Saying you're not a physical therapist is one of the most limiting beliefs among yoga teachers, and it keeps you from working with students who have injuries. Believing this creates an environment where you're unnecessarily apologizing and using disclaimers, and diminishes the incredible value you offer. It's true, you're not a physical therapist, and that's exactly why your students need you. Physical therapy and yoga teaching are different roles with different scopes, and both are equally valuable and necessary. Understanding this distinction empowers you to confidently serve your students. In this episode, I'll dismantle the limiting belief, reframe your role, and show you why your classes are exactly what students recovering from injuries or living with chronic pain desperately need. I'll cover:

• What Physical Therapy Is and Is Not
• What Yoga Teachers Offer That PTs Don't
• How The Roles Are Different and Both Matter
• Why Yoga Serves Students With Chronic Pain
• Why Collaboration with PTs Matters
• What Is Actually in Your Scope
• Reframing How You Respond to Students with Injuries

I want you to start owning that you're a yoga teacher, and here's the value I can bring to students with pain and recovering from injuries.

Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode!

Support the show

YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright

Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries

Let's connect:

• Check out my website: Enhanced Body
• Connect with me on Instagram
• Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call
• Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance (7-day free trial)
• Join my Newsletter for teachers below!

Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE to submit it!

Become a supporter of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.

Ever had a student tell you they have a herniated disc? They sound serious and can make you feel fearful that you might do something to "make it worse." But students with disc issues can practice yoga safely when you understand what herniated discs actually are, which movements require your thoughtful consideration, and how different styles of yoga can help to support healing. This episode breaks down how to teach students with herniated discs, from the initial conversation (gathering important information) through practical modifications to understanding when slower, more restorative practices might be exactly what these students need.

I'll cover:

• Understanding Herniated Discs from an Anatomy & Pain Science Perspective
• What Questions to Ask Which Will Inform Your Teaching
• Movement Considerations
• Different Yoga Styles as Therapeutic Options
• Practical Modifications for Common Poses
• Using Language That Reduces Nervous System Threat
• When to Refer to Medical Professionals

Teaching students with herniated discs requires understanding pain science, thoughtful modification, awareness of different practice styles, and clear scope boundaries, but it's completely within your capacity as a yoga teacher.

Resources Mentioned:

Sequencing for Different Injuries (FREE) - How to structure classes for students with different injuries

Teaching Students with Injuries Mentorship - Six-month program with real students, real-time application, ongoing support covering anatomy, pain science, injuries, nervous system, recovery strategies, and sequencing

Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode!

Support the show

YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright

Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries

Let's connect:

• Check out my website: Enhanced Body
• Connect with me on Instagram
• Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call
• Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance (7-day free trial)
• Join my Newsletter for teachers below!

Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE to submit it!

Become a supporter of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.

The continuing education landscape for yoga teachers can be overwhelming. There are countless trainings promising to teach you about a subject that you're interested in. However, the problem isn't that you haven't taken enough of them, it's that most continuing education focuses on giving you more information instead of helping you apply what you already know and what you're learning in the training. Information accumulation doesn't create confidence; applying that information does. This episode breaks down what actually matters when investing in continuing education (using working with injured students as an example), what to look for when evaluating trainings you're interested in, and how to invest your time and money wisely.

• Information Overload in Continuing Education
• What Actually Matters in Continuing Education for Injuries
• What Actually Transforms Your Teaching
• Red Flags in Continuing Education Offerings
• Investing Wisely in Continuing Education
• Recommendations Based on Where You Are

The best continuing education doesn't just add to your knowledge base; it transforms what you can actually do when you take that learning back to your classes.

Resources Mentioned:

Teaching Students with Injuries Mentorship - Six-month program with real students, real-time application, ongoing support covering anatomy, pain science, injuries, nervous system, recovery strategies, and sequencing

Designing Transformative Workshops - Learn to structure workshops, create transformative educational content, and deliver workshops by planning for them effectively.

Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode!

Support the show

YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright

Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries

Let's connect:

• Check out my website: Enhanced Body
• Connect with me on Instagram
• Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call
• Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance (7-day free trial)
• Join my Newsletter for teachers below!

Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE to submit it!

Become a supporter of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.

