Conversations for Yoga Teachers

When you went to teacher training, how much “real life” support did you get around scenarios that come up when you’re teaching? If you’re like a lot of teachers I talk with, you didn’t get much. Now that you’re teaching weekly classes, you might feel like  every class there’s a new situation that comes up where you’re not exactly sure how to handle it. In today’s episode, I cover 7 scenarios that arise and an approach to each. 

 

The conversation covers both the technical aspects of teaching, meaning cues and sequences, the anatomical aspect of teaching, meaning how you apply anatomy to movement as well as the mindset piece that can impact how you feel when you teach. 

 

As you listen, you’ll hear me refer to The Yoga Anatomy Accelerator. If you’re curious to find out more, here’s the link:

 

 

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

 

 

If you have questions or are wondering if it’s a good fit for you, just reach out to me in my Instagram DM’s and let’s talk. 

 

As we head into the fall, there’s a natural shift in energy, People get back to work, their regular schedules and children return to school. With that shift, we as yoga teachers can leverage this shift and speak to it in our classes to match how students are feeling. This can be a fun experiment and exercise in bringing in a theme to your class and also giving yourself a chance to speak to a theme that’s outside the technical aspect of teaching. 

 

In this episode, you’ll discover a way to approach your classes this fall that allows you to feel in control and calm and to have an approach that helps you build confidence. You’ll learn how to bring in simple movement based themes and a short exercise you can do after your class to track how you’re feeling- in an objective way. 

 

At the end of the episode, I speak about a new opportunity for you called, “September Sessions.” This is a series of 4 live teaching labs I’ve added for just the month of September for teachers inside my program, The Yoga Anatomy Accelerator. It’s designed to help you learn in real time how to apply anatomy to movement. All the details and dates of the live sessions are on the program page which you can see here:

 

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

 

If you have questions, just send me a DM on Instagram. 

 

If you've been following my Anatomy Breakdown videos on social media this summer and loving the format and content, this short bonus episode is for you.

I'm sharing why those videos inspired something new I'm launching this September (2026)—and why learning how to think through movement is far more valuable than memorizing anatomy or repeating cues.

In this special announcement episode, I’m sharing a new way for you to up level your confidence- it’s called September Sessions, a new series of Live Teaching Labs designed to help you learn how to apply anatomy to movement without having to memorize anatomy or feel like you’re just repeating what you were told in teacher training. 

You can discover the exciting details in the episode and of course, you’ll need the link to the Yoga Anatomy Accelerator which you can find here:

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

 

In a number of episodes, I speak about the anatomy and how to apply it to your teaching. But in today’s episode, I take it up a notch and talk about once you’re the kind of teacher who truly understands not just the anatomy but how to apply it to movement, what’s the transformation? By this I mean what kind of transformation do you experience? 

 

This is the kind of episode that’s meant to inspire; to help you see what’s possible for you and to take you from the day to day teaching of classes, to the broader vision that describes the teacher you really want to be. 

 

In this episode, I share a Listener Appreciation Bonus. This is something that’s only available to listeners of the pod. Once you get to it, you’ll need these two links:

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

As summer comes to a close, I found myself reflecting on the episodes I shared this summer, conversations I had with teachers and what’s coming up in the fall. The fall is always a busy time and for yoga teachers, you’ll find busier classes and more beginners. In today’s show, I share a few lessons I learned by really listening to the teachers who reached out, emailed or commented on my social media and I share these lessons with you in this episode. 

 

As you listen, see which ones resonate and what you might add that’s a lesson you learned from teaching this summer. 

 

As always, I love to hear from you so drop me a line and share any thoughts you have. 

 

Links:

 

The Yoga Anatomy Blueprint Learning Program

 

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

 

 

The Yoga Anatomy Accelerator

 

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

 

I hear from so many teachers that they feel overwhelmed learning anatomy. This leads to a host of problems like the teacher feeling like there’s something wrong with them because they can’t learn it but also that they aren’t able to feel confident teaching. 

 

The reasons behind why so many teachers feel this way have to do in part with how the yoga industry is set up to teach anatomy inside 200 hour trainings. But more importantly and connected to that is the lack of a step by step, proven method is what’s missing. Inside my programs, I have a step by step proven method that has helped teachers all over the world move past this feeling of overwhelm and instead feel confident that they know what they’re doing when they’re teaching. 

