Things I Once Said as a Yoga Teacher: A Series

I regularly think about my early days as a yoga teacher. I was bright-eyed and so eager to teach any and every class I could. I’m glad I put myself out there. I had a lot of opportunities to teach in various spaces and connect with people from all over the Twin Cities. Not that I’d necessarily recommend it to everyone, but it was a bit of a baptism by fire scenario.

In my early days of teaching I had to be humble and open to feedback. For instance, I will never forget the day a student corrected me on my pronunciation of Adho Mukha Svanasana (Sanskrit for Downward Facing Dog). Turns out Svanasana and Savasana are pronounced very differently! I was green and it was clear to those in my classes that I was really only playing the part of the yoga teacher.

Although I stumbled a bit in my first few years of teaching, I’m grateful I didn’t settle for just playing the part of the yoga teacher. I started to take my practice and career more seriously. I traveled when I could to study with other teachers. In 2012 I participated in the Yoga Journal Conference in NYC and was introduced to the person who would eventually become my go-to teacher and mentor.

Change is hard and change is necessary.

Through my many years of teaching and studying yoga, I have learned a lot and, more importantly, have had my thoughts and beliefs challenged. It can be a hard pill to swallow when you learn that instructions you’ve been giving students for years aren’t biomechanically sound. And rather than getting defensive, I found myself being open minded and eager to just keep learning more.

So that’s where this blog series comes into play.

I’m a sucker for nostalgia and decided to use my past experience as a yoga teacher to highlight areas of the yoga practice where many yoga teachers (myself included) have been misguided or straight up incorrect.

I have zero intentions of shaming anyone. I’m choosing to share this information because change, evolution, and the drive to continue to learn is essential. And I’ll be sharing things that I once said and taught myself! Some of it I shared for over a decade!

Because research and data about the moving body is constantly changing, who knows. I just might find that things I share and teach currently are inaccurate. And that’s great! As an open minded student there’s value in acknowledging our errors and misunderstandings and then examining new information that is available.

I’d love for you to join me in this series and I hope you get some entertainment out of the things a slightly misguided Erin shared in her yoga classes.

If you’re on Instagram, be sure to give me a follow. I’ll be creating Reels that accompany my blog posts.

Celebrating Novelty

I have proudly dubbed myself as the Routine Queen.

I love a good routine!

Perhaps I crave routine because I lack a conventional 9-5 job and having such a varied schedule requires me to find balance via establishing routines. Or maybe it’s because I’m a control freak.

Most likely the latter.

Regardless of when my workday or first obligation begins, I like to wake up around the same time every day. I prefer to kick off my mornings with a big glass of water, some type of movement, and an overly fussy coffee. A glitch in the routine often causes my whole day to feel off.

The older I get the more I get stuck in my ways. Although challenging, I’m doing my best to accept spontaneity and acknowledge that not everyone or everything is keyed into my personal routines. Again, I’m doing my best.

Recently I was traveling. Also known as My Routine Was Disrupted. Then, upon returning home from my travels, I tested positive for COVID. Also known as My Routine Was Disrupted Beyond Belief.

Once recovered from COVID I was so eager to hop back into my routine. Unfortunately, the lingering fatigue prevented me from going into routine-mode at full force. For about three weeks I felt ungrounded.

Now, after fully recovered from COVID, I’m back at it. I’m running and lifting weights and it feels great! I might have my routines back and my days of no routine may have lit a little spark in me. The routine-free three weeks inspired me to maybe shake things up a bit. Sure, I may have felt a bit off without my routine, but it provided me with a lesson on being adaptable. I figured maybe this was a time for me to embrace something new.

If you have been around me for a while, you might know I am not always a fan of new. I like what I like and I find comfort in what I know. I seriously own the same sweater in three different colors. Again, Routine Queen. But I know this isn’t always the greatest characteristic in a human. I don’t want to be the crabby old lady who refuses to try new things simply because I’m stubborn and stuck in my ways. All the comforts in my life were once new and my willingness to try them allowed for me to love them!

So, here I am, trying new things and embracing novelty. Or at least I’m trying a few new things.

The following weren’t all magicially added to my life after I recovered from COVID, but they might give you an idea of the power of novelty and give you (probably too deep of) a look at my inner workings:

Novelty #1: Lifting a Barbell

Now this new thing is relatively new. Earlier this year my husband and I added a barbell and squat rack to our home gym. I spent the first couple of months just staring at the thing and cursing how much space it took up in our basement.

Historically, I’ve really only lifted dumbbells and kettlebells. They are my weightlifting comfort items. The barbell felt intimidating and awkward.

Why does it have to be so long and challenging to balance?

Why does the bar alone have to be 45 pounds?

After embracing the new gym equipment and experimenting a bit with familiar movement patterns, I realized I actually love the barbell! It is now my absolute favorite piece of gym equipment and I get so excited every time I hit a new personal record on my back squat.

Take that, fear of trying new things!

Novelty #2: Being a Personal Trainer

Some might think being a personal trainer is just like a being a yoga teacher. Sure, that is kind of correct. Both professions require the professional to support people through movement patterns. However, teaching a group yoga class is very, very different from working with private personal training clients.

Although I was excited to take on this new role as a personal trainer earlier this summer, I was very nervous about creating programs that were specific to one client and catered to their goals. It’s one thing to teach a room full of people where to place their feet in Warrior II. It’s a completely different thing to help educate one person on the optimal weight and body positioning for their one rep max deadlift.

When teaching a group class it’s pretty easy to almost hide and disappear in the crowd even when you’re the one guiding the class. Private sessions require me to fully see the one client in front of me and speak specifically to what I see in that one person. Now I do have a fair amount of experience teaching private yoga sessions, but guiding a person through complex, loaded movements is a brand new and sometimes uncomfortable experience.

Luckily, it’s an experience I am very much enjoying. I am loving the journey of supporting folks through resistance training. And better yet, I feel as though my experience as a personal trainer has made me an even better yoga teacher.

Novelty #3: Trail Running

Routine might cause me to get in my own way, but it has seemed to pay off in my running. Especially when training for a race, I am very regimented in when I run, how far I run, how often I’m lifting to support my running, and how often I’m resting and doing my recovery practices. Getting a personal record in my last half marathon definitely drilled me deeper into my “routines are everything!” mentality.

The challenge with routine, especially when it comes to something like running, is that it can cause one (ME!) to become incredibly competitive with oneself. I would have been devastated if I hadn’t gotten a personal record at my half marathon in June. I was working my butt off and my stats were all pointing to that race being my fastest yet. Once I finished the race I, of course, instantly thought, “Next year I have to go faster.” Sure, I want to better myself with each race. Inevitably one of these years I won’t go faster than the previous year. How will I manage that? I’m actually a little nervous to find out.

Here’s where trail running makes its appearance.

For years a lot of my yoga students have been encouraging me to try trail running. I clearly enjoy running. I clearly enjoy exploring the woods and local parks. Why not put the two together?

Because I was getting a little too competitive with myself in my running, I decided to need to switch things up a bit. Look at me nudging myself to try something new!

I got some new trail running shoes (new, fun gear is often a good way to entice me to embrace something new) and I scoped out some trails via the All Trails app and away I went. And let me tell you, I have not had that much fun running in a long time!

I slipped and fell within the first five minutes of my first trail run and got a sweet souvenir in the form of a bruise on my arm and a big scratch on my back. I saw countless deer and birds. Plus, I got to gallop through a beautiful field full of tall wildflowers.

