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The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

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Now displaying: August, 2022
Aug 29, 2022

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

287: Insurance for International Yoga with Beth McVeigh & Joe Fagan

 

Description:

Many yoga teachers have been curious about insurance for yoga teachers teaching abroad and teaching online to international students - particularly in light of the COVID pandemic. What kind of coverage do you need? Do you need people to sign a waiver? What happens if you can’t control who watches your videos? Beth McVeigh and Joe Fagan have the answers to these questions and more.

 

Beth is a Commercial Insurance Manager specializing in insurance for Complementary Health practitioners and Studio, Clinic and Spa owners based in Canada. Along with her experienced and knowledgeable team of insurance advisors, Beth helps clients navigate the insurance coverage they need for their practice. Joe Fagan is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Beyogi. He helps to create relationships within the yoga community to generate exposure for all involved. Joe is a US-based insurance provider for yoga teachers.

 

Beth and Joe share more about what kind of insurance yoga teachers need when teaching online to international students, sharing yoga on shared platforms, or if they are traveling to teach in-person and abroad. They also explain the legal considerations yoga teachers should be mindful of when it comes to waivers and COVID, and how to navigate getting insurance if you’re planning to relocate and teach yoga in another country.

 

Disclaimer: The material presented in this podcast is for general informational purposes only. Please consult with your local insurance agent for specific advice or services needed.

 

Key Takeaways:

[2:27] Shannon introduces the topic for this episode, which was inspired by questions and comments from the Connected Yoga Teacher community.

[4:36] Shannon has a few announcements about upcoming events and trainings.

[8:04] Shannon introduces her guests for this episode - Beth McVeigh and Joe Fagan.

[11:17] What is yoga insurance and what gets Joe and Beth excited about helping yoga teachers with their insurance?

[13:52] Why is it important for yoga teachers to have insurance, and what gets Beth  excited about her work?

[15:16] What are some considerations with teaching yoga online? Is there a difference between live classes and pre-recorded classes, and does it make a difference who signs up?

[18:42] What can yoga teachers do if they are not able to keep track of who is watching their videos online? Beth and Joe explain how insurance works for yoga teachers going outside their country of coverage.

[24:02] Beth clarifies how it would work if a yoga teacher who has international web-based consulting coverage posts a video on Instagram and someone from a different country watches it and gets hurt as a result.

[25:37] It is hard to provide blanket statements about which specific situations are covered and which aren't, so it would be best to check with your local advisor for any specific cases you are concerned about.

[27:21] What should yoga teachers be aware of if they are planning to travel to another country to host a yoga teacher training or retreat?

[29:22] If a yoga teacher is planning to relocate to another country, should they look into insurance before traveling or should they wait to get to their new location?

[31:17] Shannon pops in with a quick note about the sponsor, OfferingTree.

[33:44] What are the steps a yoga teacher should take if they are planning to go away for a whole year to teach yoga abroad? How is it different if they're relocating?

[37:14] What are some other things yoga teachers should know about teaching online to people outside their country?

[41:02] What has changed with waivers because of Covid?

[48:09] Joe offers his clients a template of a waiver when they enroll into his program as well as other helpful resources available on the website.

[50:45] If you are based in Canada and you work with Beth and her team, you will have 24/7 access to a group of lawyers.

[53:30] If you are in the US, find out more about getting yoga teacher insurance with BeYogi and in Canada, do check in with Beth for your best options!

[55:00] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this interview.



Links:

 

Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree.

 

Quotes from this episode:

"Yoga insurance or liability insurance for yoga instructors, it's ultimately all designed for protection." - Joe Fagan

 

"We are definitely heading into a new age of claims, so it's good to make sure that [yoga teachers are] properly covered for it."

 

"It's very crucial to any type of online environment to have some type of disclaimer or waiver that can be signed before admitting somebody into that." - Joe

 

"It's always a good idea - whatever event you're doing, if it's outside of your normal scope of practice - to talk to an agent." - Joe

 

"Make sure that we know every single detail of your business structure because that's the only way that we can properly make sure that you're insured." - Beth

 

Aug 22, 2022

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

286: Yoga Around the World with Lily Allen-Duenas

 

Description:

Have you ever wanted to teach yoga around the world but weren’t sure where to get started? Perhaps you have wondered how the yoga community differs from country to country. Lily Allen-Duenas shares her insights as a yoga teacher who travels the world and also as a podcaster who has interacted with yoga teachers and students from all around the globe.

 

Lily Allen-Duenas is an international yoga and meditation instructor, a holistic health and wellness coach, and a Reiki master healer. She strives to help people reduce their emotional overload, and find balance, breath, and space for self-care. Lily is the founder of the Wild Yoga Tribe and the host of the Wild Yoga Tribe podcast. She has taught yoga classes and wellness workshops all over the world.

 

In this episode, Lily shares some of her tips for getting started with teaching yoga while traveling the world and the different things she has learned about different cultures in different countries. Lily offers suggestions on how to find and secure yoga jobs abroad and what to look out for to avoid scams. As a writer and marketer, Lily also has some great strategies around her podcast marketing strategy and navigating social media.

