Leadership and Yoga

If you ever feel like you have something inside of you that you want to share with the world but you can’t quite find the right words to say it, or make it make sense, this episode is for you. Join me for a dose of inspiration to simplify and refine your mission and how to put your message into words. You will leave feeling fired up and energized to work on your projects whether you are an entrepreneur, artist, writer, podcaster, yoga teacher or all of the above. I give you two tangible steps you can take today to gain clarity around your message.Mailing list:https://www.shawnakru.com/ Follow me on instagram:@shawnkruGet my guided journal for $33 with code POD33 https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/ Come on my Costa Rica yoga retreat in January 2026:https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat iOS template I mentioned:https://sneaky-arch-e32.notion.site/iOS-template-copy-create-your-own-0ffa39cfc37d800097d3d7cdafa9e02b?pvs=143 Time stamps:00:00 intro02:45 simplifying your art04:50 why am i here?06:00 tell the real story09:00 taking an inspiration bath and soak it in12:48 the words that set us free13:50 being a ghost in your own life15:55 how messages actually get into your mind17:50 lunchroom table analogy20:40 tension of not putting it in words25:30 journal prompt one: when mission has made magic appear31:50 white lotus irl 35:30 how to put power behind your mission37:30 journal prompt 2: tool for simplifying your mission

Listen if you liked books like the Creative Act by Rick Rubin. Or the War of Art by Steven Pressfield. This is like a haunted house journey through the creative soul. Maybe this is my Pink Floyd the Wall.  A 12-part experience, Influences include: Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Cameron Rosin on being bloated and full of other people’s words. Sofia Isella’s Everybody Supports Women. Rick Rubin. Richard Rudd. Josh Schrei. And dozens of teachers and mentors whose words have slipped into my soul. Mailing list:https://www.shawnakru.com/ Follow me on instagram:@shawnkruGet my guided journal for $33 with code POD33 https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/ Come on my Costa Rica yoga retreat in January 2026:https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat time stamps:00:00 intro03:30 the world creators are not just creating content04:45 part 1: a hint of light07:20 part 2: into the dark 10:30 part 3: the hunger14:00 part 4: the sickness 16:30 part 5: the anger19:30 part 6: the wandering20:30 part 7: the noise21:30 part 8: the feast24:30 part 9: the crash26:30 part 10: something to poke at30:00 part 11: the building of the pigs34:00 part 12: welcome to the garden

It’s time!! The money episode is here. Today we explore the emotional and energetic roots of money and why we experience financial fear, and how survival instincts, inherited beliefs, and subconscious patterns shape the way we relate to money. Let’s talk stories of unexpected abundance, purpose-driven income, and giving as a spiritual act, along with reflections on how to shift from scarcity to expansion by getting clear on what we’re truly seeking through wealth.Mailing list:https://www.shawnakru.com/ Follow me on instagram:@shawnkruGet my guided journal for $33 with code POD33 https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/ Come on my Costa Rica yoga retreat in January 2026:https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat timestamps: 00:00 intro02:00 the nature of money05:30 your outlook is the real abundance08:00 making money by mistake09:00 being someone else’s manifestation10:45 my 90 day fiance financial miracle14:30 Simón’s story of hitting rock bottom16:15 having nothing, and nothing to fall back on20:10 abundance is not turning a blind eye or pretending21:30 you are an infinite being playing a game of lack27:00 what you appreciate, appreciates29:40 money is the ways we least expect31:30 expansion vs contraction37:00 if money doesn’t feel like enough to be generous now, it never will38:30 money is an amplifier 42:30 what would you do with more money45:30 you are seeking your own approval50:00 magnetizing money happens when…51:30 how to see the abundance & be a match for money53:22 how the seed of new money beliefs grows55:25 trust