And here’s perhaps the best part: Not once was I concerned with my time. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to jog up some of the hills so I slowed down and walked. Historically slowing down and walking is not something I do when I’m running on the road or on my treadmill. Plus, I didn’t exactly know where I was going so I let the trails guide me. I was never exactly lost, but I never had an exact route that I was trying to follow. It was great! This new running environment allowed me to set aside all my expectations and just enjoy my surroundings.

I’m excited to take this newfound mentality into my road running and other movement endeavors.

Moral of the Story

In an incredibly long-winded way, I invited you to celebrate novelty.

Try a different meal at your favorite restaurant where you’ve ordered the same thing for the last decade.

Take a yoga class from a teacher you’ve never met before.

Explore a different route on your walk or run this week.

Invite someone you just met to a have coffee or join your book club.

New things will most likely never feel comfortable right away. Keep in mind that the comfortable things in your life were all once new to you.

And, perhaps the best part, you will always have your routine and all your favorite familiar items and experiences to rest on when you need them.

Heal & Harm in Yoga Spaces

Have you taken a yoga class that made me think, “That was magical! I now feel like all my physical and emotional ailments are gone!”?

Have you taken a yoga class and afterwards thought, “I don’t feel so awesome. I may have done something to my back.”?

There’s a good chance these opposing feelings could be experienced by two students who took the exact same yoga class. No two people will walk away from a yoga practice feeling identical. It just doesn’t work that way.

With the above in mind, it’s important to acknowledge that it isn’t exactly helpful to make grand statements about how a yoga practice (or really anything) will impact someone.

Can yoga heal someone?

I’ve heard it many times:

“This shape will heal [insert injury here] if practiced consistently.”

Shoot, I know I’ve been guilty of saying such things when teaching! Especially teachers who are newer in their teaching journey, we just say the things we were told in our teacher trainings or mindlessly repeat what our teacher(s) say without thinking about our statements critically.

Is there any real harm in telling students that standing on your hands in Hands to Feet Pose will heal carpal tunnel syndrome? Not really. But these broad, probably unvetted claims about a yoga shape aren’t necessarily supporting students in their practice.

Imagine being someone who suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome. Because you were informed of its healing properties, you do Hands to Feet Pose for five minutes every day for a full month and you find zero relief. Your trusted yoga teacher told you that the shape would heal your ailment but nothing has changed. There’s potential for you to feel frustrated and defeated.

Of course the promise that the practice of yoga heals goes beyond the physical. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been told that certain breath practices will heal (and even cure!) a practitioner’s anxiety. Again, imagine being diagnosed by a medical professional with anxiety. Your trusted yoga teacher tells you time and time again that the breathwork they’ve been guiding in class will relieve you of your anxious feelings. After a few months of consistent practice nothing changes. Now what?

Yoga teachers have a duty to support their yoga students to the best of their abilities. Yoga teachers don’t have a board or true governing body to keep certain behaviors and misgivings in check. (I could insert some thoughts about Yoga Alliance here but that might be saved for a later blog post. Plus, I have conflicting beliefs on whether or not yoga teachers should even have an overarching organization that handles such things. Again, thoughts for another post.) Ultimately, it’s up to the teacher, and maybe the studio(s) that employ them, to set clear moral and ethical standards.

From my perspective, it is highly unethical to make blanket statements about how a yoga shape or meditation practice will heal or fix a student’s body and/or mind. But, again, those ethical standards are up to the individual teacher to set for themselves.

At the same time, yoga does have the potential to help people feel better. I know that yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises have helped me manage my anxiety. I also know that simply moving my body - yoga or other physical movement practices - help me feel better in my body and mind. However, my experience is my own and it’s not my place as a yoga and fitness teacher to assume all people will have the exact same experience.

Can yoga harm someone?

“Don’t press your knee beyond your toes or you’ll harm your knee.”

“Engage your core so that you don’t hurt your back.”

Have you ever heard these statements in a yoga class? If you took my classes in the first few years of my teaching career then you most definitely heard ME say those things! I was full of uninformed cues in my early teaching days.

For a while, at least in my yoga circles, there seemed to be this trend where yoga teachers discouraged students from doing just about anything in order to keep them safe. For instance, in 2017 I took a workshop class with a well known yoga teacher who was visiting the Twin Cities. I was so excited to take their class because I heard some really great things! However, I was quickly disappointed. The two-hour workshop that was advertised as a practice on fun transitions turned into a lecture on why we shouldn’t do certain shapes because there was a high likelihood that we would injure ourselves. The entire workshop - again, it was two hours long - involved participants doing one yoga shape. The teacher guided us through Bow Pose, but we could only do it with our abdomen supported by a bolster as that was the only way to protect our knees.

This type of teaching, in my opinion, has created a false belief that the human body is fragile. Unintentionally the constant reminder to not do something or to avoid something has created a culture of yoga students who are fearful of their bodies.

Now it is absolutely true that there’s potential for one to hurt themselves in a yoga class. I have countless overuse injuries from my yoga practice. But humans can get injured and hurt themselves doing just about anything! Currently I’m dealing with an elbow injury from walking my dogs. Am I now afraid of walking my dogs? No! I just need to be more mindful of how I’m holding their leashes when we walk.

Harm can come in many forms, especially in spaces where there’s a group or individual in a position of power. Without going down a much larger rabbit hole, it’s worth noting that harm within yoga spaces goes well beyond a practitioner hurting their neck in Shoulder Stand. Yoga and similar practices have the potential to harm a practitioner when the teacher or guide is using their position to prey upon and/or negatively influence those in their classes. Yoga teachers, always be mindful of the influence you have over those in your classes. Take it seriously and don’t take advantage of that influence.

Can all of it be true in some way?

And now the dreaded moment where I point out that there’s no clear black and white - there is only gray.

Can yoga heal someone of an ailment?

Maybe.

Can yoga hurt someone physically, emotionally, or mentally?

Maybe.

Yoga has the potential to do so much good for a practitioner. Yoga also has the potential to do harm towards a practitioner. The practice, regardless of how you approach it, is going to impact everyone differently and we can’t make promises that everyone will be impacted in the exact some way. It’s important that all yoga practitioners and teachers approach the practice with a critical lens. Never be afraid of asking questions and be weary of those who discourage discussion.

What Are You Training For?

Over the last few years a new word took center stage in my life:

TRAINING

In the late 2000’s and early 2010’s the word, for me, typically corresponded with some type of yoga teacher training. As in “I’m leading a teacher training” or “I’m spending all sorts of time in San Francisco to complete my 500-hour teacher training.” That was all the training I knew.

Then, some time in 2018, the word took on new meaning. I had started to invest more in my physical fitness and was inspired to try my first triathlon. I spend a lot of time training so that I could complete the swim, bike, and run. I found that I enjoyed the actual triathlon event, but there was something about the training that brought me so much happiness.

In 2020 the word added another meaning. I took on a new role as a dog trainer and the word became synonymous with training humans and their dogs and helping them develop strong relationships.

In 2022 training became all about running. I trained for a couple 10 mile races and my first half marathon event.

That brings us to now. If 2023 had a personal word counter, training would be at the very top of my list.

I’ve got training for yoga teachers, dog training classes, half marathon race training, and my latest endeavor - training to become a personal trainer. Although the areas are quite different, they all require tremendous focus and discipline. And I think that’s what I like about the idea of training. In order to reach my goals and support others reach their goals, there has to be a good plan and consistency. I am always down for a good, detailed plan!

