In this week's episode, morning news anchor and yoga teacher Leslie Rangel opens up about mental health and how she's working to help journalists manage the stress of their very tough jobs. We talk about her spiritual journey and her path to becoming a yoga teacher, wellness, spirituality and the news industry, how many journalists cope with their jobs via alcohol, beating burnout during a pandemic and tools to create a healing space.

Leslie also speaks about her business, The News Yogi, where she's combining her years of experience on TV with her years as a yogi to build a community journalists can rely on for help with their mental health. She's on a mission to help bring  yogic tools to journalists of color and journalists of conscience. Leslie teaches journalists how to understand what trauma, stress, depression and anxiety look like and how to begin using yoga on the mat to take it into their lives off the mat. Leslie says it's time to end the journalism stigma of “getting over” stress and anxiety because it’s “part of the job” or we need to “pay our dues.” Journalists are resilient, but also human. 

Leslie has been featured presenter for journalism conferences including RTDNA, IRE, and ONA. Her yoga for journalists work has been featured in Yoga Journal and the Journalism Institute National Press Club.  Leslie is a 500 hour registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance. She's trained in trauma-informed yoga and meditation. She’s also currently studying Advanced Yoga Psychology with a licensed psychotherapist and yoga/meditation teacher.

Connect with Leslie Rangel on Instagram @thenewsyogi
Connect with Leslie Draffin on Instagram @lesliedraffin
Connect with the podcast on Instagram @thelightwithinpodcast
Send us an email: [email protected]

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Please note: The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Light Within are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host.

Want to be a guest on The Light Within? Send Leslie Draffin a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/thelightwithin

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