In this episode, Jivana Heyman speaks with yoga teacher and spiritual guide, Shanna Small, about accessibility, mantra, and yoga philosophy. Their conversation highlights the importance of integrating yogic teachings into everyday life and finding a personal yoga practice that is intuitive and joyful.

Shanna opens up about the challenges of navigating abusive yoga lineages, the awakening that followed her physical injury, and how the murder of George Floyd propelled her into social justice work through the lens of yoga. Shanna shares her passion for mantra and spiritual practice, emphasizing how deeply these tools can transform our minds and lives.

In the Question and Answer segment, Jivana and co-host, Deanna Michalopolous, share listener comments and questions, including a question about next steps for yoga teachers interested in offering accessible/adaptive yoga. Jivana shares resources for ongoing training and highlights the importance of learning from students and other yoga teachers.

Topics Covered:

Check Out: ​​

Shanna’s weekly group, The Householder’s Guide to Yoga

Accessible Yoga Podcast episode with Melissa Shah

The Luminous Self by Tracee Stanley

Lee Majewski’s book, Spirituality and Yoga: Bridging the Sacred and the Human, out this November. Click here for pre order link.

Upcoming Accessible Yoga Training Online, September 26 - November 7th, 2025

Upcoming Accessible Yoga Trainings In-Person: Santa Barbara, August 1-3, 2025 and London, August 15-17, 2025

Join the Accessible Yoga Community Facebook Group

Join the Accessible Yoga Ambassador & Mentorship Program

We Want to Hear from You!

What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Shanna:

Shanna Small is a yoga educator and spiritual teacher with over two decades of experience in the field. Her work centers on accessibility, social justice, and the deep wisdom of yoga philosophy. Rooted in the Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, and Vedic teachings, Shanna guides students beyond the surface into embodied transformation. She is the creator of Householder’s Guide to Yoga, a program that helps modern seekers integrate ancient wisdom into daily life. Through her teaching, Shanna invites us to remember that yoga is not just a practice on a mat, but a way of life. 

shannasmallyoga.com | @shannasmallofficial

Connect with Jivana:

Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org

www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

OfferingTree

Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 15% off an annual subscription.

**Join their upcoming free webinar! 

July 31st at 12:30pm Pacific Time, Design a Registered Series That Sells Itself with Michael Jay

beYogi

Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana.

Credit: Mikus Dharma (they/them), AY Podcast Sound Engineer

Join host, Jivana Heyman, and guest, Michelle Cassandra Johnson, for a rich and insightful conversation about community, collective care, and the creative process. Together, Jivana and Michelle explore the evolving role of the yoga teacher, the importance of being grounded in humility and service, and how we can use yoga as a path to truth and connection.

As an accomplished author, educator, and activist, Michelle offers insight into her books, including her first book, Skill in Action, and her sixth and newly released book, The Wisdom of the Hive, which draws inspiration from honeybees and their interconnectedness. Michelle also offers a glimpse into her upcoming book, which focuses on protection practices, and how it ties into her ongoing work.

In the second part of the episode, Jivana and cohost, Deanna Michalopoulos, reflect on the conversation between Michelle and Jivana and Michelle’s impact on the yoga world. They reinforce the importance of community and what it means to practice non-attachment as a yoga teacher while remaining true to yourself.

Topics Covered:

Check out:

The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga Podcast Interview with Michelle

Virtual Author Event - July 9th: The Wisdom of the Hive with Michelle C. Johnson on the Good Grief Network

The Wisdom of the Hive Book Club

More events with Michelle: https://www.michellecjohnson.com/events

We Want to Hear from You!

What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Michelle:

Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an author, activist, spiritual teacher, racial equity consultant and educator, and intuitive and shamanic healer. She approaches her life and work from a place of knowing we are, can, and must heal individually and collectively. Michelle facilitates workshops and immersions, leads retreats and transformative experiences nationwide, and offers an array of healing services for individuals and groups. For over 25 years as a racial equity educator, she has worked with large corporations, non-profits, and community groups. Michelle is a five-time published author, and in May 2025, her sixth book, The Wisdom of the Hive, published by Sounds True and co-written with her best friend, Amy Burtaine, was released.

Michelle was a TEDx speaker at Wake Forest University in 2019 and has been interviewed on several podcasts in which she explores the premise and foundation of Skill in Action, along with embodied approaches to racial equity work, creating ritual in justice spaces, our divine connection with nature and Spirit, and how we as a culture can heal.

