All Mats Taken | A Yoga Teachers Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Nyk Danu to explore her inspiring journey from a professional hairstylist and hair color educator to a successful yoga teacher and business mentor for other yoga teachers. Nyk shares the pivotal moments that led her to embrace yoga, the challenges she faced, and the strategies she developed to not only sustain but thrive in her new career.

We dive deep into the benefits of registered series versus drop-in classes, the importance of niching for yoga teachers, and how to build a supportive community both in-person and online. Nyk also offers practical advice for yoga teachers looking to transition to a more sustainable business model, including marketing approaches and leveraging technology for administrative tasks.

Get To Know Nyk:

Nyk Danu is a certified Yoga Therapist, Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer, Yoga business mentor, and host of A Yin Yoga podcast. She's a fiercely independent Sagittarius, misfit, introvert, bookworm, cat charmer, crow whisperer, Buddhist, seeker of truth, and a long-term pro-activist who's not-so-secretly out to save the world.

Nyk lives in the magical city of Victoria on the enchanted Vancouver Island off the west coast of Canada. In her weekly public classes, she teaches Therapeutic Yoga to MisFits. Gen Xers (and sometimes Y) who don't feel at home in mainstream Yoga circles: the rebels, underdogs, introverts, neurodiverse, geeks, and bookworms.

As a Yoga Therapist, her specialty is helping MisFits with Back Pain and Anxiety. Nyk has been practicing Yoga since 1998 and teaching since 2004.

In 2007 she fell madly in love with Yin Yoga and has since done 500+ hours of Yin Yoga training with Paul Grilley. Her passion for Yin Yoga sparked a deep resonance and curiosity for Traditional Chinese Medicine. This then drew her to study 2300 hours of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Pacific Rim College. In 2017 She received a 800 hour of Yoga therapy certification from Ajna Yoga College in Victoria BC.

Nyk has since combined her Yoga Therapy Training, Yin Yoga Training and, Traditional Chinese Medicine knowledge to create a unique Therapeutic Yin Yoga teacher training program that has gotten rave reviews.

When she is not teaching Yoga you will likely find her on the beach with a book or curled up with her fella watching Star Trek or Anime.

Links: 

Want to support my work? Leave a tip: https://jerrettdigital.thrivecart.com/podcast-tip-jar/ 

Get better results with AI and save time, learn prompt engineering 101 for yoga teachers: https://allmatstaken.com/resources

Connect with Adrianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allmatstaken/ 

Follow Adrianne on Pinterest: https://nz.pinterest.com/allmatstaken/ 

Claim your OfferingTree Free trial + 50% off your first three months or 15% an annual subscription. Head to https://allmatstaken.com/tree  to grab your discount.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aQT8ypETZGk?si=xFzeoxDrlAX7upil 

Connect with Nyk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nykdanuyoga/ and https://www.instagram.com/yinyogapodcast/ 

Check out Nyk's website: https://nykdanu.com/teachers/ 

Grab this freebie from Nyk: So You Think You Can Niche Workshop: https://nykdanu.com/teachers/yoga-business-mentorship/workshops/#signup 

About The Show:

All Mats Taken is the yoga business podcast helping yoga teachers grow sustainable teaching practices. Host Adrianne Jerrett explores yoga marketing strategies, business growth tactics, and how to build a yoga business aligned with your values and yogic philosophy...without the burnout. Whether you're struggling to fill classes, price your offerings, or create a teaching lifestyle you actually love, this podcast gives you actionable insights from experts who've been there. New episodes fortnightly.

Cueing is a hot topic at the moment, but today's guest, Lena Kalchenko, has been talking about this for a long time now. She focused on simplicity and connection in cueing over precise alignment, and she has good reason for doing so. At the core of Lena's philosophy is an internalized experience and self-discovery

We cover:

• Why removing complexity from cueing enhances accessibility
• Do you need to make every class as accessible as you can?
• Why students and teachers benefit from simple cues rather than focused alignment.
• AND MORE!

I love Lena's matter-of-fact, perspective way of discussing cueing and how ultimately it's all about the expression of movement, connection and play rather than an overly serious aligned, "perfect" practice.

Links

Want to support my work? Leave a tip: https://jerrettdigital.thrivecart.com/podcast-tip-jar/ 

Claim your OfferingTree Free trial + 50% off your first three months or 15% an annual subscription. Head to https://allmatstaken.com/tree to grab your discount.

