Hello, and welcome. This is the yoga revolution podcast. My name is Jivana Heyman, my pronouns are he and him. This podcast is an exploration of how we can live yoga right now, and how we can apply the yoga teachings in our lives. We'll discuss the intersection of yoga and social justice, as well as how to build a practice that supports our activism. All my guests are contributors to my new book, yoga revolution, building a practice of courage and compassion. Thanks so much for joining me. Let's get started.
Hi, everybody. Thanks so much for coming back. And joining me for our next episode. I'm so excited today I have Jackie Sunny Barbee here to talk about her contribution to the book. Hey, sonny. Hey, how are you? I'm good. Thanks. I think I'm good. I don't know. Thanks so much for doing this. I really appreciate it.
Thanks so much for inviting me and inviting me on the podcast and to be in the book. It's it's such an incredible honor.
Oh, that's so sweet. Well, I'm lucky to have you. I wanted to start by introducing your formula though. So I'm gonna I'm gonna read some of your bio because it's really sweet. So Jackie, Sunny Barbie is an ERYT 200 hour yoga teacher living in the panhandle of Florida, Florida where everything happens. Sunny finished ytt in 2016, after turning to an asana practice to help with her chronic illness and depression. While nytt, she realized there was a need for more teachers that didn't fit this stereotypical yoga body image like her. And she would make it and she could make a difference in helping people see that Yoga is for everybody. She's able to share with others how to customize their practice to fit their own body, whether that body is larger aging, or living with illness or injury, much like she does with her with her practice. creating safe spaces where the student can connect and make peace with their bodies is what Sunny loves most about teaching yoga. She's also certified in Accessible Yoga yoga for all bodies, mind body solutions and yoga. Thank you so much, sonny. It's so great to be able to interview you. I'm so excited about this. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So what I was wondering is if you would be willing to read your contribution to the book. Let's see. Do you have it there?
I do. I do. I sure can. throw my practice of svadhyaya self study, I'm able to connect my yoga practice and social justice work to propel inner and social change. justice and equity work are deep and it's impossible to make lasting changes without becoming aware of my own internalized biases and privileges as a white person, I lean into the ugly truth and injustice is working for change rather than spiritually bypassing. I also tried to create space in my yoga classes for students to be their most authentic self, where they can safely move through their own personal life changes and traumas with their practice. As a plus size practitioner living with chronic illness, I'm able to show that yoga truly is for everyone. And that Asana can be made accessible, accessible by exploring different variations of each pose. My classes are a place where people of all sizes, ages, abilities, race and gender identity can feel safe and form a deeper, more loving relationship with their own bodies. Together, we celebrate what our bodies can do.
Yeah, that's awesome. I love I love what you wrote. Yeah, and I just, you know, I really wanted you to be part of the book because I just feel like you say so clearly what I tried to teach, you know, you're so clear about No, no your experience, but what you're trying to offer your students and, and you're doing it, you know, you're actively teaching. And that's amazing. And then you teach really diverse students.
Yeah, thank you. It was such a gift for me to find Accessible Yoga, after I had finished ytt just because I knew in my heart that that's what I wanted to do. But I didn't really know how I would be able to execute it and how it was going to how I was going to make it happen in in a yoga class because I just wasn't seeing it myself firsthand. And so to be able to participate in the Accessible Yoga training, it was it was just such a valuable training for me the lessons that I learned in all those days was just, it was so good for me to be able to figure out how I can make This in reach everyone in the classroom teach to everyone in the room no matter what was going on. And it was just such a gift it was, it's been such a gift for everyone that I've touched, I feel like also.