Michelle leads courageously from the heart with compassion and a commitment to address the heartbreak dominant culture causes for many because of the harm it creates. She inspires change that allows people to stand in their humanity and wholeness in a world that fragments most of us. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, sweet dog, Jasper, and her honeybees.

www.michellecjohnson.com/ | @skillinaction | facebook.com/skillinaction

Connect with Jivana:

Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org

www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

OfferingTree

Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 15% off an annual subscription.

**Join one of their upcoming free webinars! 

Replay available: June 27th at 9am PT, Text to Connect: SMS Strategies for Studio Growth with Chris Appiah

July 16th at 9am PT, Why You’re Not Selling Out Your Classes…& What To Do About It! with Barry Kostabi

beYogi

Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana.

Credit: Mikus Dharma (they/them), AY Podcast Sound Engineer

Join host, Jivana Heyman, as he welcomes his longtime mentor and pioneer in yoga and accessibility, Matthew Sanford, for a powerful conversation about yoga and human potential. As Jivana reflects on his 30 years of teaching, they discuss the influence of Matthew's work on Jivana's journey and how Matthew’s first book, Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence, inspired Jivana to start Accessible Yoga.

Matthew shares stories from his early injury, the beginnings of his yoga path, and the evolving philosophies of his upcoming book. He offers his profound insights into consciousness and a vision of yoga that transcends physical form—where sensation, presence, and subtle awareness guide healing and transformation.

In the second part of the episode, Jivana and cohost, Deanna Michalopoulos discuss Jivana’s personal evolution, highlighting Matthew’s role in the early days of Accessible Yoga. They also share a conversation about how to hold space for trauma and discuss the upcoming Trauma & Yoga series with Accessible Yoga.

Topics include:

Learn more and join the Trauma & Yoga Series: Exploring Power, Privilege & Healing, featuring Matthew Sanford and other guests and taking place live online July 29 - August 28, 2025 by visiting: https://www.accessibleyogaschool.com/trauma-and-yoga

We Want to Hear from You!

What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Matthew:

Matthew Sanford (he/him) is an expert in the process transformation through the healing power of yoga. Paralyzed from the chest down at age thirteen and beginning yoga at age twenty-five, Matthew knows firsthand the transformative effect that yoga can have on the mind-body relationship.

He is an internationally recognized yoga teacher, a sought-after public speaker, and founder of the non-profit Mind Body Solutions. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Waking: A Memoir Of Trauma and Transcendence (Rodale: 2006).

Matthew has also been working with people living with a wide array of trauma, loss, and disability since 1997. He also works with leading psychologists, psychiatrists, and neuroscientists, including Bessel van der Kolk, Ruth Lanius, and Wendy D’Andrea, and is a regular presenter at the internationally acclaimed Boston Trauma Conference.

mindbodysolutions.org | @mindbodysolutions

Connect with Jivana:

Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org

www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

OfferingTree

Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 15% off an annual subscription.

**Join one of their upcoming free webinars! 

June 27th at 9am PT, Text to Connect: SMS Strategies for Studio Growth with Chris Appiah

July 16th at 9am PT, Why You’re Not Selling Out Your Classes…& What To Do About It! with Barry Kostabi

beYogi

Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana.

Credit: Mikus Dharma (they/them), AY Podcast Sound Engineer

In this thought-provoking episode, Jivana Heyman speaks with marketing expert and equity activist, Tristan Katz, about the intersections of yoga, truth, identity, and social justice. Together, they explore how yoga can be a tool for personal and collective liberation, especially for the trans and queer communities in a time of sociopolitical tension and violence.

In the second part of the episode, Jivana and Deanna reflect on a listener question from Rebecca Sebastion about the future of yoga. In response, they discuss the impact that AI (Artificial Intelligence) has and will continue to have on the yoga world. To counter it, they emphasize a focus on ethics, equity, and the tangible vibration of human connection.

Topics include:

Check out:

Rebecca Sebastian’s Podcast: Working In Yoga

"The Future of Yoga" - Yoga Journal article by Deanna Michalopoulus

**You are invited to celebrate Jivana’s 30th Anniversary with a special yoga practice that tells the story of Jivana’s life. To access the recording, click here. This event was live streamed on June 4th and raised money for The Trevor Project, supporting queer and trans youth. We encourage you to donate to The Trevor Project by donating here: https://www.thetrevorproject.org

We Want to Hear from You!

