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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:

BONUS: Inclusive Yoga Illustrations with Harmony Willow Hansen Dec 22, 2023

Show notes

I'm sure you've noticed that many stock images and illustrations of yoga practitioners show a very narrow representation of bodies and abilities.

Harmony Willow Hansen is a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and yoga practitioner who creates beautiful images that represent the true diversity in the student body of yoga practitioners worldwide. She created a beautiful book called You Are Strong And Worthy that showcases these images. Willow also has lots of resources available for yoga teachers and studios who want their images and branding to reflect the beautiful multifariousness of their students.

In this episode you'll hear:

what Willow saw in the bodies around her in class that inspired her to start making art
what she hopes people take away from seeing the images she created
all about the custom art and images she has created for yoga studios and teachers

Learn More From Harmony:

125: How To Create And Lead Your Own Teacher Training with Cyndi Lee Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

Teaching teachers how to teach yoga is a massive responsibility. (How many times am I going to write the word "teach" in this intro???)

Many people who listen to this podcast either already are, or are hoping to be a teacher of teachers. I get asked all the time for advice on creating and leading a teacher training. I have created a very successful speciality training, The Science of the Private Lesson, and a big part of my business is mentoring yoga teachers. I have supported teachers in writing their own 200 hour teacher training, but I have never actually created or led my own foundational 200 hour teacher training. So to have this conversation I asked my Yoga Mama, and the ultimate Teacher of Teachers Cyndi Lee, to join me and walk us through how to create and lead a teacher training.

In this episode you'll hear:

how to decide what to cover in a teacher training since yoga is so vast and expansive
what is most important to consider when you first start to write the manual or syllabus for your teacher training
how to teach sequencing and class planning to future yoga teachers
what Cyndi thinks about marketing a teacher training as a way to "deepen your practice" without an intention to teach
how teacher trainers can stimulate creativity and confidence in their learners

Learn More From Cyndi:

124: Yoga and Dominant Culture with Anjali Rao Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

In today's episode, we have a very special guest, Anjali Rao (she/her). Anjali is a yoga teacher, writer, and podcast host who offers profound insights into the often obscured stories and histories of yoga. An Indian American immigrant and cancer survivor, Anjali beautifully integrates yoga philosophy and history with storytelling, imagery, and poetry.

Anjali and I had a thought-provoking conversation about the sociopolitical context of yoga and its historical beginnings. We delve into topics such as the caste system, the intersections of power and access to knowledge, and the erasure of South Asian teachers in modern yoga spaces.

In this episode you'll hear:

all about Yoga's relationship with the caste system
a deep dive into Yoga's relationship with hinduism and other religions
how Anjali recommends we can teach and practice yoga with integrity
about the political nature of yoga and the connection between spiritual teachings and the pursuit of social change
a conversation on ahimsa and its active role in disrupting harm (rather than passive inaction)
the importance of self-reflection and understanding one's positionality as a yoga practitioner and teacher

Learn More From Anjali:

123: The Yoga Sutras with Vikram Jeet Singh Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

I have wanted to have a teacher on the podcast to talk to us about The Yoga Sutras for years, and I finally found the teacher we needed! Vikram Jeet Singh is here today to share an exploration of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras that is both accessible and deep.

Vikram is a certified yoga teacher with over twelve years and 11,000 plus hours of teaching experience. Besides asana, Vikram also teaches courses and workshops on classical yogic texts such as Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. Additionally, he runs mentorship courses and workshops for teachers and practitioners to help bring yoga in every aspect of their lives. A strong advocate of diversity & inclusion, Vikram consults yoga teachers and studios on cultural appropriation, decolonization and inclusion in yoga and related spaces. Having moved from Toronto three years ago, Vikram and his family live in Goa.

In this episode you'll hear:

what has shifted in Vikram's teaching as a result of his study of the Sutras
the main differences between some of the popular commentaries and the ones he recommends
what is most important for yoga teachers to know about Sutra 1.2
how the Sutras define practice
the main differences between the first and second books
a deep dive into the Kleshas
how free will plays out in terms of Kleshas and Karma

122: A Week In My Life (Updated for 2023!) Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

Back in February of 2018 I shared an intimate view of a full week in my teaching and work life. I shared my daily habits and routines, the things I was working on in my group classes, and how I met each of my private clients. (Listen to that episode here!)

Well, the world at large, and my little world too, has changed drastically since then, so I wanted to share an updated version!

In this episode you'll hear:

how I'm managing parenthood while keeping my business afloat
what has shifted in my mindset around business growth since having a kid
how I make time for my own practice in the morning
what's been working well in my group classes lately
specific things I do with private clients who work with chronic pain

Resources Mentioned:

121: How To Teach When You're Not Feeling Inspired Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

Today I'm here to share a vulnerable update of my life lately, and some tools I'm using to teach great yoga classes even though I'm in a very challenging season. I'll be honest, there almost wasn't a podcast episode this month. This has been one of the hardest summers of my life and I've been feeling totally under water. I realized the middle of the month had already passed and I had no interviews scheduled and no ideas for a podcast episode.