 

Key Takeaways:

[1:11] Shannon shares one of the resources she is learning from about social justice.

[4:07] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Lily Allen-Duenas

[7:34] What does Lily do and who does she do it for?

[10:17] What are some differences Lily has observed in talking with yoga teachers around the world?

[12:06] What is something surprising that Lily has learned about different cultures as she interviews different yoga teachers?

[15:54] Interacting with people from different cultures or backgrounds can challenge out preconceived notions.

[17:37] What is Lily's advice for people who want to travel and teach yoga? How can they do that?

[24:06] Lily walks us through some of her podcast marketing strategies.

[29:24] Shannon pops in with a message about OfferingTree.

[31:33] What are Lily's tips for staying on track with her marketing strategy for her podcast?

[35:16] Lily shares her biggest tips to make marketing on Instagram easier for yoga teachers.

[40:28] Shannon and Lily discuss having boundaries on social media and showing up authentically.

[47:01] Find out more about Lily and her work via her podcast, website, and social media.

[51:52] Shannon shares her key takeaways from this episode as well as some other resources for listeners.



Links:

 

Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree.

 

Quotes from this episode:

"How do I find work and especially if I want to do it in a different country, it can seem really difficult."

 

"I think we're in a smaller world than we've ever been in before and ... I just love the possibilities."

 

“[For marketing,] I think it's important to have that routine and the rhythm and then of course to do it in a way that feels mission aligned."

 

"Sharing anything and everything you can think of related to your niche and then doing that in a way that really serves your audience will help of course grow the community."



Aug 15, 2022

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

285: Mental Health Aware Yoga with Dr. Lauren Tober

 

Description:

Nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness and 1 in 3 Canadians will be affected by a mental illness during their lifetime. Globally, there is an upward trend in the number of people living with and impacted by mental health conditions. This means we may have students in our classes with mental health conditions that we don’t know about. How can we best support these students within our scope of practice? Dr. Lauren Tober shares more.

 

Dr Lauren Tober is a Clinical Psychologist, Yoga Teacher and certified iRest Meditation Teacher with a passion for health, healing, happiness and awakening. She is the founder of Awake Psychology, an online Australia-wide psychology practice, the Centre for Mind Body Wellness in Mullumbimby (Australia) and teaches Yoga Teachers around the world about mental health with the Mental Health Aware Yoga training. Lauren has also created several acclaimed online courses, and her work has been featured in many publications.

 

Lauren explains what is and isn’t in our scope of practice as yoga teachers when it comes to mental health, and how we can support people with mental health conditions without overstepping our boundaries. Lauren also offers tips on what to do when someone cries in a yoga class, how to create a safe container in a yoga class that may have students with mental health issues we don’t know about, and how we can support students outside of yoga.

 

Key Takeaways:

[2:13] Shannon shares a book she is learning a lot from - One Native Life by Richard Wagamese.

[4:44] Shannon has a few announcements to share about upcoming events and offerings.

[8:16] Shannon introduces the guest for this episode - Dr. Lauren Tober.

[11:36] What does Lauren do and who does she do it for?

[13:23 - 13:24] Lauren reminds us that we may not know when our students are going through mental health challenges.

[15:55] What lies within the scope of practice for yoga teachers when it comes to helping people with their mental health?

[18:41] Lauren works with yoga teachers around mental health to give them enough information to help their students.

[21:17] It is common for people to break down and cry in yoga classes. What should yoga teachers do in that moment?

[26:34] What might Lauren say to someone who cried during the yoga class to check in with them at the end of the class?

[27:39] What should yoga teachers do if students start to open up about their struggles or mental health challenges?

[30:06] Lauren recommends having a list of professionals you can refer people to - e.g. doctors, naturopaths, psychologists.

[34:13] What is something related to mental health challenges that Lauren wishes yoga teachers knew.

[38:12] What are Lauren's thoughts on using touch in a yoga class?

[43:49] Shannon pops in with a warning about strong language.

[45:12] Shannon gives a shout out to sponsor OfferingTree.

[48:42] There is a common misconception among yoga teachers that if you do enough yoga, you don't need any mental health support. Lauren shares her thoughts on this.

[54:01] Find out more about Lauren and her work on her website and check out her special website around yoga for mental health.

[56:09] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this interview.

 

Links:

 

Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree.

 

Quotes from this episode:

"We don't necessarily know someone is going through stuff, [or] going through some mental health challenges."

 

"You need to really get clear on what your scope of practice is and make sure you stay within that and if you feel tempted to do some counseling or offer massage or whatever it is, … go and get some training in that area so you can broaden your scope of practice and include that in your offering."

 

"Yoga has an amazing role to play in terms of supporting mental wellness and supporting people who are going through mental health challenges."

 

"Supporting somebody going through mental health challenges is creating a space where someone can come and feel safe. "

 

"To be present with someone else, from one human being to another human being, to be really present is such a gift."

 

"Having conversations about consent and touch is really powerful."

