This week on the podcast, we talk to our favorite Ayurvedic expert, Niika Quistgard, all about how to use principles from Ayurveda to bring our bodies back into balance in the heat of summer.

She shares:

* How to adapt your lifestyle during pitta season--we get into how to approach your yoga practice, meditation, breathing techniques, and which foods to eat (and avoid) during Pitta season

* A few specific poses and practices that are calming for Pitta

* The one thing that's even more important than you dominant Ayurvedic constitution. (It's all about balance, baby!)

* What Niika means when she talks about taking "self-leadership" on your yoga mat and in your life

*BONUS: Enjoy the soothing sounds of nature throughout this interview as Niika is talking to us outdoors among some particularly melodious birds.

Show notes: http://jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode112

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland.

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

We've gotten several questions from listeners about how to find the right balance between working hard and surrendering during yoga postures. How to find that elusive balance of two seemingly conflicting ideals, whether on our yoga mats or in our lives, leaves many of us scratching our heads.

Like so many things in yoga, the answer is complicated. But in this episode, Jason and I share some of our insights and do our best to tackle the question.

Here's what we cover:

* What Patanjali wrote about the idea of effort and ease in The Yoga Sutra and how Jason interprets it

* What Joel Kramer meant by "playing the edge" in yoga postures and how Jason and I approach the concept

* Practical advice for when to work hard and when to back off

* How to tell whether physical limitations are in the structure of the joint or the soft tissue

Show notes: http://jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode111

SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS

1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.

2. LOLA is a female-founded company offering 100organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For every purchase, LOLA donates feminine care products to homeless shelters across the U.S. For 40% off all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND when you subscribe.

3. Truth: I am not a perfume gal. They're usually too cloying for me and I don't trust that the ingredients are safe. But I'm in love with the scents created by Skylar Body. They're vegan and never tested on animals. And they're free of parabens, phthalates, and other potentially harmful chemicals and they smell so amazing. To see which scent you like best, you can try the Skylar sample palette with free shipping plus earn a $20 credit towards your next full-sized perfume purchase, visit Skylar.com/yogaland. 

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland.

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

In this week's episode, Jason and I are live from Detroit Yoga Lab answering student questions about some of the most common yoga injuries, how to prevent and avoid them. Bonus banter: Find out why Jason has a black eye - unsurprisingly, it's not from yoga or a bar fight. And learn what Jason's three favorite bands are.

(Our regular listeners will not be surprised to hear that Salabhasana (Locust Pose) come up a time or two.)

Here's what we discuss:

* Alternative poses for Warrior I and II for practitioners with SI joint pain

* Best poses and modifications for hamstring overstretch issues

* Which movements during an asana practice could cause excess shoulder and neck tension and which counter poses or practices can students do to find relief

* Have we demonized Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)? Plus, how to transition from Plank to the floor in a way that's less likely to cause injury

Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode110

SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS

1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.

2. Care/Of is a new online vitamin company that is devoted to personalization and authenticity in its sourcing. Set your health goals, take their quiz, and they’ll give you vitamin, mineral, and adaptogen recommendations. They also include sourcing information and studies to give you background on your choices. I’ve had fun trying them out! Visit takecareof.com and use offer code YOGALAND at checkout for 25% off your first month of vitamins. 

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland.

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

I put together this episode after the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. The loss of both of these talented, successfully, beloved people in one week was tragic. A few days after it happened, I read two great stories that talked about how important it is to tell our stories about getting through depression. When the news media focuses on a suicide and how it happens, it can lead to contagion. But when people tell their personal stories of getting through depression or suicidal thoughts or attempts, it helps people in the midst of a crisis see that they can survive.

In that spirit, I offer up the things I've learned from surviving depression, as well as how I got through it. I hope it helps you or someone you love. I'm posting links to the two articles mentioned on the shownotes page, which you can find here: yogalandpodcast.com/bonusepisode

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland.

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

Do you remember the first time you did your favorite pose? Was it true love the first time you took the shape? Or did it take a few tries (or maybe even years!?) to appreciate it?

A few weeks ago, I shared on Instagram that when I first started practicing Side Angle Pose, I thought it was a total snooze and now it's one of my favorite poses. I asked if anyone else has had this experience with a pose and got a resounding yes. For me, the process of appreciating Side Angle Pose represents the way the practice fuels growth and contentment: I used to need a big pose to capture my attention, but now the simpler shapes can bring me to a place of focused attention, awareness, and absorption.