What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Tristan:

Tristan Katz (they/he) is a business consultant, conscious marketing strategist, and equity-inclusion facilitator with a lifelong commitment to human rights and justice. Tristan supports individuals and organizations in aligning their values with their messaging through an intersectional, anti-oppression lens. Tristan’s work centers authenticity, relationship, and accessibility, and they’ve collaborated with authors, educators, and cultural leaders as well as organizations like Stanford University, HubSpot, Portland Public Schools, and Port of Portland. Currently, Tristan serves as COO and Director of Programming at Fruition Growth Network. He is also a longtime yoga student, Yoga Journal game-changer (2021), and former board member of Accessible Yoga.

www.katz-creative.com | @tristankatzcreative

Connect with Jivana:

Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org

www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

OfferingTree

Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 15% off an annual subscription.

**On June 16th at 12:00 PM Pacific Time, discover 'How to Host Courses in OfferingTree' and easily create, manage, and sell your online courses directly on their platform. Register here!

beYogi

Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana.

Credit: Mikus Dharma (they/them), AY Podcast Sound Engineer

"Yoga isn't about achieving something. It's about being with what is and trusting that that's enough in the moment." – Sunny Barbee

Join host, Jivana Heyman, and guest, Jacquie “Sunny” Barbee, for an uplifting conversation full of humor, vulnerability, honesty, and deep insight. Sunny shares her journey from self-doubt to self-acceptance, offering powerful reflections on satya (truthfulness) and how living her truth has made her a more authentic and relatable teacher. Together, Sunny and Jivana explore how true accessibility is about creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and invited to show up as they are.

In the Question and Answer segment, Jivana and cohost, Deanna Michalopoulos, reflect on the concepts of wholeness, faith, and joy. Jivana answers a listener question on teaching yoga to students with varying disabilities, offering insight into the heart of his teaching philosophy and training methods.

Topics include:

We Want to Hear from You!

What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Sunny:

Jacquie “Sunny” Barbee is an E-RYT 500hr  yoga teacher living in the Panhandle of Florida.  Sunny finished  YTT in 2016 after turning to an asana practice to help with her chronic illness and depression. While in YTT she realized there was a need for more teachers that didn’t fit the stereotypical “yoga body” image like her and that she could make a difference in helping people see that yoga is for every body. She is able to share with others how to customize their practice to fit their own body, whether that body is larger, aging, or living with illness or injury, much like she does with her own practice.  What she loves most about teaching is that she tries to create safer spaces where the student can connect and make peace with their bodies. 

sunnybeeyoga.net | @sunnybeeyoga | facebook.com/SunnyBeeYoga

Connect with Jivana:

Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org

www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

OfferingTree

Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 15% off an annual subscription.

beYogi

Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana.

Credit: Mikus Dharma (they/them), AYP Podcast Sound Engineer

In this heartfelt episode, Jivana Heyman reconnects with longtime friend and fellow yoga teacher, Kristie Dahlia Home. The two first met in their 200-hour yoga teacher training in 1995 and together they reflect on the evolution of their practice, their shared history with Integral Yoga, and the role of spiritual community over the decades.

Dahlia shares her radical life decision to live on a boat for five years, her shift into a more intuitive, devotional, and trauma-sensitive approach to teaching, and the way she holds space today through "workshops for living" that center meditation, embodied practice, and spiritual support.

The episode also includes a deep and honest discussion about abuse in yoga lineages, the complexity of separating the teacher from the teachings, Jivana’s personal journey leaving Integral Yoga to create the Accessible Yoga organization. In the Question and Answer segment, a listener question sparks discussion of how the Yoga Sutras offer trauma-informed wisdom.

Topics Covered:

Annapurne Mantra

annapūrṇe sadāpūrṇe, śaṃkara prāṇavallabhe, jñāna vairāgya sidhyarthaṃ, bhikṣāṃ dehica pārvati, mātā ca pārvatī devī, pitā devo maheśvaraḥ, bāndhavāḥ śivabhaktāśca, svadeśo bhuvanatrayam

Salutations to Mother Annapoorna: O mother Annapoorna, You who are always full (with the gift of food and blessings), You who are the beloved of Shankara (Shiva), O mother Parvati, please grant me the alms of your grace, to awaken within me spiritual knowledge (jnana) and detachment, freedom from all worldly desires (vairagya). Salutations to mother Annapoorna, my mother Devi Parvati, and my father, Deva Maheswara (Shiva). My friends are the devotees of Lord Shiva, and my residence is all the three worlds (whose Lord is none other than Shiva-Parvati).

