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Latest Episodes:

How To Be A Good Yoga Student - The Hatha Yoga Pradeepika Framework with Medha Bhaskar Mar 29, 2026

Show notes

What does it really mean to be a good yoga student? In this conversation, I sit down with Medha Bhaskar to explore the framework described in the Hatha Yoga Pradeepika for cultivating a meaningful yoga practice. We talk about the importance of understanding the principle before the process and how the mindset we bring to our practice shapes what we learn from it.

Medha walks us through the Badhaka Tattvas (the habits that weaken a practice) and the Sadhaka Tattvas (the qualities that strengthen it), while reflecting on how these classical teachings apply to modern yoga students and teachers. From boundaries and energy management to perseverance and self-awareness, this conversation offers a grounded look at what it means to truly grow through yoga.

Episode Highlights:

Introduction to the Hatha Yoga Pradeepika, its historical context, and its role as a practical manual within the broader body of classical yoga texts.
Understanding the difference between principle and process in yoga practice, and why focusing only on techniques can lead to a narrow understanding of yoga.
Exploring the mindset of a yoga student and why self-awareness and intention matter more than simply showing up to practice.
The Badhaka Tattvas and the six behaviors described in the Hatha Yoga Pradeepika that diminish practice, beginning with overconsumption and excess sensory input.
How overexertion and constant striving can weaken a practitioner’s energy and lead to imbalance.
The impact of excessive talking and scattered communication on focus, clarity, and the integration of learning.
Why rigid rule-following without reflection can create guilt, imbalance, and disconnection from the purpose of practice.
The role of over-socialization and lack of boundaries, including how modern lifestyles and digital engagement affect a practitioner’s focus and energy.
The final diminishing factor: inner instability and scattered attention, and how it can lead to burnout, confusion, and lack of direction in practice.
Shifting to the Sadhaka Tattvas, the qualities that nourish and strengthen a yoga practice.
The importance of enthusiasm and genuine interest in sustaining long-term engagement with yoga.
Why courage and perseverance are necessary when confronting personal limitations and challenges on the mat and in life.
Developing discernment and clarity in understanding the deeper principles behind yoga practices.
Cultivating commitment and steady resolve to remain engaged in the process of self-inquiry and growth.
The role of mindful association and supportive community, while still maintaining independence and personal responsibility for one’s path.
Reflecting on how yoga evolves from something we do into something we become, shifting from practice as action to practice as a way of being.

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How to Teach Mixed Level Classes? Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

Teaching mixed level classes can feel overwhelming, especially when your students are all at different stages in their practice. In this episode, I share simple, practical ways to structure your classes, offer options, and create a more inclusive and confident teaching experience.

Episode Highlights:

Mixed-level classes are the norm and should be approached with that mindset
The distinction between mixed-level and all-level classes
The importance of shifting from sequence-focused to student-focused teaching
Building sequences that include a variety of pose categories
Why full-body sequencing works better than peak pose sequencing in mixed classes
Including standing poses, balances, backbends, twists, seated, supine, and inversions
Using progression and regression options for every pose
Maintaining a middle path that supports both beginners and experienced students
Why themed sequencing is more effective than peak pose sequencing
The importance of developing strong pose literacy
Offering benefit-based alternatives when poses are not accessible
Setting expectations at the beginning of class to normalize options and autonomy
Encouraging students to move at their own pace and take ownership of their practice
Using props as an essential teaching tool for accessibility and adaptability
How mixed-level classes can build trust, community, and long-term student engagement

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"You Don’t Know How to Study Yoga” The Traditional Framework We’ve Ignored Feb 22, 2026

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Are we actually studying yoga, or just consuming it? In this episode, I explore the traditional frameworks that shaped authentic yogic learning and why modern education often skips the foundations. If you’re serious about deepening your practice beyond certifications, this conversation will shift your perspective.