It also shows the beauty of a long-term, sustainable practice -- you change over time and your practice can change, too. This week, Jason and I unpack all of this -- the poses we once overlooked, as well as the poses we used to long for that don't hold much weight anymore. And I share some of the (awesome) comments you all left on the 'gram. And bonus: Jason also talks about his approach to drishti (or gaze).

We'd love to hear from you and the poses you've grown to love -- post them on Instagram and use the hashtag #yogalandstories so we can find you!

Check out the shownotes page for links to pose breakdowns for some of the poses mentioned in the episode: yogalandpodcast.com/episode109

SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS

1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.

2. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.

3. Care/Of is a new online vitamin company that is devoted to personalization and authenticity in its sourcing. Set your health goals, take their quiz, and they’ll give you vitamin, mineral, and adaptogen recommendations. They also include sourcing information and studies to give you background on your choices. I’ve had fun trying them out! Visit takecareof.com and use offer code YOGALAND at checkout for 25% off your first month of vitamins.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland.

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

If you're like a lot of yoga students, you probably feel a bit conflicted when it comes to social media: You want to spend more time in the present moment, but you also love how social media makes you feel connected with the people you love and what's going on in the world. It can be so hard to find a balance that allows you to enjoy the best social media has to offer without feeling like a slave to technology.

In this episode of Yogaland, Jason and I share some practical tips on using social media both as consumers and as yoga teachers (who need to use it as a marketing tool and as a way to connect to their students).

We talk about:

* How to stop comparing yourself to the edited highlight reel you see of others' lives on social media

* Creating healthy boundaries around how and when you use social media

* What yoga teachers can do to stay authentic on social media and use it to nurture the relationships they have with their students

Podcast notes: http://jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode108

SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS

1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.

2. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.

3. Care/Of is a new online vitamin company that is devoted to personalization and authenticity in its sourcing. Set your health goals, take their quiz, and they’ll give you vitamin, mineral, and adaptogen recommendations. They also include sourcing information and studies to give you background on your choices. I’ve had fun trying them out! Visit takecareof.com and use offer code YOGALAND at checkout for 25% off your first month of vitamins.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland.

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

For this year's summer series, Jason and I are focusing on "Building a Sustainable Yoga Practice." Over the past year we've talked about injuries, fear of injuries, predatory teachers and we thought -- LET'S FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE FOR PETE'S SAKE. Let's empower ourselves to create a yoga practice that serves our needs. 

For the first episode, Jason and I talk about which poses are taught as beginner or "easy" poses and are actually torturous for us to execute. And the inverse of that -- which poses are thought to be advanced, but have always been pretty accessible to us because of body type. My hope is that this talk will help unravel that sense of competition (either with others or just with ourselves) that we all feel from time to time on the yoga mat. The truth is that certain poses that are easier and more difficult simply because of the body you're born with.

That means that those awe-inspiring poses you see on Instagram may not be a reflection of skills and years of study, but rather just something that that person is able to do naturally. Of course, that means the flip side is true too: You're not a bad yogi if you can't balance in Tree Pose to save your life.

If you've ever struggled with any pose (or with feeling bad about yourself because of that struggle), you don't want to miss this one!

Poses we discuss:

* Vrksasana (Tree Pose)

* Garudasana (Eagle Pose)

* Hanumanasana (Monkey Pose)

* Seated Forward Bends

* Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance)

* Bakasana (Crane Pose)

SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS

1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.

2. Storyworth makes it easy and fun for loved ones to tell their stories. Simply purchase a subscription for someone you love and each week Storyworth will send them a question about their life. After a year, stories are bound in a beautiful book. For $20 off, visit storyworth.com/yogaland when you subscribe.

3. Care/Of is a new online vitamin company that is devoted to personalization and authenticity in its sourcing. Set your health goals, take their quiz, and they’ll give you vitamin, mineral, and adaptogen recommendations. They also include sourcing information and studies to give you background on your choices. I’ve had fun trying them out! Visit takecareof.com and use offer code YOGALAND at checkout for 25% off your first month of vitamins.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland.

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

Yoga offers us so much more than creating a healthy body and mind--it also helps us to get to know ourselves on a deep, intimate level. That deep knowing can help us make better decisions about every aspect of our lives, which is especially true during the childbirth process, says this week's guest Rachel Yellin.

