Watch this if you're thinking about starting a YTT but something's holding you back.

Viktor and I sat down to talk about concerns we hear from prospective students all the time. It's a 45 minute video, so get comfy and grab a warm bev before you press play. 😀

I know starting a YTT is a big step.

I hope this video helps you find clarity.

Enjoy!

💜 Jess

PS: There's also a short article where we wrote down rapid-fire answers to 15 questions and concerns, in case you don't have time to watch the video.

Most yoga students never learn Kapalabhati Pranayama unless they're in a yoga teacher training course.

But this breathing technique is easy and has some huge benefits.

So you should try it if you haven't!

This breathwork builds a ton of heat, sharpens your focus, and strengthens your core in just a couple of minutes.

Here's how it works:

You kinda breathe backwards.

Instead of actively inhaling and exhaling, you forcefully push breath out through your nose using your abdominal muscles, then let your lungs naturally vacuum air back in without any effort.

The trick I like to cue my students is to imagine that you're holding a little tea light candle a few inches away from your nose, and you're trying to blow out the flame by pushing air strongly out of your nose.

And then let your lungs fill back up without breathing in. It sounds a little scarier than it is.

This is called a passive inhale and it can be a bit confusing at first.

The trick is to not breathe in. You simply release the abdominal contraction and let air rush back into the space you've created without doing much.

What happens immediately:

• Heat floods your belly and solar plexus from the rapid pumping

• Your metabolic rate increases 12-50% compared to quiet sitting

• Mental clarity sharpens as oxygen levels rise in the front part of your brain (hence the nick name "shining skull breath")

• Core muscles get a genuine workout

Important safety note: Step out immediately if you feel lightheaded or dizzy. These sensations mean you're at your edge and need a break, not that you're doing it wrong.

I recommend that you start with 20-30 breaths and gradually build to 50 as your strength develops. Do 3 rounds of breaths and take a couple of natural breaths in-between before starting the next round, until you have done 3. Practice three times weekly and I'm sure you'll notice changes within a month.

Takeaway

Kapalabhati is awesome. It gives you heat, clarity, and core strength in a few minutes.

Loving Difficult People Is ... Well ... Difficult

Have you ever tried loving kindness meditation?

It's a Buddhist meditation practice focused on opening your heart. It sounds good in theory, but it can be challenging and confrontational.

One part of the meditation asks you to picture someone who challenges you - someone who has wronged you, hurt you, or cast you aside.

And then, you show them love.

You send them kindness through your positive thoughts as you meditate.

Many people try it and say it changes their life.

Especially when practiced regularly.

But many people also feel like they're FAKING it.

At least the part where you send out love to difficult people.

Has this ever happened to you?

If so you probably thought one of three things:

• What am I doing wrong?

• Am I a horrible person?

• This is BS, I don't want to forgive anyone who hurts me.

But you know what ...

It's all good! 

It's okay It's ok to resist that part of the practice at first.

That's actually how it's "supposed to" work.

Loving kindness meditation doesn't require authentic feelings upfront.

The practice works through neuroplasticity. 🧠 

This means that through repetition you literally build new neural pathways. And then genuine emotions develop gradually over time.

You have to build the roads before a car can drive on it.

This is very different from mindfulness meditation, where you observe your current state neutrally.

Metta actively generates positive emotional states through deliberate repetition, even when those states feel mechanical at first.

Here's why this matters for stress:

Much of your anxiety stems from difficult relationships and unresolved conflicts.

When you think of someone you resent, your jaw clenches, shoulders tense, your heart rate spikes.

Sending them loving kindness doesn't mean condoning their behavior. But it does release the toxic grip that resentment has on your nervous system.

Your negative emotions about them harm you more than they harm you.

When you think of this challenging person, it creates elevated cortisol, muscle tension, and rumination.

But, with Metta, research shows measurable benefits within 1-2 weeks: reduced reactivity, better emotional regulation, and decreased rumination.

After 4-8 weeks, practitioners report breakthrough moments where mechanical phrases suddenly connect with genuine feelings and turn deep wounds into lightness and freedom.

The Takeaway

Fake it till you make it. 😊

Here's to freedom from the past, lightness, and loving kindness!

💜 Jess

Choosing a 200 Hour YTT can feel overwhelming.

• There are hundreds of options.

• They all look pretty much the same on paper.

• You’re about to invest 200 hours of your life.

• And hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

I’ve signed up for the 'wrong' YTT more than once. I’m grateful for every single one of my teacher trainings, but if I’d known what to look for, I could have saved money and weeks of vacation days.

To help you choose the right YTT, I created a simple 5-step framework:

1. Set your budget: Decide your upper limit for the ideal YTT. Then, ignore price as a quality indicator. 2. Pick your format: Consider the four main formats—local studio, retreat center, online with group, or self-paced online. Cross off at least two that don’t fit your life. 3. Make a shortlist: Find 5–10 programs that match your price range and preferred format. 4. Research and narrow to 3: Look for quality indicators to separate strong programs from mediocre ones. For example, check if the lead teacher has at least 5 years of experience. 5. Practice with your top 3 teachers: Take a class, watch a video, or join a workshop. Trust your gut about who you want to spend 200 hours with.

The full article breaks down each step with specifics on what to look for and what to avoid.

I hope this helps you find the right YTT for you!

💜 Jess

Try This In Low Lunge

Most yoga students see blocks as beginner tools. Something you use when you can't reach the floor.

But you can also use them to make a pose harder instead of easier 💪

In low lunge for example, squeezing a block behind your back between your palms completely changes the experience of the pose. Your hip flexors take a back seat and your upper body suddenly becomes the main event.

Squeezing the block fires up:

• Rhomboids (squeeze shoulder blades together)

• Trapezius (stabilize and retract scapulae)

• Posterior deltoids (hold arms in extension)

• Pectoralis major (even though your arms are behind you)

• Triceps (keeping elbows straight under load)

The activation of the pec is the surprising one. Your chest muscles engage even though your arms are behind your back. Try it for just a few seconds and you'll feel exactly what I mean.

For students working toward deeper backbends like Wheel, Camel, or Dancer, this variation serves as effective preparation. You're contracting and engaging many of the same muscles those poses require—building both the strength and the neural pathways you need.

The takeaway

Blocks aren't just modifications for accessibility. They're tools you can use for creating challenge and building strength in unexpected ways.