Yoga That Works

Yoga that Works is for people who have full days of work and also big goals (just like you & me). They want to be more intentional with where they put their energy and want to have a Yoga practice that fits and supports their life because every time they practice they feel unstoppable after. In each episode, I share simple practices & real-life insights to help you build a realistic routine, on & off the mat, that keeps you going, with more energy, calmer and connected to what really matters in your life.

What Makes a Yoga Class Challenging? 08/11/2026

What Makes a Yoga Class Challenging? Apparently, I have a bit of a reputation on Bonaire for being a "hardcore" Yoga teacher, the kind of teacher you go to if you want to be challenged, sweat or spend some time upside down. While those comments were meant in a very positive way, they made me think about what we actually mean when we describe a Yoga class as challenging. Somewhere along the way, we've started using "physically difficult" and "challenging" as if they mean the same thing, when a challenge can actually look completely different from one person to another. In this episode, I explore what challenge can really mean in a Yoga practice, from strength, inversions & balance to fear, body awareness, confidence, breathwork, relaxation & nervous system regulation. We talk about why something that looks easy from the outside can be incredibly challenging from the inside, and why two people doing the exact same practice can experience completely different challenges. Highlights include: ● Why being known as a "hardcore" Yoga teacher made me question what we actually mean by a challenging Yoga class. ● Why physically demanding Yoga can be incredibly valuable, without physical difficulty being the only way we can challenge ourselves. ● What I actually want students to explore when I bring inversions like headstand into a class, and why getting your feet off the floor isn't really the goal. ● How physical challenges can build body awareness, trust & confidence that can reach much further than the Yoga mat. ● Why balance can challenge much more than our ability to stand on one leg, especially when frustration, comparison & expectations start showing up. ● How breathwork, stillness, relaxation & nervous system regulation can be incredibly challenging when we're used to always being on and doing more. ● Why there is an important difference between being challenged and being pushed, and why challenge doesn't have to mean succeeding or reaching the most difficult version of something. A challenging Yoga class isn't necessarily the class with the hardest poses, the most sweat or the practice that leaves you sore the next day. Challenge is much more personal than that, and there is a whole rainbow between what we tend to label as "easy" and "hard" Yoga. I am comfortable being a teacher who challenges her students. I just don't think we should assume that we already know what that challenge is going to look like. Join the Yoga Connect with Gwen on /episode/index/show/99ba983c-dea3-4ed3-b560-02efe0aa57cc/id/42377250

Learning to Choose Yourself 07/28/2026

Learning to Choose Yourself When you look at a Yoga schedule today, it can feel overwhelming. Slow Flow, Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Mobility, Power Yoga... with so many different styles & approaches, how do you know which practice is actually right for you? In this episode, I explore a question that has been on my mind lately: has Yoga become so broad that we've forgotten how to choose? More importantly, have we become so focused on finding the "right" class or the "right" teacher that we've stopped asking ourselves what we actually need today? We talk about why there is no single "best" Yoga practice, how our needs change from day to day, & why one of the most valuable skills Yoga can teach us is not how to follow a teacher, but how to listen to ourselves. I also share why I believe the goal of a Yoga practice isn't to become dependent on one teacher or one style, but to become confident enough to make almost any class your own. Highlights include: ● Why the word "Yoga" doesn't tell us as much as it used to, & why that's not necessarily a bad thing. ● How the growing variety of Yoga styles can make it difficult to know what practice to choose. ● Why asking "What do I need today?" is often a much more useful question than "What class should I take?" ● How to adapt a group Yoga class to your own body, energy levels & needs, even when everyone else is doing something different. ● Why challenge isn't always about doing more, & how learning to listen to yourself can become a practice both on and off the mat. ● How becoming an independent practitioner can help you build a Yoga practice that continues to support your real life, wherever you are and whoever is teaching. I hope this episode encourages you to trust yourself a little more, to become curious about what your body is asking for, and to remember that the most important part of your Yoga practice isn't following the sequence perfectly, but learning to choose yourself. Join the Yoga Connect with Gwen on /episode/index/show/99ba983c-dea3-4ed3-b560-02efe0aa57cc/id/42227000

I Walked Into a Yoga Class... & Felt Like I Didn't Belong 07/14/2026

Did Yoga Change, or Did We? 06/30/2026

Who Decided Yoga Takes an Hour? 06/16/2026

Rebuilding Trust in Your Body 06/02/2026

Rebuilding Trust in Your Body In this episode, I am joined by Kylie Rook, Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist, Hakomi Somatic Practitioner, E-RYT500 & Teacher Trainer, for a conversation about chronic pain, nervous system regulation, restorative practices, somatics, & most importantly: why & how we can rebuild safety and trust in the body. We explore the difference between acute pain & chronic pain, how pain is influenced by the nervous system, & why feeling safe in the body can play such an important role in reducing pain, improving movement and reconnecting with ourselves. Kylie shares a live practice & practical tools that can help shift us out of a constant state of protection & into a place of curiosity, awareness and healing, while reminding us that recovery is not always about doing more, but often about creating the conditions that allow the body to feel safe again. In this episode you'll learn: ● The difference between acute pain & chronic pain, & why chronic pain is about more than tissue damage. ● How the nervous system influences the way we experience pain. ● Why safety, trust & nervous system regulation are essential parts of recovery. ● A simple check-in practice you can use to reconnect with your body & regulate your nervous system. ● How restorative Yoga, self-havening touch, support, containment & weight can help create a sense of safety in the body. ● The role of somatics in reducing unnecessary tension, improving movement patterns & building awareness. ● Why curiosity can be more helpful than forcing when working with pain & discomfort. ● How slowing down, resting & recovering can become powerful tools for healing. This is Yoga that Works! To celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the Yoga Life Lab, you can enjoy to explore the full library of practices, including Yoga, breathwork, meditation, restorative practices, myofascial release & more. It's the perfect opportunity to discover the practices that can help you build more awareness, resilience & trust in your body. Join the Yoga Life Lab: Connect with Gwen on If you are ready for our journey together & never want to miss an episode, subscribe & leave a review. Thanks for tuning in! /episode/index/show/99ba983c-dea3-4ed3-b560-02efe0aa57cc/id/41498610