Accessible Yoga Podcast

In episode 10,  Jivana welcomes Dianne Bondy to talk about how she has created her platform, grew her career, and built a global yoga community. Dianne talks about how she leaned into the virtual space early on and gives advice for folks looking for tips on how to build their own platforms. This time with Dianne gives great insight into best practices, tools and things to remember as we teach virtually. Jivana and Dianne both talk in depth about the importance of making sure that our virtual offering spaces are accessible to all. Dianne also talks about the responsibility we each have to dismantle white supremacy and the importance of understanding the place of social justice and advocacy in our yoga spaces and personal practice.    How travelling less has create more ease for her and revealed how tiring her complex travel schedule actually was prior to the pandemic  How the power of manifestation in creating the career she desired  How she began her career and grew her global yoga community  How she leaned into virtual teaching spaces against pushback from other teachers and folks in the yoga community How to create impactful work during these new normals because of social distancing and virtual offerings  How to best set up lighting and positioning for teaching virtually How to secure the tools you need to teach virtually How to make your virtual space accessible to all How race and racism are ignored and dismissed in our wellness spaces How we have a deep moral responsibility as space holders and teachers of this sacred path The responsibility of white teachers and the yoga community to understand the social impact of yoga   Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: What are you doing to connect your yoga practice to your social advocacy? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

Episode 9 Show Notes In episode 9, Amber and Jivana talk about a recent article Jivana has featured with Yoga Journal talking about yoga’s response to disabilities and illness. Together they explore the belief that folks with disabilities or illness need to be fixed or cured, especially within yoga spaces. Jivana talks in depth about the connection between ableism and white supremacy, making it pervasive and easy to ignore by those who think they are unaffected. Jivana also shares more about the ways ableism is upheld in our wellness spaces by centering healing and curing people. This episode invites us all to investigate the stories we hold about our bodies, disabilities, illness, death, and yoga’s place aside those identities and life transitions.  The difference between a medical model of disabilities and the cultural model of disabilities  How yoga communities deal with disabilities and illness The push from disabilities communities to embrace disabilities as an identity  How the move from person first language to identity first language to is showing up in different communities How the ableism in our society is the obstacle or limitation, not disabilities  How white supremacy is the root of ableism  The danger of focusing on the physical aspects of the practice and the importance of teaching the complete practice How upholding “advanced asana” as “advanced yoga” upholds ableism How positioning healing or curing as the goal of yoga upholds the belief that folks with disabilities or different bodies need to be fixed How Jivana’s experience of witnessing how yoga can serve those who are dying The importance of yoga to support our inevitable transition to death How the role of yoga teachers is to support their inner journey, not to fix others Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: Does the ability to perform advanced asana make you an “advanced yogi”? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

Episode 8 Show Notes  In episode 8 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Shyam Ranganathan and Jivana Heyman have a discussion about Yoga philosophy through a South Asian perspective. They explore the various ways that Western imperialism shows up in the way we interpret and practice yoga, what the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita both say about our responsibility when it comes to other people (social justice), and how translations, interpretation, and a Eurocentric bias can completely change the context and the meanings of the teachings. In episode 8, Shyam & Jivana discuss:  Shyam’s story including why he decided to teach yoga philosophy, why he translated the yoga sutras, and how online education through the Yoga Philosophy school informs his teaching Moral philosophy & ethics (or dharma in south asian tradition), an investigation into the right and the good Shyam talks about how Yoga is a practice of devotion to the ideal of Ishvara, which is defined by unconservativism and self governance, whereas Yoga philosophy is a question of right action (or social justice) How Western imperialism expresses itself as a common theme when we study yoga philosophy (“shut up and get in line” or “don’t question the status quo”) and why intellectual traditions from outside of Europe automatically get labeled as “religion” What Shyam thinks of a guru that makes you earn your status and work your way up their ladder… “That’s Plato, not Patanjali” What Patanjali has to say about how we should deal with folks who advocate for harm (or against ahimsa) Ghandi’s influence on social justice movements and his connection with the sutras How yoga is a practice of "getting over yourself" Karma yoga and Bhakti yoga in the Gita and the sutras How spiritual abuse isn’t yoga, and why modeling yoga after Plato’s model (where a series of hoops is presented as education) is flawed How to have discernment when it comes to finding or vetting a teacher, and noticing where we give our power away How Shyam understands and defines Ishvara, and how that changes the context of the teachings Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

