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The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

Helping yoga teachers to stay connected to information, entrepreneur advice and a community of supportive yoga teachers and professionals.
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Now displaying: February, 2022
Feb 28, 2022

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

261: How to Grow Your Network with Allison Rissel 

 

Description:

You might have heard the saying ‘your network is your net worth’, and there’s no denying that building your network is important as a yoga business owner - both to get new students, and to deal with feelings of loneliness and isolation. But it can feel like a challenge to grow your network, if you’re in a new community, or in the virtual space, or even just because you’re introverted. Allison Rissel has just the tips on how you can grow your network in this episode.

 

Allison is the founder of the Yoga Teacher Conf, the ONLY conference just for yoga teachers. The Yoga Teacher Conf helps elevate, educate and inspire yoga teachers around the globe through affordable continuing education, community support and connection. Allison is passionate about helping yoga teachers become professional and powerful leaders, and you can really see this in all the work that she does to help bring yoga teachers together, as well as her work as an event planner for yoga teachers.

 

Whether you’ve recently moved and are wondering how to get a job teaching yoga in a new town, or perhaps you want to meet other yoga teachers or studio owners and grow your online network - Allison shares so many great tips and tricks in this interview. She also talks about how to manage the discomfort that can arise from being in a new social setting, and how to build meaningful connections online. Tune in to find out more!

 

Key Takeaways:

[4:51] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Allison Rissel.

[10:08] What does Allison do and who does she do it for?

[11:22] What was Allison's first reaction when Shannon said she wanted to interview her about networking?

[13:07] What is Allison's advice for people who may be feeling like connecting with others is not that easy?

[16:50] For many people, even those who love connecting with others, being in a new social setting can feel uncomfortable. How does Allison deal with that discomfort?

[21:28] Allison shares a little about the Yoga Teacher Conf, happening April 22 to 24 in Denver, CO.

[24:28] How can getting caught up in the details of going to the event impact us at an event?

[26:28] What are some of the measures in place at the Yoga Teacher Conf to ensure the safety of event attendees?

[30:25] How can yoga teachers build their networks at events like these?

[32:47] Shannon is doing a whole-day workshop with Amanda McKinney at the Yoga Teacher Conf.

[34:25] What are Allison's tips for yoga teachers who are looking for ways to network online?

[38:55] Shannon shares how she has connected with people on social media just by asking a simple question.

[40:46] Shannon and Allison discuss some options for finding your biz bestie.

[42:57] Allison shares some of her tips for yoga teachers who are in a new town and are looking to connect with people in their own community.

[46:25] Shannon and Allison chat about what their experience at the Yoga Teacher Conf is going to be like.

[47:48] Shannon is curious about how introverts feel at networking events and how they deal with it.

[49:50] Allison shares some details about the pricing and rates to attend Yoga Teacher Conf.

[51:08] Shannon reflects on her takeaways from this conversation with Allison.



Links:



Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Yoga Teacher Conf.

 

Quotes from this episode:

"Over the last year, what I've learned is actually [my network] is so intrinsic to everything I do."

 

"The best way to break the ice is to give a compliment."

 

"Often we think of networking as promoting ourselves and that's not what it is at all. Networking is about building a relationship, it's about listening to the other person, learning about them, and then telling them briefly maybe about yourself and finding ways that you can work together."

 

"Most people want to just genuinely connect with someone."

 

"I think we've all realized that we actually need to build online networks."

 

"Often I think of social media as talking at people but we can actually still really listen on social media."

 

Feb 21, 2022

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

260: I Feel so Alone as a Yoga Teacher with Shannon Crow

 

Description:

As a yoga teacher, do you feel alone or isolated? If you do, remember that you are not alone in this experience – and that there are ways to counter this loneliness and isolation. In this episode, Shannon Crow (she/her) shares more about her own experience feeling alone as a yoga teacher, as well as how she managed to overcome these feelings.

 

Shannon Crow is the Founder of Pelvic Health Professionals, as well as the host of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast and community, which is celebrating its fifth year of podcasting this episode. Shannon became a yoga teacher in 2006, and she shared what it was like for her as a new yoga teacher losing that sense of community she had experienced during her Yoga Teacher Training. Shannon shares some of the common reasons why yoga teachers may feel isolated in their career, as well as helpful tips to deal with these causes of isolation. As someone who has built and nurtured a supportive community of over 11,000 yoga teachers, Shannon also shares her tips on how to find or create such a community for yourself.

 

This episode is perfect for anyone who has struggled with feeling alone as a yoga teacher, and will surely help you find and build a supportive community for yourself.

 

Key Takeaways:

[2:51] The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast is celebrating 5 years of podcasting with this episode!

[4:48] Being a yoga teacher can feel very isolating, and it's normal to feel alone!

[8:36] Shannon reflects on her experience when she became a yoga teacher in 2006.

[11:23] Shannon gives a shout out to Offering Tree, sponsor of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast.

[13:35] Why does it feel so isolating to be a yoga teacher?