Aarti Mantra

jyoti jyoti jyoti swayam, jyoti jyoti jyoti param, jyoti jyoti jyoti arul, jyoti jyoti jyoti Sivam, vaama jyoti soma jyoti, vaana jyoti jnaana jyoti, maaha jyoti yoga jyoti, vaata jyoti naada jyoti, ema jyoti vyoma jyoti, eru jyoti veeru jyoti, eka jyoti eka jyoti, eka jyoti jyotiye

Light, O light of self-effulgence, Light, O light of absoluteness, Light, O light of gracefulness, Light, O light of auspiciousness, Light of Siva, light of moon, Light divine, light of wisdom, Light of Heaven, light of yoga, Light of wind, light of sound, Light delight, light of water, Rising light, vital light. The only light, the only light, Give us light, O light of lights.

We Want to Hear from You!

What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Dahlia:

Kristie Dahlia Home (she/her) has been teaching the arts of wellbeing and healing with devotion for 30 years. Dahlia is a voracious learner with training in Instinctive Meditation, Yoga, Thai Massage, Reiki, Intuitive Healing, and Chi Nei Tsang. She has taught people of every age and state of health, including extensive work at UCSF and California Pacific Medical Centers. Her students say that they appreciate her warmth, contagious love of life, and keen attention to the unique needs of each individual. She currently teaches online and at her home in Port Townsend, Washington; more at beloved.org.

beloved.org | FB: Kristie Dahlia Home, Insta: @priestess_of_the_mystery, Bluesky: @kristiedahlia.bsky.social

Connect with Jivana:

Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org

www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

OfferingTree

Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 15% off an annual subscription.

beYogi

Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana.

Credit: Mikus Dharma (they/them), AYP Podcast Sound Engineer

Join host, Jivana Heyman, as he talks with renowned yoga teacher and writer, Kathryn Budig. Kathryn shares her journey through injury, healing, and transformation in her yoga practice and teaching. Together, they discuss the evolving world of yoga, the shift away from celebrity culture, the importance of authenticity as a teacher, and why it's okay — and essential — to be yourself.

Kathryn opens up about her shoulder surgery recovery, her transition away from more athletic asana practices, and her creation of a more sustainable, joyful teaching style through her online platform, Haus of Phoenix. She also shares how honesty and feedback from students have reshaped her approach to teaching over the years.

Stay tuned after the interview for a discussion with Jivana and Deanna Michalopoulos, where they reflect on Kathryn's insights and share listener stories about transformation through yoga.

Topics Covered:

Resources Mentioned:

Haus of Phoenix — Kathryn’s online community

Jivana’s book Yoga Revolution

Pantanjali's Yoga Sutra by Shyam Ranganathan

The Secret Power of Yoga by Nischala Joy Devi

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary by Edwin Bryant

Inside the Yoga Sutras by Jaganath Carrera

We Want to Hear from You!

What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Kathryn:

Kathryn Budig (she/her) is the founder of the online platform Haus of Phoenix and acquiring editor of Inky Phoenix Press under Bindery Books.

www.kathrynbudig.com | @kathrynbudig, @thehausofphoenix, @theinkyphoenix

Connect with Jivana:

Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org

www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

OfferingTree

Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 15% off an annual subscription.

beYogi

Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana.

Credit: Mikus Dharma (they/them), AYP Podcast Sound Engineer

In this thought-provoking conversation, Jivana Heyman speaks with educator, yoga teacher, and sound healer, Shawn Moore, about the deeper dimensions of teaching yoga—especially the often-overlooked role of the yoga teacher as a leader and space holder.

Shawn shares insights from his background in higher education, Buddhism, and stillness-based practices, unpacking what it means to hold ethical and energetic space for students. He discusses why self-care is a radical responsibility, and how rest practices like restorative yoga help us show up more fully.

In the Question and Answer segment, Jivana and cohost, Deanna Michalopoulos, further breakdown the role of leadership and community care, in a conversation supported by listener questions and feedback.

Topics Covered

We Want to Hear from You!

What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Shawn:

Shawn Moore (he/him) empowers movement builders and social impact leaders to get still to lead skillfully by created sacred spaces for renewal, self-inquiry, and disruption. As a Contemplative Learning & Development Strategist, he specializes in mindfulness, social equity, and strengths-based leadership, blending integrative approaches that bridge research and tradition to support transformative leadership. 

