The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
364: 7 Years of Podcasting with Shannon Crow
It has been 7 years of podcasts on the Connected Yoga Teacher podcast with Shannon Crow. While it is a time of celebrating the consistency and the amazing connections that have come from the podcast, Shannon shares some of her reflections about her recent situation, both personal and on a broader scale.
Shannon has been dealing with emotional heaviness, sadness, and heartbreak, on top of a cold. She shares how current events like what’s happening in Gaza have been affecting her emotions, especially because of the silence of many people in the health and wellness world. She talks about some things that are helping her through this time and how she is working through the anger and emotions she is feeling. Shannon also invites us to explore how we can start seeing the connections between us and how we can support ourselves as we navigate these challenging times.
[0:02] It's the 7th year anniversary of the Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast!
[4:23] This episode is supported by OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals, but you can chip in to keep the podcast going too!
[7:05] Kathleen Pratt shares a little about the upcoming Yoga Series she is hosting in Pelvic Health Professionals - Nourish Your Nervous System.
[9:26] Shannon guides a short breath exercise.
[10:22] Shannon checks in with herself. In addition to dealing with a cold she has been feeling some heaviness, sadness, and heartbreak.
[15:14] Shannon has also been feeling angry about the silence from many people in the health and wellness world.
[18:13] One thing that has made a difference for Shannon is seeing the yoga teachers who are speaking up and supporting the Palestinian cause.
[21:06] Shannon talks about some ways she is working on processing her anger.
[25:10] Shannon shares two messages that have held her and kept her steady.
[27:39] Shannon gives a shout out to Jivana Heyman's upcoming collaboration with OfferingTree - Chair Yoga is Real Yoga.
[29:22] Shannon reads another message she received after sharing Rula's episode.
[34:14] How can we start seeing the connections between us?
[37:08] The upcoming yoga series, Nourish Your Nervous System, is a great course for anyone who has been feeling stressed.
[38:33] Shannon shares some other upcoming events and offerings you can check out.
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 361: Connect to Nature and Your Roots with Tracee Stanley
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast: Yoga for Peace with Shannon Crow [BONUS EPISODE]
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 359: Ahimsa in Times of Conflict with Rula Wardeh
Nourish Your Nervous System, 6-Week Online Series with Kathleen Pratt in Pelvic Health Professionals
Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals.
"I am so grateful to those of you who listen to multiple episodes. It's really a complete honor and the podcast exists because of you."
"I want to be able to speak up against harm and oppression because I feel like that's part of yoga."
"We can speak up and make mistakes and be in community."
"In society, we are not taught to get comfortable with anger."
"I am just so grateful when I see a comment on a post that we've made or a podcast that we've done or a message in support of the work that we're doing here on the podcast."
"In these connections, we realize how connected we really are."
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
363: Build a Full-Time Yoga Career with Mary Reddinger
Teaching private yoga is a topic that often comes among yoga teachers. Questions like about finding and retaining private students, the difference between group classes and private sessions, and how to make sure private students are getting what they need are common. Mary Reddinger shares her insights.
Mary is a full-time yoga teacher and mother to two boys, ages 9 and 5. Mary has practiced yoga on and off for many years, but integrated it into her life after her first pregnancy when she started really seeing the benefits of yoga. Mary also shares a little about her journey to working with perinatal students – she currently teaches prenatal yoga, postnatal yoga and private lessons. In addition to her yoga teacher training, Mary has also studied under Francesca Cervero about The Science of the Private Lesson.
In this episode, Mary gives us a detailed look at her full-time yoga career as a private yoga teacher. She shares how she got started teaching private yoga lessons, what helped her retain her students, how she structures classes with private students and how she manages her schedule as a mother and yoga teacher. Tune in to learn all about the art of teaching private yoga lessons.
[0:17] Hang out with this episode's guest, Mary Reddinger, in Pelvic Health Professionals!
[3:08] This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals!
[3:44] Check out the upcoming yoga series with Kathleen Pratt - Nourish Your Nervous System.
[6:16] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Mary Reddinger.
[10:53] What does Mary do and who does she do it for?
[11:55] How did Mary build up her private classes as her main business? How did private students find her?
[14:37] What challenges did Mary face after she completed her yoga teacher training in teaching 1:1?
[16:43] What did Mary find were the best ways to get the initial few students booked?
[17:44] How has Mary managed client retention after the initial set of sessions with a student?
[21:49] Does Mary do mostly online or in-person classes?
[22:47] What makes Mary's private sessions different from the group classes?
