August 18, 2025 • 13 mins
In this episode, I'll discuss three internal systems that shape every student’s experience on the mat, but are often left out of the conversation in yoga teacher trainings. They are: proprioception, interoception, and the vestibular system.
I'll teach you:
- What these systems are
- Why they’re essential for movement, balance, and body awareness
- How to incorporate them into your teaching, and
- Why students with injuries need this kind of teaching more than ever.
This episode is perfect if you want to deepen your understanding of the nervous system, offer more inclusive and trauma-aware classes, and help students move and feel with more confidence and clarity.
Click HERE to send me a text & let me know your thoughts on this episode!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Monica (00:00):
In this episode, I'll cover three internal systems
that shape every student'sexperience on the mat, but are
often left outta theconversation in yoga teacher
trainings.
They are proprioception,interoception, and the
vestibular system.
This episode is perfect for youif you wanna deepen your
understanding of the nervoussystem.
(00:22):
Offer more inclusive and traumaaware classes.
Help students move and feel withmore confidence and clarity.
Welcome to the EssentialConversations for Yoga Teachers
Podcast with me.
I'm Monica Bright and I've beenteaching yoga and running my
(00:42):
yoga business for over a decade.
This is the podcast for you.
If you are a yoga teacher,you're looking for support.
You love to be in conversation,and you're a lifelong student.
In this podcast, I'll share withyou.
My life as a yoga teacher, thelessons I've learned, my process
(01:04):
for building my business andhelpful ideas, tools, strategies
and systems I use and you canuse so that your business
thrives.
We'll cover a diverse range oftopics that will help you,
whether you're just starting outor you've got years under your
belt and you wanna dive deep andset yourself up for success.
(01:27):
I am so glad you're here.
Listen, I don't take myself tooseriously, so expect to hear
some laughs along the way.
Now let's do this together.
Oh, welcome back to the podcast.
I'm Monica, and I'm so gladyou're here.
Here is where we talk about theanatomy, the injuries, the
(01:51):
nervous system insights, and allthe real life knowledge You wish
had been included in your yogateacher training?
Today we're diving into a topicthat lives underneath the
surface of every yoga pose,every transition, and every
student experience.
Yet it's something many of uswere never taught to understand
(02:13):
and our foundational teachertraining.
We're talking aboutproprioception, interoception,
and the vestibular system.
Three essential sensory systemsthat shape how we move, how we
feel, and how we recover frominjury.
Even if you were taught theseconcepts in your teacher
(02:34):
training, I wonder if you weretaught how to teach them in your
classes.
I wasn't, but with someintention and practice, I
learned how to teach studentsabout these really important
internal senses that they canpractice connecting to and
increase their awareness of.
It doesn't matter what type offormats you teach, whether it's
(02:58):
flow yin chair yoga, you canincorporate these teachings into
your classes.
Let's start by breaking downeach one in simple terms, so you
start with an understanding ofwhat they are.
First is proprioception.
Proprioception is your body'sability to sense where it is in
(03:19):
space.
What allows you to touch yournose with your eyes closed or
balance in tree pose withouthaving to look at your foot?
It's not just about balance.
It's the reason students don'tfall over Every time they move
from Warrior two to let's sayhalf Moon.
It also explains why somestudents seem to struggle with
(03:43):
coordination or can't quite findalignment even when they're
looking in the mirror.
The next is interoception.
Interoception is your ability tosense what's happening inside
your body, like noticing yourbreath, your heartbeat, or that
fluttery anxious feeling in yourbelly before you teach.
(04:06):
Your classes in YogaInteroception is the gateway to
self-awareness.
It's what allows students toknow if a pose feels safe or
overwhelming.
It's also a vital component oftrauma-informed yoga because it
helps students reconnect withinternal sensations that they
(04:29):
may have learned to ignore orsuppress.
You should be helping studentslearn to become more self-aware,
not just emotionally, butphysically as well.
And the vestibular system isyour inner GPS.
The vestibular system lives inthe inner ear and is responsible
(04:50):
for spatial orientation, headposition, and balance.
It's activated in yoga.
Anytime we shift the head, thinkin forward folds, maybe in
inversions, or even simplyturning the head in seated
twists.
If you've ever had a student getdizzy when they come up from a
(05:11):
forward fold or feel off balancein downward facing dog, the
vestibular system is playing arole here.
So why is it important for youto know these terms and teach
them to your students?
It's because understanding thesesystems helps you teach more
effectively.
(05:31):
You realize that balancing posesare not just about physically
practicing more.
It could be a student'svestibular system that needs
some exercises.
Learning these concepts isespecially important for
students dealing with pain orinjury.
If you've ever experienced aninjury, you know how
(05:53):
dysregulated.
Overwhelmed and protective, youcan become about movement.
Let's say a student recoveringfrom an ankle sprain struggles
with balance poses.
Is it just muscle weakness?
Well, that's one part of it, butit's more likely proprioceptive
(06:14):
issue.
That foot is no longer sendingas strong a signal as it once
did about where it was in space.
Think about the students whopush through a practice without
knowing how they're feeling.
