Accessible Yoga Podcast (Jivana Heyman)
Explore every episode of Accessible Yoga Podcast
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| 15 Dec 2022 | 069. The Nuances of Accessibility in Yoga | 00:34:47 | |
In this final episode of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Anjali and Jivana discuss:
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| 02 Dec 2022 | 068. Radical Honesty with Saira Rao | 00:17:32 | |
Saira (NOT Sara) Rao grew up in Richmond, Virginia, the daughter of Indian immigrants. For forty years, she wasted her precious time aspiring to be white and accepted by dominant white society, a futile task for anyone not born with white skin. Several years ago, Saira began the painful process of dismantling her own internalized oppression. Saira is a lawyer-by-training, a former congressional candidate, a published novelist and an entrepreneur. Saira is the co-founder of Race2Dinner, the New York Bestselling Co-Author of White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How To Do Better and the subject and Executive Producer of the documentary Deconstructing Karen. In this episode, Anjali and Saira discuss:
Connect with Saira on Twitter or on Instagram @race2dinner @sairasameerarao Purchase Saira's book: White Women Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better Watch Saira's documentary: Deconstructing Karen | |||
| 07 Nov 2022 | 067. Practice Isn’t Meant to “Fix”, It’s Meant to Heal | 01:02:50 | |
Teo Drake is an organizer, a teacher, and an artisan who works in wood and steel. As a queer and trans long-term HIV/AIDS survivor, the practices and philosophies of yoga and Buddhism have been both life-saving and provided the foundation for his organizing and teaching. He is a co-founder of the Transforming Hearts Collective, a collective dedicated to the spiritual care and liberation of queer and trans people, and has served in leadership in several different organizations in the worlds of HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ advocacy, faith and spirituality, well-being, and anti-oppression, including being a founding member of the Transgender Law Center’s project Positively Trans and serving on the faculty and board of Off the Mat, Into the World. His writing can be found in the anthology Yoga and Body Image and at the blog Roots Grow the Tree, and his artisan crafts can be found at The Tinkering Gnome Connect with Teo: www.transformingheartscollective.org | @TeoDrake This week's episode is a recording of Teo Drake's keynote at the Accessible Yoga Conference Online: Practice Isn’t Meant to “Fix”, It’s Meant to Heal. | |||
| 11 Oct 2022 | 066. The Audacity of Hope for Yoga | 00:47:37 | |
Tejal Patel is a first-generation Indian American yoga teacher, writer, podcaster, and community organizer. She advocates for yoga through a social justice lens and educates and empowers individuals and groups around the world to do the same. She accomplishes this with the Tejal Yoga online studio, the abcdyogi global community, and the Yoga is Dead Podcast. In this live episode, Jivana and Tejal discuss:
Connect with Tejal: @tejalyoga Enjoy one free class at Tejal Yoga, now through Dec 31, 2022 Use code: 100PP-AYCTY at tejalyoga.com Tejal Yoga offers accessible movement and continuing education in a warm online environment. Our knowledgeable South Asian instructors are committed to the authentic and spiritual practice of yoga. Join us for any of these community-focused practices: Meditation: All Beings, Meditation: BIPOC Centered Pranayama & Breath Control Pranayama & Breath Slow Poses & Philosophy, Meditation: On Philosophy, Meditation & Sun Salutations, Restorative Poses & Poetry Readings, Science & Spirituality Satsang, Go Beyond The Asanas Learn more at tejalyoga.com
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| 30 Sep 2022 | 065. Yoga & Cancer with Anusha Wijeyakumar | 00:40:39 | |
Anusha is the Wellness Consultant for Hoag Hospital, one of the top rated hospitals in the USA where she leads on integrative medicine and implementing mindfulness and meditation practices for maternal mental health programs, early risk assessment for breast & ovarian cancer prevention programs and breast cancer survivorship programs. Anusha is very passionate about her work in STEM and is one of the first people to create a meditation program to be used in clinical research at Hoag Hospital. Anusha is a sought after motivational speaker around the world on the science of mindfulness and meditation and the intersection of wellness and social justice. She has delivered keynotes for health and wellness conferences, Universities, Fortune 500 companies and corporate events across North America and the UK. Anusha has over 15 years of international senior management experience working for Fortune 50, 100 and 500 global corporations, social justice non-profit organizations & private companies in three continents. She holds a BA, MA, Diploma in Mentoring, Certified Professional Life Coach qualification, Yoga Teacher E-RYT and is a Meditation Practitioner. Anusha is an Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University on the intersection of wellness and social justice, a Contributing Editor at Yoga Journal, the world’s largest Yoga magazine, a Faculty Member with Off The Mat and a community partner with the Yoga and Body Image Coalition. Anusha is also a Teacher and Presenter at Kripalu, North America’s largest Yoga Center and Retreat, Ambassador with Yoga International and an Ambassador with the Food + Wellness Equity Collective. Women’s health and social justice is at the heart of all that Anusha is involved with. Anusha is on the Medical Advisory Board of the national non profit Living Beyond Breast Cancer and an Advisory Board Member with Yoga Ed, an organization focused on merging science and Yoga and introducing these practices to children and teens in educational settings around the world. Anusha co-founded the movement Women of Color + Wellness @wocandwellness which is focused on decolonizing wellness and making yoga and wellness more equitable, accessible, and inclusive. Anusha’s first book Meditation with Intention: Quick & Easy Ways to Create Lasting Peace was released in January 2021 by Llewellyn Worldwide. You can order your copy today HERE. In this episode, Anjali and Anusha discuss:
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| 20 Sep 2022 | 064. The Accessible Yoga Podcast LIVE! | 00:29:47 | |
The Accessible Yoga Podcast is back for Season 3 with a live podcast recording as a part of the grand opening of the new Accessible Yoga Community! In this special episode, Jivana and Anjali discuss:
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| 01 Aug 2022 | 063. Community & Innovation in Yoga - Podcast Season 2 Recap & What’s Next | 00:48:45 | |
In this Season 2 finale, Amber and Jivana discuss:
What Accessible Yoga Association is up to:
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| 15 Jul 2022 | 062. Yoga & Pelvic Health with Shannon Crow | 00:55:19 | |
Shannon Crow is the host of The Connected Yoga Teacher podcast and a consultant for yoga teachers. She shares what she has learned (and continues to learn) as a yoga entrepreneur. She’s also the founder of Pelvic Health Professionals. Shannon is passionate about this work so that yoga teachers have more time and energy to share the yoga that lights them up. She became a yoga teacher in 2006 and continues to teach weekly group and private classes in Owen Sound, Ontario, with a specialty in Yoga for Pelvic Health. Shannon is dedicated to helping yoga teachers define their niche and thrive at marketing. She thrives in a community that is playful, diverse, and supportive. This is what inspired her to create The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group. Shannon offers in person and online teacher training. She is the co-founder of the MamaNurture Prenatal Yoga School and developed the Yoga for Pelvic Health Teacher Training. Connect with Shannon on her website, at https://pelvichealthprofessionals.com/, or on Instagram @theconnectedyogateacher. In this episode, Jivana and Shannon discuss:
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| 30 Jun 2022 | 061. American Detox: The Myth of Wellness and How We Can Truly Heal with Kerri Kelly | 00:59:26 | |
A community organizer, wellness activist and author of the book American Detox: The Myth of Wellness and How We Can Truly Heal, Kerri is recognized across communities for her work to bridge transformational practice with social justice. She’s been teaching yoga for over 20 years and is known for making waves in the wellness industry by challenging norms, disrupting systems and mobilizing people to act. Her leadership has inspired CTZNWELL, a movement to democratize wellbeing for all and is committed to creating the conditions where everyone can thrive. In this interview, Jivana and Kerri discuss:
Kerri’s new book, American Detox: The Myth of Wellness & How We Can Truly Heal | |||
| 06 Jun 2022 | 060. Trusting the Yoga with Matthew Sanford | 00:46:18 | |
Matthew Sanford is an expert in the process of transformation through the healing power of yoga. Paralyzed from the chest down at age thirteen and beginning yoga at age twenty-five, Matthew knows firsthand the transformative effect that yoga can have on the mind-body relationship. He’s the author of Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence, and the founder of the nonprofit organization, Mind Body Solutions.
