When Relaxation Backfires: The Triggers Yoga Teachers Miss w/ Liz Albanis

Have you ever shared something on socials you genuinely believe in, only to have a whole bunch of strangers come out of the woodwork to tell you how wrong, judgmental, and apparently TERRIBLE you are? Well, I recently got a taste of what that's like. After sharing a spicy opinion about Halloween-themed yoga classes, I found myself at the center of a social media witch hunt. We're talking hundreds of thousands of views, a comment section crawling with trolls, and some of the nastiest things strangers have ever said to me. So, in this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of "the incident," sharing what it actually felt like to go viral for ALL the wrong reasons, and the seven lessons that helped me survive being scorched on social media. We're getting into: 🎃 The Halloween yoga class PSA that had over 300,000 views in 24 hours and sent the internet into an absolute FRENZY. 🧙‍♀️ What I actually said, what people thought I said, and the important distinction that got completely lost in translation. 🎭 What my years of performing (sometimes practically naked) on the Las Vegas Strip taught me about being publicly judged. 🔥 Why the people you turn to when you're under fire can make a HUGE difference in what happens next. 👀 The unexpected thing happening inside my yoga teaching business while strangers were busy roasting me in the comments. 🚪 How a fellow yoga teacher helped me see this entire experience as a threshold rather than a catastrophe. 💎 The uncomfortable question I had to ask myself about my OWN communication, even though I still believe in my message. 📱 What hundreds of angry comments revealed about my work that I might never have discovered otherwise. 🧘‍♀️ The ancient Buddhist practice that helped me process some seriously un-yogic behavior (and why I did it for ME, not the trolls). This episode isn't really about Halloween yoga classes or internet trolls. It's about what it costs to be visible, what happens when your convictions are challenged, and how to keep using your voice when the world seems determined to silence it. If you're a yoga teacher using social media to grow your business, this is a conversation we NEED to have. So grab your broomstick, witches. We're going there. 🧹🔥

After receiving an email with 25 Yoga Class Themes for October, I decided to have a little fun and play PASS or PUMPKIN SMASH! 🎃💥 I'm reviewing all 25 suggestions, giving you my completely subjective (and occasionally spicy 😂) opinions, and sharing 7 of my own October-inspired yoga class theme ideas that weave together yoga philosophy, Buddhist stories, science, and meaningful life lessons. And the best part? You don't have to turn your yoga class into a Halloween party to make it feel relevant to the season. In this episode, we chat about: 🎃 Why your yoga class title, theme, and teaching point are NOT the same thing—and how confusing them might be making your classes feel surface-level 👻 Which of the 25 October yoga class themes get a PASS and which earn a PUMPKIN SMASH 🍂 How to use autumn, Halloween, and seasonal transitions as inspiration without making your classes feel cheesy or cliché 🎁 The unexpected connection between trick-or-treating, an ancient Buddhist story, and learning not to take things personally 🌳 What the biology of falling leaves can teach us about letting go in a way that goes WAY beyond the usual “release what no longer serves you” 🧠 How a neuroscience study about naming emotions could inspire a powerful yoga class on courage and fear 🌙 Why the phases of the moon might be one of the most beautiful metaphors for teaching wholeness and self-acceptance ✨ The surprising meaning behind the word hallow and how it could inspire a completely different approach to Halloween yoga classes

This week, I’m joined by Max Lowenstein, breathwork teacher and founder of The Breathwork Akademy, ranked the #1 breathwork community on Skool—and this conversation went ALL over the map in the absolute best way.

Do you feel like you need to create a completely new yoga sequence every time you teach in order to keep your classes interesting? Because according to longtime yoga teacher and practitioner Matthew Sweeney, constantly changing things might actually be keeping you from becoming a better teacher. This conversation originally happened YEARS ago inside my very first online yoga teacher program—and fun fact: conversations like this were actually the tiny little seed that eventually became the Master Your Yoga Teaching podcast. 🥹 So we’re bringing it out of the vault! Matthew and I sat down in Bali to talk about yoga sequencing, consistency vs. creativity, what newer teachers tend to get wrong, and what actually separates a beginning teacher from a more experienced one. Inside the episode, we chat about: ✨ Why consistency should come BEFORE creativity when you’re building yoga sequences 🔁 What actually happens when students practice the same sequence again and again—and why repetition can reduce anxiety 😬 Why constantly creating brand-new Vinyasa sequences might be entertaining your students more than teaching them 🏔️ How to create an intentional arc in your classes without trying to cram every posture, anatomical action, or idea into one sequence ⚖️ Why your classes should include things you’re good at AND things you’re not so good at 👀 The surprising skill Matthew believes may be the most important skill a yoga teacher can develop 🗣️ The three stages teachers often move through—from talking and demonstrating EVERYTHING to eventually creating enough space for students to practice without you 😂 Why humor can help you stay alive and present when you’ve taught Triangle Pose for approximately the 9,847th time 🧘‍♀️ How repetition gives you the freedom to refine your cueing, observe your students, and become more responsive instead of simply performing your class plan 🚪 Why Matthew loves set sequences with open doors—structure that still leaves room for adaptation, intuition, and choice Whether you’ve been teaching for six months or sixteen years, this conversation is an invitation to look at your teaching with fresh eyes. Connect with MaKenzie Your Next Class Plan Is Waiting for You - Swipe Your FREE Sample of Theme Weaver Weekly Design Dynamic Sequences FAST - Grab Your Copy of the Pose Bible Here Do you want MaKenzie on your show? Let's get it booked here. #YogaRetreat #YogaRetreats #YogaRetreatPlanning #YogaRetreatLeader #YogaRetreatBusiness #HostAYogaRetreat #YogaRetreatTips #YogaRetreatMarketing #RetreatPlanning #RetreatLeader #RetreatBusiness #WellnessRetreat #WellnessRetreats #YogaTeacher #YogaTeachers #YogaTeaching #YogaTeacherTips #YogaTeacherLife #YogaTeacherBusiness #YogaBusiness #YogaEntrepreneur #Yogipreneur #YogaCareer #YogaEducation #YogaMarketing #MarketingForYogaTeachers #BusinessForYogaTeachers #OnlineYogaBusiness

Prefer to practice on YouTube? Watch here. When you catch yourself wishing you were a little less sensitive, a little more flexible, a little more like someone else... this practice is for you.