Wow, that's so sweet. Thank you. Well, I just I'm so grateful for that, you know, for the way you've like, really embodied these teachings and how you live this egg live Accessible Yoga, it's really beautiful. I, so your contribution, I put in the book in the section on embodying the eight limbs of yoga. And I because I feel like that some of the things you said just spoke to me so much. And part of what I talked about in this chapter is personalizing systemic problems. And what I mean by that is that like, you know, to me, there's a tension in the yoga teaching between our personal practice and then the way we act in the world. You know what I mean? Like, it's, so if we have if we have a marginalized identity, and we're still struggling in some way, how do we deal with that internally? But also, how do we act in the world to help address that? How do we speak out against injustice. So I feel like there's that tension there and the teachings. And I feel like you talk about that, in your quote, very, like, right away, you talk about self study, which I think is really the key to that, to what I'm mentioning.
Yes, and with my experiences, too. So that was another thing that I really got out of the Accessible Yoga training was really applying the eight limbs of yoga into my teaching and into my practice, even deeper than I had before, when I was in ytt, in my 200, hour, ytt, I was left out of some of the training of the asanas, because of my body or my illnesses, you know, like inversions and arm balances. And no one really tried to show me how to make them accessible to my own body, they were basically just, you can just sit here and watch. And then they will try to be, you know, maybe a little patronizing and say, you know, well, even just sitting on your mat is yoga doesn't have to be Asana, which, while that's true, you know, while they were doing this, while they're teaching the rest of the group, while this was true, I, you know, I knew that there was more and through this self study, I understood that what they were maybe trying to communicate, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt that it wasn't just sitting on your mat is also yoga, which it which it is, but it was also about, beyond practicing the Asana, and in bringing in the eight limbs of yoga into my practice into my teaching, particularly the eight limbs of yoga, particularly the yamas, which was just really a good way to express how I can be making an impact into the world. That is beyond just poses. And, and that was just such a revelation for me to understand that yoga was just so much beyond what shaped my body was in.
And what what how does that work? Like? How does self study work for you? Can you say more about that? Like, do you feel like, well, you mentioned in here talking about your internalized biases and privileges of white as a white person leaning into ugly truths and injustice is working for change? What do other thoughts about that?
Yeah, so, you know, I always thought that I was raised in a very open minded, very accepting household and had these just ideas, my parents, and everybody was welcoming our door, all of these things were going on, never really felt like I was carrying these biases or, or things. And still, you know, I got out of that bubble. And then I realized that there was a lot more outside influences, that maybe I wasn't as conscious of, in the front of my mind, of, of just how I reacted to situations to people. opinions that that might have been passed on to me, that I didn't really carry consciously, until you start really doing that deep self study. And I'm still like, it's still constantly every day. You know, I always wanted to say that I was a safe person. And even now reading this court, I sometimes think like, that was really not good at me to say that either because even though we might think that we're a safe person, I'm still going to make mistakes that is not going to be safe for everybody, and just learning all of these things and accepting that and then Doing what I need to do to change that take responsibility for it, and, and just redirect myself and make sure that I that I am making the efforts to create the safest spaces that I'm able to in that moment. I think that's maybe where I'm at right now.
And how does your yoga do that? Like, is there something in your practice that helps you? Like, is there some? Like, how does yoga support that self awareness? I guess I'm wondering, Well, I
think so much of just in just embodying the practice, being there, realizing what's going on around me, getting more into myself, even just yoga became such a sanctuary for me, where I would get on my mat, and would start to just, I have just really, in the past, had really cut off myself, cut off myself from my body from some of my experiences, and coming into yoga, or coming into the practice really made me just start to make peace with all of those things, all of the parts of me from the past, the things that I could control the things that I couldn't control the things that were coming on the things of my body, and really just not pushing them aside. But when these thoughts come up, and I realize these things, you know, it's time to meditate on this or journal on this or start searching out the other voices that are speaking about these things, and, and that we're just constantly having to be open to everything that's going on around us. Yeah,
that's really very powerful. Actually, I wonder. So the other thing that I tried to address in this chapter is the question of suffering, and how do we respond to suffering because one of the main themes of the yoga teachings is that yoga can reduce our suffering. But I feel like we generally talk about that only in this kind of self centered way. But what I heard that you just heard, you just say it's kind of making a connection between understanding your own personal suffering, and then reflecting on how maybe that how you how that changes your vision of the world, actually, like how being How did you say it like yoga allowed you to explore that to look at like things you've hidden from yourself? And it sounds like you're made that that influenced the way you see the world? Is that fair to say?