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| 23 May 2022 | 059. Sharing Power and Finding Individuality Within Community | 00:52:17 | |
In this episode, Amber and Jivana discuss:
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| 16 May 2022 | 058. Disrupting Anti-Blackness in Communities of Color with Cindu Thomas-George | 00:34:40 | |
Cindu Thomas-George is the Founder and Principal Trainer of Shakti Diversity and Equity Training. As a DEI practitioner, she designs and facilitates professional development experiences that promote equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and intercultural competence. As a nationally recognized speaker, Cindu’s speaking engagements are focused on encouraging cross-racial allyship, disrupting anti-Asian hate, moving beyond color-blindness to color consciousness, disrupting anti-Blackness in communities of color, and creating inclusion for women of color in the workplace. Cindu is also an award winning tenured professor of Communication Studies at the College of Lake County specializing in Intercultural Communication and Public Speaking. In her seventeen years of working as a diversity educator, she has developed a mastery of creating and facilitating impactful learning experiences that equip individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to be advocates of diversity and agents of change who are empowered to work towards cultivating an inclusive, equitable, and anti-racist society. Her passion and commitment for this work extends beyond her professional life- Cindu actively volunteers and is a co-founder and Board member of Malayalees for Social Justice, co-founder of South Asian Solidarity. Movement, and sits on the advisory board of Orion3. Previously, she was a board member of YWCA Lake County where she helped direct the organization’s racial justice initiatives and programming. In this episode, Anjali and Cindu discuss:
Connect with Cindu on her website or on Instagram @shaktidiversityandequity | |||
| 30 Apr 2022 | 057. Trauma & Yoga with Nityda Gessel | 00:47:04 | |
Content warning: disordered eating, sexual trauma Nityda Gessel (she/her), LCSW, E-RYT, is a mother, licensed somatic psychotherapist, trauma specialist, yoga educator, speaker, author, and heart-centered activist, residing on the unceded land of the Chesepian people, commonly known as Virginia Beach, VA. Nityda has devoted her life to uplifting others, working at the intersection of Eastern spirituality, holistic mental health, and embodied activism. She is the founder of the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Institute, creator of The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method®, and author of forthcoming Norton book on trauma healing and embodied spirituality. In this episode, Jivana and Nityda discuss:
Connect with Nityda on her website and on Instagram @trauma_conscious_yoga_method Accessible Yoga School’s Trauma & Yoga Series | |||
| 19 Apr 2022 | 056. Yoga Teaching as a Practice | 00:57:00 | |
In episode 56, Jivana and Amber discuss practical ways we can embody the yoga teachings’ concepts in the way that we teach. They explore three themes from the yoga teachings (atman, non-attachment, and brahmacharya) and discuss how we can shift our teaching methodology to model these concepts for our students, making them more relevant to their real lives. In this episode...
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| 29 Mar 2022 | 055. Collaborating with Neurodivergent & Disabled Folks in Yoga Communities with Laura Sharkey | 01:01:21 | |
In episode 55, Amber interviews Laura Sharkey, an autistic meditation teacher and social justice activist. They speak about their experience of ableism and other forms of oppression that are present in many yoga communities, as well as practical tools that non-disabled folks can use to confront bias. We discuss the importance of seeing our disabled community members as whole, capable human beings with agency and choice, and how we can support them in non-ableist ways. We talk about the difficult emotions that arise when we confront unconscious bias and how yoga can support us in building more resilience for difficult conversations or work. Finally, Laura shares some tips on how yoga teachers can make “quiet and still” practices more accessible to neurodiverse students. In this episode:
Resources:
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| 15 Mar 2022 | 054. The Yoga Sutras with Nischala Joy Devi | 00:44:20 | |
NISCHALA JOY DEVI is a masterful teacher and healer. For many years she has been highly respected as an international advocate for her innovative way of expressing Yoga and its subtle uses for spiritual growth and complete healing. Her dynamic delivery and deep inner conviction empower each individual, allowing the teachings to expand beyond boundaries and limitations of any one tradition enabling her to touch people’s hearts. She was graced to spend over 25 years as a monastic disciple with the world-renowned Yogiraj Sri Swami Satchidanandaji, receiving his direct guidance and teachings. She also was blessed with teachings from great Yoga masters in US, India and worldwide. Originally trained in Western medicine, she began to blend western medicine with Yoga, offered her expertise in developing the yoga portion of The Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease, and co-founded the award-winning Commonweal Cancer Help Program. Her book “The Healing Path of Yoga,” and her Abundant WellBeing Audio Series expresses these teachings. With her knowledge of yoga and her experience in assisting those with life-threatening diseases (particularly people with heart disease and cancer), she created Yoga of the Heart®, a training and certification program for Yoga teachers and health professionals designed to adapt Yoga practices to the special needs of that population. In this episode:
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| 08 Mar 2022 | 053. Yoga Revolution Replay with Octavia Raheem | 00:38:50 | |
This episode is a replay of a conversation between Jivana Heyman and Octavia Raheem on Jivana's podcast, Yoga Revolution. This week’s guest, Octavia Raheem, teaches us to slow down, prioritize rest, and honor our varied human experiences. Octavia is a mother, author of "Gather," yoga teacher, and founder of Starshine & Clay Online Yoga and Meditation Studio for Black Women and Women of Color. A deep listener and truth teller, Octavia is a gatherer and space holder for rest and awakening. As a teacher and leader she has the skill of hearing beneath the surface for what isn’t being said, yet needs to. Octavia has more than 15 years of experience and nearly 10,000 hours of leading classes, immersions, and trainings. She guides us toward resonance and connection even when the truths we witness, hear, and encounter vary from our own. Her conversation with Jivana touches on how these truths arise in today’s world, as well as what it means to practice activism as a form of yoga, the importance of mindful space holding and compassionate language, and how simply being is perhaps the most important practice of all. | |||
| 28 Feb 2022 | 052. Yoga & Self-Care for Women of Color with Maya Breuer | 00:39:23 | |
In episode 52, Amber interviews Maya Breuer, yoga teacher, community activist, and Yoga Alliance’s Vice President of Cross-Cultural Advancement. She shares about the work Yoga Alliance is doing for teachers working in marginalized communities as well as her important projects like the Yoga Retreat For Women of Color, Black Yoga Teachers Alliance, and more. Maya talks about the importance of self-care for Black women and how the yoga practice has kept her grounded during challenging times. In this episode...
Resources:
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| 15 Feb 2022 | 051. Navigating Grief & Loss | 01:03:24 | |
Content warning: this episode contains discussion of death and grief. In episode 51, Amber and Jivana talk about how they are each navigating grief and loss in their personal and professional lives. We’ll discuss tools that help us from humor to therapy to our yoga practice. We talk about how concepts from yoga philosophy have helped us reduce suffering and embrace the nature of life as it really is. Amber leads us in a simple movement practice that can be done from a chair. And finally, Jivana reads a short excerpt on grief from his book Yoga Revolution, then leads us in a meditation. In this episode...
