Yin Yoga Podcast

S 2| EP. 16CW: Trauma, sexual assault, addictionIs Yin Yoga Trauma Sensitive?This is a nuanced and complex conversation. I hope that this conversation will give some clarity on what trauma-sensitive Yoga is, and what it's not.And the difference between trauma-sensitive Yoga and trauma-informed Yoga is.This episode will help teachers learn how to make their Yin classes more trauma-informed and have a better understanding of how trauma shows up in Yoga classes.When I started my Yoga therapy training (and met today's guest) I initially had a little crisis of faith when I started realizing that according to the Trauma Center definition, Yin Yoga wasn't trauma-sensitive 😳.I was feeling torn between my LOVE of Yin Yoga and my new path as a Yoga Therapist. Eventually, I managed to find a way to make my Yin Yoga classes Trauma-Informed and my guest Nicole Marcia was largely responsible for me being able to make that transition.If you are a Yoga teacher you are teaching people with trauma whether you know it or not. I hope this episode will help you navigate how to make your classes more trauma-informed and If you are looking for more training on this topic I highly recommend workshops and courses with Nicole Marcia.Nicole Marcia, MA, MC, C-IAYT (she/her) is an Ashkenazi Jew of mixed European descent. In 2009, she was awarded a master’s degree specializing in yoga therapy from Lesley University in Boston, MA. For 9 years, she served as the Director of Therapeutic Yoga Programming for the Provincial Health Services Authority at their Burnaby Centre for Mental Health & Addictions and Riverview Psychiatric Hospital. From 2007-2018, she worked as a yoga therapist at Onsite, the treatment arm of North America’s first safe injection site in Vancouver’s downtown eastside. She also served as the Director of Teacher Training and Mentorship with Yoga Outreach from 2007 - 2023.In addition to training yoga and healthcare professionals internationally,  Nicole has facilitated therapeutic classes for women fleeing situations of human trafficking and worked extensively with teens living with mental health challenges. She is a member of the Breathe Network which connects survivors of sexual violence with healing arts practitioners and has received her BCPFFA Silver Seal of Endorsement for completing Levels 1 & 2 of the BC Professional Fire Fighters Associations Occupational Awareness for Treating First Responder Trauma.Nicole recently completed her Masters in Counselling through City University of Seattle and is seeing clients in her private practice where she combines Yoga therapy and talk therapy.Nicole's WebsiteYoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the PageTo Join my Yin Yoga Classes on ZoomTo subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library:Full Show Notes https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/yin-yoga-podcast/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul GrilleyHang Drum Music by Fred Westra 

S 2| EP. 15CW: Trauma, addiction, domestic abuseWhen I started planning this podcast and the topics I wanted to cover, I knew we had to have an episode on trauma but as it turns out we will have three.This episode with Alyssa Stefanson will be the first in a three-part series on trauma starting first by laying the foundation of what trauma is and an understanding of our nervous system.As soon as I started planning this episode I knew that Alyssa would be the perfect guest to lay this foundation. I have heard her interviewed on a few podcasts and not only does she have a wealth of information and training under her belt, but she's able to explain things in really clear terms to beginners to this information.Alyssa also has one of the most inspiring personal stories of transformation I have ever heard. If you have ever wondered if people can truly change, she is proof that you can.Alyssa is my first none Yoga teacher guest (but is a regular Yin practitioner) and she has a unique set of credentials and lived experience that makes her ideally suited to lay this foundation for us.About Alyssa:Alyssa is a holistic health coach and somatic practitioner, dedicated to supporting individuals on their journey towards physical and emotional healing.With a deep understanding of nervous, system-based mind, and body connection, Alyssa helps tap into the wisdom held within their bodies to release tension trauma, and stuck energy through various somatic techniques, including breathwork, somatic parts work, movement, and body awareness.Alyssa empowers her clients to reconnect with their inner resources, fostering a sense of wholeness and resilience.Alyssa is a certified holistic health coach, certified somatic breathwork practitioner, certified somatic parts, work practitioner, certified in somatic attachment therapy.So that's a little bit about Alyssa you might want to get out pen and paper for this episode on Trauma 101, The Nervous System, and Yin Yoga.Find Alyssa https://www.instagram.com/thealyssastefanson/Yoga Teachers: https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/ at the bottom and top of the PageTo Join my Yin Yoga Classes On Zoom https://nykdanu.com/students/yoga/online-yoga/To subscribe to my https://nykdanu.com/students/yoga/video-library/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley : https://pranamaya.com/courses/anatomy-for-yoga/?ref=20 Hang Drum Music by Fred Westra 

