Chrissie Wywrot has had 10 years of digital marketing and public relations experience that began with her work in the NFL. She grew up the South of Detroit in a small town and has always been passionate about sports.
Chrissie’s career path is an excellent example of finding your niche, a topic that has been interwoven into many of our episodes. After college, Chrissie pursued her passion for sports by working for the Detroit Lions in guest services. Having an interest in public relations inspired her to work her way to managing their website. Website development included a lot of writing, graphics, photography and social media.
Niching down further, Chrissie left the world of sports in 2014 to focus on guiding service-based businesses toward utilizing social media in the most effective way. Chrissie, a self-proclaimed “social media nerd”, gets to focus on her favourite aspect of public relations. And, as a mother of 3, she appreciates being able to establish a more flexible work schedule by working for herself.
Chrissie emphasizes authenticity, passion, and depth as the key elements needed for a productive online presence.
Today Chrissie is going to give us insight into Linkedin, a professional networking site, used by employers and job seekers, where valuable connections can be made.
Chrissie’s journey into social media 6:20
Define your goal before deciding what social media tools best work for you 13:10
How to use LinkedIn as a social media tool 15:10
Using native content in LinkedIn and gearing your profile to your audience(s) 17:30
Definition of native content 18:40
The biggest mistakes you can make using LinkedIn 19:45
New and updated LinkedIn since purchase by Microsoft and Advantages of LinkedIn vs. Facebook 20:50
Importance of planning out your LinkedIn profile 21:50
Opportunities for yoga teachers in the corporate yoga niche 23:00
Using the sales navigator tool 24:00
Advice to reluctant social media users 25:10
What to expect when working with a social media expert, like Chrissie, to optimize your LinkedIn profile 26:10
Customize shared content toward your business 31:10
Leaving your LinkedIn profile open in all settings to best connect with others 32:45
Third party scheduling tool- Buffer 34:00
How many times a week should you check up on your LinkedIn profile 34:45
Being consistent in your engagement with potential clients 35:30
Specific advice to yoga teachers when engaging in social media “7 touch points” 35:15
Building relevant connections on LinkedIn and consider connecting using personal notes 38:00
Marketing yourself as a yoga teacher 39:45
Shannon’s closing thoughts 41:50
We’ve learned so much from Chrissie Wywrot in this episode including LinkedIn’s ability to gain more traction with your content than Facebook. If you don’t have a website it is a great alternative!
What LinkedIn action are you going to tackle this week? If LinkedIn isn’t your channel is there another platform you can look at? Consider writing an article which can really help bring people to your profile, and also consider scheduling time each week to work on your content.
Links
Article: What to Do on LinkedIn When You Have Little Time for LinkedIn by Chrissie Wywrot
Buffer: Social Media Management Tool
The Connected Teacher Facebook Group
The Connected Yoga Teacher: Home page
Course: The Connected Yoga Teacher: Define Your Yoga Niche (September 2017)
Shannon welcomes Carol Cox, the founder of Speaking Your Brand and who we can safely say is an expert speaker.
Carol engages her audience through various mediums including her podcasts, University classes and as a tv political analyst.
Speaking Your Brand’s services are aimed at women in business who are looking to develop their brand. Carol explains that through authentic engagement and clarifying your purpose you can connect with those who will most benefit from your services.
She shares her insights into successful public speaking, which may be something you have never considered as a yoga teacher.
Carol discusses the benefits of public speaking and graciously provides us with PDF worksheets: Step-By-Step Framework to Persuade Your Audience to Action which take you through the process of preparing a talk. From “Find Your Why” to “Outline Your Persuasive Message” the steps will ensure you’re thoroughly prepared for your public speaking debut.
5:10 Carol’s relationship with yoga
6:35 Mindful practices that she engages before public speaking- it is normal to be nervous!
8:00 Clarifying your Core Message
15:00 Finding your Niche
20:00 Public speaking- often an untapped area in the yoga profession
22:50 Tools to craft a speech- your “signature talk”
24:25 How much self-promotion can or should be included in the talk?
26:50 Storytelling and engaging your audience on a personal level
29:30 Should there be a line between political and personal beliefs and your professional life?
33:45 Carol’s last words of wisdom
35:40 Shannon’s closing thoughts
Carol’s Website: Speaking Your Brand
PDF: Step-By-Step Framework to Persuade Your Audience to Action by Carol Cox
Podcast: Speaking Your Brand or search and subscribe on iTunes
PDF: The Hero’s Journey
The Hero's Journey Outline by Storytech Literary Consulting
Course: Define Your Yoga Niche Workshop with Shannon Crow
Join The Connected Teacher Facebook Group
“If your message is for everyone it really is for no one”- Carol Cox
It’s been quite a journey so far for The Connected Yoga Teacher community. Shannon’s goal to create a community for yoga teachers to share ideas, build knowledge, and support one another has grown into something really beautiful. She has been touched by all of your contributions.
On today’s episode Shannon shares her tools for keeping herself on track as her consulting work and The Connected Yoga Teacher community grows.
From online tools that help her organize her Facebook posts, design graphics, manage her business finances to writing in a bullet journal, Shannon uses these 6 resources every day.
Each online tool has a free version.
5:15 Bullet Journal
7:40 Schedulicity
8:55 Canva
10:55 Pixabay
12:25 Trello
16:50 Wave
Tools:
- no need to get a fancy one
- index component is helpful to find sections quickly
- helpful to have everything in one spot
- this company has progressed quickly, adding more features often
- great customer service
- this online resource has recently added the option of
accepting automatic payments from your clients
3.Canva
- online, easy to use, beginner friendly
- a number of graphic design projects like posters, social
media graphics, banners and more
- tutorials and lots of templates
Article: 6 TIps to Create a Great Poster by Shannon Crow
- new images added often
- can make boards, lists, save images, even design posts away from the distraction of social media
- professional looking invoices that can be sent out via email
- helps with the financial goals, helps prevent you from “burying your head in the sand” so you can see the progression of your endeavor so you can feel confident and empowered
- helps separate personal expenses from business expenses and income
There are lots of resources that can help you in your yoga businesses. Start with just one to avoid feeling overwhelmed and see how it can be tailored to work for you.
Join the conversation in our supportive The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group.