Resources:
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| 05 Feb 2022 | 050. Pranayama & COVID-19 with Robin Rothenberg | 00:48:39 | |
The information on this Podcast does not constitute medical or other professional advice and should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your physician, psychotherapist, or other health care provider. Please note, the views, information, or opinions expressed during this program are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of the Accessible Yoga Association, its Board of Directors, and its employees. Robin Rothenberg, C-IAYT is a long time yoga therapist and yoga researcher. She serves as Chair of the Accreditation Committee for the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) as well as the Advisory Council. She has presented on lower back pain at SYTAR (Symposium for Yoga Therapy and Research) and is considered one of the foremost experts in the area of yoga therapy for lower back pain. Her ability to speak articulately to the way in which yoga impacts the nervous system, mind and emotions has led to her presenting at both NAMA (National Ayurvedic & Medical Association) and SYTAR on the subjects of anxiety and stress. For the past three years, Robin has immersed herself in a personal study of the breath, of the ancient teachings on pranayama, and the science of respiratory physiology. The result of this inquiry has her calling for a “Breath Revolution” in the yoga community. Her new book, released in 2020, Restoring Prana: A Guide to Pranayama and Healing Through the Breath, suggests a serious re-evulation of the ‘big breathing’ habit, and a scientifically supported return to the roots of yoga which teach us to retain prana, by minimizing breath while increasing breath suspensions. She is currently researching yoga for long COVID. In this episode they discuss:
Connect with Robin on her website: Essential Yoga Therapy Robin's books: Restoring Prana: A Guide to Pranayama and Healing Through the Breath | |||
| 19 Jan 2022 | 049. Reflections on COVID and Collective Care | 00:48:55 | |
In episode 49, Amber and Jivana reflect on how constantly changing circumstances surrounding COVID are shaping their personal and professional lives. We’ll discuss how we are each navigating the burnout and hopelessness that many of us are feeling, as well as ways we are responding. We discuss strengthening community bonds, practical tools for navigating anxiety and uncertainty, and Jivana leads us in a simple breath awareness meditation that can be done while wearing a mask. In this episode:
Resources: Quotes from this episode:
Links
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| 04 Jan 2022 | 048. Queer Dharma with Jacoby Ballard | 00:40:52 | |
Jacoby Ballard is a social justice educator and yoga teacher in Salt Lake City, Utah known for his playfulness, heart-opening, and commitment to change from the inside out. As a yoga teacher with 20 years of experience, he leads workshops, retreats, teacher trainings, teaches at conferences, and runs the Resonance mentorship program for certified yoga teachers to find their niche and calling. In 2008, Jacoby co-founded Third Root Community Health Center in Brooklyn, to work at the nexus of healing and social justice. Since 2006, Jacoby has taught Queer and Trans Yoga, a space for queer folks to unfurl and cultivate resilience. Jacoby received Yoga Journal’s Game Changer Award in 2014 and Good Karma Award in 2016. Jacoby has taught in schools, hospitals, non profit and business offices, a maximum security prison, a recovery center, a cancer center, LGBT centers, gyms, a veteran’s center, and yoga studios. He leads workshops and trainings around the country on diversity, equity, and inclusion and consults on DEI for yoga and meditation organizations. He is the author of A Queer Dharma: Yoga and Meditations for Liberation, released in 2021. In this episode, Jivana and Jacoby discuss:
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| 28 Dec 2021 | 047. Actionable Love with Michelle C. Johnson | 00:48:56 | |
Michelle C. Johnson is an author, yoga teacher, social justice activist, licensed clinical social worker and Dismantling Racism trainer. She approaches her life and work from a place of empowerment, embodiment, and integration. With a deep understanding of trauma and the impact that it has on the mind, body, spirit and heart, much of her work focuses on helping people better understand how power and privilege operate in their life. She explores how privilege, power and oppression affects the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and energy body. In episode 47, Jivana and Michelle discuss:
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| 14 Dec 2021 | 046. Integrating Yoga Philosophy in Pain Care with Marlysa Sullivan | 00:43:45 | |
Marlysa Sullivan is a physiotherapist and yoga therapist with over 15 years of experience working with people suffering with chronic pain conditions. She is the physical therapy coordinator of the empower veterans program which provides an integrative model in working with people with chronic pain at the Veterans Administration. She is an Assistant Professor in Yoga Therapy and Integrative Health Sciences at Maryland University of Integrative Health and holds an adjunct position at Emory University, where she teaches the integration of yoga and mindfulness into physical therapy practice in the DPT program. She is also the author of Understanding Yoga Therapy: Applied Philosophy and Science for Well-being and co-editor of Yoga and Science in Pain Care: Treating the Person in Pain as well as several peer-reviewed articles. Marlysa has been involved in the professionalization of the field of yoga therapy through the educational standards committee of IAYT, which helped to define the competencies for the field, and in characterizing the yoga therapy workforce through research. Her research interests focus on defining the framework and explanatory model for yoga therapy based on philosophical and neurophysiological perspectives. In episode 46, Jivana and Marlysa discuss:
Connect with Marlysa on her website and purchase her book: Understanding Yoga Therapy: Applied Philosophy and Science for Health and Well-Being. Jeremy Engles, The Ethics of Oneness: Emerson, Whitman and the Bhagavad Gita | |||
| 07 Dec 2021 | 045. Tips for Keeping Students Safer in Yoga Class | 00:49:06 | |
In episode 45, Amber and Jivana share tips for keeping students safer in yoga classes. In this episode we’ll explore how the methods we use to teach can contribute to an environment of safety for our community. Amber and Jivana will discuss practical tools they use to help students tap into their personal power and listen to their bodies, rather than striving or competing to keep up with the rest of the class. We’ll talk about strategies for empowering students, how to bring in yoga philosophy and subtle practices to help students connect with their bodies, and we’ll give specific examples of language we use to create a culture of permission and agency for our students. In Episode 45:
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| 30 Nov 2021 | 044. Yoga Revolution | 00:40:09 | |
In episode 42, Amber Karnes interviews Jivana Heyman about his upcoming book, Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage and Compassion. We discuss what a “yoga revolution” means, the relationship between yoga and social justice, the role of self-care in our work, and much more. This interview invites us to take a look at the “why” behind our personal yoga practice and consider possibilities for expanding how we use our yoga in the world on and off the mat. *Note: Yoga Revolution's publishing date has been pushed back to December 7, 2021. In Episode 42:
Links from the episode: | |||
| 22 Nov 2021 | 043. Yoga in Prison with Bill Brown | 00:43:12 | |
In episode 43, Jivana interviews Bill Brown from Prison Yoga Project. In this episode, Jivana and Bill discuss:
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| 31 Oct 2021 | 042. Yoga is Political: Let's Discuss... | 00:52:25 | |
In episode 42, we're sharing a recording of Reggie Hubbard's powerful closing keynote from this year's Accessible Yoga Conference online. There are some within the yoga community that think politics and yoga should not mix. That the purpose of yoga is to escape from the pressures of the outside world and find inner peace. But yoga at its essence is the refinement of conscious awareness to meet life circumstances with more clarity, courage and compassion. To find inner peace and then engage with the world more fully - serving from that sense of peace. This talk will explore how to merge yogic practice and civic engagement, as well as why it is important to do so. Reggie will share from his personal experience and teaching practice how yogic practice and civic engagement have become inextricably bound, and how we might better serve our communities, students and society through forming such a union. Connect with Reggie: | |||
| 11 Oct 2021 | 041. Community and Collaboration | 00:44:02 | |
In episode 41, Amber and Jivana discuss community building and collaboration. As we gear up for the upcoming Accessible Yoga Conference, community is on our mind. In this episode we’ll talk a little bit about our history with community building including Amber’s time in the hardcore punk scene and Jivana’s AIDS activism. We talk about the “how” of collaboration, things to think about when joining a community, and discuss the benefits and challenges of being in community with others. We’ll also talk about why it’s crucial for community builders to unlearn cultural conditioning and examine unconscious bias. In Episode 41:
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| 01 Oct 2021 | 040. We’re Back: What We’ve Been Up To & Where We’re Going | 00:35:52 | |
In episode 40, we’re back! Amber and Jivana catch up about what they’ve been doing while the podcast has been on break and update you with all the latest of what’s to come. We’ll discuss what Accessible Yoga Association is up to, plus give you a sneak preview of the upcoming Accessible Yoga Conference Online. In this episode...