Rachel is a prenatal yoga teacher, childbirth educator, hypnotherapist, and a dear friend of mine. All of her work is centered around the idea of using mindfulness to help people tap into their own wisdom. It's transformational. And it's all yoga.

This episode isn't just for pregnant moms (or even parents). It's for anyone who wants to learn to tune out external criticisms, judgments, and expectations so you can be guided by your own authentic, inner voice.

Here's are some things we cover:

* Finding the balance between the tradition of yoga, where students are guided through every pose by a teacher, and learning to allow your your own body and intuition lead the way

* How Rachel's different businesses are based on yoga and being present, knowing yourself + the creative way she grew her yoga business without depleting herself through marketing efforts, constant travel, etc.

* Ideas for parenting with more presence. Hint: it's not about reading parenting books, but reading your individual child and responding to her needs

* Advice for yoga teachers who feel pressured to build a following on social media

Show notes: http://www.jasonyoga.com/podcast/episode106

SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS

1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.

2. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.

3. HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients. They have three plans to choose from -- Classic, Veggie, and Family and every week there’s a 20 minute meal on the classic menu if you really don’t have even 30 minutes! Which let’s face it, happens! For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter YOGALAND30 at checkout.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland.

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

On this episode, I speak to Julia Lowrie Henderson, the producer behind ESPN's new 30 for 30 podcast series "Bikram."

Bikram Choudhury arrived in the U.S. from Calcutta, India and opened a yoga studio in Beverly Hills in 1973. His intense system of yoga caught on quickly and Bikram became known as the "guru to the stars," with devotees ranging from Shirley MacLaine to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Raquel Welch. 

Within two decades, Bikram built a "yoga empire" that included national television appearances, a massive following of devoted students, and a multi-million dollar brand. But Bikram's rise to power came at a cost to many of his students and employees. By 2015, six women had filed civil lawsuits against him, with allegations ranging from sexual harassment to assault to rape.

For the podcast series, Lowrie Henderson spent more than a year of her life traveling to India, interviewing students from the Bikram community, and speaking Bikram himself so that we can hear the truth of his story.In this interview, Lowrie Henderson offers insight into Bikram's early rise to fame, his teacher training methodology, and how the 26/2 system is faring without Bikram in the U.S.

Shownotes: yogalandpodcast.com/episode104/

SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS

1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.

2. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.

3. HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients. They have three plans to choose from -- Classic, Veggie, and Family and every week there’s a 20 minute meal on the classic menu if you really don’t have even 30 minutes! Which let’s face it, happens! For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter YOGALAND30 at checkout.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland.

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

Ai Kubo received a PhD in cancer epidemiology from Columbia University, and has nearly 40 scientific publications in peer-reviewed medical journals. Years ago, Kubo was told flat out, by one of the most renowned mindfulness researchers, not to try to create (and fund) mindfulness studies. At that time, studying mindfulness and yoga was too fringe, she was told. She heeded this advice and spent a decade studying the effect of nutrition on cancer. But, as a yoga teacher, she felt that something was missing, so she decided to change the focus of her research. These days, Kubo is hard at work creating studies that examine the effect of mindfulness for cancer patients and their families in reducing stress and depression. We had a lively conversation about her current studies, her approach to eating and living in a way that minimizes cancer risk, and the details on her 3-week Mindfulness Cleanse, which focuses on helping the body rest and reset.

Shownotes for this episode: www.yogalandpodcast.com/episode105

SHOUT-OUT TO OUR SPONSORS

1. I love cooking but even I get tired of the grind day after day. One thing that’s helped me immensely is Sunbasket meal delivery service -- they offer organic produce and clean ingredients and many different types of meal plans. Their food is so delicious and I LOVE how creative they are! Go to sunbasket.com/yogaland to get $35 off your first order.

2. To my women listeners out there – have you tried Lola yet? LOLA is a female-founded company offering organic cotton tampons, pads, and liners. For 40% off your first order, visit mylola.com and enter the code YOGALAND40 when you subscribe.

3. HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients. They have three plans to choose from -- Classic, Veggie, and Family and every week there’s a 20 minute meal on the classic menu if you really don’t have even 30 minutes! Which let’s face it, happens! For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter YOGALAND30 at checkout.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/yogaland.

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