Share any tools you find helpful in the comments section below or let us know if you’ve tried one of these tools and how it worked for you.
Thank you to Laura for creating the show notes each week and to Rob for editing the audio.
Andrea Peloso asks us to delve a little deeper into the meaning and benefits of Restorative Yoga. As an experienced yoga teacher who practices and teaches from a variety of disciplines, it is Restorative Yoga that she holds close to her heart.
Andrea’s passion for Restorative Yoga and its innumerous benefits, along with lifelong learning and a desire to create an inclusive yoga environment shines through in her discussion with Shannon.
Andrea has been teaching for 15 years. She has over 1700 hours of yoga teacher training, including studies with respected elder yoga teacher Judith Hanson Lasatar.
Andrea met with Judith at a time when Andrea was experiencing back pain and fatigue.
It didn’t take Andrea long to focus on sharing with others the incredible benefits of yoga. She has taught across Canada, The United States, and Japan.
Andrea holds a honours degree in Philosophy and Women’s Studies and has studied Eastern and Indian Philosophy.
5:00 Andrea’s perspective on fostering community in the yoga world
8:50 Importance and definition of Restorative Yoga
9:10 Effect on parasympathetic nervous system
10:25 Andrea’s yoga journey
13:40 The difference between Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga
17:50 Are props necessary for Restorative Yoga?
21:15 Creating a safe space for our yoga students- before, during and after class
28:00 Music or no music for a restorative class?
35:00 Verbal cues in Restorative Yoga
38:30 How to study with Andrea
39:10 How Restorative Yoga has helped Andrea in her own life.
40:45 Practicing kindness to self
Links
40-Hour Restorative Training with Andrea
Andrea's Know Thy Hips Workshop at Tone Studio in Owen Sound, Ontario
Youtube Video: All is Love by Bjork
The Connected Teacher Facebook Group
Quotes
“Restorative Yoga is the use of props to support the body in such a way that elicits a healing response. The response should be a deep relaxation- the deeper the better so we are actually stimulating our deep parasympathetic nervous system when we do this practice. The parasympathetic nervous system is in charge of everything that makes life wonderful and long: fertility, digestion, immunity, relaxed diaphragmatic breathing, the body healing itself internally, lower blood pressure, etc. etc.” ~ Andrea Peloso
"Safety is about physical space, also a relational space where we can be ourselves, disagree, and say no in the company of our teachers. It is also a space where we will not have to experience once again prejudice or negative stereotyping that we may experience it in the world at large. Needless to say to be a yoga teacher who creates safer spaces is to be one who continues to educate themselves about what it is like to be human being with different sets of life circumstances than their own.” ~ Andrea Peloso
Today Shannon shares with you a consultation call with one of her clients, Brittany Alred. Brittany is a yoga teacher who is brand new to teaching. Brittany’s question for Shannon is regarding cueing. She knows she would like to move forward from demonstrating to using verbal cues to guide her students but is unsure of where to start.
Brittany lives in northern Alabama and has a couple of yoga classes under her belt. She began taking yoga classes in Colorado when a work colleague asked her to accompany her to a class. As a skier Brittany found yoga incredibly helpful to help protect her knees and mental well being and it has been a big part of her life since.
5:10 Brittany’s question: What is the best way to cue my students? Do I need to demonstrate the poses for the class?
8:05 Benefits of verbal cueing
8:50 Record yourself doing cues and then take your own class
9:10 Write cues as you watch a yoga video on mute and be a student for your own class
10:00 Students don’t expect perfect cueing, “mistakes” can provide moments of levity
10:35 Start with a pose you feel confident cueing, have students lying on their back and observe if your cueing is effective
11:20 Cueing and assisting the elderly
13:40 Know that most students may not share where they are sore but most have something going on physically and/or emotionally
14:10 It is not your job to “fix” anything, empower your clients to take charge of their health and make a reference list for physiotherapists or other health care providers
15:15 Props are helpful
16:00 Finding your unique cueing voice
17:10 Using your personal yoga practice to develop your cues -how does the pose feel for you? -what images come to mind?
18:10 Should poetic language be used?
19:10 Thoughts on cueing from Trevor Parks, a fellow yoga teacher and member of TCYT
20:10 Benefits of watching online classes to develop your cues, learn new poses
21:00 Preventing yoga burnout- immerse yourself in your personal yoga practice, remember why you started teaching yoga
23:50 Keep reaching out for support from other teachers, groups, and your students
24:45 Using consent cards for assists
26:10 Brittany’s goals moving forward
28:00 Shannon summarizes key points:
Words of wisdom regarding cueing from fellow The Connected Yoga Teacher group member, Trevor Parks:
“I think a good teacher speaks a bit poetic with great elegance. One of my friends was an Anasura teacher (they seem to have speech down, so I'll relay what he was taught) In his teacher training, they made a "word bank" of words that were elevating and uplifting, but still unique to them. They, would then, weave those words into verbal cues, and come up with alignment cues that didn't use anatomy jargon. He also said explain everything in the least amount of words possible, and never give a cue over eight words.
But, those are just suggestions, it also depends on your theme, style, lineage, pace, etc. Just know finding your voice takes time and be patient! "Do your practice, all is coming!" Congratulations on your first class!”
Book: Art of Attention: A Yoga Practice Workbook for Movement as Meditation
by Elena Brower
Podcast: The Connected Yoga Teacher Episode 015: Molly Kitchen Consent Cards
In episode 17, Shannon welcomes Julia Khafizov who shares her perspective as a yoga teacher on chronic pain and its fascinating link to the nervous system.
Julia immersed herself in yoga 15 years ago when her chronic back pain led her on a search for relief. She further injured her hamstrings while taking her yoga teacher training and subsequently worked with physiotherapists for 2 years, noticing that her injuries were not repairing well. Luckily, Julia found a physiotherapist that she describes as having a “global approach” that takes into consideration the effect the nervous system has on pain production.
Symptoms such as insomnia, bouts of anxiety, and digestive issues were all indications that Julia needed to incorporate nervous system training in addition to her structural training when it came to pain management.
Julia currently lives in Grand Prairie, Alberta where she teaches private and group pain care classes that incorporate other facets of yoga such as meditation and Yin.
