Working in Yoga

You might have heard the story of infamous yoga teacher Bikram Choudhury attempting to host yoga training workshops in Canada earlier this year. You might have even listened to last week's podcast episode, which was a replay of Shannon Crow's Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast live episode that I was involved in. And you also might be wondering what is happening now. The truth: not too much. But that doesn't need to necessarily be the case. The news cycle for all of us is short, our attention is even shorter, and it is really easy to push uncomfortable topics into the background. To me, this is too important to just let it be pushed aside. Women who sign up for Bikram's trainings all over the world are not safe, this can be said with certainty. So now what? This episode will give you an update, but also call you to help us do some much needed behind-the-scenes work to keep women safe in our YTT spaces. This will also serve to support and nourish all of us as we go through the uncomfortable growth phase of becoming a more whole and professional industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Organizing is hard work, and while it is great & important to say "hurray" when we win a victory, the true work of social change happens in the quiet moments, the slow times, and behind the scenes. Don't forget to check in with your favorite causes even when they aren't actively campaigning. 2. Weather you agree or not, we are all in the same yoga industry. The language that seeks to create divisiveness is dangerous, no matter what side of the argument that person might be on. Use better language, and go find your favorite person who teaches yoga in a different methodology from you and take them out for tea. Getting to know others in our field is *vital* to our survival. 3. We need to hold our leadership organizations accountable for their position within our industry. Sign our change.org petition to demand the Yoga Alliance state publicly they have no confidence in the safety of participants of Bikram Choudhury's yoga teacher training programs. Make them say it loud enough that it is the first thing that pop's up on a Google search about Bikram yoga teacher training. OUR SPONSOR:Sunlight Streams Online Self-Care & Yoga StudioWORKING IN YOGA:WebsiteInstagram

In February of 2023 there was an event that was created in Vancouver, Canada advertising that convicted predator, Bikram Choudhury, was to come to Canada to teach hot yoga workshops. Many yoga professionals, myself very much included, thought this was a bad idea. We know from countless accounts of survivors that have been documented in books, podcasts, and documentary films, that Bikram is an unsafe individual to teach yoga to young women. It is irresponsible for us to not raise a fuss about him teaching yoga to young women. Women who are being sent to his training by trusted mentors and teachers. Women are then funneled into his close circle by teacher trainers within the program. This is a clear funnel of abuse (that ironically looks a whole lot like a marketing funnel) and many of us organized together to stop him from coming to teach in Canada. This podcast is that story. On February 8th Shannon Crow from the Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast, Colin Hall from the Yoga History Podcast, and I all got together and recorded this LIVE, with lots of friends and supporters on the call. What followed was the subsequent cancellation of Bikram from teaching in Canada (win), and the reminder to us all that he is still out there teaching and potentially abusing women in the context of being a yoga teacher and yoga professional (grim reality). So this week is that replay of the live call, and next week I will be updating everyone about what is happening now. KEY TAKEAWAYS: organizing works. following the money is the fastest way to see a result from your organizing, so if you are looking to take action on a cause that is important to you--look to the money first. It is likely the fastest way to your goal Public accountability organizations, like the media, are your friends. Don't hesitate to reach out to them as ask for assistance in bringing more light to a subject We all hold responsibility within the yoga professional arena to make sure that our participants are safe. This is not just a "them" problem. We are all responsible for the health, safety, and overall well-being of those people who would call themselves students of yoga. Make friends in your activism journey. Find other people who are just as passionate about a cause as you and team up. It makes the job less daunting and more palatable. RESOURCES Our support letter to the survivors of Bikram Choudhury's abuse Survivor's Hotline for support for sexual assaultShannons' Podcast recording of this. Meg Devlin's ArticleWorking In Yoga Podcast Website Rebecca's IG Working In Yoga Newletter Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Website Shannon's IG Yoga History Website Colin's Website Colin's IG Hell Bent Book by Benjamin Lorre ESPN's 30/30 PodcastDr. Ramani's Podcast Bikram Documentary on Netflix

