Yogaland Podcast

On this week's podcast, Jason outlines why the old models of yoga sequencing are no longer effective in today's landscape. To name a few: More people cross-train. Fewer students are walking into studios. ClassPass has changed loyalty. Online platforms have shifted expectations.

If you want better student retention, stronger engagement, and a more sustainable yoga teaching career, this conversation is essential.

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⏱ Highlights
2:23 Sequencing 2.0 — What’s New
6:00 The Two Traditional Sequencing Models
6:57 The Problem with Fixed Sequences
8:07 The Problem with Random Classes
13:29 Why Student Retention Is Harder Now
20:39 Online Teaching & Retention
29:50 ClassPass & (the lack of) Loyalty
35:19 The Solution: Monthly Progressions
35:33 How to Build Skill Over Time
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Jason shares why consistency and novelty must coexist, how to use month-long progressions, how to think like an educator, and how we can help students build skills, helping to build student retention. to maintain retention.

If you’re serious about becoming a more effective and modern yoga teacher, it's a must-listen!
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Most yoga teacher trainings prepare you to teach one class at a time.
They don’t teach you how to build real student progress.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
4:04 The hidden gap in yoga teacher training
5:50 Why “random” classes stall student progress
8:40 The burnout cycle for yoga teachers
13:24 The curriculum mindset explained
14:40 Monthly arcs, series & workshops
27:58 Expanding your teaching career

In this episode, Jason breaks down the most overlooked skill in modern yoga teacher training: learning how to think like an educator instead of teaching one-off classes.

Most 200-hour yoga teacher trainings focus on sequencing individual classes. But students don’t learn in 60-minute increments. They need repetition, structure, continuity, and progressive overload to make real progress.

You’ll learn:
• Why random yoga sequencing leads to student plateaus
• How lack of curriculum causes teacher burnout
• The difference between novelty and skill development
• How to design month-long class arcs
• How to create yoga workshops and special series
• Why this shift improves student retention and career sustainability

If you’re a yoga teacher who wants better student results, stronger retention, and a more sustainable teaching career, this conversation will change how you think about sequencing.

Learn more about Yoga Sequencing 2.0 here
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In this Yogaland episode, Jason Crandell and I talk candidly about power dynamics in yoga, the potential for abuse of authority, and how students and teachers can protect what’s most important: trust, safety, consent, and healthy boundaries.

We’re not psychologists or legal experts — but we’ve been in the yoga world for decades, and we’ve seen how quickly a “teacher-student relationship” can become unhealthy when authority, charisma, and vulnerability collide. The goal of this conversation is simple: help more people recognize warning signs early, keep their autonomy intact, and stay connected to yoga in a way that’s grounded, mature, and safe.

You’ll hear us cover:
• The most common red flags in teacher-student dynamics
• Why critical thinking belongs in yoga spaces
• How “one true way” teaching can become coercive
• Charisma, attachment, and love-bombing in wellness culture
• Why discouraging cross-training or other teachers is a problem
• How “inner circles” and status tiers can create vulnerability
• Consent and hands-on adjustments: what students can ask for, and what teachers must respect

If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable in a class, confused by a teacher’s intensity, or pressured to stay loyal to one method or community — this episode is for you.
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In this solo episode, Andrea explores why mindfulness remains a vital practice—especially during times of collective stress, uncertainty, and moral overwhelm.

Drawing from Buddhist foundations of mindfulness, personal experience, and years of teaching yoga and meditation, Andrea reframes mindfulness not as passivity or “everything’s fine” thinking, but as the practice of witnessing—with non-judgment and loving awareness—what is actually here.

She reflects on:
Why mindfulness helps us sit with difficult emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them
The difference between non-judgment and disengagement
How loving awareness transforms mindfulness from a cold observation into an act of care
Why yoga teachers’ ability to “hold space” is both invisible and essential
How short, accessible mindfulness practices can support nervous system regulation and clarity

Andrea also shares three practical ways to integrate mindfulness into daily life, including mindfulness walks, working skillfully with unpleasant moments, and using declarative language as a nervous-system-friendly form of presence and connection.

This episode is an invitation to return to the basics—not as an escape from reality, but as a way to meet it with steadiness, compassion, and care.
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You can find shownotes here: yogalandpodcast.com/episode376
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Most yoga teachers undervalue how powerful good demonstrations really are. In this episode, we break down how, when, and why to demonstrate yoga poses so students actually learn.

Demonstration is one of the most overlooked—and misunderstood—skills in yoga teaching.

In this episode of Yogaland, Jason shares how to demonstrate yoga poses effectively in both in-person and online classes, and why visual communication plays such a crucial role in student learning.

You’ll learn:
• When yoga teachers should and should not demonstrate
• The pros and cons of practicing with the group vs. observing
• How demonstration impacts student comprehension and retention
• The biggest mistakes teachers make when demonstrating poses
• Why orientation and timing matter more than flexibility or strength
• How to demonstrate safely without risking injury
• Smart strategies for Zoom classes, recorded classes, and live online teaching
• How beginner teachers can use demonstration to build confidence and pacing

Whether you teach vinyasa, flow, alignment-based yoga, or online classes, this conversation will help you teach more clearly, communicate more effectively, and support student learning without over-explaining or over-demonstrating.

This episode is especially helpful for:
• Yoga teachers in 200-hour or 300-hour teacher training
• New teachers learning pacing and classroom management
• Experienced teachers refining their communication skills
• Anyone teaching yoga online or on Zoom
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