2:15 Julia’s background
4:40 Julia’s introduction to yoga and how she began specializing in pain care
8:00 Nervous system training
9:45 Neuroscience education and its ability to relieve chronic pain
10:55 Neil Pearson’s concept of intellectual engagement along with movement in the treatment of chronic pain
12:45 The measurable changes in neurochemistry when an educational component is introduced
13:45 Matthew Ramski’s contribution to the discussion of pain by asking where our concept of modern yoga originates, how we teach, how we cue, etc.
15:40 How asking students to move deeper into a pose can be problematic
18:30 Questions to ask prospective students with chronic pain, red flags, and being open to the possibility your class may not be suitable
20:00 Julia’s group and private pain care classes and advice on helping someone with chronic pain in a yoga setting
23:00 Importance of using techniques to calm the nervous system which include mindfulness, meditation, and breathwork
23:55 “Are you Highly Sensitive?” test by Elaine N. Aron is helpful in determining the degree of sensitivity of your client and the importance of being aware of the “loop of chronic pain” in relation to sensitivity
25:55 Complex techniques to de-regulate the nervous system
27:45 Are the techniques effective if your client can’t lie down?
28:45 Julia’s suggestions for pain care teacher training
30:25 General messages to relay to your class when focused on pain care
32:00 Asking students if they feel safe rather than if something hurts, understanding the mind/body disconnect with students who experience chronic pain
35:45 The importance of emotional safety, that there is a connection between bodily pain and emotional pain and trauma
37:00 Julia’s go-to technique for calming the nervous system and pain relief
37:10 Advice to yoga teachers: “Pain is our friend”
43:00 Shannon's summary and takeaways from the interview including additional techniques when working with students with chronic pain
E-book gift: Pain Care Workbook by Julia Khavizof
Book: Painful Yarns: Metaphors and Stories to Help Understand the Biology of Pain by Lorimer Mosely
Youtube Video: Ted Talk- Why Things Hurt
"Are You Highly Sensitive?" test by Elaine N. Aron
Pain Management Training:
Bo Forbes: Yoga, Mindfulness, Neuroscience, the Body and Contemplative Practice Course
Neil Pearson's Pain Care Workshops
Matthew Ramsky's Online Course: What are we Actually Doing in Asana?
Podcast: Episode 003 TCYT: Trauma Training for Everyone With Margaret Howard
On today’s episode Shannon shares her experience with creating a yoga teacher website and the 5 pages that she has found important to include so that content is clear and concise.
No matter where you are in the process of building a website, including these five pages will help you design or refresh your online content.
Your home page is what website visitors usually see first. People are busy and they don’t stay long on a website page. The key elements of this page may include:
Action step: Look for websites you’ve been drawn to. You can use elements that appeal including colours, font. Don’t worry about copying the template of it because once you add your own photos and copy it will become your own and it will be unique.
This is a great place to start if you’re feeling stuck on where to begin. Include your phone number, email, and social media links.
List your classes, programs, sessions, retreats and workshops in this section with descriptions. Consider embedding a calendar such as Google calendar. It is a good idea to use a separate calendar for private bookings.
Don’t forget to include all the information you would put on a poster.
Action step: Map out your schedule, create your class descriptions and try to be specific so students know what to expect (is it beginner friendly, for example.)
Focus on who you want to serve always keeping in mind this is your opportunity to talk to your students directly.
Here is where you can go more into detail about your own personal story as it relates to your business (Shannon has an upcoming episode on this topic)
Things to consider:
Action Step: Define what you believe would be the obstacles and challenges your ideal student might face and how you can help.
Bonus for Today's Episode: Click here to receive the free mini-course on how to update or create an amazing about page.
If you enjoy writing consider including a blog or articles page. Having additional content will help Google search and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) ensure your page shows up in more searches.
When you write great articles it gives prospective or current students an opportunity to get to know you and it helps potential clients to get a better sense of your message.
In Shannon’s experience a blog feels like more of a journal and an article allows you to research and compile information that interests you and relates back to what you teach.
Ask yourself if you’re writing articles that reflects your niche.
Action Item: If you don’t know where to start with article writing start with journaling to clarify your thoughts, discover your writing style and area of interest.
Build up a bank of articles aiming to write them once-a-week. It is helpful to block out a time on your calendar to help set aside the time. If after 6-8 weeks of publishing your content you will have a sense of whether sharing this resource works for you and how often you want to publish.
Consistency is key
Content Management System - Wordpress
Theme - Divi theme - Elegant themes
Host - FatCow (thoughts of switching to Blue Host or Canadian company Rebel)
Peek User Testing -- tool for website review
Shannon knew she wanted to have yoga teacher Molly Kitchen on her podcast after connecting with her about her well designed and helpful consent cards. On today’s episode, Molly shares with us her thoughts on hands-on assists, her experience with consent cards, and their connection to trauma sensitivity.
Molly Kitchen lives in western Massachusetts and has been teaching yoga since 2009, receiving her 500-hour certification in 2016. She describes her teaching style beautifully: “Molly's yoga teaching is infused with clarity, humor, and heart. Her classes combine physical rigor with attention to detail, balanced by humor, mythic stories, and a discerning spiritual philosophy. Using precise alignment instruction and inspiring philosophy, she creates an environment that invites her students to connect with the wisdom of their hearts.”
Molly is also the founder and director of Adhikara Yoga School which incorporates social justice values in its teachings. The school also focuses on a trauma-informed approach to teaching which acknowledges that there will always be at least one student in any style of class that has experienced complex trauma and credits her 40-hour Trauma Center Yoga Training with David Emerson & Jenn Turner, PhD, with guiding her in this awareness that she passes on to her students.
Molly’s passion for teaching yoga does allow her some time to play outside with her husband and nurture her interest in herbal medicine.
7:15 Molly talks about what has been keeping her busy
9:20 What inspired Molly to begin using Consent Cards
11:00 What differences Molly noticed after the Consent Cards were introduced
12:55 Building trust: how students are responding to Consent Cards
14:05 Explaining the Consent Cards to students
15:15 On using the word “assists” instead of "adjustments"
16:20 Does Molly always use hands-on assists?
17:45 In which classes are hands-on assists often used?
18:35 Does Molly ever run out of time to use Consent Cards?
20:20 When you might not want to do hands-on assists
21:05 Molly’s favourite assists to receive
22:00 Which pose does Molly most assists students with?
