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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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The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
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Now displaying: 2025
Feb 10, 2025

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

390: Yoga for People with Limited Energy with Katie Blecker & Audrey

 

Description:

People with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or other health conditions may have limited energy. As yoga teachers, what are some things we should know when teaching people with limited energy? What are some things that are helpful, and what should we avoid? Katie Blecker and Audrey share their insights as yoga teachers with limited energy.

 

Katie Blecker is a yoga teacher, advocate, and visual artist. Her lived experience with complex chronic illness informs her worldview and inspires her passion for disability advocacy. In her work as a trauma-informed yoga facilitator both online and in-person, Katie focuses on supporting folks who live with chronic illness and pain, disability, and chronic stress using tools such as therapeutic asana, pranayama, and meditation.

 

Audrey also is a yoga teacher and advocate whose experience with complex chronic illnesses informs her way of practising and teaching. As a disabled and neurodivergent person, her philosophy is that the practice will adapt to the person, not the other way around. Audrey devotes herself to sharing the transformational tools of yoga with other people so they too can find a practice that serves them, where community, access, and joy are centred.

 

In this episode, Katie and Audrey share their personal journeys with chronic illness and how these experiences have shaped their inclusive teaching methodologies. They explain what "limited energy" means and how it differs from someone who is simply more tired than usual, and how their own conditions influence their work as yoga teachers. Katie and Audrey also highlight the importance of adapting yoga practices to individual needs, the role of community in fostering a supportive environment for those with chronic conditions, and how yoga teachers can best support people with limited energy.

 

Key Takeaways:

[2:20] Shannon introduces her guests for this episode - Katie Blecker and Audrey.

[8:31] What work does Audrey do and who does she do it for?

[10:21] What does Katie do and who does she do it for?

[11:58] What are CFS and ME? Katie and Audrey share a little about these chronic conditions.

[15:02] What are some things that Audrey has found unhelpful in a yoga class because it does not work well for someone with limited energy?

[19:45] Having limited energy is not just about feeling more tired than usual. Katie explains the distinction.

[23:55] What do yoga teachers who are working with people with limited energy need to know?

[30:48] Shannon pops in to share a little about OfferingTree.

[33:13] Katie invites us to take a step back and reflect on why we might feel the need to "fix" or "help" someone through yoga.

[35:33] What are some of the benefits of yoga for people with limited energy?

[42:15] How do Katie and Audrey show up for their work as yoga teachers as people with limited energy?

[50:21] Find out more about Katie and Audrey's work via their websites and on Instagram.

[54:33] How do Katie and Audrey speak up for social justice when they have limited energy?

[63:13] Speaking up for social justice is not a sprint, it's a marathon, and it is important not to make it a competition.

[70:08] Shannon shares her takeaways from this conversation with Katie and Audrey.

[74:22] Shannon shares a quick personal update.

 

Links:

 

Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree

 

Quotes from this episode:

"Limited energy is like a profound absence of being able to create energy through the body. It's not being tired, it's a severe level of fatigue that can't really be recovered from on a day to day level. ... We start out with almost an impairment in energy on a daily basis." - Katie

 

"First and foremost, remembering that our students are the experts in their own bodies and their own experiences." - Katie

 

"Yoga will not heal or fix any anyone." - Audrey

 

"It's important to look at all of the wonderful practices of yoga and not always focus on Asana and movement." - Audrey

 

Jan 27, 2025

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

389: Cultivating Self-Acceptance with Donna Noble

 

Description:

Sometimes, we can be very hard on ourselves (or others). We may feel we need to change parts of ourselves, look or behave in certain ways, or have certain things in order to be better. How can we overcome this kind of thinking? Donna Noble shares her insights.

 

Donna Noble is a yoga teacher and advocate for inclusivity, accessibility, and diversity in yoga. In her work, she is focused on disrupting the yoga and wellbeing space to make it more inclusive and diverse and is on a mission to create welcoming spaces for everyone—regardless of body type, background, or ability. She aims to bring people who feel unwelcome in mainstream yoga spaces to explore yoga and enjoy its benefits. Donna is also an author and wellbeing coach.

 

In this episode, Donna shares her inspiring journey of using yoga to overcome personal challenges, including Bell’s palsy. She explains her philosophy on self-acceptance, the importance of gratitude in self-love, and the transformative power of mindfulness. Donna also offers some powerful insights about how we can go about addressing unconscious biases and fostering social justice in yoga. 

 

Key Takeaways:

[0:20] Shannon reflects on some of the current crises we are experiencing.

[3:05] Shannon shares a personal anecdote wondering why we are all so hard on ourselves at times.

[4:49] This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree!

[5:28] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Donna Noble.

[6:37] What does Donna do and who does she do it for?

