The Love of Yoga: Recent Episodes

Anjali Rao

The Love of Yoga Podcast connects to the expansiveness of the teachings of Yoga through provocative conversations with Yoga scholars, changemakers, and thought leaders. Our intention is to provide avenues of access for yoga practitioners who are seeking to embody these teachings for personal and social transformation.

What does it mean to be in right relationship to the practices and teachings of yoga as a white-bodied yoga practitioner? What does it mean to teach and offer these practices when we ourselves have no direct ties to this ancient spiritual lineage?

This is some of what Tristan and guest Emily Dalsfoist discuss in this winding conversation about privilege, yoga, solidarity, parenting, and so much more.

Emily (she/her) is a mother, trauma sensitive yoga teacher, and musician based on the land of the Cowlitz & Clackamas Peoples. Emily has sought to integrate her connection to nature with her teachings and she brings the teachings of Yoga into her role as a parent.

In this conversation, Emily and Tristan discuss:

How Emily came to yoga, and what compelled her to pursue teacher training
Emily’s process of uncovering the richness beyond asana in a capitalist white-washed western yoga world
The ways in which Emily has sought to integrate her connection to nature with her teachings
How she brings the teachings of yoga into her role as a parent

…and more

Check out Emily’s offerings on her website and be sure to follow her on Instagram!

This is Tristan’s final guest episode! Thank you, Tristan, for hosting on Anjali’s behalf this summer. Be sure to stay connected with Tristan! You can learn more about them on their website and you’ll find them on Instagram as well.

We are grateful for the support of our podcast partner OfferingTree — an all-in-one, easy to use business platform for classes, courses, memberships and more. They also offer FREE resources and webinars for yoga teachers — check it out at www.offeringtree.com/accessibleyoga.

Marketing doesn’t have to be spooky, and visibility as a yoga teacher or entrepreneur doesn’t require “perfection.” This conversation with Riss Giammalva explores all of this and more.

Riss is a storyteller, communications and marketing specialist, joyful movement enthusiast, and future skeleton living on land stolen from Peoria, Anishinabewaki, and Waawiyatanong peoples, now known as Detroit-ish, Michigan. In the digital management realm, Riss works to support folks in confidently communicating their ideas and aspirations on a grand scale, visually, verbally, and creatively through inclusive and diverse content creation and marketing management strategies. In the movement and wellness space, Riss assists those who do not typically ‘fit the mold’ find joy in moving their bodies, by reminding them that movement does not have to be spooky. With specific interest and focus on supporting larger-bodied, queer, trans, neurodivergent, and disabled populations, Riss believes in people over power and patriarchy, in building relationships rather than transactions, in inclusion, accessibility, mental health and collective liberation, and they believe, whole-heartedly, in authenticity, amplifying marginalized voices, and creating kick-ass supportive communities.

In this conversation, Riss and Tristan discuss:

How Riss came to yoga, what their initial foray into a social media presence looked like, and how both yoga and social media were key parts of their healing journey
The fact that showing up and putting yourself “out there” on the internet doesn’t get any less spooky over time
The role of storytelling in marketing and visibility and how narratives related to internalized oppression might impact one’s relationship to being visibile
The value of authenticity over perfection and relationships over transactions
…and more

Check out Riss’s work on their website and be sure to follow them on Instagram!

For those new to Tristan, you can learn more about them on their website and you’ll find them on Instagram as well.

"When I talk about pleasure and embodiment, I'm talking about your unique individual moment that feels true for you in your body. Not what you're being sold. And so I think that, you know, when we're talking about oppression and social justice, and I say something like, I believe pleasure is the antidote, I actually mean it.” —Terra Anderson In so many yoga spaces and in the wellness world in general, we talk a lot about embodiment. But what does it actually mean to “be embodied”?

Terra Lyn Anderson has devoted their life to being a conduit for the healing connection between body and mind for both individuals and the collective. While pursuing their graduate degree in Somatic Counseling Psychology at Naropa University, Terra began to envision what the healing potential of embodiment would look like on a large societal scale, with people aware and empowered by both thought and feeling, attuned to one another, in love with and trusting of their own bodies, and able to consciously and intentionally regulate their nervous systems. Inspired by the vision of an embodied, empowered and connected society, Terra directed their focus to studying the physical impact and healing of oppression trauma. They pursued supplemental trainings in social power differentials, racial justice, intersectionality, embodied sexuality, gender diversity, and organizational transformation. Terra believes that social justice is inherently tied to the body, as is oppression and trauma. Their unique approach to healing, education and activism is characterized by a commitment to empowering the relationship between body and mind.

In this conversation, Terra and Tristan discuss:

The definition of embodiment and the role of privilege in this conversation
How embodiment connects with our consent practices, and our abilities and ways in to hearing a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’
The role of embodiment, and pleasure, in trauma healing and in dismantling systems and challenging oppression
…and more

Check out Terra’s work on their website and Instagram and learn more about their co-facilitated offerings with Weeze Doran on Weeze’s website.

For those new to Tristan, you can learn more about them on their website and you’ll find them on Instagram as well.

We’re so grateful for the support of our podcast partner Offering Tree — an all-in-one, easy to use business platform for classes, courses, memberships and more.They are dedicated to creating free resources and developing an all-in-one virtual platform that serves Yoga teachers.

“We have to get to the root of the root of the root and actually heal that if we wanna create something different, and if we want to create conditions for us all to be free, that's the conversation…I think the core is the same in every book I've written thus far: Are we gonna do what we need to do to get free?” —Michelle C. Johnson In this episode, Michelle joins Tristan Katz as Tristan begins a summer podcast takeover for Anjali Rao!

Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an activist, social justice warrior, author, anti-racism consultant and trainer, intuitive healer, and yoga teacher and practitioner. She has led dismantling racism work in many settings for over two decades and has a background and two decades of practice as a clinical social worker. Michelle’s work centers on healing from individual and collective trauma, coming back into wholeness, and aligning the mind, body, spirit, and heart.

This conversation explores many themes relating to Michelle’s books, including:

The role of collective trauma and collective healing
Disruption while staying committed to balance
Feeling and honoring our individual heartbreak while challenging systems
…and more

Be sure to check out Michelle’s most recent book, We Heal Together: Rituals & Practices for Building Community & Connection, and pre-order her upcoming book, A Space for Us: A Guide for Leading Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Affinity Groups!

You can connect with Michelle through her website and Instagram—she has lots of amazing upcoming events and offerings so be sure to check those out and support her work.

For those new to Tristan, you can learn more about them on their website and you’ll find them on Instagram as well.

Free Resources for Teachers

We are grateful for the support of our podcast partner OfferingTree — an all-in-one, easy to use business platform for classes, courses, memberships and more. They also offer FREE resources and webinars for yoga teachers — check it out at www.offeringtree.com/accessibleyoga.

As she transitions into a brief summer hiatus, in this episode Anjali:

Revisits the vision and intention of the podcast, and reflects on the past 6 episodes
Weaves together the different threads of the teachings of Yoga
Illuminates Yoga's the connection to social change
Discusses creating avenues of connection to Yoga scholars
Introduces the new guest host for the summer podcast episodes

A huge thank you to the support of our podcast partner OfferingTree — an all-in-one, easy to use business platform for classes, courses, memberships and more. Check them out at www.offeringtree.com/accessibleyoga to get a discount and access FREE webinars today!

Saira (NOT Sara) Rao grew up in Richmond, Virginia, the daughter of Indian immigrants. For forty years, she wasted her precious time aspiring to be white and accepted by dominant white society, a futile task for anyone not born with white skin. Several years ago, Saira began the painful process of dismantling her own internalized oppression. Saira is a lawyer-by-training, a former congressional candidate, a published novelist and an entrepreneur. Saira is the co-founder of Race2Dinner, the New York Bestselling Co-Author of White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How To Do Better and the subject and Executive Producer of the documentary Deconstructing Karen.

In this episode, Anjali and Saira discuss:

The role of radical honesty in challenging white supremacy
How performative activism upholds the status quo
How yoga practitioners can actively disrupt racism in yoga spaces
The impact of speaking truth to power

Connect with Saira on Twitter or on Instagram @race2dinner @sairasameerarao

Purchase Saira's book: White Women Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better

Watch Saira's documentary: Deconstructing Karen

Teo Drake is an organizer, a teacher, and an artisan who works in wood and steel.

As a queer and trans long-term HIV/AIDS survivor, the practices and philosophies of yoga and Buddhism have been both life-saving and provided the foundation for his organizing and teaching.

He is a co-founder of the Transforming Hearts Collective, a collective dedicated to the spiritual care and liberation of queer and trans people, and has served in leadership in several different organizations in the worlds of HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ advocacy, faith and spirituality, well-being, and anti-oppression, including being a founding member of the Transgender Law Center’s project Positively Trans and serving on the faculty and board of Off the Mat, Into the World.

His writing can be found in the anthology Yoga and Body Image and at the blog Roots Grow the Tree, and his artisan crafts can be found at The Tinkering Gnome

Connect with Teo: www.transformingheartscollective.org | @TeoDrake

This week's episode is a recording of Teo Drake's keynote at the Accessible Yoga Conference Online: Practice Isn’t Meant to “Fix”, It’s Meant to Heal.

Tejal Patel is a first-generation Indian American yoga teacher, writer, podcaster, and community organizer.

She advocates for yoga through a social justice lens and educates and empowers individuals and groups around the world to do the same.

She accomplishes this with the Tejal Yoga online studio, the abcdyogi global community, and the Yoga is Dead Podcast.

In this live episode, Jivana and Tejal discuss:

The Yoga is Dead podcast
How to go from having a concern or awareness and turning it into action
The importance of service in yoga
Taking yoga off your mat
Yoga and politics
Tejal's opening Accessible Yoga Conference keynote - "The Audacity of Hope for Yoga"

Connect with Tejal: @tejalyoga

Enjoy one free class at Tejal Yoga, now through Dec 31, 2022 Use code: 100PP-AYCTY at tejalyoga.com

Tejal Yoga offers accessible movement and continuing education in a warm online environment. Our knowledgeable South Asian instructors are committed to the authentic and spiritual practice of yoga. Join us for any of these community-focused practices: Meditation: All Beings, Meditation: BIPOC Centered Pranayama & Breath Control Pranayama & Breath Slow Poses & Philosophy, Meditation: On Philosophy, Meditation & Sun Salutations, Restorative Poses & Poetry Readings, Science & Spirituality Satsang, Go Beyond The Asanas

Learn more at tejalyoga.com

Anusha is the Wellness Consultant for Hoag Hospital, one of the top rated hospitals in the USA where she leads on integrative medicine and implementing mindfulness and meditation practices for maternal mental health programs, early risk assessment for breast & ovarian cancer prevention programs and breast cancer survivorship programs. Anusha is very passionate about her work in STEM and is one of the first people to create a meditation program to be used in clinical research at Hoag Hospital. Anusha is a sought after motivational speaker around the world on the science of mindfulness and meditation and the intersection of wellness and social justice. She has delivered keynotes for health and wellness conferences, Universities, Fortune 500 companies and corporate events across North America and the UK.

