Throughout the process of writing The Yoga of Parenting and conducting interviews for this podcast, I’ve had the opportunity to listen to and learn from parents with children of all ages. And in this delightful discussion, I chat with Adam and Holly Husler. Adam is a renowned yoga teacher with a robust schedule in the UK and abroad, Holly is a celebrated sound healer and yoga teacher, and they’re both the parents to baby Sonny and hosts of the “Honestly Unbalanced” podcast. In this episode, we talk about the surprises, delights, and challenges that come with having a new baby. We acknowledge how a little one affects a traveling teacher’s busy schedule, when our pre-baby parenting expectations about staying home vs. working to support the family don’t line up with a more nuanced reality, and how the yoga we did pre-baby provides a valuable storehouse we can tap into after baby arrives. 

Other topics we cover:

• Formal practice vs. informal practice (we don’t all agree on this one!)
• Why we’re all leaning more toward strength training over asana these days.
• Holly and Adam’s skillful answer to the “how’s the baby sleeping?” question.

The Huslers (Adam and Holly) offer London yoga classes, retreats, international event teaching and host the “Honestly Unbalanced Podcast.” They also share all of their skills online via “Home with The Huslers.” Adam hosts teacher trainings and international workshops while Holly leads sound journeys and records music. Between them, they’ve appeared in Mens’ Fitness, New York Times, Evening Standard, The Telegraph, Lonely Planet, Elle, Nat Geo Traveller, Channel 5 and more.

Visit them at thehuslers.com.

Links:

The Yoga of Parenting: www.yogaofparentingbook.com

Connect with Sarah on IG @sarahezrinyoga and TikTok @sarahezrin

www.sarahezrinyoga.com

Honestly Unbalanced Podcast

https://honestly-unbalanced.captivate.fm/listen

Original music by Egeman Sanli 

https://egemensanli.com/ 

Produced by Kyle Rebar 

https://instagram.com/kylerebarf?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg== 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we talk about the ways that Ayurveda informs Dr. Siva’s parenting, and she offers simple suggestions to support both parents who are new to Ayurveda and those who are already quite familiar with it. In particular, we explore the importance of patterns--our own and our children's--and how understanding those patterns can help us cultivate stronger emotional relationships with kids of all ages.

Other topics we cover:

• The importance of treating our kids as individuals and addressing their emotional needs in ways that resonate with them.
• What to do when our kids hurt our feelings.
• Why parents might want to spend less time focusing on doshas when learning Ayurveda.

Dr. Siva Mohan MD has a background in Neuroscience and behavior change. She presents a unique East-West Mind-Body version of Ayurveda, guiding her audience to individualized wellness lifestyle with tools and approaches from Ayurveda, emotional wellness, and functional medicine. Her book, courses and content can be found at ayurvedabysiva.com.

Links:

The Yoga of Parenting: www.yogaofparentingbook.com

Connect with Sarah on IG @sarahezrinyoga and TikTok @sarahezrin

www.sarahezrinyoga.com

Ayurveda for Yoga Teachers and Students (Singing Dragon, 2019): https://www.amazon.com/Ayurveda-Yoga-Teachers-Students-Bringing/dp/1848193939

Original music by Egeman Sanli 

https://egemensanli.com/ 

Produced by Kyle Rebar 

https://instagram.com/kylerebarf?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I consider Jane Austin the absolute queen of prenatal yoga—and for good reason! Since 1990, thousands of pregnant people, parents, and yoga teachers have attended and raved about her yoga classes, workshops, and trainings (including me!) In addition to her background as a birthworker and prenatal/postpartum yoga teacher, Jane is also the parent of adult children. In this delightful episode, we talk about importance of community and ritual during and after pregnancy (particularly in a culture that lacks this), helping our kids to establish healthy views on body image and sexuality, and tools from the yoga tradition we can tap into for support during and long after pregnancy. And Jane regales me (and you!) with her stories from over three decades specializing in prenatal yoga.

Other topics we cover:

• Why it’s so important for prenatal teachers to support students’ birthing choices and understand that what worked for us might not work for them.
• Why it’s crucial for pregnant people and parents to support each other during important transitions.
• The very unglamorous ways that we’ve snuck in self-care while pregnant and parenting.
• The surprising power of tree pose in a postpartum practice.

Jane Austin is the founder and director of Mama Tree, a prenatal yoga school dedicated to educating yoga teachers, doulas and midwives on how to use the tools of yoga to support pregnant people and new parents in all stages of the childbearing year and beyond. She weaves her experience as a midwife, doula, childbirth educator and mother into her work. Visit her and learn more at janeaustinyoga.com

Links:

The Yoga of Parenting: www.yogaofparentingbook.com

Connect with Sarah on IG @sarahezrinyoga and TikTok @sarahezrin

www.sarahezrinyoga.com

Original music by Egeman Sanli 

https://egemensanli.com/ 

Produced by Kyle Rebar 

https://instagram.com/kylerebarf?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After interviewing Darren Main for The Yoga of Parenting, I realized I was still eager to know more about his parenting journey—in particular how fatherhood has shaped and changed him as a person, and as a practitioner of yoga. That’s why he’s one of the few book contributors that I’ve brought back for this podcast. As the single dad of a teenager, Darren has a whole lot of experiential wisdom to offer—more than I could fit into one section of my book—and I’m so happy to share more of his story with you in this latest episode. In it, we discuss what it’s like to become a parent quite literally overnight, the joys and challenges of single parenting, and how having children helps (and let’s be real, often forces) us to reexamine our priorities.