22:55 Production of Consent Cards
25:10 Molly’s path to reconnecting with her personal yoga practice
28:10 Making “free time” to scheduling in your practice and training
30:00 Shannon’s thoughts on assists and consent cards
Consent Cards designed by Molly
Molly Kitchen's Website
Adhikara Yoga School - Train with Molly
TCYT Episode 003: Trauma Training for Every Yoga Teacher with Margaret Howard
TCYT Episode 004: Assisting Students Without Touch with Shannon Crow
Today’s guest, Kate Connell Potts, relays to Shannon her particular love for teaching clients on a one-to-one basis. In her friendly, bubbly manner, she shares why her passion aligns with this teaching format and how teaching private classes can serve you and your clients.
Kate lives with her husband and young son in Iowa City, Iowa. She went to College for Criminology and Psychology and carried on with her lifelong love of swimming by studying Aquatics.
Kate’s connection to yoga began in her teenage years, taking a class on a whim, she noticed the movement felt effortless. Her relationship with the practice led her to teach after finishing college. Kate led classes in many forms and her experiences (including her work with swimmers,) helped her define what she wanted to hone in on; private classes. Her private classes began, in part, when she was contemplating where to teach yoga and perceived that clients would benefit from establishing their yoga practices at home.
The fulfillment she found teaching one-on-one was something that Kate wanted to share with others and does so in a warm down-to-earth way, calling herself a “Private Yoga Teacher’s Best Friend.” Kate produces and offers a variety of resources to other yoga teachers that include: her book The Art of Teaching Private Yoga, blog posts, online courses and in-person trainings which has taken through the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia.
3:45 How Kate came to practice and then teach Private Yoga Classes
11:05 How to begin teaching or expand your Private Yoga Classes
14:00 Establishing your Private Classes -whether you’re a new or seasoned teacher
16:50 Your ideal client - PFPP (Perfect Fit Private Partner)
18:30 Charging for Private Classes when establishing yourself and as you move forward
20:30 Intake and Assessment- a holistic approach
23:13 Creating Packages- “5 is best”, why Kate feels one-offs are problematic
26:00 A Couple of ways to Package your sessions
27:35 Working towards a confident money mindset
30:15 How to approach setting a timeline with your client: acute settings e.g. pre or post surgical, pre or post natal or on a trajectory e.g. creating and sustaining an at-home yoga practice
35:15 What Kate found transformative about teaching in a private vs. group setting and establishing professional boundaries while still showing up as human
40:55 How can you work with Kate? Her offerings and resources.
Kate's Website: You and the Yoga Mat
Kate's Facebook page The Art of Teaching Private Yoga
Kate's Private Yoga Teachers Facebook Group
Client In-Take and Assessment Cheat Sheet
Book: The Art of Teaching Private Yoga by Kate Connell Potts
Article: How One-Off Sessions Could Kill Your Private Practice by Kate Connell Potts
Shannon is excited to welcome the dynamic duo Paloma Neuman and Renee Gauthier, experienced yoga retreat planners. If you’ve played with the idea of planning a retreat, this episode will give you a sense of the process involved in planning and will perhaps inspire you to plan a group yoga retreat yourself.
Renee Gauthier is based in San Diego with her husband and daughter and has taught yoga for 10 years. Traveling to many different places to teach, along while navigating a period of loss in her personal life left Renee emotionally and physically depleted. This led her to make the choice to live her life in a more conscious manner. Yoga retreats appealed to Renee because she wanted to provide space for others to heal and live wholeheartedly.
Paloma Neuman lives in San Diego with her husband in son and much like Renee found herself feeling depleted and looking for a new focus in her career. Paloma had a powerful connection to yoga and while she chose not to teach yoga, the practice has become a life passion. Another major driving force in Paloma’s life is travel. Describing her desire for travel in her bones, she merged yoga with travel to create My Dharma Yoga.
Paloma serendipitously met Renee when she attended a yoga class and they immediately connected. The two began working on events and benefits that were both successful and fun finding they complimented one another. Out of this feeling Rock Your Yoga Retreat was born.
Now, Renee and Paloma not only plan and lead retreats, they help others do what they have found so fulfilling using many tools such as workshops, online courses, and the Facebook group Travel, Teach and Thrive for Yoga Teachers.
8:00 How Renee and Paloma got started with yoga retreats
19:15 Benefits of hosting a yoga retreat
22:30 Starting with smaller retreats
24:50 5 Key Elements of Leading a yoga retreat
26:55 Who is your ideal attendee? What do they want and what do they need?
30:35 What helps to make the planning and decision-making easier?
32:30 The retreat begins way before the first day when everyone meets
34:50 Marketing plan for your retreat
36:10 VIP wait list for your retreat
37:25 Budgeting and pricing your yoga retreat for success; list of retreat expenses, be aware of “sneaky” expenses
46:05 Why retreats planned every year are so beneficial “the bigger picture”
48:45 How do you know if you are ready to host a yoga retreat?
53:30 Can you be on retreat when you are hosting one?
57:00 How you can work with Paloma and Renee
1:00:05 Where Paloma and Renee would love to go on their next retreat
Links
5 Key Elements of Leading a Yoga Retreat
Travel, Teach & Thrive for Yoga Teachers FB Group
Email: contact@rockyouryogaretreat.com
Maclean’s Article: Why Canada is the only country in the world to celebrate Victoria Day by Alan Parker
On this week’s episode Shannon welcomes Joanne Pineau. Joanne is a yoga teacher, educator, and author whose enthusiasm for the healing power of yoga for both mind and body impressed Shannon when she attended one of Joanne’s courses on managing sciatic pain.
Joanne’s passion has led her take numerous trainings and certifications in the many facets of body healing. This has enabled Joanne to share her valuable wisdom with others through her 20 years of teaching yoga, her expert knowledge of sciatic and lower back pain, and in practicing Reiki, Thai Yoga Massage, not to mention her writing and workshops.
Joanne has her 500 YTT, an Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, and taken countless other trainings.
She is the owner and operator of Inner Journey Yoga Therapy and works at Synergetic and Wellness Centre.
Joanne is a mother of six and lives in Thornbury, Ontario.