You might have heard that we are facing a recession, right? It is one of those things that seems to be both highly talked about and also very hushed. ARE we in a recession? What about the recession that happened during COVID? How much longer does the yoga industry need to be facing the reality that sales are slower than we want because people's financial position is unstable? And where the hell are our leaders? This is something I want to talk about today on the podcast--what does leadership look like for us. Leadership is a topic we rarely talk about in the yoga industry space. We talk a lot about teachers, and what it means to be a good teacher, but does a good teacher mean a good leader? Today that is what Rebecca is talking about on the podcast. Are you ready? KEY TAKEAWAYS: Ships need captains. We need that person or organization who is looking out for our best interests, even if they are unpopular with the masses. No amount of insisting that yoga is a spiritual practice will get around the fact that tens of billions of dollars every year are being funneled through our industry. We absolutely are an industry, the US holding 10,000+ studios and 14.000+ teachers alone. This is enough money channeling through our spaces that we need to discuss who leads us as an industry. Because we absolutely are one. Counter-culture blood runs deep in the veins of Western yoga spaces, and it shouldn't be surprising that we buck up against the idea of greater regulation and leadership But keeping our participants safe and well should be our #1 priority, and while it may seem daunting to face the idea that leadership is needed--putting our heads in the sand doesn't make it any easier. RESOURCES: Working In Yoga Website Newsletter Rebecca on IG Yoga Alliance's bylawsBook Rec: Leaders Eat Last by Simon SinekWhat does happen when you get scurvy?

I've said often that teaching yoga is a lonely job. We come into work often by ourselves, we lead people in classes where the power dynamic is inharently unequal, and then we close up shop, sweep the floors, and shut the lights all by ourselves. But what if it didn't have to be that way? What if we saw other yoga professionals as potential collaboration partners? Accountability partners? Inspiration? Welcome to the relationship that John Cottrell, Allison Rissel, and Sheri Fisher have created together. They found a collaborative partnership, and a kinship, among sharing their joys and struggles, and have truly created a collective we should all strive for.There are so many gems in this episode, but here are our key takeaways. KEY TAKEAWAYS Collaboration is a lot like dating. Sometimes you get your heart broken, and sometimes you fall in love. Collaboration isn't just an extroverted skill. Even introverts can learn skills of connecting with people and find it very rewarding. Agendas help meetings be purposeful. Collaboration within your business can take longer without focus and organization. Find an accountability group that keep you motivated. In-person is great, but if you start to interact with people online Have you ever been burned in a yoga business collaboration? Remember professionalism and communication, and ask yourself how you want to be with other people. RESOURCES Connected Yoga Teacher Group Yoga Teacher Conf free resources Allison’s Website Sheri's Website John's Website Getting Real book. Crucial Conversations book Working In Yoga Website Working In Yoga NewsletterRebecca's IG

Unsurprisingly, in the West, we focus a lot on the individual within a yoga practice. We also think about yoga practitioners as primarily a particular age, physical ability, and gender. We break people down by demographic, by 'type', even by the pants they wear. But what if we offered a yoga practice that supported the entire ecosystem of a person? Could we support people in youth, in our vibrant middle life, and as they age? Our guest this week, Camelia "Mimi" Felton thinks so. Mimi talks to us about serving older adults and kids with a yoga practice and also talks about why it is important to share yoga with everyone. Camelia is one of the International Association of Yoga Therapists’ 2022 SEVA award winners, and I know you are going to love hearing her story. KEY TAKEAWAYSThat it is important for us to teach and share yoga with everyone in a family ecosystem. Kids and older adults need yoga too. We all can feel like we are "good" without our yoga practice in times of thriving, but when things get tough we roll our yoga mats back out again to find the support that yoga can provide us. "how does your heart feel?" makes more of a difference in our lives than "how do my pants look" people in the non-profit yoga space have had a hard time fundraising over the last three years. RESOURCES Camelia's website: https://mimisyogakids.com/Donate to Mimi's Yoga Kids: https://mimisyogakids.com/donateCamelia's IG: @mimisyogakidsWorking In Yoga Website: https://www.workinginyoga.com/Rebecca's Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hDF6dzIAYT SEVA Award application for 2023: https://www.iayt.org/page/2023SevaAward