Other topics we cover:

• Adjusting expectations (why Doritos and video games aren’t the end of the world).
• Creating and maintaining a network of support, both for our kids and ourselves.
• The beautiful and unexpected ways that our parenting experiences shape our identity.
• Finding work/life balance as a yoga teacher and parent.
• Lessons from addiction recovery and the importance of caring for our own mental health.

Darren Main has been writing books, teaching yoga and speaking about mindful living for over 30 years. His work has evolved to support yoga teachers and studio owners in growing a successful and ethical yoga business. He currently lives in Northern California with his son Jaden where he teaches yoga in San Francisco’s iconic Grace Cathedral. Learn more at darrenmain.com. 

Links:

The Yoga of Parenting: www.yogaofparentingbook.com

Darren’s Books: https://www.darrenmain.com/books-darren-Main

Connect with Sarah on IG @sarahezrinyoga and TikTok @sarahezrin

www.sarahezrinyoga.com

Original music by Egeman Sanli 

https://egemensanli.com/ 

Produced by Kyle Rebar 

https://instagram.com/kylerebarf?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg== 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m so excited to share this latest episode with you, where I sit down with Dené Logan to talk motherhood and identity, seeking balance and support as we parent, and more! Dené is the co-host of the podcast “Cheaper than Therapy,” an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, yoga teacher, and mom to a six-year-old. In this discussion we delve into Depth Psychology (what it is and how it informs Dené’s parenting), tools for supportive co-parenting (both for couples with kids and for parents who aren’t together), and why we, as a society, must do more to support parents of all genders in order to help families thrive.

Other topics we cover:

• What it’s like for a yoga teacher to become a therapist, including Dené’s observations from being a therapist while pregnant.
• The specific parenting challenges that women often face.
• Our kids’ unique personalities and the delight we experience when they pick up on our tools from therapy.
• Why the yoga that informs our parenting most might not look anything at all like “yoga.”

Dené Logan is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, Yoga and Mindfulness Instructor, and Group Experience Facilitator who’s passionate about sharing with others the tools she’s found to be most helpful in her own journey. Learn more about her services, courses, events, and work (including her upcoming book!) at deneselkin.com.

Links:

The Yoga of Parenting: www.yogaofparentingbook.com

Cheaper than Therapy podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cheaper-than-therapy-with-vanessa-and-den%C3%A9/id1504710841

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6J1xpavG5VCNxsBTwOaIbi

And Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY1-RvtCuTlvGgbv3OkVNqQ

Connect with Sarah on IG @sarahezrinyoga and TikTok @sarahezrin

www.sarahezrinyoga.com

Original music by Egeman Sanli 

https://egemensanli.com/ 

Produced by Kyle Rebar 

https://instagram.com/kylerebarf?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I talk with Strala Yoga co-founder, best-selling author, and mama to six-year-old Daisy, Tara Stiles. Tara shares the unexpected ways that both yoga and Tai Chi have helped her manage her energy as a mom and the joys and challenges that arise with each new stage of parenting. She also shares the tips she’s learned for getting through challenging days with a little one and super-practical ways that we can use our body position to conserve energy (including an especially helpful tip for ending a conversation when you need to!)

Other topics we cover:

• Caring for our own parents as they age and navigating the grief we experience after losing a parent.
• Changing priorities and being okay with letting things go.
• Observations on being both a yoga teacher and a mom.
• And why you might just want to take up knitting!

Tara Stiles is the co-founder of Strala Yoga, best-selling author, and well-being expert. Tara revolutionized yoga for millions, transforming a practice so often seen as dogmatic, and guru-based, into an everyday movement that supports ease and well-being. Learn more about her work at Tarastiles.com.

Links:

The Yoga of Parenting: www.yogaofparentingbook.com

Tara’s books: https://www.tarastiles.com/#books

Connect with Sarah on IG @sarahezrinyoga and TikTok @sarahezrin

www.sarahezrinyoga.com

Original music by Egeman Sanli 

https://egemensanli.com/ 

Produced by Kyle Rebar 

https://instagram.com/kylerebarf?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg== 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I share an enlightening conversation about trauma-informed parenting with therapist, somatic experiencing practitioner, yoga teacher, author, and activist Hala Khouri. Hala is the mom of a 12-year old and a teenager and shares invaluable nuggets of wisdom from both her personal experience and her professional expertise. We talk about raising resilient kids, how to navigate important conversations about topics that can feel uncomfortable (i.e., sex), and the pressure to be “perfect” that social media places on teens.

