This episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast is especially inspiring for me because one of my very own mentors is here as my guest. Dianne Bondy is a disruptor in the yoga scene. She is a social justice activist who paved the way for more inclusive yoga studios and practices, and I sought out her mentorship when I wanted to make my classes more accessible to yoga students from all walks of life.

Inclusive yoga is more important now than ever, even as we're squinting through our computer screens on Zoom. Being a yoga teacher in the digital age of COVID-19 means we are seeing more and more new yoga students picking up the practice. That's why I brought Dianne onto the podcast.

Dianne is teaching more yoga now than ever before - go figure! Not only does she have more time to do yoga with friends, but she's also helping new yoga students start this spiritual journey for themselves.

For her, without the spiritual journey of yoga, she would be "going off the handle," as she calls it. With all the uncertainty in the world, a spiritual connection between mind, body, and soul can be very grounding. This is what makes the spiritual journey particularly important to new yogis.

How can a spiritual practice help you keep your sanity?

Just breathe. Dianne wants us all to learn to breathe again. Because yoga isn't about mastering impossible poses. Yoga is about breathing, and if you're brand-spanking-new to yoga, tuning in with your breath is the first thing you should be doing with your practice.

Just. Breathe.

Breathing can ground you. Breathing helps you notice when you're in your head and overlooking the bigger picture - the bigger energy - you are a part of in this big, crazy world. It can really soothe the jagged edges around your nerves and bring you a sense of calm.

Dianne shares her favorite breathing exercise for beginners, and we discuss how taking this time to breathe can bring a calming pause to your life - a pause that is not so unlike "The Great Pause" this pandemic has caused for all of us.

The Great Pause. That is how Dianne refers to our global situation on this episode, and it's inspired me to think a bit differently about how I look at and approach my own yoga practice. We're all going to have to relearn how to live in this world again, but rather than focus on the anxious energy - take a breath, and take a pause. We're all going to see each other on the other side of this.

If you're a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at [email protected] and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

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