Conversations for Yoga Teachers

How To Cut Distractions When Teaching Your Yoga Classes (EP.405)

Do you ever feel distracted, scattered, or mentally overloaded while teaching yoga? Do you feel like you’re multi-tasking and it’s blocking you from feeling at ease, present and actually teaching the humans in the room?

In this episode, I’m breaking down some of the most common distractions that pull yoga teachers out of presence while teaching—from over-focusing on beginners and constantly checking notes to worrying about timing, music, and what students think of the class.

I also share practical solutions to help you feel calmer, more grounded, and more confident when you teach, including how using a Signature Sequence and my “Say the cue, see what they do” approach can completely change your teaching experience.

Resources Mentioned:

 Download my free Signature Sequence training:

https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/how-to-create-a-signature-sequence/

 Download my free Walk and Talk training:

https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/how-to-do-the-walk-and-talk/

 

A Check In For Yoga Teachers: How Are You Doing? (EP.404)

Are you actually struggling more with your teaching than you realize? Or maybe things are just “OK” but you wish they could be better?

In this episode, I walk you through a simple self-assessment designed to help you take a closer look at your experience as a yoga teacher. Through a series of questions, you’ll uncover patterns that may be holding you back—like over-preparing, second-guessing, or feeling unsure about the cues you’re giving. Much of what you’ll hear most teachers brush off as “expected” or “just something I need to tolerate.” This is just not true. These are real problems that you can solve and sometimes you just need to give yourself credit for realizing something feels “off” as a first step, rather than listening to what other people say. 

This isn’t about judgment—it’s about awareness. Because once you can clearly see where you are, you can start to make meaningful changes.

If you’re ready to feel more confident and clear in your teaching, this episode will help you identify where to begin.

I mention how I can help, so if you feel ready to get help, check out how we can work together: 

 

 

https://barebonesyoga.thinkific.com/courses/Yoga-Anatomy-Accelerator

 

7 Types Of Yoga Teachers And The Beliefs Holding You Back (EP.403)

Episode Description

Have you ever felt like you should be more confident teaching by now… but you’re not?

In this episode, I’m breaking down 7 common “teacher types” I see all the time when working with yoga teachers—and the underlying beliefs that keep them stuck.

As you listen, you might recognize yourself in one (or more) of these patterns. And more importantly, you’ll start to see how the way you’re thinking about your teaching might actually be holding you back.

This isn’t about labeling yourself—it’s about building awareness so you can start to shift.

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In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why confidence struggles often have more to do with mindset than experience
• The 7 common “teacher types” that can keep you stuck
• The hidden beliefs driving behaviors like over-preparing, second-guessing, and waiting to feel ready
• Simple shifts you can make to start building real confidence in your teaching
• Why repetition and structure are key to improving your cueing and sequencing

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The 7 Teacher Types:

• The Worrier
• The Over-Preparer
• The Permission Believer
• The Cues Wonder-er
• The Practice-With-Me Teacher
• The Imposter
• The Watcher and Wait-er

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Resources & Next Steps

If you’re ready to move out of overthinking and into more confident teaching, here are two ways to get started. I mentioned both of these in the episode:

Download my free Signature Sequence Guide

Create a go-to sequence you can teach with confidence (and stop starting from scratch every time):
https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/how-to-create-a-signature-sequence/

Learn more about the Yoga Anatomy Accelerator
My 4-week program designed to help you apply anatomy to your teaching so you can cue and sequence with confidence:
https://barebonesyoga.thinkific.com/courses/Yoga-Anatomy-Accelerator

 

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Let’s Connect

I’d love to hear from you—
Which teacher type did you resonate with most?

Send me a DM on Instagram.

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Enjoying the Podcast?

