Yoga Teacher Chats

Episoder

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  Episode 59: There's More Than One Way 14.10.2026 1t 15min

  In today's episode, Ashley chats with the one and only Ben Kalra about the many paths of a yoga practice. From Ben’s journey from working in finance to teaching yoga, to the ways his personal practice has continued to evolve, this conversation explores what can happen when we’re willing to step outside of what we know.They chat about finding your own approach to teaching, the teachers and practices that challenge us, and why there isn’t one right way to practice yoga. They also get into social media, Yoga Alliance, and the importance of questioning the things we participate in rather than simply accepting them as the way things are done.At the heart of it all is a reminder that we don’t have to stay where we started. There’s room to change our minds, explore new approaches, and find what resonates. All it takes is a curious mind.Find Ben on social media: @benkalra - www.ben-kalra.com - Find his Sacrd Swag drop of merch swag study with him.Come practice with him IN REAL LIFE at hOMe Yoga in St. Peters, MO on Friday, December 4th and Saturday, December 5th! Register at homeyogamo.com/scheduleThank you for listening.
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  Episode 58: You Are Not Broken 07.10.2026 47min

  In today's episode, Ashley sits down with Chloe Haynes, a yoga teacher, musician, software engineer, and all-around fascinating human.Chloe’s yoga journey started in a pretty unexpected place. As a teenager dealing with autoimmune issues, yoga was introduced to her as something that might “fix” her. Understandably, that framing didn’t exactly make her want to roll out a mat. Years later, she found her way to yoga through Yoga with Adriene and a much different message: find what feels good. What began as a home practice eventually led her into a studio.They talk about what happens when you slow down enough to actually pay attention. Chloe shares how holding postures initially felt “sandpapery,” how the challenge of staying still eventually became one of her favorite parts of practice, and how learning to zoom in has changed both the way she practices and the way she teaches.They also talk about the nerves and anxiety that come with being a new teacher, finding confidence through experience, staying a student while becoming a teacher, studying the Yoga Sutras, and why there is always another thread to pull.And they come back to something Chloe wishes she had heard when she was younger: you are not broken. Yoga isn't something you have to do perfectly, and it isn't here to fix you. It's a tool. One that can help us navigate the human experience, exactly as we are.Connect with Chloe on social media: @chlo.haynes and @chlo.yogaThank you for listening.
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  Episode 57: Follow What Feeds You 30.09.2026 1t 10min

  In today's episode, Ashley chats with Jenn Choi Bemis about following what feeds you, staying curious, and trusting that you don’t always have to know where something is leading.Jenn’s path into yoga wasn’t exactly a straight line. From hot yoga in Portland, to Anusara, to studying with teachers all over the country, to teaching free yoga from climbing areas while living in a van, Jenn has spent years following the things that genuinely spark something in her.They talk about what it means to be a student, to collect tools and ideas without needing to immediately put them into a box, and to let your teaching evolve by following what excites you. Jen shares how one thing she resisted for years, yogahour, ultimately changed the way she teaches and cues.They also get into abundance, comparison, the yoga industry, and the question of whether we really need to have everything figured out before we take the next step. Because sometimes the path becomes clear by walking it. And sometimes the best thing you can do is simply follow what feeds you.Connect with Jenn here: https://www.movementwithjennchoi.com/@[email protected] you for listening.
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  Episode 56: One Hour a Week 23.09.2026 39min

  In today's episode, Ashley chats with Kathy Withrow about grief, finding your voice, and what can happen when you give yourself just a little bit of space to listen.They talk about how yoga helped Kathy move through grief, reconnect with her body, and begin making choices from her own voice rather than from the voices of expectation and “what I’m supposed to do.” They explore topics like discernment, courage, and the way small choices on the mat can become practice for making bigger choices in life.Kathy also shares what it has looked like to leave a long career in corporate tech without knowing exactly what comes next. It's a conversation about intentional living, creating space, trusting the unknown, and having the courage to choose something different.Sometimes the beginning of something life-changing doesn't look particularly significant. Perhaps, it's just one hour a week.Thank you for listening.
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  Episode 55: Practice, Practice, Practice 16.09.2026 57min

