I ran a marathon once… Yup, exactly one time. That was my first and it will be my last. But some people LIVE FOR IT! In many cases, these marathoners train year after year all year long. Then, they add in biking and swimming and call it a party! Yes, I’m talking about that unique beast: the triathlete. I never really knew how dedicated you have to be to participate in a triathlon. Nor did I realize how much training is involved. Then I met Louise Croxson. I have had the privilege of working...

It took me a long time to realize how much I could accomplish simply by putting my mind to it. I never really believed in my potential. And then sometimes when I did consider the incredible things I was manifesting, I failed to take a step back and appreciate how it was my focused attention that brought about all that positive change. The entire time I was comparing myself to others that were “farther along” the path instead of walking my own. And now, for the first time in a long time, I...

I never really thought a walk in nature was yoga, but it’s true. Any gateway to a mindful side is all a part of the practice. When Annie Carpenter mentioned this to me, it got me curious about other areas that bring us there. You see, Annie has this gift; she’s been teaching for a while and, in my opinion, is one of the titans. She has this special way of inviting you into your body without taking you fully out of the experience. She balances this fine line with grace and ease. It’s truly...

Being a member of the LGBT+ community has made for some interesting plot twists in my life! It has obviously shaped me in a big way. And, like many of you, there have been a number of times during which I felt unsafe just for being who I am. This has happened as a young man and as an adult. Yoga was one of the places I did feel safe. I recently led a workshop on fostering LGBT+ yoga communities from the lens of my journey, but I know that there are so many amazing queer voices out there. As I...

One of the greatest honors in this life is to witness my friends inside their growth process. I often get to see them step into their authentic truth, which is such a gift! Being allowed in to see someone’s life and to hear of all the twists and turns on their path is pretty damn special. This week's podcast is Part 2 of a check-in with one of my best buds, Rocky Heron @rockyheron. It had been a minute since we’ve podcasted, so we gave each other some air to talk about what is new in each...

My mind is still blown by the reality of my opening a yoga studio in San Francisco. I took a moment and reflected back on all the things that have gotten me to this place and this space -- All the boxes I thought I needed to check. All the yoga teachers whose voices I borrowed until I found the power of my own. And, you know what? I wouldn’t take any of it back, because it’s gotten me to this place of deeply knowing my truth and passion. There’s no way around it: I love building community and...

Are you tired?! I’m talking EXHAUSTED to the point of wanting to break down…I know how you feel. I’ve been there and you’ve seen it! This past year has been a crazy one and I’ve been practicing all of my yoga tools to bring my best self to you. I feel like the last few weeks I’ve been sleeping more, taking more breaks and trying to prevent burning out. So this episode came at the PERFECT time! Danielle Ryan Broida gave some insight on really cool ways on how to take care of ourselves and have...

How many times have you heard yourself saying “HARD WORK.” Rather let me rephrase that, how many times have you heard me say, “I AM WORKING HARD''. I never once stopped to bother and think, “Why can’t the work be work but not hard all the time?”. Like why is it I have to create even its tone that it’s difficult? Tracee Stanley blew my mind when she brought me to the realization that it doesn’t always have to be hard. That we, in fact, deserve to rest. How many times did I have to burn out to...

It’s HARD being human!!!!! Am I right? Navigating what labels society assigns you, navigating the way that others see your physical body (and the way that you see your physical body), navigating any depression or anxiety that comes along with that... You get where I’m going with this, right? I recently had an email come through thanking me for being so courageous and real in my storytelling. It’s important in my teaching and leadership to be authentically me so that others feel seen and...

We call them stories. Or shadows. Sometimes even trauma. We give many names to our life experiences, the ones that have shaped us for the better or worse. Mine include a laundry list of drugs, alcohol and self-inflicted harm. I did most of that, because I truly believed I didn’t deserve any better. I felt that way for a long, long time until I decided to get to know my pain. My shadow and trauma work started in yoga. The practice gave me the container to feel safe enough to hold what was...

Knowing that I’ve found my passion and what I believe to be my dharma has been a gift; however, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have made it this far without the guidance of my mentors. I’ve studied myself long enough to know that I can only get so far on my own. When I want to go further, I call on the support and insight from those who have walked the path before me. I not only call on my mentors, but I also call on those loved ones who will call me out on my shit and help keep me honest....

I’m injured…. again. Yoga isn’t feeling good in my body (at least flow yoga anyway). I have a little bit of blame on ZOOM, but I do take full responsibility for my current injuries. It’s my own dang fault for not learning when to take a break. I often preach to students that you can make the practice yours by adjusting the intensity and I have never really thought about making that choice in my teaching practice. Why not give myself permission and lead by example? I feel like my injury came...