All Mats Taken Home: https://allmatstaken.com

Connect with Adrianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allmatstaken/ 

Follow Adrianne on Pinterest: https://nz.pinterest.com/allmatstaken/ 

Connect with Lena on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lenakalchenko_/ 

Check out Lena's website: https://www.yogawithlenak.co.uk/ 

Grab this freebie from Lena: Exploratory yoga cues to make your classes more inclusive and engaging—helping every student truly find what works for them: https://mailchi.mp/aef9dd906963/exploratory-yoga-cues-for-creative-teaching

Lena's Workshops:

Cueing with Purpose: In this workshop, you'll break down what makes a cue effective, purposeful, and impactful—so your students don't just hear your instructions, they feel them in their bodies. https://buy.stripe.com/28oeXk3yd8ecdpK9AI   The Truth Behind Stepping Forward in Sun Salutes: In this masterclass, you'll break down: why some students struggle (and why traditional cues often fall flat), the hidden biomechanics behind this transition—so you can teach it with confidence, how to refine your cues to help students move smoothly—without frustration and what to do when progress stalls, even after months (or years) of practice. https://buy.stripe.com/fZeeXk8Sx9ig0CY9AD   Loosening the Controlling Grip: Learn how to break free from the need to control every aspect of your class so you can teach in a way that's more fluid, impactful, and uniquely you. https://buy.stripe.com/28o16u9WBdyw85qeV3  

About The Show:

All Mats Taken is the yoga business podcast helping yoga teachers grow sustainable teaching practices. Host Adrianne Jerrett explores yoga marketing strategies, business growth tactics, and how to build a yoga business aligned with your values and yogic philosophy...without the burnout. Whether you're struggling to fill classes, price your offerings, or create a teaching lifestyle you actually love, this podcast gives you actionable insights from experts who've been there. New episodes fortnightly.

In this episode with yoga teacher and business coach, Gwen Ferreira, we explore how to make 5k per month as a yoga teacher. Grab your notebook because Gwen lays out the three-step framework you need to structure your offers to hit 5k.

We also cover:

• What works and what doesn't work these days as niches in the yoga industry
• The mindset you need to cultivate to grow your business
• The future of yoga teaching 

As always, this episode is filled with juicy nuggets of information you won't want to miss. 

Meet Gwen Ferreira:

Wife, mamma of a wild 6-year-old, yoga teacher turned entrepreneur, freediver, world traveler, and the strategist behind hundreds of women building businesses that actually work for them. Gwen's helped 1,000+ clients clarify their message, refine their offers, and implement the right strategy to generate consistent sales, whether that's through launches, funnels, evergreen flows, or affiliate models. Whether you're scaling to $30K/month or want to finally step back from constant launching, she's here to help you build a business that makes sales even when you're offline.

Links

Want to support my work? Leave a tip: https://jerrettdigital.thrivecart.com/podcast-tip-jar/ 

All Mats Taken Home: https://allmatstaken.com

Connect with Adrianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allmatstaken/ 

Follow Adrianne on Pinterest: https://nz.pinterest.com/allmatstaken/ 

Watch the Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DvCgyhC9sDI?si=4jcJxPW_8e9bBRgb 

Connect with Gwen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/businesswithgwen/ 

Grab Gwen's Freebie! Story Prompts To Sell Your Offers On Instagram: http://businesswithgwen.com/free-story-prompts-that-sell

Check out Gwen's Signature Offers:

• Elevate 6-month program: https://businesswithgwen.com/elevate
• Messaging Masterclass: https://cart.gwenferreira.com/take-my-money-messaging-masterclass/

About The Show:

All Mats Taken is the yoga business podcast helping yoga teachers grow sustainable teaching practices. Host Adrianne Jerrett explores yoga marketing strategies, business growth tactics, and how to build a yoga business aligned with your values and yogic philosophy...without the burnout. Whether you're struggling to fill classes, price your offerings, or create a teaching lifestyle you actually love, this podcast gives you actionable insights from experts who've been there. New episodes fortnightly.

In this episode I share with you my journey of getting my new in-person yin yoga class up and running. 

I'll cover:

• How I found a place to teach
• My booking system set-up
• Initial marketing strategies
• How my first class went
• Plans for the next steps

I hope you find this breakdown valuable!