But then I remembered... I've been teaching through it all! And I've actually felt great about what and how I've been teaching.

So today I am sharing a few ideas that I hope support you if you're struggling to find inspiration for your teaching.

In this episode you'll hear:

how to identify why you are not feeling inspired
the difference between private clients and group classes when you're lacking inspiration
why being gentle with yourself is always the first instruction
how to come up with dharma teachings when you're struggling
how to freshen up stale sequences
why taking a class without the intention of actually taking it is a good idea!

Resources Mentioned:

120: Poses We're Not Teaching Anymore (A Sangha Convo!) Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

Are there poses you used to love and teach, but have recently stopped teaching for some reason?? It turns out we all have a long list of poses that we find ourselves leaving out of our classes for a multitude of reasons. We recently had a super interesting conversation inside The Mentor Sessions Sangha all about this! And on the podcast today I'm sharing an edited sneak peak of that discussion to get your creative juices flowing!

In this episode we discussed:

our priorities and choices in teaching
the importance of getting clear on the intended benefits of poses
varying perspectives on poses like headstand, arm balances, and lotus pose
why personal preference is a great reason to avoid certain poses AND why it's so important to understand the reason behind those preferences

119: All About My Morning Routine (And Suggestions For Yours!) Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

I feel a little shy sharing this intimate view of my morning practice, but when I asked y'all if this topic was of interest I heard a resounding YES. As yoga teachers I think it is important that we make time to engage with our practice and take good care of ourselves so we can be of service to our students and communities.

But like, WHEN ARE WE SUPPOSED TO MAKE TIME FOR THAT?

Life is so full for many of us. We have work and caretaking responsibilities that fill every waking hour (and some of the sleeping ones...). Before the birth of my son I had a two hour morning routine that I did every work day, even though most days I started teaching at 7am. After the arrival of my son in spring of 2022, the availability of that morning time totally disappeared.

But after more than a year in this new life, and after lots of trial and error, I have found a way to have a morning routine that sets me up to be the best teacher and parent I can be. It took me a while to figure out how to manage it, but I feel really good about where I've landed and I'm excited to share it with all of you!

In this episode you'll hear:

some questions to ask yourself when thinking about your own morning routine
the purpose of my morning routine
all seven things I'd like to do every day
how I manage the morning routine even with unpredictable baby sleep schedules
what time I get up and how long I spend with each part of my practice
how I prioritize to scale down my morning practice
how to manage if you have inconsistent time available in the morning

Click here to see a video version of my morning routine!

Resources Mentioned:

118: My Group Class Planning Process May 16, 2023

Show notes

In January I started sharing my group class planning process in short videos on Instagram and y'all had questions! The more I shared, the more questions I got! So today we've got a solo episode on the podcast where I am answering all your questions about my group class planning process.

In this episode you'll hear:

how I try to bring recognizable sun salutation templates AND sequences that vary into each class
why a thread of physical and emotional consistency woven throughout class makes it memorable to students
a deep dive into the template I use in every class I teach
what I recommend for teachers who often run out of time in class
different ways to get inspiration for a theme
a discussion on whether to create new sequences for every class or recycle old class plans
what to do when the class you planned won't work for the students who showed up

*After I recorded this episode, I taught four classes that are perfect examples of the things I discussed in the episode. Click here to buy this bundle of four classes at a discount.

117: Yoga for Seniors with Chintamani Kansas Apr 25, 2023

Show notes

Many yoga teachers in our community either already specialize in teaching seniors, or would like to. Yoga can be a wonderful practice for older people and it is important that yoga teachers consider what is most helpful when working with this population.

We are so lucky today to have Yoga for Seniors expert, Chintamani Kansas, walking us through this conversation. Chintamani has been teaching Yoga for over 20 years and has studied Meditation, Embodied Anatomy, Ayurveda, Yoga Therapy, Thai Massage.

In 2020, Chintamani launched a series of daily therapeutic yoga classes via Zoom for a community of committed Yoga Lovers, many of whom are active older adults. Yoga for Strong Bones and Core Yoga for Strong Bones classes are designed to stimulate bone density in key areas of vulnerability and eliminate movements that are potentially injurious to people with Osteopenia, Osteoporosis, Arthritis, and back pain. People of all ages attend the classes for joint mobilization, stretching, energizing yoga, strength, balance, and relaxation.

In this episode you'll hear:

common injuries and conditions our students might have
three rules to keep in mind when teaching people with osteoporosis
some thoughts about twists in a Yoga for Seniors class
how to make a "flowy" sequence without the forward bends of a classical sun salutation

step by step cueing for Downward Dog and why it's so helpful for seniors
the kyphosis controversy around bridge pose and how to work with that
working with hip replacements and how it shows up in Garuda
the controversy around Side Plank and who it might be good for
a deep dive into the biomechanics of Child's Pose and how to make it accessible
how using empowering language makes you a better teacher for all populations

Learn More From Chintamani:

Website: yogawithc.com
Instagram: @yogawithc
Private Yoga Info: yogawithc.com/private-yoga

Other Episodes and Resources Mentioned:

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