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:

77: Letting Go of Alignment (And What To Teach Instead) with Derek Cook Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

I think many of us would agree that a strict, dogmatic focus on alignment in asana doesn't really serve our students, but the question you may be asking next is... what do I teach then? If I'm not telling students the right or wrong way to move their body, what am I teaching them? How do I communicate information about movement without taking away my students' agency?

My friend Derek Cook is here to take us on a deep dive into anatomy, biomechanics, and pedagogy as we attempt to answer some of these questions!

In this episode you'll hear:

overarching themes we see in lineages that have an emphasis on alignment
how bodies grow and change, the role trauma plays, and why that matters to yoga teachers
what changes when we look at how a body is ORGANIZED as opposed to how it is aligned
a breakdown of many of the most commonly used aesthetic cues and when they make sense to use and when they don't
how Derek decides what to teach!

Learn More From Derek:

At his online class library, The Single Point Yoga
On Instagram here and here

76: I Opened A Virtual Studio! Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

I am so excited to announce that my virtual yoga studio Stillness + Movement is officially open! This episode will take a deep dive into how I ended up creating a virtual yoga studio (it was kind of accidental!), what is so different about the way we teach, and how I recommend teachers listening set up something similar much more cheaply than the custom registration platform I had built!

In this episode you'll hear:

why I wanted the studio to have an "old school" structure
the distinctive way we are teaching virtual yoga (hint: we do it sitting at a desk! No fancy camera, mic or lighting required)
who our classes are for and what students can expect
how I connected with the teachers who are teaching at the studio and what makes them each so special
what I recommend if you want to host your own virtual yoga classes, but don't want to build a custom registration platform!

Resources Mentioned:

Stillness + Movement (come take a class!!)
Acuity Scheduling (this is what I most recommend for teachers organizing their own virtual classes)
Vagaro (also good!)
Tara Lemerise Yoga (check her out, she has live virtual classes and a class library she built herself!)
Monica Bright's website (check her out, she has live virtual classes and a class library she built herself!)
Memberpress and Envira Gallery (these are the plugins Tara is using for her class library)

75: Where Do We Go From Here? with Amber Karnes + Susanna Barkataki Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

Creating and connecting with community has been one of my most important practices this year. I have a weekly Sunday night Zoom hang out with my best friends from college. I'm in a quarantine pod with my parents and have dinner with them most weeks. I have regular Slack and text chats with the Stillness + Movement teaching team. Checking in, venting, processing, uplifting, fantasizing and being together keeps me awake, grounded and grateful.

The Where Do We Go From Here? series here on The Mentor Sessions has been such a great excuse to get some of my favorite yoga teacher colleagues on Zoom to process together, and out loud, where you can all listen in!!

This is the fifth and final episode in the series, for now, and I can't wait for you to hear it! Susanna Barkataki and Amber Karnes are some of my most treasured yoga friends, and just talking to them lifted my spirits. The work they are both doing in the world is vitally important and they do it with such clarity and compassion. They inspire me and I know you'll feel the same way!

In this episode you'll hear:

What has been hard for Amber and Susanna this year, and what they have lost
An important conversation about who is missing from our spaces and why
Why online teaching is working well for the three of us and some things listeners can do to make their online teaching feel more sustainable
The ways in which teaching online has made things more accessible
When we each think we might teach in-person again

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

State of Union (Yoga)
My virtual yoga studio, Stillness + Movement
I'm writing letters to help Get Out The Vote with Vote Forward

Learn More From Susanna:

Learn More From Amber:

On her website, Body Positive Yoga
At the Accessible Yoga Training School

74: Where Do We Go From Here? with Theo Wildcroft + Matthew Remski Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

This is the fourth episode in the Where Do We Go From Here? series here on the podcast and in this episode my guests and I acknowledge some of the particular challenges American yoga teachers are facing in the midst of COVID-19 and our country's semi-shutdown. We talk about the future of brick and mortar yoga studios, the challenges of teaching online, the difference between performing and teaching and creative ways YTT's are pivoting and the new accessibility that offers.

Learn More From Matthew:

On his website
On Facebook
In his book: Practice and All is Coming: Abuse, Cult Dynamics, and Healing in Yoga and Beyond
On his podcast: Conspirituality Podcast
On his blog

Learn More From Theo:

On her website
On Facebook
At Alt-AC (a home for the work of non-established, independent and early career researchers)
On Crowdcast
Through her research

Other important resources:

73: Where Do We Go From Here? with Jules Mitchell + Arundhati Baitmangalkar Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

It is now September of this unprecedented year, and there is so much that is unknown about our future and our world. When I asked my friends Jules Mitchell and Arundhati Baitmangalkar to join me for this conversation about what happens next, particularly in the yoga world, they both cautioned me that they didn't really have many answers to my questions. "That's okay!" I said. "It's not important to give people sure and concrete answers, those don't really exist in the best of times anyway. It's just important to have conversations about what comes next out in public!"

