Show Notes
In this episode, Jivana Heyman speaks with yoga teacher and spiritual guide, Shanna Small, about accessibility, mantra, and yoga philosophy. Their conversation highlights the importance of integrating yogic teachings into everyday life and finding a personal yoga practice that is intuitive and joyful.
Shanna opens up about the challenges of navigating abusive yoga lineages, the awakening that followed her physical injury, and how the murder of George Floyd propelled her into social justice work through the lens of yoga. Shanna shares her passion for mantra and spiritual practice, emphasizing how deeply these tools can transform our minds and lives.
In the Question and Answer segment, Jivana and co-host, Deanna Michalopolous, share listener comments and questions, including a question about next steps for yoga teachers interested in offering accessible/adaptive yoga. Jivana shares resources for ongoing training and highlights the importance of learning from students and other yoga teachers.
Topics Covered:
Shanna’s history with and transition away from Ashtanga Yoga
The Vedic tradition of chanting mantra
Healing from abuse in yoga lineages
Embodying yogic principles as a form of social justice
Applying the yoga principles in everyday life
The revolutionary power of yoga
Check Out:
Shanna’s weekly group, The Householder’s Guide to Yoga
Accessible Yoga Podcast episode with Melissa Shah
The Luminous Self by Tracee Stanley
Lee Majewski’s book, Spirituality and Yoga: Bridging the Sacred and the Human, out this November. Click here for pre order link.
Upcoming Accessible Yoga Training Online, September 26 - November 7th, 2025
Upcoming Accessible Yoga Trainings In-Person: Santa Barbara, August 1-3, 2025 and London, August 15-17, 2025
Join the Accessible Yoga Community Facebook Group
Join the Accessible Yoga Ambassador & Mentorship Program
We Want to Hear from You!
What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga
Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!
Connect with Shanna:
Shanna Small is a yoga educator and spiritual teacher with over two decades of experience in the field. Her work centers on accessibility, social justice, and the deep wisdom of yoga philosophy. Rooted in the Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, and Vedic teachings, Shanna guides students beyond the surface into embodied transformation. She is the creator of Householder’s Guide to Yoga, a program that helps modern seekers integrate ancient wisdom into daily life. Through her teaching, Shanna invites us to remember that yoga is not just a practice on a mat, but a way of life.
shannasmallyoga.com | @shannasmallofficial
Connect with Jivana:
Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org
www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman
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Credit: Mikus Dharma (they/them), AY Podcast Sound Engineer
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