The Mentor Sessions - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

The Mentor Sessions — Fitness & Nutrition
The Mentor Sessions

With amazing guests or solo, I explore the craft of teaching yoga, as its own practice. I’m seeking answers to the questions about why we teach something the way we do, how we could be more expansive and inclusive in our teaching, and how we can continue to grow and evolve in our teaching practice.

I’m so glad you are here because I believe the depth that arises in teaching comes from inquiry and relationship. Join me as I offer nourishing support to help you feel more confident in your teaching and realistic strategy to help you find more clarity on your career path.

Francesca Cervero (she/her) has been a full-time yoga teacher since 2005. Her teaching is inspired by her foundational training with Cyndi Lee at OM Yoga Center, the years she spent as a dancer and the subsequent years she spent in physical therapy. Her teaching is also influenced by her love of Buddhist teachings and a constant curiosity about anatomy and biomechanics. She is in private practice teaching a full schedule of 1×1 clients, mentors yoga teachers in The Science of the Private Lesson™, hosts the podcast, The Mentor Sessions: Support & Strategy for Yoga Teachers and is the founder of the adjoining community, The Mentor Sessions Sangha.

Latest Episodes:

87: The Nuances Of Trauma-Informed Yoga with Sangeeta Vallabhan Mar 30, 2021

Show notes

Trauma-informed practice is a popular topic in the yoga world, and with good reason. Most people have experienced some kind of trauma and if yoga is to be a healing practice, as teachers and practitioners we must take into account what could make a practice unsafe or triggering for folks, including ourselves.

But like so much of yoga in the west, trauma-informed conversations can often veer into the dogmatic, as if there was only one way to to make a student feel unsafe, or as if there were set, universal, right and wrong ways of teaching trauma-informed practice. There are certainly some best practices that many experts agree on, but there is also quite a bit of nuance, as there always will be when we're talking about the human experience.

And this is why I'm so excited to introduce you to Sangeeta Vallabhan. Sangeeta is a long-time yoga teacher; she has been teaching yoga in NYC since 2003. She began studying trauma-informed yoga with many different teachers in 2013 and pursuing these studies enabled her to better face her own experiences with trauma. Her recovery has inspired her to help others and in 2019, Sangeeta started training teachers in trauma-informed yoga with her own training, solemarch. She just started The Practice Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to providing trauma-informed yoga and to taking care of the teachers who offer it.

In this episode you'll hear:

about Sangeeta's foundational view of trauma informed practice
what Sangeeta feels is most important to offer teachers in trauma-informed training
how colonialism shows up in the yoga world and specifically in trauma-informed teaching
boundaries that are especially important in trauma informed teaching
all about The Practice Coalition and what makes this new organization so special!

Learn More From Sangeeta:

86: What It REALLY Looks Like to Regress or Progress Movement with Trina Altman Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

There are two things I'm really passionate about in my teaching: One is dismantling the notion of linear, hierarchical, universal progress, especially when it comes to movement. The other is teaching in a way that students feel 100% agency to make autonomous, empowered, educated decisions about their own movement practice.

These two concepts come together really beautifully when we unpack regressions and progressions in movement because for every modification that could be considered a regression there is an example of the kind of body or situation in which that version is actually a progression and vice versa.

For this reason, I am STOKED to have my friend Trina Altman back on the podcast to dive DEEP into these concepts.

Trina Altman is the creator of Yoga Deconstructed® and Pilates Deconstructed®, which helps movement teachers foster an embodied understanding of their teaching and create a more sustainable practice through an interdisciplinary approach based on current movement science.

Her work has been published in Yoga Journal, Yoga International and Pilates Style. Her book, Yoga Deconstructed®: Movement Science Principles For Teaching was published by Handspring Publishing in December 2020.

Check out our previous conversations in Episode #3 (about her Yoga Deconstructed approach) and Episode #34 (all about a creative use of props in asana class).

In this episode you'll hear:

what the research shows about why yoga-related injuries are quite common
the difference between internal and external cueing and when you might use one rather than the other
the nine different factors to consider when regressing or progressing a movement
various movement adaptations based on these nine factors and when they would likely be regression and when they are more likely to be a progression
what yoga teachers listening can do to integrate these ideas into their teaching

Learn More From Trina:

85: The Trans* Yoga Project with M Camellia + River Redwood Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

The Trans* Yoga Project is doing incredibly important work in the yoga and wellness spaces and I'm honored to introduce you to two of the founding members, River Redwood (they/them) and M Camellia (they/them).