Anusha has over 15 years of international senior management experience working for Fortune 50, 100 and 500 global corporations, social justice non-profit organizations & private companies in three continents. She holds a BA, MA, Diploma in Mentoring, Certified Professional Life Coach qualification, Yoga Teacher E-RYT and is a Meditation Practitioner. Anusha is an Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University on the intersection of wellness and social justice, a Contributing Editor at Yoga Journal, the world’s largest Yoga magazine, a Faculty Member with Off The Mat and a community partner with the Yoga and Body Image Coalition. Anusha is also a Teacher and Presenter at Kripalu, North America’s largest Yoga Center and Retreat, Ambassador with Yoga International and an Ambassador with the Food + Wellness Equity Collective.

Women’s health and social justice is at the heart of all that Anusha is involved with. Anusha is on the Medical Advisory Board of the national non profit Living Beyond Breast Cancer and an Advisory Board Member with Yoga Ed, an organization focused on merging science and Yoga and introducing these practices to children and teens in educational settings around the world.

Anusha co-founded the movement Women of Color + Wellness @wocandwellness which is focused on decolonizing wellness and making yoga and wellness more equitable, accessible, and inclusive. Anusha’s first book Meditation with Intention: Quick & Easy Ways to Create Lasting Peace was released in January 2021 by Llewellyn Worldwide.

You can order your copy today HERE.

In this episode, Anjali and Anusha discuss:

Insight into Anusha’s path as a consultant for hospitals and institutes integrating research regarding meditation for cancer care and survivorship
Dimensions and role of collective care for those going through diagnosis and treatment
The importance of disrupting misinformation
Dominant culture, politics, and health care at the intersections
How we can support loved ones, colleagues, and friends going through cancer treatment?

Meditation with Intention: Quick & Easy Ways to Create Lasting Peace

The Accessible Yoga Podcast is back for Season 3 with a live podcast recording as a part of the grand opening of the new Accessible Yoga Community!

In this special episode, Jivana and Anjali discuss:

The new Accessible Yoga Community
How Anjali started practicing asana
How yoga intersects with social justice
The relationship between yoga and politics
Binaries in yoga spaces
What to expect during the upcoming season of the Accessible Yoga Podcast

In this Season 2 finale, Amber and Jivana discuss:

Their lives and current challenges
How our activism and practice is showing up for us in this moment
Amber’s bike reels on instagram
Themes from Season 2:
Community Care/Sharing Power/Community Collaboration
Shift from top down teaching to community led
Jivana’s remixes on instagram
The current contemporary yoga world is complex, shifting to local
Not getting caught up in a binary of “advanced” vs gentle
How Accessible Yoga is often misused to make us fit in rather than to celebrate our differences and individuality
Encouraging students to find individuality in community
Marginalized folks are some of our greatest innovators
Your difference is your superpower
Safety and inclusion in yoga
Be sure to visit past episodes with our amazing guests like: Matthew Sanford, Nischala Devi, Michelle Cassandra Johnson, Octavia Raheem, Jacoby Ballard, Marlysa Sullivan, Reggie Hubbard

What Accessible Yoga Association is up to:

New online Accessible Yoga Community, ambassadors get first access (join here)
Accessible Yoga Community Studio - online studio where people can study with teacher leaders from the AY community, dedicated AY content
Conference coming up, Moving from Me to We, October 14-16
Pre-conference intensive on Increasing Accessibility - Matthew Sanford, Natalie Tabilo, Ryan McGraw, Donna Noble, and Jivana
Upcoming monthly themes: August: Yoga & Environmental Justice, September: Yoga & Cancer
Amber’s term as President of AYA’s board of directors is up, Anjali Rao stepping up as our new president

Shannon Crow is the host of The Connected Yoga Teacher podcast and a consultant for yoga teachers. She shares what she has learned (and continues to learn) as a yoga entrepreneur. She’s also the founder of Pelvic Health Professionals.

Shannon is passionate about this work so that yoga teachers have more time and energy to share the yoga that lights them up.

She became a yoga teacher in 2006 and continues to teach weekly group and private classes in Owen Sound, Ontario, with a specialty in Yoga for Pelvic Health.

Shannon is dedicated to helping yoga teachers define their niche and thrive at marketing. She thrives in a community that is playful, diverse, and supportive. This is what inspired her to create The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group.

Shannon offers in person and online teacher training. She is the co-founder of the MamaNurture Prenatal Yoga School and developed the Yoga for Pelvic Health Teacher Training.

Connect with Shannon on her website, at https://pelvichealthprofessionals.com/, or on Instagram @theconnectedyogateacher.

In this episode, Jivana and Shannon discuss:

Supporting and connecting yoga teachers
Learning in public
Being in the mess as a way to evolve as a practitioner and teacher
How Pelvic Health Professionals evolved
Cisgender men and pelvic health
Yoga and gender
the Pelvic floor
Trauma informed teaching and anatomical language
Pelvic health awareness in yoga classes
Fear-based language vs. clear contraindications
How to teach with this information
What does “engage the pelvic floor” “engage the core” mean?
Weak vs relaxed pelvic floor
What is the core?
More subtle is more advanced
Shannon also offers a discount code for Pelvic Health Professionals!

A community organizer, wellness activist and author of the book American Detox: The Myth of Wellness and How We Can Truly Heal, Kerri is recognized across communities for her work to bridge transformational practice with social justice. She’s been teaching yoga for over 20 years and is known for making waves in the wellness industry by challenging norms, disrupting systems and mobilizing people to act. Her leadership has inspired CTZNWELL, a movement to democratize wellbeing for all and is committed to creating the conditions where everyone can thrive.

In this interview, Jivana and Kerri discuss:

the process of writing a book and finding your voice
Kerri’s personal transformation which started with the death of her step father in the 9/11 attacks.
the myth of wellness and its intersection with ableism, healthism, and the dangers of the concept of “cure.”
Kerri's upbringing and how she struggled with perfectionism and the ways perfectionism steals us of possibility and true healing.
Kerri describes the ways that we can’t be well when others are suffering and the work she has done politically to address this disparity
the challenges for the yoga community in making wellness equitable
white supremacy and the ways it has informed wellness

Kerri’s new book, American Detox: The Myth of Wellness & How We Can Truly Heal

Matthew Sanford is an expert in the process of transformation through the healing power of yoga. Paralyzed from the chest down at age thirteen and beginning yoga at age twenty-five, Matthew knows firsthand the transformative effect that yoga can have on the mind-body relationship. He’s the author of Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence, and the founder of the nonprofit organization, Mind Body Solutions.

Book, Waking:A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence
Organization: Mind Body Solutions
Online Classes: The Hub
Jivana explains how connecting with Matthew launched the first Accessible Yoga Conference
The role of the student and the role of the teacher - sit shoulder to shoulder
Finding agency
“Yoga is infinite. You can’t put your arms around the whole ocean.”
“Let the emptiness be full.”
“Poses don’t end at the terminus of your body”
Set conditions for the mind to receive from places it can't control
Breath being the link
Wheelchair users grounding with their base, reconnecting to the earth
Boundaries and reference in asana
Humanity & humility

In this episode, Amber and Jivana discuss:

How Accessible Yoga is often misused to make us fit in rather than to celebrate our differences and individuality
How ableism prevents folks from being seen in our classes
What’s missing in our contemporary yoga practice
How to make yoga classes more equitable
Ways to share power with your students
How to encourage students to find individuality in community
The importance of inner experience vs outer appearance
The intention behind trauma-informed teaching
Your difference is your superpower
Community as a proving ground for getting to know yourself
How to find a supportive community as a student
Details about the Accessible Yoga Community Celebration May 31st

Cindu Thomas-George is the Founder and Principal Trainer of Shakti Diversity and Equity Training. As a DEI practitioner, she designs and facilitates professional development experiences that promote equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and intercultural competence. As a nationally recognized speaker, Cindu’s speaking engagements are focused on encouraging cross-racial allyship, disrupting anti-Asian hate, moving beyond color-blindness to color consciousness, disrupting anti-Blackness in communities of color, and creating inclusion for women of color in the workplace. Cindu is also an award winning tenured professor of Communication Studies at the College of Lake County specializing in Intercultural Communication and Public Speaking. In her seventeen years of working as a diversity educator, she has developed a mastery of creating and facilitating impactful learning experiences that equip individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to be advocates of diversity and agents of change who are empowered to work towards cultivating an inclusive, equitable, and anti-racist society. Her passion and commitment for this work extends beyond her professional life- Cindu actively volunteers and is a co-founder and Board member of Malayalees for Social Justice, co-founder of South Asian Solidarity. Movement, and sits on the advisory board of Orion3. Previously, she was a board member of YWCA Lake County where she helped direct the organization’s racial justice initiatives and programming.

In this episode, Anjali and Cindu discuss:

Diversity and heterogeneity in Asian communities
Solidarity with Black folks as people of color
White adjacency and how to disrupt the model minority myth
Relevance and recommendations to start grassroot level social change in the communities of influence.

Connect with Cindu on her website or on Instagram @shaktidiversityandequity

Content warning: disordered eating, sexual trauma

Nityda Gessel (she/her), LCSW, E-RYT, is a mother, licensed somatic psychotherapist, trauma specialist, yoga educator, speaker, author, and heart-centered activist, residing on the unceded land of the Chesepian people, commonly known as Virginia Beach, VA. Nityda has devoted her life to uplifting others, working at the intersection of Eastern spirituality, holistic mental health, and embodied activism. She is the founder of the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Institute, creator of The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method®, and author of forthcoming Norton book on trauma healing and embodied spirituality.

In this episode, Jivana and Nityda discuss:

Her background as a ballet dancer
Trauma from being in the dance world
How she experienced sexual trauma and started yoga to heal
How she integrates yoga as a therapist
What she teaches yoga teachers about trauma and their scope of practice
People pleasing
Yoga as a pathway to liberation
Abuse in yoga, and we often are taught to teach in an authoritative way
Benefits of trauma conscious yoga
Yoga as a spiritual practice - but we lose connection. Trauma healing is also about remembering our truth
Systemic trauma intersecting with acute trauma
Neuro-biological trauma healing through yoga
How do we teach in a trauma conscious way
Doing your own work first
Not being performative. What do the people in front of you need right now?

Connect with Nityda on her website and on Instagram @trauma_conscious_yoga_method

Accessible Yoga School’s Trauma & Yoga Series

In episode 56, Jivana and Amber discuss practical ways we can embody the yoga teachings’ concepts in the way that we teach. They explore three themes from the yoga teachings (atman, non-attachment, and brahmacharya) and discuss how we can shift our teaching methodology to model these concepts for our students, making them more relevant to their real lives.

In this episode...

Amber & Jivana discuss the concept of atman and how we can do more to recognize each students inherent wholeness
We are not here to fix or change our students
How to create agency in students and encourage them to listen to themselves
Using interoception and self-sensing tools to encourage students’ internal guidance
How the concept of non-attachment can help us be of service in a more clear way
Checking our ego around students doing something different than what we cue
Not being attached to students’ health outcomes or practice improvements
Recognizing individual students own their practice
Shifts in language that help students choose what is best for themselves
How to apply brahmacharya to our teaching practice
Setting appropriate boundaries with students
Scope of practice and ethics in teaching
Staying in right relationship with our students
Creating a personal code of ethics and scope of practice

In episode 55, Amber interviews Laura Sharkey, an autistic meditation teacher and social justice activist. They speak about their experience of ableism and other forms of oppression that are present in many yoga communities, as well as practical tools that non-disabled folks can use to confront bias. We discuss the importance of seeing our disabled community members as whole, capable human beings with agency and choice, and how we can support them in non-ableist ways. We talk about the difficult emotions that arise when we confront unconscious bias and how yoga can support us in building more resilience for difficult conversations or work. Finally, Laura shares some tips on how yoga teachers can make “quiet and still” practices more accessible to neurodiverse students.