S 2| EP. 14I wanted to talk about today's topic, because not only do I see it come up in my classes with my students, I see it come up with teachers that I've taught in my teacher training. But also, in the yogaverse in general on Facebook groups, etc. But I also think it's sort of rampant in our world in general. So today's topic is: Are You Practicing/Teaching Yin Yoga with your Yang attitude? Now, if Yin and Yang are new concepts to you. I did a whole episode on that which I'll link so that you can listen to this in more depth. (link below)But I want to just go over a little bit about Yin Yang as far as how it relates to Yoga and just kind of to our world.And how we, as teachers can notice when we are teaching our Yin Yoga with a Yang attitude, and then also notice it in our students. And what do we even do about that? Discussing all of these things in theory isn't super helpful. If we don't have a solution or a plan of what we can do to change that.Also mentioned In this Episode: https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-podcast/yin-yoga-podcast-what-is-yinyang/Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the PageTo Join my Yin Yoga Classes on ZoomTo subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library:Full Show Notes https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/yin-yoga-podcast/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul GrilleyHang Drum Music by Fred Westra 

S 2| EP. 13What we are talking about in this episode is what in Yin Yoga is known as the Rebound.Due to Yin Yoga’s ability to affect the fascia of the body, coming out of a Yin shape can be quite a different feeling than a more active movement.based practice. Therefore, the urge to moan and groan, to move slowly and mindfully, is normal and, in fact, a good sign.Some teachers tend to skip over the rest between Yin Shapes when they teach Yin. Or they coach movement in between poses or another pose in between yin shapes.Which—in my opinion—is a mistake for a few reasons.The rests in a Yin practice are where Yin yoga’s quiet superpowers become the most apparent (effects on the fascia). When we move too quickly from one pose to the next, we can miss the feeling of the resonance of the Yin shapes.Also, culturally in our daily lives, we are always rushing from one thing to the next, so taking the time to notice and honour the space between no longer and not yet, and the effect that slowing down has on the nervous system, is amuch-needed gift.As Yoga teachers, allowing time and Space for the rebound is an important part of holding Brave Space for our students.Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the PageTo Join my Yin Yoga Classes on ZoomTo subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library:Full Show Notes https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/yin-yoga-podcast/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul GrilleyHang Drum Music by Fred Westra 

S 2| EP. 12Is Yin Yoga 'safe' for Moms to be? Or what about Moms who have recently had babies? What do Yoga teachers need to know about Pre/Postnatal and Yin Yoga?I'm excited about today's guest. I'm stoked about it, not only for the subject matter but because Clare is an expert in her field. But also selfishly because our guest is a fellow Canadian and a fellow, Albertan.So my guest today is Claire Newman. and Claire is, if I must, I would say prenatal postnatal fertility. An expert in getting pregnant, being pregnant, post-pregnancy, and then also teaching little babes. So she's got a wealth of information.Allow Me To Introduce Our Guest:Claire Newman is the founder of Mamata Yoga, a mother of 3 with over 23 years of experience. Claire's journey into the birthing world began after the completion of her first certification program in 2005,After assisting in a prenatal Yoga class. she was overwhelmed with the raw beauty while witnessing the connection between mother and baby, during a set of inspirational breathing and guided meditation at the end of class she knew she wanted to be a part of this extraordinary and blessed gift with expectant mothers in preparation for her own journey into motherhood (one day).She wanted students to be confident in her ability to teach Yoga Asana but needed the knowledge to help create a calming and nurturing environment for expectant mothers as she didn't have any children of her own at the time.So she enrolled in a program with the Global Birthing Institute in 2005 to prepare for another journey as a doula. Then she volunteered with the Terra Association and assisted in helping teens prepare for labour, delivery, and motherhood.She continued to teach several weekly prenatal Yoga classes in Edmonton and surrounding cities. and she served with much gratitude as a doula for many local couples.Retirement as a Doula called early when she discovered she was pregnant with her son, and decided to dedicate her focus to her teachings of Yoga. After the birth of her son. In 2008 she returned to teaching Yoga and became passionate about uniting mother,  and baby through the use of traditional Yoga practices like Pranayama breath meditation, mantra and healing sounds while incorporating mindfulness techniques that she learned as a Doula.So she created Mamata Yoga in 2011. After discovering that she was pregnant with her daughter. Clare decided to create a prenatal teacher training to help create a solid unification of current Yoga teachers and professionals who are interested in assisting women and birth through pregnancy, preparation for labour and birth, and inspiring healthy postpartum recovery.Clare is a Yoga practitioner with over 20 years of experience. She studied Iyengar Yoga intensely for over 4 years and attended teacher training at the Yoga College of Alberta in 2005 (which is the program that I also took)  and is an experienced Yoga teacher, a children's Yoga teacher, and a prenatal Yoga teacher. She's now been a full-time Yoga teacher for over 17 years, with over 24,000 teaching hours, and she's assisted and led 200-hour trainings since 2007.  She's also honoured to be the program director of the 200-hour online embodied soul Yoga Teacher training program.So that's just a little bit about my guest. Claire Newman. I'm going to see how off the mark I am with my knowledge of prenatal and postpartum and when it comes to mama's, see if I've got some misconceptions myself. I hope you enjoy this interview with Clare on Pre/Postnatal And Yin Yoga.Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the PageTo Join my Yin Yoga Classes on ZoomTo subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library:Full Show Notes https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/yin-yoga-podcast/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul GrilleyHang Drum Music by Fred Westra 

