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! 

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

In this powerful episode, host, Jivana Heyman, and guest, Tamika Caston-Miller, examine yoga as revolutionary—being a catalyst for personal and collective transformation.

Tamika shares about her work in Houston, Texas, as both an educator and a permaculturist, creating a culture of sustainability, both in nature and within the community. Together they discuss their commitments to learning and expanding beyond comfort zones and practicing self awareness without judgement.

In the Question and Answer segment, Jivana and Deanna share voicemails from Ber McCall in Ireland and Jo Stewart from Garden of Yoga in Australia celebrating Jivana and the teachings they have learned from him.

Deanna also shares a question regarding making yoga offerings financially accessible and Jivana describes his approach to offering free content on social media and the importance of making teachings accessible through various platforms.

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 Tamika:

Tamika Caston-Miller is a yoga educator, executive coach, and mindful communities builder living the life of urban farmer florist in Houston, Texas. She curates nature-inspired yoga practices in service to collective care through the lens of rest, resilience, and ancestral repair.

Tamika is founder of inclusive wellness space The Ranch Houston and virtual yoga studio & school Ashe Yoga Collective, constributes to Yoga Journal, and is a former board member of Accessible Yoga Association.

Tamika aims to build intersectional, intergenerational, multiethnic communities that center radical compassion, agency, and self acceptance. Her modern application of ancient yogic principles is inspired by her understanding of yoga as a practice of right relationship with others, the planet, and oneself.

www.tamikacastonmiller.com | www.asheyoga.com | tamikacastonmiller.substack.com | @tamika_castonmiller  (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

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, Melissa Shah, to reflect on the fullness of the path of yoga as an inner practice that translates to outer action and service.

Melissa shares about her grassroots efforts to support her LA community after the recent fires and together they discuss how yoga helps foster resilience, prevent burnout, and serve as a tool for community care. They share thoughts on the importance of slowing down to integrate teachings and embrace the present moment.

In the Question and Answer segment, we hear inspiring stories from Sally Denton and Jackie Driscoll about the impact of yoga in building community and the wisdom of nature as a teacher.

We also hear from Lesley on her goals to merge her roles as Occupational Therapist and yoga teacher and her excitement to join the upcoming Accessible Yoga Training Online in March.

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: https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Melissa:

Melissa Shah (she/they), founder of Find Your Breath, is an Indian-American yoga therapist who works to educate folks on how to practice yoga holistically through one-to-one and group sessions, retreats, and uplifting South Asian and BIPOC wellness leaders. She also regularly guest lectures for trainings and events across the U.S,, where she educates people on the more subtle aspects of yoga, such as mantra and pranayama. One of Melissa’s greatest passions is to create and co-create supportive spaces for rest and exploration of Self that are rooted in radical inclusion. Their work has been featured by NBC Asian America and in Yoga Journal, Anti-Racism Daily, SHAPE magazine and Women's Health Mag.

www.findyourbreath.net | @findyourbreath (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 Lesley: @mindbodyflow_yoga

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

In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode, Jivana spends time with artist and yoga teacher, Scottee, to explore identity, accessibility, and the power of yoga to support marginalized communities.

Scottee shares stories of growing up in working-class North London to finding yoga as a form of healing and expression. Together, they discuss the intersections of queerness, class, neurodivergence, and yoga, questioning how yoga spaces can be more inclusive and equitable and a source of support in the current political climate.

In the Question and Answer segment, Rebecca Sebastian leaves a heartfelt voicemail celebrating Jivana’s 30 years of teaching and Elisa Jouannet shares a transformative lesson from her yoga teacher: "Wherever you are, that's perfect."

Jivana answers a question about how he made a living while teaching yoga and discusses with cohost, Deanna Michalopoulos, the challenges of integrating business with yoga.

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: https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Scottee:

Scottee (he/they) is a self taught actor who has received critical acclaim for his work in theatre and audio, he is also the creator behind Wonkee.

Wonkee is a digital club with a focus on inclusive yoga practice, self paced learning, creativity and self care, whose practices are made with the weird, sad, mad, fat, neurodivergent, sensitive, soft natured and queer amongst us. 

wonkee.club | @scotteeisfat | @wonkee.club

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 Rebecca: @rebeccassebastianyoga

Connect with Elisa: @elisajouannet

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 (they/them), AYP Podcast Sound Engineer

“You can only wake up someone who is asleep, not someone who is pretending to be asleep.” - Indu Arora

In this episode, host, Jivana Heyman, chats with his guest and good friend, Indu Arora, who shares her journey in yoga and the lessons she learned in her youth, which began a lifelong study of yoga.

Together, they emphasize the importance of ethics and explore profound themes like humility in teaching, the intersection of tradition and modernity, and the joy of living a balanced life through yoga.

The Question and Answer segment with Jivana and cohost, Deanna Michalopoulos, featured a question submitted about how to provide a full authentic and profound experience into a 45 to 60 minute yoga class and shared a listener voicemail about developing yoga for functional aging. 

