Leadership and Yoga – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this solo storytime episode, I share the behind-the-scenes journey of traveling to New York City to interview Sri Dharma Mittra. The full interview goes live on September 10th — but before then, I wanted to sit down with you fireside-style and tell the whole story while it’s still fresh: the risks, the doubts, the synchronicities, the headstand photo, the salsa dancing, and the tears of joy that come with pursuing a creative dream.

This episode is for anyone building something of their own — a podcast, a yoga practice, a project that feels bigger than you. It’s about showing up, trusting the process, and remembering to enjoy the ride.

Mailing list:

https://www.shawnakru.com/ 

Follow me on instagram:

@shawnkru

Get my guided journal for $33 with code POD33 

https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/ 

Come on my Costa Rica yoga retreat in January 2026:
https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat

Photos of Sri Dharma and Shawna in headstand:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DNUCHpwPFRt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Time stamps:

00:00 Why this episode is unedited & storytime vibes

05:29 Starting the podcast in 2022 & committing to weekly episodes

10:51 Taking the leap: investing in a NYC trip to interview Dharma

17:02 Pre-interview challenges, self-care, and processing emotions

23:13 The Interview Experience with Sri Dharma Mittra

33:32 The conversation with Dharma: presence, awe, and intention

37:28 Post-interview reflections and joy

40:57 The Importance of solitude and reflection

47:04 Bringing Awe and wonder back to reality

Yoga teachers! This one's for you. In this episode of the Leadership and Yoga podcast, Shawna Krueger interviews Marcus Veda, the creator of 4BEAT yoga. They discuss the unique concept of synchronizing breath and movement to a steady beat, the origins of 4BEAT yoga, and the importance of music in enhancing the yoga experience. This episode is for yoga teachers — a deep dive into the art of teaching an incredible yoga class. 

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE WITH MARCUS, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thanks!!

NEXT 4-BEAT TRAINING: September 1-6, 2025

https://www.marcusvedayoga.com/teacher-training 

Find Marcus on the gram:

@goodlordveda

Find me on the gram:

@shawnakru

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro

02:00 Introduction to 4-Beat Yoga

04:50 The Concept and Origins of 4-Beat Yoga

08:05 Teaching Flow and Breath in Yoga

10:51 The Role of Music in Yoga Practice

14:03 Flow State and Meditation in Yoga

16:55 Inspiration vs. Intimidation in Teaching

20:03 Managing Mixed-Level Classes

22:56 Injuries and Learning in Yoga

25:56 Personal Journey and Background in Yoga

28:47 Martial Arts Influence on Yoga Practice

34:14 Martial Arts and Yoga: A Unique Connection

37:13 The Journey into Music Creation

43:52 The Art of Class Delivery

50:20 Finding Your Voice as a New Teacher

54:40 The Influence of Teachers and Life Experiences

58:20 Qualities of Exceptional Leaders

01:00:49 The Billboard Question: A Message for the World

Not everything is yoga, but yoga is in everything. This episode is exactly as the title says, a little bit of nonsense that I found meaningful enough to share. Listen if you want the tea on why I am in Italy and something that made me smile recently. Thanks for being here. :)

Join my retreat: Sweet Simplicity, January 2026

https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat 

Get a copy of my guided journal for $33 with code POD33

https://tangerine-burgundy-8cw9.squarespace.com/config/commerce/discounts 

Join me, Shawna Krueger, for an episode on three ways to capture attention authentically as a yoga instructor. While the subject of attention and influence tend to be taboo in the yoga world, I discuss why we should think more about the important role they play. We discuss talent, boundaries and connection.

Plus, I share how I accidentally charged $50,000 Bad Bunny tickets to my credit card and some other essential story time moments to add a little laughter to your day.

Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam email list to stay up to date on giveaways and L&S news. Plus, get immediate access to the free week-long 6am Club training:

Join the fam.