Yes. So, you know, I, I had to work really hard at becoming more focused on the present moment, I had to resist the attachment to the things that were going on in the past, the feelings, the experiences, and then also keep myself from becoming too absorbed with what was happening in the future. And, and that this was how I had to learn for myself, how to overcome some of my suffering, which included the physical pain and the emotional pain and fears. I mean, I just was so stuck in a place of this is how it used to be, this is what happened to me, or what's going to happen in the future. What's there for me, and yoga really helped me to learn to come into the present moment, and and release those attachments of what else was going on behind me and in front of me.
Hmm, and that was amazing. Sorry, go on. Yeah.
That was just, that was just the first step for me. And it was a big step. But it's, it was a step for me in reducing my own suffering. And now I can look at other people, and understand that they're the same place, I probably was before. And still dealing with the, you know, I always I always try to tell my students, you know, let's not compare ourselves how we were before how we were 10 years ago, our bodies might have been able to do this. But let's just celebrate where we are right now. And even and, like I just had a class this morning, and I just reminded everyone, like, you may have come in with a cane, you may have come in with a backache. But we're still really excited that our bodies brought us to this practice today. And we're gonna just celebrate that right now. And I just always think it's a good place to, to just be try to be in that moment. It's hard, but I I work at it.
I mean, you said something really important to for me, which is you basically defined non attachment which is one of the key concepts in yoga and something I try to address in the book too. Vairagya or sometimes we talk about other words, I mean, non attachment. vairagya is the main one that's presented in the yoga sutras and Patanjali talks in the first book, he talks about the way out of the suffering the way towards enlightenment is through practice and non attachment and You described how being in the present, helped pull your mind back from like, kind of reliving your past pain and trauma and also pulled it from the future where it was kind of stuck in the worry and the fear. And I thought, and I just think that's such a it's a great example of non attachment because I often don't think about non attachment as simply present moment awareness. But in a way, that's what it is, it's releasing the mind from moving in time, from going back or forth, like into the past or the future, where you may have, like, depression, or anxiety, like a depression generally arises from the past anxiety from the future. And you, you just said it so beautifully like that. That's what yoga can give us. Right? It's like this present moment awareness. Is that fair? The way I'm describing it?
Yes, yes. Yeah. And, and all of that is in the sutras for us too, you know, with the eight limbs that, you know, that we can avoid some of the suffering because of, you know, by doing following these eight limbs, it's a really nice guide for us to try to pull ourselves out of that suffering and letting go of attachment was such a huge step, I think, in my own personal development, understanding that, you know, it was okay to be reminiscing and, and enjoying the things that maybe we had gone through in the past, but not being attached to that feeling and emotion that was with it. That was a big challenge. And then understanding that as we go through this, and we go through these things within ourselves of of letting go of some of these things and making these changes within ourselves, then we can we, we can use this as a guidebook into changing some of the systems that are causing suffering, racism, homophobia, sexism, fat phobia, all of these things, too.
Right. Like you said, in your quote that you read earlier, you said I, I lean into the ugly truths and injustice is working for change, rather than spiritual bypassing. So would you say to you that that's what the Spirit, that's how you avoid spiritual bypassing is by avoiding being attached? I mean, is that okay? Or can you say more about spiritual? Okay, yes,
for me, I mean, I think that spiritual bypassing is just, I think we're all just taught this way, you know, be positive, smile more, don't, don't get stuck into the sadness and depression. And, you know, quite honestly, like, sometimes it's just going to happen, we are going to get stuck into it for a little bit. We don't have to live there. But you need to address and think and talk about and process, I think processes the huge part like, why am I so emotionally attached to this particular event? What can I do? What's in my control? And what can I just let go, it's not serving me. It's let it go. And then and then bringing in more of the eight limbs of how much of my energy do I want to keep putting putting towards that with with Brahmacharya, like, how much of my energy is, is there to spare to spend on this? Or would I rather spend it on something else? If that makes any sense?