In this episode: * Laura introduces themself and talks about how yoga helped them feel at home in their body for the first time in their 40s * We discuss ableism, anti-fat bias, and other forms of oppression present in yoga communities, and how Laura brings a yogic framework to their social justice activism * Laura counters the dangerous assumption that someone’s spiritual awareness or dedication to practice can be gauged by how they look or how “healthy” they are, or that yoga can “heal” or “fix” anyone * They discuss “cure culture” and the medical model vs social model of disability * Laura shares tips on how we can approach and support disabled students in equitable, non-ableist ways * We discuss building resilience for the uncomfortable work of confronting bias and how we can better learn to be in relationship to disabled people * Laura shares tips for teachers to make quiet and still” practices more accessible to Neurodiverse people, and talks about why “fidgeting” isn’t necessarily a bad thing * Finally, they share ways that yoga teachers can help students to experience downregulation even if it doesn’t look “typical”

Resources: * Connect with Laura on Instagram @lcsharkey * Off The Mat Into The World * An #ACTUALLYAUTISTIC Response to Autism Awareness Month * 10 Ways to Rise Above Ableism (even if you didn't realize you needed to) * Why Some Commonly Used Language Hurts people with Atypical Neurology * Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure by Eli Clare * Ableism/Language written by Lydia X. Z. Brown * Autistic Self Advocacy Network * Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network

NISCHALA JOY DEVI is a masterful teacher and healer. For many years she has been highly respected as an international advocate for her innovative way of expressing Yoga and its subtle uses for spiritual growth and complete healing. Her dynamic delivery and deep inner conviction empower each individual, allowing the teachings to expand beyond boundaries and limitations of any one tradition enabling her to touch people’s hearts.

She was graced to spend over 25 years as a monastic disciple with the world-renowned Yogiraj Sri Swami Satchidanandaji, receiving his direct guidance and teachings. She also was blessed with teachings from great Yoga masters in US, India and worldwide.

Originally trained in Western medicine, she began to blend western medicine with Yoga, offered her expertise in developing the yoga portion of The Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease, and co-founded the award-winning Commonweal Cancer Help Program. Her book “The Healing Path of Yoga,” and her Abundant WellBeing Audio Series expresses these teachings.

With her knowledge of yoga and her experience in assisting those with life-threatening diseases (particularly people with heart disease and cancer), she created Yoga of the Heart®, a training and certification program for Yoga teachers and health professionals designed to adapt Yoga practices to the special needs of that population.
She is now dedicated to bringing the Feminine back into spirituality and the scriptures, in her book, The Secret Power of Yoga, a woman’s guide to the heart and spirit of the Yoga Sutras and Secret Power of Yoga Audiobook Nautilus Book Silver Award Winner! Understanding the need for more love and compassion in today’s world, The Namaste Effect: Expressing Universal Love through the Chakras, her most recent book, explores a heart-centered way of living through the mystical chakras.

In this episode:

Jivana talks about Nischala being one of his first teachers
Nischala created the yoga portion of the Dean Ornish Heart Disease Reversal Program, which was the first to integrate yoga in the west.
Nischala’s four books:
The Healing Path of Yoga
The Namaste Effect
Meditation in the Yoga Tradition
The Secret Power of Yoga - Revised Edition comes out May 2022
Nischala discussed founding the IAYT - International Association of Yoga Therapists
Her revised edition of The Secret Power of Yoga - a translation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
She recently translated the 3rd and 4th Pada (chapters) which are usually not studied because they’re very esoteric
She discussed Pada 3, which focused on siddhis (powers)
The fourth chapter is the Kaivalya Pada, which is the chapter on Isolation
She discusses her work in yoga therapy for people with heart disease and cancer

Meditation in the Yoga Tradition: The Practical Application to Begin, or Enhance Your Meditation Practice

The Namaste Effect: Expressing Universal Love Through the Chakras

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This episode is a replay of a conversation between Jivana Heyman and Octavia Raheem on Jivana's podcast, Yoga Revolution.

This week’s guest, Octavia Raheem, teaches us to slow down, prioritize rest, and honor our varied human experiences. Octavia is a mother, author of "Gather," yoga teacher, and founder of Starshine & Clay Online Yoga and Meditation Studio for Black Women and Women of Color. A deep listener and truth teller, Octavia is a gatherer and space holder for rest and awakening. As a teacher and leader she has the skill of hearing beneath the surface for what isn’t being said, yet needs to. Octavia has more than 15 years of experience and nearly 10,000 hours of leading classes, immersions, and trainings. She guides us toward resonance and connection even when the truths we witness, hear, and encounter vary from our own. Her conversation with Jivana touches on how these truths arise in today’s world, as well as what it means to practice activism as a form of yoga, the importance of mindful space holding and compassionate language, and how simply being is perhaps the most important practice of all.

Order Octavia's new book "Pause, Rest, Be"

Learn more about Octavia.

Follow Octavia's inspirational Instagram.

In episode 52, Amber interviews Maya Breuer, yoga teacher, community activist, and Yoga Alliance’s Vice President of Cross-Cultural Advancement. She shares about the work Yoga Alliance is doing for teachers working in marginalized communities as well as her important projects like the Yoga Retreat For Women of Color, Black Yoga Teachers Alliance, and more. Maya talks about the importance of self-care for Black women and how the yoga practice has kept her grounded during challenging times.

In this episode...

Maya introduces herself and talks about the work she does with Yoga Alliance as Vice President of Cross-Cultural Advancement
Maya shares about Yoga Alliance Foundation’s Teaching for Equity program which offers stipends for yoga teachers working in marginalized communities
She talks about the origins of the Yoga Retreat for Women of Color, which has been held since 1999 at Kripalu, as well as what you can expect if you come to the retreat
Maya tells her yoga origin story from the 1970s and how rediscovering yoga in the 1980s helped her heal herself and find peace
Maya talks about her teachers and how she came to study to become a yoga teacher, followed by how the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance came to be
Maya discusses the importance of self-care for Black women as well as how the pandemic has been for her and her practice
Maya shares her go-to breathing practice for grounding herself as well as some things that are lighting her up these days

Resources:

Teaching for Equity program
Yoga Retreat for Women of Color
Kripalu
Amrit Desai
Beryl Binder Berch
Tom Gilette
Judith Lasater
Stephen Cope
Lakulish school in India
Black Yoga Teachers Alliance

Content warning: this episode contains discussion of death and grief.

In episode 51, Amber and Jivana talk about how they are each navigating grief and loss in their personal and professional lives. We’ll discuss tools that help us from humor to therapy to our yoga practice. We talk about how concepts from yoga philosophy have helped us reduce suffering and embrace the nature of life as it really is. Amber leads us in a simple movement practice that can be done from a chair. And finally, Jivana reads a short excerpt on grief from his book Yoga Revolution, then leads us in a meditation.

In this episode...

Amber & Jivana check in and catch up
We highlight some of the Accessible Yoga programming for the month of February
We share some of our favorite resources for navigating grief and caring for our hearts and minds
Amber shares how humor helps her cope with grief and loss
Jivana reminds us not to judge our “trauma responses” as inherently negative, since sometimes they’re survival tools
We discuss how sometimes patterns that have served us when we were younger aren’t needed anymore and how therapy has helped each of them
We talk about how picking the right folks for your support system can make a big difference
We discuss how the yoga practice helps us stay grounded through grief and loss, and actually embrace life as it is
Amber leads a short movement practice that can be done in a chair
Jivana reads an excerpt from his book Yoga Revolution and leads us in a short meditation

Resources:

Molly Lannon Kenny
Yoga for Grief and Loss by Karla Helbert
Yoga Revolution by Jivana Heyman
Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief by Michelle Cassandra Johnson
Deb Malkin’s instagram (@movewithdeb)
Dallas Rising is holding an unique session on Secret Grief
Nichala Joy Devi

Yoga for Grief and Loss

The information on this Podcast does not constitute medical or other professional advice and should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your physician, psychotherapist, or other health care provider. Please note, the views, information, or opinions expressed during this program are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of the Accessible Yoga Association, its Board of Directors, and its employees.

Robin Rothenberg, C-IAYT is a long time yoga therapist and yoga researcher. She serves as Chair of the Accreditation Committee for the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) as well as the Advisory Council. She has presented on lower back pain at SYTAR (Symposium for Yoga Therapy and Research) and is considered one of the foremost experts in the area of yoga therapy for lower back pain. Her ability to speak articulately to the way in which yoga impacts the nervous system, mind and emotions has led to her presenting at both NAMA (National Ayurvedic & Medical Association) and SYTAR on the subjects of anxiety and stress.

For the past three years, Robin has immersed herself in a personal study of the breath, of the ancient teachings on pranayama, and the science of respiratory physiology. The result of this inquiry has her calling for a “Breath Revolution” in the yoga community. Her new book, released in 2020, Restoring Prana: A Guide to Pranayama and Healing Through the Breath, suggests a serious re-evulation of the ‘big breathing’ habit, and a scientifically supported return to the roots of yoga which teach us to retain prana, by minimizing breath while increasing breath suspensions. She is currently researching yoga for long COVID.

In this episode they discuss:

Robin’s interest in prana and pranayama
Common misconceptions and mistakes that yoga teachers make in the area of teaching and practicing pranayama
Importance of CO2 levels in the body
Breathing through the nose
Keeping the breath slow and close to the body
She leads Jivana through a short pranayama practice

Connect with Robin on her website: Essential Yoga Therapy

Robin's books:

Restoring Prana: A Guide to Pranayama and Healing Through the Breath

The Svadhyaya Breath Journal

Restoring Prana

In episode 49, Amber and Jivana reflect on how constantly changing circumstances surrounding COVID are shaping their personal and professional lives. We’ll discuss how we are each navigating the burnout and hopelessness that many of us are feeling, as well as ways we are responding. We discuss strengthening community bonds, practical tools for navigating anxiety and uncertainty, and Jivana leads us in a simple breath awareness meditation that can be done while wearing a mask.