[26:02] Shannon pops in to share some exciting news about OfferingTree.
[27:59] Does Mary take notes when she is teaching 1:1?
[29:13] Mary explains why she goes to the student's home rather than having them come to her or meeting at a studio.
[34:00] What kind of responses or feedback does Mary get from her students about private sessions?
[38:03] How does Mary manage her schedule and find balance between teaching yoga and showing up for her family?
[43:06] Find out more about Mary and her work via her website.
[43:06] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Mary.
[50:15] If you would like to support the podcast, do leave a review or make a financial contribution!
Previous Podcast Episodes about Private Yoga:
132: Marketing to Increase Private Bookings with Amanda Mays [Consultation Call]
081: Set Up to Teach Private Yoga [Consultation Call] with Stephanie Brunson
014: Build Your Private Yoga Business with Kate Connell Potts
Nourish Your Nervous System, 6-Week Online Series with Kathleen Pratt in Pelvic Health Professionals
Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals.
"The number one thing I have done to create a full schedule of private students is to tell people that I am a private yoga teacher."
"A lot of yoga teachers do not share that private sessions are something they offer."
"Really the first year of working with a new private student, it's about building your relationship with them and it's about building trust."
"Part of yoga as a practice is noticing what comes up when we are distracted and then what do we need to do to come back."
"In terms of what we're teaching, you can truly make a yoga practice that serves that student that day in the body and the mind they are showing up with that day."
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
362: Yoga in Times of War & Violence with Molly Nixon
Over 110 million individuals have been forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations. As yoga teachers, we might be seeing people who are refugees in our yoga classes — and we need to know how we can support them, even if we don’t know their status. Molly Nixon shares her perspective and experience about how yoga can support us in times of war & violence.
Molly Nixon is the Director and Trainer for Yoga Mandala Project, a grassroots initiative cultivating a community of care among refugees and those serving them around the world while providing tools to support mental-health through yoga and other embodied modalities. As a trauma-informed yoga teacher and teacher trainer, Molly believes yoga is an effective way to support the well-being of refugee communities, and can help to foster dignity, compassion and a sense of a shared humanity. She has spent the past eight years weaving together her passions for yoga, travel and service in the heart of the humanitarian sector while co-creating sustainable projects in Greece, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq.
In this episode, Molly shares her experience of losing her closest friend to violence in the Middle East and how yoga not only supported her in dealing with the grief and trauma in that moment, but also moved her to bring the healing tools of yoga to refugees, genocide survivors, and aid workers. She explains how supporting refugee communities is part of yoga and how we can help, even if we don’t have plans to move to a refugee community and start teaching yoga. Tune in to find out how you can support the work of the Yoga Mandala Project and more.
[0:07] This episode goes beyond just teaching yoga in refugee communities.
[4:54] Shannon introduces herself and gives a shout out to sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals.
[7:32] Kathleen Pratt shares about the upcoming yoga series in Pelvic Health Professionals: Nourish Your Nervous System
[8:50] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Molly Nixon.
[10:45] What does Molly do and who does she do it for?
[12:12] What does it look like when Molly goes to a refugee camp?
[14:11] Molly shares a little about how she started doing this work.
[16:09] Yoga supported Molly through the grief and trauma of losing her friend to violence in Syria.
[16:58] How did Molly deal with people in her life who were discouraging her from doing this work?
[18:42] Molly provides some context about how yoga teachers partner with the Yoga Mandala Project.
[23:20] Connections can be really powerful. Molly shares a little about why connection is a part of the mission of Yoga Mandala Project.
[26:44] In light of what is happening in Gaza, Palestine, what is Molly's response to people who are saying that we should be focusing more on the hostages instead of what the people of Gaza are experiencing?
[30:50] How is all of this related to yoga?
[33:30] Shannon pops in with a quick message about OfferingTree - especially if you dread updating or working on your website!
[34:53] How can you sign up for a trauma-informed training? How relevant is it to yoga teachers?
[39:08] Shannon and Molly discuss what people who are menstruating in Gaza are going through now with no access to menstruation products.
[41:15] What would Molly say to someone who says all this information about Gaza is triggering?
[46:39] What was one thing from yoga that helped Molly in the aftermath of her friend being taken?
[50:42] Connect with Molly via the Yoga Mandala Project website or email.
[52:45] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Molly.
[54:58] Come hang out in real time in the Pelvic Health Professionals membership!