Yoga professionals like to talk a lot about how we can be "of service" in our communities. But often we get overwhelmed or feel lost in our daily lives and practices. But there are those out there who I want to introduce you to, so you can get inspired. Osiris Booque is one of those individuals. Like previous guest, Gina Barrett, Osiris was honored by the International Association of Yoga Therapists last year with a SEVA award. This award is for those yoga therapists who are working on creating change in their communities through yoga. I just love talking to folks who are out in the world doing work like this. I find it inspiring to know there are people committed to creating change, and using yoga as a vehicle to do it. Our Key Takeaways: That yoga isn't prescriptive, and we must fight the Western, colonial model of trying to make yoga be a prescription for what ails you Yoga professionals can make impacts in their own communities. The IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists) is working to support people who are making both a local and global impact. Leadership is a challenge when you start, but if we want to make changes we need to learn how to be a leader so we can support others. LINKSFollow Flow for Black Lives Osiris's Website Osiris's Summer ProgramOsiris on Instagram IAYT’s SEVA Application for 2023Working In Yoga's Website Working In Yoga Newsletter

Have you ever felt like a broke-ass yoga teacher? Yeah, me too. Today in the podcast is Haley Niichel, talking about how she is working in break the mold of the broke-ass yoga instructor mold -- and we can learn a few lessons from her. One of the reasons it is important to talk about this is because job-reporting sites like Indeed say often that yoga professionals are making upwards of $50,000 per year, when most independant yoga professionals make well less than that. While we see why Indeed and others got thier data from simple multiplication, the fact is it is not physically healthy to be teaching 40 hours of yoga classes per week. Almost nobody does that, and there isn't generally speaking enough work for people to be doing that. So enter Haley Niichel. A disruptor and pranayama teacher from Des Moines, Iowa, who is actively working on breaking this mold. She works creating and facilitating event for people in-person, and also has a digital studio and online pranayama-focused yoga course to connect with students from all over the world. And she is honest, talking about her struggles, her journey, and how we are all still a work-in-progress -- even in our businesses. Here are our key takeaways: -we don't need to accept the broke-ass yoga teacher model as our only business option. -honoring Yoga in the fullness of the tradition is often seen as unpopular, and in today's current industry many haven't been taught to teach this way. -our businesses are all a work in progress, and it is okay to learn along the way. -we all have friends & family members who have said "what do you really do?" to us. It is okay, and you aren't alone. -Our personal evolution is tied to how we run our businesses as yoga professionals. Show Notes: Haley's Website Haley's IG Working In Yoga Rebecca's IG A link to Haley's workshop at Sunlight Yoga + Apothecary on March 31, 2023.

For so many years I considered two factions of the yoga industry at war with one another.  There were the fitness people, the people teaching what felt like acrobatics on the beach in tiny outfits…and then there were those of us who were in it for the “real” yoga.Turns out I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.My guest Tawnia Converse has also spent years in the yoga industry figuring out her place among the spiritual teachers, fitness seekers, and everyone else in between.  Tawnia and I talk about how we as yoga professionals can find ourselves feeling lost among the career paths that are typically available to us, and how that can cause us to throw stones at the other side instead of looking to collaborate in the greater ecosystem of the yoga teaching space.I, for one, was really influenced by this talk with Tawnia–she made me rethink my attitude about all of us.  I think she will for you too.Key Takeaways:*grieving the yoga experience that we had in the 90s and 00s*we should consider how the folks who teach asana-focused yoga are planting seeds that folks who teach the full spectrum of yoga get to harvest.*is it possible for us as an industry to shift our binary thinking to ecosystem thinking.*the intersection of spiritual practice and making money is a hard place to be.*liberation practice could involve scrolling TikTok and eating chips.Show Notes:Tawnia’s WebsiteTawnia’s IGWe need to talk about our grief podcast.Hey Marvelous’s business coaching program.Working In Yoga WebsiteRebecca’s IG