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: https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Indu:

Indu Arora (she/her), Ayurveda and Yoga Therapist considers herself a student for lifetime. Her teachings are deeply rooted in the philosophy: 'Nothing has the greatest power to heal, but Self.’ Authored:

Mudra: The Sacred Secret (2015, also translated in German and French languages)

Yoga - Ancient Heritage, Tomorrow"s Vision (2019)

SOMA - 100 Heritage Recipes for Self-Care (2020) Hardcopy + eBook

www.yogsadhna.com | @induaroraofficial | www.facebook.com/InduAroraOfficial 

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 (they/them), AYP Podcast Sound Engineer

Host, Jivana Heyman, kicks off this celebratory series with the first of 30 conversations marking his 30th year of teaching yoga. In this episode, Jivana welcomes Shannon Crow, host of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast and cherished friend, for an inspiring conversation about their shared journeys, the profound teachings of yoga, and the lessons that have shaped them.

The question to start these conversations is, “What is a story, teaching, or practice from your past that continues to inspire you as you move forward on your path of yoga?”

Shannon shares a moving story from her early days as a yoga teacher about releasing control and embracing openness—a theme that resonates deeply in her life and practice today. Jivana reflects on his experiences with his first teacher and the mindfulness practices she imparted, from gardening to the Japanese tea ceremony. Together, they explore the sacredness of everyday moments and the power of living yoga off the mat.

This heartfelt conversation sets the tone for a season dedicated to meaningful stories, rich teachings, and celebrating yoga's ability to transform lives.

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: https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

Connect with Shannon:

Shannon Crow (she/her) is a yoga teacher, trainer and host of The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast. She is passionate about helping yoga teachers to specialize so that they can stand out with their unique yoga offerings. Shannon is the founder of Pelvic Health Professionals and a Mom to her three best teachers.

www.theconnectedyogateacher.com | @theconnectedyogateacher | facebook.com/groups/connectedyogateacher

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 (they/them), AYP Podcast Sound Engineer

Welcome to season four of the Accessible Yoga Podcast!

Host Jivana Heyman celebrates 30 years of teaching yoga by reflecting on his journey and setting the stage for a season filled with meaningful conversations with dedicated yoga practitioners and teachers. This episode is a heartfelt introduction to Jivana’s personal story, the history of Accessible Yoga, and what to expect from this season.

Join Jivana as he shares his gratitude for the yoga teachings, the lineage of practitioners who’ve preserved these teachings, and the powerful impact yoga has had on his life. He also introduces an interactive component for listeners, inviting you to share your stories, questions, and reflections.

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: https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

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

Connect with Jivana:

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

Join us for the captivating season finale of our podcast as Jivana interviews Anjali and they dive into a deep, transformative conversation.

In this special episode, Anjali and Jivana discuss:

 Free Resources for Teachers

We are grateful for the support of our podcast partner OfferingTree — an all-in-one, easy to use business platform for classes, courses, memberships and more. Check it out at www.offeringtree.com/accessibleyoga.

CW: Abuse

sujatha baliga’s work is characterized by an equal dedication to crime survivors and people who’ve caused harm. A former victim advocate and public defender, baliga was awarded a Soros Justice Fellowship in 2008 which she used to launch a pre-charge restorative juvenile diversion program.

In her most recent position as the Director of the Restorative Justice Project, sujatha helped communities across the nation implement restorative justice alternatives to juvenile detention and zero-tolerance school discipline policies. She is a guest lecturer at universities and speaker and speaks publicly and inside prisons about her own experiences as a survivor of child sexual abuse and her path to forgiveness. She is worklng on her first book, Angry Long Enough: Towards Healing and Repair for Ourselves and the World.

sujatha’s faith journey undergirds her justice work. A long-time Buddhist practitioner, she’s a lay member of the Gyuto Foundation, a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Richmond, CA, where she leads meditation on Monday nights.

In this episode, Anjali and sujatha discuss:

Connect with sujatha on her website or on Instagram @sujathabaliga

Free Resources for Teachers

We are grateful for the support of our podcast partner OfferingTree — an all-in-one, easy to use business platform for classes, courses, memberships and more. Check it out at www.offeringtree.com/accessibleyoga.

Tracee Stanley is the author of the bestselling book Radiant Rest: Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation and Awakened Clarity and the forthcoming The Luminous Self: Sacred Yogic Practices & Rituals to Remember Who You Are (Oct 2023 by Shambhala Publications). Tracee is the founder of Empowered Life Circle, a sacred community and portal of practices, rituals, and Tantric teachings inspired by more than 25 years of studentship in Sri Vidya Tantra and the teachings of the Himalayan Masters. As a post-lineage teacher, Tracee is devoted to sharing the wisdom of yoga nidra, rest, meditation, self-inquiry, nature as a teacher, and ancestor reverence. 

In this episode, Anjali and Tracee discuss:

Connect with Tracee on her website and on Instagram @tracee_stanley

Free Resources for Teachers

We are grateful for the support of our podcast partner OfferingTree — an all-in-one, easy to use business platform for classes, courses, memberships and more. Check it out at www.offeringtree.com/accessibleyoga.