In this episode:

Amber & Jivana check in and catch up
We discuss the parallels Jivana is noticing between the government’s response to the current pandemic and the AIDS epidemic
We explore our current thoughts around individual responsibility and collective care, including how we are interpreting the yoga teachings in this moment
We discuss how ableism is continuing to show up in the pandemic and how that connects to yoga
How we are navigating constantly changing circumstances with our work
How we are coping with our own anxiety in this moment
How mask wearing brings awareness to breath
Jivana leads us in a short breath awareness meditation that you can do while wearing a mask

Resources:

Quotes from this episode:

Desmond Tutu “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
“I am often struck by the dangerous narcissism fostered by spiritual rhetoric that pays so much attention to individual self-improvement and so little to the practice of love within the context of community.” - bell hooks
Elie Wiesel,”We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

Links

Wolf Terry yoga journal article, “Getting Vaxed Was My Act of Ahimsa”: https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/philosophy/covid-vaccine/
Jivana’s new book, Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion

Jacoby Ballard is a social justice educator and yoga teacher in Salt Lake City, Utah known for his playfulness, heart-opening, and commitment to change from the inside out. As a yoga teacher with 20 years of experience, he leads workshops, retreats, teacher trainings, teaches at conferences, and runs the Resonance mentorship program for certified yoga teachers to find their niche and calling. In 2008, Jacoby co-founded Third Root Community Health Center in Brooklyn, to work at the nexus of healing and social justice. Since 2006, Jacoby has taught Queer and Trans Yoga, a space for queer folks to unfurl and cultivate resilience. Jacoby received Yoga Journal’s Game Changer Award in 2014 and Good Karma Award in 2016. Jacoby has taught in schools, hospitals, non profit and business offices, a maximum security prison, a recovery center, a cancer center, LGBT centers, gyms, a veteran’s center, and yoga studios. He leads workshops and trainings around the country on diversity, equity, and inclusion and consults on DEI for yoga and meditation organizations. He is the author of A Queer Dharma: Yoga and Meditations for Liberation, released in 2021.

In this episode, Jivana and Jacoby discuss:

Jacoby’s book: A Queer Dharma: Yoga and Meditations for Liberation
What do queer spaces look like in yoga and spirituality?
How did Jaocby find his voice in writing this book?
What is the role of anger in spiritual practice?
How can you release the energy of anger safely?
What is the relationship between yoga/dharma and social justice?
How do you find equanimity while still fighting for change?
How does he feel about having his book out in the world?

Michelle C. Johnson is an author, yoga teacher, social justice activist, licensed clinical social worker and Dismantling Racism trainer. She approaches her life and work from a place of empowerment, embodiment, and integration. With a deep understanding of trauma and the impact that it has on the mind, body, spirit and heart, much of her work focuses on helping people better understand how power and privilege operate in their life. She explores how privilege, power and oppression affects the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and energy body.

In episode 47, Jivana and Michelle discuss:

The 2nd edition of Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World
The Bhagavad Gita
Bringing real world experience into yoga spaces
The connection between social justice and yoga
Dharma
Staying inspired in social justice work
Actionable Love
Karma Yoga
How to take your yoga off the mat
Shared humanity
How the 2nd edition of Skill in Action offers guidance and tools for what’s happening now
Michelle’s next book about healing in community

Marlysa Sullivan is a physiotherapist and yoga therapist with over 15 years of experience working with people suffering with chronic pain conditions. She is the physical therapy coordinator of the empower veterans program which provides an integrative model in working with people with chronic pain at the Veterans Administration. She is an Assistant Professor in Yoga Therapy and Integrative Health Sciences at Maryland University of Integrative Health and holds an adjunct position at Emory University, where she teaches the integration of yoga and mindfulness into physical therapy practice in the DPT program. She is also the author of Understanding Yoga Therapy: Applied Philosophy and Science for Well-being and co-editor of Yoga and Science in Pain Care: Treating the Person in Pain as well as several peer-reviewed articles.

Marlysa has been involved in the professionalization of the field of yoga therapy through the educational standards committee of IAYT, which helped to define the competencies for the field, and in characterizing the yoga therapy workforce through research. Her research interests focus on defining the framework and explanatory model for yoga therapy based on philosophical and neurophysiological perspectives.

In episode 46, Jivana and Marlysa discuss:

Marlysa’s book and the way she connects yoga therapy to traditional yoga philosophy concepts
Yoga therapy’s evolution in the West
Cultural appropriation vs. making the teachings accessible
Her research on Polyvagal Theory and the connection to the yoga concept of the gunas
Her work with people with chronic pain at the VA (Veteran’s Administration)
How to teach yoga to people with chronic pain
Focus on agency and empowerment

Connect with Marlysa on her website and purchase her book: Understanding Yoga Therapy: Applied Philosophy and Science for Health and Well-Being.

Yoga Therapy and Polyvagal Theory: The Convergence of Traditional Wisdom and Contemporary Neuroscience for Self-Regulation and Resilience

Jeremy Engles, The Ethics of Oneness: Emerson, Whitman and the Bhagavad Gita

Understanding Yoga Therapy: Applied Philosophy and Science for Health and Well-Being

In episode 45, Amber and Jivana share tips for keeping students safer in yoga classes. In this episode we’ll explore how the methods we use to teach can contribute to an environment of safety for our community. Amber and Jivana will discuss practical tools they use to help students tap into their personal power and listen to their bodies, rather than striving or competing to keep up with the rest of the class. We’ll talk about strategies for empowering students, how to bring in yoga philosophy and subtle practices to help students connect with their bodies, and we’ll give specific examples of language we use to create a culture of permission and agency for our students.

In Episode 45:

Amber & Jivana discuss their recent injuries and how they are relating to them
Resource: Ann Swanson, Science of Yoga book
Research on how props don’t automatically make students safer (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6664709/)
The way we create the container for a class can help keep students safer
We should teach our students what yoga really is (not just advanced asana)
Honoring the wholeness of the yoga practice in our teaching helps people feel included, creates a sense of belonging, avoids cultural appropriation, and more
Giving our students agency and personal power helps them find the appropriate place for their practice, rather than encouraging striving or conforming
Resource: On agency and personal power - M. Camellia
Explicit ways to create safety in class, including what we say out loud, establishing general guidelines & classroom norms
How you perceive your role as a teacher, and how to speak on that to redistribute power
Examples of specific language cues we can use to create safety and turn students’ attention inward
Resource: On language and “verbalize to normalize” - Dianne Bondy
What to do when students have conflicting needs
Implicit ways of teaching the concept of agency and personal safety include valuing students who practice in a different way
Teaching ahimsa and other concepts from yoga philosophy to reinforce this concept
Teaching subtle practices, getting the mind involved takes the focus away from physical prowess
Learning to listen to the body and cultivate the skill of interoception goes toward giving the student more agency as they understand what’s happening in their bodies
How telling students to “stop when you feel pain” is limited when it comes to students with chronic pain or nervous system conditions
Teaching this way is not just about making practices more physically gentle, it’s about getting to a more subtle level of experience by energetically working with the breath
Resource: Matthew Sanford's DVD - Beyond Disability
We review some techniques we use to help students recognize their “edge” or work with body sensations to find the edge
Why identifying and working with our brain’s negative self-talk loop is important to keeping our students’ focus in the most helpful place
How encouraging students to observe their thoughts and embody the witness allows for individual experiences

This episode's supporting organization is Garden of Yoga. Learn more about becoming an Accessible Yoga Ambassador at the individual level or as a supporting organization at accessibleyoga.org/ambassador-program

Science of Yoga: Understand the Anatomy and Physiology to Perfect Your Practice

In episode 42, Amber Karnes interviews Jivana Heyman about his upcoming book, Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage and Compassion. We discuss what a “yoga revolution” means, the relationship between yoga and social justice, the role of self-care in our work, and much more. This interview invites us to take a look at the “why” behind our personal yoga practice and consider possibilities for expanding how we use our yoga in the world on and off the mat.

*Note: Yoga Revolution's publishing date has been pushed back to December 7, 2021.

In Episode 42:

Why Jivana chose “Yoga Revolution” for the title of his book and what he means by a yoga revolution
What does it mean to build a practice of courage and compassion?
What is the relationship between yoga and social justice?
How your inner practice affects your actions in the world (activism) and helps us see humanity and honor wholeness
The different traditions in yoga on and off the map and a renewed look at the tradition of yoga as a path of service
How Jivana took inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement to fuel his current activism
What it means to have a “rainbow mind” or a Queer approach to yoga
The role of self care in our service / justice work
A question we are sitting with this week: What is the goal or focus of your personal practice (enlightenment, less stress, strength & flexibility, physical healing)? How does that show up in your life?

Links from the episode:

Learn more and order Yoga Revolution by Jivana Heyman
Yoga Revolution free practices
Aarti Inamdar
Untitled [I talk to my inner lover] by Kabir
AY Conference

In episode 43, Jivana interviews Bill Brown from Prison Yoga Project.

In this episode, Jivana and Bill discuss:

Bill’s background and personal interests
How Bill started his yoga practice
How Bill ended up volunteering teaching in prison
Childhood trauma
How trauma is stored in the body
What teaching in prison is like
Society failing to care for people
COVID disrupting Prison Yoga Project’s work
The business back end for people who want to teach yoga in prisons
Yoga as shamanistic soul retrieval and relationship building
Accessible Yoga Training
Prison and disenfranchised people
Bill’s experience facilitating classes
Supporting students with grounding and emotional release
Subtlety in yoga practice
Hierarchy and empowerment
Neuroscience perspective
Letting go of fear and moving into love and connection

In episode 42, we're sharing a recording of Reggie Hubbard's powerful closing keynote from this year's Accessible Yoga Conference online.

There are some within the yoga community that think politics and yoga should not mix. That the purpose of yoga is to escape from the pressures of the outside world and find inner peace.

But yoga at its essence is the refinement of conscious awareness to meet life circumstances with more clarity, courage and compassion. To find inner peace and then engage with the world more fully - serving from that sense of peace.

This talk will explore how to merge yogic practice and civic engagement, as well as why it is important to do so. Reggie will share from his personal experience and teaching practice how yogic practice and civic engagement have become inextricably bound, and how we might better serve our communities, students and society through forming such a union.

Connect with Reggie:

@oreggieglobal
@activepeaceyoga
activepeaceyoga.com
Practice Makes Purpose podcast

In episode 41, Amber and Jivana discuss community building and collaboration. As we gear up for the upcoming Accessible Yoga Conference, community is on our mind. In this episode we’ll talk a little bit about our history with community building including Amber’s time in the hardcore punk scene and Jivana’s AIDS activism. We talk about the “how” of collaboration, things to think about when joining a community, and discuss the benefits and challenges of being in community with others. We’ll also talk about why it’s crucial for community builders to unlearn cultural conditioning and examine unconscious bias.

In Episode 41:

Amber and Jivana each share about their history with community building, including Amber’s time in the hardcore punk scene and Jivana’s AIDS activism
Jivana talks about how the Accessible Yoga Conference was born
What “Jivana’s homework” is and why everyone should do it, even if you’re not at the conference
The “how” of collaboration - how to reach out or make a request to someone you’d like to collaborate with
Why community is about contribution and mutual support and what questions to ask yourself when you’re trying to fit in
Using discernment when joining a community
Challenges of being within community community - normalizing abuse or unhealthy dynamics, requires perspective, discernment, and information gathering
How Jivana got started building community with yoga and what keeps students coming back
What the Accessible Yoga Ambassador program is and how you can get involved
Looking at our unconscious bias as community builders and showing up as an ally in community space
How mistakes are actually an opportunity for growth

Links: Cheri Clampett’s Therapeutic Yoga Training

In episode 40, we’re back! Amber and Jivana catch up about what they’ve been doing while the podcast has been on break and update you with all the latest of what’s to come. We’ll discuss what Accessible Yoga Association is up to, plus give you a sneak preview of the upcoming Accessible Yoga Conference Online.

In this episode...