Other topics we cover:

• Finding the right balance between protecting our kids from harm and allowing them to make mistakes and develop resilience. 
• The unique challenges of post-pandemic parenting.
• Helping kids develop a healthy understanding of sexuality.
• Cultivating compassion and acknowledging our own parenting privileges.
• Defining and unpacking spiritual bypassing and the way it can show up in our parenting. 

Hala Khouri (She/Her) is a therapist, yoga teacher, and somatic experiencing practitioner known for her nuance, compassion, and humor in addressing difficult topics such as stress, anxiety, and trauma. One of the founders of Off the Mat and Into the World, Hala teaches workshops on yoga, anxiety, trauma, resilience, and social justice nationally. Learn more about her work at halakhouri.com.

Links:

The Yoga of Parenting: www.yogaofparentingbook.com

Peace from Anxiety: Get Grounded, Build Resilience, and Stay Connected Amidst the Chaos (Shambhala, 2021): https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Anxiety-Grounded-Resilience-Connected/dp/1611808103

Connect with Sarah on IG @sarahezrinyoga and TikTok @sarahezrin

www.sarahezrinyoga.com

Original music by Egeman Sanli 

https://egemensanli.com/ 

Produced by Kyle Rebar 

https://instagram.com/kylerebarf?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I share my recent conversation with acclaimed yoga teacher, activist, author, Yoga for All Founder, and mom of two teenage boys, Dianne Bondy. We dive into the unique joys and challenges that come along with parenting teens including preparing them for life after high school, maintaining close and healthy relationships, supporting and celebrating their successes, and the specific challenges that parents who are raising Black sons face in a world that doesn’t offer them the same safety that it does their peers.

Dianne shares not only her experience as a mom but also reflects on her own childhood being raised by immigrant parents and how we can see the love and care behind the choices our caregivers made even if we decide to parent differently ourselves.

Other topics we cover:

• Realizing your desire to have kids later rather than sooner.
• Supporting and uplifting both parents who stay at home and parents who work away from home.
• The unexpected ways that yoga informs Dianne’s parenting.
• Why it’s okay for your identity as a mom to be something that’s “just for you” and your family and not something you always need to announce to others.
• A sneak peek at the new Yoga for All training.

Dianne Bondy (she/her) is a social justice activist, author, accessible yoga teacher, and the leader of the Yoga For All movement. Her inclusive approach to yoga empowers anyone to practice—regardless of their shape, size, ethnicity, or level of ability. Dianne is revolutionizing yoga by educating yoga instructors around the world on how to make their classes welcoming for all kinds of practitioners. Visit her online at Diannebondyyoga.com

Links:

The Yoga of Parenting: www.yogaofparentingbook.com

Yoga for Everyone (DK Publishing, Penguin Random House): 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1465480773/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1465480773&linkCode=as2&tag=diannebondyyo-20&linkId=9ee3d47950d4df883968efe2d32a66b5

Yoga Where Yoga Are (Shambhala): 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1611807867/ref=as_li_tl?camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1611807867&ie=UTF8&linkCode=as2&linkId=c139ecee82942b75e19c060e1019b530&tag=diannebondyyo-20

Connect with Sarah on IG @sarahezrinyoga and TikTok @sarahezrin

www.sarahezrinyoga.com

Original music by Egeman Sanli 

https://egemensanli.com/ 

Produced by Kyle Rebar 

https://instagram.com/kylerebarf?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For my very first episode I got to speak with Accessible Yoga founder, Jivana Heyman. Jivana is the dad of a teenager and a young adult. We cover the whole gamut of his parenting journey thus far: from the early days of having to slow his career to tend to two babies, to the challenges of finding a village as a gay dad, to when his kids were in middle school and he was able to reignite his teaching, to the constant compassion-balance that is parenting teens and young adults.

Other topics we cover:

• How to be your own person while also being of service to your children.
• The need to make postpartum support networks accessible for all parents.
• Parenting is the ultimate karma yoga. Remembering that when our children our teenagers is essential.
• Karma yoga applies to how we treat ourselves as parents, too. That is self-care.

Jivana Heyman (he/him), C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the author of Accessible Yoga: Poses & Practices for Every Body (Shambhala, 2019), and Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion (Shambhala, 2021). Jivana is the founder and director of the Accessible Yoga Association, an international non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings. He’s also the co-founder of the Accessible Yoga School, an online portal focusing on equity and accessibility. More info at jivanaheyman.com.

Links:

The Yoga of Parenting: www.yogaofparentingbook.com

Accessible Yoga: Poses & Practices for Every Body (Shambhala, 2019): https://www.amazon.com/Accessible-Yoga-Poses-Practices-Every/dp/1611807123

Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion (Shambhala, 2021): https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Revolution-Building-Practice-Compassion/dp/1611808782

Connect with Sarah on IG @sarahezrinyoga and TikTok @sarahezrin

www.sarahezrinyoga.com

Original music by Egeman Sanli 

https://egemensanli.com/ 

Produced by Kyle Rebar 

https://instagram.com/kylerebarf?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg== 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.