If this episode helped you, it would mean so much if you:

• Left a review
• Shared it with another yoga teacher
• Or took a screenshot and tagged me on Instagram

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Listen & Subscribe

Make sure you’re following the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes on:

• Cueing
• Sequencing
• Applied anatomy
• And building real confidence as a yoga teacher

 

How To Use The Mindset Technique Of Zooming In Or Out As A Yoga Teacher (EP.402)

Ever teach your yoga class and feel a rush of nerves coming on? When this happens, sometimes it’s hard to stop things from escalating and pretty soon, you’re in a full blown panic. 

In today’s episode, I’ll share a powerful mindset technique called “Zooming in” and how to use it to re-set your nervous system. Additionally, I’ll share the opposite technique, called “Zooming Out” and share with you how this can be really important in helping you get perspective on how things are going for you as a yoga teacher.

 

In the episode, I refer to my two programs which are linked here:

 

https://barebonesyoga.thinkific.com/courses/Yoga-Anatomy-Accelerator

 

https://barebonesyoga.thinkific.com/courses/blueprint-learning-program

 

Both of these programs take you through the 10 Step Anatomy Blueprint I was talking about in the episode. 

 

The Accelerator is more of a group/shorter program and the Blueprint Program is a one on one coaching experience. 

 

I also mentioned a download with 10 steps to building your confidence:

 

https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/free-guide-steps-to-confident-teaching/

 

What Style Of Yoga Should I Teach? (EP.401)

Many yoga teachers feel unsure about what “style” of yoga they should be teaching.

Should it be vinyasa?
Slow flow?
Power yoga?
Something else?

And often, that confusion starts with how they picked the 200 hour training they attended.

You might have chosen a training based on timing, location, or cost — not necessarily because it aligned with how you practice or teach. So when it came time to teach, you’re left trying to fit into a style that doesn’t feel natural… and sequencing starts to feel  forced.

In this episode, I talk about a different way to approach this.

Instead of trying to figure out what style you should teach, I’ll walk you through how to start with what you already know — your own practice — and use that as the foundation for building classes that feel more natural and aligned.

I also share:

• why the idea of “style” can be misleading (and what actually matters more)
• how your personal practice can guide your sequencing decisions
• what to do if your training didn’t match how you like to move
• how to stop second-guessing your choices and start trusting your instincts
• how to begin shaping a teaching approach that feels like your own

If you’ve ever felt unsure about how to define your teaching style — or like you’re trying to fit into something that doesn’t quite feel right — this episode will help you simplify things and start building from a place that actually works for you.

 

I also mention this download on sequencing:

 

 

https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/how-to-build-a-yoga-sequence-lead-page/

 

And if you’re curious about working with me inside my program, check out this link here:

 

https://barebonesyoga.thinkific.com/courses/Yoga-Anatomy-Accelerator

 

We’ve Hit 400 Episodes Of The Podcast (EP.400)

In this 400th episode, I’m taking a step back to reflect on the story of this podcast — and how things have changed and shifted in what I share with you. 

When I started the podcast in 2018, I was already seeing gaps in how yoga teachers were being trained. But over the years — through conversations, coaching, and working with hundreds of teachers — my perspective and method has evolved.

In this episode, I talk about:

• how my approach to teaching has shifted from focusing on information to focusing on application
• why so many teachers still struggle with confidence, even after training
• the role mindset plays in how you show up when you teach
• what I continue to see in the industry that holds teachers back
• and why I’m more energized than ever to keep doing this work

I also share why I’ve returned to solo episodes over the past year, and what you can expect from the podcast moving forward — including more real stories of transformation from teachers who are learning how to apply what they know in a way that actually works.

If you’ve ever felt like you “know” a lot but still find teaching challenging, this episode will help you understand why — and what actually starts to make a difference.

And if you’ve been listening along the way, thank you. This podcast exists because you’re here.

At the end of the episodes, I talk about the options we have to work together inside one of my programs. To take a look at your options, see the Programs page here:

 

 

https://barebonesyoga.com/

 

Here’s to 400 more!

 

Thanks for listening!