So I'm very excited to bring you the third episode in the Where Do We Go From Here? series here on The Mentor Sessions. In this episode you'll hear Jules, Aru and I get really honest about what these last six months have been like for us, and our best guess about what our work might look like a year from now.

In this episode you'll hear:

a honest conversation about the joys and challenges of teaching online
how the events of this year might change the yoga world permanently
what our work might look like a year from now
what makes us feel hopeful about the future
some suggestions for yoga teachers and studio owners as we continue to move through this challenging season

Arundhati Baitmangalkar (she/her) is an Indian immigrant yoga teacher, studio business owner, podcaster and Bollywood choreographer. Based in Seattle, Arundhati has been teaching for 14 years, owns 2 studios businesses. Named as one of the top 20 POC yoga teachers to watch out for by Yogawalla in 2020…Arundhati 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 successful career around it.

Jules Mitchell (she/her) MS, CMT, RYT is a Las Vegas based yoga teacher, educator and massage therapist. She blends the tradition of yoga with her extensive study in biomechanics to help teachers develop their craft and empower them with education. She regularly contributes to yoga teacher training programs and leads workshops worldwide, balancing the somatic aspects of yoga with the most current exercise science. Bringing the most useful and applicable pieces of that science into the yoga community is her passion, even when it invokes a discerning analysis of tradition. Her book, Yoga Biomechanics: Stretching Redefined, is now available through Handspring Publishing.

Learn More From Arundhati Baitmangalkar:

On Instagram
On her podcast, Let's Talk Yoga
On her website

Learn More From Jules Mitchell:

72: Where Do We Go From Here? With Crystal McCreary + Monica Bright Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

So much has changed in our world in the last several months, and the questions I keep asking myself are:

If everything is going to change, what matters most?

If we are never going back to the old way of doing things, what do I want to create in the new world?

I'm so excited to host a series here on The Mentor Sessions called, Where Do We Go From Here? where I get to ask leaders in our yoga world these exact questions. The feedback about the first episode has been great. Someone said this,

"I think that the format of the three of you having a convo is really beautiful and effective. There was a casualness which actually made the conversation go deeper I think than if it had just been one persons' thoughts."

Today my guests are Crystal McCreary and Monica Bright and I can't wait for you to absorb their wisdom and insight!

Crystal McCreary (she/her/hers) is a Lead Yoga, Mindfulness and Health Educator & Teacher Trainer with 13+ years of experience in instructing yoga and mindfulness to people of all ages. She has a passion for implementing comprehensive wellness programs within schools and organizations to foster compassionate and equitable communities and sustainable work environments. Crystal's expertise is derived from a lifetime of harnessing powerful embodied, contemplative tools necessary to navigate the unique challenges of living as a Black cis-woman in an inequitable world. She has facilitated trainings for many organizations that aim to support the social and emotional wellbeing of youth and adults including and she currently works full-time in the Health Department at The Dalton School in New York. Crystal is excited to soon release a yoga and mindfulness resource for children with the support of Bala Kids

Monica Bright (she/her/hers) is a master yoga teacher in the areas of anatomy, self massage, injuries and recovery strategies. With over 2000 hours of training in yoga & human movement, she continues to cultivate a deep love for the human body. Monica has co-led multiple Yoga Teacher Trainings, facilitates workshops on movement and injuries prevalent in yoga, leads anatomy trainings and hosts yearly international Yoga Retreats. She created and manages an online yoga membership with access to her video class library, instructional videos, audio classes, and playlists and keeps in touch with students all over the world.

In this episode you'll hear:

how Monica and Crystal made quick pivots in their teaching practice this spring
the big changes they both think we will see in the yoga world next year
what they think their work might look like a year from now
some changes they both hope we are going to see in the next several years
recommendations for listeners to consider as our world continues to change

Learn More From Crystal:

On her Website
On Instagram
On Facebook
On YouTube

Learn More From Monica:

On her website
On Instagram
On YouTube

71: Where Do We Go From Here? With Jesal Parikh + Bryn Chrisman Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

So much has changed in our world in the last several months, and the yoga world has been forced to pull in and take a pause. While many brick and mortar studios are closing and there are other related sad endings, I think we are also in a time ripe for positive and much needed change.

If everything is going to change, what matters most?If we are never going back to the old way of doing things, what do we want to create in the new world?