  In today's episode, Ashley chats with Josh Holder to talk about practice, consistency, devotion, and what happens when yoga becomes less something we do and more something we live.Josh found yoga while looking for a way to work with chronic pain and understand his body differently. What started with a $30-for-30-days yoga challenge quickly became a deep dive into practice, philosophy, meditation, and eventually teaching.They talk about the importance of returning to the practice over and over again, especially when life gets in the way. Josh shares what consistency has taught him, how stepping away from teaching eventually brought him back to it, and why the practice doesn't always look like being on a yoga mat.They also discuss finding your own voice as a teacher, being open to what the practice brings, and what it means to practice with an open heart. Because sometimes the practice is the posture. Sometimes it's the breath. Sometimes it's sitting on a bus. And sometimes it's simply coming back.Connect with Josh on social media: @joshua_tree_wellnessThank you for listening.
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  Episode 54: Shrink Your Fear Muscle 02.09.2026 42min

  What if fear isn't something we need to eliminate, but something we can practice moving through?On today's episode, Ashley sits down with the wonderful Debby Siegel to talk about her winding and unexpected journey with yoga and all the ways the practice has shaped how she moves through the world.Debby shares how a Warrior 3 in a yurt at a summer camp became the beginning of her yoga journey, how the practice carried her through divorce and major life transitions, and how a barter for a yoga teacher training eventually opened the door to teaching.They talk about climbing, creativity, injury, aging, teaching without demonstrating, and the importance of continuing to learn. Debby shares how her meniscus injury changed the way she practices and teaches, giving her a deeper understanding of bodies that don't move the way hers always has.Ashley and Debby talk about fear and how Debby sees climbing as a way to “shrink your fear muscle,” and the same idea applies beautifully to yoga: we encounter something that scares or challenges us, we breathe, we stay curious, and we discover that maybe we're capable of more than we thought.At the heart of this conversation is Debby's belief that she'll never stop being a student. Yoga doesn't ask us to arrive. It keeps giving us opportunities to grow, change, listen, and learn.In this episode, topics of conversation include:How Debby found yoga during a major life transition. The Warrior 3 that started it all. Why “the ego brought me in”. Yoga as more than fitness. Shrinking your fear muscle. Creativity and the labels we inherit. The importance of being a lifelong student. How injury changed Debby's practice and teaching. Teaching without demonstrating. Refining our language as teachers. Finding a teacher who speaks to you. Yoga, community, and relationship. Debby's relationship with Yoga Alliance. Kindness, gratitude, and what we put out into the worldConnect with Debby on social media: @debby_yogogirlsThank you for listening.
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  Episode 53: The Teacher is Always a Student 26.08.2026 50min

  In today's episode, Ashley sits down with Wendy Webb, a longtime yoga teacher and student living in Maine, to talk about what it means to keep learning.Wendy shares her journey from a first teacher training filled with self-doubt and discomfort to more than two decades of teaching, countless trainings, studying with Darren Rhodes, and eventually leading teacher trainings of her own. Along the way, they talk about lineage, the desire to keep studying, and how every teacher training becomes an opportunity to study something much deeper: ourselves.They also explore discomfort, perfectionism, Yoga Alliance, adapting teacher training to meet the needs of individual students, and the idea that yoga isn't necessarily about making life easier, but about becoming more present and more equipped to navigate the life we're actually living.Because after all, the teacher never stops being the student.Some topics of conversation:Following the pull toward yoga, even when the voice in your head says you're not ready.The discomfort of being a student and learning to stay with it.The importance of lineage and the teachers who shape the way we teach.Why continued study isn't about collecting certifications.Teaching teacher trainings and discovering that the teacher is still learning.Meeting students where they are and allowing the practice to evolve.A complicated relationship with Yoga Alliance.Yoga as a lens for navigating the world with more presence.And why the conversations we have on our mats might matter far beyond the mat.Connect with Wendy on social media: @wendywebbyogaThank you for listening.
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  Episode 52: Big Y Yoga - More Than a Certification 19.08.2026 1t 11min