Message me on instagram:

@shawnakru

Upcoming Retreats:

https://shawnakru.com/retreats/

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction

06:30 Free week long morning training

10:50 3 ways to capture attention authentically

13:24 The monkey walk

14:45 A night in the St. Louis airport

17:40 $50k Bad Bunny tickets

22:15 What keeps people coming back is talent

23:50 The example of the Daily Victorian

27:00 What to do when our best is not good enough

28:20 Set boundaries so you don’t fear attention

29:55 Entrepreneurship infancy baby talk

32:00 Showing the vulnerability of needing something

34:00 A note on choice from Pura Rasa

36:00 Let people see your work IRL

37:00 Why you don’t have to spend time on going viral

39:00 The power of authentic connection

41:00 Your presence is ENOUGH

Join me, Shawna Krueger, for an episode on how to be more confident, today. It’s time to switch into your very own “confident mode.” This is for the person who wants to be bold, to take action, to find their voice, stand up tall, not fear the anxiety butterflies when they enter a room. To harness their power, step into their power, whatever you want to call it. 

Whether you are a yoga teacher, speaker, aspiring leader, or someone facing social anxiety, I share 12 ways you can show up confidently so you can find focus, boldness and awareness under pressure. 

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction

04:00 First viral video to hit 1 million views

08:30 Agenda

12:15 Take care of yourself behind the scenes

15:20 Quitting self-destructive behaviors

17:30 Dealing with self-pity and guilt

20:00 Prepare yourself to be in a different state.

24:15 Make a mistake or admit you don’t know as soon as possible.

25:55 Posture and power stances.

28:50 Spend time around confident people who speak well, make decisions with ease, who things just seem effortless for. 

34:15 Confident does not necessarily mean extroverted or loud.

35:30 Age does not matter, you are not too young or too old.

38:20 Make a decision.

41:00 Speak with action oriented words and at a steady cadence. 

39:57 Get comfortable with silence.

46:00 Pay attention to your belly.

48:20 Solar plexus governs confidence and the ability to be assertive.

51:40 Get experience and record compliments.

54:30 Do something that scares you every day.

58:00 What humans CAN do is extraordinary, what you WILL do is another story. 

Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam email list to stay up to date on giveaways and L&S news. Plus, get immediate access to the free week-long 6am Club training:

Join the fam.

Message me on instagram:

@shawnakru

Upcoming Retreats:

https://shawnakru.com/retreats/

Join me, Shawna Krueger, and hear the voices of dozens of other teachers in today’s special episode on Rocket® yoga. 

Tune in to hear a discussion of Rocket yoga training level 1 and 2, what I perceive to be the art of Rocket and how I found the practice by accident. Plus, we discuss how capable we are of doing the hard things, and how difficulty can turn into ease. 

A bonus of today’s episode is a series of segment interviews where teachers share what Rocket means to them. Big thanks to everyone who let me corner them with my mini mic and put them on the spot. It warms my heart to have collected so many responses.

For me, Rocket yoga is watching the impossible become possible. 

Disclaimer: This is not about theory or history of Rocket, but rather my own reflections in hopes that it will inspire you to reflect as well. Rocket® as it relates to yoga instruction is a registered trademark. Photo credit for the cover art and group shot to Hector Quiroz.

Rocket yoga training information: 

https://therocket.info/ 

David Kyle Baba Rocket on instagram:

@davidckyle

Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam email list to stay up to date on giveaways and L&S news. Plus, get immediate access to the free week-long 6am Club training:

Join the fam.

Message me on instagram:

@shawnakru

My upcoming Retreats:

https://shawnakru.com/retreats/

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction

1:43 Hesitation kills momentum

5:44 Difficulty turning into ease is a magic trick

7:30 Tasting your own exhaustion 

11:00 Boldness and confusion

12:05 Agenda

14:10 Rocket is watching the impossible become possible

15:30 The handstand test

17:15 Larry sitting in padmasana waiting for students

19:00 Finding Rocket and Ashtanga

21:00 Rocket is a destruction of the hierarchy of Ashtanga

24:30 Wanting to transform myself

25:30 Encantar, to love = en canto, in song

30:00 Tattoo story

33:00 Synchronicities and dragonflies 

35:30 Bringing our

37:15 Voices of the Rocket community

Join me, Shawna Krueger, and my guest, Natasha Schön for an episode on leadership. 