Sometimes podcasts really do get to talk to the coolest people.That sentence feels significant since so much of our industry is full of feelings of isolation and loneliness.  One of the things I have learned in the last 20 years of being a yoga professional is that the more I find friends in the yoga community, the happier I am.  In making connections I have been able to extracate myself from cult-like situations as a professional, I have been able to feel more buoyed by my yoga practice, and I have been able to share space with the best of humans.One of the friends I have made this year is fellow podcast host, Shannon Crow.  She hosts the podcast The Connected Yoga Teacher, and I asked her to come on Working In Yoga and talk about our past year.For me this year has held a lot of grief within the professional yoga space.  My friends have left for different industries, my colleagues both near and far have closed their doors, and as we continue to look at the wreckage of the industry at large since 2020 and a potential recession starting out 2023…well sometimes the future feels not-so-bright.But then I talked to Shannon.She reminded me about how much I love the practice of yoga, how it has sustained me through some of my hardest times, and how together–through hard conversations and intentional actions, we can built the industry that nourishes us all.This is a long episode, but worth every minute.  There is a surprise guest around the 26-minute mark, so don’t miss it!RESOURCES:RESOURCESOur Sites:Working In Yoga Podcast Website:  www.workingingyoga.com Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Website:  https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/podcast/Rebecca’s Virtual Retreat:  https://sunlight-streams.heymarvelous.com/product/54909Teachers We Talked About:Kristine Webber: https://subtleyoga.comSadie Nardini:  https://sadienardini.comConnected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/connectedyogateacherConnected Yoga Teacher Episodes We Talk About:Diane Liska’s Episode with Shannon:  https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/114-compassion-fatigue-diane-liska/?fbclid=IwAR0U1_Nr9z4HNv2wfUlRsHtt1zFGU-FlYO-nSeILYezPijtzBS4145C0viYNicole Lewis-Keeber’s Episode w/ Shannon:  https://www.theconnectedyogateacher.com/301-trauma-business-ownership-with-nicole-lewis-keeber/?fbclid=IwAR0Hb3pI5hAZStEYviO-m5NxA-8zJPQbtwxQOpnoVzOLqFeILl4VLkthVY0Working In Yoga Episodes We Talk About:Quitting Yoga:  https://www.workinginyoga.com/podcast/quitting-yogaSelling Yoga:   https://www.workinginyoga.com/podcast/working-in-yoga-episode-5-selling-yoga

One of my ultimate goals for this podcast has always been to highlight the really cool work that yoga professionals are doing in their local communities to make a difference.  There seems to be a big public perception that yoga folks are fairly shallow, with all of our concerns being about how we look in beachwear while doing crazy moves during sunset.  But anyone who has taken 10 seconds to go deeper knows that yoga professionals are good, loving, caring people who are committed to making a positive impact in the world.  With that let me introduce you to my friend Gina Barrett, the winner of the International Associal of Yoga Therapist’s SEVA award for 2022.  She is working with a group of yoga teachers on the border between Mexico and the United States, sharing yoga with families and children who are living in camps awaiting permission to enter the US as refugees and asylum seekers.  This work involves a lot of dedication, skill, and training in trauma-informed practices to be able to facilitate yoga classes safely in that environment.  Listen to all of Gina’s offerings, and make sure you donate to her NGO if you can.RESOURCES:Casa del Paz SLV’s website:  https://www.casadepazslv.org/Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy:  https://pryt.com/Our website:  https://www.workinginyoga.com/

Have you ever said, “I’m just a yoga teacher”?  I sure have.  The idea that somehow yoga, as a profession either is of lesser importance or even for some folks doesn’t exist is something we have always fought against.  I am pretty sure I have fought my mother, mother-in-law(s), partners, friends, and strangers at the store.  And in those conversations, I have not always been our biggest champion.  That old “I just teach yoga” phrase has come out of my mouth more than once, my to my current-day chagrin.  Because what we do as yoga professionals is valuable.  Special.  And worthy of our own admiration, respect, and a sustainable living wage. Enter the incredible Stephanie Singleton, a yoga therapist and corporate wellness specialist who came to the yoga profession from a career at a major news network. Stephanie’s story is like so many of ours.  We came stressed out, sick, and in desperate need of a change.  Stephanie shares her strategies for mindset around valuing her work, and talks about how corporations need us and our wellness skills now more than ever.  RESOURCESStephanie’s website:  www.pranawellnessworks.comStephanie’s IG:  @ pranawellnessworksSephanie’s LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieerazo/Working In Yoga’s site:  www.workinginyoga.comSupport Working In Yoga:  https://sunlight-streams.heymarvelous.com/product/46341Virtual Yoga Retreat:  https://sunlight-streams.heymarvelous.com/dashboardOur fave money mindset ladies:Claire Wasserman https://ladiesgetpaid.com/Rachel Rogers:  https://helloseven.co/And She Co:  https://www.andshe.co/Kelly Deils:  https://kellydiels.com/International Association of Yoga Therapists:  www.iayt.org

