The Mentor Sessions

Francesca Cervero
  • 4.9 (154)
  • FITNESS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

With amazing guests or solo, I explore the craft of teaching yoga, as its own practice. I'm seeking answers to the questions about why we teach something the way we do, how we could be more expansive and inclusive in our teaching, and how we can continue to grow and evolve in our teaching practice. I'm so glad you are here because I believe the depth that arises in teaching comes from inquiry and relationship. Join me as I offer nourishing support to help you feel more confident in your teaching and realistic strategy to help you find more clarity on your career path. Francesca Cervero (she/her) has been a full-time yoga teacher since 2005. Her teaching is inspired by her foundational training with Cyndi Lee at OM Yoga Center, the years she spent as a dancer and the subsequent years she spent in physical therapy. Her teaching is also influenced by her love of Buddhist teachings and a constant curiosity about anatomy and biomechanics. She is in private practice teaching a full schedule of 1x1 clients, mentors yoga teachers in The Science of the Private Lesson™, hosts the podcast, The Mentor Sessions: Support & Strategy for Yoga Teachers and is the founder of the adjoining community, The Mentor Sessions Sangha.

  1. 170: ​​A Yoga Nidra Deep Dive + Great Advice For Yoga Teachers with Indu Arora

    3D AGO

    170: ​​A Yoga Nidra Deep Dive + Great Advice For Yoga Teachers with Indu Arora

    In this expansive conversation, I got a chance to talk to yoga and Ayurveda teacher, mentor, and author Indu Aurora to explore what yoga truly is — and what it is not. We started by unpacking one of Indu's powerful statements: "The goal of yoga is yoga. Everything else is a side benefit." This conversation invites teachers to look beyond flexibility, strength, and stress relief — and into yoga as a state of realization. Indu draws from classical teachings and the commentary on the Yoga Sutras to clarify that yoga is not simply a practice — it is a state of samadhi, a realization of the unchanging self beneath the ever-changing body, mind, and emotions. We take a deep dive into one of Indu's main areas of wisdom, Yoga Nidra and then finish the conversation with some salient pieces of wisdom for all yoga teachers.  In this episode you'll hear: why modern practitioners and teachers get stuck focusing on the "fix" why Yoga Nidra is both powerful and accessible how to keep Yoga Nidra from becoming robotic why you should make nature your guru the power of unlearning how to choose a teacher why we both love confusion and doubt Learn More From Indu www.yogsadhna.com https://www.instagram.com/induaroraofficial/ This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.

    42 min
  2. 169: Yoga's Role In Navigating The World with Sarah Capua

    FEB 24

    169: Yoga's Role In Navigating The World with Sarah Capua

    In today's podcast epsiode, I sat down with a yoga therapist, teacher, spiritual caregiver and a good friend of mine, Sarah Capua. We explored what it means to practice—and teach—yoga in a time of political upheaval, climate crisis, and cultural fragmentation. In this conversation, we reflect on power, misperception, collective responsibility, spiritual bypassing, and the role of yoga teachers in supporting students who feel overwhelmed or powerless. As she always does, my friend Sarah brings deep wisdom on the topics of agency, ethics, community, and the radical nourishment of staying awake. Sarah Capua (she/her) is a dedicated student, teacher, Yoga Therapist, and spiritual caregiver. Her work is rooted in the tradition of T.Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar, Zen Buddhist contemplative practice and caregiving, and her experience as a chaplain for people in trauma and end of life. Her hope is to be a compassionate and curious support for others on the path, to bear witness and make meaning, and to hold a mirror up to our embodied wisdom which can be a companion no matter where life takes us. In this episode, you'll hear: why studying the ethical foundations of yoga deeply is the most important thing you can do why you shouldn't assume your students want avoidance how to create space for conversation and integration why you should take care of your own energy and support system first how to practice expanding your heart rather than narrowing it Sarah hosted a Yoga Sūtra-s workshop inside The Mentor Sessions Sangha on Friday, March 6, 2026. To listen and watch the recording of the workshop, join the Sangha for one month right here. Introduction to the Yoga Sūtra-s: What is Yoga? To understand yoga as more than just a set of tools, we must go to the heart of its teachings. The Yoga Sūtra-s of Patanjali, teachings compiled in Sanskrit nearly 1,700 years ago, is a manual for understanding the mind and its role in our lives, and is as relevant today as ever. In this workshop we will explore the first four sūtra-s, essential teachings for understanding what yoga is, what it involves, and why we practice. Learn More From Sarah Visit Sarah's online home Follow Sarah on Instagram This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. The best thing about OfferingTree is you can get up and running in 10 minutes with no tech skills needed. As an added bonus, If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.