Natasha is a leadership and development consultant. She is the leadership consultant for our upcoming retreat in Río Chirripó and she is a certified practitioner in both coaching and Nonviolent Communication techniques.

Natasha is also a polyglot, fluent in English, Dutch, German, and Spanish and has lived in 12 countries which has brought her an extremely rich and dynamic understanding of connection.  

On a personal note, Natasha is one of the few people that came into my life that I was immediately like aha! This is a friendship I was looking for. She is a very gifted speaker and storyteller, a unique soul, an avid reader, and has an impressive vocabulary. 

Tune in to hear a relaxing and refreshing take on how we can integrate essential leadership principles in your everyday life, and in yoga. 

Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam email list to stay up to date on giveaways and L&S news. Plus, get immediate access to the free week-long 6am Club training:

Join the fam.

Connect with Natasha on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashaschoen/ 

Message me on instagram:

@shawnakru

Upcoming Retreats:

https://shawnakru.com/retreats/

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro

01:00 How Natasha and Shawna met: From class to close friends.

04:30 Agenda

05:15 Living in Madeira.

9:30 How to find stability. My routines are my home. 

12:45 How to manage when life feels like chaos. 

17:25 How to take action on goals and follow through. 

19:00 Setting a vision when you don’t know what you want. 

23:00 What does leadership mean? 

27:00 The value of mentorship and someone who believes in you. 

28:30 How can we be an empathetic leader? 

29:30 Psychological safety. 

33:00 Why is leadership work important?

36:00 Non-violent Communication NVC

41:30 What is coaching? 

44:00 The power of silence, the spaces that are not filled.

46:00 Learning to ask good questions is like learning another language.

47:30 Stay away from the word “why” in coaching.

51:30 Handstand breaks.

54:45 Billboard message: “Sometimes I feel like I lead an emotionally complex life, and then the sun comes out and I’m happy. So functionally I’m no different than a big leaf.”

“Learning to ask good questions is like learning another language.”

Join me, Shawna Krueger, and today’s special guest, Rasa Lukosiute for an episode on meditation and tapping into your intuitive nature. 

Rasa is the voice of Pura Rasa, and the writer and editor of extremely moving and popular guided meditations on YouTube channel which has a community of over 371k. 

I am a member of that community and have been meditating with Rasa for years!

Rasa is also a qualified life coach and a yoga teacher. She was born and raised in the west of Lithuania which shares a unique dialect and beautiful landscapes, Rasa believes Lithuania nurtured and prepared her to create and to offer the content found on Pura Rasa. 

Today we discuss all things meditation, how to meditate, Rasa’s creative process, spiritual awakening and nature. This episode will leave you feeling connected and remembering the magic that is all around us. 

Please drop me a RATING and SUBSCRIBE, it is extremely helpful, thank you!!

Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam email list to stay up to date on giveaways and L&S news. Plus, get immediate access to the free week-long 6am Club training:

Join the fam.

Pura Rasa Guided Meditations on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@purarasa 

Find Rasa Lukosiute on Instagram: 

@pura.rasa

Rasa’s App:

onelink.to/ym5uae

Message me on instagram:

@shawnakru

Upcoming Retreats:

https://shawnakru.com/retreats/

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:20 Agenda

4:30 How Rasa got her start using her voice.

6:10 My voice was never lost, even if I was powerless

8:45 Tips for sharing work that comes from the soul. 

9:30 All work is one, all work is from the heart, there is no separation. 

11:45 We are never disconnected.

13:40 Rasa’s creative process.

16:00 What makes an idea important?

