Financial Equity for Yoga Teachers: Building Sustainable Business Models

Financial Equity for Yoga Teachers: Building Sustainable Business Models

The financial challenges that many yoga teachers face have been an enduring issue within the industry. For years, teachers have struggled to earn livable wages, often working long hours with little job security, no benefits, and limited opportunities for growth. The COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated the yoga industry and shuttered studios worldwide, exposed just how precarious this financial situation was. Many teachers were left without income, unprepared to weather such a crisis. It has become increasingly clear that financial equity for yoga teachers is not just a matter of fair wages—it’s about creating sustainable business models that can withstand future disruptions. In my work, I have become passionate about addressing this issue, with the hope of helping yoga teachers learn how to create financial stability…

When the Well Runs Dry: Burnout, Imbalance, and the Practice of Awareness

When the Well Runs Dry: Burnout, Imbalance, and the Practice of Awareness

A colleauge of mine feels overwhelemed and uninspired in their teaching, and feeling sore, sluggish, and resetful of their ashtanga practice . Sound familiar? I’ve sure as fuck been there. When the well is dry, it’s dry. No creativity, more irritation, and a creeping sense of burnout. Sure, our practice can help refill the cup, but one of its greatest gifts is its ability to alert us to imbalances before we hit empty. We might first notice it in outsized reactions to small annoyances—like my mom being more pissed at traffic than her own cancer. It’s a classic sign that something deeper is off, and it’s not just about the traffic. In our own system, when we’re flipping out over something inconsequential, it’s often because…

cumulative strength: how a casual approach to chanting helped me appreciate my practice more

cumulative strength: how a casual approach to chanting helped me appreciate my practice more

When my brother passed, I felt blindsided. It hadn’t occurred to me that such a thing would happen, even though looking back I can see that with that kind of drinking, it was inevitably going to happen. You can’t drink like that and not die of either health or fate. I was too young/new to this– I hadn’t actually seen anyone drink themselves to death at that point. Yikes. But, I mean, I didn’t realize what was going on and I get why: a sour combination of cognitive disonance and inexperience. I was heartbroken. So often in those moments, I turn to asana and meditation. These were not readily available at that particular time because of an overzealous deadlifting session gone awry. A very real…

Echoes from the Forest: Insights for a Thriving Mysore Community

Echoes from the Forest: Insights for a Thriving Mysore Community

Today’s post intertwines the wisdom of my mentor, Kristen Krash, with my work as a mysore style Ashtanga Yoga teacher. Kristen, an inspiring figure in both my life and in her groundbreaking work regenerating a cloud forest in Ecuador, offers profound insights into the interconnectedness of all things.  Kristen’s article “Why those big-tree planting projects fail. And why ours is succeeding”  is a story of resilience, regeneration, and the intricate tapestry of community building— all in a forest environ. The gist of it is that it takes more than a bunch of big trees to make a forest. I see parallels between Kristen’s observations about forest regeneration and the nurturing environment of a Mysore yoga community. I believe these insight offers a unique perspective on how…

Context Matters for Indigenous Insight Practices

Decontextualizing indigenous insight practices—like those in traditional Ashtanga Yoga or other ancient systems—tends to diminish their efficacy because these practices are deeply embedded in specific cultural, spiritual, and historical contexts. This “embedding” isn’t a casual detail; it’s essential to how these systems work. When aspects of a practice are extracted or secularized, they lose the nuanced interconnections that support the whole system, similar to removing a keystone from an arch. For example, in Ashtanga Yoga, specific techniques and philosophies are not just exercises but methods developed within a layered understanding of ethics, community, and personal transformation. This is why teachers like Gregor Maehle emphasize that yoga is not just postures but part of a system that includes spiritual texts, breath work, ethics, and ritual. Removing…

Discovering Zen: A Journey with Alan Watts

Are you an Ashtanga practitioner ready to explore Zen philosophy through the lens of Alan Watts? Join us as we dive into the captivating documentary “Zen: The Best of Alan Watts” and discover how Zen principles can enhance our Ashtanga journey. Expand your understanding of yoga and find inner calm amidst the challenges of your practice. Embrace a deeper connection with yourself and the world around you. Let Alan Watts guide you on this beautiful path of self-discovery. Happy watching and happy practicing!

A Yogi’s Guide to the Branches of Yoga

A Yogi’s Guide to the Branches of Yoga

Introduction: Welcome fellow yogis! Today we are going to explore the diverse branches of yoga and understand their origins. This guide will help deepen our understanding of Bhakti, Jnana, Raja, Tantra, and Hatha Yoga. So, roll out your mat, breathe, and let’s get started. Bhakti: Yoga of Devotion Bhakti yoga is known as the path of devotion. Those who practice Bhakti yoga see the divine in all. They believe in invoking love and feeling a sense of closeness to the divine through their thoughts, words, and deeds. The practices of Bhakti yoga include chanting mantras and kirtan. Krishna has explained this yogic path in “The Bhagavad Gita.” Karma: Yoga of Action Karma yoga is known as the path of service or union through action. Karma…