Leadership and Yoga

Join me, Shawna Krueger, for a practical episode for beginners. Whether you are just starting yoga, teaching beginners, or starting another project, today’s episode has tips on how to commit and what to expect.  We discuss everything from the meaning of yoga to changing intimidation into inspiration. You’ll also get an overview of common types of yoga so you know what you’re signing up for.  Tune in if you’re asking… How do I get consistent with my yoga practice? What kind of yoga should I do? What type of yoga is best for beginners? What should I know before going to a yoga class? Why don’t I like yoga yet? How do I improve my flexibility and yoga practice? See the list below for a full list of topics. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 02:00 Agenda and Structure 04:40 Note on Overcoming Fear of Teaching Yoga 10:00 Off the Mat Mastery Group Program 14:04 Understanding the Meaning of Yoga 20:13 Dealing with Difficulty in the Beginning 23:00 Changing Intimidation into Inspiration 26:30 Keeping Your Yoga Practice Simple 28:00 Practical Notes for Complete Beginners 33:50 Yoga as a Ritual 38:00 When Will You Experience the Effects of Yoga? 40:00 Body Control and Flexibility 42:00 Experiencing Energy Shifts 44:50 Treating Your Practice Time as Sacred 48:19 Breaking the Conditioning of How You’re Living 51:48 Different Styles of Yoga 01:03:35 Teacher Training and Choosing the Right Program Message me on instagram: @shawnakru Sign up for our Find Your Voice Yoga and Journaling Retreat: https://shawnakru.com/retreats/ Sign up for Off the Mat Mastery: https://shawnakru.com/offthematmastery/

Join me, Shawna Krueger, for an interactive episode designed to help you reflect on your year.  This episode consists of three parts: Creating a greenlight list, synthesizing key lessons and thoughts and creating an iOS instead of a vision board.  I share the wins I’ve experienced this year from my first full calendar year of entrepreneurship after quitting my 9-5 law firm job.  If you are enjoying the Leadership and Yoga content, I’d love to practice with you in my upcoming retreat at Río Chirripó, May 9-13, 2024. For my iOS template, aka the format that serves as my true north and gives me clarity, sign up for Off the Mat Mastery. It’s my most affordable group program of all time.  Message me on instagram: @shawnakru Sign up for our Find Your Voice Yoga and Journaling Retreat: https://shawnakru.com/retreats/ Sign up for Off the Mat Mastery: https://shawnakru.com/offthematmastery/ Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome 01:57 Overview of the 3 step reflection process 06:40 Create your greenlight list and hear mine 42:32 Synthesize key lessons and thoughts 46:03 Create your iOS and an open share

Join Shawna Krueger for an episode on the ins and outs of celebrating others. What it means and why you should do it. In a time of celebration we can get totally overwhelmed if we are only thinking about celebrating ourselves, what we have and where we are. But I’m going to argue that second hand joy is often more potent. There’s a profound power that’s born out of celebrating others, which means showing off their strengths, complimenting them, recognizing them, sending them business. Sending them your own students and clients. Letting go of scarcity mindset and instead believing in the contagious power of excellence. Message me on instagram: @shawnakru Sign up for our Find Your Voice Yoga and Journaling Retreat: https://shawnakru.com/retreats/ Sign up for Off the Mat Mastery: https://shawnakru.com/offthematmastery/ Here’s the agenda for today's episode so you know what to expect: How abundance mindset zaps jealousy. Why seeing reasons to celebrate others is a good sign. Recognizing that it’s all a gift. Don’t expect anything from anyone. It’s all a good surprise. Your focus can shift to the question of, “but who am I serving?” Why confusion takes time, not copying. And how copying is the enemy of creativity. A note on not being afraid to make an ask mid-celebration, and knowing that others will have asks for you as well. And finally, why you don’t have to be too cool to acknowledge others, or be unreachable, to be celebrated in return. Plus a note on how to learn to celebrate yourself. P.S. Our new weekly release date for new episodes is WEDNESDAYS!!

Today my guest is Sonya Moore. Sonya is an author, a yoga instructor, and quite the lover of adventure I must say after reading her first book, Some Kind of Magic.  Tune in to hear about yoga lifestyle, magic moments, self-discovery, meditation, and travel. We discuss the process of finding your voice, writing a book, overcoming the fear of judgment and experiencing yoga offerings around the world: from luxury to wooden beds and wooden pillows in a meditation center in Thailand. This episode is filled with fun synchronicities and meaningful tales of travel, adventure and uncovering insights.  If you enjoy this episode, please remember to subscribe and rate my podcast. Thank you! Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/ Sonya’s website and info on her new book: https://www.sonyamoore.com/  Find Sonya on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonyamoore_here/