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| 15 Jun 2021 | 039. The Connection Between Yoga & Activism | 00:35:31 | |
In Episode 39 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes sits down with Anjali Rao to discuss the connection between yoga and activism. Anjali Rao is a yoga teacher, social justice activist, multi-cultural training specialist, and a cancer survivor. She is an Indian American immigrant from Bangalore, India. Her work explores yoga philosophy and history integrating marginalized voices using storytelling, imagery and poetry. In this interview, Amber and Anjali discuss the history of activism in yoga, including how yoga philosophy and social justice are connected. For folks who are hesitant to step into the space of activism or call themselves an activist, this interview is for you. Anjali addresses the role of the activist and discusses how we can build capacity for resilience using our practice. Finally, she discusses her new course with the Accessible Yoga Training School, Yoga & Activism: A Blueprint for Collective Transformation, which is open for enrollment now! In this episode:
Show notes and links can be found at accessibleyogatraining.com. | |||
| 14 Apr 2021 | 038. Addressing Transphobia and Creating Affirming Spaces | 01:09:34 | |
In Episode 38 Amber Karnes sits down with Tristan Katz and Maygen Nicholson to address a few common transphobic talking points and discuss how we can support our trans and gender expansive community members. Tristan and Maygen are both educators who focus on LGBTQ+ awareness, advocacy, and wellness at the center of their work. In this interview, Tristan and Maygen discuss gender identity, why we should all be invested in dismantling the gender binary, and why representation matters. They debunk many commonly held, harmful narratives about trans and gender non-conforming folks, and talk about action steps for learning and beyond. This conversation invites us to take a deeper dive into understanding gender identity and creating affirming space for our trans siblings. Note: This conversation was recorded in response to the March 22nd J. Brown yoga podcast interview with Katchie Ananda on the topic of “Gender Spectrum and Biological Sex.” Both J. and Katchie are cisgender individuals. The conversation they shared was rooted in biological exceptionalism, trans* exclusionary feminism, transphobia, homophobia, racism, and tokenization. We found it deeply hurtful and problematic and felt the need to address it publicly to stand in solidarity with our trans* and non-binary siblings. Get show notes, links to everything we discuss in the podcast, and subscribe here. | |||
| 07 Apr 2021 | 037. Transcending Trauma with Yoga | 00:54:43 | |
In Episode 37 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Jivana Heyman sits down with Zabie Yamasaki, M.Ed., RYT. Zabie is the director of Trauma Informed Programs at UCLA and is the Founder of Transcending Sexual Trauma through Yoga. Zabie has trained thousands of yoga instructors and mental health professionals on trauma-informed teaching and her new book Trauma-Informed Yoga for Survivors of Sexual Assault which is coming out this year. Jivana and Zabie discuss trauma-sensitive teaching practices that benefit every student that comes to our classes. They also discuss the role of the teacher, power dynamics, and walking the line between authenticity and healthy boundaries. This conversation invites us to consider ways we can shift our community spaces to create more safety and opportunities for rest. Get show notes, links to everything we discuss in the podcast, and subscribe here. | |||
| 31 Mar 2021 | 036. Making Yoga Philosophy Straightforward & Accessible | 00:52:48 | |
In Episode 36 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Jivana Heyman sits down with Daniel Simpson to talk about yoga philosophy and his new book The Truth of Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga’s History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices. Daniel is a former foreign correspondent who has gone on to study and teach yoga, meditation, yoga history, and yoga philosophy at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, Triyoga, and beyond. Jivana and Daniel discuss many concepts and themes from yoga philosophy including the role of ethics in yoga and how our individual interpretation of the teachings influences how we “live” our yoga. This conversation invites us to consider how we use self-study and practice to either retreat from the world or become a more conscious citizen. Get show notes, links to everything we discuss in the podcast, and subscribe here. | |||
| 23 Mar 2021 | 035. Creativity & Trusting Your Own Voice | 00:53:28 | |
In Episode 35 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Jivana Heyman sits down with Linda Sparrowe to talk about creativity and finding our voice. The former editor of Yoga International and Yoga Journal magazines, Linda has been teaching, talking and writing about yoga for more than 20 years. She has a long and varied career as a writer, editor, speaker, and mentor in the holistic healing arena, with a special emphasis on women’s health. Jivana and Linda talk about how personal practice can help us find our authentic voice and how they each get into the mood to be creative. This conversation invites us to consider how we use our voice and our yoga practice and how we can trust our authenticity to express what we truly wish to communicate to others. For show notes and links, visit the Accessible Yoga Podcast page or episode 35 here. | |||
| 17 Mar 2021 | 034. Compassionate Leadership & Mentorship for Yoga Yeachers & Business Owners | 00:49:59 | |
In Episode 34 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Jivana Heyman welcomes Pamela Stokes Eggleston and Amina Naru to talk about compassionate leadership and mentorship for yoga teachers. Pamela and Amina are two yoga service leaders and the co-founders of Retreat To Spirit - a mentorship organization that helps yoga teachers realize their potential, build their businesses according to yogic principles, and learn how to support themselves with their practice on and off the mat. Pamela and Amina share how self-care and mentorship helped foster their yoga careers and talk about connecting to your “why.” Finally, they share details about their upcoming Retreat To Spirit Mentorship course here at the Accessible Yoga Training School, which opens for enrollment next week. For show notes and links, visit the Accessible Yoga Podcast page or episode 34 here. | |||
| 09 Mar 2021 | 033. Moving Yoga Studios Online & Resilience Through Change | 00:47:07 | |
In Episode 33, Amber Karnes talks with Anjali Sunita. Anjali is a yoga teacher, writer, Ayurveda practitioner, and the business owner behind Baltimore Yoga Village. In 2021, Anjali completely pivoted the Baltimore Yoga Village business model from two brick and mortar yoga studios to an online wellness ecosystem that platforms individual instructors and practitioners. In this episode, Anjali and I talk about pivoting to an online model during a pandemic, what the new business model is, and how others might consider moving to a more collaborative way of working. We discuss how our mindset around co-creating and co-working within our communities can be supportive rather than competitive. We also explore topics like resilience, failure, and why “starting over” can be a good thing, if we let it. For show notes and links, visit the Accessible Yoga Podcast page or episode 33 here. | |||
| 02 Mar 2021 | 032. From Guru To #MeToo | 00:52:51 | |
In Episode 32, Jivana Heyman sits down with Theo Wildcroft. Theo Wildcroft, PhD is a teacher, trainer, writer and scholar working for a more sustainable relationship between our many selves, the communities that hold us, and the world that nourishes us. Her research considers the democratization of yoga and the many different ways yoga communities are responding to concerns about safety in practice. In this episode, Jivana and Theo discuss post lineage yoga, the backlash against her work, and her new book, Post-lineage Yoga – From Guru to #MeToo. This week we explore:
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| 23 Feb 2021 | 031. Q & A | 00:48:02 | |
Hey Episode 31: Q & AIn Episode 31, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down to answer questions submitted by our listeners and community. In this episode, we will discuss how the practice can support mental health treatment in a responsible and ethical way, scope of practice, the importance of collaboration in our communities, as well as a question about exploring practice while experiencing vertigo.
This week we explore:
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| 16 Feb 2021 | 030. Re-Imaging Our Work | 01:00:19 | |
Episode 30: Re-Imaging Our WorkIn Episode 30 Amber Karnes talks with Kelley Palmer. Kelley is a writer, creative, advocate, and yoga teacher who focuses on the service of making wellness spaces equitable, accessible, sustainable, and safe for Black, Indigenous and people of color. In this episode, Kelley and I talk about orienting ourselves toward race equity work in our current moment. We talk about what can happen when we use our imagination to creatively solve problems together, rather than getting stuck in guilt, inaction, or a sense of “it’s always been that way and is impossible to change.” We also talk about developing resilience for staying with the discomfort that conversations about race and equity can bring up. Finally, we chat about Kelley’s upcoming course, Race & Equity in Yoga, and let folks know what they can expect if they join. This week hear more about:
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| 10 Feb 2021 | 029. Yoga & Law Q&A | 00:51:25 | |
In this episode, Amber Karnes talks with Cory Sterling of Conscious Counsel. Cory is a yoga teacher, practitioner, author, and an attorney, and he’s here to answer all our legal questions! (Or most of them, probably.) As Cory will tell us in the podcast, law in 2021 means communicating your expectations openly and honestly with heart-leading documents written in plain language. In this episode, we’ll talk about things like waivers, intellectual property, insurance, teaching online, LLCs, and much more.
