What if fear isn't something we need to eliminate, but something we can practice moving through?
On today's episode, Ashley sits down with the wonderful Debby Siegel to talk about her winding and unexpected journey with yoga and all the ways the practice has shaped how she moves through the world.
Debby shares how a Warrior 3 in a yurt at a summer camp became the beginning of her yoga journey, how the practice carried her through divorce and major life transitions, and how a barter for a yoga teacher training eventually opened the door to teaching.
They talk about climbing, creativity, injury, aging, teaching without demonstrating, and the importance of continuing to learn. Debby shares how her meniscus injury changed the way she practices and teaches, giving her a deeper understanding of bodies that don't move the way hers always has.
Ashley and Debby talk about fear and how Debby sees climbing as a way to “shrink your fear muscle,” and the same idea applies beautifully to yoga: we encounter something that scares or challenges us, we breathe, we stay curious, and we discover that maybe we're capable of more than we thought.
At the heart of this conversation is Debby's belief that she'll never stop being a student. Yoga doesn't ask us to arrive. It keeps giving us opportunities to grow, change, listen, and learn.
In this episode, topics of conversation include:
How Debby found yoga during a major life transition. The Warrior 3 that started it all. Why “the ego brought me in”. Yoga as more than fitness. Shrinking your fear muscle. Creativity and the labels we inherit. The importance of being a lifelong student. How injury changed Debby's practice and teaching. Teaching without demonstrating. Refining our language as teachers. Finding a teacher who speaks to you. Yoga, community, and relationship. Debby's relationship with Yoga Alliance. Kindness, gratitude, and what we put out into the world
Connect with Debby on social media: @debby_yogogirls
Thank you for listening. <3
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com