Yeah, it makes a lot of sense. I'd love how you brought in brahmacharya. So with spiritual bypassing, it feels like there's pain and suffering that we want to avoid, and that it feels like, sometimes you misunderstand the yoga teachings. And we think that it's about avoiding pain, but it seems like that's not right. It's not about avoiding it. I wonder if you could talk about that. Like how do you deal with pain like you mentioned your chronic illness? Like I wonder if there's pain involved for you like in your life and how unreal have some pain right? But I just wanted you to how has yoga helped you handle your pain?
So I just think that that you know, at least for myself I can speak is that my pain is very multi dimensional, I've got the chronic pain at the physical level. I've got I do because of the chronic pain probably. And then also past experiences, I also deal with the emotional and like with the depression and anxiety also that comes in and how it just shows up in my body. Every day, from the moment I wake up to when I'm, you know going to bed and that my nervous system is affecting my body and all of these ways with tension, my breathing my energy level, and how much all of these things are and so I have found for myself that by avoiding that pain, whether it's physical or emotional, it just it wasn't moving forward. You can't avoid it, you can't ignore it all the way. Like you have to just process a process that is such the word that just keeps coming through my mind is whether it's through journaling and meditation or getting, you know, outside help. The physical part of yoga, the Asana, part of Yoga has always helped with some of the physical pain, keeping my joints moving, and those things, and then that helps me mentally and help gave me more strength to move through some of these other parts pranayama with my chronic illness, when I was younger, people would always think that I was being disrespectful that I would always do this, like heavy breath, like, you know, all the time. And I wasn't even conscious of it or aware of it, I realized later that this was how I was coping with the constant pain in my body. But it was it was really offensive to people. And I didn't even know I was doing it. And so by bringing in pranayama, into my practice in my life, that helps me with the with the daily pain and the physical parts of it. And I'm not making everybody around being mad at me
thinking I'm being rude to them.
Yeah, you're not being rude, I don't think but I see, it seems like you're using it to release that stress.
Yeah, I had no idea I was so cut off from my, I was cut off from my own body cut off, you know, just really bypassing the mental state that I was in at the time and, and didn't even know that my body was just trying to process these things. And I was trying to bypass it. And so by digging into it and going, Okay, if this is what's happening in my body, this is what's happening to me mentally and emotionally. Like, I need to, you know, address, address, whatever I whatever I can and get the help wherever I need help, and do the things that I can do to help relieve all of that, and just really dig into it, like really lean into it. And, um, but there's no way without the pain, you've got to go through it, right.
It's like, it's so it takes so much bravery to do that. Like, it's so it's like, was there like a moment that you describe that happened for you?
Yeah, I can I can, I can, like, tell, my anxiety had gotten so bad that I, I honestly didn't even want to leave my house. And it when I would just honestly, I would curl up in a ball in the bathroom, and I didn't want to leave. And then if my husband got me out of the house, I didn't want to come back home, which was so strange, I didn't understand that physically. I was, I was in bed, I wasn't moving. If I was working, all I could think about was that I could come home and get to bed and I just I wasn't living anymore. And I was I was too young for that. And I knew that all of the other things that I was doing, wasn't working. And so I was going to have to do something else. And that's what brought me to my practice. I had tried yoga a few times before that. But it was just because I was going with a friend or doing this but this time, my intention was I'm going to address this pain, my my suffering physically and emotionally. I'm going to get on my mat, and I'm going to see what this can do. And that's really like I said before, when yoga really became my sanctuary where I could get on my mat my mat was was my safe place and I could start feeling everything the good and the bad. And started to be more good and started to feel more peaceful and started to be okay and started to just get a lot more peace with my body and and what was happening and then peace, then that peace with my body became more peace with my past my history where I came from.