 

Today’s episode will give you the step by step way to learn anatomy and if you choose to work with me inside one of my two programs, I’ll walk you through it. You also learn about how people learn and the brain science behind it. You’re going to discover some things in this episode that will surprise you. 

 

Here are links to the two programs and my e book as well: 

 

The Yoga Anatomy Accelerator/ 30-day short program:

 

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

 

The Yoga Anatomy Blueprint Learning Program/ 90 day coaching experience

 

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

 

 

The Bare Bones Yoga Guide to Yoga Teaching

 

 

https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/the-bare-bones-yoga-guide-to-incredible-yoga-teaching

 

In today’s episode, I share a simple framework for how to bring anatomy themes into your classes. This is a great way to use the Signature Sequence you already know and simply overlay an anatomical theme onto it, to teach your students about movement and lend a bit of a different focus. 

 

I also review a recent article about yoga teacher pay and talk about the implications of what was raised for you and how you plan for the work you do as a yoga teacher. You’ll find links to the articles below.

 

Article one:

 

https://www.thesunlightexperience.com/insideyogablog/some-of-us-scrape-the-floors-others-can-afford-the-apartment-a-hard-look-at-yoga-alliances-executive-pay

 

Article two (related):

 

https://yenfeng.substack.com/p/the-half-million-dollar-ceo-salary

 

E book:

 

https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/the-bare-bones-yoga-guide-to-incredible-yoga-teaching

 

How to build a Signature Sequence: 

 

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

 

The Yoga Anatomy Accelerator: 

 

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

 

 

The Yoga Anatomy Blueprint Learning Program:

 

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

 

 

The Mindset Method:

 

https://barebonesyoga.thinkific.com/courses/the-mindset-method

 

One of the questions that creates the anxiety for yoga teachers is what to do when a student tells you they're injured.

Maybe you've asked before class:

"Does anyone have any injuries?"

If you have, you're definitely not alone.

The challenge is that when someone raises their hand, you suddenly have just a few seconds to understand what's going on and decide what to tell them—all while the rest of the class is waiting.

That's a lot of pressure.

In this week's podcast episode, I share a different approach.

First, I walk through some of the most common injuries you're likely to hear about so those terms start to feel more familiar.

Then I show you how to shift the conversation away from trying to diagnose an injury and toward something that's much more useful as a yoga teacher:

"How does your injury affect your movement?"

That simple question changes the conversation. Instead of feeling like you have to know everything about injuries, you can focus on what you do know—movement.

As you listen, notice if there are terms that sound unfamiliar or concepts that make you realize, "I never really learned this."

If that happens, don't be discouraged.

It's one of the biggest anatomy learning gaps I see in yoga teachers, and it's exactly why so many teachers feel unsure of themselves when these conversations come up.

I mention how I can help you if learning more about this is important to you: 

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

 

 

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

 

 

I'd love to know what stands out to you after you listen so drop me a DM and let me know.

 

In this episode, I'm sharing the audio from a live workshop I taught on July 16, 2026 on one of my favorite topics: How to Build a Signature Sequence You Can Trust. If you've ever felt like you need to create a brand new sequence every week or wondered how to build a sequence you can confidently teach without relying on notes, this workshop is for you. 

I walk through the process you can use to create a Signature Sequence, share how using a Signature Sequence can help you trust what you’re offering and even be able to teach without notes and by walking around, watching your students. Whether you're a new yoga teacher or simply looking to feel more confident teaching your classes, this workshop will not only give you some new things to experiment with in your classes to help you feel more confident, it’ll gently challenge some of the beliefs you have that you might not even realize are holding you back from truly feeling confident when you teach. 

If you'd like access to the full workshop replay with the video, just send me a DM or email at karen@barebonesyoga.com

 

Looking for a simple way to make your yoga classes feel fresh without creating a brand-new sequence every week? 

 

In this episode, I share 6 different transitions (linking poses together) that you can begin incorporating into your classes, along with the cueing and anatomy considerations that make each one effective. From Warrior I to Warrior II and Side Angle to Half Moon to Reclined Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose into a Supine Twist, you'll learn how thoughtful transitions can create a different experience for your students while allowing you to build confidence with a sequence you already know. 

 

I also share why making small, intentional changes to a Signature Sequence is a great way to change your Signature Sequence a little bit but not so much that you can’t remember what comes next. At the end, I speak to a specific kind of yoga teacher; one who’s ready to step forward and feel more confident teaching. Once you listen, you’ll need this link to check out:

 

 

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