The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
187: How to Choose a Yoga Teacher Training with Cecily Milne
Description:
The first big step that we often take in our journey to become yoga teachers is our Yoga Teacher Training (YTT), and in many ways, much of how we teach is influenced by our YTT experiences. However, not all YTTs are created equal, and some are better than others. Cecily Milne published the blogpost “10 ways to make your yoga teacher training suck less”, and has some pointers on what makes a good YTT.
Cecily Milne is the Founder of Yoga Detour™, which began as a 200HR program, but has evolved since then. Today, Cecily focuses on education within the yoga and movement teaching community, and hopes to provide other professionals in this space with the resources she wishes she had access to as a teacher and business owner. She offers online learning courses as well as in-person training to support others and help them grow as yoga teachers and movement educators.
What sets a great YTT apart from the rest? Shannon and Cecily dig into why many teacher training programs today fail to set trainees up for success, and the top lessons Cecily learned from running her own 200hr TT. Cecily also highlights the importance of diversity and representation teacher trainings, teaching skills and evaluations, and the business aspect of running YTTs. Ultimately, choosing a YTT is all about finding the right fit between the student and the school.
Whether you are brand new to yoga and are thinking about a YTT, or if you are wondering how to put an amazing YTT together, this episode is full of valuable insights.
Key Takeaways:
[4:53] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Cecily Milne.
[6:41] What does Cecily do and who does she do it for?
[8:33] How did Cecily get started with yoga?
[10:19] What was Cecily's first 200-hour yoga teacher training like?
[12:20] What inspired Cecily to write her article "10 ways to make your yoga teacher training suck less"
[14:05] What are some of the most important things to consider when choosing a yoga teacher training?
[17:16] Shannon and Cecily discuss how to make yoga teacher trainings more representative and inclusive.
[21:18] What are some questions we should be asking when considering a yoga potential teacher training?
[23:41] How can we bring up the topic of race and representation in a yoga teacher training?
[25:00] Cecily highlights some other questions to ask when considering a yoga teacher training, particularly around the business aspects of being a yoga teacher.
[32:36] As much as those taking the training programs, those offering the training programs need to ask themselves why they are providing that program and who it is for.
[33:48] Shannon and Cecily discuss where being a part of Yoga Alliance ties in with yoga teacher trainings.
[35:29] Accountability should be a big part of a yoga teacher training. Cecily shares how she helps teachers with learning to teach.
[39:42] Cecily has had some great success with getting her students record themselves teaching.
[41:40] How can teachers deal with the privacy aspect and getting consent from their students to record?
[43:10] It is important for students to know what their needs and priorities are in choosing a yoga teacher training, and to find a school that caters to that and is a good fit.
[44:08] Shannon recommends that you talk to previous graduates from the yoga school or training program you are considering.
[45:06] Get in touch with Cecily via her website to find out more about her work and the training she offers.
[46:47] Shannon shares her key takeaways from this interview.
Links:
Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity
Quotes from this episode:
"The program helped me see that there was actually real value to becoming a yoga teacher, and for me that was being able to help people make the most of their experience in their bodies." - Cecily
"I see fewer and fewer programs actually asking people to teach, and asking people to teach and get evaluated for it." - Cecily
"We have to just get more creative with how we structure our programs and how we include different members of faculty." - Cecily
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
186: How to Get Booked as a Podcast Guest [Part 2] with Kelly Glover
Description:
Getting booked as a podcast guest is something that can be part of your marketing strategy and growing your business. But pitching to be on a podcast is not as simple as sending an email and hoping for the best. Industry expert Kelly Glover has loads of tips to share from her experience in this area.
Kelly Glover is the CEO of The Talent Squad, a podcast booking and publicity agency. With almost two decades working in media under her belt, Kelly helps her clients get from pitched to published to get more clients and build their brand through podcasting. She works with clients in-person in Newcastle, Sydney, Los Angeles, & New York, and does both 1:1 personal brand strategy as well as podcast pitching, and business model coaching.
Pitching to be on a podcast starts with understanding why you should even be trying to get on podcasts. Kelly explains how niching down and having a specific area of expertise can help find podcasts that would be a good fit, and how to decline being a guest on a podcast that doesn’t align with your brand while maintaining a positive relationship with the host. She shares more about how to find the shows your target audience is listening to, and how to write an effective pitch.
