Podcast
The Mentor Sessions
Hosted by Francesca Cervero · EN
With amazing guests or solo, I explore the craft of teaching yoga, as its own practice. I'm seeking answers to the questions about why we teach something the way we do, how we could be more expansive and inclusive in our teaching, and how we can continue to grow and evolve in our teaching practice.
I'm so glad you are here because I believe the depth that arises in teaching comes from inquiry and relationship. Join me as I offer nourishing support to help you feel more confident in your teaching and realistic strategy to help you find more clarity on your career path.
Francesca Cervero (she/her) has been a full-time yoga teacher since 2005. Her teaching is inspired by her foundational training with Cyndi Lee at OM Yoga Center, the years she spent as a dancer and the subsequent years she spent in physical therapy. Her teaching is also influenced by her love of Buddhist teachings and a constant curiosity about anatomy and biomechanics. She is in private practice teaching a full schedule of 1x1 clients, mentors yoga teachers in The Science of the Private Lesson™, hosts the podcast, The Mentor Sessions: Support & Strategy for Yoga Teachers and is the founder of the adjoining community, The Mentor Sessions Sangha.
24episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
174: Yoga For Cancer with Tari Prinster
3w ago00:40:09Tap to summarizeYou may not have known it, but if you teach public yoga classes you have taught someone who's life has been touched by cancer. In this episode, I'm joined by Tari Prinster, a true pioneer in the field of oncology yoga. Tari is a cancer survivor, author, and founder of Yoga for Cancer (Y4C), a methodology that has trained thousands of yoga and healthcare professionals around the world. We go deep into what it really means to teach yoga in the context of cancer, and how this work has evolved over the past few decades. Cancer is not going away, and with survival rates increasing, the need for informed, compassionate yoga teachers is greater than ever. In this episode, you'll hear: The origins of Yoga for Cancer and how what began as a personal practice quickly evolved into a groundbreaking methodology—at a time when oncology yoga didn't exist. How the cancer landscape has changed including the major shift from cancer being seen as a death sentence to a condition where the majority of people now survive. The huge implications for yoga teachers and the role we play in long-term wellness now that there are 20 million cancer survivors in the US. The physiology behind Yoga for Cancer, including: The role of the lymphatic system in detoxification and immunity How breath and movement support lymph flow Why inversions and specific movements can either help—or hinder—recovery The impact of cancer treatments on bones, fatigue, and overall health About yoga4cancer (y4c) yoga4cancer (y4c) is a specialized oncology yoga methodology founded by cancer survivor and master yoga teacher Tari Prinster. With more than 3,000 certified teachers trained across 30+ countries, y4c is the leading oncology yoga certification and training organization in the world. The program equips yoga teachers, therapists, and healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to safely support cancer patients and survivors — from active treatment through long-term survivorship. Courses mentioned in this episode: 5-Hour Oncology Yoga Course: An accessible entry point into Oncology y\Yoga. Learn the foundations of the y4c methodology, the unique needs of cancer survivors, and how to begin adapting your practice or teaching. 75-Hour Certificate Program: The gold-standard Oncology Yoga certification. A rigorous, evidence-informed curriculum covering cancer biology, treatment side effects, the y4c methodology, and supervised practice. Graduates join a global directory of certified oncology yoga professionals. Use code cervero20% for 20% off Click here to register. More From Tari: Yoga for Cancer by Tari Prinster Schmitz et al. (2021) — ACSM Moving Through Cancer Guidelines This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)! OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.
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173: Getting Your Yoga Studio Ready For ICE with Lucia Yess from Minneapolis
Apr 2100:39:33Tap to summarizeYess Yoga is a yoga studio in Minneapolis one block from where Alex Pretti was murdered by Border Patrol agents in January of this year. In this episode, I'm joined by Minneapolis-based yoga teacher and studio owner Lucia Yess. Our conversation is both heartbreaking and deeply inspiring as we explore what it means to truly live our yoga off the mat, especially in moments of crisis. Lucia shares her experience running Yess Yoga during a recent ICE surge in Minneapolis, where her neighborhood became a site of fear, violence, and profound uncertainty. As community members were being detained and families were afraid to leave their homes, Lucia and her team stepped into action, transforming their studio into a hub for mutual aid, care, and refuge. What stands out most to me in this conversation is Lucia's clarity: this wasn't a question of whether to help, but how. When our neighbors are suffering, yoga calls us to respond. In this episode, you'll hear: What it was like to be on the ground in a city under siege by the federal government Why yoga must extend beyond personal practice into collective care How staying grounded in our values helps us take meaningful action How to get looped into the communities that need support How Yess Yoga became a center for mutual aid—providing medical supplies, food, communication tools, and more How the studio remained open during crisis by offering free and sliding-scale classes, supported by community fundraising Practical ways yoga teachers and studio owners can prepare to support their own communities Learn More From Lucia: Visit Yes Yoga Studio's online home Follow Yes Yoga Studio on Instagram Mutual Aid Yes' GoFundMe Call your representatives Book recommendations: Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown Service Berry by Robin Wall Kimmer (Growth Economy) Embrace Yoga's Roots by Susanna Barkataki Skill in Action by Michelle Cassandra Johnson This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. The best thing about OfferingTree is you can get up and running in 10 minutes with no tech skills needed. As an added bonus, If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)! OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.
