In this episode of Leadership and Yoga, I sit down with Rey Cardenas, Austin-based yoga teacher, and co-studio owner of Practice Yoga Austin, to explore what it means to teach yoga in rhythm with the seasons. We talk astrology in the yoga class, the relationship between the sun and our bodies,consciousness, Ayurveda and seasonal practice, burnout and sustainability for yoga teachers, and how presence, sound, and language shape a truly transformational yoga experience. Rey also shares insights from Rudolf Steiner, yoga therapy, and his philosophy on teaching yoga as a co-created experience rather than a performance. Practice with Rey at Practice Yoga Austin: https://practiceyogaaustin.com/ Yoga Therapy program: https://practiceyogaaustin.com/yoga-teacher-training/practice-yoga-therapy-training/ Rey’s instagram: @reys.awareness https://www.instagram.com/reys.awareness/ Rey on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reysawareness Find Shawna on instagram: @shawnakru - https://www.instagram.com/shawnakru Try OfferingTree for free with my link here (My sponsor) Ayurvedic consultation with Art, TEND https://www.tend.eco/collections/consultations Yoga Teacher Roundtable free community events & mailing list: https://www.shawnakru.com/fam Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 03:53 Welcome back & why Rey’s teaching stands out 05:38 When astrology entered Rey’s yoga teaching 07:23 Scientific materialism, burnout, and losing rhythm 08:38 Rudolf Steiner, cultural ages, and the zodiac 10:38 Western vs Vedic astrology: personality vs karma 13:08 Why astrology belongs in a yoga class 14:48 Capricorn season, liminal time, and seasonal support 17:23 Teaching with the seasons instead of against them 19:58 Forward bends, backbends, and seasonal consciousness 21:58 Fall energy, overthinking, and teaching to what students feel 23:08 Introducing new ideas without alienating students 24:13 Going against trends and trusting your teaching path 26:58 Living and teaching yoga in rhythm at Practice Yoga Austin 27:59 Ayurveda and seasonal yoga practices 29:00 Summer vs winter yoga: heat, yin, and balance 30:08 The three gunas: tamas, rajas, and sattva 31:43 Cycles of life, injury, aging, and sustainable practice 34:38 Karma, grace, and trusting the unfolding path 36:28 Making mistakes before and after 35 39:28 Ascension, service, and responsibility on the spiritual path 43:18 What makes an exceptional yoga class 45:28 Presence, attention, and co-creating experience 48:33 Advanced cueing and anchoring awareness beyond the body 51:38 Sound, mantra, and the meaning behind language 54:28 Poetry, tone, and shaping the mood of a class 56:13 Mantra yoga, Sanskrit, and sound consciousness 58:13 Yoga therapy as “grad school for yoga” 1:00:13 Science, yoga therapy, and medical integration 1:03:13 Billboard question & Rey’s message to the world