There has long been a controversy within yoga spaces.  What makes us qualified to do what we do?  What makes us able to guide people through movement practices, breathing techniques, meditation sessions, and talk about the underlying living principles of yoga when much of what we do could qualify as “therapeutic” in modality.Well many years ago an organization called the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) sought to discuss this.  They credentialed skilled yoga teachers and created a new profession called yoga therapy.  We not have 1,000s of certified yoga therapists worldwide and our “emerging profession” seems to have started to bloom.But does this solve the challenge of deciding who is qualified to be a “therapist”?Enter my friend John Cottrell, a licensed counselor, a yoga therapist, and a passionate teacher of vinyasa-style yoga.  John has written books, contributed to many journals, and if I am being honest, possibly has more irons in the yoga fire than I do.  John and I discuss two things on this episode I want to highlight.  First, is how comfortable yoga therapists can be talking about the therapeutic side of their jobs.  We often couch ourselves as skilled yoga teachers and nothing more, even though we have spent a lot of time and money training to attain the C-IAYT title (that means we are certified by the IAYT)John and I also talk about community, and creating and holding sacred the connections we have with each other.  Be in in creating a teaching collective like John and friend have in Salt Lake City, or in creating professional connections within our yoga teaching landscape.I know you are going to love my conversation with John as much as I did.RESOURCES.John Cottrell’s Website: http://www.johncottrell.com/John’s Clothing Line: https://mbody.com/John’s Baking Adventures: http://www.onecakewonder.com/Mosaic Yoga Collective in Salt Lake City, UT: https://mosaicyoga.squarespace.com/Working In Yoga’s Website: www.workingingyoga.comThe International Association of Yoga Therapists: www.iayt.org

I have noticed this odd pattern while talking to folks in our industry over the last several months. I have had the privilege of traveling to teach for some wonderful yoga conferences that have taken place since March of this year and I am going to say this: many of us need to do some serious work with our own grief. From the nostalgia about how much we made and what famous people we used to practice with, to fantasizing about the days when yoga training programs had integrity and were more “authentic”, we have this weird connection to things that once were. I think this is pretty normal, a very human thing that happens among groups of people. But on the whole, I think our nostalgia is really just unprocessed, complicated grief. And I think it is killing us. On this solo episode of Working In Yoga I dive deep into this idea of grief, and what we can do to change our attitudes about the industry. We need to forge a path forward. We need to co-create the future we want to be a part of. And the first step is to acknowledge what we have lost. Join me on this episode, and I absolutely cannot wait to hear what you’ve got to say. RESOURCES Mayo Clinic Guide to complicated grief: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/complicated-grief/symptoms-causes/syc-20360374 Podcast website: www.workinginyoga.com Support: https://sunlight-streams.heymarvelous.com/product/46341

I love asking people what their superhero origin stories are for yoga.  How did you come to yoga?  What made you stay and make it your career?  I often hear similar stories from my guests.  We came to yoga for fitness, fighting the urge to take the spiritual path provided, until we realized how much we needed it.  OR we came to yoga for healing help, as we were trying to navigate a tricky scenario, situation, or particular challenge. I, personally, came to yoga for the second reason.  I came to heal.  I did spend some time trying to do the contortionist postures that many people did in the late 90s and early 00s, and I look back at those days fondly.  Because I never came for the fitness part of yoga, it’s physical benefits took me by surprise.   This week on the podcast is Sonya Chapnick, a yoga therapist on the West Coast who came to yoga to help her heal, deal with stress, and face a challenging diagnosis.  She shares how she slid into yoga, what inspiried her to take her practice into a profession, and how she ultimately took our professional career path to be a yoga therapist.   Sonya is currently working with the yoga therapy school The Optimal State to offer yoga nidra programming for the students and talks about the full spectrum of what yoga offers us with such ease and grace.  She has translated her passion for sharing gentle space into programming for seniors, diabetes patients, and more.   It was just a joy to chat with Sonya, and to hear her story about coming into both yoga practice and in being a yoga therapist.  I think the more we are able to share our stories together, the easier it will be for us to come together as a yoga professional community, sharing industry space and working together to co-create the professional future we have are proud to be a part of.   Please make sure you subscribe wherever you are getting your podcasts! RESOURCES: More info on yoga therapy:  www.iayt.org Sonya’s website:  www.yogagently.com Optimal State Program:  www.optimalnidra.com Working In Yoga Website:  www.workingingyoga.com Working In Yoga Support & Bonus Comentary: https://sunlight-streams.heymarvelous.com/product/46341