Links:

Like the show? Support the show! Leave a tip & help fund my kombucha addiction (the fuel behind everything I create) --> https://jerrettdigital.thrivecart.com/podcast-tip-jar/

AMT recommended resources: https://allmatstaken.com/resources 

Connect with Adrianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allmatstaken/ 

Follow Adrianne on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/allmatstaken/ 

How to embed OfferingTree booking system into your existing website: https://youtu.be/_8yYV6ePR-E 

Try OfferingTree on a free trial then get 50% off your first three months or 15% off your first annual subscription by visiting https://allmatstaken.com/tree 

New Zealand practitioners check out Koru Studio in Nelson: https://www.korucentre.co.nz/

About The Show:

All Mats Taken is the yoga business podcast helping yoga teachers grow sustainable teaching practices. Host Adrianne Jerrett explores yoga marketing strategies, business growth tactics, and how to build a yoga business aligned with your values and yogic philosophy...without the burnout. Whether you're struggling to fill classes, price your offerings, or create a teaching lifestyle you actually love, this podcast gives you actionable insights from experts who've been there. New episodes fortnightly.

 

 

 

On episode 21 of The All Mats Taken Podcast the fascinating Meera Dhawan shares how Yoga in itself is a theory of psychology. Within ancient yogic texts, we have profound frameworks for what makes us reduce suffering, what the mind is made up of, and practices that help us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

In this episode we'll explore:

• The Pancha Kosha Model
• Tools for working with the layers of ourselves
• Nervous system regulation
• Incorporating breath and yoga into mental health services
• Tools we can take away to work on our mental health

After listening to this episode you'll be asking yourself: Why is Yoga not taught more in mental health spaces?!?

Meet Meera Dhawan:

Meera Dhawan, is a yoga educator (500 RYT) and currently pursuing her Masters in Counseling (MFT). Her goal is to to integrate Eastern and Western practices for mental and spiritual clarity. She draws from early inspiration from observing her grandma using Yoga and Ayurveda as a way of life. Meera believes in a personalized approach to Yoga, working with clients 1:1 to empower them to bring Yoga into their day-to-day lives based on their unique goals. Her works pull from the Eight Limbs of Yoga, Ayurveda, and the wisdom of Sankhya Philosophy. Meera has specialized training in Pranayama, and Trauma-Informed Yoga and is pursuing a degree as a therapist to blend modalities that empower others to inner peace. 

Links

Like the show? Support the show! Leave a tip & help fund my kombucha addiction (the fuel behind everything I create) --> https://jerrettdigital.thrivecart.com/podcast-tip-jar/

AMT recommended resources: https://allmatstaken.com/resources 

Connect with Adrianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allmatstaken/ 

Follow Adrianne on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/allmatstaken/ 

Watch the Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OOKGqzSKXXY?si=VMgg2xN9PtNkH1qD   

Learn more about Meera's Pranayama course: https://truetoyoga.com/training-register 

Connect with Meera on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meeravdhawan/ 

Check out Meera's Website: https://truetoyoga.com/ 

Email Meera: [email protected] 

About The Show:

All Mats Taken is the yoga business podcast helping yoga teachers grow sustainable teaching practices. Host Adrianne Jerrett explores yoga marketing strategies, business growth tactics, and how to build a yoga business aligned with your values and yogic philosophy...without the burnout. Whether you're struggling to fill classes, price your offerings, or create a teaching lifestyle you actually love, this podcast gives you actionable insights from experts who've been there. New episodes fortnightly.

 

In this episode we chat with the talented Kate Lombardo, about everything money mindset for yoga teachers. Kate is the co-founder of YogaRenew an in-person and online studio, a Conscious Business Mentor and Yoga Teacher Trainer. Her work as a yoga instructor spans the globe, touching tens of thousands of students internationally through her company. 

She is fiercely passionate about making yoga accessible to as many people as possible and truly believes in the ripple effect that it can have as more people share the practice of yoga for good in their communities.  Kate's passion for entrepreneurship lies in the belief that people should feel empowered to find sustainable success in creating a business that brings them joy.

Today we'll dive deep into money mindset with Kate sharing her experiences and practical approach that features a dash of much-needed spiritualism.

We'll explore:

• How to balance how we view earning money from the perspective of yoga philosophy

• Embracing abundance

• The future of teaching yoga

• And SO MUCH MORE!

I've listened to this episode several times now and I get something more out each time. Definitely grab your notes and get ready to challenge your money blocks to bring in abundance in 2025!

Links:

Watch the How to Start a Podcast Live Webinar in Conjunction with OfferingTree replay: https://www.offeringtree.com/blog/how-to-start-a-podcast/ 

If you're looking for a new website with all the bells and whistles in one place to help you build and run your yoga business use my OfferingTree partner link and get 50% off your first three months, or 15% off an entire year of  your subscription: www.offeringtree.com/allmatstaken

Like the show? Support the show! Leave a tip & help fund my kombucha addiction (the fuel behind everything I create) --> https://jerrettdigital.thrivecart.com/podcast-tip-jar/

AMT recommended resources: https://allmatstaken.com/resources 

Connect with Adrianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allmatstaken/ 

Follow Adrianne on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/allmatstaken/ 

Watch the Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fZA2UCUw6n4?si=bFTF6nl3pi_ng4QC 

Connect with Kate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kate.lombardo/ 

Check out Kate's Website: https://katelombardo.com/ 

Join the CEO Insiders Club Free Newsletter: https://yogaceo.myflodesk.com/insidersclub 

Follow YogaRenew on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogarenew/ 

Check out YogaRenew's Website for Yoga Teachers: https://www.yogarenewteachertraining.com/ 

Learn more about YogaRenew's Hoboken Studio: https://yogarenew.com/

 

About The Show:

All Mats Taken is the yoga business podcast helping yoga teachers grow sustainable teaching practices. Host Adrianne Jerrett explores yoga marketing strategies, business growth tactics, and how to build a yoga business aligned with your values and yogic philosophy...without the burnout. Whether you're struggling to fill classes, price your offerings, or create a teaching lifestyle you actually love, this podcast gives you actionable insights from experts who've been there. New episodes fortnightly.

 

 

In this powerful episode of The All Mats Taken Podcast, the inspiring Gabi Metz, shares how to leverage Instagram for business growth. She covers common mistakes people make on the platform and what you should really be focusing on instead.

Gabi is a digital marketer with over 15 years of experience who has helped over 200+ yoga teachers, and wellness and spiritual coaches from every corner of the globe build their online brands and businesses through the power of selling on social media.

Gabi and her family immigrated from South Africa to a tiny beach town on the other side of the world in Auckland New Zealand at the peak of the pandemic in the hopes of giving their kids a better life however attempting to teach yoga during the hard lockdowns pivoted her entire business online.

She started an Instagram account with the mission of helping more people in the world experience the magic of yoga and that is how The Content Yogi was born. Now her business focus lies in the refinement of online strategy and energetics to blow up their business to 5k months and beyond with content and messaging that gets them paid constantly.

In this interview, we cover:

• The types of content you should be creating for Instagram (that work for you!)
• Balancing sales with value, and understanding engagement metrics
• Overcoming imposter syndrome to show up as a leader in your niche
• What your content should focus on to build a movement rather than friends
• And so much more!

Gabi's business has boomed since I last spoke to her in 2022 and she primarily shows up on Instagram to help her grow. Even if Instagram is not your forte you will leave this conversation excited and empowered to get strategic and nail your content creation.

Links:

Like the show? Support the show! Leave a tip & help fund my kombucha addiction (the fuel behind everything I create) --> https://jerrettdigital.thrivecart.com/podcast-tip-jar/

AMT recommended resources: https://allmatstaken.com/resources 

Connect with Adrianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allmatstaken/ 

Follow Adrianne on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/allmatstaken/ 

Watch the Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9qJSt2m3wI0?si=a7t0ILM4PacAMR3M   

Connect with Gabi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgabimetz/ 

 

About The Show:

All Mats Taken is the yoga business podcast helping yoga teachers grow sustainable teaching practices. Host Adrianne Jerrett explores yoga marketing strategies, business growth tactics, and how to build a yoga business aligned with your values and yogic philosophy...without the burnout. Whether you're struggling to fill classes, price your offerings, or create a teaching lifestyle you actually love, this podcast gives you actionable insights from experts who've been there. New episodes fortnightly.

 

As yoga teachers, we hope to make a genuine impact by helping people create meaningful transformations. But how do we find yoga clients ready to invest in this deeper work?

In this episode of The All Mats Taken Podcast we have the pleasure of speaking with Joanna Sapir, a business strategist for holistic practitioners and host of The Business Revolution Podcast. Today she shares her step-by-step sales strategy that pre-qualifies, primes, and preps prospects so they're ready, willing, and able to invest in themselves and their transformation.

Plus we discuss:

• CTA strategy to get leads in the door
• Why it's OK to say "no" sometimes
• The types of content you should produce to help draw in clients (and what doesn't work!)
• And more!

This episode is full of actionable how-to's and strategies so get ready with your notepad and pen, you're going to want to take notes!

Meet Joanna Sapir:

Joanna Sapir is a business strategist for holistic practitioners, particularly those that integrate multiple modalities.

Joanna's special ability is in helping practitioners set up repeatable systems and processes in their businesses to serve their clients more powerfully, enroll committed long-term clients, and create steady income and cash flow.

She has been a teacher and trainer for more than twenty years, from the classroom to the gym floor and now to wellness practices across the world.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she is a mother of two, a USA Masters National Champion in Olympic-style Weightlifting, and the host of the Business Revolution for Practitioners podcast. 

Links:

Like the show? Support the show! Leave a tip & help fund my kombucha addiction (the fuel behind everything I create) --> https://jerrettdigital.thrivecart.com/podcast-tip-jar/

AMT recommended resources: https://allmatstaken.com/resources 

Connect with Adrianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allmatstaken/ 

Follow Adrianne on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/allmatstaken/ 

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JVezcEEN-hA?si=Ip60j3ZB36k9Pm7L 

Joanna has a gift for All Mats Taken listeners, "Three Powerful Systems that will Completely Transform Your Business" you can get this here: https://joannasapir.com/allmats

Check Out Joanna's Website: https://joannasapir.com/

Listen to The Business Revolution Podcast: https://joannasapir.com/business-revolution-podcast/

About The Show:

All Mats Taken is the yoga business podcast helping yoga teachers grow sustainable teaching practices. Host Adrianne Jerrett explores yoga marketing strategies, business growth tactics, and how to build a yoga business aligned with your values and yogic philosophy...without the burnout. Whether you're struggling to fill classes, price your offerings, or create a teaching lifestyle you actually love, this podcast gives you actionable insights from experts who've been there. New episodes fortnightly.

 

This episode of The All Mats Taken Podcast is with the mesmerizing Indu Arora an Ayurveda and Yoga Teacher, mentor and author who considers herself a student for life. Her core philosophy is, 'Yoga is work-in not work-out!"

She is the author of Mudra: The Sacred Secret (2015), Yoga: Ancient Heritage, Tomorrow's Vision (2005, 2019), and SOMA: 100 Heritage Recipes for Self-Care (e-book, 2020; updated hard copy, 2022).

We discuss:

• The glamorization of asana and how to combat this as a community
• The real meaning of yoga
• The importance of subtle in yoga
• Furthering your yoga studies with reliable resources

And more!

I've had the pleasure of talking with Indu a few times now and each time hearing her speak is like listening to a poem, full of wisdom and each time I listen to the conversation I get something new from it. Enjoy :)

Links: 

Want to support my work? Leave a tip: https://jerrettdigital.thrivecart.com/podcast-tip-jar/

All Mats Taken Home: https://allmatstaken.com

Connect with Adrianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allmatstaken/ 

Follow Adrianne on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/allmatstaken/ 

Watch the Episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC16LCuYhKAay9MErDMXjz7g

Indu's Book Shop (Hard-copy and e-books): https://www.yogsadhna.com/shop/list/for_your_mind

Get SOMA - 100 Heritage Recipes for Self-Care in E-Book format on Amazon*: https://amzn.to/4cZpLsQ

Check Out Indu's Website: https://www.yogsadhna.com/

Follow Indu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/induaroraofficial/

About The Show:

All Mats Taken is the yoga business podcast helping yoga teachers grow sustainable teaching practices. Host Adrianne Jerrett explores yoga marketing strategies, business growth tactics, and how to build a yoga business aligned with your values and yogic philosophy...without the burnout. Whether you're struggling to fill classes, price your offerings, or create a teaching lifestyle you actually love, this podcast gives you actionable insights from experts who've been there. New episodes fortnightly.

*By purchasing using this link I may make a small commission. This won't cost you any more but you will support the show. Thank you 🙏🏻

In this episode, we dive into a question many yoga teachers face when building their online presence: Should you start with a landing page or a full website? We break down the key differences between these two options and explore which is best for attracting new students, building your brand, and growing your business online. Tune in to discover how to make the best choice based on your current goals, resources, and offerings.

In this episode, we cover:

• The main differences between a landing page and a website
• When to use a landing page vs. a website as a yoga teacher
• Examples of effective uses for each to grow your yoga business
• Practical steps and tools to get started today

Links:

Want to support my work? Leave a tip: https://jerrettdigital.thrivecart.com/podcast-tip-jar/ 

All Mats Taken Resources: https://allmatstaken.com/resources 

All Mats Taken Home: https://allmatstaken.com 

Connect with Adrianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allmatstaken/ 

Follow Adrianne on Pinterest: https://nz.pinterest.com/allmatstaken/ 

About The Show:

All Mats Taken is the yoga business podcast helping yoga teachers grow sustainable teaching practices. Host Adrianne Jerrett explores yoga marketing strategies, business growth tactics, and how to build a yoga business aligned with your values and yogic philosophy...without the burnout. Whether you're struggling to fill classes, price your offerings, or create a teaching lifestyle you actually love, this podcast gives you actionable insights from experts who've been there. New episodes fortnightly.