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I am so excited to kickoff 2019 with an interview with Amber Karnes! She is the founder of Body Positive Yoga and the co-creator of Yoga for All online teacher training. Amber is a yoga teacher, ruckus maker, social justice advocate and business owner, who specializes in an adaptive, accessible yoga practice.

On this episode, Amber and I talk about what it means to offer accessible yoga, how you can make your yoga classes feel more accessible through the language and sequencing that you use, what it’s like to accept all different bodies and people into your yoga classes, and more.

Enjoy!  Business Lessons in this Episode:

• Find a teacher that understands your body and can adapt asanas for you
• Undertook teacher training to learn more about yoga, here she noticed that she was experiencing yoga in a different way because she was in a bigger body.
• During her training she realized that teachers need to adapt their classes to suit people with bigger bodies, people with disability etc
• Amber’s friends were intimidated by yoga studios and couldn’t relate to the yoga stereotypes portrayed in yoga marketing
• While learning to teach yoga, she began blogging and making videos on how to do yoga poses for people with larger bodies, making it more accessible to everyone
• She’s been running Body Positive Yoga for almost 2 years now
• Amber believes that even at teacher training level, teachers are seen to be fitting a certain stereotype also
• We need to think about whether yoga studios are accessible for all sizes and abilities. It’s more than just whether the space is accessible, are chairs or props accessible, is it financially accessible, what does your marketing look like – who are you leaving out? Who are your teachers – are they in bigger bodies, are they on the LGBTI spectrum, are they older?
• The language we use can show students whether your studio is accessible or welcoming. For example, remove hierarchy from language by giving students more options when it comes to a pose
• Amber says this is our responsibility as teachers to provide education to students so they feel empowered.
• Accessibility is about empowering the student
• Teachers can teach in a collaborative and co-creative way with students
• Yoga teachings are available to everyone that wants to participate as long as teachers have the tools to offer it to them
• Regarding safe spaces, getting tools around trauma-informed teaching is important like having a method to obtain consent around touch for physical adjustments. For example, consent cards. Making touch optional makes students feel safe.
• If teachers want to teach a mixed level or mixed abilities class, seek out specialized training from places like, Accessible Yoga or online training with Dianne Bondy which focuses on teaching people with bigger bodies and positive body image, yogaforalltraining.com
• Takes some time to develop 2 or 3 go-to sequences that are generally accessible to everyone in your classroom
• Teachers can normalize taking a variation in class without assigning hierarchy or value
• And much more… Here’s the episode!

I am super excited to announce a brand new partnership with Schedulicity! Schedulicity is an online booking software that allows you to do everything from booking clients, to taking payments, to communicating with your clients. I personally love Schedulicity because I can do all of my booking through one easy platform. This week’s Schedulicity hot tip of the week is with Anna!

Schedulicity worked with yoga businesses to find out what they really needed to make their business more successful and less stressful. They developed group bookings, online waivers, waitlists and client alerts to help you manage the needs of your students and grow as a business. If you’ve been wondering how an online schedule can help you with your business, email Schedulicity at support@schedulicity.com or visit schedulicity.com for a chat with one of their support rockstars!

BLISSED is an online wellness platform and community, which offers programs to help you feel fully ALIVE! Their Simply Awaken Program is a 21 Day commitment for a total mind, body and soul Reset… It’s a great program to kick off the New Year and take control over your health. For 21 days, you complete an elimination diet while increasing fat and vegetable intake with the beneficial practice of intermittent fasting. Everything is organized and planned for you with weekly grocery lists, meal plans and delicious recipes. Enjoy access to a full library of yoga video’s for different styles, energy levels and time commitments with a focus on cleansing. In addition, there is a mindfulness library with guided meditations and journal prompts to track your progress and go deeper into Self awareness. This is NOT a one and done program.. its to teach you to notice how different foods and practices effect you. Simply Awaken encourages you to advocate for a higher standard of health in your life. Go to welcometoblissed.com  and use promotion code: iamblissed (all one word) for 25% off their program. What do you think…. just 21 days to reclaim your health and your life.