130 When Should You NOT Teach? Teacher's Series

Conversations on how to secure opportunities to teach yoga are much more common than those on when we should NOT teach, so today hosts Tiffany and Rachel explore a handful of scenarios where you may need to step back from the role of teacher—whether that is just for today or over the longer term.  In this episode, we discuss whether it’s ever ok for a teacher to simply “go through the motions” and what it means to truly show up for students. We also talk about schedule sustainability and the value of teaching what is meaningful to you. Listen in to learn when yoga teachers should not teach. — Show Notes: Recognizing privilege in the choice to not work [1:54] When you’re contagious [3:01] When you can’t reliably stay in the room [5:28] When you can’t truly show up for your students [8:58] Is there a time to permanently stop teaching a person or class [18:44] Energy management and sustainable teaching schedules [21:27] Moving on when you’ve taught all you can [31:22] When ethical limits are breached [34:55] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Yoga Journal articles: When Should You NOT Teach? How You Know When It’s Time to Break Up With a Class You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-130. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Usually, this podcast features seasoned yoga instructors, so today we are doing something different: exploring the perspectives of those early in the experience of holding the role of a teacher.  In this episode, we connect with three guests who completed 200-hour teacher training at the end of 2023. We discuss their expectations of the training, which areas of study best prepared them for the work they hoped to do afterward, how they secured their first teaching opportunities, and what advice they would share with those considering yoga teacher training now. If you are a newer teacher yourself, or contemplating yoga teacher training, listen in to learn about the reality of yoga teacher training, as well as the joys and challenges new teachers tend to experience. — Show Notes: Is teacher training only for people who want to teach [3:05] Hopes and expectations prior to teacher training [6:23] Most and least enjoyed areas of study [10:24] What did you feel most and least prepared for after teacher training [14:26] Challenges that arise for new teachers [18:42] How to find the first opportunities to teach [21:36] Next steps, including how to know you’re ready for ongoing study [26:36] Advice for future yoga teachers [30:34] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes: 127: Your 200HR YTT Questions Answered 103: Teacher Training Myths 200HR Online Teacher Training Connect with today’s guests: Becky Bruce – Instagram Suzanne Powell – Email | Union Yoga Co. You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-129. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Many of us kick off the new year ready to commit (or recommit) to a dedicated personal yoga practice. But as the days and weeks pass, this commitment can start to run out of steam. So today hosts Tiffany and Rachel share their personal practice tips as well as things that have been particularly helpful in keeping their practice going over the years. We emphasize the importance of flexibility of mind and how we can change our lens to turn needs into likes.  Listen in to learn how to build a realistic personal practice that supports you.  — Show Notes: Why personal practice matters, for teachers and students [3:07] What constitutes a personal practice? [12:37] Being honest with yourself about what is and isn’t yoga practice [23:19] Does frequency on the mat matter? [27:28] Should we prioritize needs or wants? [33:20] Does your personal practice have to be self-guided? [37:38] Takeaways & more tips [38:51] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes: 05: Sustainability & Yoga 96: Creating Change with Alison Heilig YMO Monthly Dose: Supporting & Building your Home Practice You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-128. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

It is a new year—the perfect time to commit to a new path or project. Each year, for some, that means diving into yoga teacher training.   In this episode, returning guest and lead teacher of the Yoga Medicine 200hr teacher training, Dana Diament, sits down with host Rachel Land to explore all your 200hr teacher training questions. We explain how you know if you are ready to take that journey and what to consider before signing up. We also unpack the realities of fitting the training schedule into your life and what hurdles you can face transitioning to teaching afterward.   Listen to this episode to learn if yoga teacher training is right for you, and to hear about the upcoming Yoga Medicine 200hr Online Teacher Training, kicking off between February and June. — Show Notes: How do I know I’m ready? [2:10] Do I have to want to teach? [7:48] Which yoga teacher training should I choose? [11:09] In-person locally, retreat/ immersion format, or online? [14:14] Considering the style of yoga [23:43] Is Yoga Alliance registration important? [29:18] Recap: considerations discussed so far [31:32] Prerequisites for YTT: your own practice [32:42] Prerequisites for YTT: sufficient time [35:20] Prerequisites for YTT: passion for learning [36:57] Things that aren’t required before YTT [39:58] How should I prepare? [41:02] Will I be ready to teach right after YTT? [45:36] Will I be taught to craft my own sequences? [47:28] Recap: major takeaways [54:15] Yoga Medicine 200hr Teacher Training for 2025 (& early bird rate!) [56:39] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Yoga Medicine® 200hr Yoga Teacher Training Other podcast episodes: Episode 103 Teacher Training Myths  Episode 56 Controversial Yoga Cues  Episode 71 More Controversial Yoga Cues You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-127. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