 

Aug 8, 2022

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

284: Beyond Pronouns and Pride Month with Shannon Crow

 

Description:

How can we make our yoga classes more inclusive and accessible? The truth is, sometimes we can mess up and make mistakes even when we try to create safer spaces in our yoga classes. We may cause harm without realizing it - that’s why it is a huge gift when someone points out how we are causing harm.

 

The work of continuous learning goes beyond simply using the right pronouns and extends far beyond Pride month. These are complex and nuanced issues - we have to strive to continuously educate ourselves. In this episode, Shannon Crow shares the email from a listener that inspired this conversation as well as resources for you if you are keen to continue learning how to create safer, more accessible yoga spaces for people in the LGBTQIA+ community.

 

Key Takeaways:

[3:24] Shannon shares a book she has been enjoying and learning from recently.

[6:56] This episode was inspired by a brave email sent by a podcast listener in response to Episode 275 about being kicked out of yoga class.

[9:00] Shannon shares the email from the listener.

[10:44] Even when we want to create safe spaces, we may not succeed. We may also cause harm to others and it is a huge gift when they communicate that with us.

[11:58] Our continuous learning journey goes beyond Pride month.

[13:03] We can spread our learning and collaboration requests out to span the entire year, instead of just in Pride month.

[14:12 Shannon has some resources for you if you want to create an inclusive yoga space in all months of the year, not just in June.

[20:54 - 20:59] Shannon shares what OfferingTree is putting together for yoga studios.

[22:43] Shannon highlights some of the podcast episodes listeners can learn from as well as trainings available.

[27:50] We can all learn from each other if we're willing to share and be vulnerable about where we messed up.



Links:

 

 

Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree.

 

Quotes from this episode:

"This continuous learning journey, I really think this goes beyond Pride Month."

 

"Please don't be the business that sticks a pride flag on their website in june only to then take it down and forget all about the social justice issue the rest of the year."

 

"It is very nuanced and it's like we don't know what we don't know and in the meantime we might be causing harm."

 

Aug 1, 2022

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

283: Teach Yoga Without Demos with Francesca Cervero

 

Description:

Do you demonstrate yoga asanas when you teach? Do you wish you could do fewer demos in a class but don’t know how? How can we start doing that in our classes? Francesca Cervero explains how she teaches yoga without demos and how other yoga teachers can too.

 

Francesca Cervero has been teaching yoga full-time since 2005. Inspired by her foundational training at OM Yoga Center, the years she spent as a dancer, and subsequently in physical therapy, Francesca’s teaching is also influenced by her love of Buddhist teachings and a constant curiosity about anatomy and biomechanics. Francesca offers private 1:1 yoga classes, mentors yoga teachers in The Science of the Private Lesson™, hosts the podcast The Mentor Sessions: Support & Strategy for Yoga Teachers, and is the founder of the adjoining community, The Mentor Sessions Sangha.

 

Francesca explains the benefits of teaching without demos and how we can start to teach without doing demos in yoga classes. She shares her tips like sitting on your hands while teaching and how to cue effectively as well as how to ease the transition if you currently rely on demos to teach. Francesca also shares how she counters pushback like “people are visual learners” and what to do when accessibility is a factor and we need to share demos.

 

Key Takeaways:

[2:13] Shannon shares a podcast she is learning from.

[6:13] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Francesca Cervero.

[10:05] Shannon gives a shout out to the sponsor, OfferingTree.

[12:48] What does Francesca do and who does she do it for?

[14:18] What does Francesca do in terms of demonstrations vs no demonstrations as she is teaching.

[16:43] What are some of the benefits of not doing demos?

[19:58] You might feel inclined to demonstrate because you're feeling nervous. Francesca addresses this and shares some tips  that can help.

[25:16] The only way to gain the skills to teach without demonstrating is to practice them.

[27:29] Recording yourself teaching with just your voice can be a helpful technique to get better at teaching without demonstrating.

[30:40] How does Francesca deal with that awkward moment when people in the class are waiting to see a demonstration because that's what they've become used to?

[36:15] Teaching without demonstrating isn't black-and-white. The key is to focus on the student and what cues might help them.

[40:14] Shannon and Francesca discuss the difference between teaching yoga and doing yoga for your own practice.

[41:26] What can yoga teachers do when they're teaching online and their students want to have their video off?

[49:02] Find out more about Francesca and how to work with her via her podcast, mentor sessions, and her community.

[49:34] Francesca addresses two scenarios that yoga teachers may have questions about - teaching beginners without demos and teaching in situations with a language barrier or to people who are deaf and hard of hearing.

[53:01] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this interview with Francesca.

 

Links:

 

Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree.

 

Quotes from this episode:

"It's obviously not sustainable to need to constantly use our body to share information about movement."

 

"When we exclusively use our body to share information about movement, I think that it puts the emphasis or the focus on the aesthetic of the shape rather than the experience or the potential benefit, which will look radically different person to person."

 

"I prefer teaching with my words because I think it places the emphasis for the student more on what they're experiencing as opposed to what their body looks like."

 

"The only way to gain the skills to teach without demonstrating is to practice them."

 

"The real heart of teaching is in relationship. If you can't see them, then that's not there."

 

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