[15:51] The key to dealing with "competition" from other yoga teachers is to find your niche and specialize to serve a select group of people.

[16:36] Another reason why yoga teachers can feel isolated is imposter syndrome.

[18:59] Being a yoga teacher can be isolating because it is mostly solitary work, especially since the pandemic began. That's why finding or creating a community is so important.

[23:53] Having a supportive community around you can also help promote each other in the work you do and lift each other up.

[28:16] How can we form connections with others and grow our network?

[31:41] What happens when yoga teachers don't have a supportive community around them?

[33:09] Where can we find these communities?

[35:44] Shannon shares some of her tips for creating a community and strengthening a community you are a part of.

[41:49] What are your thoughts around building community?

 

Links:

 

Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Yoga Teacher Conf.

 

Quotes from this episode:

"The next time that you go to sign up for a yoga teacher training, [ask yourself]: Are you doing it because you need the knowledge and the skills and the information or are you doing it because you want to be back in with community?"

 

"All of us at some point experienced imposter syndrome, even if it's just for a short moment when we go to put a workshop or a course together and we think, ‘oh my gosh, who am I to teach this?’."

 

Alone a youth runs fast, with an elder slow, but together they go far. - Luo Proverb

 

"Don't reinvent the wheel. Look at other communities for inspiration."

 

"What's the big ‘why’ for your group that makes it unique?"

 

Feb 16, 2022

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

BONUS: Yoga Teacher Conf April 2022 with Allison Rissel

 

Description:

The Yoga Teacher Conf is happening 22nd April to 24th April, 2022, in Denver, Colorado! It's an in-person conference with over 40 different classes over the three days. There are also pre-conference workshops and other activities lined up to help elevate, educate and inspire yoga teachers from all around the country. 

 

In this bonus episode, Shannon chats with Allison Rissel, organizer of the Yoga Teacher Conf to get more details about the event. Allison shares more about the activity line up, rates, and what's included in the ticket price, as well as the different themes planned for the conference. There will also be pre-conference workshops for people who are traveling in early, or who want to learn more about a particular topic, including a workshop Shannon is hosting with Amanda McKinney - Scattered to Clarity Workshop: Setting Your Business Goals for 2022. Early bird registration ends on March 4th, so get your tickets soon to enjoy the early bird rates!

 

See you at Yoga Teacher Conf!

 

Links:

 

Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree.

 

Feb 14, 2022

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

259: Yoga in Schools with Crunch Ranjani

Description:

Should yoga be taught in schools? Recently an Alabama law banned yoga in schools and, inspired by a discussion in our Facebook group, our team member and resident writer Crunch Ranjani (she/her) wrote a fantastic article exploring all the elements of this debate. In this episode, she talks all about her process in creating the article, her research and her personal experience as a South Asian born to a Hindu family.

Crunch  is a content creator for purpose-driven health and wellness professionals. She believes that we need more diversity, equity, and inclusion in our communities - so she loves working with business owners who do too. She helps them create valuable content that makes a positive impact in the world so that they have more time and energy to create change in their communities. 

Crunch helps us to understand all the elements of the conversation around yoga and religion, including whether Sanskrit is a religious language, the connection between Hinduism and yoga, and why dividing out parts of yoga to make them more palatable to a white audience is harmful. 

This is an open and honest conversation about cultural appropriation, the importance of having these discussions as yoga teachers and of understanding how our actions can be harmful to the tradition of yoga, and to the South Asian yoga teachers and students in our communities. 

If you have wanted to learn more about cultural appropriation in yoga, or if you are new to this conversation and want to understand more, this is a great episode to understand the nuances of this important topic.

 

Key Takeaways:

[4:45] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Crunch Ranjani.

[8:37] What is the work that Crunch does, and who does she do it for?

[10:04] What did it feel like to write an article on yoga in schools? 

[11:39] Is the ban on yoga in Alabama schools still in place, and why is it there? 

[12:55] What highlights about yoga in religion came up during Crunch’s research?

[13:34] Crunch explains some of the links between Hinduism and yoga.

[15:45] When this thread was posted in our Facebook group, there was a lot of discussion around why Yoga might be connected to Hinduism, and understanding more about how cultural appropriation has worked. Crunch talks more about that. 

[18:32] Shannon pops in with some ways that our sponsor OfferingTree can help support your yoga business, especially with time zones and Zoom links. 

[20:28] One of the things that was put forward in the Alabama bill was to allow yoga in schools but to ban using Sanskrit. How did Crunch feel about that? 

[21:01] Crunch shares which other languages are connected to religions and why it feels like a double standard.  

[22:12] Is there a separation between church and state in all US states or just Alabama? 

[25:41] Why is it that yoga is not allowed? Is it based in fear and if so, why?

[28:10] If we allow some parts of yoga to be taught, could that be seen as progress? [32:55] Crunch explains why separating out parts of the practice of yoga is harmful. 

[34:57] Why could the practice of gifting statues of Hindu or Deities as part of our yoga practice also be harmful? 