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode: Yoga for Peace with Shannon Crow [BONUS EPISODE]
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 359: Ahimsa in Times of Conflict with Rula Wardeh
Nourish Your Nervous System, 6-Week Online Series with Kathleen Pratt in Pelvic Health Professionals
Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals.
"The intention behind our work is to create ... community and a culture of care among those experiencing war and violence."
"For me, it really comes down to looking at the intentions of yoga and offering that and making it accessible to people experiencing stress and other impacts of trauma."
"There's all sorts of ways to make a difference even if you can't be on the ground in a refugee camp."
"I think connection is the only way forward for humanity."
"Yoga is not about gymnastics on the yoga mat. It's about living these, living the Yamas and the Niyamas."
The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
361: Connect to Nature & Your Roots with Tracee Stanley
What is our relationship with nature? How do we connect to our roots and our ancestors? Why is all of this important and relevant to yoga? Tracee Stanley shares her insights.
Tracee Stanley is the author of Radiant Rest: Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation and Awakened Clarity and The Luminous Self: Sacred Yogic Practices & Rituals to Remember Who You Are. She is also the founder of Empowered Life Circle, a sacred community and portal of practices, rituals, and Tantric teachings. Tracee is devoted to sharing the wisdom of yoga nidra, rest, meditation, self-inquiry, nature as a teacher, and ancestor reverence.
In this episode, Tracee talks about her journey in seeking a place beyond all sorrow through yoga, and how this is different from turning inward and blocking out external suffering of others. She also shares her perspective on our relationship to nature, how to change it into one of reciprocity and cultivate a real connection through rituals. Tracee also explains our deep connection to our ancestors and how we can tap into their wisdom and learn from them through our practice.
[1:10] A snippet from this interview with Tracee Stanley about how nature can help us, our loved ones, and our communities.
[1:42] Shannon expresses gratitude to Tracee for not shying away from some tough questions and gives a brief introduction to herself and her work.
[6:10] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Tracee Stanley.
[8:28] What does Tracee do and who does she do it for?
[11:59] Tracee shares a little about turning inward to find this place beyond sorrow, and how it is different from simply ignoring what is going on in the world.
[14:50] What is the place that is beyond all sorrows?
[16:23] How does getting out in nature help people come back to themselves?
[19:21] What are some of the rituals and practices to start connecting with and being in a reciprocal relationship with nature?
[21:27] Shannon reflects on how her relationship with her garden has changed since 2020.
[27:11] Shannon pops in with a message about OfferingTree.
[28:38] Tracee talks a little about our connection to our ancestors.
[32:05] Tracee shares her experience of connecting to her ancestral realm.
[36:22] Shannon talks about looking up her own settler ancestry. Tracee reflects back some insights about this process of reclaiming our roots.
[41:09] What are some of the rituals that Tracee does now that help her?
[44:35] Check out Tracee's book on her website.
[45:06] Tracee has some final words of advice for people who are feeling worn out.
[46:28] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Tracee.
[48:39] What's coming up in Pelvic Health Professionals and the podcast?
Radiant Rest: Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation & Awakened Clarity by Tracee Stanley
THE LUMINOUS SELF: Sacred Yogic Practices and Rituals to Remember Who You Are, by Tracee Stanley
Yoga During a Pelvic Cancer Diagnosis: 6-Week Online Series with Tyla Arnason (she/her)
Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree and Pelvic Health Professionals.
"If we know that we can also touch into a place that can be revealed to us through stillness and practice. That to me is very hopeful because it becomes an inner resource that we can always go to."
"One of the things that happens when we want to look away and pretend it's not happening is that we're not acknowledging this idea that we are all connected."
"We actually, as human beings, have to take this respite of rest at some point, whether it's seasonal or whether it's during the day or whether it's because the cycle of the news has carried us to a place where we need to take a moment or a day to rest or more than one or two days. But we have to listen."
"Can we, instead of resisting this cold, resisting this time of fallowness, can we welcome the beauty that the snow brings and the cold brings?"
"For most of us, I think that has been lost or forgotten or we feel that it's not important. And yet all of the prayers of our ancestors, all of their memories, all of their knowledge is living in our DNA and it's part of who we are."
"I can't tell anybody what to do. This is why practice is so important because practice, when we get still and silent and we rest, gives us the answer of what is ours to do."
"It really doesn't have to be big, but one little increment of movement in a positive direction can be so helpful."
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What is our relationship with nature? How do we connect to our roots and our ancestors? Why is all of this important and relevant to yoga? Tracee Stanley (she/her) addresses these questions and shares insights about rituals we can practice to go deeper.