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172: Why So Many Yoga Teachers Burnout (And What Actually Works Instead)
Apr 700:25:37Tap to summarizeIn this solo episode, I'm zooming out from the quick, in-the-moment burnout strategies I shared in Episode 171 and looking at the bigger picture. I want to talk about why so many yoga teachers are burning out—and what I've seen actually work instead. My core premise is simple: the career model most of us were trained into doesn't work for most people anymore. If you're exhausted, underpaid, and questioning how sustainable this path really is, I want you to hear this clearly—it's not you. It's the model. I'll walk you through the structural issues I see over and over again, help you look honestly at the math of your teaching schedule, and introduce a shift that has made a huge difference for me and for so many teachers I've worked with: integrating private clients into your practice. In this episode, you'll hear: Why the traditional yoga career path isn't working The real reason so many teachers feel exhausted and why it's not your fault The importance of doing the math: I'll invite you to look at your actual hourly rate How private clients can change everything and what makes private teaching different The most common concerns I hear about teaching private clients The different skills you need, and why they are learnable skills! 🎉 You're Invited! If you want to build a thriving private yoga practice, you need a slightly different skill set than most teacher trainings cover. Teaching one-on-one requires you to think on your feet, build deep trust with students, hold strong professional boundaries, and manage the business side of your work with confidence. That's exactly what we focus on inside The Science of the Private Lesson™. 👉🏻 You missed the sale... You missed the sale but no worries! Email support@francescacervero.com for the coupon code. This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree! Sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor to get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan). With OfferingTree, yoga teachers put their schedule on a personally branded website where students can book classes and even pay or donate online. All of this can be set up in 10 minutes or less. OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up.
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171: Six Things I Would Do This Week if I Were an Overworked, Underpaid Yoga Teacher on the Edge of Burnout
Mar 2400:21:22Tap to summarizeIf you are feeling stretched thin by endless group classes, long hours, and low pay you are not alone. In this episode, I share six simple, actionable things you can do this week to start shifting out of overwhelm. These are not big, life-changing plans—just small, powerful adjustments that can immediately help you feel calmer, clearer, and more grounded in your teaching life. Burnout doesn't always mean you need a total career overhaul. Sometimes, a few well-chosen shifts—better boundaries, a balanced schedule, and new ways of connecting with students—can bring back clarity, confidence, and joy in your teaching. If you try some of these steps, I would love to hear how it goes. Reach out with your reflections, questions, or feedback—I'm walking this path right beside you. In this episode, you'll hear: why burnout is so common among yoga teachers right now how to refresh your energy and focus using simple daily habits practical ways to plan smarter, promote your classes, and boost income—without hustling harder six realistic steps to feel better fast without overhauling your career including things like: why downloading a social media blocking app has to be your first step why you should set aside one hour to plan all your classes for the week how to start start planting seeds to connect with new private clients Also, a heads up!!! One of the best things you can do for your career is to learn the art of teaching private lessons. Private teaching can transform your income and impact—but it's a different skill set than teaching group classes. My online training, The Science of the Private Lesson, teaches you those skills and STAY TUNED for a 50% discount code releasing April 6 for one week only! Resources Mentioned: Screen Zen App Opal App Group Class Planning Method Episode Free Private Client Email Templates The Science of the Private Lesson Online Training OfferingTree is a proud sponsor of this episode and I am honored to be an affiliate. Visit OfferingTree at www.offeringtree.com/mentor and you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan). OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up and I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.