These are questions I have been asking myself, and I'm so excited to introduce this new series here on The Mentor Sessions called, Where Do We Go From Here? In this series I have paired up teachers and thought leaders in the yoga world so I can ask them these exact questions. My first two guests are Jesal Parikh and Bryn Chrisman.

Jesal Parikh (she/her/hers) is a yoga teacher, movement educator, podcaster, author, and disrupter working on creative solutions for equity in yoga. She is one of the co-hosts of the Yoga is Dead podcast and is the Co-Director of Yoga Teachers of Color. Jesal's mission is to uplift those of us who are feeling isolated and marginalized by the yoga industry.

Bryn Chrisman (she/her/hers) is a student, teacher and educator of yoga & body-mind practices and the founder and operator of Yogamaya Yoga Studio in New York City which opened in 2010. As a teacher, Bryn offers creative movement explorations guiding students to witness wonder, feel empowered and be more aware of themselves. As a studio operator, Bryn always wants to "do better" and provide education where students learn and teachers teach in an uplifting and fun atmosphere.

In this episode you'll hear:

what has changed for Jesal and Bryn since March of 2020
what predictions we have for the yoga world in the next six months
what is lost when teaching yoga virtually
what is gained when teaching yoga virtually
what is most important about brick and mortar spaces and when we think we'll be gathering in them again
what changes we are hopeful about in the next several years

Mentioned in this episode:

Learn More From Jesal:

Learn More From Bryn:

70: Yoga, Human Rights, and Accessibility with Jivana Heyman May 19, 2020

Show notes

I'm really grateful to bring you this interview with Jivana Heyman, the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, because his voice and leadership is SO needed right now. Jivana has specialized in teaching yoga to people with disabilities with an emphasis on community building and social engagement. Out of this work, the Accessible Yoga organization was created to support education, training and advocacy with the mission of shifting the public perception of yoga.

Over the past 25 years, Jivana has led countless yoga teacher training programs around the world, and dedicates his time to supporting yoga teachers who are working to serve communities that are under-represented in traditional yoga spaces.

In this episode we cover:

how Jivana's early experience as an AIDS activist informs his teaching today
the relationship between Accessible yoga and human rights
what practice looks like when it expands beyond the physical
creative ways to adapt postures so they work for many different bodies
accessible versions of sun salutations
positive changes happening in the yoga world

Learn More From Jivana:

69: Teaching Yoga Online Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

These are intense, unprecedented times. I know so much about your day to day life has changed in the last few weeks. As yoga teachers, our work has become quite challenging. But if you (and your students) have a computer and an internet connection, it is possible to stay connected with your students, continue to teach and continue to make money if your family depends on your yoga teaching income like mine does.

This episode was pulled from a video training I shared, along with many other resources, on my blog. You can find all the videos and other resources I mention there.

In this episode you'll hear:

all the different ways you can teach online and the ONE way I most recommend
how to support our students in taking the plunge to practicing yoga online and how to onboard a new student
what to keep in mind while you're teaching, and why I recommend using almost exclusively verbal cues
the equipment I recommend using for teaching yoga online
and more!

68: Teaching Yoga in Corporate Settings with Samantha Harrison Mar 23, 2020

Show notes

NOTE: We recorded this podcast episode months ago, and life was different back then. I decided to release this episode for y'all now anyway for three reasons: 1. I thought it might get your creative juices flowing if you find yourself teaching non-traditional yoga classes...2. Sam is being treated as an employee by some of the companies where she teaches and will still be paid, even if the company is closed, so corporate gigs can provide some good stability.... And 3. I thought you might be interested in listening to some yoga-related content that isn't about the virus or teaching online, just as a change of pace.

Teaching yoga classes in workplaces can be a great way to bring yoga to a population who otherwise might not have access to it, AND an awesome way to create well-paying teaching opportunities for ourselves.

BUT...these teaching gigs can feel elusive and hard to find! Plus the logistics of managing these contracts can feel tricky even when you do make a potential connection! Teachers ask me for advice about this topic all the time, and honestly, it's just not my specialty.

Luckily I know an AMAZING yoga teacher who is an expert in finding and teaching corporate yoga clients. Samantha Harrison teaches alignment-based vinyasa and gentle yoga in Greenville, North Carolina, and has been able to fully support her whole family (kids too!) teaching corporate and private yoga clients.

In this episode you'll hear:

how Samantha landed her first corporate client
all the different Class Format Options and the pros and cons of each
who to contact at a company and what to say in the initial reach out
how to write a proposal and a contract and what to include in those documents
who should pay for the class and how to accept payment

Related Podcasts