But training doesn’t have to be about reaching some specific goal like getting a personal record in a race or successfully holding a challenging yoga shape. Training could be a mindfulness practice that trains your mind to stay calm and focused during mentally challenging moments. Training could be learning to do a deadlift and increasing your load over time so that you can continue to feel good while picking up your kids/grandkids/pets/groceries as you age.

Training can look and feel different for everyone. So, what are you training for?

Start Asking Different Questions

Regularly students ask me:

⁠"Am I doing this right?"⁠

⁠It's a tricky question to tackle as I don't necessarily see a right or wrong version of shapes. Sure, I have strong opinions about how I'd like for folks to try a shape and there's a wide spectrum of how someone might explore a shape. ⁠

Early in my teaching career I felt like I needed to have all the answers. I don’t know was a scary phrase to utter to a student. But now, after almost 14 years of teaching yoga, it’s freeing to look at a student who has asked a question and respond with, “It depends.”

So if you’re a student who wonders if they’re doing something “right” or if the response of “it depends” doesn’t satisfy you, here's some questions you might consider beyond asking if something is "right":⁠

• Can I breathe well in this shape? - If your breath is labored, consider changing something about the shape. Your version of "right" might allow you to breathe more fully without too much effort. ⁠

• Do I feel stable? - Sometimes questions about a shape arise because a student feels like they're going to topple over. Experiment with your foundation. Can you create a base that allows you to feel more stable?⁠

• What's the intention of the shape? - Step away from the shape itself and think about the concepts that live within the shape. Rather than trying to match the look of the shape, focus on the sensations that might arise in the shape. ⁠

• Where do I feel limited? - Similar to your breath, if there's areas of your body that feel crunchy, constricted, or just plain gross, change something. Make adaptations that move you away from feeling stuck.⁠

• How does the shape feel for me? - Set aside how you think the shape "should" look and consider how it feels. No two people will have the exact same experience in a shape. Turn into your experience and feel how the shape feels for you.⁠

Start asking different questions. You just might start receiving different answers. ⁠

Hamstrings Helpers

My hamstrings are so tight!

I truly wish I had a nickel for every time I heard a yoga student say that phrase to me. I would be an incredibly wealthy human.

When did we become so obsessed with our hamstrings? And when did we, as a society, feel like the hamstrings were the cause of all our bodily issues?

(I actually believe the hip flexors have taken over as the body part most obsessed about in yoga spaces, but I’ll keep this post contained to the backsides of the legs.)

Although I don’t like to dwell on stretching the hamstrings all that much in my group yoga classes, I do see value in providing folks with resources to support their practice and goals. Below I give you three of my favorite Hamstrings Helpers to potentially provide you with more ease and range of motion in your forward folding shapes.

1 - Reclined Hamstrings Stretch

I find that most folks are only trying to stretch their hamstrings from a seated or standing position. However, most people with “tight” hamstrings tend to round their lower back while seated and standing which actually doesn’t do much for the hamstrings.

1. Lay on your back and find a strap or strap-like object.

2. Place the strap around the ball of your lifted foot.

3. Lengthen your lifted leg as much as you can without causing the lower or upper back to lift away from the floor. If your lower back really wants to lift away from the floor be sure to keep the leg that’s on the floor bent and the foot grounded.

4. Work to get your lifted leg perpendicular to the floor.

5. Actively pull down with the strap while simultaneously pressing the heel of the lifted foot toward the ceiling.

6. Energetically draw the thigh of the lifted leg down toward the pelvis to keep the muscles around the hips active. (Back off on this action if it is accompanied by pain… which I hope is always your approach in all shapes.)

7. Hold for 5-10 breaths and switch sides.

2 - Seated Hip Flexor Engagement

When it comes to our bodies, the problem usually isn’t caused by one, individual muscle or muscle groups. “Tight” hamstrings can sometimes be a result of weak hip flexors. In forward folding shapes the hamstrings and hip flexors are a team that need to be ready to work together.

1. Sit with both legs extended in Dandasana - Staff Pose. Feel free to place your hands on the floor next to your pelvis or on blocks to maintain a long, lifted spine. Throughout the exercise continue to sit tall without rounding the spine.

2. Lift one leg at a time straight up off the floor for a few breaths and then set it down. Your foot might barely lift off the floor and that’s okay!

3. Switch, and try it with the other leg.

4. To add on: Lift your leg up, take it out to the side, set it down, and then reverse the action.

5. To make things even spicier: Place a block or similar object next to your leg as a hurdle to mindfully lift your leg over.

I’m fairly certain I make enemies with my students when I teach this drill in my classes. I teach it because it’s effective!

3 - Standing Inner Hip Stretch

As mentioned above, the body doesn’t really work in isolation. Your body is this fascinating intermingling of many, many parts and units. Sometimes tightness in the hamstrings is related to tight adductors, or inner hip muscles.

1. Stand in a wide stance with your heels turned in and your toes turned out - similar to Horse Pose.

2. Bend your knees deeply.

3. Hinge forward from your hips and place your hands on the floor or blocks. Think of your spine in a Halfway Lift during this entire shape.

4. If you want more sensation in the shape: Place your elbows against your inner knees or thigh bones. Press your elbows into your legs while simultaneously drawing the elbows away from each other like you’re tractioning your legs apart.

5. To make things even spicier: With your hands, hold onto your ankles or shin bones while continuing to traction the elbows apart.

Are you more of an audio and visual learner? You’re in luck! Check out this short video featuring all three of the above stretches and exercises!

The Value of "I Don't Know"

If you haven’t heard the story before, my first paid yoga teaching gig was comically heartbreaking.

In 2009 I was hired to teach a vinyasa yoga class at a family-owned gym in a Twin Cities suburb. I met with the group fitness coordinator and after looking over my resumé she gave me the job. No audition. No real conversation about my teaching experience. I was maybe one month out from completing my first 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training and was hired on the spot.

At the time I was delighted! Now, as a I reflect upon the experience, I am horrified.

I was hired because I had checked the box of receiving a certification. I wasn’t hired for my knowledge. I wasn’t hired for my ability to effectively teach a group class. Maybe I was hired because I came off as kind and professional, but it still didn’t say much about my teaching skills.

On my first day on the job I was all set to teach a vinyasa class filled with chaturanga and tricky one-legged balancing shapes to whoever showed up that day. As my students filed into the yoga space I was met with looks of confusion. Students looked at me, looked around the space, and finally someone asked, “Where are the chairs?”

The chairs?

Little did I know, the time slot I had been hired for was previously a SilverSneakers chair yoga class. (I think we can all agree the name SilverSneakers could use a bit of an upgrade.) At the time, I didn’t know what SilverSneakers was and I definitely had no clue how to teach chair yoga.

Unsurprisingly, the hour was miserable for everyone in that space.

I reflect upon that experience a lot. I regularly think, I wish I could work with the students from that chair yoga class now. I actually (kind of) know what I’m doing now! I promise I’m more than a teacher who only memorizes a set sequence of shapes!

Especially after such a brutal first class, I had to build myself up in order to stick with the gig. I decided that if I came in with confidence then everyone would think I knew what I was doing. Of course I was just a naive, brand new yoga teacher who would crumble anytime a student asked me a question. I’m fairly certain I made things up when I was met with a question. I was too afraid they would think I was a fraud!

I just wasn’t prepared. Not that my first Teacher Training was bad. I was too new in my own practice and probably should not have entered my first training when I did. My understanding of the practice was so tiny. The students in that space deserved so much more.