Shawn is a dedicated Buddhist practitioner who brings compassion and insight to the intersection of Dharma, leadership, and embodied action. With nearly two decades of personal practice, he integrates meditation, yoga nidra, restorative yoga (E-RYT®500, YACEP®), and sound healing into his work. His expertise extends to designing and leading impactful training programs, including Inward Illumination™ Meditation Leader Training and Chill So Hard™ Yoga Nidra & Restorative Yoga Leadership Training. 

Shawn has collaborated with organizations like Blue Origin, Spotify, the Center for Urban and Racial Equity, and Sounds True One. Whether facilitating workshops, coaching leaders, or authoring resources like Sound is My Sanctuary: A Practical Guide to Sound Healing as a Portal for Self-Exploration, his mission remains the same: to help leaders align their strengths, intention, and impact to create meaningful change.

shawnjmoore.com | @shawnj_moore

Connect with Jivana:

Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org

www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman

Connect with Joe: Joe's Yoga and Fitness

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

OfferingTree

Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 15% off an annual subscription.

beYogi

Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana.

Yogamatters

Discover over 2,500 yoga and wellbeing items. Use code JIVANA15 at the checkout to apply a 15% discount to your order of yoga props (one use per customer). www.yogamatters.com

Credit: Mikus Dharma (they/them), AYP Podcast Sound Engineer

In this episode, host, Jivana Heyman, reconnects with his guest and good friend, Amber Karnes, to reflect on non attachment and self acceptance through challenges and life changes.

Amber, whom Jivana credits for shifting contemporary yoga culture, shares about her professional and personal journey since COVID. Together, they remember the work they have done together over the years, including starting this podcast in 2020.

In the Question and Answer Segment, Jivana and cohost, Deanna Michalopoulos, feature two voicemails from callers, Tyi-Sanna and Taylor that spark conversations about the importance of interpreting yoga teachings through diverse perspectives and the role of healthy debate in understanding ancient texts.

Topics Include:

We Want to Hear from You!

What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Amber:

Amber Karnes is a multi-disciplinary artist, community builder, educator, and yoga teacher. She has over 25 years of community-building experience and marketing know-how under her belt. Amber is the creator of Body Positive Yoga and the co-creator of other successful yoga projects like Accessible Yoga School and the Yoga For All Teacher Training. Currently, she hosts adventure retreats where daring women can explore body acceptance through yoga, nature, and travel. She also offers marketing strategy coaching for solo business owners. Her new projects include a surfing retreat for complete beginners and an online community for biz owners who want to quit social media. Find her at amberkarnes.com

amberkarnes.com | @amberkarnesofficial

Connect with Jivana:

Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org

www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

OfferingTree

Simplify your yoga business with their all-in-one platform. Visit offeringtree.com/accessible-yoga to save 50% off your first 3 months on a monthly subscription or 15% off an annual subscription.

beYogi

Comprehensive insurance for yoga instructors and wellness practitioners. Get $20 off our annual yoga teacher insurance policy at beyogi.com/jivana.

Yogamatters

Discover over 2,500 yoga and wellbeing items. Use code JIVANA15 at the checkout to apply a 15% discount to your order of yoga props (one use per customer). www.yogamatters.com

Credit: Mikus Dharma, AYP Podcast Sound Engineer

Join host, Jivana, and guest, Rodrigo Souza, as they discuss teaching yoga with compassion and awareness, the role of yoga in healing trauma, and the importance of representation and advocacy for people with disabilities in yoga.

Rodrigo shares his journey of living with a spinal cord injury and how yoga became a transformative tool for healing and self-acceptance. He reflects on his first time teaching a yoga class and the impact it had on his students and himself.

In the Question and Answer segment, Jivana and Deanna discuss the importance of empathy in today’s world, the significance of self-compassion, and allowing space for all experiences in yoga. Jivana answers a question about who his current teachers are and his ongoing learning and growth as a yoga teacher.

Topics Include:

We Want to Hear from You!

What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Rodrigo:

Rodrigo Souza (he/him) is an Adaptive and Accessible Yoga teacher with experience in instructing folks who have endured trauma and disability.

After suffering a traumatic injury which left him paralysed from the chest down, Rodrigo recognised the significance of taking care of his own recovery to enhance his long-term well-being.

This journey inspired him to become a yoga teacher, where he aims to share his personal insights into discovering joy in movement and rest.

www.allihopayoga.com | @allihopayoga (IG)

Connect with Jivana:

Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org

www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman

Connect with Cheri Clampett: Therapeutic Yoga

Check out the Cumbria Yoga Foundation! 

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Credit: Mikus Dharma, AYP Podcast Sound Engineer