This week hear more about:
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| 02 Feb 2021 | 028. Power In Balance | 01:05:20 | |
Episode 28: Power In BalanceIn Episode 28 Jivana Heyman sits down with Susanna Barkataki. Susanna supports yoga practitioners to lead with equity, diversity and yogic values while growing thriving practices and businesses with confidence. She is founder of Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute and runs 200/500 Yoga Teacher Training programs. Jivana and Susanna have an in-depth conversation about the philosophy and history of the yoga and social justice movements of India. This conversation explores lessons and takeaways from the traditions, practices, and movements of yoga to bring social justice and advocacy to the forefront of our wellness spaces.
This week hear more about:
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| 26 Jan 2021 | 027. Race & Equity | 01:01:46 | |
In Episode 27, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down a few days after the attack on the US Capitol to dig into a personal conversation about race and the role they play in upholding white supremacy. They both share how the current events and political climate has impacted them and allowed them to do self study and tune into necessary self care. Amber and Jivana each talk about the importance of investigating how we are each upholding systems of oppression. This intimate conversation is an invitation to be mobilized towards action that supports a sustainable change.
This week hear more about:
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| 19 Jan 2021 | 026. It Is Time For a Reinterpretation | 00:47:56 | |
In Episode 26, Jivana Heyman sits down with Justin Micheal Williams, an author, transformational speaker, and top-20 recording artist who has become a pioneering voice for diversity and inclusion in wellness. Justin Michael immediately opens up and shares about navigating a tough upbringing, self doubt and following his dreams. Justin Michael also talks about meditation as a practice that frees us to feel all of our feelings and emotions. This conversation offers fresh perspectives about meditation and its place in our personal practices, wellness spaces and social justice movements. As a special treat Justin wraps this conversation by offering a guided meditation for us all to enjoy.
This week hear more about:
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| 12 Jan 2021 | 025. Real Stories from The Accessible Yoga Training Online | 01:04:50 | |
In Episode 25, Jivana Heyman sits down with four Accessible Yoga teachers to talk about the Accessible Yoga Training, how the training impacted their teaching, and how they are carrying the mission of Accessible Yoga into their work. Natasha Williams-Chaoua, Sarah Nuttridge, Marc Settembrino and Jacquie “Sunny" Barbee each share where they are located, about the work they do, the communities they serve and how taking this training transformed their perspectives of the practice. This conversation gives insight to the benefits of joining our Accessible Yoga Teacher Training as well as some possibilities you might sense for yourself if you further accessibility in your teaching practice.
This week hear more about:
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| 05 Jan 2021 | 024. Q & A | 00:49:55 | |
In Episode 24, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit down to answer questions submitted by our listeners and community. First, Jivana and Amber talk about the ways that we can offer accessible classes in the new virtual landscape while taking into consideration the impact of the pandemic on teaching yoga. Jivana shares a list of his favorite texts for studying yoga philosophy, and finally, Amber and Jivana give some tips on how to include philosophy and self-study in your classes. This conversation was an invitation for Amber and Jivana to answer questions from listeners and share some of their favorite learning resources.
This week we explore:
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| 29 Dec 2020 | 023. Creating Solidarity & Building Community | 00:48:56 | |
In Episode 23 Amber Karnes sits down with Karin Carlson, yoga teacher, community advocate, and founder of Return Yoga. Through Return Yoga’s teacher training program and community outreach, Karin and other local teachers work in domestic violence shelters, jails, youth crisis centers, mental health contexts, and substance abuse treatment centers. Karin and Amber jump into a conversation about the ways white folks do harm when they rush to diversify their studios without actually understanding or investigating the problem. Karin shares quite candidly about her experience of charity versus solidarity and the ways it continues to cause harm in under-resourced communities. This conversation invites us all to consider how we build truly authentic communities, sustainable movements for change, and work in solidarity with communities outside of our own.
This week we explore:
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| 22 Dec 2020 | 022. The Trans Yoga Project | 00:49:38 | |
The Trans Yoga Project is a collaborative effort supporting Trans* people's spiritual wellness through community (re)education, advocacy within the yoga and wellIn Episode 22 Jivana Heyman welcomes M Camellia and Puja Singh Titchkosky to learn more about the mission of the Trans Yoga Project.ness industries, community building, and creating guided practices by and for Trans* and non-binary people. M and Puja share deeply about how their collective began their work together and how the shared values of the groups have led to this new project. M and Puja talk about the subtle and overt ways that assumptions and language can make yoga spaces feel unwelcoming, unsafe, and inaccessible. This rich conversation invites us all to investigate how we may be creating harm and inaccessibility for Trans and Non-Binary folks and reminds us of the responsibility we each have to shift, learn and advocate.
This week we explore:
This week’s question: How are you creating space for gender exploration? | |||
| 15 Dec 2020 | 021. Empowering Students Through Mentorship | 00:47:22 | |
In Episode 21 Amber Karnes welcomes Francesca Cervero, private yoga teacher and teacher’s mentor. Francesca gives insight into how she built her career and offerings as a teacher and mentor. Amber and Francesca discuss the ways we build trust, depth and understanding for ourselves and our students on the journey of self discovery using the tools of this practice. This conversation holds space for us to examine the ways teachers can empower and educate our students in group and private yoga and wellness spaces.
This week we explore:
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| 08 Dec 2020 | 020. How Chair Yoga Democratizes Asana Practice | 01:04:24 | |
In Episode 20 Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman sit to talk about chair yoga and how it can be used as a tool to democratize asana practice. We begin with a conversation about how lineage and “guru culture” are shifting as abuse is being revealed. Jivana and Amber also talk about the way dominant culture conflates health and wellness as a basis for a human being’s worth and value. They each share about the ways that this belief keeps folks from understanding the potential of chair yoga and creates more ableism in our yoga spaces. The conversation also talks in depth about how chair yoga can be used to serve folks in diverse bodies who have different needs from the physical practice.
This week we explore:
This week’s question: What is the right relationship with your body? | |||
| 01 Dec 2020 | 019. Tiny Bits of Joy | 00:41:17 | |
In Episode 19 Amber Karnes sits down with Pamela Stokes-Eggleston. Pamela is a published author, stress management consultant, wellness resilience expert, national speaker, and sleep wellness coach. She founded Yoga2Sleep due to her challenges with insomnia and secondary post-traumatic stress. Pamela goes into deep detail about how her own life experiences led her to focus on the connections between yoga, sleep, and supporting veterans and their families. Pamela shares about the importance of tapping into what she calls “tiny bits of joy.” Join Amber and Pamela for this conversation that invites us to each use this practice to serve others.
This week we explore:
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| 24 Nov 2020 | 018. Run Forward Towards Discomfort Enthusiastically | 00:41:38 | |
In Episode 18 Amber Karnes sits down to chat with Kimberly Dark, a writer, professor and teacher who works to reveal the hidden architecture of everyday life so that we can reclaim our power as social creators. Amber and Kimberly talk about the bias present in us all and how to begin unpacking the biases we hold that do harm, especially in regards to bodies and their variations. Kimberly shares the importance of being open to discomfort as a gateway to embodied learning and culture shifting. Kimberly also talks richly about the ways we can honor our lived experiences and the fullness of who we are. This candid conversation between Amber and Kimberley invites us all to lean heavily into our own discomfort in the service of creating a better world.