If I could give myself some advice in my early days of teaching it would be this: It’s okay to say I don’t know.

You don’t have to have all the answers. You shouldn’t expect to have all the answers. It’s one thing to be confident. It’s another to BS your way through things because you feel like that’s what you’re supposed to do.

In my first Teacher Training I was often told “fake it until you make it”. I understand why that advice is valuable. When learning a new skill sometimes you just have to cruise through the bumps and get to the other side in order to build confidence and understanding. Perhaps, in my early years of teaching, I took that advice too far.

It wasn’t until my Advance Teacher Training that I learned the value of I don’t know.

As a yoga teacher, sometimes we’re expected to know everything. A student has an injury and we’re expected to know all the things that person should and shouldn’t do with their body. A student has an emotional reaction to a shape and we’re expected to explain to them why. A student feels nauseated when they’re in a certain orientation and they want to know all the ways to get through it.

Does the expectation come from students? Most likely no.

The expectation to know all the things is most likely coming from us, the yoga teachers. We tell ourselves stories about being an expert when in all reality we’re just sharing something we know a little bit about and will spend our whole lives continuing to study.

Saying I don’t know doesn’t make you a bad teacher. It probably makes you a better teacher! Understanding your scope of practice and knowing when to admit your limited knowledge is powerful.

I wish more Yoga Teacher Trainings discussed scope of practice and the importance of I don’t know. We can’t expect anyone to know absolutely everything there is to know about the practice of yoga, especially when we consider that the conventional Yoga Teacher Training only consists of 200 hours of study and practice. (I could go on about that arbitrary amount of time, but I might save that for another blog post.)

After 1200+ hours of formal Teacher Training, my number one takeaway is that I don’t know everything about the practice of yoga, I’ll never know everything about the practice of yoga, and I’m very much okay with not know everything about the practice of yoga.

Feel free to come at me with your questions. Just don’t be surprised if I respond with I don’t know.

In Defense of Resistance Training

Yoga will always be one of my favorite movement modalities. Nothing will match the comfort of moving my body through shapes on my yoga mat and sitting with my breath.

However, as I age, I find myself focusing more on intentional strength and resistance training. At one point in my life I would lift heavy weights and push myself through various cardio exercises because I wanted my body to look a certain way. Now I lift heavy weights and run because I want to be able to move well as I age.

I don’t care about having six-pack abs, I’m not interested in toning my arms for esthetic reasons, and I’ve come to terms with the cellulite on my legs.

Now I’m focused on creating a future where I carry my own groceries into my house, walk my dogs in the winter, recover and get myself off the ground when I fall, and continue to enjoy all the things I enjoy in life as I age without assistance from something or someone else.

Sure, my yoga practice will absolutely support me as I get older and the body requires load and resistance in order to maintain muscle mass which is essential to moving well.

According to the National Institute of Health, Muscle mass decreases approximately 3–8% per decade after the age of 30 and this rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60. This involuntary loss of muscle mass, strength, and function is a fundamental cause of and contributor to disability in older people. If that doesn’t inspire you to pick up a dumbbell or resistance band then I don’t know what will.

As a kid, I remember watching a nationally televised afternoon talk show. The hosts were working out with a celebrity fitness trainer and she said something along the lines of, “Women should not lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk.” I, along with many female viewers, became entrenched in the theory that women should not lift heavy weights and should focus on lifting light weights in order to tone our bodies. At a young age I was using small hand weights and following exercise videos that were all about slimming down, tightening my abs, and getting buns of steel.

Of course, I now know better.

Although I will cheer on anyone who lifts any amount of weight, I will enthusiastically nudge people - especially women - to lift heavy weight. Lifting heavy weights is a good thing! Heavy weights can:

• increase bone density

• improve mobility

• increase metabolism

• support balance and coordination

• and so much more!

After years of practicing yoga, I realized I was developing a lot of injuries from my practice. My hamstrings were always in pain and I’d periodically experience limitations in my shoulder range of motion. Turns out my emphasis on flexibility was doing a number on my body. Initially I thought I just needed to rest in order to heal my injuries, but even after taking many weeks off from my practice I found that I was still in pain. Some very smart teachers and coaches helped me realize something important was missing in my movement practice: Heavy weights!

I’m definitely not saying that weight and resistance training is going to cure all ailments. And I’m not saying it’s the key to staying young forever. But I am saying that most people can benefit from some type of intentional resistance training.

Many people are drawn to the practice of yoga because of how it makes them feel physically. Why not add in some weights to your weekly routine and see how it makes you feel?

Because I always want folks to receive smart guidance from trained professionals: If you’re new to weight and resistance training, please seek out a reliable personal trainer. Reach out if you’re looking for resources! 🙂

The Importance of Setting Boundaries Within Your Practice

For the last few weeks I’ve been dealing with a minor hip injury. It’s most likely an overuse injury from running. As much as I hate resting, I know my hip needs rest from my usual activities.

The injury has shifted my yoga practice and how I move my body. Prior to my injury I spent most mornings running on my treadmill and/or lifting weights. Now I spend most mornings doing very intentional activations for my hips, lengthening and massaging my outer hips and thighs, and I sprinkle in a little bit of strength training and walking on my treadmill.

Although my stubborn side has not loved the shift in routine, it’s been really great for me to consider new boundaries for my movement practice.

Not that being injured is awesome. But setting new boundaries has inspired me and my approach to movement.

In college, when I was studying dance, I loved my improvisation and choreography classes. I would spend hours in the dance studio exploring movement. However, sometimes the huge, open prompts of creating a dance piece felt overwhelming. I needed guidelines to give me structure and direction.

My yoga practice and the way I approach teaching is very much the same.

Although I can’t (shouldn’t) move my body in my usual ways for the time being, the boundary of being mindful of my injury has given me fuel to investigate new ways of moving my body.

Sometimes I bring a kettlebell into my yoga practice.

Sometimes I move through small, isolated movements for my hips and outer thighs to create strength around the injured area.

And sometimes I just sit and breathe because it just feels good.

When I discuss the development of a home practice with students, I regularly hear from students that it feels like an overwhelming, daunting task. I have this open opportunity to move my body and connect with my breath, but I just don’t know what to do! I get it. I’ve been there too. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the blank canvas of a home practice, I’d encourage you to create some boundaries for yourself. Think of it as a super low-stress assignment.

Do you want to feel more comfortable in your backbends? You might move in ways that help you open the front of your body and strengthen the backside.

Are you interested in working towards Handstand in your home practice? Move your body in ways that help you reach your arms overhead, strengthen your core, and establish mental focus.

I use the same process when teaching. What are my objectives for a specific class? What am I hoping students learn from my class?

These are all boundaries I regularly work with when it comes to teaching. I’m just now realizing how important they are for my own personal practice too. Although I understand that creating boundaries can feel stifling for some, you might just find that boundaries give you even more freedom and inspiration.

The Power of Language

Teaching yoga unlocked a love for language within me. Over the last 10+ years I have enjoyed seeing how certain words or phrases land (or don’t land) for students in a yoga class.

What’s the best way to describe this shape?

How can I explain this transition without using too many words?

Although physically demonstrating a class is a perfectly fine way to facilitate a yoga practice. My preferred method has been to use my words. It gives students a chance to interpret my cues in their own manner and feel shapes in their body without trying to copy what's happening in my body.