    57 min
  3. 168: The Yoga Teacher's Guide To Fighting Fascism

    FEB 3

    168: The Yoga Teacher's Guide To Fighting Fascism

    American yoga teachers have a unique role in fighting fascism. We are deeply practiced in the tools that help us (and our students) feel clear, steady, focused, calm and resilient. And if you read the teachings the way I do, we have a powerful directive to engage in direct social action.  Lovingkindness meditation says, "May All Beings Be Safe And Free" and that is not just a nice idea, but a mandate to work for change. As you can plainly see with your eyes, all beings are not safe. But there is so much we can do! There is incredible work being done and all we have to do is plug into it.  In this episode, you'll hear: the dharma teachings I am depending on and teaching how I recommend you address current events in your yoga classes all the organizations I am following and working with how I balance activism work with full time working parenting  Lots of Resources! Episode 143: Should You Talk About Current Events In Yoga Classes?? Episode 163: The Four Reminders (It's A Pep Talk!) A sharable google doc with my list of orgs to follow The 5Calls App Website (with links to app store) Instagram Follow for:  an extremely user friendly app to help you choose topics, get phone numbers for your reps and suggested call scripts Indivisible  Website Instagram There are lots of local chapters in cities and small towns across the country. Follow for:  clear directions on small but impactful actions (cancel Dsiney and Spotify) Information on big, peaceful protests Electoral directions (what member of congress to call when about what) Sunrise Movement Website Instagram Follow for: A more radical approach as it is run by young people Less electoral focus, more direct action 50501 National Website National Instagram There are local chapters in most states! Follow for: Large scale protests (they work closely with Indivisable) Local actions (this one is important this week!!) https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ Follow For: Tons of on the ground, grassroots orgs to support in MN Refuse Fascism  Website Instagram  Follow For: Daily protests to attend in DC This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree!   Sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor to get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).  With OfferingTree, yoga teachers put their schedule on a personally branded website where students can book classes and even pay or donate online.  All of this can be set up in 10 minutes or less.  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up.

    46 min
  4. 167: We Don't Want AI Yoga with Cyndi Lee

    JAN 20

    167: We Don't Want AI Yoga with Cyndi Lee

    I am so honored to be joined on the podcast by my teacher Cyndi Lee. As a senior yoga teacher, author, and Buddhist chaplain—Cyndi talks to us about what's being gained, lost, and misunderstood as artificial intelligence enters yoga, writing, and teaching spaces. Cyndi reflects on her five decades of practice and teaching. As the founder of Om Yoga Center in New York City, a global hub for yogis from 1998 to 2012, she has witnessed firsthand how yoga has shifted under the pressures of capitalism, scalability, and speed. In this episode, you'll hear: a discussion of two growing trends: students using AI as a "yoga teacher" and yoga teachers using AI for emails, sequencing, and social media why Cyndi chooses not to use AI in her writing or teaching why lineage is vital—not as rigidity or hierarchy, but as continuity, care, and accountability  a hopeful message for yoga teachers about the fast changes in our word Learn More From Cyndi: Follow Cyndi on Instagram Visit Cyndi's online home Follow Cyndi on Substack: Drip, Drip, Drip OfferingTree is a proud sponsor of this episode, and I am honored to be an affiliate.  Visit OfferingTree at www.offeringtree.com/mentor and you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).   OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up and I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.

