223 - Choosing Your Responses to Life's Challenges w/Rodrigo Souza

We're joined today by Rodrigo Souza, a teacher of adaptive and accessible yoga. He shares his evolutionary journey since sustaining a life-changing spinal cord injury at the age of 33, paralyzing him from the chest down. Some episode highlights:Embracing imperfection and overcoming the fear of sharing your voiceIdentity is not fixed and can evolve after life-altering eventsYoga can be a powerful tool for healing and cultivating self-compassion.Choose your response to life's challenges with grace and curiosity.Creating a safe and inclusive space is essential for yoga teachers to facilitate personal growth and self-discovery in their students.Being loud and advocating for inclusivity in the yoga community is crucial for making yoga accessible to all individuals.Chair yoga as a valuable practice that can make yoga accessible to disabled individuals, providing them with the physical and mental benefits of the practice.Serving the disabled community through yoga can be a rewarding experience that allows teachers to learn and grow in their own practice.Connect with Rodrigo through his website or Instagram. Chapters00:00Introduction and Purpose01:02The Power of Connection02:13Language and Voice03:11Overcoming Fear of Speaking05:25Vulnerability and Sharing Your Voice08:07Embracing Imperfection09:50Love and Changing Relationships10:54Identity and Life Transformations17:22The Reality of Time18:30Learning Swedish and Embracing Culture21:13Shifting Identity After Injury23:11Yoga as a Tool for Healing25:50Choosing Your Path and Embracing Change27:07Navigating Difficult Times with Grace29:05Cultivating Self-Compassion32:38Choosing Your Response to Life's Challenges36:15Finding Ease and Effort in Yoga39:29The Beginning of a Yoga Journey44:31Defining Spirituality45:45Spirituality and the Collective47:02Finding Spirituality through Yoga49:20Yoga for All Bodies52:09Challenging Ableism in Yoga57:47Expanding Yoga Practices Worldwide01:03:31Facilitating Yoga for Disabled Individuals01:09:13The Responsibility of Yoga Teachers01:11:31Grief and Yoga01:18:08Moving Softly and Befriending Emotions01:26:10Yoga as a Tool for Self-Acceptance01:28:04The Gift of Yoga01:29:00Creating a Safe Space01:30:31Being Loud and Inclusive01:31:30Chair Yoga and Accessibility01:33:10Learning from Each Other01:33:45Teaching Yoga to Disabled Folks01:36:35Serving the Disabled Community01:37:03Embodying the PracticeWeekly stories by email from Bonnie’s HERE Connect with Bonnie: Instagram, Email ([email protected]), WebsiteListen to Bonnie's other podcast Sexy Sunday HERE The music for this episode is Threads by The Light Meeting. Produced by: Grey Tanner