Living Your Yoga - embodied wisdom with Shirlee Williams
This isn’t your average yoga podcast.
Living Your Yoga – Embodied Wisdom is where real life meets real practice—no filter, no fluff, no forced enlightenment.
I’m Shirlee—yoga teacher, breathwork facilitator, and mentor to yoga teachers who are done with performance and ready to show up as their whole, messy, magical selves.
Each week, we explore how yoga lives beyond the mat—through stories, soul talk, deep breaths, and occasional sass. From parenting and partnership to pigeon pose and panic attacks, this podcast is about the real practice: how we show up when life gets loud, uncertain, or beautifully ordinary.
Expect a little wisdom, a little humor, and a whole lot of heart.
Whether you’re a longtime yogi or yoga-curious human just trying to make it through Monday, you’re welcome here.
Take a breath. Let’s begin.
Living Your Yoga - embodied wisdom with Shirlee Williams
Fresh Eyes, Fresh Cues
Hey friends—welcome back to Living Your Yoga – Embodied Wisdom Teacher Style.
Today’s conversation is for the teachers out there—but even if you don’t teach, you’ll still find something valuable here. We’re diving into beginner’s mind—what it looks like not just on your mat, but in your teaching.
After two decades of teaching (and at one point 20 classes a week!), I know firsthand what it’s like to slip into auto-pilot: giving cues by rote, teaching the same old sequence, and realizing students aren’t even really listening anymore. That’s when things get stale—for us and for them.
In this episode, I share five strategies to teach with beginner’s mind:
- Stay curious about your students—see everybody in the room as brand new.
- Simplify your cues—less is more, and presence matters.
- Treat each class like a fresh opportunity—because it is.
- Let go of outcomes—you can guide, but you can’t control the experience.
- Stay a student yourself—take classes, stay humble, and remember what it feels like to be new.
Beginner’s mind is about curiosity, presence, and letting go of attachment, whether that’s to class size, the “perfect” sequence, or your students’ outcomes. When you teach from this place, your students feel seen, your cues land with impact, and your love of teaching stays alive.
If you’re a teacher who’s feeling a little stuck, this episode is your reminder to pause, reground, and step back into the joy of teaching with fresh eyes.
✨ Share this episode with a fellow teacher, tag me on social, and let’s keep the conversation going.
And if you’re ready for mentorship, check out my 1:1 packages. 👉🏼 https://www.shirleewilliams.com/mentorship
Join the waitlist for my group program, Beyond 200, reopening January 2026. 👉🏼 https://www.shirleewilliams.com/beyond_200
Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shirleewilliamsliving/
Make sure to check out all my offerings: https://www.shirleewilliams.com/