Language and words are powerful. Especially within yoga spaces, I have found that the words a teacher use can deeply impact a student’s experience.

In early 2020 I completed a trauma-informed training with Yoga Behind Bars. I learned a lot from that experience. My biggest takeaway: Use language that is more invitational and less commanding when guiding a yoga practice.

Invitational language isn’t reserved just for classes that are labeled trauma-informed or classes that specifically support folks impacted by the justice system. Invitational language is important for all populations. Rathan telling folks exactly how to place their body or exactly how they should feel in a shape, invitational language provides people in a yoga class to receive direction while opening the space for them to have their own experience.

I recently posted a question on my Instagram Story asking what words or phrases people would like to have reconsidered within yoga spaces. I was amazed by the flood of responses! Here’s some of the common answers:

If you need to…

An instructor might say something like “If you need to, put your hand on a block in Triangle Pose.” To be more invitational, rather than using the word need, an instructor could use the word want. “If you want to, put your hand on a block in Triangle Pose.”

Or, since I’m a huge fan of using a block in Triangle, “Today you might use a block under your bottom hand in Triangle to give you something to push against.” There’s value in sharing with students why they might use a block or take a certain variation.

You should…

As in “You should be able to reach your arms all the way overhead.” Or “You should feel this in your lower back.” Especially in a group setting, everyone in that space has different abilities, limitations, and lived experiences. No two shapes will look identical. No one will have the same feelings or sensations within a shape.

I lean more on the word might as in “You might reach your arms as high as you can.” Or “You might feel this stretch in your lower back.”

Do _____ to protect your _____.

This is my own pet peeve in yoga spaces. You can read a whole blog post about my thoughts on the word protect if you really want.

And lastly, the most common response I received from my Instagram Story question…

This shape will help you detox.

Y’all the word detox has no place in yoga spaces. That’s my opinion, of course. Your body is incredible! It’s smart, resilient, and is designed to do all sorts of stuff on its own. Like detoxification. For instance, your kidneys are brilliant organs that remove byproducts from the digestive process and create urine so all those toxins can be flushed from your body. The natural process of detoxification does not require twisting yoga shapes or a sauna-like yoga room in order for it to be effective.

Although a yoga teacher who uses the word detox may not intend for it to have a strong, lasting impact, encouraging folks to detox their body in yoga spaces can easily trickle into toxic (absolutely unintentional pun) diet culture. Sure, yoga students might find that they become more fit through their yoga practice, however, that shouldn’t be the primary focus of ones practice. Body-shaming and food-shaming have no place in yoga spaces. You never need to earn your food, you never have to work off the food you consume, and you most definitely do not have to have 6-pack abs in order to be embraced by a yoga community.

Yoga teachers, consider the words you’re using with your students. I’ve cannot even tell you how many dumb things I’ve said while guiding classes throughout the years that I do not stand by now. All we can do is learn from each other, grow, and continue to do better.

If you find language, especially language in yoga and wellness spaces, to be fascinating, I recommend Amanda Montell’s book Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism.

Are there words or phrases you hear in yoga spaces that you wish would be reconsidered? Drop them in the comments!

Your Body is Smart & Resilient

Raise your hand if you’ve heard one of the following phrases in a yoga class:

Bend your knees to protect your back.

Draw your shoulder blades down to protect your neck.

Stack your joints to protect your knees.

Tuck your pelvis under to protect your lumbar spine.

You all have your hands raised, yes?

What do all of these commonly heard phrases have in common?

They all use the word protect.

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First, let me say that any guidance you’re given in a yoga class is hopefully coming from a kind, well-meaning place. Yoga teachers have all sorts of reasons to use certain words, phrases, or cues in their yoga classes. At the same time, the words we use have power and can leave a lasting impression on those around us.

I am 1000% guilty of saying things like “engage your abs to protect your lower back” in yoga classes. There’s plenty of things that I once said regularly in yoga classes years ago that I will not even consider mentioning in my current classes. There’s value in learning, growing, and constantly questioning the reasons behind the words we choose.

Let’s take a shape like Cobra. For the longest time I recall my teachers telling me to not use my hands in Cobra. Cobras don’t have hands. Don’t use your hands in this posture to protect your spine. So there I was. Trying my best to be a cobra and not use my nonexistent hands in order to reduce the risk of injury to my spine.

Eventually I started practicing with a teacher who encouraged me to use my hands in Cobra. Well that changed the shape entirely! I was able to engage my middle back more and experience a bigger lift in my chest. More importantly, I used my hands in Cobra and did not experience a devastating spinal cord injury.

Is there anything problematic about lifting your hands in Cobra? Of course not!

Is the shape wrong if you do/do not use your hands? Nope!

Are there many ways to explore Cobra (and all yoga shapes)? You better believe it!

So where’s the issue?

The idea that I am protecting my spine by not using my hands in a shape like Cobra is misguided. In my baby yoga teacher days I definitely said something about lifting the hands in Cobra. I was doing what a lot of new yoga teachers do - I was a simple parrot of my teachers because that’s all I knew!

So what’s the issue with the word protect in a yoga class? It’s important to keep our bodies safe, right?

Yes! In a perfect world no one would get injured in their yoga practice. Unfortunately, it does happen and there’s plenty of trolls who want to make others think that everyone ends up injured on their yoga mat.

Yes, some yoga classes have a no pain, no ego approach and that elevates the chance for injury.

No, not all yoga classes are oozing with the push yourself to your absolute edge rhetoric.

As yoga teachers we have an obligation to keep up with our own studies and practice critical thinking. And, as yoga teachers, it is our obligation to support those who show up for our classes through clear, informed language. Just because you completed some training and guide people through shapes in a yoga studio doesn’t mean your studies have ended. Let it be your encouragement to study even more!

By using words like protect or phrases like to keep your body safe in a yoga class, I believe yoga teachers (like me) have created a sense of fear for some students. People are afraid they’ll hurt themselves if their shoulders lift when they reach their arms overhead. Folks in a yoga room have become terrified to let their knees push beyond their ankles in fears that something will combust. And don’t even get me started on the placement of the lifted foot in Tree Pose.

We’ve created a narrative that the physical body is fragile. We’ve created a community that is afraid of their bodies.

If you take away only one thing from this obnoxious rant let it be this:

Your body is smart. Your body is resilient.

If we go back to the example of Cobra and the suggestion to lift your hands in the shape, one might consider moving away from the world protect and try something like:

Today in your Cobra hover your hands a few inches from your mat to remove the option for leverage. You might feel more engagement through your upper back.

Then the next week you might try a different approach:

Today in your Cobra press your hands into your mat and actively pull your chest forward. You might feel a bigger lift in your chest.

Same shape. Different approaches and most likely different physical experiences. And neither sent a yoga student to the ER. (Or at least I don’t think they did.)

There’s probably a larger risk of injury by not moving your body than actually moving your body. (I say probably because I’m currently too lazy to seek out a study about physical injuries to those who live sedentary lives vs those who practice yoga or other movement modalities.) For folks who do move their body through a yoga practice, running, weight lifting, bowling, gardening, whatever, there will always be some risk of injury. And your smart, resilient body is designed to adapt, heal, and inform you of when you’ve gone too far.

Please keep in mind that yoga teachers are not doctors or physical therapists. Your body is smart and resilient, and if you do get injured in your yoga practice, or injured by anything, please go visit a medical professional.

As yoga teachers, let’s be better about giving our students space to actually listen to their smart, resilient bodies without creating unnecessary fear of their bodies.