In this special best-of episode for 2024, we feature clips from some of our favorite episodes, highlight common threads that weave different guests and topics together, and feature some of the gems you might have missed during the year. — Show Notes: Fascia science behind the benefits of movement [1:17] Reframing tension: moderation over extremes [4:03] How yoga helps regulate the nervous system [7:12] Are we handling stress as well as we think? [9:38] Safe practice spaces as a refuge from overwhelm [12:21] The causes, components, and symptoms of burnout [14:11] Perpetual optimization of physical health at the expense of mental health [16:29] The “new stigma” of menopause [22:07] Yoga as self-discovery for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence [26:49] Body awareness and self-agency for persistent pain care [31:15] How yoga teachers help keep students “safe” [35:46] Is there one perfect breath rhythm or duration? [38:33] Answering student questions [42:22] Human complexity; we are more than machines [44:35] The power of truly listening [46:47] How to integrate new approaches, tools & techniques [51:33] Cultural relevance and appropriation [55:12] Can we separate yoga from its historical, philosophical, and religious influences? [59:28] Who is yoga for and who should be teaching it? [1:04:02] Is it less about what we do, and more about how we do it? [1:07:10] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Find all the episodes mentioned at https://yogamedicine.com/podcast/ You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-126. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Change is constant and inevitable, but the sheer speed of recent changes in the yoga world leaves many of us confused about what it actually looks like and means to be a yoga teacher right now. Today hosts Rachel and Tiffany look back over the massive changes that have occurred in the yoga world over the past few decades, and what they might signal for the years ahead. We debate the pros and cons of boom times, the rise of social media, and the ever-evolving needs of students.  Listen to this episode to learn how yoga teachers can continue to adapt to better serve our communities.  — Show Notes:  Looking back can help us move forward with more clarity [1:18] Early days of yoga in the West: underground, no-frills, “anti-influencer” [3:53] Big changes in the early 2000s [11:00] The first commercial teacher trainings and new yoga brands [15:35] Yoga celebrities, yoga fashion, and growing competition [16:46] Credibility from yoga lineage overtaken by social media following? [21:45] Yoga Medicine and explosive growth in YTT [27:38] The 2010s: The yoga boom and growing pains [31:35] Covid challenges and opportunities: meeting people where they’re at [33:56] Post-COVID era: options versus overwhelm [37:35] Takeaways: find your niche with patience, persistence, and presence [40:03] Takeaways: What feeds you changes over time [48:04] Takeaways: Know what you bring to the table [53:55] Takeaways: Be purpose-driven [58:45] Final thoughts [1:02:33] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube  Listen to Episode 82: Building a Healthy Relationship with Social Media Listen to Episode 5: Sustainability & Yoga You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-125. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Despite several years of upheaval and uncertainty, grassroots yoga studios are still the beating heart of many communities world-wide, so today Rachel hosts a panel of yoga studio owners to discuss the current state of studio life across the globe. In this episode, we explore what has changed over the past few years, what studios are struggling with today, and what seems to be working well. Common themes emerge around the difficulty of finding a class schedule and pricing strategy that work for everyone, maximizing teacher fulfillment and consistency, balancing regular classes with special events, and building lasting relationships with the wider community. Listen in to this episode to hear what has changed in yoga studios since the pandemic, and what to look forward to in the future. Things don’t have to be the way they were before. — Show Notes: How things have changed: online vs in-person, classes vs other offerings [2:46] Biggest struggles: teacher consistency, scheduling, managing special events [10:38] What’s working well: variety & choice, price packages, community relationships [19:19] Looking to the future: things don’t have to be the way they were before [42:41] Final thoughts [51:49] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Connect with the yoga studio owners: Anne Eberhardt: Instagram | Facebook | Bubble Yoga Ashley Gudknecht: Instagram | Facebook | Gud Yoga Dana Diament: Instagram | Facebook | Lennox Yoga Lisa Hamre: Instagram | Facebook | My Yoga Room Rachel Workman: Instagram | Facebook | Longview Yoga Wellness Shannon Stephens: Instagram | Facebook | This Land Yoga You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-124. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today’s topic is one of our favorites. Hosts Tiffany and Rachel dive deep into sequencing to unpack common pitfalls for yoga teachers and how they can be avoided. Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? How can we choose a class focal point or theme that resonates with students? Are we teaching from a place of thinking rather than feeling? In this episode, we talk about the most important aspects of sequencing, what to add to or trim out of your class, and how to shorten or elongate students’ perception of time. Listen in to learn how to create a balanced and intention-based yoga class sequence. — Show Notes: The pressure of the “perfect” sequence [1:26] Pitfall #1: Timing, timing, timing [5:09] Pitfall #2: No central theme to create clarity & cohesion [15:30] Pitfall #3: Too much of a good thing [21:18] Pitfall #4: Picking the wrong theme for your students [26:32] Pitfall #5: Unintentional overload [30:15] Pitfall #6: Sequencing purely for novelty or complexity [36:03] More rapid-fire sequencing tips [41:00] Yoga Medicine® Sequencing with Purpose online training [49:12] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Sequencing with Purpose Online Yoga Teacher Training Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episode 95: Smarter Not Harder: Creative Sequencing 5 Most Common Sequencing Mistakes That (Even Experienced) Yoga Teachers Make Yoga Teachers: Here’s How to Get 5 Completely Different Classes Out of the Same Exact Sequence of Poses You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-123. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today hosts Tiffany and Katja discuss recent research on estrogen’s effects on muscle. This is a hot topic at the moment, so in this episode, we share the importance of understanding the background of our hormones and the effect of estrogen on areas like muscle mass, neuromuscular activation, and recovery. Listen in to learn how the effects of estrogen are being studied in research and the different ways that estrogen impacts our muscular tissues. — Show Notes: Background on estrogen’s relationship with fascia and tissue [1:59] How is the effect of estrogen on muscle being studied [3:31] Different types of estrogen [8:38] Impact of estrogen on muscles specifically [9:43] Importance of individuality when working with women’s bodies [16:29] Impact of estrogen on strength on a molecular level [19:03] Ways that estrogen impacts recovery [24:26] Takeaways [33:41] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Traditional Chinese Medicine Yoga Teacher Training Female Health Yoga Teacher Training Traditional Chinese Medicine + Female Health Yoga Teacher Training | Tulum, Mexico – March 23-30, 2025 Yoga for Athletes Yoga Teacher Training Connect with Katja Bartsch: Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-122. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

We all know that yoga is much more than a physical practice; it is underpinned by a framework of philosophy that is centuries old. But as a yoga teacher, you may or may not have incorporated this theoretical understanding into daily action - or helped your students do so.  So today we talk about the practical application of some key yoga sutras with returning guest Diane Malaspina PhD. In this episode, Diane helps host Rachel appreciate how three of Patanjali's sutras apply to the challenges we face in daily modern life.  Listen in as we discuss the balancing act we must manage to realize any important long term goals, and how self-compassion can be a powerful tool for connection. — Show Notes: Defining the yoga sutras [3:16] What yoga philosophy teaches us about the nature of life [6:58] Committed practice (abhyasa) & non-attachment (vairagya) [10:54] Rolf Gates’ definition of abhyasa [14:35] Another definition of sutras 1:12-1:16 – “Trust the Process” [19:42] Ahimsa as a counter to fear & polarization [30:36] The change begins with us; self-compassion leads to connection [35:07] Boundaries as a sustainable balance to Ahimsa [48:15] More resources & Diane’s Yoga Medicine courses [51:02] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Inside the Yoga Sutras – The Path to Freedom Online Course Exploring the Yamas through Meditation & Practice Online Course Join Diane LIVE & IN-PERSON for the Yoga Medicine® Resilience Retreat from Nov 2nd – 3rd in Santa Rosa, CA Suggested reading: Meditations from the Mat, Rolf Gates The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Chip Hartranft The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Swami Satchidananda Inside the Yoga Sutras, Jaganath Carrera Kristin Neff, Self Compassion Journaling Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes with Diane Malaspina PhD: 04: Find Ease in Uncertainty 31: The Power of Intention 57: Drishti, the Potency of Our Focus – Research Roundup Connect with Diane Malaspina:          Facebook | Instagram | Diane Malaspina You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-121. And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.