“I’m not going into my practice to look for a way out of life, but a way in...to experience the fullness of my life.” -Jivana Heyman In episode 7 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman talk about duality—the up and down, light and dark, "both/and" nature of life. We talk about how attachment to outcomes and the stories we tell ourselves keep us in a place of suffering, and the antidote to that (spoiler alert, it’s non-attachment and acceptance). We discuss personal experiences and practical ways that we each work with our emotions and grief in our yoga practice. We also talk about the danger of spiritual bypass and how embracing the fullness of our human experience honors the yoga teachings and helps us accept ourselves as we are. In episode 7, Amber & Jivana discuss:  How we are holding opposing truths at the same time and why accepting reality as it is helps us suffer less How social media gets us stuck in comparison and the tricks our brain does to try to protect us Jivana talks about how his mom’s death led to exploring his emotions as part of his yoga practice  Amber talks about how being grounded in non-attachment helped her cope with the huge grief and changes to her life and business post-COVID How to use your yoga practice to make friends with your mind, rather than trying to control or discipline your mind How Jivana’s journey of fatherhood and parenting his children helped him learn to give himself the tender compassion he gave his children Amber talks about a step-by-step way that she processes big emotions like anger Jivana discusses how he works with emotions in his meditation practice How spiritual bypass and “good vibes only” ignore the reality of life and stop us from When we use our yoga practice only for self, we miss a huge opportunity to realize our interconnectedness and honor the depth of the practice and our humanity Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: Are you willing to accept all aspects of yourself? And if not, why?  Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In episode 6 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber and Jivana talk about lessons learned from the Accessible Yoga Training. Jivana digs deep into the yoga philosophy behind this training that informs both of our work and the way we teach. We talk about shifting the power dynamic between teacher and student and what happens when we give students the tools to work with their practice, rather than insisting they fit into a preconceived notion of shapes or sequences. We also talk about how the Accessible Yoga Training builds community between teachers like us whose work sometimes feels isolating.  How the Accessible Yoga Training got started including Jivana’s background in AIDS activism, creating a teacher training for folks with disabilities, and the way the training has changed over the years How we make our classes more welcoming and safe by meeting our students where they are How as teachers we must make sure we aren’t viewing students as lacking something, and as students how we give away our power when we expect a teacher to fix us Through redistributing power, teachers can be an example of non-attachment How the Accessible Yoga Training helps our students find a way to practice safely and empowers teachers to innovate, not memorize shapes How skilled yoga teaching is like art - full of creativity and improvisation How we approach cueing multiple levels of a posture or practice at the same time How the Accessible Yoga Training has given folks direction for their work and helped teachers to step up as community leaders and share the heart of yoga Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: What is my role as yoga teacher (in my classroom, in my students’ lives off the yoga mat, and in the wider world)? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