Hip pain is one of the most common complaints yoga teachers hear from students, but knowing how to modify thoughtfully for students experiencing hip discomfort can feel overwhelming. Certain poses like Pigeon, low lunges, Warriors, wide-legged forward folds, deep squats, and seated cross-legged positions frequently trigger hip sensitivity. Learn to understand why hips can be so reactive in yoga practice, which specific movements tend to create discomfort, and how to offer intelligent modifications will help you support students with hip pain. This episode breaks down the common poses that trigger hip discomfort and gives you practical modification strategies you can use immediately.

Listen & learn:

• Why Students Feel Pain In Their Hips In Yoga
• Common Yoga Poses That Trigger Hip Pain
• Practical Modifications for Hip-Opening Poses
• Language That Reduces Nervous System Threat
• The Difference Between Flexibility vs. Structure vs. Pain
• How To Build Capacity Through Exposure
• When to Refer Students to Medical Professionals

Hip pain is common in yoga students, but with thoughtful modifications and language that reduces threat, you can create safe environments for students to explore hip movement and rebuild capacity.

Resources Mentioned:

Half Pigeon Pose: Avoiding Pain & Injury (FREE) - Why Pigeon is challenging, what's happening in the hip, modification options

Sequencing for Students with Injuries (FREE) - Structure classes for students with different pain types

Teaching Students with Injuries Mentorship Real-time support for your students

Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode!

Support the show

YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright

Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries

Let's connect:

• Check out my website: Enhanced Body
• Connect with me on Instagram
• Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call
• Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance (7-day free trial)
• Join my Newsletter for teachers below!

Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE to submit it!

Become a supporter of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.

The moment a student asks, "Will this hurt my injury?" can be one of the most anxiety-inducing experiences for yoga teachers. The fear of saying the wrong thing, of not knowing enough about their specific condition, of accidentally making something worse keeps many teachers trapped in silence or vague responses like "just listen to your body." But confident communication with injured students doesn't require knowing everything about every condition. It requires understanding what your actual job is, having a simple framework to rely on, and permitting yourself to be honest when you don't know something. This episode walks you through exactly how to talk to injured students with confidence, even when you're not familiar with their specific injury. I'll cover:

• Understanding Your Actual Job When Students Ask About Injuries
• Why These Conversations Feel So Scary for Yoga Teachers
• The Simple Framework That Works for Any Injury
• What to Actually Say When Students Mention Specific Injuries
• Permission to Say I Don't Know
• Building Confidence Through Practice, Not Perfection

Talking to injured students becomes one of the most meaningful parts of teaching when you understand what your job actually is and trust that you have what you need.

Resources Mentioned:

10 Questions to Ask Injured Students (FREE) - Ten specific questions that give you the information you need to modify thoughtfully without requiring medical expertise

Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode!

Support the show

YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright

Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries

Let's connect:

• Check out my website: Enhanced Body
• Connect with me on Instagram
• Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call
• Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance (7-day free trial)
• Join my Newsletter for teachers below!

Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE to submit it!

Become a supporter of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.

Bursitis, inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs that reduce friction in the shoulder, can make overhead movements and weight-bearing poses uncomfortable. But understanding how to work with students who have bursitis doesn't require a degree in physical therapy. It requires foundational knowledge of modern pain science, intelligent modification strategies, and language that reduces nervous system threat. This episode breaks down what yoga teachers actually need to know about teaching yoga to students with bursitis, from the initial conversation through specific pose modifications to knowing when to refer out.

What You'll Learn About Teaching Yoga to Students with Bursitis:

• What is Bursitis?
• Understanding Bursitis from a Modern Pain Science Perspective
• The Initial Conversation That Sets You and Your Students Up for Success
• Practical Modifications for Common Yoga Poses with Bursitis
• Language That Reduces The Threat to the Nervous System
• Building Capacity Through Exposure, and
• When to Refer Students to Medical Professionals

Teaching students with bursitis is absolutely within your scope when you understand the modern pain science behind their experience, offer intelligent modifications using language that reduces threat, and know when to refer for additional support.

Resources Mentioned:

Free: Rotator Cuff Injury Training - Comprehensive shoulder anatomy and modification strategies

The First Step to Teaching Students with Pain ($34) - Foundational skills for working with any injured student

Teaching Students with Injuries Mentorship - Ongoing support for real students in real time

Related Episodes:

Ep 114: How to Teach Yoga to Students with Lower Back Pain

Ep 116: Students With Wrist Pain In Your Yoga Classes?