  On today's episode, Ashley sits down with Kate Bee of Somavia for another chat, and this time they're going deeper into what it actually means to study yoga beyond the 200-hour certification.Ashley and Kate talk about the difference between learning information and learning how to teach, why becoming a teacher requires a deeper level of discernment, and what it means to hold a space that is both supportive and challenging.Kate breaks down the philosophy behind Somavia's 300-hour training, including moving from teaching shapes to teaching principles, developing more diverse and resilient ways of responding, working with the individual rather than the generalized group, and exploring Ayurveda, fascia, breathwork, pranayama, meditation, and therapeutic applications, and so much more.But ultimately, this conversation isn't really about another certification.It's about what happens when you're still hungry.When you know there's more to learn. When your yoga practice starts asking more of you. When you want yoga to become a life practice rather than something you simply teach or practice on a mat.Because, as Kate says in this episode, sometimes the deeper wisdom doesn't yell or scream. It whispers.If you've been wondering what's next in your teaching, your practice, or your own relationship with yoga, this conversation is for you.Find Kate's website here: https://soma-via.com/500-hr-yttBook your discovery call today: https://calendly.com/somavia/500hr-discovery-call?month=2026-08Find Kates first interview on Yoga Teacher Chats here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3QRB6IKBWsBnlq0wE1Oqs4Thank you for listening.
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  Episode 51: See the Need. Build the Thing 05.08.2026 53min

  What happens when you stop waiting to feel qualified and simply begin?In today's episode, Ashley sits down with entrepreneur and 30HOT Studio owner Kendel Locke to talk about building businesses, cultivating community, and discovering that sometimes the greatest opportunities come from paying attention to what's missing.Before opening 30HOT Studio, Kendall had only attended a handful of yoga classes. While completing her 200-hour teacher training, she opened the studio anyway and learned to teach, lead, and grow alongside her community.Together, Ashley and Kendal explore:Why waiting until you feel "ready" might keep you from building something meaningful.How Hula Bowls was born from recognizing an unmet need in her hometown.Opening a yoga studio before finishing teacher training.The value of teaching a simple, familiar sequence instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.Finding your voice as a teacher through repetition, curiosity, and experience.Why beginners often make the best teachers for beginners.Building authentic community where strangers become familiar faces, and familiar faces become friends.Creating spaces that are accessible, welcoming, and centered on belonging rather than perfection.Kendal's perspective on the Yoga Alliance and why she chooses not to register.This conversation is a reminder that confidence is often built after we begin, not before. Because sometimes the best thing you can do is see a need... and build the thing.Connect with Kendel on social media: @kendellocke - @30hotstudio - @hulabowlshannibal - @hulabowlsquincy - @hulabowlswebsterVisit 30HOT's website here: https://www.30hotstudio.com/Thank you for listening.
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  Episode 50: The Courage to Question 29.07.2026 57min

  What happens when we have the courage to question everything we've been taught?In today's episode, Ashley sits down with the incredible Gioconda Parker- teacher, mentor, and lifelong student for a deeply honest conversation about faith, curiosity, the practice and the winding path that brought her home to herself.Gia shares how yoga didn't change who she was, it helped her remember who she had always been. Together, they explore what it means to question with openness instead of fear, why remaining a student is one of the greatest gifts a teacher can offer, and how our unique life experiences become part of the lineage we carry forward.This conversation is for you if you've ever wondered where you belong, wrestled with your beliefs, or found yourself returning to the practice again and again. Not to become someone new, but to come home to yourself.Connect with Gia on social media: @giocondayoga and @one.om.yoga.schoolVisit her website: https://giocondayoga.com/Thank you for listening.
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  Episode 49: Elephants, Hamstrings & the Long Game 22.07.2026 1t 23min

