What’s wrong with saying, “I’m not the yoga teacher for everyone” [Podcast Episode 3]

Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman discuss the responsibility of yoga teachers to have a commitment to accessibility and how we can be open and responsive to our students' needs.

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Episode 3 Show Notes

In Episode 3 of the Accessible Yoga Podcast, Amber Karnes and Jivana Heyman discuss the responsibility of yoga teachers to have a commitment to accessibility in their group classes and how we can’t let ourselves off the hook by saying, “I’m just not the teacher for everyone.” In this episode, we discuss:

• Making a commitment to accessibility and how that’s different from trying to please everyone
• The importance of creating a culture of permission and safety in our learning spaces
• When a “safe space” for some feels unsafe for others, how we can hear difficult truths without getting defensive
• Are you giving yourself a pass by saying, “I’m not the teacher for everyone.”
• The commitment of yoga teachers to creating equitable learning environments
• Creating a culture of safety and openness where students can feel safe in their bodies
• Shifting from the role of a fitness instructor to a guide who holds space for our students transformation
• Being open to inquiry takes the pressure off us to have all the answers and helps us play to our strengths as yoga teachers
• Shifting away from a physical focus toward the subtler teachings of yoga transforms the way a group yoga class looks
• Thoughts on “advanced” practice and trauma-informed teaching

Today’s inquiry

Each week we’ll leave you with a powerful question. We encourage you to sit in inquiry with this question, write about it, discuss it with another community member on this path. Today, we are sitting with this question:

What does having an “advanced yoga practice” mean to you?

Episode 3 Resources

• Jivana's blog: Can you really say, "I'm not the teacher for everyone"?
• Colin Hall's Yoga History Podcast
• Kelley Palmer's course, Race & Equity in Yoga: Disruption As a Practice
• Get on the waitlist for the next Accessible Yoga Training Online

Connect With Us

• Jivana Heyman: Website | Instagram | Facebook
• Amber Karnes: Website | Instagram | Facebook
• Accessible Yoga Training School

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