Previously, we’ve shared stories of The Yoga Institute’s graduates. Here we share a story of one of our faculty members on our teacher training program, Lucy Karnani.

Lucy’s catch cry is “to love and accept myself exactly as I am and to support myself in the ways that I need to be supported.”

Meet Lucy Karnani

Lucy has had quite a hodgepodge of a resume including teaching scuba diving, managing sales teams for radio stations and eventually becoming the CEO of Rogen, North America, a global training and consulting firm specialising in face-to-face communication. Let’s not forget that Lucy also has the position of a teacher at The Yoga Institute on her resume as well. AND… recently Lucy and her co-writer Jill Danks have released their first book “CONNECTING Conscious Communication for Yoga Teachers and Therapists”.

“This book is a must read for all yoga teacher trainees, yoga teachers, therapists, and trainers, regardless of their experience. It provides an invaluable resource for some of the most essentials skills required for everyone working in their field.” Michael de Manincor  

We are beyond grateful and honored to have Lucy on our faculty. Lucy teaches the Teaching and Communication Skills aspect of our Teacher Training and Yoga Therapy Course.

“I met Lucy 4 years ago and instantly fell in love with her. She is one AH-MAZING woman whom I am privileged to have in my life. Lucy has helped and supported me in so many ways both in my yoga world and my personal world, many of which she has no idea. Everyone needs connection, a small handful of inspiring, supportive and emotionally intelligent people in your life is essential. It’s a non negotiable for me. I could write a long list of all the small, and all the not so small, ways Lucy has enriched my life over the past few years but one that stands out is the importance of holding space.” Kirstie 

To hold space and sit with another in their experience is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other, ourselves, and our community.

Listen to Flow Artists podcast with Lucy

Minute by Minute

Everyone gets to busy at one point or another but this podcast is a can’t miss. Only have a few minutes each day? Not a problem! Here’s a timeline of when each topic is talked about. The perfect recipe for podcast lovers on the go!

3:27 Lucy tells us about growing up in Melbourne.
6:13 Communication as a scuba diving instructor
10:50 How can you be sure that a student has understood the full intent of your instruction?
12:07 Offering in a way that is confident
14:10 CEO of Rogen International
16:20 When did you discover yoga as a practitioner?
19:17 Laughing Club
20:35 I became quite unwell
21:11 “I got to the point where I wasn’t sick anymore”
21:52 90 days of pranayama
22:31 Studying to become a yoga teacher at Kripalu
24:00 Practicing teaching with friends/ How I fell in love with teaching yoga
25:25 Film yourself teaching, then practice along to it.
29:02 The story of the book.
33:42 “You talk, I’ll write”
35:17 The manuscript was very long “And so, we cut it in half”
37:14 The collaborative process – “You have to take your ego out of the room”
38:12 Self compassion has to be a big part of this practice
39:16 Were there different strategies to address different communicators and personality types?
40:40 The refining the definition of effective communication
45:10 “This should be a required reading for all teachers in training”
47:09 Experiential Words
49:06 Invitational Language
51:26 Trauma awareness, and erring on the side of caution
51:35 Catering to a diversity of experience
54:00 What are the differences between teaching a group, or a 1 on 1 session?
56:51 The levels of listening/ Types of Questions
59:16 Would you recommend a shorter new client form?
1:02:15 How can you use language to keep a class on track?
1:03:07 People like people who are like themselves
1:05:03 Appreciating people’s different communication styles
1:09:02 Navigating tough questions – scope of practice and setting boundaries
1:13:26 Other communication challenges
1:14:02 Have a mentor
1:15:25 Take a breath
1:17:54 How do you find a mentor?
1:22:56 The importance of self care.
1:27:22 The four levels of competency
1:28:55 Lucy’s question.
1:31:45 Picks of the week

Special Thanks To Lucy!

---

How can we support you?

Interested in Yoga Teacher Training: CLICK HERE 
Interested in Yoga Therapy Training: CLICK HERE

---

Lucy Karnani

Senior Yoga Teacher; Yoga Therapist and Teacher Trainer; Yoga Communications Coach; Teacher Mentor;
BApp Sc (Phys Ed),

Lucy Karnani
After practicing yoga for many years Lucy trained as a Yoga Teacher at the Kripalu Center in Massachusetts, USA and has continued her yoga teaching and yoga therapy studies in Australia and the USA since 2011. She has studied with Michael de Manincor; Vidya Carolyn Dell’uomo and Devarshi Steven Hartman; Ganesh, Indira and A.G. Mohan; Amy Weintraub, Leslie Kaminoff and Richard Miller; as well as with Heather Plett, developing her expertise in ‘holding space’. She feels very grateful to be able to share the wisdom and experience that she has received from these many gifted teachers, as well as from her students and clients with whom she has worked over the last eight years in both Australia and the USA.

However, Lucy had been teaching for many years before starting her yoga teaching journey. Starting from the beginning, she taught SCUBA diving, managed sales teams in radio stations throughout Australia and then managed a Health Retreat in Queensland. In the early 1990’s she joined Rogen International in Sydney, which was a global training and consulting firm specialising in face-to-face communication. Lucy went on to become a Global Partner and the CEO of Rogen, North America, having moved to the USA in 1995. The Yoga Institute is where Lucy has found her sangha (yoga community) in Australia; she brings her extensive knowledge and experience of communication skills to the training, coaching and mentoring of yoga teachers and therapists in programs offered by The Yoga Institute.

The services Lucy offers the yoga community are guided by a personal experience of the healing power of self-compassion and include: teaching classes, teaching privately, leading prana facilitation, mentoring and training communication skills for yoga teachers and yoga therapists, creating and facilitating transformational programs and coaching experienced teachers to refine their workshops and presentations. Lucy passionately believes in yoga as a system for healing and transformation of the body, mind and spirit.

She has also co-written the book “CONNECTING – Conscious Communication for Yoga Teachers and Therapists”. Lucy, her husband Ramesh, three children and two dogs live in both Australia and the USA.