Ep 131: How Breathing Helps the Nervous System

Ep 132: Savasana: Everything You Need to Know

Savasana is frequently treated as downtime near the end of class, but it deserves far more attention and intention than most teacher trainings give it. This episode draws on some of the research I originally did for one of my 200-hour teacher training assignments to explore the history and philosophy of savasana, practical variations for different student needs, what a teacher should actually be doing while students rest, and an honest conversation about touch that many yoga teachers have never fully examined. Let's give Savasana a bit more study. I'll cover: * The History and Philosophy of Savasana * Why Your Language Matters So Much in Savasana * Savasana Variations Worth Offering Your Students * What Teachers Should Actually Be Doing During Savasana * An Honest Look at Touch in Savasana  Mentioned in the episode: Within Your Scope Workshop [https://www.enhanced-body.com/within-your-scope-workshop] Have you been thinking about scope, touch, and what's appropriate to offer as a teacher? The Within Your Scope workshop is a great next step for fully understanding your scope of practice as a yoga teacher.  The Nervous System Toolkit  [https://www.enhanced-body.com/offers/8EaaNBU2/checkout] If this episode has you thinking about how much breath can do, the Nervous System Toolkit gives you practical, ready-to-use tools for working with the nervous system, including breath-based practices, Yoga Nidra, and 10 Common Yoga Pose Modifications. Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/support] YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright [https://youtube.com/@monicacbright?si=OiDjAprcqnUJYp0h] Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries [https://enhanced-body.ck.page/e81e3798a1] Let's connect: * Check out my website: Enhanced Body [http://www.enhanced-body.com/] * Connect with me on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/monicacbright] * Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call [https://calendly.com/monicabright23/discoverycall?month=2023-12] * Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance [https://www.enhanced-body.com/alliance-membership] (7-day free trial) * Join my Newsletter for teachers below!  [https://enhanced-body.ck.page/7b882f44d2] Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE [https://forms.gle/8YCGeWJgw8r8yCW26] to submit it! Become a supporter [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/supporters/new] of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.

Ep 131: How Breathing Helps the Nervous System

The breath is one of the only functions in the body that is both automatic and within our conscious control, which makes it one of the most accessible tools for shifting the nervous system in any of your yoga classes. This episode breaks down how breathing helps the nervous system, why this matters especially for anxious students, new students, and students in pain, and explains specific breath practices you can start using in your very next class. I'll discuss: * The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous System, Explained Simply * The Role of the Vagus Nerve * Why This Matters for Anxious Students, New Students, and Students in Pain * Four Breath Practices You Can Use Right Away Mentioned in the episode: The Nervous System Toolkit  [https://www.enhanced-body.com/offers/8EaaNBU2/checkout] If this episode has you thinking about how much breath can do, the Nervous System Toolkit gives you practical, ready-to-use tools for working with the nervous system, including breath-based practices, Yoga Nidra, and 10 Common Yoga Pose Modifications. Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/support] YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright [https://youtube.com/@monicacbright?si=OiDjAprcqnUJYp0h] Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries [https://enhanced-body.ck.page/e81e3798a1] Let's connect: * Check out my website: Enhanced Body [http://www.enhanced-body.com/] * Connect with me on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/monicacbright] * Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call [https://calendly.com/monicabright23/discoverycall?month=2023-12] * Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance [https://www.enhanced-body.com/alliance-membership] (7-day free trial) * Join my Newsletter for teachers below!  [https://enhanced-body.ck.page/7b882f44d2] Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE [https://forms.gle/8YCGeWJgw8r8yCW26] to submit it! Become a supporter [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/supporters/new] of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.

Ep 130: Why Plow Pose Shouldn’t Be Taught in Group Classes

Plow Pose is a standard part of many yoga classes, and many teachers were trained to include it without much question. But in a group class setting, the demands on the cervical spine in this pose, combined with the reality of teaching multiple students at once, create a level of risk that is worth taking seriously. In this episode,  I'll make a direct case for why plow pose does not belong in a group yoga class, what the anatomy actually tells us about what this pose asks of the neck, and what it means to teach responsibly when you cannot give every student your individual attention. * The Reality of Group Classes * Understanding the Cervical Spine * Why Plow Pose Is Specifically Problematic * Additional Problematic Poses * What Thoughtful Teaching Actually Looks Like  Go Deeper Teaching Students with Injuries Mentorship [https://www.enhanced-body.com/teaching-students-w-injuries] The anatomy behind the poses you teach, how to make confident decisions about what belongs in your classes, and how to work with students who have complex histories are all part of the Teaching Students with Injuries Mentorship. Book a Strategy Call [https://www.enhanced-body.com/] Want to talk through whether it is the right fit for you? Book a strategy call. Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/support] YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright [https://youtube.com/@monicacbright?si=OiDjAprcqnUJYp0h] Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries [https://enhanced-body.ck.page/e81e3798a1] Let's connect: * Check out my website: Enhanced Body [http://www.enhanced-body.com/] * Connect with me on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/monicacbright] * Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call [https://calendly.com/monicabright23/discoverycall?month=2023-12] * Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance [https://www.enhanced-body.com/alliance-membership] (7-day free trial) * Join my Newsletter for teachers below!  [https://enhanced-body.ck.page/7b882f44d2] Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE [https://forms.gle/8YCGeWJgw8r8yCW26] to submit it! Become a supporter [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/supporters/new] of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.

