual coffee chat— yes, we both had coffee in-hand— as I ask Ness about everything from how to start practicing yoga to thrift shopping, to facing the fear of teaching and serving others. We discuss her sources of inspiration, reason for practicing and practice schedule. We also talk about what changed in her life after starting yoga and how others can begin their own journey. Plus, she shares a moment of pure joy she had last week, and her billboard message for the world, which was inspired by words of wisdom from her Nanny. Whether you hope to get on your mat and start practicing yoga, or you dream about teaching and leading a retreat, you won't want to miss this fun conversation. Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam email list to stay up to date on giveaways and L&S news. Plus, get immediate access to the free week-long 6am Club training: Join the fam. Find Ness on Instagram: @_inversioness Find Ness on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@inversioness Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/

Today my guest is Julia Izquierdo. Julia is a yoga teacher, holistic health coach and content creator based in Miami. If you are tuning in today, you will hear a bit of behind the scenes of Julia’s journey. If you are curious about how you can stop underestimating yourself, listen to what Julia has to share on imposter syndrome, going all-in, and why judgment has no real power over us. Plus, we talk about the journey to becoming a wellness professional and teaching yoga in general.   Julia’s website: https://juliaizhealth.com/ Find Julia on Instagram: https://instagram.com/juliaizyoga?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Find Julia on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@juliaizhealth?_t=8dOhwkbIyPm&_r=1 Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/

Today my guest is Zoë Jane Mitchell. Zoë is a certified yoga teacher and lover of all things health and wellness. She has lived and worked internationally and is currently based in Miami. If you are tuning in today, you will hear about both practicing and teaching yoga, building confidence, staying dedicated and consistent, and tips for showing up for yourself and for others. Plus, Zoë shares a behind the scenes look into her own journey with yoga, and her billboard messages she’d like to share with the world. Find Zoe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoejanemitchell/ Find Zoe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zoejmitchell?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Zoe's website: https://www.zoejanemitchell.com/