Yoga Teacher Resource Podcast Mado Hesselink
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- Business
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Topics include the business of yoga, teaching skills, anatomy, philosophy, ethical and legal considerations, and more.
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12 Tips for Teaching Large(r) Groups
Teaching large groups can be intimidating! But it’s also fantastic for improving your teaching skills and boosting your confidence. This episode focuses on the unique challenges and opportunities involved in teaching large yoga groups. Learn to embrace the challenges of large-group instruction and develop your ability to offer high-quality instruction to groups of any size.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:00 The benefits of teaching larger groups
05:15 Why teaching large groups is so nerve-wracking
07:02 Why it’s important to keep your class plan simple in a larger group
09:33 How to encourage focus and engagement in a larger group
10:12 How to balance different personality types when it comes to student participation
12:04 How to manage student questions to avoid getting thrown off track
15:06 How to provide an intimate experience in a large group
17:14 Thoughts on physical touch in a large group
19:17 How to bring attention back to you after small group or partner work
21:06 The role of visual aids in a larger group
22:51 How to utilize assistants when teaching a larger group
24:54 How to learn your student’s names (even if you’re usually terrible with names)
26:52 How to facilitate connection between students in a larger group
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group
Learn more about the Impact Club
Leave a review on iTunes
Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe -
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:
Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group
Learn more about the Impact Club
Leave a review on iTunes
Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe -
How to Run a Registered Yoga Series with Nyk Danu
Series classes deepen your relationship with your students, helps them commit to their practice, and provides financial stability for you as the teacher. Nyk Danu, a certified yoga therapist and business mentor, shares her insights on creating a sustainable yoga teaching business through a registered series. Listen in to hear practical advice on setting up your series, handling logistics like space rental and insurance, and filling your series classes. Nyk also touches on considerations for yoga studio owners thinking about transitioning to a registered series. If you value teacher-student connections, consistency in practice, and control over your teaching environment, this episode is for you!
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:52 Meet Nyk Danu: Yoga Misfit and Mentor
06:09 Why yoga classes shifted away from the registered series model
09:59 How to Start Your Own Registered Yoga Series
20:11 Finding the Perfect Space for Yoga Classes
22:04 Essential Tools for Running Yoga Series: Registration and Communication
24:40 Essential Policies for your Registered Series
28:21 Priority Registration for Existing Students
29:20 Starting Small with Class Registrations
30:15 Engaging Older Students with Simpler Technology
31:18 Handling Minimums and Cancellations
31:47 Leveraging Workshops to Fill Series
33:30 Setting Minimum Attendance Numbers
36:16 Choosing the Right Duration for Your Series
37:40 Make-up Classes and Free Sessions
40:09 Finding Your First Group of Students
46:02 Utilizing Email Lists for Growth
48:58 Transitioning Studios to Registered Series
50:14 The Benefits of Running Pre-registered Series
55:43 Concluding Thoughts and Resources
EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:
Nyk Danu Yoga
Follow Nyk on Instagram @nykdanuyoga
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group
Learn more about the Impact Club
Leave a review on iTunes
Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe -
Teaching Mixed Abilities in Yoga Classes with Dr. Libby Hinsley
Yoga is for everyone, but when people of varied physical abilities show up in the same class it can be difficult to meet all their needs at the same time. In this episode, Mado and Libby offer a framework for understanding why your students might struggle with a particular asana and how to offer variations that provide a similar experience to people with different physical abilities.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:00 Why teaching mixed ability yoga classes is harder than it needs to be
02:49 How to plan for an all levels class
03:35 Understanding progression and regression
04:46 Four reasons a pose might be challenging for a student
05:39 How to simplify yoga postures
07:14 Essential biomechanical principles for yoga
11:35 How gravity can impact asana
16:27 Why teaching simpler poses will help your students progress
21:50 How teaching one one-on-one will help you teach better group classes
23:16 A breakdown of Warrior 3 Pose
28:51 Moving vs static yoga postures
30:39 The role of creativity in yoga teaching
32:14 A breakdown of Triangle Pose
38:53 Why anatomy is a key skill for asana teachers
EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:
Libby Hinsley
Anatomy Bites
Follow Libby on Instagram @libbyhinsleypt
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group
Learn more about the Impact Club
Leave a review on iTunes
Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe -
Bridging the Gap between Retreats and Online Classes with Laura Mendez Asbach [On-Air Coaching Call]
Laura reached out for help to increase enrollment in her online classes. Despite her success in drawing people to her global retreats, she struggles to fill her online series and workshops. In this conversation, we discuss strategies to improve sign-ups for online offerings. Some of the ideas we consider include positioning online classes as 'extensions' of the retreat experiences, frequency and timing of communication, incentives for retreat participants, and the importance of urgency in online sign-ups. We then created a plan to convert her current library membership into something that might appeal to retreat participants.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
01:14 Laura's background and how she started leading retreats
03:40 How Laura’s retreat business survived the pandemic
05:23 Why & how to learn what motivates your students
12:19 The importance of urgency in marketing
13:59 Helping students bridge the gap between retreats and online classes
17:41 An idea to repurpose Laura’s membership to support retreat participants
18:42 How to create consistency with a constantly changing schedule
22:11 How to leverage moments of inspiration
22:42 Final Thoughts and Future Plans
EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:
Laura Lakshmi
Follow Laura on Instagram @yogawithlauralakshmi
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group
Learn more about the Impact Club
Leave a review on iTunes
Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe -
Cueing, Demonstration, and Finding your Voice as a Teacher with Johanna [On Air Coaching Call]
Johanna is a new yoga teacher who struggles to lead her yoga class without physically practicing along with her students. Mado helps her unpack why she wants to develop this skill and provides simple strategies to build her ability to cue without practicing along with the class. Along the way, they explore internal vs external motivation and learning to trust your inner voice.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
02:17 Johanna's journey to becoming a yoga teacher
06:25 Why Johanna struggles to teach without practicing along
07:42 The conflict between internal and external motivation
12:22 How people pleasing harms and holds us back as yoga teachers
22:11 The paradox of being a beginner teacher
22:51 Why it’s important to embrace slow and steady growth
23:36 The danger of comparing yourself to people who are further along the path
25:56 What your students really want from you as a teacher
27:56 Helping your students vs pleasing them
28:19 The benefits of cueing without demonstrating
36:28 Comparison between yoga and fitness classes
38:10 Meeting your students where they are
39:11 Baby steps to develop your ability to cue without practicing
41:00 How & why to let your students peek behind the curtain
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource email list
Join the Yoga Teacher Resource Facebook Group
Learn more about the Impact Club
Leave a review on iTunes
Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe
Customer Reviews
Must listen for yoga teachers
Love this show and love Mado!
Very informative
The only reason I’m not giving five stars is due to the editor leaving the hosts daughter interrupting the conversation. It’s rude to your guest and unprofessional.
Love!
What a great resource. Thank you for your knowledge and making it simple for someone just starting on their journey.