Unless the whole yoga room is flailing their bodies into Chinstand. In that case, y’all are definitely going to injure your necks. (Sarcasm doesn’t read well via text. The Chinstand remark was 98% sarcastic.) 😉

How Are You Resting?

I don’t know about you, but I feel best when I’m being productive. My day is more likely to go well when I start right away with exercise, work, and/or cleaning the house. I thrive on busyness.

However, I’m not very good at intentionally resting to balance out all the busyness.

Sure, I’ll lounge on the couch and mindlessly watch an episode of The Office for the 36th time, but am I actually resting? No. I’m filling my brain with mindless busyness. That’s not to say that being a couch potato is a bad thing! I love some good couch time! But I don’t feel rested after binging the latest Netflix series.

I recently started teaching a CoreRestore class at CorePower and it’s reminded me of the power of intentional rest. For the practice we stay low to the floor, use lots of blocks to prop up the shapes, and wrap up with some breath work and a long Savasana. Selfishly I love teaching this class because I do most of the practice with the students. More importantly, I am so excited that students are showing up for 60 minutes of intentional rest.

No matter your occupation, marital status, or if you care for children or not, we are all busy! We’re constantly bombarded with information from television, social media, podcasts, and those around us. We’re constantly bouncing from one thing to the next. If you’re like me, you feel so fulfilled when your calendar is full. But is that busyness sustainable?

Maybe a good night’s sleep helps you feel refreshed. Maybe a long walk outside helps you regroup. Or perhaps reading a book is what you need to reset. It’s important to find ways to intentionally slow the busyness. For me a 30-60 minute restorative-like yoga practice let’s me get in touch with the sensations in my physical body and slow the mental chatter in a way that other yoga practices don’t always do.

When I take time to intentionally rest I’m generally a more pleasant human! I am more patient. I am less likely to instantly react to a challenging interaction. I even find that I am much kinder to myself.

While you’re scheduling in all of your tasks, assignments, and to-do lists in the coming weeks, consider scheduling in time to intentionally rest. Turn off the phone, set aside the computer, and give yourself space to slow down. And perhaps that means hoping into a restorative class with me soon!

I've Missed This

Yesterday I took my first group, in-person yoga class in almost one full year.

And it felt awesome.

For the last six or so years, I’ve been a solo practitioner. I roll out my mat in my home to do a self-guided class or an online practice with my teacher. I like my alone time and being alone during my yoga practice feels so right.

When I was new to practicing yoga I lived for group classes. I loved moving in unison with the folks around me to a set soundtrack like we were in an infomercial for some cool, new fitness video. I loved the semi-awkward post-class smiles shared with other students I didn’t really know and also kind of knew because we were always in the same yoga classes.

There’s something about moving and breathing with other people that is so uplifting. Here we are. Doing this thing together. Our shapes might not look the same and our breathing cadence might differ, but we’re doing this together.

My reintroduction to the group, in-person practice was an ambitious one: Hot Yoga. I voluntarily went from my air conditioned home where I do a little bit of slow flow and mobility work for my hips and shoulders to 60 minutes of holding shapes I rarely do in a very hot, humid studio. I suppose I don’t fully understand the concept of easing back into things.

Although it has a gross and tarnished history (Google Bikram Choudhury if you’re unfamiliar), I’ve always been a fan of a Hot Yoga practice. I appreciate that the practice includes breathing exercises and the moments of stillness work well for my busy brain.

In yesterday’s practice, about 30 minutes in, my brain was filled with Wow. I’ve really missed this.

Of course 15 minutes later my brain was filled with I have made a terrible mistake! That heat and humidity is no joke, folks!

In my home practice I typically don’t have those moments of highs and lows. To be clear, I don’t think a yoga practice - however you approach it - needs to have extreme elements. I love my home practice because it’s dependable. I love my home practice because I meet my body and mind where they’re at in that moment. I choose to dabble into extremes with other movement modalities like long-distance running and weight lifting.

It felt so good to be a yoga student in a physical space with other students knowing that we were all doing our own practice while having our own experiences and we were doing it together.

So, Twin Cities folks, where and when are you practicing these days? Maybe I’ll roll out my mat next to yours. Perhaps in an upcoming Hot Yoga class?

What Am I Even Doing?

For the last two years I’ve been hosting small group mentor calls for my teacher’s online 500-Hour Advanced Teacher Training. With COVID the demand for online teacher trainings has risen and I’ve been fortune to work with a teacher who wants to include me in his trainings to support teachers on their journey.

With these mentor calls I’ve had the opportunity to connect with teachers from all over the US and Canada. Some are brand new teachers fresh from their first 200-Hour Teacher Training. Others have been teaching group classes and guiding private clients for longer than I have. Although we all come from different places and have different teaching backgrounds, it seems as though almost every conversation has included the same question: What am I even doing?

Teaching yoga can come with a lot of baggage. Like many fields and occupations, there tends to be a lot of imposter syndrome and insecurities.

Am I even qualified to be teaching yoga?

Do I have enough knowledge and experience to consider myself a teacher?

What am I even doing?

Early on in my yoga teaching career I was generally quite confident. At that point I had been teaching dance classes for a few years and teaching dance and yoga were pretty much the same thing, right? (Full transparency, 2022 Erin is rolling her eyes at that thought.) I knew, or at least I thought I knew, exactly what I was doing. I showed up, came prepared with a sequence that involved some tricky transitions, bumping music, and everyone seemed to leave class pretty satisfied with that I had to offer.

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with how I was teaching early on in my career. I was probably a pretty solid teacher. I cared about the students that showed up for my classes and I showed up to the best of my ability. However, a few years into my teaching career, my approach shifted. I started to take myself and my yoga studies more seriously. And with that shift popped up this recurring question that sticks with me to this day, “What am I even doing?”

I’m coming up on 13 years of teaching yoga and I still wonder if I even know what I’m doing. And I don’t see that as a bad thing.

In the mentor calls that I’ve been hosting there’s a sense of defeat that simmers up when a fellow teacher questions themselves. After teaching yoga for so many years I should feel like I know what I’m doing, right? I often remind teachers that it’s okay to not know what you’re doing. Perhaps that’s part of the process.

I see the process of reflection and questioning as a huge positive. Whether you’re teaching yoga, practicing yoga, or doing something unrelated to yoga, when you stop questioning you ultimately stop growing and evolving. Yoga, in its many forms, is all about awareness and self-inquiry. It’s important for yoga teachers to give themselves space to constantly question themselves for their own growth. At the end of the day their students are just going to benefit from the never-ending process.

What am I even doing?

Always growing.

A Subject to Be Learned Over Time

When I was a kid I’d beg my mom to take me to the local teachers’ supply store. Every time she took me there I’d marvel at all the posters for teachers to decorate their classrooms and hope that someday I’d have a classroom of my own to decorate.

I was a pretty creative kid and at home - where I was likely to be hanging out alone - I would imagine I had my own classroom. I would get out my whiteboard, give my students assignments, and I even created my own gradebook. I was destined to be a teacher.

I don’t know if it was my meh feeling towards traditional school as a I progressed into high school and college, but my ambition to be a school teacher changed over time. I developed a passion for dance and occasionally considered becoming a secondary education dance teacher, however, I was pretty much over school by the time I turned 20. There was no way I was pursuing graduate school.

When I went through my first yoga teacher training a new spark was lit within me. I had a knack for this teaching thing. Although whiteboards and homemade gradebooks weren’t involved, yoga teacher training reminded me that I love sharing with and educating others on subjects I enjoy.