Episode Highlights:

The difference between modern yoga education and traditional teacher-student learning
Why student qualification (Adhikari Bheda) mattered before receiving teachings
The method of progressive revelation (Arundhati Darshana Nyaya)
Traditional classifications of yoga students in Hatha Yoga
The threefold process of learning: listening, reflection, and deep assimilation
The three valid means of knowledge outlined in the Yoga Sutras
The four foundational qualifications for serious spiritual study
The structure and progression of the four chapters of the Yoga Sutras
Kriya Yoga as a practical framework for disciplined study
Why slowing down and refining your approach changes everything

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The Hormonal Body - What Yoga Teachers Need to Understand with Dr. Manasa Rao Feb 08, 2026

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Hormones influence how we move, rest, recover, and show up on the mat, yet they’re rarely discussed clearly in yoga spaces. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Manasa Rao to explore what yoga teachers need to understand about the hormonal body through both modern science and yogic wisdom. We talk about stress, rhythm, pranayama, women’s hormonal cycles, and how yoga can support balance through listening and alignment without overstepping into medical advice.

Episode Highlights:

Are hormones a modern concept, or something yoga has always addressed through a different language?
Hormones as internal messengers and their connection to yogic ideas of prana, ojas, tejas, and balance.
How yoga works across the physical and subtle bodies to regulate internal harmony.
The relationship between chakras, glands, and pranic flow, and where confusion often arises.
Why hormonal balance is the body’s natural state and how modern lifestyle disrupts rhythm.
Cortisol, stress, and the importance of restoring rhythm rather than suppressing hormones.
Pranayama as a key regulator of the hormonal and nervous systems.
How to think about different pranayama practices, including ujjayi, with more discernment.
Pratyahara as a lifestyle-based practice rooted in routine, rhythm, and sensory regulation.
Understanding women’s hormonal transitions, including menstruation, perimenopause, and menopause.
Menopause reframed as a phase of reorganization and inward movement, not decline.
How yogic practices can support different phases of the menstrual cycle.
The importance of personalization and sensitivity when teaching hormonally affected students.
Body-to-mind versus mind-to-body, and why dissolving that duality matters.
The central takeaway: hormonal health comes from listening, alignment, and rhythm rather than fixing.

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Pose Literacy - Your Gateway Into Smart Sequencing Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

Sequencing doesn’t start with themes or peak poses, it starts with understanding the pose itself. In this episode, I introduce pose literacy and explain why it’s the missing link behind clearer, safer, and more intelligent sequencing. Using Downward-Facing Dog as a real example, I break down how learning to read a pose beyond alignment can completely change how you teach, sequence, and support your students.

Episode Highlights:

Why modern sequencing often skips the most essential step
What pose literacy is, and why alignment alone isn’t enough
How low pose literacy leads to guesswork, overload, and unsafe sequencing
A pose-literacy breakdown of Downward-Facing Dog
How a pose-first approach transforms sequencing and teaching confidence

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9 Sequencing Mistakes To Avoid As A Yoga Teacher Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

A deep dive into yoga sequencing, what it actually is, why it matters, and the most common mistakes yoga teachers make when planning classes, I break down the difference between choreography and intentional sequencing, explore the role of the pranic and nervous systems, and share nine sequencing missteps to avoid for safer, smarter, and more sustainable teaching. This episode is especially relevant for yoga teachers who want to build confidence, longevity, and depth in their classes.

Episode Highlights:

What is sequencing
Why sequencing is a skill, not a formula
What yoga sequencing truly means beyond pose choreography
How thoughtful sequencing supports safety, longevity, and nervous system regulation
The role of structure, progression, intention, and integration in class planning
Why sequencing shapes the energetic and pranic arc of a class
How intelligent sequencing builds trust, confidence, and professional credibility

The 9 Sequencing Mistakes to Avoid:

Treating sequencing as simply linking poses together
Over-focusing on peak poses at the expense of purpose
Skipping joint preparation and intelligent warm-ups
Overloading classes with too many poses
Neglecting counter-poses and proper class closure
Designing sequences based on personal preference instead of student needs
Ignoring the energetic arc and pranic system
Forcing philosophy or over-theming without embodiment
Failing to teach toward longevity and sustainable practice

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Finding Your Why & Join Me Live Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

As we begin a new year, I’m reflecting on a question that quietly shapes every yoga teacher’s journey: why do you teach? In this episode, I share personal insights from my own path, the lessons that only time and experience reveal, and why certifications alone don’t create longevity in teaching. I also share details about the upcoming 300-hour online teacher training, live Q&A session, and important dates if you’re considering taking the next step in your practice or teaching.

