Yoga Teacher Resource Podcast

Johanna is a new yoga teacher who struggles to lead her yoga class without physically practicing along with her students. Mado helps her unpack why she wants to develop this skill and provides simple strategies to build her ability to cue without practicing along with the class. Along the way, they explore internal vs external motivation and learning to trust your inner voice.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 02:17 Johanna's journey to becoming a yoga teacher 06:25 Why Johanna struggles to teach without practicing along 07:42 The conflict between internal and external motivation 12:22 How people pleasing harms and holds us back as yoga teachers 22:11 The paradox of being a beginner teacher 22:51 Why it’s important to embrace slow and steady growth 23:36 The danger of comparing yourself to people who are further along the path 25:56 What your students really want from you as a teacher 27:56 Helping your students vs pleasing them 28:19 The benefits of cueing without demonstrating 36:28 Comparison between yoga and fitness classes 38:10 Meeting your students where they are 39:11 Baby steps to develop your ability to cue without practicing 41:00 How & why to let your students peek behind the curtain   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Learn more about the Impact Club Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

Transitioning from in-person classes to online can shake up every aspect of your teaching. When Lily Dwyer Begg dove headfirst into this process, she found greater clarity in her voice and a blossoming creative potential in her teaching. In this episode, Lily shares advice for the art of teaching yoga online including demonstration, verbal cues, class planning, and how to substitute direct touch. She also reveals some of the challenges and opportunities that arose when she stopped teaching at studios and started running her own platform.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 00:00 Introduction 00:53 A comparison between teaching in person and online 08:35 The unexpected benefits of teaching online 10:29 The benefits of livestream classes (vs on-demand) 18:11 The business of teaching online 22:31 Things that don’t work well in online classes 29:37 Why it’s best to start with a single class vs a full schedule 31:24 The types of classes that tend to do well online 33:18 Different approaches to demonstrating in online classes 35:28 The art of verbal cueing and how to improve your cues 41:20 The role of touch in yoga and how to substitute touch online 49:15 Lily’s class planning process 54:35 Why the limits of teaching online are also the benefits   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Lily Dwyer Begg Yoga Follow Lily on Instagram @lilydwyernbegg   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Learn more about the Impact Club Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

Learn the nuts and bolts of setting up an online yoga studio. Despite describing herself as a 'Luddite', Lily started teaching online when in-person classes shut down during COVID. She found that online teaching allowed her to teach fewer classes, increase her income, and boost her creativity. In this episode, she shares practical advice on optimizing audio and visual quality, choosing clothing for online classes, and using editing tools to refine recorded classes.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 00:00 Introduction to online teaching 01:02 How Lily transitioned to teaching online during COVID 03:19 How to adapt your teaching style for online classes 08:30 The business side of teaching online 11:13 How to set up for high-quality online classes 21:23 Why clothing matters when teaching online 25:14 Interactive vs passive teaching platforms 25:23 Audio setup for live streaming 27:36 The benefits of a multi-camera setup 32:26 How to get quality video with your phone. 40:34 Why you should tag your videos and add thumbnails 41:23 How to keep your editing simple 45:38 Unexpected gifts from online teaching   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Lily Dwyer Begg Yoga Follow Lily on Instagram @lilydwyernbegg Get a list of all the tech that Lily mentions in this episode   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Learn more about the Impact Club Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

Ever been told that hypermobile people shouldn’t practice yoga? Yoga is not bad for bendy people, but there are different considerations for people with hypermobile joints. Dr. Libby Hinsley, author of Yoga for Bendy People joins us to debunk some myths and talk about the ways that yoga is amazing for bendy people.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:  Hypermobility basics - what does it actually mean to be bendy? Unique needs for bendy people in Asana practice Alternatives to passive stretching that work better for bendy people What yoga practice injuries are telling us Libby’s new book, Yoga for Bendy People   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Libby Hinsley Anatomy Bites Follow Libby on Instagram @libbyhinsleypt   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Learn more about the Impact Club Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

Have you heard of “nocebic” language? Learn the way our brains react to expectations, why it’s important to notice fear based language and how to transform your words to empower your students.   Episode Highlights:  How to help your students feel confident and inspired to be in charge of their bodies The importance of looking for what’s right instead of what’s wrong Scope of practice and boundaries in the yoga class setting Psychological and physiological power of messaging in yoga What you can do to nip fear based language in the bud How learning anatomy helps yoga teachers evaluate their cues and language   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Libby Hinsley Anatomy Bites Follow Libby on Instagram @libbyhinsleypt   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Learn more about the Impact Club Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

Learn how to incorporate self-massage into your own yoga practice and your yoga classes to build awareness, familiarize yourself with sensation and guide your nervous system toward relaxation.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:  What you need to know before bringing self-massage into your classes Sequencing and how to teach a class or workshop with therapy balls  Risks, cautions and contraindications associated with self-massage The difference between intensity and pain Self-massage as a tool to learn anatomy   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Libby Hinsley Anatomy Bites Follow Libby on Instagram @libbyhinsleypt   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Learn more about the Impact Club Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

Mado and Dr. Libby Hinsley, physical therapist and yoga therapist, address questions for yoga teachers who are curious about anatomy and biomechanics and how they apply to specific poses.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:  The best approach for learning anatomy How to craft a class that is helpful for the variety of bodies that might show up The benefits and purposes of dynamic vs static poses Different perspectives on symmetry in sequencing. Should we always keep the shoulder blades squeezing in and down?  Some thoughts on where common yoga cues originated and why upgrading our cues might be an act of liberation.   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Libby Hinsley Anatomy Bites Follow Libby on Instagram @libbyhinsleypt   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Learn more about the Impact Club Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

Collaborating with other yoga teachers can be inspiring and fun - but it can also be a big disaster. Get a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a collaboration successful, when you should partner with someone on a project, and how to choose the right person to collaborate with.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:  A discussion of imposter syndrome, comparison, and motivations behind partnerships  When and why choosing to collaborate on a project is a good idea Finding the right person to collaborate with  How partnerships help facilitate productivity and growth in your business  What makes partnerships successful   Benefits of collaborating on digital/online projects specifically   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Libby Hinsley Anatomy Bites Follow Libby on Instagram @libbyhinsleypt   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Learn more about the Impact Club Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

Dr. Libby Hinsley returns to the podcast to talk about joint hypermobility, how yoga affects bendy people differently from people with a more average range of motion, and how to best support those with hypermobile bodies in your yoga classes.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Hallmarks of hypermobility  Patterns in injured yogis and yoga teachers  Things to pay attention to if you have a larger than normal range of motion at your joints How yoga can be useful to hypermobile people What interoception is and how it relates to hypermobility Elements of supportive yoga practice for hypermobility The game-changing benefits of self-massage  What yoga teachers need to know about hypermobility    EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Libby Hinsley Anatomy Bites Follow Libby on Instagram @libbyhinsleypt Downloadable cheat sheet for this episode   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Learn more about the Impact Club Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

Dr. Libby Hinsley, a physical therapy and anatomy expert, discusses the significance of the psoas muscle in yoga practice, emphasizing its role in posture, stability, and movement patterns. Topics include releasing muscle tension, benefits of locust and bridge poses, effective cueing for yoga teachers, and the importance of optimizing psoas length before strengthening to avoid issues.