Ep 129: Should Chaturangas Be in Every Vinyasa Class?

Chaturanga is one of the most repeated movements in vinyasa yoga, and one of the most commonly practiced by students without having the foundational capacity to support it. For yoga teachers, understanding what chaturanga actually demands of the wrists and shoulder joint, and recognizing when students are not ready to practice it in a way that supports their bodies, is essential knowledge for teaching safe, effective vinyasa classes.  This episode challenges the assumption that you should teach chaturanga in every flow, answers the question "Why?", and offers you alternatives to use with the real range of students who come to a typical vinyasa class. * Challenging The Assumption That You Should Always Teach Chaturanga * The Makeup of Students In Your Classes  * Why the Wrists Matter * Why the Shoulder Joint Is the Bigger Concern * What to Offer Instead Free Resource 10 Chaturanga Variations [https://www.enhanced-body.com/offers/SY2mLABF/checkout] -  Download the free 10 Chaturanga Variations video series for a complete toolkit of modifications and alternatives you can offer any student in any vinyasa class. Related Episodes:  Why Traditional Restorative Yoga Isn't for Everyone How to Teach Students Body Awareness in Yoga Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/support] YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright [https://youtube.com/@monicacbright?si=OiDjAprcqnUJYp0h] Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries [https://enhanced-body.ck.page/e81e3798a1] Let's connect: * Check out my website: Enhanced Body [http://www.enhanced-body.com/] * Connect with me on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/monicacbright] * Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call [https://calendly.com/monicabright23/discoverycall?month=2023-12] * Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance [https://www.enhanced-body.com/alliance-membership] (7-day free trial) * Join my Newsletter for teachers below!  [https://enhanced-body.ck.page/7b882f44d2] Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE [https://forms.gle/8YCGeWJgw8r8yCW26] to submit it! Become a supporter [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/supporters/new] of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.

Ep 128: Yin Yoga and Labral Tears

Many yoga teachers think of yin yoga as a universally gentle practice, but for students with hip labral tears, the deep hip flexion and sustained holds that define the yoga practice can be genuinely problematic. Understanding the difference between yin yoga and restorative yoga, why the hip labrum is vulnerable to certain kinds of loading, and what alternatives you can offer your students is the kind of practical anatomy knowledge that changes how you teach. This episode gives yoga teachers a clear foundation for working more safely and thoughtfully with students who have hip labral tears. Well cover: * Yin Yoga vs. Restorative Yoga: Why the Distinction Matters * What a Hip Labral Tear Is and Why It Matters in Yoga *  Why Yin Yoga's Deep Hip Poses Can Be Problematic * What to Help Students Look Out For *  Four Alternatives That Work Go Deeper Teaching Students with Injuries Mentorship [https://www.enhanced-body.com/teaching-students-w-injuries] - The hip, labral tears, movement considerations, and practical sequencing strategies are covered in depth inside the Teaching Students with Injuries Mentorship. Your real students, real scenarios, and real support Not sure if it's the right fit? Book a strategy call. Book a Strategy Call [https://www.enhanced-body.com/] Related Episodes: Why Traditional Restorative Yoga Isn't for Everyone How to Teach Students Body Awareness in Yoga Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/support] YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright [https://youtube.com/@monicacbright?si=OiDjAprcqnUJYp0h] Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries [https://enhanced-body.ck.page/e81e3798a1] Let's connect: * Check out my website: Enhanced Body [http://www.enhanced-body.com/] * Connect with me on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/monicacbright] * Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call [https://calendly.com/monicabright23/discoverycall?month=2023-12] * Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance [https://www.enhanced-body.com/alliance-membership] (7-day free trial) * Join my Newsletter for teachers below!  [https://enhanced-body.ck.page/7b882f44d2] Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE [https://forms.gle/8YCGeWJgw8r8yCW26] to submit it! Become a supporter [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2262195/supporters/new] of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.