The Trans* Yoga Project creates and holds space for Trans* people to live wholly and thrive loudly by dismantling barriers to access in yoga and wellness spaces and by offering classes and wellness services as affirming, Trans*-centered containers where their siblings can explore their own inner landscapes, tap into their various innate wisdoms, and co-create healing environments that serve their deepest needs. They further support the Trans* community by (re)educating allied yoga teachers and wellness professionals through trainings and resources that honor the expansive nature of Trans experience and the practices of yoga and liberation.

River Redwood (they/them) River is a non-binary trans being and they've been transitioning since 2006. Their passions are spirituality, tarot, yoga, astrology, Trans history, and traveling. Their favorite places are lush forests, rugged coastlines and painted deserts. River is inspired by their cat Henry and their dog Hank, who drop everything and stretch their spines whenever their bodies ask. They currently live in Los Angeles, California and their purpose in life is to boldly and unapologetically be themself.

M Camellia (they/them) is a fat, queer, non-binary, neuro-emergent yoga teacher and advocate, called to create profoundly accessible spaces for self-inquiry by integrating mindfulness and adaptive movement practices with the spirit of social justice. They believe that the goal of yoga, as of life, is collective liberation and in turn challenge contemporary yoga practitioners to dismantle the systems and beliefs that hold us all back.

M teaches classes and workshops in the Washington DC Metro Area and online, and trains teachers in trauma-informed teaching practices, consent, and accessibility. They are a founding collaborator with the Trans Yoga Project and serve on the staff of Accessible Yoga. They've been called a "tour-de-force of encouraging radical self-love" (DC Refined) and listed among the "top thinkers and activists in the field of body positivity" (OmStars).

In this episode you'll hear:

about the urgent need to educate allied yoga teachers and wellness professionals so the expansive nature of Trans* experience is honored and yoga is truly a practice of liberation
what can cis-studio owners and yoga teachers listening can do to create inclusive and affirming environments for all queer and trans* people
ways to alter and adapt cueing so it is not gendered
and so much more!

Learn More About The Trans* Yoga Project:

Check out M's website here
Follow M on Instagram here
The Trans* Yoga Project website
Follow the Trans* Yoga Project on Instagram
Support the Trans* Yoga Project on Patreon here
Follow River on Instagram
Upcoming offerings at TYP will be the 3rd and 4th episodes of their Transitions series

84: The Power of Pranayama with Mirabelle D'cunha Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

Pranayama is incredibly rich practice because breath is a powerful vehicle to explore our most intimate relationship, the one we have with ourselves. I'm really excited to introduce you to my friend Mirabelle, because studying and teaching the intricacies of pranayama is a great passion and expertise of hers! I was lucky enough to have a private pranayama lesson with her in the fall and it was a beautiful experience.

Mirabelle D'cunha (she/her) supports committed yoga lovers to savour the luxury of inner experience and find purpose, pleasure and joy in life through breath. She provides a loving space for them to unplug from urgency, into deep trust and allowing. Her signature offerings are Sadhana Club - an online sanctuary that brings grace, clarity, and community to yoga teachers and practitioners - as well as her Radiant You private mentoring program for healing through breath.

Mirabelle is in an intimate relationship with yoga as a breath-ing experience and has been on the path of living yoga for 19 years, studying with swamis and teachers from the Sivananda Saraswati lineage and at Mumbai University. Mirabelle has taught at yoga ashrams and studios in India, the USA, Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands and is a guest teacher in yoga teacher trainings on pranayama, bhakti yoga, and the deeper nuances of yoga as a living practice. She has also been a speaker and panelist for Yoga Alliance.

In this episode you'll hear:

how much of Mirabelle's teaching came to focuses on pranayama practice
why Mirabelle works with the nuances of anuloma viloma only and doesn't teach other pranayama practices
the effects Mirabelle has seen in students who dive deep into their pranayama study and practice
the difference in the attention on pranayama in the west and in India
what Mirabelle sees as the burial of this limb of yoga and the repercussions this has on the practice of meditation
how Mirabelle recommends pranayama teaching could be more comprehensive

Learn More From Mirabelle:

On Instagram
On her website

83: A Teacher Owned Co-Op with Shamina Rao + Elizabeth Barnett of The Connective Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

The Connective is a virtual movement studio that is cooperatively owned and powered by teachers. They provide a sustainable livelihood for yoga and movement professionals and raise industry standards for quality, diversity, anti-racism, and accessibility. They offer students an online space to explore movement, build community, and discover new potential.