  In today's episode, Ashley sits down with the one and only Christina Sell to talk about the long game of yoga, and the slow, steady process of learning, growing, and becoming. Through stories, laughter, and lessons learned along the way, they explore what it means to keep showing up when progress feels slow, when the body challenges us, and when the practice asks us to be patient.From elephants to hamstrings (yes, really), this conversation reminds us that yoga isn’t about arriving at some final destination. It’s about the journey. Remaining curious, staying humble, and continuing to practice.Because the greatest transformations often happen not in the moments when everything feels easy, but in the moments when we choose to keep going.This conversation is for you if you’ve ever wondered whether the slow work is worth it, if you’ve been humbled by your own practice, or if you’re learning that the journey itself is the point.Connect with Christina on social media: @christinasellyogaLearn from her by visiting her website: https://www.christinasellyoga.com/https://christinasell.heymarvelous.com/Thank you for listening.
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  Episode 48: The Practice of Perseverance 15.07.2026 1t 9min

  In today's episode, Ashley sits down with Desirea Penton-Crosley, owner of Dragon Asana in Gunnison, Colorado, to explore a journey shaped by resilience, reinvention, and an unwavering commitment to the practice. From triathlons and teacher training to opening multiple studios, navigating heartbreak, rebuilding after loss, and finding the courage to begin again, Desiree shares the lessons that only years of practice can teach.Together they talk about lineage, mentorship, community, studio ownership, the realities of teaching yoga, and why perseverance is less about pushing through and more about continuing to show up. This is a conversation about remaining a student, trusting the process of growth, and discovering that yoga isn't something we perfect, it's something that quietly transforms us over time.Connect with Desirae on social media: @yogides and @dragonasanaThank you for listening.
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  Episode 47: Living in (and out of) Balance 08.07.2026 1t 6min

  In today's episode, Ashley sits down with Ayurvedic practitioner Priya Chandel to explore what it really means to live in and out of balance. Priya shares her journey from the fast-paced world of nightlife and entertainment to a life rooted in Ayurveda, yoga philosophy, and service. Together they discuss the Bhagavad Gita, finding purpose through life's challenges, the importance of daily practice, and why balance isn't a destination, but an ongoing relationship with ourselves. Whether you're new to Ayurveda or have been studying it for years, this conversation invites you to see health, healing, and the human experience through a new lens.Connect with Priya on social media: @priyachandel.ayurvedaThank you for listening.
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  BONUS EPISODE (46): Trust the Process 03.07.2026 31min

  In today's bonus episode, Ashley shares a personal update on buying her first home and the unexpected challenges that arrived almost immediately afterward. Through stories of uncertainty, resilience, and a little plumbing chaos, she reflects on what it means to practice yoga beyond the four corners of the mat.She also shares what's happening at the studio this month, including the new Sunday Sangha, schedule changes, upcoming workshops, special events, and the studio's Christmas in July class pack promotion.This episode is a gentle reminder that sometimes the deepest practice isn't found in perfect circumstances.. it's found in learning to trust the process.Register for classes and workshops at hOMe Yoga hereRegister for Yoga and Sound at Lucky Dog Farm hereThank you for listening.
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  Episode 45: The Process of Becoming 01.07.2026 47min

  In today's episode, Ashley chats with Keri Kugler, leadership mentor and strategist, and host of The Aligned Woman Podcast for a conversation about the lifelong process of becoming. Keri shares how she found yoga after not even enjoying her first classes, why her 200-hour teacher training changed the course of her life, and how the practice continues to shape her work as a leadership and business coach.Together, they explore self-study, trusting the quiet nudges that lead us forward, finding your authentic voice as a teacher, navigating burnout, and why the deepest lessons of yoga continue to unfold long after teacher training ends.Whether you're a yoga teacher, a student, or simply someone finding your way, this conversation is a reminder that there is no final destination, only the process of becoming, one layer at a time.Find Keri on social media: @keri_kugler_Listen to her podcast: The Aligned WomanVisit her website here: https://www.kerikugler.com/Thank you for listening.
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  Episode 44: A Way, Not The Way 24.06.2026 2t 28min