Initially, as a new yoga teacher, I was more interested in moving students through wild, complicated sequences. However, a new perspective was offered to me when I started studying with Jason Crandell. “Yoga is a subject to be learned over time” is something Jason regularly says to his students. Prior to studying with him I had never thought to put yoga in the same category as something like math or history. Just like how you might practice multiplication tables in math and progress onto geometry and trigonometry, yoga has endless layers that are meant to be studied over time.

After completing my advanced yoga teacher training in 2017 I started taking my role as a yoga teacher more seriously. My classes were more thought out and followed a curriculum. Students that regularly attended my classes could learn through repetition and slow, progressive introduction of new concepts and techniques. I may not have been plastering posters with the alphabet on my classroom walls, but it felt good to come back to my roots in a way. Deep down I knew I’d be a teacher. I just didn’t turn into the teacher 7 year-old Erin had imagined.

I always come back to the mindset that yoga is a subject to be learned over time. I believe it is how I’ve been able to continue teaching yoga after all these years. There’s always new shapes, movements patterns, and texts to explore. The learning never ends and we can continue to come back for more.

It turns out the skills I have developed as a yoga teacher have translated to many other aspects of my life. Although it’s taken me a bit of time to feel confident in my abilities and knowledge, what I’ve learned as a yoga teacher has translated well into being a dog trainer. I see my students - humans and dogs - and teach them just as I would teach my yoga students. We start with fundamentals, repeat the concepts and techniques, and progressively add on new skills. And the learning truly never ends with dog training.

Plus, my office just got a laminator and paper cutter. Let’s just say 7 year-old Erin is now living her best life.

What Keeps You Coming Back?

Currently I’m in the midst of a new type of busy.

At one point in my life I was hustling around the Twin Cities teaching 15-20 yoga classes a week. At the end of each day I was physically exhausted and needed lots of couch time to decompress. However, even when my schedule was full from guiding others through their practice, I knew I needed to carve out time for my own yoga practice. At that point in my life my practice was mainly a laboratory to work out what I’d be teaching in my upcoming classes. Or I’d do a practice that would prepare me and prevent injury for whatever demonstrations I’d be doing that week in the classes I taught.

In those days, I came back to my yoga mat to stay limber and spark some inspiration as a yoga teacher. I also needed my yoga practice to keep me grounded. Fluttering around from studio to studio can feel taxing. Rolling out my mat was one way to for me to shut down the hustle - even if just temporarily.

Now my life looks a bit different.

Rather than driving around the Twin Cities with a car full of sweaty yoga clothes and various yoga props, I now have a dog (or two) in my backseat. We’re on our way to offer social-emotional therapy dog sessions during a time when young people and adults desperately need mental health support. What I feel now is a different type of exhaustion.

And, due to this different type of exhaustion, I still need to carve out time for my yoga practice.

I now show up on my yoga mat in a different way than I had a few years ago. Usually my practice is physically quiet. I almost always prioritize sitting and breathing over working through sequences or increasing my mobility in preparation for big shapes.

Even though my practice looks different than it may have 3 or more years ago, I still show up. I continue to come back because I know my mind and body need me to keep coming back.

I keep coming back to my yoga practice so that I can show up more fully for the students in my therapy dog sessions.

I keep coming back to my yoga practice so that I am calmer and less reactive during challenging interactions.

I keep coming back to my yoga practice so that I am more present when I am with my family and friends.

I keep coming back to my yoga practice because it just feels good.

So I ask you, reader, what keeps you coming back to your practice?

Quit Scrolling & Go Watch the Pups Romp

As I sit at my laptop I’m full of all sorts of emotions.

Joy. Pride. Excitement. Gratitude.

Yesterday was Give to the Max Day. For Minnesota nonprofits it is the day to ask your supporters to donate their hard-earned money to keep your mission alive. I hate fundraising and Give to the Max Day stresses me out to the max.

Last year was my first big Give to the Max Day. As a new-ish employee at Canine Inspired Change I was thrust into contacting previous donors, sending newsletter blasts, and constantly posting on social media all in hopes that folks would feel inspired to fund social-emotional therapy dog programs. Due to COVID our team worked from own home offices. Throughout the day we would constantly hit refresh on our web browsers to see the most up-to-date donation totals. I spent the whole day simmering in anxiety.

Millie, Larry, Maple & Wallace living their best lives.

Last year’s anxiety sent me into prep-mode for this year. As I prepared the dogs to head into the office for a full day of fundraising, I just thought to myself, “Today is going to probably be stressful and that’s okay.”

Nonprofit work is hard. It is rewarding and hard. You hope and pray the public, family foundations, grant programs believe in your mission and want to float you some cash to help the organization move forward. I do not manage well with this constant reminder. Luckily, I have a great boss and mentor who constantly reminds me, “If we have to fold the organization then we have to fold the organization. The work we did is the important part.” (I hope everyone has a wise person like my boss in their life.)

Yesterday morning I had amped myself up for an anxiety-filled day and the build up ended up being unnecessary.

Thanks to a pack of puppies, I spent most of Give to the Max Day watching adorable dogs romp through our training facility. Lots of dogs in one space means managing lots of dog personalities. My time of scrolling through social media, updating posts, and refreshing our fundraising page was extremely limited because I was too busy watching dogs tug on toys and race around after each other.

My two goofs: Wallace & Maple

Don’t get me wrong. Work was done. Between puppy play times I would hop on my computer to give social media followers updates and remind folks that we had matching donations to meet. My anxiety would start to swell but then Wallace’s bark would snap me out of it and I’d be back to my role as puppy wrangler. And after a full day of puppy romping our team hit refresh on the web browser one more time. We had raised almost $20,000 for social-emotional therapy dog programming. Rather than feeling stressed I was left feeling invigorated and in absolute awe of the community’s generosity.

This morning I’ve been reflecting. How many times have you worked yourself up over the outcome of a future event? How many times was that build up unnecessary? And what would happen if you just hit pause and watched some dogs play?

This is exactly why programs like Canine Inspired Change work. Young people and adults, even if just for 25 minutes once a week, have the opportunity to step away from their devices and pet a dog, teach a dog to sit, and troubleshoot a dog training challenge with their peers.

And maybe it’s not dogs romping around together! Yoga, running, meditation, painting, fishing. It’s important to consider: What helps you stop scrolling, take a step back, take a breath, and just be?

Maybe I'm Just Getting Older

I recently celebrated my 35th birthday.

I’m not much of a birthday person. I don’t like to make a big thing of it.

This year my husband offered to make a dinner reservation. Instead I took the day off from work, and requested that we let the dogs run at a Wildlife Management Area and have Culver’s for dinner. It was pretty great.

I don’t think 30 year-old Erin would have planned such a birthday.

Although with the new birthday requests, there’s been some other changes I’ve noticed throughout the summer. I’m less consumed by social media, I’ve felt less inclined to submerge myself in the hustle, and lately I’ve felt really good about saying, “I’m not interested.”

Maybe I’m just getting older. Or maybe I’m narrowing down my priorities. Perhaps it’s a bit of both.

It could also be that therapy really works. And talking about life’s challenges with an unbiased human is an important practice for everyone’s mental health.

There was a time in my life when it seemed like I was never doing enough. I regularly felt like I needed to promote my classes more - even though I was not compensated to do so and was not paid more if more students attended my classes. It seemed like I had to host more workshops, more trainings, more retreats. And all of that I need to do more is a guaranteed path to burnout.