3:00 How Joanne began specializing in sciatic pain management
3:20 What is the difference between sciatica and sciatic pain? What is piriformis syndrome?
6:55 Anatomical link between sciatic pain and the piriformis muscle
8:50 Five actions yoga teachers can take to address their clients’ sciatic pain:
1. Ask the students what they’ve experienced
(including professional advice and treatment they’ve received)
2. Poses that help
3. Understanding the seriousness of nerve compression
4. Try to determine your client’s level of pain
5. Include pelvic stability techniques in class
16:40 Importance of strengthening the iliopsoas muscles and poses to engage muscles
18:10 Sacroiliac joint instability
18:34 Importance of teaching posture through poses such as staff and mountain pose in class
19:20 Importance of teaching posture outside of yoga classes (how to hold themselves when sitting and standing,) to bring symmetry and length through the spine
21:16 Adding interest to what may seem like basic poses that benefit the management of sciatic pain
22:45 Importance asking your students a lot of questions to find their pain comfort zone and go-to poses for the individual
25:15 The trust and appreciation students will feel if you take the time to listen and try to understand their pain, find poses that work for them- there is no need to worry you aren’t an expert in this area
27:20 Joanne’s workshop and class offerings such as her Lower Back Pain, Sciatica, and Pelvic Health exercise program
Links
Joanne’s Website: Inner Journey Yoga Therapy
Joanne's Classes and Workshops
Synergetic and Wellness Centre
Book: Stop Sciatic Pain by Joanne Pineau
Book: The Psoas Book by Liz Koch
Today Shannon welcomes Tracey Eccleston to discuss a topic that is often difficult for yoga teachers: money.
It may seem contrary to aparigraha (that non-attachment, non-greed yama that Patanjali outlined in the eight limbs), but Tracey reassures us that taking care of our finances allows us to care for self and others. As you will hear, she loves looking at the business side of yoga and is brimming with valuable advice.
This episode covers how to value your time so you can decide what to charge for your services with confidence, managing your finances so you have money for retirement, the concept of a 10/20/70 income mindset and much more.
Tracey began yoga teacher training while attending Wilfrid Laurier University, finding herself interested in the many facets of the practice. This led her to study at the Kripalu Centre for Yoga and Health in Lennox, Massachusetts. Since then she has gone on to receive her E-RYT 500 certification.
Tracey is the creator of the Foundations of Chair Yoga & Chair Yoga Therapeutics teacher training and is the lead instructor at Ageless Arts & Yoga School located in Paris, Ontario. Here, Tracy offers 200-hour Yoga teacher trainings twice a year along with chair yoga and is thrilled to offer her popular Kayak Yoga and Meditation workshops that combine many of Tracey’s interests.
Tracey also shares her yoga internationally through her travels and online class offerings. Keep an eye out for the many yoga classes and trainings on The Ageless Arts Yoga & School website.
4:15 Establishing your value as a yoga teacher
5:25 Is a one-hour class really an hour worth of time?
7:55 How Tracey sets the prices for her classes
9:15 Things to consider when setting your price
10:45 Retirement plans for yoga teachers
11:20 10/20/70 money mindset
12:45 Tracey’s teaching schedule
15:00 Class package concept and early bird rates
15:45 Don’t spend your income until you earn it (and the importance of a refund policy)
17:00 Hiring an accountant to guide you
18:35 Guilt associated with charging for your services- how you can pay yourself and give back to the community
21:20 Tracy talks about her innovative kayaking yoga
The online Money Mindset Workshop with Rosslyn Kemerer
Thursday, May 25, 2017
10-11:30am EST
Cost:
$45 CAD [including downloadable replay video]
Kayaking Yoga and Meditation with Tracey
Biz Chix Episode 216: Is this a Business, Hobby or Charity?
Biz Chix Episode 241: How to Learn to Profit First with Mike Michalowicz
In that episode with Natalie Eckdahl, Mike discusses letting go of our traditional equation of:
Sales – Expenses = Profit
And talks about how when we let profit come last in the equation – it actually will come last in our real life. So instead we switch it around to be this equation:
Sales – Profit = Expenses
______________________
So many thanks to Rob for editing this podcast the week before his wedding to the beautiful and amazing Lindsay.
Also huge gratitude for Laura, for putting the show notes together for all of the yoga teachers.
In today's episode Shannon shares what she aims to avoid in the time after savasana (relaxation).
She also shares what she always includes as well as what she sometimes includes. There are lots of little tips and tricks for teachers of all styles and experience to try.
We also get to hear from some of our other fellow Connected Yoga Teachers.
Rest deeply in Savasana every day. Always enter that pratyahara (withdrawn state) every day. And just enjoy yourself.” — Judith Hanson Lasater
1:40 Shannon shares her thoughts on the time after savasana
5:35 What Shannon tries to avoid in the post savasana time
9:12 What Shannon likes to include in each class after savasana
12:40 What Shannon sometimes includes after savasana
18:30 Thoughts on savasana from some of our Connected Yoga Teachers
Thanks to those of you who shared your thoughts:
Amanda Eriksen of Rising Crow Yoga
Cathy Scott
Rosslyn Kemerer of Wholehearter Yoga
Maisie Kennedy of Grace Yoga
Emily McConnell
Joanne Pettit-Myers of Bend Yoga Studio
Vicki Rowsell of Everywhere Yoga
Guided Savasana by Shannon on The Connected Yoga Teacher Live Show
In Part III of Shannon’s Pelvic Health Mini Series, she welcomes Shelly Prosko, another passionate professional who works in the realm of pelvic health. With warmth and grace she shares her perspective adding to our discussion on pelvic health.
Shelly Prosko has an extensive fitness and physical therapy background which led her to combine physical therapy and yoga to become a Professional Yoga Therapist. She is a pioneer in her Physio Yoga Therapy- a combination of Physical Therapy and Medial Therapeutic Yoga.
She received her Physical Therapy degree at the University of Saskatchewan in 1998, her Medical Therapeutic Yoga training through the Professional Yoga Therapy Institute in North Carolina and her Pilates Certification through the Professional Health and Fitness Institute in Maryland.
Shelly has treated those with issues surrounding pain management and, driven by her passion for sharing all she has learned with others, she offers specialty PhysioYoga Therapy courses along with speaking at various educational schools and conferences throughout Canada and The United States.