18:00 How to grow your connection with your intuition.

23:30 Nature is the loudest voice. Trees as antennas. 

25:00 Accepting your voice. 

26:20 Striking things that have happened as a result of Rasa’s meditations: connection to people who have passed, manifestations, healing… 

29:50 How to start and stick with a meditation habit. 

34:00 What is meditation? 

37:10 Things to keep in mind while meditating. 

39:30 What makes a fantastic leader? Empathy and care. Be the example. 

42:15 Billboard message: Remember that your word is the most important thing that you have. 

Join me, Shawna Krueger, for an episode on why purpose is a state of being, not a thing or an activity. 

This episode on finding purpose is supposed to feel reassuring and put you in a good mood. It makes me sad to see people really stressed about their purpose when it’s already been there all along. Purpose can only truly be found in deep presence. Today we discuss how to simplify to see clearly, how to take the weight off your shoulders and change your state, how to have more time to think about your purpose… or feel like you have more time… and how service can give you momentum. 

If you are feeling down and out about your purpose and place in life, I’m here to show you what you already have within you. Just relax, get present, and be prepared to look with new eyes and a fresh attitude.

Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam email list to stay up to date on giveaways and L&S news. Plus, get immediate access to the free week-long 6am Club training:

Join the fam.

Message me on instagram:

@shawnakru

Join my upcoming retreat:

https://shawnakru.com/retreats/

Purchase a my new guided journal:

https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/ 

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:44 Shawna’s four laws of purpose. 

5:10 Hello other entrepreneurs and wanna be entrepreneurs 

8:00 What is lounging? Storytime.

11:40 Agenda

15:30 Your purpose is already there. Richard Rudd quote from the Gene Keys. 

18:47 What being present does to your feeling of purpose. 

21:26 How to truly practice being present?

24:00 Simplify to see clearly. Clarity.  

27:30 Set something down and change your state. 

30:55 Time is a feeling. Change how you feel to get more time. 

35:30 How do I start connecting to my purpose?

38:17 If you make others feel connected, needed and significant, that will be returned to you.

41:30 Visiting prior versions of myself.

44:11 Rio Chirripo retreat

45:00 My new guided journal

Join me, Shawna Krueger and my guest, Manuel Oria, for an episode on the art of teaching yoga. Manuel is my OG Ashtanga teacher, an international yoga teacher trainer, and a musician.

Tune in to hear practical tips on creativity and comfort while teaching, setting class rhythm, comedy, taking risks and delivering an experience that is truly authentic. Plus, some good laughs as Manuel shares some stories you can’t miss. 

Please SUBSCRIBE and drop me a RATING to support this show if you have enjoyed today’s interview with Manu. Thank you!!

Join the Leadership and Yoga Fam email list to stay up to date on giveaways and L&S news. Plus, get immediate access to the free week-long 6am Club training:

Join the fam.

Message me on instagram:

@shawnakru

Find Manuel Oria on instagram:

@manuel0ria

Manuel’s website and yoga teacher training info — this is the only YTT I recommend!! 

https://www.manueloria.com/ 

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:21 Quitting my job to train with Manuel and becoming a full-time yoga teacher.

04:15 Agenda.

04:46 Teaching yoga as an art form and service.

9:50 Starting teaching yoga and reading students.

11:50 Who to take feedback from?

14:00 How to get comfortable in front of the room, natural talent versus gaining confidence over time.

17:00 Detaching from what a yoga teacher “should” be.

24:00 Reinventing yourself on the spot to teach ANY group.

27:30 Taking risks while teaching and comedy in class.

35:00 What’s a yoga voice?

38:00 Rhythm in class.

44:00 Ashtanga yoga.

47:00 Experience, theory and mistakes.

49:00 How to know when you are ready to teach.

52:30 Simplify it, and really put some groove in it. 

53:50 What makes an excellent yoga teacher.

55:00 Billboard message: Let your practice speak for itself. Don’t say, do.