If you’ve been thinking about showcasing your expertise by being a guest on some podcasts or wondering how to get featured on your favorite podcasts, give this episode a listen.
Key Takeaways:
[7:04] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Kelly Glover.
[8:35] What does Kelly do and how did she get started in this industry?
[10:34] Why should you even go on a podcast?
[15:23] What's the next step once you've decided you want to be a guest on a podcast?
[16:41] It's best to niche down and speak only on topics you know really well. Kelly shares how you can figure out what those topics should be.
[20:53] When looking for a show to pitch, you need to find a topic that has not already been covered on the podcast.
[23:09] Shannon shares her experience about the pitches she has received - what works and what doesn't.
[26:27] How can we vet the podcasts we're pitching to?
[31:01] It is important to know the audience of the podcast as well, and it's okay to reject some offers to be a guest on a podcast! Kelly explains how you can turn down offers while maintaining that relationship.
[32:57] When should you be doing your own pitches or hire an agency?
[35:38] What are Kelly's thoughts on including a lead magnet when you're a guest on a podcast?
[39:20] What are some other tips Kelly has about pitching podcasts?
[42:27] How much time does Kelly spend listening to podcasts and which are her favorite ones?
[44:16] What are some of Shannon's top podcasts?
[47:22] Get in touch with Kelly via her website for some resources or to work with her.
[48:18] Shannon shares her key takeaways from this interview.
Links:
Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity
Quotes from this episode:
"Being on a podcast is awareness. It also gives you expert status." - Kelly
"It's about knowing the audience, and what value you're delivering that audience, because podcasts are a way for you to teach the audience." - Kelly
"You don't ever want anyone to feel like they fell for something. You want them to be rewarded." - Kelly
"When you, as a yoga teacher, are looking for a show to pitch, you're also competing against the back catalog." - Kelly
"What benefit are you giving my audience, and what will they learn by the end of the episode that they didn't know in the beginning, and why are you the person to teach my audience that?" - Kelly
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
185: How to Get Booked as a Podcast Guest [Part 1] with Shannon Crow
Description:
Being a guest on a podcast is a great way to showcase your offering or expertise, while connecting with more of your ideal client. But with podcasters getting hundreds (or thousands) of pitches, how can you stand out from the crowd and get booked as a podcast guest? Seasoned podcasters Amanda Kingsmith, Mado Hesselink, and Amanda McKinney join Shannon to share their tips and insights to get yourself on some podcasts.
Amanda Kingsmith is the host of MBOm: Mastering the Business of Yoga, World Wanderers and Matcha Mornings. Mado Hesselink hosts Yoga Teacher Resource Podcast, and Amanda McKinney who hosts Marketing Yoga with Confidence. Together with Shannon, these ladies have a wealth of experience to help you navigate getting booked on a podcast.
They share their best suggestions to take your podcast pitch to the next level, what topics you should be talking about, and even which podcasts you should be reaching out to. Tune in to find out more about how to be a great guest on the podcast after you get booked, how to promote the episode when it goes live, and more.
If you have ever wanted to be on a podcast but didn’t know how or where to start, this episode is for you.
Key Takeaways:
[1:51] When did you start listening to podcasts? Shannon shares how she got into podcasting, and some of the benefits she has seen from it
[3:01] Amanda McKinney explains why one of the bonuses of being on podcasts is connecting with the podcast host.
[4:45] Shannon has a gift for you!
[8:12] Want a shout-out on the podcast? Leave Shannon a review!
[9:47] Think about the podcasts you love listening to, and what draws you to them. The first step to pitching a podcast is listening to them to make sure you have something to offer the listeners and that it's a good fit for you.
[10:25] Mado has some tips on where to start with your search for a suitable podcast.
[11:12] Once you find some podcasts, make a list of these podcasts.
[11:57] What topic will you be speaking about as a guest?
[16:05] What are some ideas to stand out when making a pitch to be a podcast guest?
[18:09] You can easily pitch to be on a podcast on your own! Amanda Kingsmith has some tips.
[19:59] How should you prepare for the interview on a podcast?
[22:07] Avoid being a boring guest - Amanda Kingsmith shares how.
[24:07] Marketing the episode will serve your business and the podcast host! How can you market and share your episode?
[28:36] Mado gives us a summary of how to get booked as a podcast guest.
[29:41] Shannon shares some final thoughts on getting on a podcast.
