Conversations for Yoga Teachers

Meet Christa Fairbrother (EP.162)

Have you ever thought about teaching yoga in a pool? Maybe you love the pool or live in a warm climate and thought, “It’d be great to practice in the pool!” Well, even if that thought hasn’t crossed your mind, today’s episode is going to blow your mind. You’ll meet Christa Fairbrother, an international water yoga coach and trainer, helping women practice self-care with aqua yoga. Our conversation starts out talking about her work with horses, moves on to her work as a teacher and how she transitioned into focusing primarily on teaching students in the pool and why. Her personal story is inspiring, her way of being is inspiring and I think you’ll be super inspired listening to this one. 

 

To connect with her on Instagram, see @aquacontentyogi and her website is christafairbrother.com

Meet Susanne Rieker (EP.161)

Teachers, in this episode, you’ll learn all about how to set up an online business as part of what you offer your students. This is an amazing episode in that Susanne demystifies the steps it will take to get you going with an online offer. We cover lots of ideas from setting up online classes to building an online course. You can connect with Susanne on Instagram @susannerieker and you can also check out her website at https://www.susannerieker.com/

 

Also, see the additional resources below that she refers to in this episode. 

Online course starter kit:

https://www.susannerieker.com/starterkit/

 

Podcast episode with 15 ideas for yoga related online courses:

https://www.susannerieker.com/15-ideas-yoga-online-courses/

Pelvic Floor Anatomy (EP.160)

As yoga teachers, we mainly deal with the major muscles of movement but we also need to know about the pelvic floor muscles. In this episode, I interview Physical Therapist, Ashley Hocutt, who specializes in pelvic health. We cover her area of focus in her practice as well as discuss the muscles involved in the pelvic area. We discuss implications for yoga teachers, especially as it relates to seeing students who are pregnant or postpartum and also discuss general things to be aware of when it comes to pelvic health.

 

Ashley is a great resource and you can contact her via her website:

 

https://www.bluedoorpt.com/

 

You can also find her on Instagram at @ashleyhocutt

Strengthening the Gluteus Maximus Muscle (EP.159)

In today’s episode, I review the function of the gluteus maximus and how you can sequence your classes to strengthen this important hip muscle. I refer to a commentary from the science literature for details and mentioned that I’d share the link to the commentary here. You can find it below:

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6670060/

 

Join me in class! Sign up here: 

 

https://barebonesyoga.com/virtual-classes/

 

Join me at my end of the year event, designed JUST for yoga teachers. Expert speakers, yoga class, guided meditation and more. Get the details and join me on 12/11. Click the link below:

 

https://barebonesyoga.lpages.co/bare-bones-yoga-teacher-virtual-meet-up/

Concepts in Exercise Science (EP.158)

In this episode, I cover two main topics:

1. how to create a system and a process for completing an online learning program and
2. two concepts in exercise science.

While these topics might not seem related, once you listen you’ll see how they connect. Please send me a DM on Instagram and let me know what you think!

Sequencing Ideas (EP.157)

Are you looking for new sequencing ideas? Join me for a discussion of different themes you can use for your classes. Also, download my sequence building template to help you format it all! Use the link here:

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

Meet Kelly Smith (EP.156)

Have you ever thought about including meditation or guided imagery in your teaching? Maybe you’ve wanted to do it but you’re not sure how to include or what you’d say. Well, this week, tune in for yoga teacher Kelly Smith’s conversation with me because we take a deep dive into how to integrate this into your classes. Kelly tells her origin story as a yoga teacher and shares her journey of building her own yoga teacher training program and yoga business.

 

Here’s a bit of background on Kelly:

 

Kelly Smith is a globally renowned yoga and meditation teacher, E-RYT 500 /YACEP, founder of Yoga For You, and host of the chart-topping Mindful in Minutes podcast and its spin-off, Meditation Mama. With over 6 million downloads across 181 countries, Kelly’s wildly successful show and accessible but powerful approach to mindfulness have solidified her as a rising star in the world of yoga and meditation. Kelly was first drawn to yoga as a teenager, when she saw the therapeutic mental and physical benefits the practice had on her mom during her battle with breast cancer. Several years and over 8,000 hours of teaching later, what began as a modest studio in the rural Midwest has evolved into Yoga for You, a location independent yoga and meditation school that has served thousands of students located all through the US, Canada, and the UK. Kelly specializes in the non physical limbs of yoga and is best known for her master trainings and workshops in meditation, restorative yoga, and yoga nidra, as well as her international yoga and mindfulness retreats.

 

Kelly’s teaching philosophy is grounded in her belief that yoga and meditation is not one-size-fits-all; she encourages her students and listeners to find their own personal practice, listen to their bodies, and find inner joy by accessing their most authentic selves and owning their power.

 

You can connect with Kelly on Instagram at @yogaforyouonline.

Meet Patty Ivey (EP.155)

In today’s episode, I’m thrilled to introduce you to a dear friend, Patty Ivey, fellow yoga teacher whom I have known for almost 20 years. Patty and I go into how we met in the episode and she talks about her journey to finding yoga and owning a highly successful group of yoga studios in Washington, DC, called Down Dog Yoga. Patty’s work today, while it still includes working with the studios and training teachers, focuses primarily on coaching leaders. She helps people find their power and most effective and authentic way of being, using coaching techniques she honed while working for many years to develop the teaching staff as well as in her work running several other businesses prior to Down Dog Yoga. 

 

Patty and I get into a conversation about what holds people back from being their best self, what kinds of fears get in the way of all of us being happy and doing what we love and shares different techniques that we all can use to improve our lives and grow our impact.

 

You can find out more about Patty on her website at www.pattyivey.com

Meet Molly Casto (EP.154)

There’s no denying that the past 18 months has greatly affected the yoga industry. While it can be easy to fall into the story of how hard it’s been, there are also new opportunities and ways you can move forward with positivity and a strategy and plan. Molly Casto, the owner of The Practice Power Yoga in Bozeman Montana is a great example of a teacher who has come out of this time stronger. Molly shares her personal story of how she started practicing here in this episode along with how she transitioned to teaching, to owning a studio and to leading her studio through the pandemic.

 

You can find out more about Molly and her studio and take classes with her using this link:

https://thepracticepoweryoga.com/

Meet Jules Mitchell (EP.153)

In today’s episode, I have the opportunity to interview Jules Mitchell, MS, CMT, ERYT500, about her new book, “Yoga Biomechanics: Stretching Redefined.” In this conversation, you’ll hear as we cover some of what the book is about along with a touching on some of the concepts and definitions presented within it.

For more information about Jules, how to order the book and how to sign up for her book club experience, visit www.julesmitchell.com.