Let's Talk Yoga

A deep dive into yoga sequencing, what it actually is, why it matters, and the most common mistakes yoga teachers make when planning classes, I break down the difference between choreography and intentional sequencing, explore the role of the pranic and nervous systems, and share nine sequencing missteps to avoid for safer, smarter, and more sustainable teaching. This episode is especially relevant for yoga teachers who want to build confidence, longevity, and depth in their classes.
Episode Highlights:
What is sequencing
Why sequencing is a skill, not a formula
What yoga sequencing truly means beyond pose choreography
How thoughtful sequencing supports safety, longevity, and nervous system regulation
The role of structure, progression, intention, and integration in class planning
Why sequencing shapes the energetic and pranic arc of a class
How intelligent sequencing builds trust, confidence, and professional credibility
The 9 Sequencing Mistakes to Avoid:
Treating sequencing as simply linking poses together
Over-focusing on peak poses at the expense of purpose
Skipping joint preparation and intelligent warm-ups
Overloading classes with too many poses
Neglecting counter-poses and proper class closure
Designing sequences based on personal preference instead of student needs
Ignoring the energetic arc and pranic system
Forcing philosophy or over-theming without embodiment
Failing to teach toward longevity and sustainable practice
Waitlist for the Online 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (launching January)Sequence Smarter – The Living Body of Asana
For teachers living in India, reach out to Janessa at [email protected] for special local pricing
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As we begin a new year, I’m reflecting on a question that quietly shapes every yoga teacher’s journey: why do you teach? In this episode, I share personal insights from my own path, the lessons that only time and experience reveal, and why certifications alone don’t create longevity in teaching. I also share details about the upcoming 300-hour online teacher training, live Q&A session, and important dates if you’re considering taking the next step in your practice or teaching.
Episode Highlights:
Why certifications and accumulated hours don’t guarantee confidence or sustainability
The difference between loving yoga and being able to teach it long-term
How burnout, injury, and doubt reveal the importance of a deeper “why”
Why purpose in teaching is personal, evolving, and not meant for performance
The connection between discipline, consistency, and Sutra 1.14
5 Important things about your why
Key updates on the upcoming 300-hour online teacher training and live Q&A
Waitlist for the Online 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (launching January)Sequence Smarter – The Living Body of Asana
For teachers living in India, reach out to Janessa at [email protected] for special local pricing
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This episode feels like a full-circle moment as I wrap up the final episode of 2025. Before we step into a new year, I take some time to share what’s coming up in 2026 for the Let’s Talk Yoga and Aham Yoga community. There’s a lot unfolding, from a brand-new 300-hour online yoga teacher training to in-person study and international travel, and I wanted to lay it all out clearly so you know what’s ahead and how to be part of it.
After the updates, I’m joined by Rebecca from the Working in Yoga podcast for a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation on creativity in yoga teaching. We explore how teachers can stay innovative without crossing into performance, why reverence still matters, and how professionalism, boundaries, and self-inquiry shape longevity in this work. It’s a reflective conversation about teaching, aging, motivation, and remembering why we came to yoga in the first place.
Episode Highlights:
Exciting Announcements for 2026
300 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training
200 Hour In-Person Training
International Yoga Retreat in Italy
Time-Sensitive Updates Recap
Creativity in Yoga Teaching
Balancing Tradition and Creativity
Engagement vs. Entertainment in Yoga
Evolving Yoga Teaching Methods
Student Agency and Teacher Guidance
Learning and Teaching Yoga
Exploring Cultural Appropriation in Yoga
Finding Your 'Why' in Teaching Yoga
Markers of Success in Yoga Practice
Personal Motivations and Aging Gracefully
The Importance of Professional Boundaries
Reverence and Cultural Differences in Yoga
Navigating Marketing and Authenticity in Yoga
Final Thoughts and Upcoming Trainings
Waitlist for the Online 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (launching January)Sequence Smarter – The Living Body of Asana
For teachers living in India, reach out to Janessa at [email protected] for special local pricing
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Find all the resources mentioned in this episode
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Hormones influence how we move, rest, recover, and show up on the mat, yet they’re rarely discussed clearly in yoga spaces. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Manasa Rao to explore what yoga teachers need to understand about the hormonal body through both modern science and yogic wisdom. We talk about stress, rhythm, pranayama, women’s hormonal cycles, and how yoga can support balance through listening and alignment without overstepping into medical advice.
Episode Highlights:
Are hormones a modern concept, or something yoga has always addressed through a different language?
Hormones as internal messengers and their connection to yogic ideas of prana, ojas, tejas, and balance.
How yoga works across the physical and subtle bodies to regulate internal harmony.
The relationship between chakras, glands, and pranic flow, and where confusion often arises.
Why hormonal balance is the body’s natural state and how modern lifestyle disrupts rhythm.
Cortisol, stress, and the importance of restoring rhythm rather than suppressing hormones.
Pranayama as a key regulator of the hormonal and nervous systems.
How to think about different pranayama practices, including ujjayi, with more discernment.
Pratyahara as a lifestyle-based practice rooted in routine, rhythm, and sensory regulation.
Understanding women’s hormonal transitions, including menstruation, perimenopause, and menopause.
Menopause reframed as a phase of reorganization and inward movement, not decline.
How yogic practices can support different phases of the menstrual cycle.
The importance of personalization and sensitivity when teaching hormonally affected students.
Body-to-mind versus mind-to-body, and why dissolving that duality matters.
The central takeaway: hormonal health comes from listening, alignment, and rhythm rather than fixing.
Waitlist for the Online 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (launching January)Sequence Smarter – The Living Body of Asana
For teachers living in India, reach out to Janessa at [email protected] for special local pricing
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Find all the resources mentioned in this episode
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Inversions don’t have to be intimidating, flashy, or reserved for advanced students. In this episode, I break down the three pillars of teaching inversions and share how to approach being upside down with structure, progression, and nervous system awareness. If you’ve ever felt unsure about when, how, or why to teach inversions, this framework will bring clarity and confidence to your teaching.
Episode Highlights:
Why inversions were traditionally practiced as tools for regulation, not performance.
How modern yoga culture has distorted our understanding of being upside down.
What actually qualifies as an inversion, beyond handstands and headstands.
The difference between mild, moderate, and intermediate inversions.
Personal reflections on unlearning unsafe inversion habits.
Pillar One: Structure before shape
Pillar Two: Progression before performance
Pillar Three: Nervous system literacy
Situations where inversions may not be appropriate to teach.
Where inversions fit best within a well-sequenced class.
How inversions cultivate humility, discernment, and emotional awareness.
Why the deepest impact of inversions is internal, not physical.
Waitlist for the Online 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (launching January)Sequence Smarter – The Living Body of Asana
For teachers living in India, reach out to Janessa at [email protected] for special local pricing
Join our mailing list
Find all the resources mentioned in this episode
Connect with us on Instagram