Healing With Heart: A Chat With Madhuri Phillips

Yesterday I got on the phone with Vancouver based yoga teacher,…
Yoga Business Course

Is Yoga a Business? A Heartfelt Rant From a Professional Yoga Teacher

Lately I have seen many people in the yoga community posting disparaging comments on social media about yoga teachers being too self promotional, or treating yoga like a business, often also implying that they should be giving their services away for free (or at the very least cheap), or not promoting themselves at all, as “aren’t they supposed to be spiritual anyway”? ....

Blood Moon: Menses Wisdom for Yoginis

This post is for every woman but I wrote it with my women friends who practice and teach yoga in mind. It represents some of my observations and practices in supporting my own menstrual health and honouring the sacred wisdom of my cycles....

To Plan, Or Not to Plan: Preparing to Teach

My primary creative focus this last week has been to prepare my classes for Wanderlust, which will begin in just a few days. This process of setting intentions, pulling together threads of inspiration, and creating a structure which can hold it all is a fascinating process to me and one that I often get asked about so I thought I would share some of my thoughts here....

The Tyranny of Style, The Freedom of Inquiry

There is one question that has always challenged me as a teacher of yoga, and that question is “what style do you teach?” It is an innocent enough question for people to ask, I get that, but I have always found it a challenge to answer and it always seems like a test I am bound to fail....

The Value of Studentship

I feel very fortunate that when I began my journey as a yoga student my teachers were quite traditional and laid out clear guidelines for me on how I was expected to act in a class, in the shared space of the studio, and in relationship to my personal practice. These teachings were given to me in order to maximize my ability to learn, as well as to support the learning environment for others, and if hadn’t receive them early on I may not be the student and teacher I am today....

The Value of Study for Yoga Students & Teachers

The practices of hatha yoga are so captivating with their emphasis on physical movement, deep breathing, meditation, sound and imagery. They also take a fair bit of time and energy to practice so that they become part of our body of experience. So it’s no wonder that many students of yoga find there is little time left at the end of the day for study. But without study the physical practices can lose context....

10 Question To Ask Before Investing In Yoga Teacher Training

This is an article I have been meaning to write for a long time as I think it may help students in asking some hard and valuable questions before they sign up for yoga teacher training. Training to be a yoga teacher is a huge investment of both time and money and I believe it is best to be sure of why you are doing it, as well as who you want to do it with rather than just jumping in....

Can You Make a Living as a Yoga Teacher? Musings on Balance, and The Meaning of Success

I get asked whether or not teaching yoga is a viable career option…

Vinyasa Krama: The Art of Mindful Class Planning

Vinyasa is a Sanskrit word that essentially means “ to place in a special way”, and Krama means “sequence” or “stage”, and so Vinyasa Krama refers to a mindful sequence of actions. As a yoga teacher when I sit down to plan my classes it means I am taking the time to create a thoughtful sequence of actions that will ideally take my students on a journey that allows them to receive the yoga in a way that is accessible, fun, and ultimately empowering.....