Shelly has a love for acting, dancing, and music and figure skating.
Shelly’s journey to PhysioYoga 2:50
Who can study with Shelly 7:25
Building relationships and gaining referrals from health care professionals 11:00
Shelly contemplates if there would be an effective way to integrate physiotherapy into the 200-hour yoga teacher training and learn more about anatomy and physiology? 17:55
The practice of Kegels and Muhla Bandha 22:00
The movement of the diaphragm and pelvic floor when breathing 23:45
Caution around doing Kegels 24:45
An overactive pelvic floor is more common than we might think 25:30
Shelly discusses a study done in 2016 by Van Dyken & Sinead Dufour that discover that 83% of people with low back pain have an over-recruited pelvis 25:45
Another study done on incontinence links the condition with poor balance and often the pelvic floor is over-activated in this case 26:25
Referring a yoga student to a Physiotherapist or with pelvic health, a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist when it is appropriate 28:00
Clues that yoga students may be over-engaging their pelvic floor 30:09
Jules Mitchell and her thoughts on stretching 31:00
Kegels may aggravate pelvic floor dysfunction 32:25
Proper way to do a Kegel or do Mulha Bandha 33:00
Shelly shares that 50% of people, after being taught one-on-one still struggle with the proper way to do Kegels 33:15
Mulha Bandha - one of the energetic locks 34:30
Introduction of Mulha Bandha in Western yoga 35:05
Leslie Kaminoff’s explanation of the history of Mulha Bandha and its use in pranayama and sitting 36:10
Pelvic Floor health in relation to health and movement 37:20
Antony Lo the Physio Detective #tensiontotask 41:00
Is the Muhla Bandha comparable to Kegels? 42:40
How Shelly cues Muhla Bandha
Shelly’s article (link below) 8 ways to Engage Pelvic Floor
Anthony Lo- The Physio Detective
Blog Post: Optimizing Pelvic Floor Health: Where Does Yoga Fit In? by Shelly Prosko
Article: 8 Ways to Help Yoga Students Engage Their Pelvic Floors by Shelly Prosko
Article: Optimizing Pelvic Floor Health Through Yoga Therapy by Shelly Prosko
Article: Anatomic connections of the diaphragm: influence of respiration on the body system by Bruno Bordoni and Emiliano Zanier
Youtube Video: Bandhas in a Modern Practice: A Historical Perspective by Leslie Kaminoff
To Laura for compiling the show notes (I am still laughing over your blueberry story from last week Laura!)
and to Rob who edits all of the audio between bear sightings
008: Core Breath and Pelvic Health with Kim Vopni
This week Shannon is pleased to share insight from another enthusiastic expert on the subject of pelvic health. Kim Vopni, also known as The Fitness Doula, is the mother of two children. Her pregnancy and birthing experiences, along with her educational background led her to focus on women’s pelvic health. Kim holds a BA in Psychology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Health and Fitness.
Kim’s impressive education includes her certification as a personal trainer and pre/postnatal fitness consultant. She has completed training in The Hypropressive Method and Pfilates (Pelvic Floor Pilates) along with the Pregnancy Exercise and Birth Programming certificate with Burrell Education.
Kim is passionate about normalizing the conversation around pelvic health and is an active voice for women of all ages. She is the author of “Prepare to Push- What your Pelvic Floor and Abdomen Want You to Know About Pregnancy and Birth”, offers courses through Bellies Inc., and is a distributer of the EPI-NO, a pre-pregnancy tool that helped Kim through her own pregnancies. She is also the owner of Pelvienne Wellness Inc. and co-founder of Bellies Inc.
Kim’s story 4:35
Bellies Inc. Courses (online and in person) 6:30
What is Core Breath? 10:50
What is the Core? (core 4) 11:45
How to do Core Breath 12:20
How to find your Natural Pelvis from a Seated Position 16:25
How your Sitting Posture affects the Pelvic Floor 17:25
Kim’s Cues for Pelvic Health Awareness 18:55
Kim’s take on Mulha Bundas and Kegals 24:50
Is the Core Breath Safe for Everyone? 27:20
Benefits of Core Breath 29:40
Piston Image- Helping Bodily Systems Work Efficiently 31:55
Feeling that you are Breathing “backwards” 33:15
Bellies Inc. Courses 35:55
Links:
Kim’s Email: kim@belliesinc.com
Kim’s Book: Prepare to Push
Article: Core Breathing- Core 4 by Shannon Crow
Article: What is Diastasis Recti? By Shannon Crow and Kim MacDonald-Heilandt
Video: Core Breath Video by Kim Vopni
Video: Core Breath on Bellies Inc. Site by Kim Vopni
Today’s Episode is Sponsored by:
Shannon Crow’s Yoga for Pelvic Health: Online Training for Yoga Teachers
Special Thanks to:
Laura Cameron for writing such great show notes (even when I send an episode at the last minute) and to
Rob Muir for editing the episodes (between moose sightings and cat snuggles)
Trista Zinn is a personal trainer who specialized in pelvic health and core pre-programming. Trista is the founder of Coreset Fitness.
Her interest in pelvic health began when she was diagnosed with a grade 2 prolapse as the condition could not be corrected by surgery she sought out alternative treatments.
Trista connected with the Hypopressive®Method so strongly that she travelled to Spain to train under the only English speaking teacher at the time. Trista is now Canada’s highest qualified and most experienced trainer in Hypopressive® - Low Pressure Fitness.
Trista is incredibly passionate about continuous education in the fitness field, feeling that new knowledge should be embraced and shared. She is a mother of 2 and an outdoor enthusiast.
In this episode Shannon and Trista discuss their mutual interest in pelvic health, in particular, how it relates to breathing. Are common breath practices helpful or perhaps harmful to our pelvic health?
