Yogaland Podcast

Here's the good news: There are many different ways to build a sustainable career as a yoga teacher. The not so good news? There are so many different ways to spend your time and energy that it can be overwhelming. As yoga business owners ourselves, we feel this deeply. On this episode, we hone in on the most essential steps to take when building your yoga business.Reminders:Jason is starting his Shoulders, Neck, & Upper Back module soon! Go to jasonyoga.com/300 to learn more and enroll.Our 200-Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training is open for enrollment. Join during this pre-training period and get $300 off plus immediate access to hundreds of hours of content! Go to jasonyoga.com/200 to learn more.For links and podcasts mentioned in this episode, go to the shownotes page: yogalandpodcast.com/episode341

If you're considering doing a 200-hour yoga teacher training, this episode is a must-listen. Jason answers the most common questions to consider so that you select the right training for you. Listen to this episode to get the most out of your 200-hour teacher training experience! We talk about:How to find the right training for me?Should I do my training in-person? Online?Am I "advanced enough" in my practice to do a YTT?Will I leave teacher training knowing how to teach a whole class?What are the different educational components that make up a Yoga Alliance approved 200-hour?If I want to do an online training, what should I look for? How do I know it's high-quality?How much money on average do yoga teachers make?What is the best part about doing a yoga teacher training?Jason will be offering his online 200-hour yoga teacher training in January 2025. To learn more and to lock in the early bird price: jasonyoga.com/200

Feeling overwhelmed with sequencing is one of the biggest challenges that most teachers face. Even worse, it leads to burnout and lack of confidence. On this episode, Jason breaks down the 5 essential keys to help you focus your sequences, build confidence, and feel greater joy teaching your classes.Highlights:1:08 -- Yoga Sequencing Template8:45 -- The Importance of Consistency15:56 -- Anchor with Focal Points21:29 -- Simplify your Sequences26:44 -- Trust YourselfWe have tons of free sequencing content, including past podcasts, YouTube tutorials, and home practice sequences on our web site here: jasonyoga.com/blog/yoga-sequences/Jason also offers a self-paced online course, The Art of Yoga Sequencing, which you can learn about at: jasonyoga.com/sequencing

When you go through challenging times in life, does your usual yoga practice go out the window? For most of us, the answer is a begrudging, "yep." And yet, we need our yoga and meditation and self-care practices the most when life gets tough. On this episode, Jason and I chat about how we adapt our practice (and add to it), to help create the support, awareness, and safety we need to move through the inevitable hard patches of life.You can find shownotes with resources on this episode at: yogalandpodcast.com/episode337

Dr. Gail Parker joins me on the podcast this week! Gail is a psychologist, yoga educator, and author of two companion books that center restorative yoga as a potent healing modality for ethnic and race-based trauma. These books are incredible and have taught me so much, which is why I wanted to share them with you. Here are a few things I learned from the books and this conversation with Gail:An understanding of what race-based trauma is, both from an historical perspective and from lived experience. How people who have experienced race-based trauma often feel like it's their fault (and how this is so often reinforced by society)The ways that restorative yoga works for race-based trauma: You are working with the nervous system not the traumatic event, which teaches you how to recognize relaxation, immobilize without fear, and supports feeling safe in stillness without hypervigilance.The benefits of understanding your nervous system and attempting to discern the difference between triggers and actual threatsWhen we attempt to learn about racism and race-based trauma, we can (hopefully) make our yoga spaces more welcoming and inclusive! Thank you for listening and go to the shownotes for Gail's books: yogalandpodcast.com/episode336

Jason joins me on this episode, where we delve into the practice of letting go. We talk about the many instances where the concept of letting go appears in yoga philosophy, why it's beneficial, and what is required before we endeavor to let go. We also share our personal journeys toward cultivating emotional maturity, surrender, and resilience in the face of life's challenges.Highlights:02:37 The Art of Letting Go03:08 Core Strength and Yoga Philosophy10:48 The Concept of Surrender in Yoga16:13 Practical Applications of Letting Go22:42 The Importance of Inner Safety25:31 Exploring the Sensation of Safety in Yoga26:05 Meditation and Inner Resilience26:50 Community and Mindfulness28:20 The Mental Game in Yoga Poses31:43 Present Moment Awareness34:59 Letting Go of Future Worries37:44 Personal Stories of Letting Go43:24 Challenges of Aging and Physical Limitations

Jason joins me on this episode to talk about the challenges of making a living as a yoga teacher and how he has managed those challenges over the past 30 years. There have been many twists and turns and even some failures. We give you a peek behind the curtain of his career, honing in on 6 pivotal moments and what Jason learned from them.Related to this episode! Next week Jason is hosting a webinar where he shares his roadmap how to make it as a yoga teacher. You can sign up for this free webinar at www.jasonyoga.com/webinar

Giana Gambino and Bradshaw Wish of CAYA Yoga School join me this week to talk all things yoga retreats! These two have come together to create a dream-team when it comes to retreats -- they offer several domestic and international retreats per year (look for their 2025 retreat in Italy) and they've honed their process. They generously share all of their secrets in this conversation. We cover:How they split the workload (and the payout)Planning itineraries vs. farming them outTheir marketing/sales calendarWhat goes into pricing (and what you might be forgetting)The food! (the thing participants often complain about the most)Funny retreat snafus and how they handled themWhy you should never put a charcuterie board out if Bradshaw is on retreat with youYou can get to know Giana and Bradshaw better on their podcast A Funny Thing About YogaI'll put links to their retreats and yoga school on the shownotes page here: yogalandpodcast.com/episode332