Be a fly on the wall for a while at one of Yoga Innovations' virtual book club meetings. Members Tammy Ziccardi, Brittany Terzigni, Ashley Flavin and Rise + Reach co-hosts Natalie Spanner & Sarah Wang discuss the yogi's ego. This clip of conversation covers one book, one podcast, and our experiences as beginners. 

Book: Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World, by Michelle Cassandra Johnson

Podcast: Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris “How to Call People In (Instead of Calling Them Out)”, Time: 1 hour https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-percent-happier-with-dan-harris/id1087147821?i=1000536756316

What are you reading? Share your thoughts with us at [email protected]. 

When faced with insult, it's completely natural to want to curl up into a little ball or hurl back a zinger. Yoga teaches us there is another way. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and as the injustices of 2020 smacked us in the face, Yoga Innovations fought to stay open in more ways than one. In this episode, learn how yoga teacher Megan Gaston stays open by sharing with the YI book club, practicing in her bathroom, and keeping her ego in check. 

A Book Club Shortlist: 

(We reference the following throughout this episode.)

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, translated and introduced by Alistair Shearer

Living the Sutras: A Guide to Yoga Wisdom Beyond the Mat, by Kelly Dinardo and Amy Pearce-Hayden

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

The Tyranny of Niceness: Unmasking the Need for Approval, by Evelyn K. Sommers, Ph.D.

A Radical Awakening by Dr. Shefali

Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World, by Michelle Cassandra Johnson

Podcasts:

1) Unlocking Us with Brené Brown, “Glennon Doyle and Brené on Untamed”

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5zGCm7riA1pjlBGwvxFIC7?si=Z3OysSOIT3O02tMWL0_xQA

2) Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris “How to Call People In (Instead of Calling Them Out)”, 1 hr…   

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-percent-happier-with-dan-harris/id1087147821?i=1000536756316   

2b) Ted Talks Daily, “Don’t call them out—call them in.” with Loretta J. Ross, 14 min…  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dont-call-people-out-call-them-in-loretta-j-ross/id160904630?i=1000531006271

How's your bullshit meter? Do you often say what you're thinking? Co-hosts Natalie and Sarah interview yoga teacher Jess Dowden. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Jess is one of the senior teachers on Yoga Innovations' staff. All of the wisdom from her varied life experiences shows up in her practice. And as a teacher and a student, she holds nothing back. Come along and listen to Jess tell it how it is: her new life as a mom, her initial hatred of yoga, her love of metal music, and her relationship with the truth. 

Email us your comments, questions, or ideas: [email protected]

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram & Facebook @riseandreach.yi. 

Visit www.yogainnovations.com for more information about our studio and upcoming classes.

Want to practice yoga, but not if everyone is looking at you? Are you constantly worried you're doing something wrong? In this episode, Natalie and Sarah discuss common shame spirals for beginner yoga students with Maria Gismondi (she/her/hers). Maria is a creative and performing arts educator, choreographer, Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT), and Certified Yoga Teacher (CYT-200). Her life's work has been to banish that inner critic and bring folx back to themselves through the freedom of movement.