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170: A Yoga Nidra Deep Dive + Great Advice For Yoga Teachers with Indu Arora
Mar 1000:41:44Tap to summarizeIn this expansive conversation, I got a chance to talk to yoga and Ayurveda teacher, mentor, and author Indu Aurora to explore what yoga truly is — and what it is not. We started by unpacking one of Indu's powerful statements: "The goal of yoga is yoga. Everything else is a side benefit." This conversation invites teachers to look beyond flexibility, strength, and stress relief — and into yoga as a state of realization. Indu draws from classical teachings and the commentary on the Yoga Sutras to clarify that yoga is not simply a practice — it is a state of samadhi, a realization of the unchanging self beneath the ever-changing body, mind, and emotions. We take a deep dive into one of Indu's main areas of wisdom, Yoga Nidra and then finish the conversation with some salient pieces of wisdom for all yoga teachers. In this episode you'll hear: why modern practitioners and teachers get stuck focusing on the "fix" why Yoga Nidra is both powerful and accessible how to keep Yoga Nidra from becoming robotic why you should make nature your guru the power of unlearning how to choose a teacher why we both love confusion and doubt Learn More From Indu www.yogsadhna.com https://www.instagram.com/induaroraofficial/ This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)! OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.
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169: Yoga's Role In Navigating The World with Sarah Capua
Feb 2400:57:11Tap to summarizeIn today's podcast epsiode, I sat down with a yoga therapist, teacher, spiritual caregiver and a good friend of mine, Sarah Capua. We explored what it means to practice—and teach—yoga in a time of political upheaval, climate crisis, and cultural fragmentation. In this conversation, we reflect on power, misperception, collective responsibility, spiritual bypassing, and the role of yoga teachers in supporting students who feel overwhelmed or powerless. As she always does, my friend Sarah brings deep wisdom on the topics of agency, ethics, community, and the radical nourishment of staying awake. Sarah Capua (she/her) is a dedicated student, teacher, Yoga Therapist, and spiritual caregiver. Her work is rooted in the tradition of T.Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar, Zen Buddhist contemplative practice and caregiving, and her experience as a chaplain for people in trauma and end of life. Her hope is to be a compassionate and curious support for others on the path, to bear witness and make meaning, and to hold a mirror up to our embodied wisdom which can be a companion no matter where life takes us. In this episode, you'll hear: why studying the ethical foundations of yoga deeply is the most important thing you can do why you shouldn't assume your students want avoidance how to create space for conversation and integration why you should take care of your own energy and support system first how to practice expanding your heart rather than narrowing it Sarah hosted a Yoga Sūtra-s workshop inside The Mentor Sessions Sangha on Friday, March 6, 2026. To listen and watch the recording of the workshop, join the Sangha for one month right here. Introduction to the Yoga Sūtra-s: What is Yoga? To understand yoga as more than just a set of tools, we must go to the heart of its teachings. The Yoga Sūtra-s of Patanjali, teachings compiled in Sanskrit nearly 1,700 years ago, is a manual for understanding the mind and its role in our lives, and is as relevant today as ever. In this workshop we will explore the first four sūtra-s, essential teachings for understanding what yoga is, what it involves, and why we practice. Learn More From Sarah Visit Sarah's online home Follow Sarah on Instagram This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. The best thing about OfferingTree is you can get up and running in 10 minutes with no tech skills needed. As an added bonus, If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)! OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.
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168: The Yoga Teacher's Guide To Fighting Fascism
Feb 300:46:25Tap to summarizeAmerican yoga teachers have a unique role in fighting fascism. We are deeply practiced in the tools that help us (and our students) feel clear, steady, focused, calm and resilient. And if you read the teachings the way I do, we have a powerful directive to engage in direct social action. Lovingkindness meditation says, "May All Beings Be Safe And Free" and that is not just a nice idea, but a mandate to work for change. As you can plainly see with your eyes, all beings are not safe. But there is so much we can do! There is incredible work being done and all we have to do is plug into it. In this episode, you'll hear: the dharma teachings I am depending on and teaching how I recommend you address current events in your yoga classes all the organizations I am following and working with how I balance activism work with full time working parenting Lots of Resources! Episode 143: Should You Talk About Current Events In Yoga Classes?? Episode 163: The Four Reminders (It's A Pep Talk!) A sharable google doc with my list of orgs to follow The 5Calls App Website (with links to app store) Instagram Follow for: an extremely user friendly app to help you choose topics, get phone numbers for your reps and suggested call scripts Indivisible Website Instagram There are lots of local chapters in cities and small towns across the country. Follow for: clear directions on small but impactful actions (cancel Dsiney and Spotify) Information on big, peaceful protests Electoral directions (what member of congress to call when about what) Sunrise Movement Website Instagram Follow for: A more radical approach as it is run by young people Less electoral focus, more direct action 50501 National Website National Instagram There are local chapters in most states! Follow for: Large scale protests (they work closely with Indivisable) Local actions (this one is important this week!!) https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ Follow For: Tons of on the ground, grassroots orgs to support in MN Refuse Fascism Website Instagram Follow For: Daily protests to attend in DC This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree! Sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor to get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan). With OfferingTree, yoga teachers put their schedule on a personally branded website where students can book classes and even pay or donate online. All of this can be set up in 10 minutes or less. OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up.