[7:55] What does Donna tell people who think they may be limited in some way so they can't do yoga?

[9:34] What are Donna's thoughts on the topic of self-love?

[11:19] What are some things that helped Donna in accepting her body and in her yoga practice?

[14:52] What practices does Donna suggest for a person who is comparing themselves to others and beating themselves up?

[20:29] Shannon pops in with a message about OfferingTree.

[21:47] Donna clarifies the difference between acknowledging the negative thoughts and working on changing them, and engaging in toxic positivity.

[26:54] Shannon and Donna discuss the internal work that we need to do of looking at our biases and also why it's important not to invalidate other people's experiences even if they are not the same as yours.

[31:59] Donna talks a little about her yoga journey and how and why she become body positive.

[35:33] How did Donna move towards body positivity and self-acceptance?

[38:49] Shannon pops in to share a note about the harm caused by Bikram (the person, not the yoga style).

[40:09] Donna shares how yoga has impacted her life.

[43:02] Shannon and Donna discuss how social justice is a part of yoga.

[45:50] Shannon and Donna reflect on the relationship between self-love and ahimsa.

[47:41] Check out Donna's book and her website to learn more about body positive yoga.

[50:02] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Donna.

 

Links:

 

Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree

 

Quotes from this episode:

"I see that so many people want to do yoga, but because of what the mainstream is saying, they don't think it's for them. So I try to debunk it as much as possible."

 

"If you're doing yoga and you have a body, you have a yoga body."

 

"If we can appreciate our bodies for all the things that it does for us without asking. We become accepting of ourselves and see that we are fine as we are."

 

"A lot of us are out there fighting the good fight and creating the change, and sometimes we don't even realize the impact or the changes that we're making."

 

Jan 13, 2025

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

388: Fertility Yoga with Sherry Longbottom

 

Description:

Global fertility rates have dropped significantly over the past few decades. Many factors influence people’s desire and ability to conceive and bear children, such as stress, lifestyle, and societal shifts. For those wanting to have children but facing challenges, fertility yoga can help in their conception and pregnancy journey. Sherry Longbottom shares her insights about fertility yoga and its benefits.

 

Sherry Longbottom is an author and yoga teacher specializing in fertility, prenatal, and baby and me yoga, with over 20 years of experience. Sherry offers online private and group classes as well as occasional studio pop-ups. She creates supportive spaces for individuals at every stage of their fertility and pregnancy journeys. In her classes, Sherry brings together fertility and prenatal yoga students in unique environment that allows all students to inspire and uplift one another, while supporting each other through the challenging times.

 

In this episode, Sherry shares some of her recommendations for yoga teachers offering support to students on a fertility journey, including recommended poses and poses to avoid. She also offers tips and insights for yoga teachers on class design, pose modifications, and the importance of mindfulness. This conversation is a heartfelt exploration of how yoga can provide both physical and emotional support for those navigating fertility and pregnancy.

 

Key Takeaways:

[1:09] In this episode, Shannon and her guest will be talking about fertility and how yoga can help.

[3:34] Shannon gives a shout out to the sponsor, OfferingTree.

[3:56] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Sherry Longbottom.

[7:04] What is the work that Sherry does and who does she do it for?

[11:08] What are some main things that yoga teachers might need to consider when deciding to offer 1:1 support for someone in the fertility journey vs. adding certain elements to a group class that might benefit them?

[16:42] Does Sherry teach online or in person?

[17:30] Shannon and Sherry discuss the external pressure that people often face when they are trying to conceive.

[20:13] Sherry shares some tips on poses she recommends for people trying to conceive as well as some things to avoid.

[23:23] What are some of Sherry's students' favorite poses in her classes?

[25:51] When people have been on a fertility journey for a while, there can be a lot of fear that arises. How does Sherry support her students through that?

[30:19] How does Sherry navigate both ends of the spectrum in a group setting focused on yoga for fertility i.e. someone getting pregnant vs. someone dealing with loss?

[34:42] Shannon pops in to share a message about using OfferingTree to run your yoga business.

[36:33] Sherry shares a little about her book about fertility yoga and the courses she offers for yoga teachers wanting to teach fertility yoga.

[40:55] What are IVF and IUI?

[43:43] Sherry shares more about the kinds of people who might undergo each procedure (IVF and IUI) that she sees in her classes.

[46:16] How does Sherry facilitate community building in her yoga classes?

[54:17] Connect with Sherry and learn more from her via her website or on social media.

[56:00] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation.

[65:08] Shannon shares a podcast she recently listened to about the topic of fertility.

 

Links:

 

Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree

 

Quotes from this episode:

"Movement is great for your body."

 

"Just having that supportive group of women is key."

 

"There's a lot of things that are out of our control, but at least in this class, the women do feel like they're doing everything that they can do."



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