Yogaland Podcast

We've all been there -- in that yoga class where the person next to us is not doing any of the poses the teacher calls out, or in teacher training when someone asks question after question after question after...you get the picture. Do these people drive you crazy? Or, if you're teaching, do you wonder how you can make that rebellious person follow your lead or satisfy the questioner's endless questions?This week, my guest is New York Times bestselling author, Gretchen Rubin. Her new book, The Four Tendencies, offers a framework for understanding how different personalities respond to both inner and outer expectations. I thought it would be fun to take Gretchen's framework into the yoga room to see how it plays out. We talk about The Rebel -- that person in class who is not doing any of the poses the teacher calls out. The Obliger -- the person who needs outer accountability to help them stick to their inner expectations. The Questioner (my tendency) who asks question after question after...you get the i

Jill Miller is the creator of Yoga Tuneup and The Roll Model Method -- a self care method that utilizes specific poses, sequences, and self massage tools to help you tune into your body's "blind spots." Jill's method can help ease and pains, it can soothe your nervous system, and increase proprioception -- that important ability to feel where your body is in space. Just before this interview, Jill made the announcement that years of wear and tear on her body (including yoga practice) have led to the need for a hip replacement. Understandably, the response in the yoga community was one of shock, curiosity, and even some judgment. Jill was kind enough to share her story -- what she thinks led her to this point, what she would do differently, and why she's not throwing yoga under the bus.For shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode74/Shoutout to our sponsors:1. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. Fo

According to psychologist and author, Kelly McGonigal, listening to someone else's story of resilience and overcoming adversity can have a positive effect. Listening to someone's "restorative narrative" can inspire strength and courage in you. In addition, if you're the person doing the storytelling about your own traumatic event, and you both acknowledge the difficulty as well as the how it transformed you in positive ways, you are more likely to have better health outcomes. In this light, Andrea tells her breast cancer story and shares the four profound ways it has changed her three years later. Shownotes: http://yogalandpodcast.com/episode73Shoutout to our sponsors: 1. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 60% off your first order, visit http://mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe. 2. Burrow is a new online company that creates modern, CHEMICAL-FREE sofas that ship to you within

Last week, I talked about the science of self-compassion and how self-compassion practice has more favorable outcomes than boosting self-esteem. On this episode, I offer a way to put self-compassion into practice by sharing a 10-minute guided Lovingkindness meditation. This type of meditation involves silently repeating a mantra and extending love and compassion toward yourself, then toward someone you love, then toward all beings. The full meditation is written out on the shownotes page: yogalandpodcast.com/episode72 Shoutout to our sponsors: 1. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 60% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe. 2. Burrow is a new online company that creates modern, CHEMICAL-FREE sofas that ship to you within a week! For $50 off your purchase, go to burrow.com and use the promo code YOGALAND. 3. We all go through busy times where it

High self-esteem used to be regarded as a vital component to happiness. But it's fallen out of favor in the past decade. Research -- much of it led by Dr. Kristin Neff -- has shown that self-compassion is a more effective way to increase optimism, happiness, curiosity, and connectedness. This episode talks you through the research and offers three very practical ways to incorporate self-compassion in your yoga practice and life. SHOWNOTES: yogalandpodcast.com/episode71/  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of my favorite quotes from Jason is,"I believe that we should embrace anything and everything that helps us and our students be well." On this episode, we dive into the meaning behind that quote and why it's important to advocate for our students to try other modalities if needed. There are times when yoga teachers feel pressured to know all of the answers or to make a diagnosis and there are also times when we unintentionally make our students feel guilty if they're not finding healing in the yoga room. Jason dispels these ideas and helps teachers cope with not having all the answers. Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode70/  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We all struggle from time to time with the question -- "Am I doing enough?" This week, Jason and I talk about this question and this fear in the yoga room. His clear message: Trust in the process of yoga. And return to the fundamentals of what we're trying to teach (and learn) in yoga: To hone attention and discipline so that we can remain steady in the face of stress.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jason is back and he's sharing just a few of the values he hopes to pass onto his teacher training graduates. We talk about -- how do you develop a strong, personal point of view without minimizing others' points of view? And is yoga a discipline that changes over time -- are we allowed to revise? For shownotes and a full blog post go to: yogalandpodcast.com/episode68  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

MC Yogi is a well-known performing artist -- and perhaps one of the only rappers to write lyrics about Hanuman and Ganesha? -- and is married to artist Amanda Giacomini who I interviewed on episode 45. Together, they've owned and been the primary teachers at the Point Reyes Yoga Studio in Point Reyes, CA. On this episode, we talk about MC Yogi's his new book, Spiritual Graffiti, which tells the story of how discovering yoga helped him overcome his troubled youth and brought his artistry to life. Thanks to MC Yogi for allowing us to use his music for this episode. For shownotes and a link to order his book: yogalandpodcast.com/episode67  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jessica Berger Gross is the author of the beautiful, moving, hopeful memoir, Estranged: Leaving Family & Finding Home. Jessica was raised in a seemingly typical middle class family in Long Island. But behind the scenes she suffered physical abuse from her father. She made the decision in her late twenties to stop communicating with her parents not knowing that the decision would become permanent. Now, 17 years later she's written a memoir that Elle Magazine included in their guide to the "best books of summer," and that Glamour called "gripping." Jessica was first introduced to yoga in high school and immersed herself in the practice after the estrangement. She practiced many different styles -- Jivamukti, Baptiste, vinyasa -- before settling on Iyengar as her chosen path. We talk about how yoga helped her reclaim her body, how it informs her choices now that she's a mom, and how it kept her sane and inspired during the writing of this book. Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode66/  See aca