I am so excited to have two of the teacher-owners on the podcast today to tell us all about this new organization!

Shamina Rao (she/her) Shamina's passion for yoga spans over 25 years. She was born in Mumbai, India, and spent her childhood traveling throughout India, the Far East and parts of Africa, all the while soaking in the teachings of these different cultures. She brings what she absorbed over the years to her classes believing in the benefits of yoga for ALL people. She has created and led yoga workshops for teens, young adults and also teaches prenatal yoga.

Her classes are all-levels, breath-centered vinyasa with a focus on the subtle and energetic body through the chakras. She teaches through the lens of observing the physical, emotional, and spiritual body's interconnectedness and response to the world around us. Off the mat, her yoga practice grounds her work as a birth doula as she encourages birthing people to connect to their bodies through mindfulness, movement and breath as they bring their babies into this world.

Elizabeth Barnett (they/them) teaches poetic, thematic classes with chanting, philosophy, and music that moves. Options for meeting yourself in the moment are always offered and self-determination is encouraged to lead the way.

They've been teaching yoga for 12 years and in the last few years have been deeply shaped by trauma-informed teachings. Elizabeth continues to learn and unlearn, working to unsettle their practices, queer their world, and cultivate care and creativity in pursuit of collective liberation.

In this episode you'll hear:

how the idea for a teacher-owned co-op came about and how the teachers feel about it
what is special about the specific legal structure of a cooperative
about the livestream, pre-recorded and workshops The Connective offers
how Elizabeth and Shamina are feeling about virtual teaching almost 1 year in
why The Connective is calling attention to the worker exploitation that is common in yoga studio culture here in the States and what they are doing to try to change the culture
the agreements in place at The Connective so they can be part of deeply necessary change on the issues of racism and cultural appropriation in the yoga world
how Elizabeth and Shamina suggest yoga teachers who are interested in forming their own co-op get started!

Learn more about The Connective:

On their website here
Follow The Connective on Instagram here

82: The 12 Routines That Saved Me Last Year Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

You don't need me to tell you that The Year of Our Lord 2020 was (and this is the official designation, I'm pretty sure) A Hot Steaming Pile of Garbage. So much of what made last year difficult is unchanged at the moment and so I wanted to record an episode that is a little different from what we usually do here at The Mentor Sessions.

Most of the episodes on this show are interviews with visionaries, experts and thought leaders in the yoga education space. Sometimes I hop on the mic solo to share my thoughts about online yoga or teaching without demonstrating. Even more rarely I share an intimate view of my own life and teaching and one of the most downloaded episodes to date is Episode 56: Avoiding Burnout: Self Care, Boundaries + Daily Routines, recorded in August of 2019.

In the spirit of offering myself (and you) tender and compassionate care, today I'm going to share the twelve basic, surface-level routines I incorporated last year that really saved me.

In this episode you'll hear:

why the way self-care is talked about in the wellness world is problematic
how learning about other people's self care routines is helpful for me, even when they aren't habits I would ever incorporate myself
the daily practices that help me make transitions (since I never go anywhere anymore!)
my favorite podcasts to listen to on my daily walks
the technology self-care habits that took zero extra time, but did wonders for my mental health
time management strategies that helped me continue to get quite a lot accomplished without working nights or weekends
what I recommend to yoga teachers to make new offerings successful without too much stress

81: Yoga In India + Yoga In The West with Arundhati Baitmangalkar Jan 12, 2021

Show notes

The differences between the way yoga is taught and practiced in India and the West are significant, and important for western yoga teachers to be aware of! Lucky for us, today on the podcast we have my friend Arundhati Baitmangalkar to break it down for us!

Arundhati (she/her) is an Indian immigrant yoga teacher, studio business owner, podcaster and Bollywood choreographer. Now living in Seattle, Arundhati has been teaching for 14 years and owns 2 studios businesses. She was named as one of the top 20 POC yoga teachers to watch out for by Yogawalla in 2020 and she focuses on merging the eastern and western worlds of yoga authentically through her teacher trainings, her weekly 'Let's Talk Yoga' podcast and other offerings. Her mission is to empower other yoga teachers like her to not only live their yoga but also thrive by building a successful career around it.