  In today's episode, Ashley chats with one of her longtime teachers Sam Rice for a conversation about lineage, curiosity, and what it means to keep evolving in practice. Sam reflects on the teachers and experiences that shaped her, the importance of learning the "scales" before finding your own voice, and the humility of recognizing that there are many ways to approach the practice.Together, they explore the tension between certainty and openness, the wisdom that comes from changing your mind, and why the best teachers never stop being students. This is a conversation about honoring tradition without becoming rigid, trusting experience without clinging to absolutes, and allowing both yoga and life to continue to teach us.Because perhaps the greatest lesson of all is this: there is a way, but rarely the way.Connect with Sam on social media: @samriceyoga Visit her website here: https://www.samriceyoga.com/Thank you for listening.
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  Episode 43: Kindness is the Rule 17.06.2026 1t 2min

  In todays episode, Ashley sits down with longtime teacher, educator, and mentor Candace Glass for a heartfelt conversation about finding yoga through life's hardest moments, the courage it takes to truly know ourselves, and the communities we create through kindness.Together, they explore the practice beyond the poses, touching on mindfulness, the Bhagavad Gita, teaching children, creating spaces where everyone belongs, and the quiet inner work that allows us to show up more fully in the world. Through her shares Candace reminds us that joy matters, acceptance is a practice, and perhaps most importantly: kindness is the rule.Connect with Candace on social media: @candace_glass and @wandering_wondering_one Take class from her on Sunday's from 9:15-10;30am at Pack Dance. Thank you for listening.
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  BONUS EPISODE (42): What We're Really Doing Here 12.06.2026 31min

  In today's bonus episode, Ashley shares reflections from her ongoing teacher training journey and the unexpected lessons emerging along the way. From studying yoga philosophy for the third time to wrestling with questions of purpose, lineage, and what it means to truly practice, this conversation explores the deeper layers of yoga beyond the postures.Ashley also opens up about a recent realization: that hOMe Yoga may be the very work she's been searching for all along. Along the way, she reflects on the teachers who shaped her path, the value of continued study, and why choosing to learn in a distracted world can feel like a radical act.Plus, hear about all the workshops, classes, and community events coming up at hOMe Yoga this month.Connect with Ashley on social media: @ashleysimonisyoga and @homeyogamoRegister for events at hOMe Yoga: https://www.homeyogamo.com/Register for Yoga and Sound at Lucky Dog Farm: https://www.luckydogmo.com/Learn more about The Oxygen Project here: https://www.oxygenproject.org/ourstoryThank you for listening.
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  Episode 41: A Life of Practice 10.06.2026 1t 1min

  What does it mean to devote yourself to a practice—not for a season, but for a lifetime?In today's episode, Ashley sits down with longtime practitioner, teacher, writer, and homesteader Meg Newlin for a conversation about studentship, mentorship, and the transformative power of showing up again and again.Meg shares stories from her early days studying with Christina Sell, Darren Rhodes, and other influential teachers, the evolution of her relationship with yoga over nearly three decades, and why some of the most meaningful learning happens outside of formal classes and teacher trainings. Together, Ashley and Meg explore practice as a way of life, the value of discomfort, the importance of devotion, and how the lessons we learn on the mat shape everything we do beyond it.This conversation is a heartfelt reminder that yoga isn't about perfection, it's about returning, learning, and continuing to grow.Connect with Meg on social media: @treeduckmamaVisit Meg's website here: https://www.megabenenewlin.com/Thank you for listening.
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  Episode 40: From Healing to Holding Space 03.06.2026 1t 9min

  In today's episode, Ashley chats with Annie Geile, owner of South River Yoga in South County, MO to talk about the winding path that led her from corporate America and chronic illness into the world of yoga, restorative practice, and studio ownership. Annie shares how a life-changing diagnosis shifted her relationship to movement, introduced her to restorative yoga, and ultimately transformed the way she moves through the world.They talk about healing, dharma, hypermobility, yoga philosophy, teacher training, imposter syndrome, business ownership, and the importance of creating spaces rooted in community over competition. Annie also shares her perspective on Yoga Alliance, continuing education for teachers, and the beautiful collaboration between some St. Louis yoga studios through A Collective Breath benefiting The Oxygen Project.This conversation is full of wisdom about slowing down, listening deeply, and building a life that feels aligned from the inside out.Connect with Annie on social media: @anniekg2 and @southriveryogaVisit South River Yoga's website: https://www.southriveryoga.com/Thank you for listening.