And you said there was a moment, so you're just remembering back to those days remembering
basically being curled up on the bathroom floor and saying, I can't do this anymore. I can't I can't live like this. It wasn't fair to myself. It wasn't fair to my family. And, you know, I was only I was in my 40s and I was caught up on a ball on the floor. And that was when, you know, I something had to change. Something had to be different. I couldn't keep going around it. I couldn't keep going around it. I had to I had to get right into it.
And how did you know yoga would help like was there some thing like did you have a positive experience in class or was there
I don't even know if there was something specific there. Like I said I had tried yoga before with, you know, different teachers that wasn't even in a yoga studio. We didn't even have a yoga studio when you down here at the time, maybe watching some videos had heard other people say the same thing. And at that point, like, I felt like this was how maybe it was divine intervention. Maybe my, my old soul was talking to me and telling me this is, this is what I needed. I don't know, I just knew that I couldn't do this anymore. And for some reason, yoga was the first thing that came to mind that this is what I had to try. I didn't even know what to do at that point, because I think there wasn't a studio yet there was one getting ready to open. And I think I had to go to a gym. And that was a whole terrible experience to just going to the yoga classes at the gym. That was, I remember going to the classes. And I think it was, I don't know if it was my first or second class at the gym. And that's in that atmosphere, and laying on my mat and just having the emotional release that I had been pushing back and hiding and avoiding for so long. And that was the okay, that was the confirmation that I was on the right path that I was doing. I was where I was supposed to be. And I needed to dig into this more than that studio opens. And I think I was there every day. And and then the rest is history. Right.
really powerful story, I think, because, I mean, it's just it's amazing that you had a sense that yoga could support you. I think that was so interesting. You know, and and it does feel like you found your way like you found your path. I think it's really helpful for me and probably for other people to hear your, about your journey.
Yeah, I think I think yoga opened up the door to acceptance, which I think was first and processing all of this, accepting where was accepting what was happening, and then finding the peace, then he then the love, love for my body love for myself love for my experiences. And then that all started to lead to so much healing.
I'm just wondering if, you know, if it's an ongoing process, and if you if you still struggle, you know,
I don't feel like I know what I was, I don't feel like I'm struggling so much as it is definitely an ongoing process. I was, what I was brought up is that we always had this image of how we were supposed to be this was our family. And even though maybe something wasn't going right, we still had to just put out a good face out there. And though I'm not saying we should be dwelling in the negativity either. But one thing that I definitely learned through all of this process is to be grateful for all the things, the bad things, the good things, all the things that are happening. And I'm grateful that I have the tools now to keep moving through. And growing from the circumstances that come up. It's always going to be it's always going to be a journey. And for one that I'm grateful for now.
Well, I can just say that, you know, my experience of you is just been that you really do embody the teachings. Yeah. I mean, I know a lot of people in yoga, and I always feel like, you're very genuine, and you reach out to me often to check in on me, which is so sweet. I mean, really, very few people do that, you know, it's like, I tend to be the teacher all the time. And I'm always usually the one reaching out and it's so sweet that you're always checking in just to see how I'm feeling and what's going on with me. And it's just it's shows to me, like a certain level of, I don't know, just generosity and compassion and, and big heartedness, you know, that I feel from you.
So for me, thank you for saying that so for me, it is. Yoga has brought this whole authenticity to myself, my husband has said many times over the last few years, he's like, I just love the person that you are now like, you are just so different from before. I feel like yoga has helped me be more centered and more grounded to myself. And that yoga is also brought me more connections in the community. And I've and I and it just helps me to be really connected to the people around me and I actually so I do check on you. But I also I just make myself once a week I just go through and I'll send out random text to people and just be like Hope you're having a good day. How's everything going? And it's funny because some people respond like why are you texting But I really do, I just want to reach out to everybody and just know that they're not alone. We're all in this together. And I do care about them. I go through my phone, I pick out names, and I check on everybody.