[36:08] Crunch shares a great analogy on how we can and do change behavior when someone feels harmed or hurt by our actions. 

[37:24] Shannon pops in with a quick message from Allison of the Yoga Teacher Conf to hear more about the social justice sessions that are taking place at the Conf. 

[39:13] How does Crunch feel about the article now it is out in the world and what would she like readers to take from it?

[40:02] Please leave comments below the article, beneath this podcast episode or in the Facebook group to share your takeaways on this topic. 

[40:48] To find out more about Crunch’s work, or to hire her, you can find her through her website, or message or follow Crunch on Instagram.

 

“It seemed to be that a lot of people were conflating yoga with religion because it has historically Hindu roots.” Crunch Ranjani 

 

“The whole idea that Alabama is legislating certain aspects of what parts of yoga are ok in schools, and what parts are not, is what is really problematic about this whole bill.” Crunch Ranjani 

 

“To me, it seems really strange that you can say that a language is religious or not religious, because to me language is a way to communicate with people, it is not necessarily religious in and of itself.”  Crunch Ranjani 

 

“This is not progress, it is a form of cultural appropriation.” Crunch Ranjani 

 

“If you are not sharing yoga in all of it’s forms, why are you even calling it yoga?”  Crunch Ranjani 

 

“Who does this law benefit, and who does it harm?” Crunch Ranjani 

 

“Should we not consider this pain and this harm over the benefits that white people will get from practicing a simplified version of yoga?” Crunch Ranjani 

 

“Maybe it is worth questioning personally, for anyone that feels that fear -  what exactly are you afraid of?” Crunch Ranjani 

Links:

Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Yoga Teacher Conf

 

Feb 7, 2022

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

258: What Does Science Say About Yoga?

 

Description:

We all know about the benefits of yoga, but maybe we’ve wondered about the science behind it all. In this episode, Dr. Mary Flaherty shares the knowledge she has gained from reading thousands of research papers about the effectiveness of yoga, answering the question – Does yoga work?

 

Mary is a psychologist, researcher, academic and yoga teacher, and the author of Does Yoga Work: Answers from Science. Mary has been teaching yoga for over 20 years, and practicing for many more. With almost 40 years of academic and research experience working in universities in Australia, Japan, U.K., Ireland, and Singapore, Mary’s parallel interests in yoga and science come together in this book which answers some of our most common questions in an easy-to-understand way.

 

Mary shares some of the salient pieces of information that have come up in her research, including what science has to say about inversions during menstruation, yoga and fertility, the measurable impact of yoga on individuals, societies, and communities, and more. Mary also elaborates on the importance of having a healthy skepticism, and bringing an open and critical mind to any research or information shared about yoga.

 

This is a great interview for anyone who has ever wondered whether yoga has been backed up by scientific studies!

 

Key Takeaways:

[4:25] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Mary Flaherty.

[5:41] Shannon is giving away three copies of Mary's book, Does Yoga Work?

[8:01] What is the work that Mary does and who does she do it for?

[10:10] What was Mary's inspiration for writing the book Does Yoga Work?

[11:39] What is the overall answer to the question "does yoga work?".

[16:52] Mary talks about her experience sifting through thousands of research papers and also reading through meta studies.

[18:13] Defining yoga is difficult, but the research seems to point to the fact that yoga that integrates different elements (like pranayama and meditation) is consistently superior to yoga that focuses solely on asana.

[20:38] Shannon pops in with a quick message from Allison of the Yoga Teacher Conf about staying up to date with professional development for yoga teachers.

[22:20] How can we develop a healthy skepticism?

[23:34] Mary highlights two interesting pieces of information she came across in her research relating to inversions during menstruation and yoga's impact on fertility.

[26:59] It's important to learn from different sources, and keep an open mind.

[29:35] There are some aspects of yoga that science isn't able to measure yet, such as the subtle body, spiritual experiences, and self fulfillment.

[34:37] Shannon gives a shout out to Offering Tree's amazing customer support team!

[36:15] Mary wrote her book to be really accessible and digestible for the average person.

[40:16] Mary shares more about her experience writing the book.

[46:23] Get Mary's book and find out more about her work via her website.

[51:43] Leave a comment on the show notes page to stand a chance to win a copy of Mary's book!

[53:26] If you would like to learn more from Mary, join the Pelvic Health Professionals membership site!

 

Links:

 

Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Yoga Teacher Conf.

 

Quotes from this episode:

"The way that the research was presented, it wasn't just tests on psychological measures ...subjective measures, but also physiological measures like at the molecular level, at a cellular level, we could see changes in hormones, all towards the positive."

 

"Scientific research shows that yoga is not just good for us as individuals, but at a broader level for society."

 

"The thing that I found running through a lot of studies was that the sense of community that yoga created was wonderful."

 

“In terms of effectiveness from the scientific research, when pranayama and meditation are integrated with the asana practice, the effect was much much more superior. "

 

"We should question the science. We should question everything. Science is just one way to know the truth."

 

"Knowing about the science behind yoga gives us more confidence when we talk to students."

 

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