Podcast Library

Listen in and explore ideas, trends, issues, and stories from inspiring yogis about what’s happening in the yoga community and beyond. Want to share the good work you're doing in the yoga community on our podcast? Drop us a line at community@yogaalliance.org and tell us about it!

The content presented below expresses the views of our presenters and does not necessarily reflect the views of Yoga Alliance.

Unity in Yoga: Rosa Vissers and Yoga Behind Bars

Published: April 1, 2019

Rosa Vissers, the Executive Director of Yoga Behind Bars, joined our Unity in Yoga podcast to discuss how prison yoga programs benefit those incarcerated and to share the challenges she and her volunteers have faced.

Quentin Vennie: Harnessing the Power of Yoga to Overcome Challenges

Published: October 30, 2018

Drawing from his own story of transformation through yoga, Quentin Vennie, Program Director for the Yoga Alliance Foundation, shares how he is using yoga as a healing mechanism to bring people together in collaboration and peace.

Maya Breuer: Changing the Culture of Yoga to Advance Inclusivity

Published: October 26, 2018

Drawing from her own experiences overcoming adversities through yoga, Yoga Alliance Vice President of Cross-Cultural Advancement Maya Breuer shares thoughts about cultivating a “Soul Inclusion” movement to foster alliances and build pathways to yoga for all populations and circumstances.

Erin Peck: Integrity and Accountability in Credentialing

Published: October 16, 2018

Yoga Alliance Vice President of Credentialing Erin Peck discusses the difference between standards and credentialing, the responsibility of YA in supporting yoga professionals, and the importance of working together in service to yoga.

Dr. Christa Schwind: Compassion and Inclusion as Part of the Yogic Discourse

Published: October 16, 2018

Yoga Alliance Vice President of Standards Dr. Christa Schwind shares how she will use her academic and professional background to uplift the voices of a wide spectrum of teachers from diverse backgrounds and help elevate and evolve teaching standards.

Jill Miller: Understanding the ABCs of Anatomy to Improve Health

Published: August 3, 2018

Our guest Jill Miller explains how providing clues to gaining optimum range of motion or position can improve students’ joints and tissue as they age, as well as help people become better advocates for their own health.

Susanna Barkataki: Healing the Separation Within Ourselves and Others

Published: July 26, 2018

Susanna Barkataki discusses the importance of driving social change through yoga and brings her unique perspective to a conversation about equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Cora Wen: Elevating the Yoga Profession in an Evolving Landscape

Published: July 19, 2018

On this episode of our Unity in Yoga podcast, Cora Wen identifies commonalities that unite yoga teacher trainings and explains how yoga lineage applied in a modern way can support the breadth and creativity of today’s yoga styles.

Andrea R. Jain: The Evolution of Yoga from Disparate Origins

Published: June 29, 2018

On this episode of our Unity in Yoga podcast, Andrea R. Jain explains how the origin of yoga does not have a “clear-cut story,” and how cultural context has shaped yoga over time.

David Frawley: Exploring the Roots of Yoga

Published: June 14, 2018

On this episode of our Unity in Yoga podcast, Dr. David Frawley visits the origins of yoga and discusses interpretations of traditional teachings and how they relate to the yoga of today.

Jacoby Ballard: Transformative Inclusion in Yoga

Published: June 1, 2018

On a new episode of the Yoga Alliance "Unity in Yoga Podcast," Jacoby Ballard speaks about why — and how — we should aspire to “radical inclusion" in yoga spaces.

Judith Lasater: Living by Our Highest Values

Published: May 8, 2018

Judith shares some personal stories to illustrate how she uses thoughts as tools to stay grounded in yoga and non-harming, and communicate with compassion, kindness and empathy.

Sarah Court: Physical Therapy and Yoga

Published: February 28, 2018

Sarah Court joins David Lipsius to discuss the conditions and injuries people often bring to yoga and how a teacher might respond. They take a deep dive into how clarity around a yoga teacher's scope of practice can help teachers, students, and the medical establishment have a healthier relationship with yoga.

Theo Wildcroft: Complexities of Defining a Scope of Practice

Published: February 28, 2018

Theo Wildcroft, yoga teacher and scholar, joins David Lipsius via Skype to discuss the specific challenges Yoga Alliance and other entities face when writing and enforcing a scope of practice. She also shares how her personal teaching journey has shaped her views on the yoga world today.

Unity in Yoga Podcast with RAINN

Published: January 18, 2018

We partnered with RAINN (The Rape Abuse Incest National Network) to help us shed light on the issue of sexual misconduct and provide resources for those who have been victimized. Listen to the first episode of our new podcast series called Unity in Yoga.

The Next Frontier in Yoga

Published: July 10, 2017

From Vedanta, Samkhya, and Tantra to modern postural yoga, the paths of yoga have always shifted, adapted, and evolved. What is the next frontier in yoga? Join Yoga Alliance staffer, Irene Waggener, and a number of voices from the community in considering Yoga Alliance’s mission statement as a compass for guiding yoga’s trajectory in the 21st century.

Yoga Nidra with Dr. Marc Halpern

Published: March 31, 2017

In July 2016, Dr. Marc Halpern presented the online workshop, "Yoga Nidra: Unlocking Your Full Potential." During this workshop, he received many questions. In this 30-minute podcast Q&A, Marc answers some of the most popular questions he received during his workshop. He talks about the difference between yoga nidra and meditation, how to bring yoga nidra into your daily practice, and much more.

Help America Get PHIT

Published: December 16, 2016

In this special podcast episode, Yoga Alliance staffer Irene Waggener explores the PHIT Act, a piece of legislation currently in Congress that aims to help make physical activities (including yoga) more affordable. She talks with several different yogis around the U.S. about how this legislation will affect the yoga community and how it benefits yoga practitioners.

Discussing Diversity in Yoga with Dianne Bondy

Published: August 3, 2016

Our own Irene Waggener, RYT 200, sat down with Dianne Bondy, E-RYT 500, to discuss strategies to make yoga more inclusive. After Dianne’s very successful workshop, Bridging the Divide: Diversity in Yoga, she was flooded with questions about how yoga teachers can get involved. During the podcast, she touches on some of the themes from those questions.

Talking Teacher Ethics with Hala Khouri

Published: June 6, 2016

Our Chief Ambassador Andrew Tanner, E-RYT 500, sat down to talk with Hala Khouri, E-RYT 500, about the nature of student-teacher relationships. Hala talks about the psychological components of these relationships, how trauma comes into play and the basic principles of how to establish clear boundaries with students.