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Working in Yoga

Working in Yoga

By: Rebecca Sebastian
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Join yoga studio owner, yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and yoga non-profit founder Rebecca Sebastian for a water cooler discussion of what it is to work in the yoga world.

We will talk about our experiences, good & bad, connect with each other, share tips freely, and tell our stories.

Many years ago a yoga-teacher friend of mine said to me “the one things I don’t like about being a yoga teacher is there’s no water cooler”. And he was right. (thanks James).

So let’s use this podcast as our water cooler. This past year, especially, has been so hard for us. Let’s talk about it. Share our stories, our unique jobs, and a sense of community that we all need.

Want in? Take a listen.

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Episodes
  • Do We Need To Calm Down About AI? An Intellectual Property and YTT Convo w/ Melissa Adylia Calasanz.

    Do We Need To Calm Down About AI? An Intellectual Property and YTT Convo w/ Melissa Adylia Calasanz.
    Jul 14 2025
    So there are definitely some ethics things we need to talk about in regards to AI. Intellectual property rights have long been an issue in the yoga space (I can’t be the only one who has had stuff blatantly stolen), and this issue carries over to AI.Key Takeaways:*Labor unions are a particular love of mine. I have a deep desire to see us collectively organize within North America so that we can be better informed and advocate for ourselves in the world. I think this is especially important for us in the yoga therapy space as we slide into so many different and diverse places that seek to use our tools (like meditation, breathwork, and lifestyle and philosophy principles) to improve the live for humans they see and interact with.*Why would you work so hard to be part of a system that isn’t working??? YES. This can be true for healthcare, toxic yoga studio spaces, and training programs that are not run ethically. Don’t get me wrong, I *totally* have been a part of a toxic yoga space, but the desire that yoga and yoga therapy as an industry has to integrate into a system that isn’t looking to the best interest of the humans who use it, is…well…not us. Some might call it gross or appropriative, even. *Let’s talk about this idea of AI not being able to generate a personalized program. I think that it won’t be too long before AI absolutely can do that. And I mean, like, next Tuesday. So what else are we offering besides the ability to personalize a program? Maybe it is less about the personalization of the program and more about being seen as a whole person by another human in front of you.*The joy of the struggle is something that has come up several times on this series, and was first mentioned in episode one by J Brown. There IS something to us struggling through finding ideas, and learning to be a better yoga professional. I can now say, with confidence, that I have done everything there is to do in the yoga space. Yoga teacher, therapist, studio owner, non-profit founder, trainer, writer, speaker. Do we have an EGOT? Cuz I think I have it. And no matter the number of times people have asked me “how did you do all that”, my answer is always “be so good your work is undeniable”. And you don’t get good if you don’t struggle. *The perspective that Melissa brings about yoga therapy and hours of work per week is a really important one. She is right—most yoga therapists are working at max 15 hours a week. Because the work is incredibly difficult, especially as we strive to be incredibly present with our clients. So maybe we need to be discussing that a little bit more as an industry whole, eh? *YOGA HAS A POVERTY PROBLEM. This is gonna be a key takeaway every time I say it on the podcast. The difference between poverty and scarcity is this: *Using AI to create trainings!! How are the organizations that certify our trainings and making sure that they are actual humans writing training manuals? As Melissa said, “doing the work is a part of your profession as an ethical human being”. Yeah, that times 20000. *Protecting our intellectual property is something that we should be talking about and training our students about. Maybe I should find someone to consult and make best practices for intellectual property management for the yoga community, eh? That feels like something we desperately need. *Our humanity and connection with each other will be something that is not replicable by tech or AI. If you have ever interacted with an LLM (large language model) AI, you will notice that they are programmed for likeability. Have you ever thought to yourself, “This is the most girly-pop AI I have ever met?”. I sure have. But true likeability and connection don’t feel false, true trust involves questioning people’s thought process if they need it, and being truly seen and known as a human is something that is a core need of all people.RESOURCESWorking In Yoga WebsiteWorking In Yoga NewsletterTell Us A Story! Funny Stories via SpeakPipeMelissa’s InstagramAI & Tech Discussion GuideNPR Article on AI in senior living facilities
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Is This Our Real Life? A Tech Rhapsody and Conversation with Kimberly Searl

    Is This Our Real Life? A Tech Rhapsody and Conversation with Kimberly Searl
    Jun 26 2025

    Where do we see ourselves after the tech revolution happens?

    Well, in one of the most thoughtful conversations I have had about this topic, Kimberly Searl and I get into it.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    *How do we discern what is “Real” and what is not? This is a huge question, and we need to unpack it. Especially as we look at marketing and online representations of our field, what benchmarks are you using to tell AI-generated content from non-AI-generated content? If you’ve never thought about it, maybe start paying attention to what you are seeing and have some mental guidelines for your online consumption of yoga content.