An interview with my fav yoga duo, Ness and Rama! In this episode, Ness Baker and Daniel Rama de France share what it’s really like to teach, create, and live together in Ko Samui. From their first impressions to their different teaching voices, creative habits, and morning routines, they offer an honest look behind the scenes. They talk fate vs. free will, leadership, and how yoga shows up in everyday life — even lizard sightings and ocean "greenlights."IF YOU ENJOY THIS INTERVIEW WITH NESS & RAMA, PLEASE DROP ME A RATING & SUBSCRIBE. thank you! <3 Greenlights from their balcony mentioned in the show!Websites, retreats & online studio:https://www.nessbaker.com/ https://nessbakerapp.com/https://www.danielrama.com/ https://www.becomingbalance.studio/ Find them on instagram:@danielrama_ and @_inversionessTime stamps:00:00 intro02:22 call for support 04:00 same hometown, but met internationally05:30 first impressions of eachother 07:15 Rama’s different voices & our teaching hats09:00 teaching together dynamics & students don’t usually know this…11:30 how it feels on the island for Ness: settling into the dream13:15 lizards & spiders & more14:30 Rama’s life travels: from a tent in the bahamas to here16:10 Rama’s journey to teaching yoga & his teaching philosophy 19:30 fate vs freewill, how do we create our reality?21:00 greenlights tattoo & greenlights on the ocean 22:30 creating content together, who is the organized one? 26:00 creative process differences 28:17 morning routine 30:00 classic yoga turning into ordinary things32:00 advice for people who want to be where they are35:00 qualities of an exceptional leader38:35 billboard message from Ness & Rama

Stillness is a return to power, a pause that grinds the grains of life into real wisdom, and that alone has brought in more joy, clarity, and aligned opportunity than all the forcing ever could. Inspired by my favorite story that Richard Rudd wrote in the Gene Keys.What happens when we actually experience silence, surrender, and deep rest? This episode is burnout recovery, and a reminder that staying in touch with the magic of life through pausing is not a luxury, it is fundamental, and without it, nothing you do can bring you peace. Shift from chasing stimulation to savoring simplicity. Mailing list:https://www.shawnakru.com/ Follow me on instagram:@shawnkruGet my guided journal for $33 with code POD33 https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/ Join my Costa Rica yoga retreat January 25-29, 2026:https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat 00:00 intro2:00 free yourself from friday FOMO3:17 the terrible table4:45 the truth of our old apartment6:00 100 days meditating9:50 I sponsor my own show :) 14:38 part 1: stillness brings you wisdom that resolves the problems you cannot solve15:30 gene keys opening story: the turtle20:16 life is a set of solving problems25:45 don’t meditate to relax, meditate to feel27:00 being decisive28:15 part 2: stillness is what makes you feel worthy, not doing more32:50 first, we must be, then we can do, and eventually have34:14: part 3: stillness makes your power surge back to you37:00 the process: a tool from busting loose from the money game41:50 stillness has no limits, it’s our infinite nature44:00 it is our duty to tap into our power45:00 will it work? to practice stillness?46:40 recap

In this episode, 7 Keys for Teaching Yoga That Changes Lives, I share the heart of what it really means to teach yoga as art, service, and courageous self-expression. I talk about what it takes to step out on the limb creatively, hold the energy of the room with invisible impact, and stop judging yourself through the eyes of others. We explore how to set clear expectations, create soulful structure, and bring confidence that students can feel before you even begin. I share Gene Key 26 with you and the transformation of pride into artfulness, and how our classes become sacred offerings—not performances. Whether you’re blasting music or teaching in silence, giving detailed cues or letting simplicity lead, every class is a living canvas. The challenge is to know your palette so deeply that you can improvise in real time and truly see your students. Tune in for an honest, edgy, and heartfelt breakdown of how we can teach yoga that leaves a lasting, unseen imprint on people’s lives.Mailing list:https://www.shawnakru.com/ Follow me on instagram:@shawnkruGet my guided journal for $33 with code POD33 https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/ Come on my Costa Rica yoga retreat in January 2026:https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat Time stamps:00:00 Intro03:00 sweet simplicity retreat & poem08:00 teach a sensational class10:15 put pressure on yourself: dealing w/ disappointment13:50 painting analogy17:05 less pride while teaching, more invisibility: gene keys on teaching23:15 in the giving there is glory24:15 judging yourself through the eyes of students, stop that!32:30 don’t “do your time,” do the work instead35:00 don’t create a class that’s a reaction to training37:20 see the students, really!39:50 confidence43:40 tips for before class47:45 it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it49:00 cueing52:00 master the experience you want students to have55:40 when you make a mistake