 

Teaching With The Theme Of Balancing Poses In Your Yoga Classes (EP.399)

In my continuing series of themes for your yoga classes, today we’ll take a look at teaching classes that focus on balancing. This is such an important skill from a mobility perspective and as people age, balance degrades so it’s helpful to focus on it in your classes. One of the ideas behind teaching with this theme is to share with students what the benefits are as they’re in the postures and that’s part of what I share in this episode. 

 

You find out more about how to cue in balancing poses, the benefits of balancing postures, different ways to integrate balancing into your sequences and what muscles are being used.

 

At the end of the episode, I speak to something that keeps coming up these days, and that is teachers sharing with me that while they’re looking for help and support, they don’t feel ready to work with me and enroll in the Yoga Anatomy Accelerator. I wanted to take a few minutes tot speak to that feeling and what you can do about it. 

 

In the episode, I mention a practice video I posted on You Tube that goes with the earlier episode on Yoga for Mental Health. That was EP 397. You can find the practice video here:

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfuoWYqSDyw

 

I also mention my e book, “From the Interview Chair”. You can get that here:

 

https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/from-the-interview-chair-e-book/

 

I mention the Bare Bones Yoga Practice Portal. You can check that out here:

 

 

https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/bare-bones-yoga-practice-portal/

 

And the Yoga Anatomy Accelerator here:

 

https://barebonesyoga.thinkific.com/courses/Yoga-Anatomy-Accelerator

 

The Learning Mistake Most Yoga Teachers Make (EP.398)

Many yoga teachers leave their training with a lot of information — anatomy, alignment cues, sequencing ideas — but still feel unsure when it comes to actually teaching.

Why does that happen?

In this episode, I break down one of the most common learning mistakes yoga teachers make, based on a concept I’ve been talking about: the difference between Building knowledge and Applying knowledge. I heard this idea referenced on the Huberman Lab podcast, where it was framed a little differently but the concept is the same:

• declarative learning — understanding information
• procedural learning — knowing how to apply it in real time

And why most teacher trainings focus heavily on the first, but not enough on the second.

I’ll share how this shows up in areas like anatomy, cueing, and sequencing — and why it can leave teachers feeling like they “know” things but still struggle to teach with confidence.

If you’ve ever felt like you understand the material but can’t quite translate it into your teaching, this episode will help you see why — and what actually helps things start to click.

I also share a short training on how to create a Signature Sequence, which is one of the simplest ways to start applying what you know and feel more confident in your classes:

 

 

https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/how-to-create-a-signature-sequence/

 

Here is the link to the Huberman Lab episode I reference: 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlOA8ObQJXo

 

Yoga For Mental Health (EP.397)

There’s no denying that yoga helps people feel better. But what benefits come from yoga practice? In today’s episode, we look to not only a recent study to discover some of the benefits of yoga to one’s mental health but I also share how you can create sequences that are focused on improving mental health. This could be used in a clinical setting or any setting where you’re teaching people with mental health challenges and it also has utility in any class where you want to provide an environment for improved feelings of well-being.

 

The study referenced is here:

 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5425577/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20people,et%20al.%2C%202013.

 

As always if you have questions, just reach out.

 

Why Yoga Teachers Feel Insecure After Training / Part 2 The Solution (EP.396)

In Part 1 of this series, I talked about why many yoga teachers finish their training expecting to feel confident, only to find that teaching still feels harder than they expected (and takes a lot more planning time than they thought).

In this episode, we shift the conversation toward what actually helps teachers feel more confident.

Instead of focusing on accumulating more information or taking more trainings, confidence often grows from developing a few key teaching skills and simplifying what you focus on when you teach.

In this episode, I talk about:

• a clear format for cueing you can use to make things feel more natural
• how teaching a Signature Sequence can dramatically reduce the stress of planning classes 
• why understanding movement is more useful than memorizing anatomy terms
• and how shifting your mindset about your role as a teacher can change how you show up in class

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or unsure, this episode will help you start focusing on the things that actually move the needle.

I also share a short training that walks you through how to create your own Signature Sequence so you can spend less time planning classes and feel more confident teaching.

You can access that here:

https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/how-to-create-a-signature-sequence/