That's so sweet. It's a great practice. And I know you kind of talked about it in general already. But I wonder like, can you could you identify with what practice has helped you the most like you said, Oh, your husband says he really has seen a change in you. And he loves that. It's like some true part of you has come out. But I just wonder if there's like, I don't know, has there been a particular practice that has been most effective? Like, do you like pranayama? Do you like a certain pose? I don't know. Is there something.
I mean, first of all, I guess you could probably say, maybe it's just the asana practice of the of the chair, Chair yoga and the chair practice. Because I feel like when I'm, when I'm leading these classes, or practicing with people, when we're in the chair, for some reason, it feels like community is so much stronger. And we're really coming together. And I feel like that's in a way where I get to be the most authentic, the most vulnerable, and the most confident at the same time. And that's been a really interesting sensation to feel so vulnerable and confidence, all at once. Because it's usually one extreme or the other. And I just have found like, that is just really been a nice place. For me, I really think that community is such a huge part of the practice, and a huge part of, of the sutures of the eight limbs, you know, being honest with everyone, sharing our truth. Watching where energy is going, and all of these things just all comes together with this with this community. And I just feel like we're all better together than singly.
And maybe I'm harping on this, but you know, going back to spiritual bypassing, I just wonder you're such a positive like sunny person, that's their name, right? Sunny? Like, how do you how do you avoid spiritual bypassing yourself? Like, how do you stay so positive? But without doing that, do you know what I mean? Is there some technique you have? Or are you just trying to, is it the self study we talked about before? Like, I'm wondering what what is it
is definitely the self study it to me, it's definitely it's it's truthfulness. It's being truthful about everything, I can still be really upset that that guy cut me off in traffic. And, you know, I'll probably have all that but but really, in the big picture, is that really, it really not truthfulness and non attachment. I'll keep adding things on.
And actually, I know about your activism a little bit. And I wonder if that that's maybe the answer, because I feel like you. You know, I think one of the misunderstandings that there exists in yoga is that, like you said, we need to be positive and like, accept everything the way it is, rather than speak out against injustice and speak out when other people are suffering. And I think that's where I feel like there's kind of a tension in contemporary practice. And that's what I'm trying to address in this book really, primarily. And I know you do that I know, you speak out against about a lot of issues. So is that part of it, that you're optimistic and positive, but you're also it's okay to be angry, or something like is there?
I just I just really, like, I just call it being real, you know, like, this is what's happening. And we have to address it. Because if we're, if we even think for a second, that we're going to change these systems that are adding to the suffering of the of our communities, not just our own suffering, but the suffering to the communities around us. I mean, it's really essential that we're addressing that we're addressing everything head on. And, and being very honest about it, and we have to call it out. We have to. Yeah, you know, we have to be honest about what's really happening in order to change it in order to make these changes and to relieve the suffering of the people around us. Yeah, the only way we're going to change these systems.
Yeah, that's wonderful. And I know that you're doing that in many ways. Can you talk about that a little bit? What is the Do you see yourself as an activist?
That's an interesting question, because I probably don't really see myself as an activist even though I, you know, probably do the work of an activist if that makes sense. I think that my my parents just raised me to be a bit of an activist to begin with, so That's kind of how I always had been, you know, I was the one in high school marching up to the principal's office, and demanding him, you know, to speak to me about this, something that was going on in a classroom that that wasn't right, or changing that lines of clubs and schools like that, because, you know, it was being sexist and, and making those changes. I just feel like that's one place that I really follow my heart. My, my, my child, my youngest child is a part of the LGBTQ community. So I get to work. I'm very excited that I that I get to work with the local p flag in different areas of that. I love working with the older community, the people, people with different disabilities that we're able to work with. And just, I mean, I feel like that's like home for me. It's not a seven area where I feel like, I just am able to do it. So I should do it. If that makes sense, like, I'm able to do it. So I should be there. And take that privilege that I have, and use it. Yeah. And the best way to serve.
