Yoga Teacher Resource Podcast

Yoga teachers are often asked to teach for free in the name of Karma Yoga. However, when this term is divorced from the context of yoga philosophy, it can be exploited and misused. In this episode, Mado explores the practice of Karma Yoga and some of the less obvious implications behind the decision of whether or not to teach for free.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: How the term Karma Yoga is commonly misused and a more accurate explanation of what it means.  How Karma Yoga fits into the framework of the Purusharthas or the four aims of life. Three approaches to teaching yoga and how they relate to the Purusharthas. Pros and cons of each approach and how to choose which is best for you based on your circumstances. How teaching for free might help others or harm others - and ways to mitigate potential harm.   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

Want to promote body autonomy in your classes but aren’t sure what that looks like? Featuring Dr. Libby Hinsley, this episode covers ways that yoga teachers may be unintentionally hindering body autonomy for their students and strategies for making your classes a self-empowering space for your students.    EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Why body autonomy is essential for yoga practice - and a revolutionary act that will help change the world for the better. How yoga teachers might accidentally interfere with body autonomy. Authority and power differential dynamics in yoga classes. Why hands-on assists should be approached with extreme caution - and alternative teaching methods that achieve the same goal. Inquiries to help you develop your own approach to body autonomy. The interplay between autonomy and perfectionism. The types of cues that are best for encouraging body autonomy (and what cues should be used more sparingly). How silence supports body autonomy. Why self-compassion is key for your growth as a teacher.   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

Social media can be a great tool but it can also be a detriment to mental health. In this on-air coaching call, Kathy, a kid’s yoga teacher trainer shares her strategy for bypassing social media to reach her customers more directly.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: How to balance the benefits and the drawbacks of technology Old-school marketing strategies How & why to survey your students Offering more to existing students vs finding new students Why it’s important to think through the customer journey for your students How to create a membership from work you’ve already created Ways to build a membership without needing to promote all the time How to reduce time spent on customer service How much notice to provide when changing up your services   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Kathy Aruna Humphrys’ websites: Young Yoga Masters & Ambassador Yoga Zoom WordPress If you'd like to be featured in an on-air coaching call, email your topic idea to mado@teachingyoga.net.   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 to bridge the gap between your social media following and your email subscribers with Mado in this on-air coaching call. Christy is a yoga teacher who teaches inclusive yoga for bigger bodies. She’s found an audience for her message on Instagram but isn’t sure how to translate that following into email subscribers and course sales.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Why Christy hated yoga the first time she tried it … and what convinced her to give it another shot. How to transition social media followers into email subscribers Ways to repurpose content you’ve already created for your emails Tips for using email to launch courses, events and workshops   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: ConvertKit Creator Marketing Platform  Follow Christy Calahan on Instagram @chubbylotusyoga   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

What do you (actually) need to invest in when you start a yoga business? Business owners are the target of a seemingly endless number of services trying to convince you that their product is essential for your success. In this episode, Mado helps you figure out what’s essential and what can wait.    EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Mistakes to avoid when investing in the early stages of your business The hidden downsides to free services What is entity formation and when should you do it? Why it’s crucial to create separation between business assets and personal assets and the inexpensive services that make it easy When to invest in a website and how to get started Three pieces of tech you need in order to send marketing emails The type of support that is worth the investment at different stages of your business   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Asana Business Management Tool Previous YTR episodes on Email Marketing: Episode 16 & Episode 67  Which email marketing platforms have the best deliverability rates  Canva (sign up through this affiliate link to support the podcast at no cost to you)  Previous YTR episodes on Websites: Episode 5, Episode 220, Episode 221, Episode 222 & Episode 223  Learn more about the Impact Club  Previous YTR episode: Is Coaching Worth it for a New Yoga Teacher? Yoga Teacher Resource - Recommended Resources   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

Learn how to bring more peer support into your life. Sheri, John, and Allison are a group of yoga teachers that found each other online and have been supporting each other since the height of the pandemic. Mado also shares how she taps into peer support and what to look for when starting your own collaborations.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Why peer to peer support is so important, yet often overlooked Different ways to tap into peer support How to start and run a peer support group Best practices for collaborating with peers What to look for in your collaborative partners Potential pitfalls to avoid when engaging in a collaborative project   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Impact Club Root to Rise Yoga Teacher Method - Sheri Fisher Follow Root to Rise on social media @roottoriseyogis Standing Room Only | How to be THAT Yoga Teacher - Sheri Fisher’s book MBODY Yoga, MBODY.org & One Cake Wonder - John Cottrel Yoga Teacher Conf - Allison Rissel Gina Caputo Libby Hinsley, Anatomy Bites & The Hypermobility Hub Lily Dwyer Begg Yoga Good Karma Works - Angela Sealy OfferingTree   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

Wish you knew how to lead yoga retreats that are stress free and well paid? In this episode, Mado & Lily draw from their upcoming online course Retreat Roadmap to share 3 key insights that will make the difference between your retreat feeling like an invigorating hike instead of a wild roller coaster ride. Whether you’re a seasoned retreat leader or a retreat leader wannabe, these tips will bolster your ability to create a profitable retreat business that thrives over the long term.    EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: How Covid cancellations inspired Lily to re-vamp her retreat policies and ended up as a win/win for her and her students. The two reasons your boundaries get violated - and how to respond to each How a clear and complete contract can build trust and connection with your students The four-step system that puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to promoting your retreat. How to layer incentive strategies to double your retreat bookings. One key asset to bridge the gap between interest and commitment (you’re probably overlooking it) An overview of what’s included inside the Retreat Roadmap online course   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Previous YTR episode Yoga Retreat Fundamentals with Lily Dwyer Begg Follow Lily on Instagram @lilydwyerbegg   LINKS AND RESOURCES: Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource  Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group Leave a review on iTunes Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

For the 5th Anniversary of this podcast, Mado shares what she would do differently if she had a do-over at several pivotal points in her teaching career.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Four simple habits to build as a new yoga teacher Some of the differences in being a new yoga teacher in 2005 vs today One thing I regret putting off for five years How to specialize when you have no idea about a niche How to make friends with social media What to focus on first if you’re looking to scale your business   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Anatomy Bites Tell me what you would do differently at SpeakPipe Previous podcast episode: How to Start, Nurture and Grow Your Email List   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

Let’s talk about alignment. Some teachers center their entire teaching technique around alignment, while others argue that it does more harm than good and that students should be encouraged to explore asanas in a more open-ended way. In this episode, Mado shares how her own relationship to the concept of alignment has evolved over the past 20 years and her thoughts about how alignment can be both useful and potentially harmful.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Mado’s personal experience with alignment Definitions of alignment and how they have led to confusion in the yoga world. Common claims that yoga teachers make about alignment - and where they go wrong. How alignment might help prevent injury - and how it might contribute to injuries. The relationship between alignment and stress. Three components of alignment and how they can benefit your asana practice   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Anatomy Bites Follow Jill Miller on Instagram Tune Up Fitness (Jill Miller’s company) 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

Yoga Nidra is an aspect of yoga that is accessible to a wide variety of people - including children. Rina Deshpande, author of Yoga Nidra Lullaby shares the practice of yoga nidra from a cultural, practical and neuroscientific perspective.    EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Rina’s experience with yoga as a child What is yoga nidra How devices impact our nervous system Neuroscience and different forms of rest A pocket version of yoga nidra A reading from Yoga Nidra Lullaby   EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Follow Rina Deshpande on Instagram @rinathepoet Follow Rina the Poet on Facebook Rina Deshpande’s website Yoga Nidra Lullaby, can be purchased here   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