In this episode you'll hear:

the biggest differences between the way yoga is taught in India and in the West
why western yoga teachers should reconsider referring to themselves as yogis
something very important to understand about cultural appropriation from a yoga teacher who grew up in India
a candid conversation about the use of Namaste to open and close yoga classes
valuable ideas for yoga teachers leading trainings

Learn More From Arundhati:

On her website
On her podcast
On Instagram

80: An Evidence-Based Approach to Mindful Movement with Jenn Pilotti Dec 22, 2020

Show notes

The human body is a beautiful and complex system, and people who teach movement always have more to learn! When the scientific concepts of motor control, proprioception and the science of learning itself are integrated into the way we teach movement, they can have significant impacts on mental health, chronic pain and the processing of trauma.

Learning about these topics can be overwhelming though, so we are lucky to have Jenn Pilotti with us because she is an expert in an evidence-based approach to mindful movement. Jenn has been teaching movement to people of all ages and abilities since 2003. She is passionate about helping people feel comfortable, strong, mobile and capable in their bodies using concepts rooted in science and she has a special interest in the effect of movement on mental health: specifically on anxiety, chronic pain and trauma. She implements techniques from a variety of disciplines, including yoga, strength and conditioning, Feldenkrais, dance, gymnastics and Natural Movement.

In this episode you'll hear:

the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset and how a fixed mindset might show up in our yoga teaching
all about body maps and how they might impact our student's movement habits
the difference between proprioception and kinesthetic awareness and what yoga teachers can do to increase both in our students
a deep dive into motor learning and the three phases that take place as a new movement or skill is practiced
a conversation about the power of language and how to incorporate more inquiry-based cueing into our group classes
about some fun ways to use Jenga blocks in our teaching!

Learn More From Jenn:

On Instagram
At her website
Buy her book, BodyMindMovement here
Play with some Jenga blocks in your teaching

79: Embracing Yoga's Roots, Studentship and Anti-Racism Work with Susanna Barkataki Dec 08, 2020

Show notes

My friend Susanna Barkataki has written a book called Embrace Yoga's Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice and it is excellent. It is inspiring, galvanizing, a rallying cry. In this episode we talk all about what it really means to embrace yoga's roots and how to integrate our values into our teaching and respect the tradition and culture that yoga comes from.

If you don't already know Susanna and her work, you must! We did a deep dive into cultural appropriation in this earlier podcast episode: 54: Unpacking Cultural Appropriation with Susanna Barkataki. An Indian yoga practitioner in the Shankaracharya tradition, Susanna Barkataki is the founder of Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute and runs Ignite Be Well 200/500 Yoga Training programs. She is an E-RYT 500, Certified Yoga Therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

In this episode you'll hear:

why understanding yoga philosophy as an agent for social change matters now more than ever
a deep dive into appropriation including specific examples like:
- the double-sided coin of glamorization and sterilization
- how to stay away from both white centering and tokenization
how to process feelings of discomfort when doing anti-racism work
the ways that yogic teachings can be used to suppress civic engagement and how to avoid that
what happens when yoga philosophy is weaponized
how the studentship of yoga is a wonderful support in the path of anti-racism and decolonization
how we can create conditions for true liberation

Resources Mentioned in the episode:

78: Injuries + Teaching Yoga with Monica Bright Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

If you're a yoga teacher who's had to teach while working with an injury, this podcast episode is for you! Or if you see the same injuries over and over again in your students, there are tons of nuggets of wisdom here for you too. Monica Bright is a master yoga teacher in the areas of anatomy, self massage, injuries and recovery strategies. She is also currently teaching full time while recovering from her own shoulder injury. She has a wealth of knowledge to share based on both study and personal experience and I can't wait for y'all to learn from her!

In this episode you'll hear:

all about the shoulder injury Monica is working with, including the diagnosis, therapy and interventions she's had and how her recovery is going
how her current shoulder injury has impacted her teaching
the injuries Monica most commonly sees in her students and how she works with those injuries in class
the injuries that are more prevalent in people who's only form of exercise is asana and the kinds of modalities she recommends they add into their movement practice
advice for yoga teachers who are currently working with an injury
why it is so important to let our students have their own experience and a framework to do that consistently

Learn More From Monica:

At her website
On Instagram

Related Podcasts