Lizzie Lasater teaches the pleasure of deceleration through Restorative yoga workshops and digital trainings. Lizzie is the daughter of venerated yoga teacher Judith Hanson Lasater, so I was keen to pick her brain about how yoga was (successfully! without rejection!) passed onto her. Lizzie also offers great tips for incorporating Restorative Yoga into everyday life. And, as she's witnessed both of her parents growing older and benefitting from lifelong yoga and meditation practice, Lizzie talks about the importance of taking the longview with asana practice. Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode65/  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Judith Hanson Lasater Ph.D., physical therapist, has been teaching yoga since 1971. Judith has written nine books and is one of the founders of Yoga Journal Magazine. I had many opportunities to interview Judith during my decade as an editor there, but this interview was so refreshingly different for me because I got to ask her whatever I wanted! She shared how she found yoga, the importance of following your intuition, and her tips for learning to communicate clearly. I have the utmost respect for Judith -- her body of work, her insight, her compassion and care for her students all shine through in this interview. Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode64/  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kino MacGregor is an Ashtanga yogi in the lineage of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and is the co-owner of the Miami Life Center in Miami Beach, Florida. Kino also has a new book out called Yogi Assignment, where she shares 30 days of "assignments" to help you bring the philosophy of yoga into everyday life. Kino talked to me about the surprising story of meeting her teacher for the first time, what it's like to be trolled online, and how the yoga practice "ferments" with time. You can practice with Kino online on her new channel, Omstars.com. Yogalandstories question this week: What's one valuable way that your yoga practice has been of benefit to the people around you? Please submit your story on Instagram with a photo of yourself using the hashtag #yogalandstories and I'll pick one to feature on my feed. Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode63  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this special bonus episode, Jason and I answer your questions that came up during the summer series. Thanks, as always, for sending in your questions. It helps us plan episodes! We talk about why the cue to keep the feet parallel in Wheel Pose came about (and is it really necessary?), I offer some help for hurting knees, ideas for strengthening the "pull muscles," and Locust Pose alternatives during pregnancy. Shownotes: yogalandpodast.com/epsiode62/  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I first met Jaimal Yogis when he was a young, up-and-coming journalist, a long-time spiritual seeker, and a surfer. These days he can award-winning writer, three-time book author, and father of three boys under the age of five to his bio. He is such a wonderful writer and his new book, All Our Waves Are Water is one of the best examples of relating deep meditation practice to the pains and beauty of every day life I have ever read. I am in love with this book and I'm so happy to share this interview with you. Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode61/  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I'm tired of the stale, depressing exercise and yoga advice for the "older set." It too often characterizes people over 50 as weak, unfit, and fragile. There are now plenty of yogis who have been practicing for decades and are approaching their 50s, 60s, & 70s. Do you think they're taking it easy? Nope. Neither do I. Desiree Rumbaugh and Michelle Marchildon confirm that I am right! (And who doesn't like to be right?) They're the co-authors of the book -- Fearless After Fifty: How to Thrive With Grace, Grit, and Yoga. Their book doesn't sugarcoat the aging process -- there are fears that come, there is loss. But it's equally practical about the strength and wisdom that come with years of experience being on this planet and in this practice. It's inspiring and fun to listen to them and hear their perspectives about the process that -- if we're lucky -- we will all get to experience. shownotes -- including videos from michelle & desiree's book! yogalandpodcast.com/episode60/  See acast.com/p

Jason Nemer is the co-founder of AcroYoga and has spent the past decade on the road spreading the practice around the world. Acro is a beautiful, vibrant, playful practice and it's an amazing practice for developing trust, confidence, and communication. Check out the gorgeous AcroYoga flash mob on the shownotes page: yogalandpodcast.com/episode59/  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A bonus episode for you this week! Jason and I talk about his new online course on yogaglo.com, The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Arm Balances & Inversions. There's a lot packed into this episode: Jason shares his system for teaching these poses, how he sees both arm balances and inversions as "clusters of poses" -- so that you're learning a whole family of poses -- e.g., the Bakasana Family -- instead of just one pose. He also talks about how the course can help teachers feel more confident and skillful teaching these poses.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The core is an often-obsessed about part of the body, and yogis are no exception. In this episode, Jason breaks down the component parts that make up the core. He also offers three ideas for tapping into those parts we ignore -- from paying attention to rotation, to the paraspinal muscles to learning to, at least once in a while, let your core go and let it all hang out.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the last two episodes, Jason offered some tips for working with your hips and shoulders. On this installment, we're moving to the central axis -- the spine. Jason shows off his superior maths skills by sharing that we for every 10 Sun Salutations we do 50 forward bends to every 10 backbends!! He also offers ideas for strengthening the muscles that help you rotate, and talks about everybody's (least favorite) pose -- you guessed it, Locust Pose.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.