And it feels like it's just a natural process for you that you're not having to like, plot and plan. It's just like you're, you're a compassionate person. So you speak out. Is that right? Like, do you see suffering now? Awesome. Right. And that feels to me like a direct outcome of yoga practice, which is that, you know, I don't know how to bring it together. In my mind. It's like, if we're suffering, and in denial about our suffering, then we basically, also avoid looking at other people's suffering. Like we can't see that. But when we Yeah, so as you say, what do we feel our own and accepted on some level, like, it's an ongoing process, I realize, but I think it makes us more sensitive to other people's suffering and be and makes us more compassionate.
That's exactly what I was trying to say thank you for joining us. So that's exactly it. I think that when we look at ourselves and face that, then we're able to, I think compassion, and, you know, is such a huge part of, of our, of our work, and our service to the people around us. You so so if people know me, and they if they follow me on social media, you see that my name is Sunny Bee Yoga. And the BEE is just a play off my last name. But it's also because of the bumblebees. And I always like to share this is that when the bees are in the hive, each bee has a job. And it's not that one job is better than the other. But all the bees, everything that they do in the hive is for the benefit, the well being of the community of the entire hive. And so every one of them does all of that, and I and I, I love that so much is why just I love these so much is that everything they do is for the betterment of the community. And I really love that example. So
that's going to be a bee. Well, you know, I think you just summarize my entire book, actually. Because I mean, the even the subtitle of the book is like building a practice of courage and compassion. And I think that's the point. It's like courage to look, courage to embrace ourselves, you know, as we are, and also compassion for others. Because once we see that, then we can serve in a more sensitive and compassionate way, you know, and I feel like I see that in you so clearly that you, it's like you and you share that I think pretty openly, at least through what I see, when you're teaching when you're on social media, I feel like you're sharing your struggles. And you're kind of, I don't know, your heart. It's like, how do you how do you make your heart so open. And I think the way is, the way you do is you're open to yourself. And then that also allows other people to come in, you know, it kind of happens together.
I think for me, that is part of my goal in creating the safe spaces is that if I'm showing my authentic self, then other people might feel like they can do the same when they're around me at least, and share those parts of themselves. And I think there's been situations in my life where maybe I held everything very close inside, might have felt a little maybe guilty or ashamed or embarrassed by what I was going through. But finding that when I can share openly. There's so many people who will come to you and say, I needed to hear you say that because I'm in the same situation or I can really relate to what you said. And it just gives people permission to just be kinder to themselves and not be so hard on themselves like they're not alone.
Yeah. Amazing. That's it's been really Amazing. Okay, anything else you want to share with us? And you want to tell us anything you have coming up? Where people? How can people find you?
You can find me on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram with Sunny Bee Yoga. I've got all of that I'm mostly teaching on mostly teaching online right now I offer a Friday, happy hour. It's a chair class on zoom. I really just do it by donation. If it's not accessible to you to pay for it. Just join us anyway, I really love serving the community this way. I'll be letting you think I'm heading out to the mammoth yoga festival at the end of the month with Dianne Bondy and excited to be there and get to be around some of our other cohorts there. And
yeah, that's about it right now.
Okay. And we'll link to that to your website, in the show notes. Do that. Anyway, thanks so much. So yeah, it's just been a pleasure talking to you. And I really, I really appreciate your time. And all of your service is so beautiful.
Thank you. I can't thank you enough for being a teacher to me over the last few years. And I just am so grateful that I found you and Accessible Yoga and what I influences has had on my life and my teaching, and I'm so grateful for that.
Well, thank you. All right, we'll take care. Alright, thanks. Bye. Thanks so much for listening and joining the conversation. Yoga is truly a revolutionary practice. Thanks for being here. If you haven't already, I would love for you to read my book, yoga revolution, building a practice of courage and compassion. It's available wherever books are sold. Also, you can check out my website JivanaHeyman.com. There's some pre classes on there and a meditation and you can find out more about my upcoming trainings and other programs. Hope to see you next time. Thanks. Bye.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