Intro to Trista Zinn 5:15
What is Hypopressives? 6:25
Trista defines the Core 7:15
Importance of Posture 8:00
Benefits of Hypopressives 8:55
What Hypopressives encompasses 9:30
Who Should do Hypopressives? 10:10
Trisha’s Tube of Toothpaste Analogy 12:00
Rib Cage Breath 13:35
Jelly Fish Breath Analogy 15:00
Belly Breathing 17:10
“Engage the core” in yoga why Trish believes this is a harmful cue 18:00
“Do Less”- helpful mantra with this practice 21:15
Uddiyana Bandha- similarities and differences between this breathing practice and Hypopressives 23:15
Caution around teaching Belly Breathing 25:00
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction 27:00
Caution around cueing Kegels 27:50
Trista’s story- her Pelvic Prolapse 32:00
Taking the Hypopressive Course 34:45
Other Compatible Courses 35:25
Diaphragmic Breath- an unnecessary term 38:15
Links:
Article: Jelly Fish Breath and Definition of Core by Shannon Crow
Article: New Thoughts on Belly Breathing by Shannon Crow
Video: Facebook Live: Introduction to Pelvic Health by Shannon Crow
Video: "Your Diaphragm and the Cheetah" by Leslie Kaminoff
Deepha R. Romuwalt PT, C/NDT, Physio Plus, Owen Sound, Ontario
Search for a Canadian Physio Floor Specialist
Pelvic Health Solutions- Introductory Pelvic Health Course
Today’s Episode is Sponsored by:
Shannon Crow’s Yoga for Pelvic Health: Online Training for Yoga Teachers
Special Thanks to:
Laura Cameron, (writer, cat lover and yoga practitioner), for compiling such great show notes
and
Rob Muir for editing each and every show
Rosslyn Kermerer is a graphic designer turned yoga entrepreneur who founded Wholehearter Yoga. She lives just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she operates a home studio, serving her community through yoga teaching, coaching, energy healing, and graphic design consulting.
In this Episode Shannon talks to Rosslyn about what led her to focus her attention toward teaching online yoga classes via Skype and offers us the benefit of her experience as to how she’s made this format work for her.
Intro Shannon introduces Rosslyn and reads a letter from Nina, a member of The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group, who received mentorship from another member, today’s guest Rosslyn Kermerer.
"Private yoga instruction is truly a heart-to-heart teaching. It's meant to be intimate. Technology might feel incongruous to something so soulful, but with a little practice and intention, we can retain that sense on intimacy online." ~ Rosslyn Kemerer
5:00 Introducing Rosslyn
5:25 How Rosslyn’s path led her to yoga
8:45 Rosslyn’s virtual classes marketing process
9:45 Creating a waiver statement for online yoga classes
10:40 Scheduling Skype classes
12:30 How to prep a student for an online yoga class
13:00 To demo or not? Rosslyn speaks of her decision to abstain from doing many demonstrations.
14:00 Tips for setting up private virtual class
15:45 Rosslyn discusses her choice to keep instructions to her students on setting up their Skype sessions to a minimum and let them know she won’t be demonstrating the moves so her clients know what to expect.
17:00 How to cope with a student’s distracting spaces
18:35 Rosslyn discusses how she balances her work schedule
19:50 Props for online classes- are they necessary?
21:30 How Rosslyn chose to package her online services
23:00 How local students can benefit from Skype classes
24:25 Rosslyn shares another aspect of her work life- consulting with yoga teachers
27:25 How to price online versus in person classes
28:45 Local group classes Rosslyn teachers
29:20 Rosslyn explains her inspiring Practice Project- a 30-day home practice kit to engage a small group of students to connect or re-connect with their yoga classes in a variety of ways.
31:35 Summary
Website: www.wholehearteryoga.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rosslyn.kemerer
Instagram: @wholehearter
The Movement Research Intensive designed by Diane Bruni
Natalie Eckdahl, MBA, is a business coach, professional facilitator, keynote speaker and host of the Biz Chix Podcast which iTunes featured as a top New Business Podcast in March 2014. She built a successful personal brand and platform from the ground up via her podcast (200+ episodes) and has been featured in Inc, Fast Company, Huffington Post and Entrepreneur. Natalie has an international coaching practice where she works with female entrepreneurs desiring to grow a profitable business. She is the busy mom of three children ranging in age from 2-14 and starts her day with a steaming cup of coffee! Connect with Natalie and/or join her Facebook group for women entrepreneurs here. ____________________
Podcast Links:
The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group
Art of Assists 50-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Shannon
Our audible breath offers an assist. Students hear teachers breathing and mimic us. When our breath is calm and lengthened, our students will feel the intention we are giving as we walk around the room. 2. Props Blocks, bolsters, and straps are the props we typically turn to. Don’t forget the wall, chairs, cushions, blankets, balls, sandbags, and sometimes other students. These objects provide a type of feedback to the body. Partnering is especially helpful when we know our students, as some new yogis find partnering adds stress to the class experience. Partner yoga poses can give the benefits of hands-on assists in a situation where students are open to touch, but the instructor doesn’t have enough time to get to everyone. 3. Demo
We show yoga poses all the time, and this is a type of assist. We can show the entire class a pose at the front of the room or we can quietly move next to a student who looks puzzled and show the pose to bring clarity and understanding. 4. Verbal Cues The words that we use when describing a pose, or a feeling that we would like to convey in the pose can be very powerful. For example, in relaxation pose: “Relax your entire body, imagine you are on a warm beach and the sand is contouring to your body and giving you all the support you need”. 5. Self-Directed Assists Hands-on assists that students can do for/to their own body in a pose. I’ve incorporated this into yoga from my Thai Yoga Massage trainings. We try out certain massage techniques on ourselves, so I started incorporating a similar approach into postural assists. It can be as simple as asking students to massage their hamstring muscles before a seated forward fold. “Touching ourselves” can bring up an awkward feeling for some students, but it’s a wonderful way to encourage people out of their comfort zone, taking one more little action step toward self-love. Every yoga style approaches hands-on assists uniquely. No matter what the style, hands-on assists are intimate, so they can cause discomfort or bring up a lack of confidence for both new and experienced students or teachers. Whether offered with or without touch, assisting is an art form that all yoga teachers can learn with practice. _____________________________________________ 
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Episode 2: Trauma Training For Every Yoga TeacherMargaret Howard is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Missouri. She practices social work and psychotherapy, specializing in trauma and is an advocate for survivors of human trafficking. Margaret has a Master in Fine Arts, a degree in poetry, she is an organic gardener, yogi, mother and grandmother. Margaret advocates for being aware that we’ve all experienced trauma in one form or another should be a “basic human sensitivity”. Shannon and Margaret discuss how being aware of trauma sensitivities through trauma training is a crucial aspect of teaching yoga, how to recognize it and how to help your students. ______________________________________
