Yogaland Podcast

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 incorporated into the school day in a seamless way. Nicole also opens up about her recent experience doing a cover shoot with Yoga Journal and how important it was for her to speak out about a surprise cover survey they did after the fact. I ask her how she handled a situation that was shaming, ignorant, and racist and turned it into an opportunity to help others.Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode158SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORSSweaty Betty is a woman-owned activewear clothing company based in the U.K. that has great fabrics with phenomenal fit. Plus, their original styles are really different from what you can get in the U.S. For 20% off your purchase of full priced items go to SweatyBetty.com/podcast and enter promo code YOGALAND now.Women shouldn’t have to compromise when it comes to feminine products. And, with Lola, there are no compromises. Lola products are 100 percent natural, made of 100 percent organic cotton with no added chemicals, fragrances, synthetics, or dyes. Plus, they now offer new hypoallergenic cleansing wipes. Their online subscription service is fully customizable, so it’s one less thing to worry about. For 40 percent off all subscriptions, visit Mylola.com and enter code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.Offering Tree makes it easy to build your own yoga website in about 30 minutes. It includes class scheduling, appointment booking, online payments, email marketing, website analytics, and more. It’s fully customizable and all services are included so it’s easy to get your business up and running. For 20% off your first 6 months, visit OfferingTree.com/YOGALAND now.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 process of writing a book, why it took her until her son went off to college to finish her latest book, and how her yoga and meditation practice helped her to be kind to herself through the whole process* How, in many ways, motherhood is such a good way to experience spirituality. Plus, how it differs from the types of spirituality practices that have been traditionally passed down by men.* Anne shares some profound insights for people who feel that they "should" be spending more time on their yoga mats or meditation cushions* Her retelling of the birth of Siddhartha, the Buddha, from his mother's perspective* How she coped with experiencing a full-term stillbirth and the anxieties that come with getting pregnant again after a tragic lossShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode157Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 to trust your gut at any phase of life when you're unsure of the next course of action.We talk about:* Her yoga origin story and how her first teacher inspired her* Why she teaches prenatal yoga (even though she didn't love prenatal yoga classes during her first pregnancy)* How she uses yoga asana, breathing, and mindfulness practices to tap into her intuition -- a practice that helped her during the birth of her daughters. And a couple ways that she helps her students to learn to listen to their intuition, too.* Plus, how she leans on that inner wisdom for all the tough decisions that come up for her now in parenting and other aspects of life.Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode156Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 wisdom I can learn from yoga’s “sister science.” So, I was thrilled when I came across a new book that talks about Ayurveda from a lens of self care. We discuss:* How Sarah’s struggles with feeling low-energy and stressed led her to look for solutions from Ayurveda and write her book* The Ayurvedic clock--and why your bedtime and waking time is as important as the number of hours you sleep* Why self care can be accessible to all (even those who are short on time and/or money). She explains why it doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.”* Sarah's "pranic budget," and how can you use this concept to use your energy more wisely, be more efficient, and have more time to do the things you love Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode155SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORSOhmme is a company that makes yoga and activewear clothing for men. The fit and function is phenomenal. Plus, their design and manufacturing process is sustainable since they use many recycled materials. For 20% off your Ohmme order, visit ohmme.com and use promo code YOGALAND20.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 covered a lot of ground in this episode: Bernie clarified Yin's origin story, he shared how Yin benefits him personally (and how he complements it with strength-training), as well as how he guides (even flexible students like Andrea) to discern their edge in poses. The big takeaway from the conversation? We landed on more points of agreement than points of difference. The one point of difference that remains is whether or not lengthening ligaments is a good idea. And if you'd like to research that further, check out the show notes.SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORSOhmme is a company that makes yoga and activewear clothing for men. The fit and function is phenomenal. Plus, their design and manufacturing process is sustainable since they use many recycled materials. For 20% off your Ohmme order, visit ohmme.com and use promo code YOGALAND20.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 outlet for him.* Stepping into the seat of the teacher and how he is coping with and embracing being a role model.* Yoga and representation. His take on why there aren’t more black people in yoga studios, who’s responsible for that, and how we can all work together to bridge that gap.* His experience as one of Jason's advanced teacher training students.Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode153SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.3. Away is a new kind of luggage that is designed to be resilient, resourceful, and essential to the way you travel today. They use high-quality materials at a lower price point than other brands because they sell directly on the Internet. Try it out for 100 days, and if you don’t love it return it for a full refund. For $20 off a suitcase, visit awaytravel.com/yogaland and use promo code YOGALAND at checkout.4. Ohmme is a company that makes yoga and activewear clothing for men. The fit and function is phenomenal. Plus, their design and manufacturing process is sustainable since they use many recycled materials. For 20% off your Ohmme order, visit ohmme.com and use promo code YOGALAND20.5. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love--like your father for Father’s Day!--and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 professional dancer in the 1980s--including what it was like working with Cyndi Lauper* The journey that led Cyndi to open the legendary Om Yoga studio in New York City* Her recent studies that led her to become a Buddhist chaplain, what that entails, and how that intersects with yoga for her* Cyndi's double hip replacement, what she learned from it, and how the healing process is going for her. Plus, she shares what advice she’d give to others who are facing a similar situation.Show notes; http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode152SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.3. Away is a new kind of luggage that is designed to be resilient, resourceful, and essential to the way you travel today. They use high-quality materials at a lower price point than other brands because they sell directly on the Internet. Try it out for 100 days, and if you don’t love it return it for a full refund. For $20 off a suitcase, visit awaytravel.com/yogaland and use promo code YOGALAND at checkout.4. Ohmme is a company that makes yoga and activewear clothing for men. The fit and function is phenomenal. Plus, their design and manufacturing process is sustainable since they use many recycled materials. For 20% off your Ohmme order, visit ohmme.com and use promo code YOGALAND20.5. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love--like your father for Father’s Day!--and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 when marketing doesn’t come easily. (Particularly, we talk about how to be a storyteller, solve a problem, and start with your wheelhouse, and turn that into content.)* How to use social media to attract private clients, as opposed to a mass audience.* When it might be smarter to focus on in-person marketing and networking instead of online* An easier way to gather student testimonials for social proof* Suggestions for people who aren’t comfortable posting photos of themselves in yoga postures (and selfies in general!). Plus, Andrea’s tips for taking better photos.* Advice for teachers who want to expand their teaching online by making yoga videos available onlineShow notes: http://jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode151SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.3. Away is a new kind of luggage that is designed to be resilient, resourceful, and essential to the way you travel today. They use high-quality materials at a lower price point than other brands because they sell directly on the Internet. Try it out for 100 days, and if you don’t love it return it for a full refund. For $20 off a suitcase, visit awaytravel.com/yogaland and use promo code YOGALAND at checkout.4. Ohmme is a company that makes yoga and activewear clothing for men. The fit and function is phenomenal. Plus, their design and manufacturing process is sustainable since they use many recycled materials. For 20% off your Ohmme order, visit ohmme.com and use promo code YOGALAND20.5. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love--like your father for Father’s Day!--and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 it a good thing to do as you age? Definitely! There is so much good news in this episode and Robyn breaks it all down for you.Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode150SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND.3. Away is a new kind of luggage that is designed to be resilient, resourceful, and essential to the way you travel today. They use high-quality materials at a lower price point than other brands because they sell directly on the Internet. Try it out for 100 days, and if you don’t love it return it for a full refund. For $20 off a suitcase, visit awaytravel.com/yogaland and use promo code YOGALAND at checkout.4. Ohmme is a company that makes yoga and activewear clothing for men. The fit and function is phenomenal. Plus, their design and manufacturing process is sustainable since they use many recycled materials. For 20% off your Ohmme order, visit ohmme.com and use promo code YOGALAND20 at checkout.5. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love--like your father for Father’s Day!--and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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* A few of the pose techniques that Jason has changed his opinions on (and why). He talks about his approach to backbends, twists, Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge), and Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Pigeon Pose).* Why it’s a good idea to make changes to your yoga teaching schedule slowly over time, especially if you're making a drastic change* How to communicate subtle changes to longtime students in a way that’s both diplomatic and respectfulShow notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode149SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS1. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100 organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.2. Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service made from high, quality ingredients personally tailored to your exact needs. Their short quiz asks you about your diet, health goals, and lifestyle choices and uses these answers to create personalized vitamin packs just for you. For 50% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins, visit takecareof.com and enter promo code YOGALAND50.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.