Yogaland Podcast

On this episode Jason answers three of our listener questions and it just so happens that they all focus on some aspect of shoulder anatomy. We also talk about cats a lot. Here are the questions:* Why do we flex the ankle in poses like Reclined Pigeon?* Is "pull the shoulder blades down" a "bad" alignment cue?* In Plank Pose, do you push strongly through the arms and upper back? Or soften the shoulders?For practice inspiration, go to the shownotes page for links to shoulder-focused blog posts with illustrations: yogalandpodcast.com/episode23/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Okt 201626min

You might know Rachel Brathen as "Yoga Girl" on Instagram -- she's one of the original yoga insta-stars and has 2 million followers. Two million! That's crazay! And yet, despite this quick rise to fame, Rachel is incredibly down-to-earth and not afraid to say that the superficial side of social media can suck the life out of a person from time to time. I wanted to know what makes Rachel tick, so I tried to dig into how she's become the teacher (and student) she is today.Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode22/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Okt 201656min

On this episode Holly Whitaker of the Home Podcast talk about how yoga and meditation can be helpful tools for recovery.Holly is a life coach and spiritual teacher, kundalini and vinyasa yoga and meditation instructor, writer, and speaker. She's also the founder of Hip Sobriety, which aims to provide a modern, holistic, accessible and desirable path to sobriety, and to remove the stigma associated with addiction (and sobriety).Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode21/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Okt 20161h 1min

Seane Corn is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher known for her impassioned activism and inspirational style of teaching. She utilizes her national platform to bring awareness to humanitarian issues—in 2005, she was named “National Yoga Ambassador” for YouthAIDS, and in 2013 was given the Global Green International Environmental Leadership Award. Since 2007, she has been training leaders of activism through her co-founded organization Off the Mat, Into the World®.I talked to Seane about how she came to be an activist and how she mentors others to do the same. Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode20/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Okt 201655min

This week my guest is holistic therapist and senior Prana Vinyasa Flow teacher Coral Brown. Coral and I talked about one of her passions -- the Hindu deity stories. She's deeply knowledgeable about them and she's also down-to-earth and practical in her approach, which I appreciate. She also (when appropriate) weaves them into her one-on-one therapy practice, which I find fascinating. Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode19/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 Sep 201641min

We've gotten many questions recently about teacher training that we decided to do an episode that answers common questions. Doing a yoga teacher training is a huge investment -- both financially and in terms of your time. It can be a wonderfully transformative experience, but it's worth doing your research and thinking about what is going to best meet your needs. Jason and I talk about:* Whether you should stick with a local teacher or travel to do a training with a well-known teacher (his answer might surprise you).* Considerations in terms of format -- monthlong intensive? two week modules? six months of weekends?* How vital it is to continue your education even after completing a foundational 200-hour training* Are there different things to consider if you just want to deepen your practice vs. wanting to teach?* Plus, we talk about what types of information and skills an advanced 300-hour training can provide.Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode18/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18 Sep 201645min

This week my guest is Ayurvedic practitioner Niika Quistgard. Niika is an internationally-recognized consultant, trainer and practitioner in Ayurveda and is the founder of AyurMama.com.For this episode, Niika offers specific self-care ideas for staying calm and grounded when we go out of balance. Whether you've never heard the words vata dosha uttered or you already know your prakruti, this episode offers enough background about Ayurveda paired with creative self care ideas and reminders that it will be helpful to everyone. Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode17/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Sep 201650min

My guest this week is Katherine Priore Ghannam. Katherine is the founder of Headstand, a nonprofit organization that teaches yoga and mindfulness to kids attending low income schools. Headstand is a program that is integrated into the school's curriculum and a large part of its focus is to help children combat "toxic stress." Here's a summary of what we talk about on the episode:* The definition of toxic stress and how it can inhibit a child's ability to learn.* Learning to see a child's behavior as their way of communicating their needs, difficulties, and emotions. * The importance of adult self-regulation when teaching children.* The changes she sees in students from the beginning of the year to the end.* How yoga and mindfulness have helped create cultures of compassion in the schools that Headstand serves.* How the job has fueled Katherine's optimism* Katherine's desire to see social/emotional learning and mindfulness integrated into schools everywhere. Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode16/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 Sep 201631min