This week hear more about:
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| 17 Nov 2020 | 017. When We Are Set Upon The Right Path | 00:51:26 | |
In episode 17, Jivana Heyman welcomes Lakshmi Nair. Lakshmi Nair is the founder of Satya Yoga Co-op, a BIPOC owned and operated yoga cooperative in Denver, Colorado. Satya Yoga Co-op grew out of a yoga immersion and teacher training for Black & Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) that Lakshmi has been offering in Denver since 2014. In this interview we learn more about Lakshmi’s journey back to her practice and the creation of this transformative yoga co-op. Lakshmi and Jivana discover that they have been in the same yoga spaces since the late 90s. The exchange between Lakshmi and Jivana gives insight into building sustainable models to make this practice available, accessible and welcoming for all.
This week hear more about:
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| 10 Nov 2020 | 016. Stop saying “full expression of the pose” [Making Asana Accessible Part 2] | 00:50:29 | |
Episode 16 is the second in a series about making yoga asana accessible for all bodies. In this episode, Amber and Jivana talk about the language we use as yoga teachers. Jivana shares what the yoga Sutras say about the role of asana in our practice and we talk in-depth about investigating and shifting the language we use to communicate in our teaching spaces. Amber talks briefly about her recent Yoga Journal cover issue, including the history of harm the publication has had in yoga and wellness, and the importance of holding these large organizations accountable. This conversation is a rich exchange about the way our words can create belonging and affirm our students or our words can uphold systems of oppression and perpetuate a yoga practice that is inaccessible to most.
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| 03 Nov 2020 | 015. Yoga & Social Activism | 00:41:47 | |
In episode 15, Jivana Heyman welcomes Hala Khouri, yoga teacher and co-founder of Off The Mat Into The World. Hala shares openly about how her own life and experiences led her to the work she does as an activist. She also gives insight into the beginnings of Off The Mat and how the organization came to be. In this conversation Jivana and Hala talk openly about how they are each navigating the political climate within yoga spaces. This conversations invites us all to reconnect the roots of yoga to social activism. In this episode we learn more about:
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| 27 Oct 2020 | 014. How Trauma-Informed Yoga Serves Us All | 00:52:15 | |
In Episode 14, Jivana Heyman sits down with De Jur Jones, a yoga teacher, flight attendant, community advocate, and model. De Jur has worked as a model for Accessible Yoga and is the main model used in Jivana’s recent book, Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body. De Jur shares about the populations she serves, including incarcerated communities, folks who were formerly sex trafficked, and those facing housing instability. De Jur also shares about her work as a trauma-informed yoga teacher and community support member and how she brings intention to her offerings to support the humans in front of her. De Jur speaks in depth about the many types of trauma that we do not regularly consider or choose to ignore. This conversation invites us to consider the trauma in our experience while holding the awareness that everyone around you also has trauma.
In this episode we learn more about:
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| 20 Oct 2020 | 013. Making Peace With Your Body | 00:47:28 | |
In Episode 13, Jivana Heyman interviews Amber Karnes about her upcoming course, Making Peace With Your Body. Amber shares openly about why she chose to do this work and how this work is intertwined in her own experience as a fat person. This conversation talks about the toxic nature of diet culture, the harm inflicted on folks in larger bodies within the medical industrial complex, and the ways dominant culture devalues folks in bigger bodies. Amber shares about how we can divest ourselves from diet culture and lean into our personal power, and what body image work has to do with social justice.
In this episode we dig in about:
Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: What would you do with all the resources (money, energy, time, etc.) that you have spent on trying to fix yourself and your body if you could get it back? | |||
| 13 Oct 2020 | 012. What is the role of asana in yoga? [Making Asana Accessible Part 1] | 00:47:07 | |
Episode 12 is the first in a series about making asana accessible for all bodies. In part 1, Amber and Jivana dig into the ways physical practice is centered in western yoga culture. Jivana and Amber talk in detail about the other parts of the practice that often are ignored in most yoga and wellness spaces. We also talk about a simple mindset shift that prepares you for adapting almost any asana. This conversation invites us all to investigate the misconceptions we hold about changes in the physical body and how asana can support us through those changes.
Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question:
Can you deepen the experience without doing more physically or leaning on making your practice more demanding?
Resources:
Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast. | |||
| 06 Oct 2020 | 011. Anxiety, Yoga and Our Truth | 00:55:49 | |
In episode 11, Jivana Heyman and Amber Karnes sit down to discuss their individual journeys with anxiety. They both share the ways yoga has been helpful and discuss what has not served them. This conversation holds the space to normalize the fact that we are all navigating anxiety and that some of us are navigating anxiety disorders. Jivana, who is writing a new book, felt it was important to have this conversation, giving a space for him to share authentically about his journey through grief and anxiety. In this episode Jivana shares deeply about reshaping his practice diving deeply into self exploration as a way to learn to accept the role anxiety plays in his life. Amber also talks in depth about how yoga gave her new tools to navigate her thoughts, patterns and negative self-talk.
Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question:
How do you remain respectful of the traditions of yoga and make it accessible?
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| 29 Sep 2020 | 010. The Responsibility and Opportunities We Have In This Moment with Dianne Bondy | 00:58:05 | |
In episode 10, Jivana welcomes Dianne Bondy to talk about how she has created her platform, grew her career, and built a global yoga community. Dianne talks about how she leaned into the virtual space early on and gives advice for folks looking for tips on how to build their own platforms. This time with Dianne gives great insight into best practices, tools and things to remember as we teach virtually. Jivana and Dianne both talk in depth about the importance of making sure that our virtual offering spaces are accessible to all. Dianne also talks about the responsibility we each have to dismantle white supremacy and the importance of understanding the place of social justice and advocacy in our yoga spaces and personal practice.
Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: What are you doing to connect your yoga practice to your social advocacy? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast. | |||
| 22 Sep 2020 | 009. Yoga Is Not About Fixing Others | 00:42:52 | |
Episode 9 Show NotesIn episode 9, Amber and Jivana talk about a recent article Jivana has featured with Yoga Journal talking about yoga’s response to disabilities and illness. Together they explore the belief that folks with disabilities or illness need to be fixed or cured, especially within yoga spaces. Jivana talks in depth about the connection between ableism and white supremacy, making it pervasive and easy to ignore by those who think they are unaffected. Jivana also shares more about the ways ableism is upheld in our wellness spaces by centering healing and curing people. This episode invites us all to investigate the stories we hold about our bodies, disabilities, illness, death, and yoga’s place aside those identities and life transitions.
Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: Does the ability to perform advanced asana make you an “advanced yogi”? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast. | |||
| 15 Sep 2020 | 008. Yoga philosophy through a South Asian perspective with Shyam Ranganathan | 01:11:36 | |
Episode 8 Show NotesIn episode 8 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Shyam Ranganathan and Jivana Heyman have a discussion about Yoga philosophy through a South Asian perspective. They explore the various ways that Western imperialism shows up in the way we interpret and practice yoga, what the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita both say about our responsibility when it comes to other people (social justice), and how translations, interpretation, and a Eurocentric bias can completely change the context and the meanings of the teachings. In episode 8, Shyam & Jivana discuss:
Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast. | |||
| 08 Sep 2020 | 007. Dealing with duality and working with our emotions | 00:47:06 | |
“I’m not going into my practice to look for a way out of life, but a way in...to experience the fullness of my life.” In episode 7 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman talk about duality—the up and down, light and dark, "both/and" nature of life. We talk about how attachment to outcomes and the stories we tell ourselves keep us in a place of suffering, and the antidote to that (spoiler alert, it’s non-attachment and acceptance). We discuss personal experiences and practical ways that we each work with our emotions and grief in our yoga practice. We also talk about the danger of spiritual bypass and how embracing the fullness of our human experience honors the yoga teachings and helps us accept ourselves as we are. In episode 7, Amber & Jivana discuss:
Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: Are you willing to accept all aspects of yourself? And if not, why? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast. | |||
| 01 Sep 2020 | 006. Lessons learned from the Accessible Yoga Training | 00:52:57 | |
In episode 6 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber and Jivana talk about lessons learned from the Accessible Yoga Training. Jivana digs deep into the yoga philosophy behind this training that informs both of our work and the way we teach. We talk about shifting the power dynamic between teacher and student and what happens when we give students the tools to work with their practice, rather than insisting they fit into a preconceived notion of shapes or sequences. We also talk about how the Accessible Yoga Training builds community between teachers like us whose work sometimes feels isolating.
Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we invite you to reflect on this question: What is my role as yoga teacher (in my classroom, in my students’ lives off the yoga mat, and in the wider world)? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast. | |||
| 25 Aug 2020 | 005. Geek wellness, YogaQuest, and the power of stories with Justine Mastin | 00:46:45 | |
Episode 5 Show NotesIn episode 5 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Justine Mastin discuss:
Today’s inquiryEach week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Justine poses a 2-part question:
Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast. | |||
| 18 Aug 2020 | 004. Getting better at failure & reclaiming wellness with Nicole Cardoza | 00:45:03 | |
In episode 4 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Jivana Heyman and Nicole Cardoza discuss:
Today’s inquiry Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Nicole poses a 3-part question:
Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast. | |||
| 11 Aug 2020 | 003. What’s wrong with saying, “I’m not the yoga teacher for everyone” | 00:44:21 | |
In Episode 3 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman discuss the responsibility of yoga teachers to have a commitment to accessibility in their group classes and how we can’t let ourselves off the hook by saying, “I’m just not the teacher for everyone.” In this episode, we discuss:
Today’s inquiryEach week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we are sitting with this question: What does having an “advanced yoga practice” mean to you? Get a transcript, links to resources, and show notes at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast. | |||
| 04 Aug 2020 | 002. Dismantling white supremacy & redistributing power in yoga spaces | 00:49:22 | |
In Episode 2, Amber Karnes interviews Kelley Palmer, writer, yoga teacher, wellness advocate, and community organizer. In this episode:
Today’s inquiryEach week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, Kelley poses a 2-part question: When you think about working toward equity, justice, and liberation, what are you willing to release? What are the obstacles you perceive to releasing those things?
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| 22 Jul 2020 | 001. If yoga is peaceful, why are y'all so angry all the time? | 00:52:12 | |
In episode 1:
Today’s inquiryEach week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. This week’s question comes from Rachelle Knowles (she offered this during her workshop on the Bhagavad Gita during the St. Louis Accessible Yoga Conference last year). “If the battle is inevitable, what kind of warrior do you want to be?” Get show notes, downloads, and transcripts at accessibleyogatraining.com/podcast. | |||
| 07 Jan 2025 | I’ve Taught Yoga for 30 Years: Here’s How I’m Celebrating | 00:18:13 | |
Welcome to season four of the Accessible Yoga Podcast! Host Jivana Heyman celebrates 30 years of teaching yoga by reflecting on his journey and setting the stage for a season filled with meaningful conversations with dedicated yoga practitioners and teachers. This episode is a heartfelt introduction to Jivana’s personal story, the history of Accessible Yoga, and what to expect from this season. Join Jivana as he shares his gratitude for the yoga teachings, the lineage of practitioners who’ve preserved these teachings, and the powerful impact yoga has had on his life. He also introduces an interactive component for listeners, inviting you to share your stories, questions, and reflections. Topics Include:
We Want to Hear from You! What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga Selected responses may be featured in future episodes! Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org Connect with Jivana: www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman | |||
| 14 Jan 2025 | The Teaching on What We Gain by Releasing Control with Shannon Crow | 00:53:35 | |
Host, Jivana Heyman, kicks off this celebratory series with the first of 30 conversations marking his 30th year of teaching yoga. In this episode, Jivana welcomes Shannon Crow, host of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast and cherished friend, for an inspiring conversation about their shared journeys, the profound teachings of yoga, and the lessons that have shaped them. The question to start these conversations is, “What is a story, teaching, or practice from your past that continues to inspire you as you move forward on your path of yoga?” Shannon shares a moving story from her early days as a yoga teacher about releasing control and embracing openness—a theme that resonates deeply in her life and practice today. Jivana reflects on his experiences with his first teacher and the mindfulness practices she imparted, from gardening to the Japanese tea ceremony. Together, they explore the sacredness of everyday moments and the power of living yoga off the mat. This heartfelt conversation sets the tone for a season dedicated to meaningful stories, rich teachings, and celebrating yoga's ability to transform lives. Topics include:
We Want to Hear from You! What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!
Connect with Shannon: Shannon Crow (she/her) is a yoga teacher, trainer and host of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast. She is passionate about helping yoga teachers to specialize so that they can stand out with their unique yoga offerings. Shannon is the founder of Pelvic Health Professionals and a Mom to her three best teachers. www.theconnectedyogateacher.com | @theconnectedyogateacher | facebook.com/groups/connectedyogateacher
Connect with Jivana: Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
OfferingTree Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 10% off an annual subscription. beYogi Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana.
Credit: Mikus (they/them), AYP Podcast Sound Engineer | |||
| 21 Jan 2025 | The Teaching on Waking Up with Indu Arora | 01:00:23 | |
“You can only wake up someone who is asleep, not someone who is pretending to be asleep.” - Indu Arora In this episode, host, Jivana Heyman, chats with his guest and good friend, Indu Arora, who shares her journey in yoga and the lessons she learned in her youth, which began a lifelong study of yoga. Together, they emphasize the importance of ethics and explore profound themes like humility in teaching, the intersection of tradition and modernity, and the joy of living a balanced life through yoga. The Question and Answer segment with Jivana and cohost, Deanna Michalopoulos, featured a question submitted about how to provide a full authentic and profound experience into a 45 to 60 minute yoga class and shared a listener voicemail about developing yoga for functional aging. Topics include:
We Want to Hear from You! What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!
Connect with Indu: Indu Arora (she/her), Ayurveda and Yoga Therapist considers herself a student for lifetime. Her teachings are deeply rooted in the philosophy: 'Nothing has the greatest power to heal, but Self.’ Authored: Mudra: The Sacred Secret (2015, also translated in German and French languages) Yoga - Ancient Heritage, Tomorrow"s Vision (2019) SOMA - 100 Heritage Recipes for Self-Care (2020) Hardcopy + eBook www.yogsadhna.com | @induaroraofficial | www.facebook.com/InduAroraOfficial
Connect with Jivana: Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
OfferingTree Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 10% off an annual subscription. beYogi Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana.
Credit: Mikus (they/them), AYP Podcast Sound Engineer | |||
| 04 Feb 2025 | The Teaching on Reclaiming Our Truth with Scottee | 01:17:48 | |
In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode, Jivana spends time with artist and yoga teacher, Scottee, to explore identity, accessibility, and the power of yoga to support marginalized communities. Scottee shares stories of growing up in working-class North London to finding yoga as a form of healing and expression. Together, they discuss the intersections of queerness, class, neurodivergence, and yoga, questioning how yoga spaces can be more inclusive and equitable and a source of support in the current political climate. In the Question and Answer segment, Rebecca Sebastian leaves a heartfelt voicemail celebrating Jivana’s 30 years of teaching and Elisa Jouannet shares a transformative lesson from her yoga teacher: "Wherever you are, that's perfect." Jivana answers a question about how he made a living while teaching yoga and discusses with cohost, Deanna Michalopoulos, the challenges of integrating business with yoga. Topics include:
We Want to Hear from You! What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!