S 2| EP. 11How Do We Hold Brave Space? I think first, it's important to explain what I mean by Brave Space.We often hear about creating a 'safe space' or hear Yoga teachers say that their classes are a 'safe space'.But I would much rather create a Brave Space. Unlike a safe space, brave spaces are designed to handle risk and discomfort. The people within them might be dealing with discomfort there may be a moment when someone feels challenged, uncomfortable or emotional. In a Brave Space, the teacher can hold space for whatever may arise in the Yin Yoga Practice, without feeling like they need to fix it or 'make everyone comfortable' (which is impossible anyway).I believe when we can hold Brave Space for our students it allows them to experience the healing powers of a Yin Yoga practice.When I was thinking about this episode I knew the perfect Guest for this conversation would be Grace Tempany!Grace is not afraid to dive deep, and swim in the shadows. She's a truth-teller, critical thinker, teacher trainer and Brave Space Holder. About Grace: Grace Tempany is a former high school teacher turned Yin and functional Yoga teacher and trainer. She is the founder of I S F Y T the integrated school of functional yoga teachers, a leading Yoga Alliance professional and a Y A C E P Yoga Alliance school renowned for its original contribution rooted in educational expertise and lived experience.With a postgraduate diploma in education, over a decade of Yoga teaching in various realms, and some 3000 hours of yoga teacher training behind her, Grace has studied with some of the most renowned teachers in their fields. A student and assistant of My son, Sidboe, hopefully, I pronounced that right, who is herself an Australian-based assistant to Paul Grilley.Grace's foundation in YIN has been deeply functional since her introduction in 2015. That same year, Grace trained with Sarah Powers, integrating the best of both approaches to the practice, and then continually going deeper with further training and her own research. Grace has made Of Yin, a transmission in her life's work, emphasizing the integration of mind, body, and soul in her teaching and her practice.Grace's teaching really is experienced as true Yin therapy. Currently, in psychotherapy training, Grace's dissertation research is investigating the potential role functional Yin can play in the treatment of trauma. And when she's not talking about Yin, yes, it does happen or getting geared up for another training.Grace can be found planning trips, reading, or finding yet another rabbit hole to get lost in writing and speaking our passions. And she's super eager to return to her podcast, which is awesome, by the way, it's very brave and very soulful. I have listened to that. It's called Fallen from Grace.You can find Grace here: Website: https://isfyt.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/isfyt_yoga/Podcast: https://isfyt.com/podcastAlso mentioned in this episode: Yin Yoga and Emotions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2f6cYiRFhMYin Yoga is Not Chinese Medicine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLnX-n2N7ow&t=22s https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/Yoga Teachers: https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/ at both the bottom and top of the PageTo Join my Yin Yoga Classes On Zoom https://nykdanu.com/students/yoga/online-yoga/To subscribe to my https://nykdanu.com/students/yoga/video-library/Full Show Notes: https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/yin-yoga-podcast/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley : https://pranamaya.com/courses/anatomy-for-yoga/?ref=20