Ep 72: When to Refer Out: Recognizing the Limits of Your Scope

Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode!

Support the show

YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright

Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries

Let's connect:

• Check out my website: Enhanced Body
• Connect with me on Instagram
• Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call
• Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance (7-day free trial)
• Join my Newsletter for teachers below!

Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE to submit it!

Become a supporter of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.

Do yoga teachers need to know anatomy? Yes, but probably not as much as you think, and in a different way than you think. If you've been caught in the cycle of taking endless anatomy courses, still feeling like you don't know enough to work with students who have pain, this episode breaks down what you actually need to know versus what you think you need to know.

Learn the essential anatomy knowledge every teacher should have, what's useful but not mandatory, and what you can let go of.

Discover why understanding modern pain science matters more than memorizing every anatomical detail, and how to apply the knowledge you already have. This episode is for yoga teachers who want clarity on where to focus their learning so they can stop spinning in perpetual student mode and start confidently applying what they know.

In this episode, we cover:

• Essential Anatomy Knowledge for Yoga Teachers
• Why Modern Pain Science Changes What Anatomy Matters
• How Much Anatomy Is Actually Enough to Teach Students with Pain
• Applying Anatomy Knowledge in Real Teaching Situations
• Why More Courses Don't Equal More Confidence

Understand why taking endless anatomy courses without applying what you learn keeps you in perpetual student mode. And discover how to shift from consuming information to applying what you already know.

Ready to understand the nervous system's role in pain and movement? Get the Nervous System Toolkit for practical anatomy knowledge that immediately impacts how you teach students with pain. This resource (a 3-part workbook on the nervous system, yoga nidra, and pose modifications) bridges the gap between anatomy and pain science, giving you an applied understanding you can use in your very next class.

Related Episodes:

Ep 114: How to Teach Yoga to Students with Lower Back Pain

Ep 66: Staying Within Your Scope of Practice

Free Resources:

• 10 Questions to Ask Injured Students - A framework for conversations that don't require detailed anatomy knowledge

Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode!

Support the show

YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright

Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries

Let's connect:

• Check out my website: Enhanced Body
• Connect with me on Instagram
• Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call
• Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance (7-day free trial)
• Join my Newsletter for teachers below!

Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE to submit it!

Become a supporter of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.

Yoga modifications for wrist pain are essential skills for any teacher leading vinyasa or flow-based classes, yet most teacher trainings barely cover them. If you've ever noticed a student skip plank, chaturangas, or even table top pose, this episode will help you understand why and offer strategies you can incorporate into your very next class.

Learn multiple practical modifications for Down Dog, Plank, Chaturanga, and Table Top that actually work. Discover how to use invitational language that creates exploration, and understand how to help students build their capacity over time. This episode is for yoga teachers who want to create truly accessible classes where students with wrist sensitivity can fully participate instead of sitting out half the poses. We'll cover:

• Yoga Modifications for Down Dog with Wrist Pain
• How to Modify Plank and Chaturanga for Wrist Pain
• Making Table Top and Cat-Cow Accessible for Sensitive Wrists
• Using Language That Reduces Threat Instead of Increasing It, and
• Sequencing Classes for Students with Wrist Sensitivity

Learn why wrist warm-ups matter, how to vary weight-bearing patterns throughout class, when to offer rest breaks, and how to balance challenging sequences with recovery time. Finally, discover how thoughtful sequencing prevents repetitive strain while students build capacity.

Related Episodes:

• Ep 114: How to Teach Yoga to Students with Lower Back Pain
  
  
• Ep 66: Staying Within Your Scope of Practice

Free Resources:

• 10 Chaturanga Variations — Ten ways to approach Chaturanga with reduced wrist load
• Sequencing For Injuries — Structure accessible classes for different bodies
• 10 Questions to Ask Injured Students — Framework for initial conversations

Want to Go Deeper?

• The 1st Step to Teaching Students with Pain — Get a clear roadmap for working with students who have pain

Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode!

Support the show

YouTube: Yoga with Monica Bright

Freebie: Yoga Sequencing for Different Injuries

Let's connect:

• Check out my website: Enhanced Body
• Connect with me on Instagram
• Wanna work together? Book a Discovery Call
• Practice yoga in my online studio The Alliance (7-day free trial)
• Join my Newsletter for teachers below!

Want me to discuss a topic? Click HERE to submit it!

Become a supporter of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast! Starting at $3/ month.