Connect with Scottee: Scottee (he/they) is a self taught actor who has received critical acclaim for his work in theatre and audio, he is also the creator behind Wonkee. Wonkee is a digital club with a focus on inclusive yoga practice, self paced learning, creativity and self care, whose practices are made with the weird, sad, mad, fat, neurodivergent, sensitive, soft natured and queer amongst us. wonkee.club | @scotteeisfat | @wonkee.club
Connect with Jivana: Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Connect with Rebecca: @rebeccassebastianyoga Connect with Elisa: @elisajouannet
Thank You to Our Sponsors! OfferingTree Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 10% off an annual subscription. beYogi Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana. Yogamatters Discover over 2,500 yoga and wellbeing items. Use code JIVANA15 at the checkout to apply a 15% discount to your order of yoga props (one use per customer). www.yogamatters.com Credit: Mikus (they/them), AYP Podcast Sound Engineer
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| 18 Feb 2025 | The Teaching on Living Your Yoga with Melissa Shah | 01:03:18 | |
Join host, Jivana, and guest, Melissa Shah, to reflect on the fullness of the path of yoga as an inner practice that translates to outer action and service. Melissa shares about her grassroots efforts to support her LA community after the recent fires and together they discuss how yoga helps foster resilience, prevent burnout, and serve as a tool for community care. They share thoughts on the importance of slowing down to integrate teachings and embrace the present moment. In the Question and Answer segment, we hear inspiring stories from Sally Denton and Jackie Driscoll about the impact of yoga in building community and the wisdom of nature as a teacher. We also hear from Lesley on her goals to merge her roles as Occupational Therapist and yoga teacher and her excitement to join the upcoming Accessible Yoga Training Online in March. Topics Include:
We Want to Hear from You! What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!
Connect with Melissa: Melissa Shah (she/they), founder of Find Your Breath, is an Indian-American yoga therapist who works to educate folks on how to practice yoga holistically through one-to-one and group sessions, retreats, and uplifting South Asian and BIPOC wellness leaders. She also regularly guest lectures for trainings and events across the U.S,, where she educates people on the more subtle aspects of yoga, such as mantra and pranayama. One of Melissa’s greatest passions is to create and co-create supportive spaces for rest and exploration of Self that are rooted in radical inclusion. Their work has been featured by NBC Asian America and in Yoga Journal, Anti-Racism Daily, SHAPE magazine and Women's Health Mag. www.findyourbreath.net | @findyourbreath (IG)
Connect with Jivana: Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Connect with Lesley: @mindbodyflow_yoga
Thank You to Our Sponsors! OfferingTree Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 10% off an annual subscription. beYogi Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana. Yogamatters Discover over 2,500 yoga and wellbeing items. Use code JIVANA15 at the checkout to apply a 15% discount to your order of yoga props (one use per customer). www.yogamatters.com
Credit: Mikus Dharma, AYP Podcast Sound Engineer | |||
| 04 Mar 2025 | The Teaching on Self-Awareness without Judgement with Tamika Caston-Miller | 01:11:18 | |
In this powerful episode, host, Jivana Heyman, and guest, Tamika Caston-Miller, examine yoga as revolutionary—being a catalyst for personal and collective transformation. Tamika shares about her work in Houston, Texas, as both an educator and a permaculturist, creating a culture of sustainability, both in nature and within the community. Together they discuss their commitments to learning and expanding beyond comfort zones and practicing self awareness without judgement. In the Question and Answer segment, Jivana and Deanna share voicemails from Ber McCall in Ireland and Jo Stewart from Garden of Yoga in Australia celebrating Jivana and the teachings they have learned from him. Deanna also shares a question regarding making yoga offerings financially accessible and Jivana describes his approach to offering free content on social media and the importance of making teachings accessible through various platforms. Topics Include:
We Want to Hear from You! What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!
Connect with Tamika: Tamika Caston-Miller is a yoga educator, executive coach, and mindful communities builder living the life of urban farmer florist in Houston, Texas. She curates nature-inspired yoga practices in service to collective care through the lens of rest, resilience, and ancestral repair. Tamika is founder of inclusive wellness space The Ranch Houston and virtual yoga studio & school Ashe Yoga Collective, constributes to Yoga Journal, and is a former board member of Accessible Yoga Association. Tamika aims to build intersectional, intergenerational, multiethnic communities that center radical compassion, agency, and self acceptance. Her modern application of ancient yogic principles is inspired by her understanding of yoga as a practice of right relationship with others, the planet, and oneself. www.tamikacastonmiller.com | www.asheyoga.com | tamikacastonmiller.substack.com | @tamika_castonmiller (IG)
Connect with Jivana: Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Thank You to Our Sponsors! OfferingTree Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 10% off an annual subscription. beYogi Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana. Yogamatters Discover over 2,500 yoga and wellbeing items. Use code JIVANA15 at the checkout to apply a 15% discount to your order of yoga props (one use per customer). www.yogamatters.com
Credit: Mikus Dharma, AYP Podcast Sound Engineer | |||
| 18 Mar 2025 | The Teaching on Self-Compassion with Rodrigo Souza | 01:05:02 | |
Join host, Jivana, and guest, Rodrigo Souza, as they discuss teaching yoga with compassion and awareness, the role of yoga in healing trauma, and the importance of representation and advocacy for people with disabilities in yoga. Rodrigo shares his journey of living with a spinal cord injury and how yoga became a transformative tool for healing and self-acceptance. He reflects on his first time teaching a yoga class and the impact it had on his students and himself. In the Question and Answer segment, Jivana and Deanna discuss the importance of empathy in today’s world, the significance of self-compassion, and allowing space for all experiences in yoga. Jivana answers a question about who his current teachers are and his ongoing learning and growth as a yoga teacher. Topics Include:
We Want to Hear from You! What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!
Connect with Rodrigo: Rodrigo Souza (he/him) is an Adaptive and Accessible Yoga teacher with experience in instructing folks who have endured trauma and disability. After suffering a traumatic injury which left him paralysed from the chest down, Rodrigo recognised the significance of taking care of his own recovery to enhance his long-term well-being. This journey inspired him to become a yoga teacher, where he aims to share his personal insights into discovering joy in movement and rest. www.allihopayoga.com | @allihopayoga (IG)
Connect with Jivana: Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Connect with Cheri Clampett: Therapeutic Yoga Check out the Cumbria Yoga Foundation!
Thank You to Our Sponsors! OfferingTree Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 10% off an annual subscription. beYogi Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana. Yogamatters Discover over 2,500 yoga and wellbeing items. Use code JIVANA15 at the checkout to apply a 15% discount to your order of yoga props (one use per customer). www.yogamatters.com
Credit: Mikus Dharma, AYP Podcast Sound Engineer | |||
| 01 Apr 2025 | The Teaching on Nonattachment with Amber Karnes | 01:04:22 | |
In this episode, host, Jivana Heyman, reconnects with his guest and good friend, Amber Karnes, to reflect on non attachment and self acceptance through challenges and life changes. Amber, whom Jivana credits for shifting contemporary yoga culture, shares about her professional and personal journey since COVID. Together, they remember the work they have done together over the years, including starting this podcast in 2020. In the Question and Answer Segment, Jivana and cohost, Deanna Michalopoulos, feature two voicemails from callers, Tyi-Sanna and Taylor that spark conversations about the importance of interpreting yoga teachings through diverse perspectives and the role of healthy debate in understanding ancient texts. Topics Include:
We Want to Hear from You! What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!
Connect with Amber: Amber Karnes is a multi-disciplinary artist, community builder, educator, and yoga teacher. She has over 25 years of community-building experience and marketing know-how under her belt. Amber is the creator of Body Positive Yoga and the co-creator of other successful yoga projects like Accessible Yoga School and the Yoga For All Teacher Training. Currently, she hosts adventure retreats where daring women can explore body acceptance through yoga, nature, and travel. She also offers marketing strategy coaching for solo business owners. Her new projects include a surfing retreat for complete beginners and an online community for biz owners who want to quit social media. Find her at amberkarnes.com amberkarnes.com | @amberkarnesofficial
Connect with Jivana: Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Thank You to Our Sponsors! OfferingTree Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 10% off an annual subscription. beYogi Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana. Yogamatters Discover over 2,500 yoga and wellbeing items. Use code JIVANA15 at the checkout to apply a 15% discount to your order of yoga props (one use per customer). www.yogamatters.com
Credit: Mikus Dharma, AYP Podcast Sound Engineer | |||