Amber & Jivana check in and catch up about the time we’ve been away
We discuss some changes to the podcast: it is now part of Accessible Yoga Association’s monthly programming
Topic of the podcast correlates to our theme in our monthly programming, for September the theme is Cultural Appropriation in Yoga, October is Conference, November is Yoga in Prisons, December is Yoga for Pain Care.
What the nonprofit has been up to, plus a big thank you to our board and staff
All about our Ambassador program, plus a chance to be featured on the podcast
We are planning to release episodes twice a month, subscribe wherever you get your podcast
Jivana shares about the upcoming Accessible Yoga Conference
We’ll hear from some of our Ambassadors about their Conference experiences or aspirations

In Episode 39 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes sits down with Anjali Rao to discuss the connection between yoga and activism. Anjali Rao is a yoga teacher, social justice activist, multi-cultural training specialist, and a cancer survivor. She is an Indian American immigrant from Bangalore, India. Her work explores yoga philosophy and history integrating marginalized voices using storytelling, imagery and poetry. In this interview, Amber and Anjali discuss the history of activism in yoga, including how yoga philosophy and social justice are connected. For folks who are hesitant to step into the space of activism or call themselves an activist, this interview is for you. Anjali addresses the role of the activist and discusses how we can build capacity for resilience using our practice. Finally, she discusses her new course with the Accessible Yoga Training School, Yoga & Activism: A Blueprint for Collective Transformation, which is open for enrollment now!

In this episode:

Anjali introduces herself and talks about her work in the world
How are yoga and activism connected historically? What is the lineage of yoga and activism?
Yoga Is a container of practices, thoughts, concepts which can build capacity & resilience for activism
Yoga helps us be aligned with our deepest dharma
Yoga is about expansion of consciousness: what are you using your expanded consciousness to accomplish?
How your social location is connected to your dharma
Who is an activist? What “counts” as activism?
How perfectionism and black-and-white thinking hold us back
Rituals and practices that can anchor us in our purpose
The importance of community for activists
Anjali’s course, Yoga & Activism: A Blueprint for Collective Transformation, which is open for enrollment through June 19
A call to action for all of us

Show notes and links can be found at accessibleyogatraining.com.

In Episode 38 Amber Karnes sits down with Tristan Katz and Maygen Nicholson to address a few common transphobic talking points and discuss how we can support our trans and gender expansive community members. Tristan and Maygen are both educators who focus on LGBTQ+ awareness, advocacy, and wellness at the center of their work. In this interview, Tristan and Maygen discuss gender identity, why we should all be invested in dismantling the gender binary, and why representation matters. They debunk many commonly held, harmful narratives about trans and gender non-conforming folks, and talk about action steps for learning and beyond. This conversation invites us to take a deeper dive into understanding gender identity and creating affirming space for our trans siblings.

Note: This conversation was recorded in response to the March 22nd J. Brown yoga podcast interview with Katchie Ananda on the topic of “Gender Spectrum and Biological Sex.” Both J. and Katchie are cisgender individuals. The conversation they shared was rooted in biological exceptionalism, trans exclusionary feminism, transphobia, homophobia, racism, and tokenization. We found it deeply hurtful and problematic and felt the need to address it publicly to stand in solidarity with our trans and non-binary siblings.

Get show notes, links to everything we discuss in the podcast, and subscribe here.

In Episode 37 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Jivana Heyman sits down with Zabie Yamasaki, M.Ed., RYT. Zabie is the director of Trauma Informed Programs at UCLA and is the Founder of Transcending Sexual Trauma through Yoga. Zabie has trained thousands of yoga instructors and mental health professionals on trauma-informed teaching and her new book Trauma-Informed Yoga for Survivors of Sexual Assault which is coming out this year. Jivana and Zabie discuss trauma-sensitive teaching practices that benefit every student that comes to our classes. They also discuss the role of the teacher, power dynamics, and walking the line between authenticity and healthy boundaries. This conversation invites us to consider ways we can shift our community spaces to create more safety and opportunities for rest.

Get show notes, links to everything we discuss in the podcast, and subscribe here.

In Episode 36 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Jivana Heyman sits down with Daniel Simpson to talk about yoga philosophy and his new book The Truth of Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga’s History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices. Daniel is a former foreign correspondent who has gone on to study and teach yoga, meditation, yoga history, and yoga philosophy at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, Triyoga, and beyond. Jivana and Daniel discuss many concepts and themes from yoga philosophy including the role of ethics in yoga and how our individual interpretation of the teachings influences how we “live” our yoga. This conversation invites us to consider how we use self-study and practice to either retreat from the world or become a more conscious citizen.

Get show notes, links to everything we discuss in the podcast, and subscribe here.

In Episode 35 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Jivana Heyman sits down with Linda Sparrowe to talk about creativity and finding our voice. The former editor of Yoga International and Yoga Journal magazines, Linda has been teaching, talking and writing about yoga for more than 20 years. She has a long and varied career as a writer, editor, speaker, and mentor in the holistic healing arena, with a special emphasis on women’s health. Jivana and Linda talk about how personal practice can help us find our authentic voice and how they each get into the mood to be creative. This conversation invites us to consider how we use our voice and our yoga practice and how we can trust our authenticity to express what we truly wish to communicate to others.

For show notes and links, visit the Accessible Yoga Podcast page or episode 35 here.

In Episode 34 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Jivana Heyman welcomes Pamela Stokes Eggleston and Amina Naru to talk about compassionate leadership and mentorship for yoga teachers. Pamela and Amina are two yoga service leaders and the co-founders of Retreat To Spirit - a mentorship organization that helps yoga teachers realize their potential, build their businesses according to yogic principles, and learn how to support themselves with their practice on and off the mat. Pamela and Amina share how self-care and mentorship helped foster their yoga careers and talk about connecting to your “why.” Finally, they share details about their upcoming Retreat To Spirit Mentorship course here at the Accessible Yoga Training School, which opens for enrollment next week.

For show notes and links, visit the Accessible Yoga Podcast page or episode 34 here.

In Episode 33, Amber Karnes talks with Anjali Sunita. Anjali is a yoga teacher, writer, Ayurveda practitioner, and the business owner behind Baltimore Yoga Village. In 2021, Anjali completely pivoted the Baltimore Yoga Village business model from two brick and mortar yoga studios to an online wellness ecosystem that platforms individual instructors and practitioners. In this episode, Anjali and I talk about pivoting to an online model during a pandemic, what the new business model is, and how others might consider moving to a more collaborative way of working. We discuss how our mindset around co-creating and co-working within our communities can be supportive rather than competitive. We also explore topics like resilience, failure, and why “starting over” can be a good thing, if we let it.

For show notes and links, visit the Accessible Yoga Podcast page or episode 33 here.

In Episode 32, Jivana Heyman sits down with Theo Wildcroft. Theo Wildcroft, PhD is a teacher, trainer, writer and scholar working for a more sustainable relationship between our many selves, the communities that hold us, and the world that nourishes us. Her research considers the democratization of yoga and the many different ways yoga communities are responding to concerns about safety in practice. In this episode, Jivana and Theo discuss post lineage yoga, the backlash against her work, and her new book, Post-lineage Yoga – From Guru to #MeToo.

This week we explore:

A deeper understanding of post lineage yoga
How Theo decided to do the research and work she is doing
How Theo has navigated backlash for the work she is doing
How we can share power within our spaces and classes
The importance of empowering students from the beginning
The importance of learning outside of formal structures
How Theo does her research

Hey Episode 31: Q & A In Episode 31, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down to answer questions submitted by our listeners and community. In this episode, we will discuss how the practice can support mental health treatment in a responsible and ethical way, scope of practice, the importance of collaboration in our communities, as well as a question about exploring practice while experiencing vertigo.

This week we explore:

How the practice can be used to support mental health treatment in a responsible and ethical way
The importance of understanding scope of practice
How important it is to build collaborative working networks in your community
The importance of having clear descriptions for our classes
The importance of destigmatizing mental health support within the wellness and yoga communities
The importance of giving power back to students in our class spaces
How to explore the practice during vertigo

Episode 30: Re-Imaging Our Work In Episode 30 Amber Karnes talks with Kelley Palmer. Kelley is a writer, creative, advocate, and yoga teacher who focuses on the service of making wellness spaces equitable, accessible, sustainable, and safe for Black, Indigenous and people of color. In this episode, Kelley and I talk about orienting ourselves toward race equity work in our current moment. We talk about what can happen when we use our imagination to creatively solve problems together, rather than getting stuck in guilt, inaction, or a sense of “it’s always been that way and is impossible to change.” We also talk about developing resilience for staying with the discomfort that conversations about race and equity can bring up. Finally, we chat about Kelley’s upcoming course, Race & Equity in Yoga, and let folks know what they can expect if they join.

This week hear more about:

How Kelley developed her upcoming course, Race & Equity: Disruption As A Practice
How the demand for Kelley’s work has shifted in the last 12 months
How Kelley is feeling about her work, the current moment and our ongoing responsibility
The importance of understanding the legacy of oppression that has benefited some and made it unsafe for some to exist
The importance of knowing we can feel more than one thing at a time
How the word unity is being co-opted in this moment
How we can reclaim our imagination when thinking about social justice action and solutions
How Kelley is shifting to honor what feels like the best use of her energy
What to expect in Kelley’s upcoming course, Race & Equity: Disruption As A Practice

In this episode, Amber Karnes talks with Cory Sterling of Conscious Counsel. Cory is a yoga teacher, practitioner, author, and an attorney, and he’s here to answer all our legal questions! (Or most of them, probably.) As Cory will tell us in the podcast, law in 2021 means communicating your expectations openly and honestly with heart-leading documents written in plain language. In this episode, we’ll talk about things like waivers, intellectual property, insurance, teaching online, LLCs, and much more.

This week hear more about:

The importance of using legal documents to clearly and honestly communicate expectations within our yoga spaces
The importance of understanding your responsibility to students in your care
The importance of understanding “the duty of care” and “the standard of care”
The myth that waivers of liability do not protect teachers and studios
The difference in responsibility for in person and virtual classes
The difference between a waiver and a disclaimer for offering classes on different platforms
How to legally create boundaries for consent for touch, assists and adjustments
How to ethically navigate legal issues, complaints and accusations of harm
The importance of finding the right insurance for you
How different business structures offer different benefits and protections
The difference between being an employee vs. a contractor

Episode 28: Power In Balance In Episode 28 Jivana Heyman sits down with Susanna Barkataki. Susanna supports yoga practitioners to lead with equity, diversity and yogic values while growing thriving practices and businesses with confidence. She is founder of Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute and runs 200/500 Yoga Teacher Training programs. Jivana and Susanna have an in-depth conversation about the philosophy and history of the yoga and social justice movements of India. This conversation explores lessons and takeaways from the traditions, practices, and movements of yoga to bring social justice and advocacy to the forefront of our wellness spaces.

This week hear more about:

How Susanna started piecing together her recently released book through, essays, articles, interviewing her family and community
How social justice and yoga have always been connected practices for Susanna
The importance of seeking social justice and activism as a part of yoga more and more
How important service is in the tradition of yoga
How non-violence and service led social justice movements in India’s fight for liberation
How Ghandi and others modeled service and social justice as major part of the traditions of this practice
How Susanna learned about movements and service during her time living in India
How ancient texts, like the Yoga Sutras, gives us inspiration for social justice

In Episode 27, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down a few days after the attack on the US Capitol to dig into a personal conversation about race and the role they play in upholding white supremacy. They both share how the current events and political climate has impacted them and allowed them to do self study and tune into necessary self care. Amber and Jivana each talk about the importance of investigating how we are each upholding systems of oppression. This intimate conversation is an invitation to be mobilized towards action that supports a sustainable change.