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167: We Don't Want AI Yoga with Cyndi Lee
Jan 2000:53:33Tap to summarizeI am so honored to be joined on the podcast by my teacher Cyndi Lee. As a senior yoga teacher, author, and Buddhist chaplain—Cyndi talks to us about what's being gained, lost, and misunderstood as artificial intelligence enters yoga, writing, and teaching spaces. Cyndi reflects on her five decades of practice and teaching. As the founder of Om Yoga Center in New York City, a global hub for yogis from 1998 to 2012, she has witnessed firsthand how yoga has shifted under the pressures of capitalism, scalability, and speed. In this episode, you'll hear: a discussion of two growing trends: students using AI as a "yoga teacher" and yoga teachers using AI for emails, sequencing, and social media why Cyndi chooses not to use AI in her writing or teaching why lineage is vital—not as rigidity or hierarchy, but as continuity, care, and accountability a hopeful message for yoga teachers about the fast changes in our word Learn More From Cyndi: Follow Cyndi on Instagram Visit Cyndi's online home Follow Cyndi on Substack: Drip, Drip, Drip OfferingTree is a proud sponsor of this episode, and I am honored to be an affiliate. Visit OfferingTree at www.offeringtree.com/mentor and you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan). OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up and I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.
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166: Do We Want AI in Yoga? with Lizzie Lasater
Jan 601:08:24Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Mentor Sessions, I'm joined by Lizzie Lasseter for a wide-ranging conversation about teaching yoga in a rapidly evolving world. Lizzie is a designer, educator, and second-generation yoga teacher with over 20 years of experience. As the daughter of Judith Hanson Lasseter, Lizzie grew up immersed in the Iyengar lineage, while also carving out her own path as a teacher, business owner, and working parent of six-year-old twins. Together, we explore lineage, embodiment, and the increasingly complex role AI is playing in the yoga world. In this episode, you'll hear: how Lizzie's work is intentionally structured around the rhythms of family life and nervous system regulation the realities of parenting young children while teaching yoga our discussion of hypermobility, joint stability, and the ways dogmatic alignment language can contribute to pain rather than healing all about Lizzie's use of AI in her business including how AI supports her writing process and assists with course notes and student learning a discussion of what gets lost when editing is outsourced, the difference between processing ideas and producing content and the risk of generic, "flattened" language some concerns about the future of AI and yoga Learn More From Lizzie Visit Lizzie's website Follow Lizzie on Instagram Enjoy Lizzie's YouTube Channel This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)! OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up.
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165: The Intended Benefit + How To Remove Linear Hierarchy
Dec 1600:33:13Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we dive into a concept that is absolutely transformative for yoga teachers: the idea that yoga cannot be both healing and performative at the same time. If we're still teaching from a linear, hierarchical, aesthetic-based model of asana, we're unintentionally blocking the very healing we hope to support. This conversation focuses on how teachers can shift toward a non-linear, person-centered approach grounded in the intended benefit of each pose. Francesca offers a co-creative teaching model where the teacher brings clarity, knowledge, and intention — without assuming universal "right" shapes. In this episode, you'll hear: the foundational framework that helps teachers move away from aesthetic evaluation and toward meaningful, individualized movement experiences pose case studies including child's pose, downward facing dog, plank and warrior two a deep dive into the idea that each pose is a container of possible movement nutrients how to incorporate all these ideas into your teaching right away an invitation to get some feedback from Francesca Resources Mentioned: 15 Downward Dog Prep Sequences: 15sequences.com The Science Of The Private Lesson The Mentor Sessions Sangha Episode 164: Taking Movement Patterns Down To The Studs with Geneva Jimreivat This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. The best thing about OfferingTree is you can get up and running in 10 minutes with no tech skills needed. As an added bonus, If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)!
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