Although stepping away from teaching yoga full-time was a challenge for me and my identity, I know it’s been incredibly good for me! I’m able to focus on myself, my dogs, and consider other professional outlets.

And I know my 12 years hustling as a full-time yoga teacher helped me create a thick skin and incredibly strong work ethic.

After all this time, I still love teaching yoga. I actually think I love teaching yoga more now that I’ve stepped away from it a bit.

I suppose if you’re feeling burned out or uninspired you might benefit from taking a break from social media, finding a therapist you jive with, getting outside, and petting a dog or two.

Identity Crisis

For about the last decade I was regularly met with a question about my career:

You teach yoga full-time?

I’d proudly respond with a resounding Yes!

It’s been an incredible and rewarding journey to build my career as a full-time yoga teacher. In almost 12 years I have taught over 10,000 public yoga classes, organized dozens of specialty classes and workshops, and I have lost count of the number of yoga teacher trainings I have facilitated.

As special as it is to be a full-time yoga teacher, it also has its challenges.

Often the hours aren’t awesome. Years of teaching early morning, evening, and weekend classes gets taxing on relationships. Depending on the situation the pay can be borderline demeaning. Plus hustling hard to maintain that full-time schedule is exhausting.

As with any long time career, I suppose, there’s the challenge of separating the individual from the career. For 12 years “Erin J” has become synonymous with yoga teacher and that’s about it. When you have deep passion for something it’s hard to separate yourself from that passion. Plus, there’s that nagging feeling that if you want to be successful you must push yourself to do more.

When COVID hit I went into survival mode. I became almost desperate and lived from a place of scarcity. And it wasn’t even scarcity of resources. I was fine. My husband was fine. But the lack of yoga classes on my schedule sent me into a spiral of I have to do more!

Because if I wasn’t teaching yoga, then who was I?

Turns out there’s more to Erin J than just being a yoga teacher. I drink far too much sparkling water. I think soccer is the most incredible team sport. I have seen every episode of Dawson’s Creek at least six times. Every morning I make coffee in a manner that takes far too long, but I love every second of it. I really enjoy 80’s music. And I think dogs are the most amazing creatures.

Speaking of dogs, 2020 opened up so many opportunities for me - like doing good with my dog at Canine Inspired Change. These were opportunities that allowed for me to actually consider who I am and how I want to live. Turns out I was tethered to the hamster wheel of my yoga teaching life. I was on autopilot and didn’t know how to locate the off switch.

Teaching yoga is a special career. Whether one teaches yoga full-time or part-time doesn’t actually matter.

It has taken me a very long time to actually believe that last sentence. I can say I wholeheartedly believe it now.

This isn’t my farewell note to teaching yoga. It’s kind of the opposite. It’s more like a celebration of what was and what is to come. Turns out reducing the number of classes I offered left me more inspired than ever. By being more selective in the classes I teacher I now know I am able to provide students with a practice that feels sustainable and authentic to me as an educator and human being.

At the end of the day, my yoga practice is what permeates all. Whether I’m training therapy dogs, developing websites, or writing this long-winded blog post, my yoga practice is constantly present. Teaching yoga is just a skill I picked up a while back. The actual practice of yoga is about how I interact with myself and the world around me. Yoga isn’t about titles or the labels the world wants to put upon us. Besides, isn’t it about time we put less weight in those labels anyway?

Please Stop Apologizing For Your Body

The other week I was between classes and had to leave the studio. I decided to sit in my car for some alone time. The moment I shut my car door I began to cry. I’m sure there was a lot wrapped up in that cry. A good cry is necessary sometimes. But I know this cry was connected to an interaction from earlier that day.

That morning I checked a student into class and asked how they were doing. The student proceeded to tell me this was their first yoga class in a long time. They shared that they felt out of shape and would most likely take class very slowly. They were sure they wouldn’t be able to keep up with the tempo of class.

Then came the apologies.

Before class even started the student apologized for the modifications they’d probably take in class and for the breaks they would probably take throughout class. I replied with, “You have nothing to be sorry about. Please take class at your own pace and make choices that feel right for you.”

Right before the student walked into the studio they turned around and said, “Oh. And I’m coming back from having two kids.”

In all my years of teaching there’s many moments that have stuck with me. I know the interaction I had with this student will be one of those stick-with-me moments.

This student’s apology prior to the beginning of a class was not unique. Especially during COVID I have been met with all sorts of apologies and explanations from students.

I’m so out of shape.

I’m sorry I haven’t shown up for practice in a while.

I put on a lot of weight over the last few months.

I’ll probably tap out at some point because I probably won’t be able to make it through the entire class.

Just ignore me. I’ll probably be moving very slowly.

After I receive an apology from a student, I wonder, What have we done? What is it about yoga and yoga spaces that makes students feel like they have to apologize for the way they look, move, or show up?

Let me acknowledge that humans are generally insecure. Whether it’s showing up for a yoga class, a wedding, a Zoom meeting, school graduation, brunch with friends - we’re all incredibly hard on ourselves and constantly judge our appearance. At least for me, the moment someone gives me a compliment I’m quick to provide a self-deprecating rebuttal. I understand we’re all our hardest critic.

From my own experience I know COVID has been challenging in more ways than one. My routine was thrown out of whack. I stopped working out as much as I had. I was deeply depressed and that depression was present in every single thing I did or did not do. I gained a fair amount of weight and struggled (and still struggle) with looking a pictures that were taken during COVID.

I can acknowledge all of these challenges and remember that I have been surviving a pandemic. People have been dying. Folks have been isolated. We have been living through unprecedented, heart breaking, and eye opening times. Sure, humans are resilient creatures. At the same time humans can only process so much intensity at once. Your yoga practice shouldn’t be adding to your struggles!

Rather than getting sad about the whole thing, I’ll do something constructive that brings me peace and a sense of calm:

I’ll create lists!

Yoga students:

• Keep in mind that the practice of yoga is there for you no matter the shape of your body.

• Find yoga teachers who help you feel good about yourself no matter how you show up.

• Consider taking classes where you aren’t constantly exposed to mirrors - Sure, they can be helpful for alignment, but what are you they doing to your mental space?

• Yoga isn’t just a physical practice! For real, folks. Just the shapes are only exposing you to the tiniest fraction of yoga’s (and your!) potential.

Yoga teachers - y’all better consider yourself to be students, too:

• Be mindful of using language like modification. Modification indicates there’s a hierarchy of options. Consider offering variations or options. Plus, explain why someone might choose a specific option.

• Can we all agree that phrases like bikini body, earn your dessert, and 6-pack abs do not belong in the yoga space?

• Speak to other aspects of yoga that do not involve placing the body in physical shapes. I know. As an alignment-based teacher I constantly speak to the body. I also know it’s just as important to touch upon things like focus, self-regulation, and choice within the practice.

• Make a stance that diet culture and body-shaming are not welcome. Period.

Everyone, consider how you are consuming yoga. Over the last couple years I’ve done a massive purge on my social media feeds. I am not interested in following accounts who pitch diet supplements under the guise of yoga. If I have the slightest feeling that an account makes me feel bad about myself I instantly hit the unfollow button and that freedom feels real good.

Yoga is about liberation. Yoga is about finding a method of practice that allows for you to feel a sense of union with Self, the greater whole, and/or a higher power. If your practice is making you feel like you have to apologize for how you show up for a practice then it is definitely time to reconsider that practice.