This week hear more about:

How the attack on the US Capitol impacted Jivana and Amber
How Amber centers care of self to ground and fortify
The importance of being intentional with our media consumption
The difference they noticed in how peaceful protesters have been treated at the US Capitol in contrast to what unfolded during the attack on the Capitol
How Jivana was arrested while protesting at the US Capitol in the 90s
Tools for grounding when anxiety, stress and sadness follow current events
How support for Q’Anon within yoga communities is harmful
The importance for white people to have uncomfortable conversations about race and injustice
The importance of leaning out of guilt and centering action
The importance of supporting the folks and organizations already doing the work instead of trying to lead change
The importance of looking at your own daily life, community and practices to understand the power and privilege you might hold

In Episode 26, Jivana Heyman sits down with Justin Micheal Williams, an author, transformational speaker, and top-20 recording artist who has become a pioneering voice for diversity and inclusion in wellness. Justin Michael immediately opens up and shares about navigating a tough upbringing, self doubt and following his dreams. Justin Michael also talks about meditation as a practice that frees us to feel all of our feelings and emotions. This conversation offers fresh perspectives about meditation and its place in our personal practices, wellness spaces and social justice movements. As a special treat Justin wraps this conversation by offering a guided meditation for us all to enjoy.

This week hear more about:

How Justin’s upbringing and childhood create a pattern of overachieving
How a moment in his dorm room led him to stop looking for fulfillment and happiness outside of himself
How navigating the death of his grandmother opened him to following his dreams
How we can think about our purpose vs career
How perfectionism shows up harmfully in wellness spaces
How oppression shows up in wellness spaces
The importance of decolonizing our wellness practices
The importance of releasing certain misconceptions about meditation
The importance of developing practices that allow us to sit with all of our feelings and emotions
How meditation can support post traumatic growth

In Episode 25, Jivana Heyman sits down with four Accessible Yoga teachers to talk about the Accessible Yoga Training, how the training impacted their teaching, and how they are carrying the mission of Accessible Yoga into their work. Natasha Williams-Chaoua, Sarah Nuttridge, Marc Settembrino and Jacquie “Sunny" Barbee each share where they are located, about the work they do, the communities they serve and how taking this training transformed their perspectives of the practice. This conversation gives insight to the benefits of joining our Accessible Yoga Teacher Training as well as some possibilities you might sense for yourself if you further accessibility in your teaching practice.

This week hear more about:

How the training shifted their perspectives as a yoga teachers and yoga students
How they each came to find the teachings of Accessible Yoga
How to incorporate props into our teaching
Tips for making your classes/offerings more accessible
How teaching Accessible Yoga has transformed and inspired them
Their collective hopes for more and more teachers to take the Accessible Yoga Training

In Episode 24, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down to answer questions submitted by our listeners and community. First, Jivana and Amber talk about the ways that we can offer accessible classes in the new virtual landscape while taking into consideration the impact of the pandemic on teaching yoga. Jivana shares a list of his favorite texts for studying yoga philosophy, and finally, Amber and Jivana give some tips on how to include philosophy and self-study in your classes. This conversation was an invitation for Amber and Jivana to answer questions from listeners and share some of their favorite learning resources.

This week we explore:

How they each feel about the pandemic’s influence on the year and the pending vaccine
How to support students with an accessible yoga class in the virtual landscape
The importance of having grace and compassion for ourselves as teachers we learn to navigate the virtual teaching spaces
The importance of making sure your class descriptions provide clear indications of things like who will be served, the types of movement and what they can expect from the class
The importance of asking your students for feedback on the classes you offer as a learning tool
The importance of continuing our studies of yoga philosophy
How to build time into your class offerings for check ins, talking about the philosophy of this practice and cultivate a community learning space.

In Episode 23 Amber Karnes sits down with Karin Carlson, yoga teacher, community advocate, and founder of Return Yoga. Through Return Yoga’s teacher training program and community outreach, Karin and other local teachers work in domestic violence shelters, jails, youth crisis centers, mental health contexts, and substance abuse treatment centers. Karin and Amber jump into a conversation about the ways white folks do harm when they rush to diversify their studios without actually understanding or investigating the problem. Karin shares quite candidly about her experience of charity versus solidarity and the ways it continues to cause harm in under-resourced communities. This conversation invites us all to consider how we build truly authentic communities, sustainable movements for change, and work in solidarity with communities outside of our own.

This week we explore:

How activism was ignited in her home city of Minneapolis and exposed harm from the local yoga community and a lack of awareness about the role white folks in those spaces should play in community care
How harm occurs when we rush to “fix” a problem in a community we are not apart of and do not fully understand the problem and our role to play in coming up with solutions
The importance of understanding the difference between solidarity and charity
How the yoga community still focuses on the business of making money instead of equitable solutions and real shifts in culture
The importance of learning to sit with discomfort, grief and other strong feelings, especially for white people
How the attention once focused on social change have shifted and lost momentum as the pandemic continues
The importance of understanding how “whiteness” causes harm to BIPOC communities around this country
How important it is to ask “How can I be of service?” and listen to the answer from the communities we wish to serve
How Karin went about creating a community to share this practice with through authenticity and honoring her lineage
How Karin developed her “Anti 200 Hour” program
How the pandemic is going to permanently shift how yoga and yoga teacher trainings are being offered
How Karin has been able to develop community connection in virtual spaces

The Trans Yoga Project is a collaborative effort supporting Trans people's spiritual wellness through community (re)education, advocacy within the yoga and wellIn Episode 22 Jivana Heyman welcomes M Camellia and Puja Singh Titchkosky to learn more about the mission of the Trans Yoga Project.ness industries, community building, and creating guided practices by and for Trans and non-binary people. M and Puja share deeply about how their collective began their work together and how the shared values of the groups have led to this new project. M and Puja talk about the subtle and overt ways that assumptions and language can make yoga spaces feel unwelcoming, unsafe, and inaccessible. This rich conversation invites us all to investigate how we may be creating harm and inaccessibility for Trans and Non-Binary folks and reminds us of the responsibility we each have to shift, learn and advocate.

This week we explore:

How the Trans Yoga Project is cultivating spaces that allow Trans folks to thrive and find access to safe yoga and healing spaces
How collaboration created this new project and leads how they work together
How language can make yoga and wellness spaces harmful to Trans folks
How making assumptions about our students leads to misgendering and other harmful experiences
How the layers of assumptions, social conditioning and discrimination make yog and wellness spaces inaccessible
The importance of developing a practice of using and respecting pronouns; yours, others and strangers
The importance of examining the unnecessary practice of gendering that happens in our yoga spaces (for ex. Bathrooms, changing rooms, pose cueing)
The importance of investigating and engaging gender in our own experience
How M leaned into investigating the stories of gender and got a grounded understanding of herself
The importance of understanding the expansiveness of gender as a step towards understanding and inclusivity

This week’s question:

How are you creating space for gender exploration?

In Episode 21 Amber Karnes welcomes Francesca Cervero, private yoga teacher and teacher’s mentor. Francesca gives insight into how she built her career and offerings as a teacher and mentor. Amber and Francesca discuss the ways we build trust, depth and understanding for ourselves and our students on the journey of self discovery using the tools of this practice. This conversation holds space for us to examine the ways teachers can empower and educate our students in group and private yoga and wellness spaces.

This week we explore:

How Francesca grew her teaching practice and business
How Francesca started mentoring other teachers
How Francesa created her podcast
How students and teachers can benefit from ongoing private sessions
How supporting students can expand our perspectives as teachers
How to build a supportive teaching practice to best serve your students
How to build a trusting bond with students
The importance of inquiry vs aesthetics in teaching physical posture
How to re-imagine progress for ourselves and our students
How to empower and educate students beyond the physical accomplishments often attached to this practice in current yoga culture.
The importance of observing students during practice, instead of practicing alongside them
How Francesca shifted to virtual teaching in response to COVID-19 and how it has impacted/shifted her offerings

In Episode 20 Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit to talk about chair yoga and how it can be used as a tool to democratize asana practice. We begin with a conversation about how lineage and “guru culture” are shifting as abuse is being revealed. Jivana and Amber also talk about the way dominant culture conflates health and wellness as a basis for a human being’s worth and value. They each share about the ways that this belief keeps folks from understanding the potential of chair yoga and creates more ableism in our yoga spaces. The conversation also talks in depth about how chair yoga can be used to serve folks in diverse bodies who have different needs from the physical practice.

This week we explore:

How the end of “Guru culture” through the revealing of ongoing abuse is shifting yoga culture
How we continue to have a collective focus on extreme physical asana
How Amber thinks about her learning lineage in yoga
How Jivana thinks about his Guru and lineage
How toxic diet culture and dominant culture have influenced who we see as an expert or “yoga celebrity”
How props like chairs are still seen as less than in mainstream yoga spaces
How we uphold health as the basis for value in others, on and off of the mat
How the sutras talk about our care, feelings and thought about our bodies
The importance of creating right relationship with our body and spirit through acceptance
How to easy use a chair to make the other limbs of the practice accessible to anyone
How the chair can be used as a prop to support postures, making them more accessible

This week’s question:

What is the right relationship with your body?

In Episode 19 Amber Karnes sits down with Pamela Stokes-Eggleston. Pamela is a published author, stress management consultant, wellness resilience expert, national speaker, and sleep wellness coach. She founded Yoga2Sleep due to her challenges with insomnia and secondary post-traumatic stress. Pamela goes into deep detail about how her own life experiences led her to focus on the connections between yoga, sleep, and supporting veterans and their families. Pamela shares about the importance of tapping into what she calls “tiny bits of joy.” Join Amber and Pamela for this conversation that invites us to each use this practice to serve others.

This week we explore:

How Pamela created Yoga 2 Sleep and came to this work from her own experience with sleep disorders
The importance of sleep for our overall wellness and ability to navigate stress
How common it is for folks to navigate sleep disorders
How Pamela came to focus on working with veterans
How Pamela’s experience as a military spouse brought her back to her yoga practice and led to her being a teacher
How Pamela saw yoga serving veterans and their families
How working with veterans taught Pamela about the needs of caregivers and families of wounded veterans
How we can build small practices into our daily lives to support our stress and responsibilities
How this practice holds the space to embody resilience and strength in a sustainable way
The question, “What are you prepared to do?”

In Episode 18 Amber Karnes sits down to chat with Kimberly Dark, a writer, professor and teacher who works to reveal the hidden architecture of everyday life so that we can reclaim our power as social creators. Amber and Kimberly talk about the bias present in us all and how to begin unpacking the biases we hold that do harm, especially in regards to bodies and their variations. Kimberly shares the importance of being open to discomfort as a gateway to embodied learning and culture shifting. Kimberly also talks richly about the ways we can honor our lived experiences and the fullness of who we are. This candid conversation between Amber and Kimberley invites us all to lean heavily into our own discomfort in the service of creating a better world.