Links:
Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity
Quotes from this episode:
"A huge benefit of being on a podcast is the connection to the host and to other people." - Amanda McKinney
"There are three sides to this connection - the host, the guest and most important, the listeners." - Shannon Crow
"You don't need to hire a booking company. As Amanda Kingsmith said, she prefers a personal pitch. Often, I do as well, and I know it's the same for many podcasters." - Shannon Crow
"With your space, it is really essential that you're in a quiet place with good WiFi." - Amanda Kingsmith
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
184: Is Yoga Cultural Appropriation with Shailla Vaidya
Description:
It is common knowledge that yoga originated from India, and has been practiced in India and South Asia for millennia. It is only recently that yoga has gained popularity in the Western world. Over time, people within the yoga space have adapted it to cater to different needs and trends, and today, there are many different forms of yoga that exist which can be very removed from the original practice of yoga as it was intended. This leads to the complex question - Is yoga cultural appropriation?
Dr. Shailla Vaidya joins Shannon as someone who is of South Asian descent and was raised in the yoga tradition to share her perspectives. Dr. Shailla Vaidya is a Physician and Yoga Therapist, who practices Mind-Body Medicine in Toronto, Ontario. Shailla teaches medically-informed therapeutic yoga to yoga therapists internationally, and offers a variety of programs that combine the science of Western Medicine with the Eastern Mind-Body practice of Yoga.
In this eye-opening and straight-from-the-heart conversation, Shailla really opens up about her own personal experiences of what it was like to grow up in the culture of yoga and then to step into a Westen yoga class. She also talks about what we can do to honor the tradition of yoga and share it in a way that is respectful of its heritage and history, and the culture it comes from, while acknowledging the challenges that come with it
Being respectful, culturally sensitive and appropriate is something we all constantly need to learn and work on. This interview is a great starting point to think about some of the issues around yoga and cultural appropriation.
Key Takeaways:
[7:16] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Dr. Shailla Vaidya.
[8:32] Shannon and Shailla share some context about the situation at the time of recording.
[11:51] Shailla shares a bit about her background.
[18:59] How does Shailla combine yoga and medicine?
[24:55] Where did Shailla's journey begin with the understanding of cultural appropriation with regard to yoga?
[29:38] Shailla shares the experience of when she really felt the pain of cultural appropriation in yoga.
[34:02] Colonization is a part of India's history, and there is trauma carried by people of this heritage and culture, as a result of that.
[36:55] Shailla defines cultural appropriation.
[38:38] Shannon and Shailla discuss why she felt like an imposter in a yoga class and at yoga conferences.
[41:55] What does Shailla wish yoga teachers knew? Shailla shares some of the practices that exist in the Western yoga community that are inappropriate.
[48:45] Un-learning things we have always done can be difficult, but it is something that we need to do. Shannon shares her experience of trying to un-learn saying 'namaste' at the end of a yoga class. We need to always be questioning and learning.
[52:49] It is also important to recognize when we're profiting off somebody or someone's culture.
[56:07] Shannon and Shailla discuss some ideas on how we can be a part of the solution.
[1:01:02] Who should we be seeking to learn from?
[1:07:25] How can we respect and honor the traditions of yoga as we bring it into our lives?
[1:12:13] Shailla shares some of her struggles around how people practice yoga in Western cultures.
[1:18:24] All of us need to do the work as we learn what's okay and what's not okay.
[1:20:22] What are some questions coming up for you after listening to this interview?
Links:
Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity
Quotes from this episode:
"It is such an important turning point that we really have to stop and ask ourselves, 'What is the way forward"." - Dr. Shailla
"I've been doing yoga my whole life, it's not something I learned to do or came across - it's something that's a part of my culture." - Dr. Shailla
"How is it okay that you can use these symbols, when I was repeatedly bullied and shamed and put down for my culture? How is it okay that you can do this as a white person, and make money off of it?" - Dr. Shailla
"I was happy that other people are enjoying other cultures, that they're appreciating other cultures, and yet, I'm still struggling with 'Is this appropriation?', or why am I feeling this pain?" - Dr. Shailla
"You have to understand the history and the culture of India, because you're teaching something that is based in and from Indian culture, and you have to understand what was done to these people." - Dr. Shailla
"If we're really open, and if we really want to appreciate another culture, it actually means starting to get comfortable with that other culture." - Dr. Shailla