S 2| EP. 10Hypermobility and Yin Yoga: What You Need to Know Hypermobility is a word that is unskillfully tossed around the Yoga-verse like confetti. Teachers labelling their students as Hypermobile with a good understanding of what Hypermobility actually is.Hypermobility is a term often used when a person’s joints appear to have more range of motion than “average” and is sometimes referred to as being “double-jointed.” Some people who appear to have “hyper-mobile joints” to the untrained eye may actually have a normal range of motion for their individual skeletal structure, and there is no harm in that person mindfully exploring the range of motion in their joints. As Yoga professionals, we need to be very careful about tossing the word around casually because Hypermobility is an actual medical condition, one that as Yoga Teachers we are not qualified to diagnose.Regardless of the style of Yoga, as Yoga teachers, I hope our intention is to encourage our students to practice within a pain-free range of motion. So if a student is experiencing pain due to a previous injury, we should encourage them to seek out a different pose or the use of props to support their practice. In some cases, the pain could be a joint hyper-mobility syndrome like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but we can't tell by looking at them, and as Yoga professionals, we need to stay within our scope of practice and not attempt to diagnose people Because of Yin Yoga's relationship to Fasica and Connective tissue, it often gets a bad rap when it comes to hypermobile folks.Yin Yoga is not likely the best choice for those who have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome but does that mean that those people can't practice Yin Yoga?Well as the case often is in Yin circles the answer is It depends. Meet My Guest Expert for Today's Episode: Libby Hinsley is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Certified Yoga Therapist specializing in the treatment of hypermobility syndromes and yoga-related injuries.She has taught yoga since 2005 and has trained yoga teachers since 2010. Her teaching and practice have been most influenced by the lineage of TKV Desikachar.Her book — Yoga for Bendy People: Optimizing the Benefits of Yoga for Hypermobility — explores how people with joint hypermobility syndromes can use the tools of yoga to support their thriving.As a person living with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, she is committed to raising awareness about hypermobility syndromes in the yoga community and beyond. Libby is also the founder of Anatomy Bites, a monthly membership for yoga teachers who want to learn anatomy in a fun, supportive, and relevant way.You can find Libby Here:WebsiteInstagram Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the PageTo Join my Yin Yoga Classes on ZoomTo subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library:Full Show Notes https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/yin-yoga-podcast/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul GrilleyHang Drum Music by Fred Westra 

Today's episode is highly requested.So today's topic is Sequencing Yin Yoga First, I want to mention that these are just my opinions. I will say that my framework for sequencing comes from a few different places.1) My original teacher training was in the Iyengar Yoga tradition, which does have some different sequencing rules than those of you who were trained in the Vinyasa Ashtanga system. I will dive into that more coming up.2) the other thing to note is that when I'm talking about sequencing in Yin, I'm talking about it from a therapeutic lens, because I'm a yoga therapist, so I cannot see the world through any other glasses other than therapeutic. And so there might be some things that I say that you hadn't considered because that's sort of the lens that I am seeing this through. 3) also when I'm sequencing in yin, I'm also thinking a lot about the fascia. and how it's going to respond as opposed to the muscles.Ok, Let's dive in.Also mentioned in this episode:https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-podcast/yin-yoga-podcast-what-is-yinyang/ https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-podcast/yin-yoga-is-not-chinese-medicine-with-dr-karina-smith/Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the PageTo Join my Yin Yoga Classes on ZoomTo subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library:Full Show Notes https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/yin-yoga-podcast/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul GrilleyHang Drum Music by Fred Westra 

S 2| EP. 8In this episode, I'll discuss whether or not you should theme your Yin Yoga classes.I think that sometimes when you graduate from your teacher training program,, you feel like there are these gaps in your knowledge and then you look around and you see all these fancy classes that people are doing with themes and all this extra stuff, it can feel like a lot of pressure.So, let's talk about that. Let's talk about do we need to theme a class, yes? No? Maybe so?What are the advantages and disadvantages of having themed classes? Is it worth the work? And how would you even decide what themes to use?Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the PageTo Join my Yin Yoga Classes on ZoomTo subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library:Full Show Notes https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/yin-yoga-podcast/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul GrilleyHang Drum Music by Fred Westra 

S 2| EP. 7When we're a teacher who has moved from a movement form of yoga into a quieter form of yoga. There can be this awkward feeling about all the silence. There can be discomfort with not talking as much and allowing space for quiet exploration. Sometimes this comes just from it being a habit from having taught a more movement form of Yoga.And so as teachers, we can think that we want to talk, all the time in class in these quieter classes like Yin because we feel like we have to make everyone comfortable.And we feel like we need to fill the silence. We try to come up with a boatload of inspiring quotes or full-on Dharma talks so that there isn't silence in the practice. And I'm going to argue that when you do that, you are stealing from your students. You are stealing this experience of growth and healing that comes from the silence. On the other side of that discomfort is where the growth and the healing is. That is where the evolution is. It's on the other side of our comfort zone. Other episodes mentioned In this episode:Emotions in Yin YogaThe Mind In Yin YogaShould You Use Music In Your Yin Yoga Classes? Yoga Teachers: Join The Waitlist for my Therapeutic Yin Yoga Training at the bottom and top of the PageTo Join my Yin Yoga Classes on ZoomTo subscribe to my On-Demand Video Library:Full Show Notes https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yin-yoga-teacher-training/yin-yoga-podcast/Anatomy for Yoga with Paul GrilleyHang Drum Music by Fred Westra