Episode 5 Show Notes In episode 5 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Justine Mastin  discuss: Justine’s yoga story: how she got started, what brought her back to the practice, and how she finally found her community at a comic book convention Why the geek community saw barriers to accessing wellness and how Justine came up with the idea for YogaQuest What to expect from a YogaQuest class, a narrative yoga class based in fandom stories Why representation is important for folks who are traditionally left out of wellness spaces  Specific ways Justine created her yoga spaces to be more welcoming to folks from the geek community How Justine stays in inquiry around cultural appropriation and how YogaQuest is like yoga-fanfic Narrative therapy and the power of stories to question social norms and create the lives we imagine Justine’s upcoming book and how it helps us to question social norms through the lens of pop culture Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Justine poses a 2-part question: What is the story of my life? Who are the important supporting characters?  Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In episode 4 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Jivana Heyman and Nicole Cardoza  discuss: Embracing failure and the ability to try new things with resilience, even when things go wrong How looking at our work and activism with many different angles and approaches helps us stay flexible and keep the confidence to move forward and just do what needs to be done Giving ourselves grace & accountability through failure Waiting for permission vs. knowing your lane vs. taking responsibility for jumping in where you do have privilege How actually putting ourselves in the way of rejection or failure lets us get better and move forward Failure as a practice and learning from failure in asana Showing up for ourselves in difficult moments Reclaiming our right to be well and what wellness means to Nicole Lessons learned from creating the Anti-Racism Daily newsletter Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Nicole poses a 3-part question:   What does it look like for your community to be well? What’s standing in the way of that? What can you do as part of your wellness practice to dismantle those obstacles?   Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In Episode 3 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman discuss the responsibility of yoga teachers to have a commitment to accessibility in their group classes and how we can’t let ourselves off the hook by saying, “I’m just not the teacher for everyone.” In this episode, we discuss: Making a commitment to accessibility and how that’s different from trying to please everyone The importance of creating a culture of permission and safety in our learning spaces When a “safe space” for some feels unsafe for others, how we can hear difficult truths without getting defensive Are you giving yourself a pass by saying, “I’m not the teacher for everyone.” The commitment of yoga teachers to creating equitable learning environments Creating a culture of safety and openness where students can feel safe in their bodies Shifting from the role of a fitness instructor to a guide who holds space for our students transformation Being open to inquiry takes the pressure off us to have all the answers and helps us play to our strengths as yoga teachers Shifting away from a physical focus toward the subtler teachings of yoga transforms the way a group yoga class looks Thoughts on “advanced” practice and trauma-informed teaching Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we are sitting with this question: What does having an “advanced yoga practice” mean to you? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.

In Episode 2, Amber Karnes interviews Kelley Palmer, writer, yoga teacher, wellness advocate, and community organizer. In this episode: Kelley introduces herself, talks about how she came to yoga, and explains why social justice has been part of her practice from the beginning How Kelley began teaching yoga and how that was informed by the way anti-blackness shows up in wellness How yoga spaces often mirror the harm that exists in society for folks with marginalized identities The responsibility of studio owners when it comes to social justice and dismantling white supremacy, fatphobia, ableism, homophobia, etc. How we miss the barriers that prevent marginalized folks feeling welcome in a space (especially when that yoga space feels like a “safe space” to some of us) How the conditioning of whiteness keeps us stuck from taking action toward justice Practical ways that folks can redistribute resources or power within our yoga spaces Taking the transactional nature out of our relationships Ways to notice (and dismantle) gatekeeping practices in your yoga spaces Shifting our mindset from a lens of individualism and fear to a focus on the collective and community care Kelley’s upcoming course: Race & Equity in Yoga: Disruption As a Practice will be a space for self-inquiry and unpacking our responsibilities toward race equity, yoga, social justice, and more Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Kelley poses a 2-part question: When you think about working toward equity, justice, and liberation, what are you willing to release? What are the obstacles you perceive to releasing those things? Connect with kelley: kelley nicole palmer: Website | Instagram

In episode 1:  Amber talks about her work: community-building around yoga, social justice, and body image Jivana shares his background with yoga and social justice including how he got started with yoga, how Accessible Yoga came to be, and how his participation in AIDS activism laid the groundwork for his work today How a community of practice (like the global Accessible Yoga community) supports marginalized practitioners and teachers to be of service and stay connected to one another Yoga is not just about a personal practice to make us feel better, our opportunity is to use our practice to create more well-being for all “Yoga is supposed to be peaceful, why are y’all so angry and negative all the time?” We discuss spiritual bypass and why the yoga teachings are not just about “love and light.” The harm that is done when spiritual teachings are used to ignore or downplay the harm that happens in our own lives, our yoga communities, or the world Yoga gives us the tools to sit with discomfort, but only using yoga to end our own suffering means we miss an opportunity to use our practice to be of service and lessen suffering for others Jivana shares about his experience working in AIDS hospice and how that shifted his understanding around healing, death, and yoga Service is the expression of an expanded mind and an ability to stay open to others’ humanity Figuring out “your lane” in social justice by honoring your body, knowing yourself, getting beyond shame, fear, and confusion, and managing your mind We’ll also share with you our plans for this podcast going forward Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path.  This week’s question comes from Rachelle Knowles (she offered this during her workshop on the Bhagavad Gita during the St. Louis Accessible Yoga Conference last year).  “If the battle is inevitable, what kind of warrior do you want to be?”  Get show notes, downloads, and transcripts at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast.