Mindful Strength welcomes the #SneakyStrengthYoga Challenge! We'll be releasing a special series of interviews, April 16-22, in support of the online movement that aims to spread the message of "strength" in the yoga community.

In these interviews, Kathryn connects with the six other intelligent and inspiring challenge hosts who have collaborated on the #sneakystrengthyoga project, all of whom are guest contributors to Jenni Rawlings' online class library.  In addition to discussing the pose or movement of the day, including guided instruction and information on why each chose their particular pose or theme, the women reveal what informs their practice and teaching, why they think strength needs to be sneaky, and share insights into their personal perspectives on the integrations of yoga and strength.

The 7-day Instagram challenge, with a fresh host each day, offers poses and actions to explore in practice and invites people to participate by posting and tagging their own versions of the daily suggestions to #sneakystrengthyoga.

Visit kathrynbruniyoung.com/sneakystrengthyoga-challenge for episode archive, links and challenge information.

Learn more about Jenn.

Mindful Strength welcomes the #SneakyStrengthYoga Challenge! We'll be releasing a special series of interviews, April 16-22, in support of the online movement that aims to spread the message of "strength" in the yoga community.

In these interviews, Kathryn connects with the six other intelligent and inspiring challenge hosts who have collaborated on the #sneakystrengthyoga project, all of whom are guest contributors to Jenni Rawlings' online class library.  In addition to discussing the pose or movement of the day, including guided instruction and information on why each chose their particular pose or theme, the women reveal what informs their practice and teaching, why they think strength needs to be sneaky, and share insights into their personal perspectives on the integrations of yoga and strength.

The 7-day Instagram challenge, with a fresh host each day, offers poses and actions to explore in practice and invites people to participate by posting and tagging their own versions of the daily suggestions to #sneakystrengthyoga.

Visit kathrynbruniyoung.com/sneakystrengthyoga-challenge for episode archive, links and challenge information.

Learn more about Trina.

Mindful Strength welcomes the #SneakyStrengthYoga Challenge! We'll be releasing a special series of interviews, April 16-22, in support of the online movement that aims to spread the message of "strength" in the yoga community.

In these interviews, Kathryn connects with the six other intelligent and inspiring challenge hosts who have collaborated on the #sneakystrengthyoga project, all of whom are guest contributors to Jenni Rawlings' online class library.  In addition to discussing the pose or movement of the day, including guided instruction and information on why each chose their particular pose or theme, the women reveal what informs their practice and teaching, why they think strength needs to be sneaky, and share insights into their personal perspectives on the integrations of yoga and strength.

The 7-day Instagram challenge, with a fresh host each day, offers poses and actions to explore in practice and invites people to participate by posting and tagging their own versions of the daily suggestions to #sneakystrengthyoga.

Visit kathrynbruniyoung.com/sneakystrengthyoga-challenge for episode archive, links and challenge information.

Learn more about Cecily. 

Evette Dionne is a culture writer, editor and scholar, whose research, writing and activism supports creating new voices for size acceptance, race, gender and sexuality. After hearing Evette's story and powerful message on the Food Psych Podcast, Kathryn knew she needed to connect with her for our current Mindful Strength podcast series exploring "health" and body image.

"You cannot feel fat. Fat is not an emotion."  - Evette Dionne

Evette and Kathryn's conversation is largely centered around the topic of fatphobia, exploring its complexity as it is woven into the fabric of our culture.  They talk about open and safe spaces, early childhood learning (including their own), societal influences, and our ability to both learn and unlearn in creating awareness for bodies and health. Evette sheds light on the ideas, industries and communities that foster and facilitate the misaligned and phobic mentality that permeates society, as she responds to the question of how we got to this place where fat equals negative. Evette shares her love of nature, the profound effect it has on our human-well-being; and offers advice to yoga teachers, movers, and any person hoping to create space for more identities and abilities. This episode is honest, informative, powerful and important - we hope you take it in, carry it forward and contribute to the dialogue!

We continue with our podcast series this week on the subjects of body image, "health" and diet culture.  In this episode, Kathryn connects with the inspiring, Kristina Bruce.

Kristina is a Body Acceptance Coach and Health at Every Size advocate. Calling upon her personal life experience and education in life coaching, yoga, health studies, sociology and fitness, Kristina works with individuals to be happy and healthy in their bodies NOW, not as some desired or future version of themselves by challenging the status quo of what it means, or looks like, to be in good health.

This episode is jam packed with facts, information and nuggets of wisdom! Kristina shares her personal story with body image, weight loss and diet culture. She reveals the history of the Body Mass Index (BMI), the flaw that is its use as an individual determinant of health and addresses the influence big business and money have on the health industry and our perceptions there of. Kristina provides insights on disordered eating vs eating disorders, fat phobia, medical bias, social messaging, factors beyond food and exercise that influence our health including environment, education, socio-economic status, inherent levels of stress, and why these systemic and social issues are easier to avoid and harder to change.

Kristina provides some powerful advice for those looking to explore these concepts and challenge existing belief systems, stepping out of fear and into trusting yourself.

In this second episode of a series of five on the Mindful Strength Podcast relating to body image, accessibility, diet and cultural perceptions of "health," we welcome Jivana Heyman. 

Jivana is the founder and director of non-profit education and advocacy organization, Accessible Yoga. He is also co-owner of the Santa Barbara Yoga Center and an Integral Yoga Minister. With over twenty-five years of training and teaching in the Integral Yoga tradition, Jivana has specialized in teaching yoga to people with disabilities with an emphasis on social engagement.  Today he chats with Kathryn on a range of subjects as they apply to accessibility, what that term really means in the context of yoga and what efforts can be made towards people feel comfortable in any given environment. They talk about accessibility as a spectrum, the difference between having open or all levels classes versus classes tailored to specific needs, and integration required in these spaces. Additional conversations topics include: the physicalities vs spiritual nature of a yoga practice and how such vast practice can become abused; reclamation of the practices following commercialization of yoga; creating equitable societies based on inclusivity and integration; disability, yoga therapy, accessible yoga and trauma informed instruction; competition and perceived value on "advanced" adaptations of movement and posture; student-teacher relationships; empowerment and injury; as well as the application of hands on adjustments or touch in classes, use of language, and of course, the notion of balance.

Jivana and his community of exceptional humans are bringing the Accessible Yoga Conference to Toronto in June and Europe later in the year. Fine information links and more details below in our Show Notes. We hope you enjoy this episode!

This episode is the first in a series we are producing on "health," challenging cultural ideas, perceptions and norms on a range of topics including body image, diet, fat phobia and accessibility

"... it is counter intuitive to a person's well-being to be pursuing weight loss ..." - Joy Dorsey

Joy Dorsey is a mother, wife, Recovery Coach, yoga/movement instructor and studio owner based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Being a long time friend of Kathryn's, this conversation gets personal as Joy shares details of her own life's journey, what is means to be a recovery coach and why she won't work with weight loss goals. The two swap stories of continued awakening to the truth about their own perceptions and biases of health and body, the profound impact of our learned and felt experiences, and talk teaching movements that work for every body. So much is revealed in peeling back the layers of our cultural conditioning: what we associate with external perceptions of a body or a person as it relates to "health," sexualization of the female form, media and industry, dieting, and more.

These subjects are vast and deep, please tune in over the coming weeks as we continue to dig in and explore with our inspiring line-up of guests!

Kathryn's partner, Kyle Pichie, joins her on the Mindful Strength Podcast.  In this episode of Conversations with Kathryn and Kyle, they hone in on jumping - one of Kyle's strong suits, as well as share what's new in movement and life in Williamstown and beyond. After discussing the ins and outs of jumping practice, find out how their first round of BJJ went, and about Kathryn's new online course, with a few tips from Kyle on grip strength - the oft forgotten but ever so important component of upper body strength. They recap their recent retreat in Mexico: teaching and working synergy with Diane Bruni and Ruth Douthwright, training with new movement friends, coming home inspired and how this all led to their new mat flooring! These recordings from the pair's country home, are fun, casual, candid and open, we hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Marni Wasserman is a healthy living advocate, Holistic Nutritionist, 2-time author and part of the duo behind The Ultimate Health Podcast.

In this episode, Kathryn and Marni connect on their ever evolving relationships to food. They are both graduates of the Institute of Holistic Nutrition, and have both transitioned from purely plant based diets to eating habits that presently include animal protein. Marni is passionate about real food, real life and sharing her knowledge and experience with others. She touches on the psychology of food and diet, what our brains get stuck on as it relates to what/how we eat, and wonders how many of us are really paying attention to what our bodies need. Find out why chewing well is so important, get a few tips on bone broth and fermenting, and of course, we couldn't end this chat without asking Marni about her movement practice!

This episode is about food, but it is also about living well and living mindfully. A fresh departure from our regular content, we're excited to share this conversation with you,

From time to time, on the Mindful Strength Podcast, Kathryn is joined by regular guest, student and fellow mover, Linda Eamer.  This week they chat about the ins and outs of yoga teacher training programs.  Linda asks Kathryn for her thoughts and perspectives from both sides of the fence, sharing things to look out for when choosing a teacher training program, why you should be discerning and why you should always keep on learning, some thoughts on Yoga Alliance certifications and governance, as well as, learned experiences and perspectives on facilitating programs as a teacher, the importance of having a well rounded, quality teaching faculty, and more!