This week hear more about:

How Amber and Kimberly met at a retreat Kimberly offers
The importance of learning to accept the presence of bias
The power of unpacking the cultural biases that dehumanize us all
How healing spaces can ignore the intersections of identity, bias and accessibility
The importance of unpacking the systems of oppression in our lived experiences
How to navigate call-ins and critiques of our work with self study and clarity
The invitations available in Kimberly’s new book “Fat, Pretty and Soon To Be Old”
How we as teachers can learn from the students who show up in our classes
How social change happens over time and not in one moment
How the idea of resilience has been commodified and warped
How we model humanity for others, like our children and the importance of honoring all of who we are and what we experience
Exploring the question “How do you rest?”

In episode 17, Jivana Heyman welcomes Lakshmi Nair. Lakshmi Nair is the founder of Satya Yoga Co-op, a BIPOC owned and operated yoga cooperative in Denver, Colorado. Satya Yoga Co-op grew out of a yoga immersion and teacher training for Black & Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) that Lakshmi has been offering in Denver since 2014. In this interview we learn more about Lakshmi’s journey back to her practice and the creation of this transformative yoga co-op. Lakshmi and Jivana discover that they have been in the same yoga spaces since the late 90s. The exchange between Lakshmi and Jivana gives insight into building sustainable models to make this practice available, accessible and welcoming for all.

This week hear more about:

How Lakshmi began her work supporting BIPoC in wellness and yoga spaces
How growing up in Denver as a POC disconnected her from yoga
How living in a more diverse environment provided pathways to healing
How yoga was introduced to her as a teen by her father
How Lakshmi returned to the practice as an adult
Why Lakshmi designed her Trainings with the intention of making it accessible to as many BIPoC folks
How the Co-op was created from her desire to support the teachers she was training, instead of sending them into a yoga industry that undervalued them
What she learned from other co-ops in her area when creating her Co-op
How theCo-Operative is navigating the ramifications Covid-19
How the city of Denver is working to tackle equity and access to wellness and yoga
How working in collaboration is an important part of making yoga accessible in a sustainable way

Episode 16 is the second in a series about making yoga asana accessible for all bodies. In this episode, Amber and Jivana talk about the language we use as yoga teachers. Jivana shares what the yoga Sutras say about the role of asana in our practice and we talk in-depth about investigating and shifting the language we use to communicate in our teaching spaces. Amber talks briefly about her recent Yoga Journal cover issue, including the history of harm the publication has had in yoga and wellness, and the importance of holding these large organizations accountable. This conversation is a rich exchange about the way our words can create belonging and affirm our students or our words can uphold systems of oppression and perpetuate a yoga practice that is inaccessible to most.

How Amber feels about her recently released Yoga Journal Cover and the history of harm the publication has had in yoga and wellness.
How the Sutras talk about the physical asana
The focus of western yoga culture to center the physical aspects of the practice while ignoring the other parts
How being in inquiry within the body empowers us to going into deeper inquiry around our thoughts and feelings
How the phrase “full expression of the pose” creates a hierarchy in our yoga classes
The importance of investing the language we use to teach this practice
The importance of understanding the stories people are holding about using props
How we unlearn ableism within our practice spaces and community
How teaching the foundations and intentions of each pose removes hierarchy of physical ability
The importance of giving our students agency and using language that empowers them, honors consent and welcomes folks to honor the bodies they have

In episode 15, Jivana Heyman welcomes Hala Khouri, yoga teacher and co-founder of Off The Mat Into The World. Hala shares openly about how her own life and experiences led her to the work she does as an activist. She also gives insight into the beginnings of Off The Mat and how the organization came to be. In this conversation Jivana and Hala talk openly about how they are each navigating the political climate within yoga spaces. This conversations invites us all to reconnect the roots of yoga to social activism.

In this episode we learn more about:

How parenting, politics and the pandemic are showing up in her life during these times
How Hala came in activism and community organizing
Hala’s story of leaving Lebanon as a child because of war
How Off The Mat was created
The importance of grassroots organizing
How Hala came out with a strong stance against Q-Anon
How individualism in wellness is holding space for right wing ideology in wellness communities
How yoga has been disconnected from its historical roots of social justice and activism
How to lean into to the connection between yoga, social justice and our individual action

In Episode 14, Jivana Heyman sits down with De Jur Jones, a yoga teacher, flight attendant, community advocate, and model. De Jur has worked as a model for Accessible Yoga and is the main model used in Jivana’s recent book, Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body. De Jur shares about the populations she serves, including incarcerated communities, folks who were formerly sex trafficked, and those facing housing instability. De Jur also shares about her work as a trauma-informed yoga teacher and community support member and how she brings intention to her offerings to support the humans in front of her. De Jur speaks in depth about the many types of trauma that we do not regularly consider or choose to ignore. This conversation invites us to consider the trauma in our experience while holding the awareness that everyone around you also has trauma.

In this episode we learn more about:

The work De Jur does in her community with yoga
How the pandemic has shifted her ability to serve
How the pandemic has isolated and limited services to these underserved communities
The increased risk for COVID-19 for folks who are incarcerated and the concern De Jur has for them
What trauma informed yoga looks like when serving folks in highly traumatized environments like prisons
How De Jur brings intention to her physical cueing and poses to honor the trauma present in her students experiences
How trauma shows up in ways we may not regularly consider
How the impact of generational, race based trauma is always impacting BIPoC
How the wildfires in California are creating trauma for those who are most marginalized
How mandatory mask use has created tension and escalated situations with passengers who are refusing to comply
How De Jur is practicing self care in the midst of all the current unfoldings
Deeper understanding of what triggers and activations are and how they show up every day
How the tools of yoga can support us when we experience triggers or activations
How the breath can support us as an ever present way to self regulate

In Episode 13, Jivana Heyman interviews Amber Karnes about her upcoming course, Making Peace With Your Body. Amber shares openly about why she chose to do this work and how this work is intertwined in her own experience as a fat person. This conversation talks about the toxic nature of diet culture, the harm inflicted on folks in larger bodies within the medical industrial complex, and the ways dominant culture devalues folks in bigger bodies. Amber shares about how we can divest ourselves from diet culture and lean into our personal power, and what body image work has to do with social justice.

In this episode we dig in about:

Why Amber began this work
How Amber came to identify as fat
How the medical industrial complex treats folks in larger bodies
How diet culture shapes our wellness and yoga spaces.
How we systems of oppression influence dieet culture and our widely held beauty standards
How we each hold a hierarchy of bodies that devalue those in bigger bodies
How all of the devaluation of larger bodies trickles down to influence the distribution of resources
How fatphobia shows up in the decisions we make about food, dieting and wellness
How much time and energy we put into trying to fix ourselves and fit into beauty standards
How we can lean out of toxic diet culture and reclaim our personal power
How we can heal the relationship we have with ourselves
How disrupting toxic diet culture is a part of dismantling white supremacy and other systems of oppression
How Amber’s new course will work and what to expect

Today’s inquiry

Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question:

What would you do with all the resources (money, energy, time, etc.) that you have spent on trying to fix yourself and your body if you could get it back?

Episode 12 is the first in a series about making asana accessible for all bodies. In part 1, Amber and Jivana dig into the ways physical practice is centered in western yoga culture. Jivana and Amber talk in detail about the other parts of the practice that often are ignored in most yoga and wellness spaces. We also talk about a simple mindset shift that prepares you for adapting almost any asana. This conversation invites us all to investigate the misconceptions we hold about changes in the physical body and how asana can support us through those changes.

How philosophy calls for making the practice accessible
How physical practice is centered in western culture
The role of physical asana in an accessible practice
How the practice supports our spiritual body as well as our physical body
The process of accepting our inevitable death and changes in the body
How systems of oppression have influenced the current yoga culture
How Jivana supported his grandmother, an advanced yogi, through aging and death
How Jivana witnessed the physical practice showing up for folks he was supporting through death and dying in his HIV/AIDS activism
The importance of understanding why we do poses, considering their benefits and contraindications
How to lead a mix leveled class through different physical postures
How we can support folks in any body experience the intention of the physical postures
How our language and communication about bodies can disempower of students
The importance of releasing our conditioning about bodies, ability and accessibility

Today’s inquiry

Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question:

Can you deepen the experience without doing more physically or leaning on making your practice more demanding?

Resources:

Kemetic yoga
Matthew Sanford (we also recommend his book and DVD)
Jivana’s book - Accessible Yoga
Amber’s video on eagle pose and larger bodies
Want to learn more about making asana accessible? Join the January cohort of the Accessible Yoga Training. You can drop your name on the waitlist here, and we’ll let you know when enrollment opens!

Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body

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In episode 11, Jivana Heyman and Amber Karnes sit down to discuss their individual journeys with anxiety. They both share the ways yoga has been helpful and discuss what has not served them. This conversation holds the space to normalize the fact that we are all navigating anxiety and that some of us are navigating anxiety disorders. Jivana, who is writing a new book, felt it was important to have this conversation, giving a space for him to share authentically about his journey through grief and anxiety. In this episode Jivana shares deeply about reshaping his practice diving deeply into self exploration as a way to learn to accept the role anxiety plays in his life. Amber also talks in depth about how yoga gave her new tools to navigate her thoughts, patterns and negative self-talk.

The importance of stepping away from technology for our wellness
How we can create space for our wellness practices to honor the lives we are living
How we can drop the stigma of discussing mental illness
How the death of Jivana’s mother triggered an emergency anxiety attack
How being a yogi doesn’t not exclude us from navigating anxiety
How navigating anxiety has reshaped Jivana’s personal practice and his new book
How teaching brought Jivana back to his personal practice
The importance of allowing others to teach and lead us as teachers
How the practice holds space for us to feel our feelings
How we can lean into creativity and avoid cultural appropriation
How wellness communities lean into ableism in the face of mental health conversations
How to navigate negative self talk within our practice

Today’s inquiry

Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question:

How do you remain respectful of the traditions of yoga and make it accessible?

Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In episode 10, Jivana welcomes Dianne Bondy to talk about how she has created her platform, grew her career, and built a global yoga community. Dianne talks about how she leaned into the virtual space early on and gives advice for folks looking for tips on how to build their own platforms. This time with Dianne gives great insight into best practices, tools and things to remember as we teach virtually. Jivana and Dianne both talk in depth about the importance of making sure that our virtual offering spaces are accessible to all. Dianne also talks about the responsibility we each have to dismantle white supremacy and the importance of understanding the place of social justice and advocacy in our yoga spaces and personal practice.

How travelling less has create more ease for her and revealed how tiring her complex travel schedule actually was prior to the pandemic
How the power of manifestation in creating the career she desired
How she began her career and grew her global yoga community
How she leaned into virtual teaching spaces against pushback from other teachers and folks in the yoga community
How to create impactful work during these new normals because of social distancing and virtual offerings
How to best set up lighting and positioning for teaching virtually
How to secure the tools you need to teach virtually
How to make your virtual space accessible to all
How race and racism are ignored and dismissed in our wellness spaces
How we have a deep moral responsibility as space holders and teachers of this sacred path
The responsibility of white teachers and the yoga community to understand the social impact of yoga

Today’s inquiry

Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question:

What are you doing to connect your yoga practice to your social advocacy?

Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

Episode 9 Show Notes In episode 9, Amber and Jivana talk about a recent article Jivana has featured with Yoga Journal talking about yoga’s response to disabilities and illness. Together they explore the belief that folks with disabilities or illness need to be fixed or cured, especially within yoga spaces. Jivana talks in depth about the connection between ableism and white supremacy, making it pervasive and easy to ignore by those who think they are unaffected. Jivana also shares more about the ways ableism is upheld in our wellness spaces by centering healing and curing people. This episode invites us all to investigate the stories we hold about our bodies, disabilities, illness, death, and yoga’s place aside those identities and life transitions.

The difference between a medical model of disabilities and the cultural model of disabilities
How yoga communities deal with disabilities and illness
The push from disabilities communities to embrace disabilities as an identity
How the move from person first language to identity first language to is showing up in different communities
How the ableism in our society is the obstacle or limitation, not disabilities
How white supremacy is the root of ableism
The danger of focusing on the physical aspects of the practice and the importance of teaching the complete practice
How upholding “advanced asana” as “advanced yoga” upholds ableism
How positioning healing or curing as the goal of yoga upholds the belief that folks with disabilities or different bodies need to be fixed
How Jivana’s experience of witnessing how yoga can serve those who are dying
The importance of yoga to support our inevitable transition to death
How the role of yoga teachers is to support their inner journey, not to fix others

Today’s inquiry

Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question:

Does the ability to perform advanced asana make you an “advanced yogi”?

Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

Episode 8 Show Notes In episode 8 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Shyam Ranganathan and Jivana Heyman have a discussion about Yoga philosophy through a South Asian perspective. They explore the various ways that Western imperialism shows up in the way we interpret and practice yoga, what the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita both say about our responsibility when it comes to other people (social justice), and how translations, interpretation, and a Eurocentric bias can completely change the context and the meanings of the teachings.

In episode 8, Shyam & Jivana discuss:

Shyam’s story including why he decided to teach yoga philosophy, why he translated the yoga sutras, and how online education through the Yoga Philosophy school informs his teaching
Moral philosophy & ethics (or dharma in south asian tradition), an investigation into the right and the good
Shyam talks about how Yoga is a practice of devotion to the ideal of Ishvara, which is defined by unconservativism and self governance, whereas Yoga philosophy is a question of right action (or social justice)
How Western imperialism expresses itself as a common theme when we study yoga philosophy (“shut up and get in line” or “don’t question the status quo”) and why intellectual traditions from outside of Europe automatically get labeled as “religion”
What Shyam thinks of a guru that makes you earn your status and work your way up their ladder… “That’s Plato, not Patanjali”
What Patanjali has to say about how we should deal with folks who advocate for harm (or against ahimsa)
Ghandi’s influence on social justice movements and his connection with the sutras
How yoga is a practice of "getting over yourself"
Karma yoga and Bhakti yoga in the Gita and the sutras
How spiritual abuse isn’t yoga, and why modeling yoga after Plato’s model (where a series of hoops is presented as education) is flawed
How to have discernment when it comes to finding or vetting a teacher, and noticing where we give our power away
How Shyam understands and defines Ishvara, and how that changes the context of the teachings

Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

“I’m not going into my practice to look for a way out of life, but a way in...to experience the fullness of my life.” -Jivana Heyman

In episode 7 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman talk about duality—the up and down, light and dark, "both/and" nature of life. We talk about how attachment to outcomes and the stories we tell ourselves keep us in a place of suffering, and the antidote to that (spoiler alert, it’s non-attachment and acceptance). We discuss personal experiences and practical ways that we each work with our emotions and grief in our yoga practice. We also talk about the danger of spiritual bypass and how embracing the fullness of our human experience honors the yoga teachings and helps us accept ourselves as we are.

In episode 7, Amber & Jivana discuss:

How we are holding opposing truths at the same time and why accepting reality as it is helps us suffer less
How social media gets us stuck in comparison and the tricks our brain does to try to protect us
Jivana talks about how his mom’s death led to exploring his emotions as part of his yoga practice
Amber talks about how being grounded in non-attachment helped her cope with the huge grief and changes to her life and business post-COVID
How to use your yoga practice to make friends with your mind, rather than trying to control or discipline your mind
How Jivana’s journey of fatherhood and parenting his children helped him learn to give himself the tender compassion he gave his children
Amber talks about a step-by-step way that she processes big emotions like anger
Jivana discusses how he works with emotions in his meditation practice
How spiritual bypass and “good vibes only” ignore the reality of life and stop us from
When we use our yoga practice only for self, we miss a huge opportunity to realize our interconnectedness and honor the depth of the practice and our humanity

Today’s inquiry

Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question:

Are you willing to accept all aspects of yourself? And if not, why?

Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In episode 6 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber and Jivana talk about lessons learned from the Accessible Yoga Training. Jivana digs deep into the yoga philosophy behind this training that informs both of our work and the way we teach. We talk about shifting the power dynamic between teacher and student and what happens when we give students the tools to work with their practice, rather than insisting they fit into a preconceived notion of shapes or sequences. We also talk about how the Accessible Yoga Training builds community between teachers like us whose work sometimes feels isolating.

How the Accessible Yoga Training got started including Jivana’s background in AIDS activism, creating a teacher training for folks with disabilities, and the way the training has changed over the years
How we make our classes more welcoming and safe by meeting our students where they are
How as teachers we must make sure we aren’t viewing students as lacking something, and as students how we give away our power when we expect a teacher to fix us
Through redistributing power, teachers can be an example of non-attachment
How the Accessible Yoga Training helps our students find a way to practice safely and empowers teachers to innovate, not memorize shapes
How skilled yoga teaching is like art - full of creativity and improvisation
How we approach cueing multiple levels of a posture or practice at the same time
How the Accessible Yoga Training has given folks direction for their work and helped teachers to step up as community leaders and share the heart of yoga

Today’s inquiry

Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question:

What is my role as yoga teacher (in my classroom, in my students’ lives off the yoga mat, and in the wider world)?

Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

Episode 5 Show Notes In episode 5 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Justine Mastin discuss:

Justine’s yoga story: how she got started, what brought her back to the practice, and how she finally found her community at a comic book convention
Why the geek community saw barriers to accessing wellness and how Justine came up with the idea for YogaQuest
What to expect from a YogaQuest class, a narrative yoga class based in fandom stories
Why representation is important for folks who are traditionally left out of wellness spaces
Specific ways Justine created her yoga spaces to be more welcoming to folks from the geek community
How Justine stays in inquiry around cultural appropriation and how YogaQuest is like yoga-fanfic
Narrative therapy and the power of stories to question social norms and create the lives we imagine
Justine’s upcoming book and how it helps us to question social norms through the lens of pop culture

Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Justine poses a 2-part question:

What is the story of my life?
Who are the important supporting characters?

Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In episode 4 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Jivana Heyman and Nicole Cardoza discuss:

Embracing failure and the ability to try new things with resilience, even when things go wrong
How looking at our work and activism with many different angles and approaches helps us stay flexible and keep the confidence to move forward and just do what needs to be done
Giving ourselves grace & accountability through failure
Waiting for permission vs. knowing your lane vs. taking responsibility for jumping in where you do have privilege
How actually putting ourselves in the way of rejection or failure lets us get better and move forward
Failure as a practice and learning from failure in asana
Showing up for ourselves in difficult moments
Reclaiming our right to be well and what wellness means to Nicole
Lessons learned from creating the Anti-Racism Daily newsletter

Today’s inquiry

Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Nicole poses a 3-part question:

What does it look like for your community to be well?
What’s standing in the way of that?
What can you do as part of your wellness practice to dismantle those obstacles?

Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In Episode 3 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman discuss the responsibility of yoga teachers to have a commitment to accessibility in their group classes and how we can’t let ourselves off the hook by saying, “I’m just not the teacher for everyone.” In this episode, we discuss:

Making a commitment to accessibility and how that’s different from trying to please everyone
The importance of creating a culture of permission and safety in our learning spaces
When a “safe space” for some feels unsafe for others, how we can hear difficult truths without getting defensive
Are you giving yourself a pass by saying, “I’m not the teacher for everyone.”
The commitment of yoga teachers to creating equitable learning environments
Creating a culture of safety and openness where students can feel safe in their bodies
Shifting from the role of a fitness instructor to a guide who holds space for our students transformation
Being open to inquiry takes the pressure off us to have all the answers and helps us play to our strengths as yoga teachers
Shifting away from a physical focus toward the subtler teachings of yoga transforms the way a group yoga class looks
Thoughts on “advanced” practice and trauma-informed teaching

Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we are sitting with this question:

What does having an “advanced yoga practice” mean to you?

Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In Episode 2, Amber Karnes interviews Kelley Palmer, writer, yoga teacher, wellness advocate, and community organizer. In this episode:

Kelley introduces herself, talks about how she came to yoga, and explains why social justice has been part of her practice from the beginning
How Kelley began teaching yoga and how that was informed by the way anti-blackness shows up in wellness
How yoga spaces often mirror the harm that exists in society for folks with marginalized identities
The responsibility of studio owners when it comes to social justice and dismantling white supremacy, fatphobia, ableism, homophobia, etc.
How we miss the barriers that prevent marginalized folks feeling welcome in a space (especially when that yoga space feels like a “safe space” to some of us)
How the conditioning of whiteness keeps us stuck from taking action toward justice
Practical ways that folks can redistribute resources or power within our yoga spaces
Taking the transactional nature out of our relationships
Ways to notice (and dismantle) gatekeeping practices in your yoga spaces
Shifting our mindset from a lens of individualism and fear to a focus on the collective and community care
Kelley’s upcoming course: Race & Equity in Yoga: Disruption As a Practice will be a space for self-inquiry and unpacking our responsibilities toward race equity, yoga, social justice, and more

Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Kelley poses a 2-part question:

When you think about working toward equity, justice, and liberation, what are you willing to release? What are the obstacles you perceive to releasing those things?

Get show notes, downloads, and transcripts at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In episode 1:

Amber talks about her work: community-building around yoga, social justice, and body image
Jivana shares his background with yoga and social justice including how he got started with yoga, how Accessible Yoga came to be, and how his participation in AIDS activism laid the groundwork for his work today
How a community of practice (like the global Accessible Yoga community) supports marginalized practitioners and teachers to be of service and stay connected to one another
Yoga is not just about a personal practice to make us feel better, our opportunity is to use our practice to create more well-being for all
“Yoga is supposed to be peaceful, why are y’all so angry and negative all the time?” We discuss spiritual bypass and why the yoga teachings are not just about “love and light.”
The harm that is done when spiritual teachings are used to ignore or downplay the harm that happens in our own lives, our yoga communities, or the world
Yoga gives us the tools to sit with discomfort, but only using yoga to end our own suffering means we miss an opportunity to use our practice to be of service and lessen suffering for others
Jivana shares about his experience working in AIDS hospice and how that shifted his understanding around healing, death, and yoga
Service is the expression of an expanded mind and an ability to stay open to others’ humanity
Figuring out “your lane” in social justice by honoring your body, knowing yourself, getting beyond shame, fear, and confusion, and managing your mind
We’ll also share with you our plans for this podcast going forward

Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path.

This week’s question comes from Rachelle Knowles (she offered this during her workshop on the Bhagavad Gita during the St. Louis Accessible Yoga Conference last year).

“If the battle is inevitable, what kind of warrior do you want to be?”

Get show notes, downloads, and transcripts at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.