In yoga business, it often feels hard to reconcile what it is to run a business and what it is to be a true yoga practitioner.  Sometimes those two worlds feel like they will never meet, never come together in a way that feels both like a thriving business and an aligned yoga practice. This makes us either give up the idea of being a professional, much like the folks who claim we should never be in yoga for money…OR we feel like we have to separate our business selves from our yoga selves. I cannot express how many times I have heard “it was just business” on the other side of a sentence explaining something that made people feel small, belittled, or unsupported in the yoga space. But our guest this week has built a bridge between these two worlds. Sigrid Strebe is here to talk with us about the connection of our hearts and our yoga businesses.  We talk about service, free classes, and creating a community worth waking up for. Make sure you check out her website www.sigridstrebe.com and find out all of her details.   We are excited to have conversations within the yoga community about our real-life experiences and challenges.  If you are up for joining our digital community, make sure you stay tuned for the launch of our Working In Yoga community platform, coming in 2023.   RESOURCES: Sigrid’s website:  www.sigridstrebe.com Sigrid’s IG:  @ sigridstrebe Our website:  www.workinginyoga.com Nichala Joy Devi’s website:  https://abundantwellbeing.com/

Pooja’s Website: https://www.poojavirani.com/Jacoby’s Website: https://jacobyballard.net/Melissa’s Website: https://www.findyourbreath.net/

https://candid.org/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_utilization_theory

This week I have the absolute pleasure of talking with Alexandra Salas about her area of expertise, online learning. We, as yoga professionals, switched to digital learning March 16, 2020, and have never looked back. But now…where do we go from here? This is a problem I am interested in solving, and I was thrilled to have Alexandra guide us through what online learning looks like in the higher-education arena. Here is what we know: higher education has been working on mastering online learning as an effective teaching platform for decades. And there was a lot of resistance at first. Is learning as effective in a digital classroom vs. an in-person classroom? Can we teach in the same ways? And Alexandra answers the very interesting question of what about hybrid? Our industry switch into teaching in the digital space during early COVID was unprecedented. We switched faster and more efficiently than almost anyone else. We supported the rise of athleisurewear in 2021, and we are still teaching online even as places and studios open up. So what is our future teaching in the online space? What do we need to improve? What are we doing well? Listen to my chat with professional educator and yoga teacher Alexandra Salas and find out.

We have lots of notes for this one:Why We Are Obsessed with ScammersWhy ARE We Obsessed? Huff PostElena Brower Seeing Like A School by Angela JamisonBiggest & “Best” Yoga Franchises

Welcome to Working In Yoga! This week I am posting a conversation with my friend Sarah Jane Smith, that we had back in January about what it means to specialize (or niche) as a yoga professional, and why. Sarah is like so many of us, I think. She has her feet in two different worlds. In one world she teaches general yoga classes at her home studio, and in the other she specializes in sharing and holding space with the Childless Not By Choice community. Sometimes it is difficult for us as yoga professionals with more than one passion, to choose where to spend our time, energy, and and resources. Do we do what we have always done? Do we branch out into something new, or more specific? Sarah talks all about this, and I am thrilled to go along for the ride with her wisdom and insights. Grab info about all things Sarah here: Her studio: https://www.thenestyogasaltspring.com/seasonal-retreats.html Her CNBC community work: https://www.embodiedpossibility.com/ And go follow her on IG @embodiedpossibility and get all of her delightful content on social.