    54 min
  5. 166: Do We Want AI in Yoga? with Lizzie Lasater

    JAN 6

    166: Do We Want AI in Yoga? with Lizzie Lasater

    In this episode of The Mentor Sessions, I'm joined by Lizzie Lasseter for a wide-ranging conversation about teaching yoga in a rapidly evolving world. Lizzie is a designer, educator, and second-generation yoga teacher with over 20 years of experience. As the daughter of Judith Hanson Lasseter, Lizzie grew up immersed in the Iyengar lineage, while also carving out her own path as a teacher, business owner, and working parent of six-year-old twins. Together, we explore lineage, embodiment, and the increasingly complex role AI is playing in the yoga world. In this episode, you'll hear: how Lizzie's work is intentionally structured around the rhythms of family life and nervous system regulation the realities of parenting young children while teaching yoga our discussion of hypermobility, joint stability, and the ways dogmatic alignment language can contribute to pain rather than healing all about Lizzie's use of AI in her business including how AI supports her writing process and assists with course notes and student learning a discussion of what gets lost when editing is outsourced, the difference between processing ideas and producing content and the risk of generic, "flattened" language some concerns about the future of AI and yoga Learn More From Lizzie Visit Lizzie's website Follow Lizzie on Instagram Enjoy Lizzie's YouTube Channel This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!  OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up.

    1h 8m
  6. 165: The Intended Benefit + How To Remove Linear Hierarchy

    12/16/2025

    165: The Intended Benefit + How To Remove Linear Hierarchy

    In this episode, we dive into a concept that is absolutely transformative for yoga teachers: the idea that yoga cannot be both healing and performative at the same time. If we're still teaching from a linear, hierarchical, aesthetic-based model of asana, we're unintentionally blocking the very healing we hope to support. This conversation focuses on how teachers can shift toward a non-linear, person-centered approach grounded in the intended benefit of each pose. Francesca offers a co-creative teaching model where the teacher brings clarity, knowledge, and intention — without assuming universal "right" shapes. In this episode, you'll hear: the foundational framework that helps teachers move away from aesthetic evaluation and toward meaningful, individualized movement experiences pose case studies including child's pose, downward facing dog, plank and warrior two a deep dive into the idea that each pose is a container of possible movement nutrients how to incorporate all these ideas into your teaching right away an invitation to get some feedback from Francesca Resources Mentioned:  15 Downward Dog Prep Sequences: 15sequences.com The Science Of The Private Lesson The Mentor Sessions Sangha Episode 164: Taking Movement Patterns Down To The Studs with Geneva Jimreivat This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. The best thing about OfferingTree is you can get up and running in 10 minutes with no tech skills needed. As an added bonus, If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!

    33 min
  7. 164: Taking Movement Patterns Down To The Studs with Geneva Jimreivat

    12/02/2025

    164: Taking Movement Patterns Down To The Studs with Geneva Jimreivat

    Today's conversation is a deeply layered one. I'm joined by my friend, colleague, mentee, and private student Geneva Jimreivat for a nuanced exploration of how I work with private clients who experience persistent, subclinical pain and hard-to-pinpoint movement challenges. Geneva is truly a multi-hyphenate in the movement world—she's been practicing yoga since childhood, completed her 200-hour training in 2019, taught in my studio, mentored with me, coached CrossFit and private strength clients, and is currently completing her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Her background in yoga, strength training, biomechanics, and manual therapy gives her a uniquely rich perspective on the kind of work we dive into together. We also get into the big question Geneva brought from her PT clinic experiences: How do you know when someone needs very specific, movement-pattern reconstruction versus when general strength and conditioning is enough? This conversation is such a real look at the messy, subtle, deeply personal work of helping people move and feel better in their bodies—especially when the answers aren't straightforward. In this episode, you'll hear: how years of yoga, strength training, CrossFit, and manual therapy shaped Geneva's movement identity the chronic discomfort that led her to reach out to me—especially neck, pec, elbow, and wrist pain that didn't resolve with typical PT approaches why highly trained movers sometimes perform their way around dysfunctional patterns for years—until the body finally says "no more." the emotional experience of being a movement professional who is also navigating pain that won't go away why pathoanatomy can be empowering for some students—and anxiety-producing for others—and how to share information responsibly without fear-mongering what Geneva and I are actually doing in her sessions now: slowing everything down, locating deep core support, identifying compensations, and rebuilding foundational patterns Learn More From Geneva: Visit Geneva's website Follow Geneva on Instagram OfferingTree is a proud sponsor of this episode and I am honored to be an affiliate.  Visit OfferingTree at www.offeringtree.com/mentor and you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).   OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up and I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone. Click here for the Studio Success Checklist.

