An Anti-Perfectionist Approach to Accessible Yoga with Jivana Heyman

Over the past decade, there has been a welcome push towards a more inclusive approach to yoga. But what does that look like on a practical level? Jivana Heyman has been at the center of the accessible yoga movement as the founder of the Accessible Yoga Project and the author of The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga, Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body. In this episode, Jivana shares an anti-perfectionist approach to accessible yoga that centers the relationship between teacher and student. The conversation delves into insecurities and imposter syndrome, the interplay between teaching and personal growth, and the importance of ethics in guiding both personal and teaching practices.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

00:00 The philosophy of accessible yoga

01:48 Jivana’s early experiences with yoga

03:30 How yoga helps with emotional regulation

05:59 The impact of social media and information overload

08:43 How to deal with impostor syndrome

13:22 Teaching as a relationship

21:04 Inquiry on the ethics of teaching

27:50 The importance of meeting your students where they are and respecting their preferences

33:41 Perfectionism and people-pleasing

38:30 Kindness as a guiding principle for accessible yoga

42:15 Helping and fixing vs serving 

EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:

Accessible Yoga School

Access all of Jivana’s books here

Follow Jivana on Instagram @jivanaheyman

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

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