This is your handstanding handbook in audio form. Today I share tips from my journey and the actual process I used to be able to hold a handstand in the middle of the room. I do not intend to position myself as a master, or give you a handstand episode filled with technical terms or alignment. Here's advice from an average chick, who found the process to be simple, but not easy. No you don’t have to do a handstand to do yoga, but if you’re feeling like you want to, I hope you leave today feeling inspired. Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam email list to stay up to date on giveaways and L&S news. Plus, get immediate access to the free week-long 6am Club training: Join the fam. Sign up for my upcoming retreat: https://shawnakru.com/retreats/ Message me on instagram: @shawnakru In this episode: Define what it means to you to do a handstand.  Work on the fear, bit by bit, day by day.  Consistency of the simplicity.  How long does it take?  Increase hamstring flexibility, especially.  My journey: Getting consistent finally when I was at home for the pandemic. Plus my quest for the press to handstand.)  Strength train/cross train. Do anything you can.  Phases of pain and prevention of injury. Wrist pain in handstanding.  Learn something about yourself. It restored my confidence in myself, gave me a hobby that had meaning and made me feel good and of course often very defeated. But it showed me the level of dedication I’m capable of, the kind of utter transformation the human body can go through, the power within me manifesting in physical form. 

How to start your podcast and grow your podcast audience with Shawna Krueger on Leadership and Yoga. This episode is for you if you are looking to start and grow a podcast, even if you do not have a big online following. This is the podcasting podcast episode. How to start your podcast, how to grow your podcast, and how to enjoy it along the way. Today I share with you 10 lessons I’ve learned in 1 year of podcasting. Sign up for Off the Mat Mastery: https://shawnakru.com/offthematmastery/ Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/ Time stamps: 4:30 Just hit record and just keep talking without getting super self critical. Get comfortable being confident with what you say.  6:15 Give people the chance to know, like and trust you. 7-11-4 philosophy.  8:30 Consistency: Do it in some other area of your life to build proof of concept. Journaling can serve as a way to get used to sharing your words and getting clear on your thoughts.  12:30 Tell your stories. Share like you might share to a friend. Take note of how your funny stories actually demonstrate a deeper theme. An unexpected benefit of podcasting is remembering more and more of your own forgotten stories as they come to the surface.  20:00 Start by thinking of how you can add value, then just start. Your initial idea will evolve. Name it in a way that’s clear. Clarity wins over creativity. 24:00 Share your podcast more than you are comfortable with and ask your listeners to interact with you. People need reminders.  26:00 Audio quality and clarity of your words matter. Shawna’s microphone recommendations.   29:00 Not all guests add equal value, and they don’t all treat you equally.  33:00 Namely smartly, adding a description and time stamps. Spotify impressions for podcasts.  35:00 Have a game plan and goals. Thoughts on selling on your podcast. 

How to host a yoga retreat from SCRATCH. 10 tips for hosting your retreat, tangible and subtle. Plus, at the end, I give you a step by step breakdown of how I’ve gone about setting up retreats.  This episode is for you if you want to host a retreat but don’t feel like you are set up for it. Maybe you are not a big influencer, don’t own a studio or feel like the pool of people you interact with is not that big.  This episode is also for anyone looking to execute on a big project, retreat or not.  Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam email list to stay up to date on giveaways and L&S news. Plus, get immediate access to the free week-long 6am Club training: Join the fam. Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/ Time stamps: 5:00 A teaching mishap, instructing a student to grab someone’s foot?  7:30 A look inside the completely rebuilt Off the Mat Mastery program and mastermind, my most affordable offering yet.  10:00 Say yes to any opportunity that mirrors any aspect of a retreat you’d like to host. More responsibility.  17:00 It’s often not that you don’t know enough, but that you are not clear on what you want to share. Get clear on your message, just for right now. It will change! 23:00 You MUST teach in person. The power of being “unknown.” 25:30 You don’t need to be perfect, but also work day by day on being the kind of leader you’d want to spend time with.  28:00 View yourself as a creative, work like a creative.  30:45 When inspiration strikes.   33:15 Under promise and over perform. 40:00 The retreat space that you choose is absolutely essential. 43:00 You must map out every single expense on a spreadsheet and do conditional price checking.  47:30 Step by step breakdown on how to get started on hosting a retreat today.  1:00:00 Your body is your business. Prepare.  1:03:00 Know your why. Experience and sponsorship. There is space for you to make it happen. 1:07:00 The worldwide giveaway.

Let’s talk about how to channel the energy of perfectionism to where it counts. When perfectionism is spread too widely, it becomes anxiety.  I discuss how having everything too perfect actually stunts your growth, and how you can reframe how you think about perfectionism. You’ll find four keys to redirecting perfectionism so you can experience more peace, and more progress.  Plus, I share a moment during a race that is burned into my mind: a moment I realized that my need for perfectionism had gone too far, hurt a friendship and ultimately held me back from reaching my true potential. Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/ Time stamps: 1:00 Leadership and Yoga’s 1 Year Birthday 2:15 Is it procrastination or perfectionism you’re struggling with?  4:30 Up next week, step by step on how to host a yoga retreat! 12:00 The hilarious storm of the beginning of an unfocused meditation.  13:30 Breaking the cycle, tossing and turning.   15:30 How the brain regulates pain and why your mental state impacts pain signals.   18:30 How do we focus our energy on a grand problem rather than getting hung up on insignificant ones? 19:15 Number 1: Train your perception to choose strength and acceptance.  21:00 Chronic anxiety and fear. 26:15 How much risk do you season your life with?  27:15 The choice we are constantly taking.  28:30 Why “too perfect” stunts your growth.  30:15 Number 2: Realize what comparison does to you. 33:00 Blocking a friend from beating me at the finish line. 34:15 There’s a new power born from tasting failure.  35:15 Number 3: Notice the moments of progress that put an uncontrollable smile on your face. 36:30 Handstands are not competitive.  39:00 Number 4: It’s okay to be concerned, it’s okay to seek perfection, but choose what you want to channel it towards. There is perfection in progress itself.   41:00 Where purpose is hiding.  42:15 The pull to create greatness and surprise ourselves with what we are capable of. What a blessing! 

Today's episode is a recap of the second yoga retreat that I've hosted! Katie Williams and I recorded this episode live at Río Chirripó after the retreat ended. You can expect a behind-the-scenes look into what it's like to host a yoga retreat. Tune in for authentic stories, tips for hosting a retreat, hilarious moments, an overview of the value of this retreat and why Río Chirripó is our favorite retreat center in Costa Rica. We will be hosting another retreat next year, DM on instagram for details. Message me on instagram: @shawnakru Time stamps: 3:30 First class and cancelled flights, from first to worst.  6:00 Lost luggage with our new guided journals.  14:10 Arriving in San Jose and a humorous taxi moment. 16:00 What it’s like to arrive at Río Chirripó and thoughts on choosing a retreat space. 18:00 Attention to detail and how the energy of the space is key for complementing the experience you want attendees to have.  21:00 Logistics of planning a yoga retreat and how we structured our retreat.  24:45 The illusion of the longest day I’ve lived. What makes enjoyable time go slower? 28:40 When Yogui the cat epically and hilariously interrupted yoga Nidra.  31:15 There’s a bat! 33:10 Facing fear, breathwork in the rain and an epic group cold plunge. Plus, the 2 hour class.  38:00 Embracing extreme opposites. 40:10 Tree planting service day.  43:30 The moody and mystical cloud forest.  44:30 Falling into a bush before speaking.  47:30 Shampoo flower and goodnight.  Quotable moments: “I cannot recall another period of time that I’ve enjoyed so much in which I was working so hard simultaneously, and that’s the magic of hosting retreats in my opinion.” -Shawna “Retreats are the perfect moment to experience resistance and say ‘no fear’ and do it anyways. All those moments that you face, that you know are good for you, those are some of my favorite moments of the retreat. I just thought, ‘no fear, just do it,’ and it’s nice to have a community of people around you who are going through the same thing and they’re cheering you on… And it reminds you that when you get back from the retreat, when you’re back in your daily life, you’re going to be thinking about that. ‘No fear.’ I’ve proven to myself that I can do the hard thing, and I know that in the future I can do the hard things.” -Katie

On today's solo episode, we talk about devotion. What is the difference between devotion and worship. Do we all have things that we are truly devoted to? Is devotion always good? Today I tell you how to inspire yourself through devotion, and how it can help you find success and lead to powerful downloads. Plus, I share the story of the first and only time I passed out during a breath hold, and how all of my ideas for my upcoming retreat downloaded into my mind while taking time off in Madeira. Timestamps: 02:34 The dangers of giving your creativity energy to instagram. 04:51 Why I feel like I've just spent an hour with a friend after listening to a podcast. 07:39 Agenda. 10:08 On the joy of working hard. Yoga retreat prep, writing and printing a book, etc. 11:00 Announcement! Our new guided journal releases. 14:49 The difference between devotion and worship: Unity, oneness vs. Separateness. 17:00 What is devotion? 21:28 Devotion and Ashtanga Yoga, experiencing Mysore in Rome and Germany. 25:43 What feels restrictive to our soul and what feels like a routine or a ritual that pushes us to grow or helps us understand life better? 31:05 The 100 foot wave in Nazare, Portugal and the devotion of surfers, an extreme example. 34:18 Almost passing out from a breath hold. 40:12 Devotion brings success. 43:00 Devotion brings (idea) downloads. 47:37 A letter of devotion to my dreams that I wrote in my journal this week. (Personal share.) My favorite quotable moments from this episode: "When you express and you act with that devotion, which getting back to the definition, is acting with loyalty, love and also enthusiasm… When you feel that way about something, someone, some idea, truly, even if you are having the sense that it's not working or you're not making progress, even if you don't consciously move it along, something will move it along for you." "And that is something that I did not experience back like in college, for example, earlier on before I understood that sometimes five minutes of clarity, of truly like getting yourself in a different state of mind, can be worth more than 50 minutes, sometimes more than five hours of having a bad attitude trying to work on something." "Whenever you are feeling unsuccessful, it's not that you're not smart enough, it's not that you're not strong enough or not creative enough, it's that you're not focused enough." "Being devoted is a promise to be faithful to it, to be one with it, not a separate form trying to come in and force it, but an ability to contemplate it, to know it so well that it becomes second nature to you." Message me on instagram: @shawnakru My website:  https://shawnakru.com/