short and sweet! how to build the passion & fire to create back. if you’re feeling blocked, burned out, or just stuck in your head, this one’s for you. this is creativity on the next level: change your beliefs about your ability to create and hear some stories along the way. thanks for being here. :)Mailing list:https://www.shawnakru.com/ Follow me on instagram:@shawnkruGet my guided journal for $33 with code POD33 https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/ Come on my Costa Rica yoga retreat in January 2026:https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat The interview I mentioned that I was in with Marine:https://open.spotify.com/episode/60HIc5vI3Ud6PhmslDDMQC?si=tB0_BebeSF2_E334eMgn6g Stress episode add.Time stamps:00:00 intro02:05 recording during a thunderstorm05:00 brain overheating: water up, fire down08:00 poopy day, literally10:10 when you feel creatively blocked or down in the dumps11:30 how to build the passion & fire to create back13:00 forgive yourself. bleach on shirt story16:00 feeling like you can’t move on18:00 it is risky to surrender halfway 19:20 quantum physics take: holographic universe??21:10 how to change beliefs: judgements 23:33 flood story: second surrender25:30 victim mindset stole my power to create29:35 schedule intentional boredom & solitude33:30 haters hate on my pod on reddit

Leadership and Yoga fam, this is an immersive episode brought to life with music and sound effects rather than the usual video, and it is a special one because it includes words from listeners in our community. This episode will start with the discussion of the feeling of magic, and then turn to how yoga is the basis of all this magic. Today I am here to remind you of all that is beautiful about the yoga lifestyle, the devotion to ritual and the energy that yogic practices and ideas can bring us. And if you have never practiced yoga, this is to give you the feeling, or the mood. And once you catch the mood, you might find that you have the energy to start yoga, afterall. Maybe you will have the spark to restart, to refocus, to redesign, to retry something as a result of this episode. Mailing list:https://www.shawnakru.com/ Follow me on instagram:@shawnkruGet my guided journal for $33 with code POD33 https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/ Come on my Costa Rica yoga retreat in January 2026:https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat Thank you to specific influence in concepts from: Troy Lucero, David Swenson, Marie Belle PR, Manuel Oria, Ki McGraw, Richard Rudd, Joshua Schrei Thank you for listener contributions by: Olivia Ottolino, Amanda Wright,Jael Chiari, Maddie LaRochelle, Molly SimpsonTime stamps:00:00 Intro03:04 Magic shop07:00 Magic is10:38 Yoga is12:55 Yoga magic tricks & traditions16:12 Devotion to yoga17:20 Starting a yoga practice19:00 Liberation through yoga24:00 How to change27:30 Samadhi and flow state31:00 Taoist energy principles33:13 If you can spot the light, you’ve got the light36:45 Who yoga is for38:15 The essence of yoga & of you

Not everything is yoga, but yoga is in everything. This episode is exactly as the title says, a little bit of nonsense that I found meaningful enough to share. Listen if you want the tea on why I am in Italy and something that made me smile recently. Thanks for being here. :) Join my retreat: Sweet Simplicity, January 2026https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat Get a copy of my guided journal for $33 with code POD33https://tangerine-burgundy-8cw9.squarespace.com/config/commerce/discounts 

This episode is for you if you frequently feel on the threshold of breaking through into the “I’m so stressed” panic, or giving up, or rushing around like something is the end of the world when you kinda know that it’s actually not. Welcome to my most straightforward, real talk on stress. This is not about how to eliminate stress from your body but actually why we need it, and how to raise your threshold for dealing with it. I give you all of the practices I have been doing for the last year and let you in on what I’ve discovered regarding how letting yourself recover fully is absolutely essential in order to experience the gift of strength that stress gives you. Stress is the mind and body’s way of reacting to what it believes it can’t handle. The good news? That belief can change. What you are actually capable of handling, can also change.Join my retreat: Sweet Simplicity, January 2026https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat Get a copy of my guided journal for $33 with code POD33https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/ My stress-relief youtube class collection:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1n0YzhY8I7X-ynzDhU0PTE40LrOf43IV Time stamps:00:00 intro02:40 the emotional hangover of responding poorly to stress8:20 a new definition of stress11:20 something you believe you cannot handle14:20 if you are not disturbed, you will not change16:00 every system in the bottom needs stress: until threshold18:30 raise your threshold for dealing with stress19:30 breath: tangible tips23:15 guided practice: coherent breath25:25 the pause gives us back time, it doesn’t take it26:27 the gut: 1/3 of our blood supply 29:10 95% of serotonin is made in the gut31:20 a new story of stress to tell yourself: the bear & the frog37:00 the real stress journey38:00 frog in boiling water analogy 43:00 don’t look at the peak, look at your feet45:45 we make it so complex that we never begin47:30 is this anything?49:40 it’s the journey of the bear, not walking into walmart50:41 an impossible ask.