374: Teaching Yoga to Busy Parents with Naomi Gottlieb-Miller

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast

374: Teaching Yoga to Busy Parents with Naomi Gottlieb-Miller

Description:

How can busy parents find time for yoga in the midst of all the things they are juggling? How can yoga teachers make yoga more accessible to parents who are facing time scarcity? Naomi Gottlieb-Miller shares how her yoga practice changed when she became a parent and how she now uses this knowledge to share yoga with other parents.

Naomi is a mover, a maker, and a mom of 3 kids. She has been teaching yoga and movement since 2005 and is known for classes that are creative, playful, and strong. Naomi specializes in teaching short classes that pack a punch, making sure you can easily squeeze your daily movement into whatever pockets in your day you happen to have. On her website, Naomi offers classes that are 5 to 30 minutes to ensure busy parents (and anyone else short of time) can incorporate movement into their day, no matter what.

Naomi opens up about how her yoga practice changed drastically when she became a parent, and how that inspired her to teach much shorter classes online which can be just as good or even better than longer yoga classes! She shares how she has found success in her yoga business offering shorter classes, and highlights the importance of removing barriers that keep people from coming to yoga. Shannon and Naomi also discuss how we don’t all have the same amount of time, the high expectations we put on ourselves as parents and as yoga teachers, the double standards society sometimes puts on parents, and more.

Whether you are a parent who struggles to find time for your movement practice on top of your hectic schedule or you work with parents who tell you they don’t have time for yoga, this is a great episode.

Key Takeaways:

[0:37] Shannon introduces the topic for this episode - yoga and parenthood.

[3:43] This episode is sponsored by OfferingTree, Summer Biz Camp, and Pelvic Health Professionals.

[7:20] Claire Holloway, a member of Pelvic Health Professionals, shares a little about her experience in the membership.

[10:11] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Naomi Gottlieb-Miller.

[12:26] What does Naomi do and who does she do it for?

[18:15] Shannon reflects on her own parenting journey and how time felt scarce for her when her children were young.

[20:42] It can be hard for moms or parents to shake off societal expectations.

[26:39] What is Naomi's advice to yoga teachers who are struggling to find time for their own practice, and what can that self-practice look like?

[32:21] Naomi offers a 5-minute practice for an entire month.

[34:06] Taking away expectations and limiting your daily practice can make it feel more accessible.

[34:38] Shannon pops in to share a little about OfferingTree.

[36:09] What is one thing a busy parent or parent with an overstimulated nervous system could do to get started?

[40:04] What are some of Naomi's recommendations for people who are feeling low on energy and need motivation?

[46:07] How does Naomi charge for her classes, considering that they are relatively short?

[49:13] Naomi highlights that longer classes can be a barrier for many parents who simply don't have the time or resources to make that commitment.

[52:21] Shannon and Naomi discuss why people might feel hesitant about shorter classes.

[58:28] Get in touch with Naomi and learn more from her via her website and social media channels.

[59:32] Shannon reflects on how Naomi has been showing up and speaking up for peace in these difficult times, and her own process of dealing with grief after witnessing horrific news from Gaza.

[66:14] Shannon shares some details of upcoming calls inside Pelvic Health Professionals.

Links:

• Naomi Gottlieb-Miller, Conscious Healthy Mama

• Naomi Gottlieb-Miller on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

• The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 373: Yoga Philosophy for Parenthood with Claire Holloway

• Summer Biz Camp

• Sasha Heron, Host of the Grief Cafe

• Guest Speakers in Pelvic Health Professionals

• Shannon Crow on Instagram

• The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group

• Pelvic Health Professionals

Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree, Summer Biz Camp, and Pelvic Health Professionals.

Quotes from this episode:

"Whatever I am doing for myself to move is good. It does not have to be 60 minutes or 30 minutes or even 10 minutes. It can be really short. And if that makes my body feel good, that is enough."

"Another thing that can be so hard actually, is that if our expectations for our practice are really high, ...we're never going to get anything done."

"Why are we putting value judgments on the length of time?"

"Your home practice does not need to look like the classes that you teach. Your home practice should look like what you need."

"We just need to reframe what we think is necessary for both home practice and what we teach."

"Motivation is fickle."

"We want to assign so much more power to yoga and to movement because we want things to be miracle fixes."

"I don't necessarily think that a 15-minute practice means that you're rushing things."