    *IS the life cycle of our services ending? How do we speak to a new generation of people? I have joked more than once that “yoga teacher training” is a thing that millennials did, and let’s be honest, that is true. So, how do we make ourselves relevant to a younger generation who are all more tech savvy, and also expect us to answer their need for real life to exist in two spaces–both IRL and online? The answer to this question is going to define our future, friends. So let’s talk about it.

    *Kimberly’s quote: “Will I have enough interest in the service I offer to ride out the 4-6 years that it will take for people to realize I am still relevant?” THIS is the question of the hour. There is no doubt in my mind that what we offer, the human connection we cultivate, is vital to our existence. But how many of us will be left by the time this realization reaches mainstream consciousness?

    *We need to come up with solutions NOW for how we are going to work for the future. Financially, how we are working isn’t acceptable for so many reasons. Too many people in our industry are stuck in the 2010s, where it was easy for us to make money because we were the new, trendy, hot commodity on the wellness market. Guess what? We are not that anymore. So now what? Are we ready to stand up and shift our profession, or are we going to prove ourselves to be just a fad? I love us and want us to thrive, and in order to do that, I think conversations about this are beyond necessary.

    *Can we agree that there needs to be some shifting in expectations on marketing and social media? Cuz Kimberly is right, the most prolific posting people on social media are using AI, which often gives an unrealistic expectation of what we do. Or uses bait-and-switch techniques in order to get people in the door. In fact, I was trained many years ago to use a version of bait-and-switch when I was a budding yoga therapist. We can do it differently, but we need to be realistic about how we show up.

    And dear god, have a private link to free content to get jobs. I cannot say this enough. If you are applying for a job or contract, have a link to a private video on YouTube that demonstrates who you are as a teacher or yoga therapist. Let’s normalize having this with every single touch we give for new jobs. Please, please, please.

    *What is our relationship with the apps? I really want to know what you are thinking about apps like Calm, etc. Do you love ‘em? Find a benefit for your students and clients? Find their competition? Seriously, I wanna know, so don’t hesitate to tell me!

    *WHY DO WE NOT HAVE STANDARD BEST PRACTICES??? Dear god, if there is anything that our orgs could do, it would be to build best practices. Just saying. But since they aren’t doing it, I think I will. So again, email rebecca@workinginyoga.com if you want to contribute to the discussion.

    SOURCES

    Working In Yoga Website

    Working In Yoga Newsletter

    Tell Us A Story! Funny Stories via SpeakPipe


    Kimberly’s Website

    AI & Tech Discussion Guide

    NPR Article on AI in senior living facilities
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    59 mins
  • Sending Out An AI S.O.S. How We Can Use Tech and Still Be Human. A Chat with Justin Deangelo.

    Sending Out An AI S.O.S. How We Can Use Tech and Still Be Human. A Chat with Justin Deangelo.
    Jun 6 2025

    This conversation holds two places we need to talk about.

    First, how can we use tech and still be human? What do we need to adjust in order to use what tech can give us, while also being our most human selves?

    Secondly, what practical ways can tech help up in our yoga businesses?

    Check out this conversation and find out.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    *Springboarding is one of the first ways I ever used AI for my own business. I really do find it useful to have someone or something else to bounce ideas off of, and asking AI for both creative prompts and time management solutions has been something I really value.

    *This idea of the balance of artistry and practicality is one that we also talked about with J Brown on his episode for this series. There is a benefit to struggle, and from that struggle we can create beautiful things. However, practically speaking, we can use AI for ideas of things that aren’t necessarily needed to struggle. Did someone ask you to do a yoga class for kids, and you need ideas for crafts? AI can be a great place to gain inspiration quickly and efficiently.

    *We have to add a human twist to AI content. Have you ever received an email from someone who is using AI to make the copy? It is often both weird and insulting. Make sure that any content you get from an AI source (be it ChatGPT, Gemini, or Grok) is also being vetted by your brain. Shift the language, make it seem less formal, and more, for lack of a better word, human.

    *Individualizing our practice for people is one thing that AI is not competing with us on…yet. I know optimists are confident AI won’t ever be able to match our ability to create customized yoga therapy sequences, or anything else for that matter–I am not one of those people. I think AI’s ability to create customized anything will happen sooner rather than later. But right now, AI can’t do that, and we can. So lean into the idea that you can make something totally unique just for a particular individual, be it a yoga therapy plan or a custom yoga class.

    *I think AI taking over alignment will happen really quickly for us. All those “alignment-based” classes and workshops we have sold will likely go away for a more AI-based approach. And thank goodness, honestly. We were focusing on the wrong things anyway.

    *If AI takes over the physicality and alignment, this could be the move that gets people pushing us into more yoga-y yoga. We need to lean into our personal experiences and the philosophy and lifestyle portions of the practice in order to bring more of our human selves to the equation.

    RESOURCES

    Working In Yoga Website

    Working In Yoga Newsletter

    Tell Us A Story! Funny Stories via SpeakPipe


    Justin’s Website

    AI & Tech Discussion Guide

    NPR Article on AI in senior living facilities
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins

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