The T-word is out this week! TRAUMA... We've all got it. And although it's sometimes hard to talk about, it's important to acknowledge it. I'd never heard of Jennifer Harper before, but this wonderful human is helping kids and adults unpack this thing we call trauma. And she is getting us a bit more in tune with what's going on inside of ourselves. This is one of those episodes where I sat back and took notes the entire time! Listen, learn, and enjoy! Follow Jennifer on Instagram...

I've always considered myself an asana-based teacher. And, for the most part, I just “get it” when it comes to postural alignment. As a vinyasa junkie, I am always looking for new ways to apply modern movement science to the way I teach classes and lead my yoga teacher trainings. My teaching completely changed a few years back thanks to the lovely human behind Yoga Deconstructed®. She made me fall in love with asana all over again! If you're not following Trina Altman @trinaaltman, you should...

You have probably been able to tell that a big part of my journey recently is the practice of anti-racism. It took me a while to realize how much simply presenting as white can shape and change someone’s daily life. This realization has helped me learn and grow and it has also shifted the way I run a few things in my life. One of the things I'm fully committed to is opening up gateways to bring more yogis of all colors into the fold. One way I’m excited to do right away is to use my platforms...

Looking back at 2020, the thing I can recall most was my depression in the middle of last summer and how badly I wanted out... no matter what it took. I knew I was either going to do something incredibly self-destructive or something that would change my life for the better. I sat with this choice and came to the conclusion that I was worthy of better. In fact, I knew I deserved it. It's not easy, but I took the necessary steps to change up my routine and simplify my life. And this podcast...

There are some big changes happening over in the land of Danni Pomplun. This week on the show I'm interviewed by the one and only Steven Andrew @stevenandrewyoga. Some of you might know Steven as my go-to sub when I can't be with you for class. He's definitely saved the day a few times in my life and has definitely been a true support when I needed it. He's not only seen the evolutions of my own life but also of the community as well. I feel really comfortable with Steven and he got me to...

Richie Bostock has popped in and out of my world for a little over a year now. My friends over at Fierce Calm @fiercecalm mentioned that we HAD to sync up and I am so happy we did. As one does, we got him to come on the podcast to chat with us about his wellness path. He brings breath work practice into the day to day similarly to how I bring yoga into the day to day. It's always interesting for me to hear what tools have been successful in helping others to achieve balance, grounding, and...

Oh wow... Y'all this episode is a doozy. Listen, when I say something is tough for me, it's REALLY tough for me. In this week's Seeker+Sage, I share about living through one of my WORST NIGHTMARES. Even while opening up about this moment in my life, I quickly started to feel that dreadful shame monster creeping in. You know the one... The one that causes anxiety, internalized judgment, and debilitating fear... Ugh, I hate that thing! Gawd! Luckily, I was quickly reminded that I AM HUMAN by...

And the podcast is back! Phew! Getting back from my two-week break and I'm feeling pumped. The first show of the year features Adam Carney from Yoga East+West. Truthlyfully. I have been dying to talk to another teacher about their experience with online yoga teacher training since this whole Covid thing struck. Adam runs a well know teacher training company that I truly respect and admire. He offers a solid quality product, experience, and journey for new students looking to become teachers....

Rocky joins me on this LAST episode of the year! In this episode of Dharma Dudes we get into IT! We unpack the ups and downs of this past year including COVID, the yoga world transition, the election outcome and share the truth as we see it! You will hear our raw truth of how we feel about this past year. Listen now! Follow Rocky on Instagram: @rockyheron MUSIC: Process by 92elm SUPPORT THE SHOW: If you find this podcast valuable you can support it directly by...

This episode features one of my favorite collaborations. We partner with Fierce Calm who is a non-profit organization, sharing community yoga saved my life stories, and supporting charities which make yoga accessible to all. Melanie is an ambassador for Fierce Calm and shares her #yogasavedmylife story during this episode. Melanie started teaching yoga in Afghanistan to military service members and civilians. She then got certified in Thailand, while there she was eating clean, and...

I have a gift for you in today’s episode! It’s a quick 10 minute meditation to get you grounded wherever you are! Do it at home, at the park, at the beach, or anywhere! This meditation will help you drop in, reset, create awareness, and find expansion. You can always find my meditations inside my app. Also, during the first week of December I’m hosting a reset workshop for your body called Nourish + Unwind. It’s a great way to build these practices for yourself so that you can live a more...

Paul Teodo is on the show today and is an amazing world traveler, yoga teacher, meditation teacher and musician from the USA who left American and moved to Bali. He shares how he may never return and goes into detail about his experience. This is such a cool conversation about his life living abroad, especially given the special circumstances we are in right now. Paul also shares his perspective about what it’s like living in Bali and teaching yoga. This episode may convince you to move away!...