    54 min
  8. 163: The Four Reminders (It's A Pep Talk!)

    11/18/2025

    163: The Four Reminders (It's A Pep Talk!)

    In this episode of The Mentor Sessions, I share something a little different: a Dharma talk I recently offered in my monthly class for yoga teachers. These monthly gatherings are one of my favorite places to teach—intimate, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in practice—and this particular talk felt important to bring to the podcast. Over the last several months, as the political situation in the United States has become more extreme and more frightening, I've been turning again and again to a Buddhist teaching known as The Four Reminders. These contemplations come from the Tibetan Buddhist lineage, and while they are simple, they cut right to the heart of what matters most. They have become the anchor of my own personal practice during this time of rising fascism, fear, and widespread suffering. In this episode, I share how I came back to these teachings—interestingly, prompted not by the worst harm being done in this country, but by the moment Jimmy Fallon was taken off the air for criticizing the administration. Watching someone with so much privilege get silenced instantly made me realize that we weren't sliding toward fascism. We were already living inside it. And from that moment, I knew I didn't want to get stuck in despair. I wanted to stay awake, engaged, loving, and grounded. The Four Reminders helped me do that. In this episode, you'll hear: Why these four contemplations feel so powerful and clarifying How reflecting on the preciousness of human life expands our compassion for ourselves, each other, and the planet The truth of impermanence — and how it can become a liberatory force rather than a source of fear The reality of karma and interdependence, and why even the smallest actions matter The universality of suffering, and why it is not inevitable How these teachings help me hold a vision of a world where every being is safe, free, and fed Why joy is not a luxury but an essential part of practice—especially in oppressive times The role of protest, collective action, and tiny daily choices in shaping the world we believe is possible After the Dharma talk, I share some of the reflections and questions that came up in conversation with the teachers in class. One theme that surfaced again and again was how grounding it feels to hold a positive vision—not in a naïve or spiritually bypassing way, but as a guiding truth that helps us stay resourced, energized, and committed. I talk about the small actions I take to stay connected to this vision, like calling my representatives or supporting my local food bank, and why these seemingly insignificant acts matter. We may not see the fruits of our labor in our lifetime, but as the Gita reminds us, that doesn't mean the work isn't ours to do. If you're feeling overwhelmed right now… I hope this episode reminds you that your life is precious, your presence matters, and your choices—however small—ripple outward. I hope it gives you permission to feel your grief and to feel joy. And I hope it encourages you to stay rooted in your own vision of what is possible for humanity. Thank you for being on this path with me. Resources Mentioned: Studio Success Checklist OfferingTree is a proud sponsor of this episode and I am honored to be an affiliate.  Visit OfferingTree at www.offeringtree.com/mentor and you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan).   OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up and I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.

    37 min
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4.9
out of 5
154 Ratings

About

With amazing guests or solo, I explore the craft of teaching yoga, as its own practice. I'm seeking answers to the questions about why we teach something the way we do, how we could be more expansive and inclusive in our teaching, and how we can continue to grow and evolve in our teaching practice. I'm so glad you are here because I believe the depth that arises in teaching comes from inquiry and relationship. Join me as I offer nourishing support to help you feel more confident in your teaching and realistic strategy to help you find more clarity on your career path. Francesca Cervero (she/her) has been a full-time yoga teacher since 2005. Her teaching is inspired by her foundational training with Cyndi Lee at OM Yoga Center, the years she spent as a dancer and the subsequent years she spent in physical therapy. Her teaching is also influenced by her love of Buddhist teachings and a constant curiosity about anatomy and biomechanics. She is in private practice teaching a full schedule of 1x1 clients, mentors yoga teachers in The Science of the Private Lesson™, hosts the podcast, The Mentor Sessions: Support & Strategy for Yoga Teachers and is the founder of the adjoining community, The Mentor Sessions Sangha.

Information

  • Creator
    Francesca Cervero
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    173
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    The Mentor Sessions

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