3:00 Why trauma training should be part of yoga teacher training 3:28 Margaret’s personal story of being triggered in yoga class 9:00 Do no harm in yoga class: “Let go of the idea that traumatized people are some kind of special population.” 11:00 What to do when a student is modifying a pose- never call someone out in class 12:35 No touch policy until you have more trauma safety training 13:00 Why asking a student if they don’t mind being touched may not be enough- discussion of disassociation 15:25 Yoga class is intimate- give your students the capacity to say no, space to leave no questions asked 16:28 Are yes/no to touch flip cards helpful? 18:10 David Emmerson’s Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Training 19:25 Do we include trauma on student intake forms? 22:30: Examine expectation for students to “…have their hearts open at all times.” Leave it up to the student as it may be an act of self-preservation to shut down. Come into class with no agenda 23:20 What trauma trigger looks like in yoga class- sympathetic arousal, disassociation 29:20 Have a referral list of trauma informed therapists that are trusted, websites, book resources ready to provide backup support to your students 32:30 The benefits of yoga for healing trauma
Website: http://www.thewildtherapist.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margarethowardLCSW/ Twitter: @aWildTherapist Instagram: @theWildTherapist Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarethowardtherapist/
Margaret Howard’s articles Trauma Training Should Be Mandatory for Yoga Teachers: Part I: Trauma Training Should Be Mandatory for Yoga Teacher Part II:Trauma Training Should Be Mandatory for Yoga Teacher Part III:Trauma Training Should Be Mandatory for Yoga Teacher
Effectiveness of an Extended Yoga Treatment for Women with Chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder David Emmerson’s Trauma Sensitive Yoga Training Somatic Experience Training Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga by David Emerson and Elizabeth Hopper Shannon’s student waiver form (printable and editable versions available). _____________________________ After the show Margaret wrote to me to clarify that while she was in the Army from age 19 to 21 and worked in electronics there (but not writing pilot manuals), she did get a pilot's license as soon as she got out of the military, while continuing to work in electronics. She then raised her children while slowly completing her undergraduate and graduate degrees (eventually getting the MFA in poetry) and working as a writer and editor, then as a college writing instructor for many years. Finally, tiring of the adjunct professor grind she moved to writing technical manuals for aircraft before returning to graduate school to become a clinical social worker, advocate, and trauma therapist. _____________________________ Summary of this episode was written by Laura Cameron, writer and yoga student
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Episode 2: On-Air Consultation Call With Nina AndicNina started practicing yoga in 2000 and has studied various traditions, including Hatha, Ashtanga and Anusara. She became a yoga teacher a few years ago. Nina teaches yoga and lives in Lion's Head, Ontario with her husband and son. In the on-air consultation call, Nina shares how she has been feeling really fulfilled on the yoga teacher side of things, but she is also feeling stuck with her own yoga practice. Shannon takes Nina through a series of questions and offers some strategies for reconnecting to a morning yoga practice. They discuss the importance of mentorship and self-care. To take a class with Nina or to connect - visit her Facebook page - Bruce Peninsula Yoga. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ After our episode -- Nina connected with Rosslyn and here is what Nina posted on The Connected Yoga Teacher page.
"I am manifesting significant change in my life. With the help of Rosslyn Kemerer, I started my 40-day Sadhana last week and it is incredible how much I've already learned about myself and about what I need to do next. I felt compelled to share with this group my intentions. I am awake and present. My heart is open to give and receive. I am my own inspiration and light. I am confident and trust myself. I express myself clearly, openly and honestly to myself and others. I have unlimited potential. Thank you Shannon Crow for helping me connect with Rosslyn."
Links From Today's Show: Rosslyn Kemerer - Teaches online private yoga classes Art of Assists for Yoga Teachers in Owen Sound, ON with Shannon Crow Erin Aquin's Retreat for Yoga Teachers - Erin spoke to us in Episode 1 on Yoga Teacher Burnout _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Shannon's Mentors: Barb Elias - Certified Integral Coach Natalie Eckdahl of BizChix - MBA, podcaster and business coach
Welcome to the very first episode of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast. In this episode we hear from Erin Aquin on the topic of yoga teacher burnout.
Erin is a a certified hatha, vinyasa and prenatal yoga teacher, author and new mother. She wrote The A-Z of Being a Successful Yoga Teacher and just recently published Elemental Yin Yang Yoga.
Erin completed one of the most comprehensive programs in Canada currently available for Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. You can hear her expertise on yoga and Chinese medicine in her podcast called Elemental Yin Yang Podcast.
As a yoga teacher entrepreneur it is important that self-care is part of our routine or we will see our business and/or personal life suffer.
In this episode Erin shares the symptoms of both yoga teacher brownout and yoga teacher burnout along with the steps we can take to recognize and avoid both.
Listen to the end of the episode for your chance to win a free copy of Erin's - A-Z of Being a Successful Yoga Teacher.
Some great questions that came out of this Episode to ask yourself are:
1. Do you feel exhausted or energized after teaching a yoga class?
2. Are you craving sleep or unable to sleep?
3. Are you craving carbs, sugar and/or caffeine to keep you going or are you going the entire day not worried about the food that fuels you?
4. Do you have a daily practice that includes physical movement as well as meditation?
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Links for this Episode:
Shannon's Mentors:
Barb Elias - Certified Integral Coach
Natalie Eckdahl of BizChix- MBA, podcaster and business coach
Erin's Mentors:
Rebecca Mullen of Altared Spaces - Author
Allison Evans - Life Coach and Author
Erin has shared two related articles for our Connected Yoga Teacher listeners - click here to read those and to find out more about her yoga teacher trainings.
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Connect with other yoga teachers in our private Facebook Group - The Connected Yoga Teacher to share your thoughts, questions and comments about this episode or about your yoga teaching journey.
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How do you nurture yourself to avoid yoga teacher burnout? We would love to see your posts on social media with the hashtag #nurturedyogateacher - be sure to tag us - Erin Aquin and Shannon Crow.
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Work with Shannon - visit ShannonCrow.com to find out about the consulting work she does with yoga teachers and studios and to read articles for yoga teachers and students.