Episode Highlights:

Why certifications and accumulated hours don’t guarantee confidence or sustainability
The difference between loving yoga and being able to teach it long-term
How burnout, injury, and doubt reveal the importance of a deeper “why”
Why purpose in teaching is personal, evolving, and not meant for performance
The connection between discipline, consistency, and Sutra 1.14
5 Important things about your why
Key updates on the upcoming 300-hour online teacher training and live Q&A

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Yoga Endings, 3 New Super Yoga Things & Creativity in Yoga Dec 29, 2025

Show notes

This episode feels like a full-circle moment as I wrap up the final episode of 2025. Before we step into a new year, I take some time to share what’s coming up in 2026 for the Let’s Talk Yoga and Aham Yoga community. There’s a lot unfolding, from a brand-new 300-hour online yoga teacher training to in-person study and international travel, and I wanted to lay it all out clearly so you know what’s ahead and how to be part of it.

After the updates, I’m joined by Rebecca from the Working in Yoga podcast for a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation on creativity in yoga teaching. We explore how teachers can stay innovative without crossing into performance, why reverence still matters, and how professionalism, boundaries, and self-inquiry shape longevity in this work. It’s a reflective conversation about teaching, aging, motivation, and remembering why we came to yoga in the first place.

Episode Highlights:

Exciting Announcements for 2026
300 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training
200 Hour In-Person Training
International Yoga Retreat in Italy
Time-Sensitive Updates Recap
Creativity in Yoga Teaching
Balancing Tradition and Creativity
Engagement vs. Entertainment in Yoga
Evolving Yoga Teaching Methods
Student Agency and Teacher Guidance
Learning and Teaching Yoga
Exploring Cultural Appropriation in Yoga
Finding Your 'Why' in Teaching Yoga
Markers of Success in Yoga Practice
Personal Motivations and Aging Gracefully
The Importance of Professional Boundaries
Reverence and Cultural Differences in Yoga
Navigating Marketing and Authenticity in Yoga
Final Thoughts and Upcoming Trainings

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3 Pillars of Teaching Inversions Dec 16, 2025

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Inversions don’t have to be intimidating, flashy, or reserved for advanced students. In this episode, I break down the three pillars of teaching inversions and share how to approach being upside down with structure, progression, and nervous system awareness. If you’ve ever felt unsure about when, how, or why to teach inversions, this framework will bring clarity and confidence to your teaching.

Episode Highlights:

Why inversions were traditionally practiced as tools for regulation, not performance.
How modern yoga culture has distorted our understanding of being upside down.
What actually qualifies as an inversion, beyond handstands and headstands.
The difference between mild, moderate, and intermediate inversions.
Personal reflections on unlearning unsafe inversion habits.
Pillar One: Structure before shape
Pillar Two: Progression before performance
Pillar Three: Nervous system literacy
Situations where inversions may not be appropriate to teach.
Where inversions fit best within a well-sequenced class.
How inversions cultivate humility, discernment, and emotional awareness.
Why the deepest impact of inversions is internal, not physical.

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Sequence Smarter - Stop Winging It - Audit Your Yoga Sequence in 7 Questions Nov 30, 2025

Show notes

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “winging it” when planning your yoga classes, this episode will help you fix that for good. I break down my Sequence Smarter Framework and walk you through seven simple questions that will instantly make your sequences clearer, more intentional, and easier to teach. Whether you’re new to sequencing or ready to level up your teaching, this guide will change the way you plan your classes.

Episode Highlights:

Why many yoga teachers struggle with sequencing and end up “winging it.”
The purpose of the Sequence Smarter Framework and why it matters.
How the three pillars—Purpose, Pathway, and Pose—create intelligent sequencing.
What it really means to define the purpose of a class with clarity.
How to build a pathway that prepares the body, breath, and pranic flow.
Why pose selection should be the last step, not the first.
The most common reasons yoga sequences feel disjointed or ineffective.
How to use the seven audit questions to evaluate any sequence.
A breakdown of applying the 3P framework to Trikonasana.
Why thoughtful sequencing supports mixed-level rooms and aging bodies.
How intelligent sequencing builds confidence, clarity, and longevity in teaching.

Restorative Yoga Teacher Training Online

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