That's an interceptivedisconnect.
Their bodies are talking, butthey've been taught not to
(06:37):
listen or they ignore thesignals.
Their interoceptive sense isgiving them, in some cases this
leads to re-injury, regressionor burnout.
and with vestibular changes,students who get dizzy,
disoriented, or nauseous.
In certain poses when you'reable to explain why they're able
(07:00):
to understand and modify basedon this system and it can make
or break their experience inyour class.
Think student trust and studentretention.
Let's skip practical.
Now.
Here are a few ways you canstart integrating this knowledge
into your teaching.
To teach proprioception, you canoffer eyes close variations.
(07:24):
Teach familiar poses with theoption for students to close
their eyes to train spatialawareness.
You can use tactical feedbacklike blocks, straps, and walls
to help the nervous system feelits boundaries, and you can cue
directionality, use cues likepress down, reach up, or hug in
(07:48):
to develop motor control.
You may wanna pause this episodehere and write down what poses
you think you might be able toteach proprioception in to teach
interoception.
Think about pausing for internalcheck-ins.
Invite students to askthemselves, what do I notice or
(08:10):
what sensation is present rightnow?
Slow your classes down a littlebit.
Invite students to become moreinternally aware.
You can teach them to use theirbreath as a guide.
Teach students to let theirbreath inform how much they move
into or back out of a pose.
(08:32):
And you can offer multiple entrypoints, create permission for
students to modify back off orchoose another pose entirely
based on what they're feelinginside, not what they think they
should be doing, or what thestudents next to them are doing.
If you teach in a studio withmirrors, you might want to turn
(08:54):
the class around, so the mirrorsare behind the students and they
can focus on what they feel andnot what they look like.
And finally, to teach vestibularawareness.
Introduce head movementsgradually, especially in
beginners or older students.
Let them find comfort beforelayering in fast transitions or
(09:18):
inversions.
For example, tilting the headside to side in seated poses
before queuing to try it out ina more challenging pose, like a
standing balance, like treepose, for example.
Use slow transitions becausesudden changes in head
positioning can triggerdizziness.
(09:41):
Instead, cue slow mindfulmovements and teach with care
and balance poses.
Give students something visualto focus on and offer wall
support if needed.
If you've ever had a studentwith vertigo.
That's a vestibular systemissue.
I had it, and let me tell you,it is not fun.
(10:03):
It's very disorienting.
It affects balancing and morebalancing will not cure it.
When you're teaching injuredstudents, these senses are a big
deal.
When a student is injured,whether it's a sprained joint,
they've got persistent pain, orthey're still recovering and
(10:25):
relearning how to move, thesesystems are often disrupted.
The brain gets less clear inputfrom the body, and in response
it restricts.
Movement creates tension orbecomes hypersensitive.
This is where your understandingas a teacher becomes invaluable.
(10:47):
Teaching through proprioception,interoception and the vestibular
system helps to rebuild thesepathways.
It allows a nervous system torecalibrate, leading to safer
movement, increased confidenceand better long-term outcomes
for your students.
(11:07):
This is not about stretching orstrengthening, it's about
remapping the brain bodyconnection.
So here's my challenge for you.
Can you create a class that iscentered around teaching one of
these concepts?
Can you teach all aboutproprioception and help students
get a good understanding of it?
(11:29):
Instead of pushing farther inclass or offering more
challenging poses, can youcreate a space where students
come to learn about themselvesand their bodies?
Understanding anatomy,biomechanics, and the effects.
Yoga also now have on the bodyhelps you understand your
students.
If you've been enjoying theseepisodes, then I know that
(11:51):
you're a yoga teacher who'sready to teach with more
intention and less fear aroundinjuries.
Let's continue to raise the barfor how yoga supports real
bodies in real life.
It's so important for us to havethis conversation so that you
remember that students of allshapes, sizes, alignment, and
(12:13):
abilities come to your classesand you can serve.
All of them, you know that mygoal is for you to love the yoga
teaching life.
It's important to understandmovement and the issues students
come to your classes with.
Subscribe to the podcast soyou're always in the know when a
new episode drops and share itwith another yoga teacher who
(12:35):
you think would love to be in onthese conversations.
And finally, thank you forhelping to spread the word about
this podcast.
Alright, thank you forlistening.
That's it for now.
Bye.
In this episode, I'll cover three internal systems
that shape every student'sexperience on the mat, but are
often left outta theconversation in yoga teacher
trainings.
They are proprioception,interoception, and the
vestibular system.
This episode is perfect for youif you wanna deepen your
understanding of the nervoussystem.
(00:22):
Offer more inclusive and traumaaware classes.
Help students move and feel withmore confidence and clarity.
Welcome to the EssentialConversations for Yoga Teachers
Podcast with me.
I'm Monica Bright and I've beenteaching yoga and running my
(00:42):
yoga business for over a decade.
This is the podcast for you.
If you are a yoga teacher,you're looking for support.
You love to be in conversation,and you're a lifelong student.
In this podcast, I'll share withyou.
My life as a yoga teacher, thelessons I've learned, my process
(01:04):
for building my business andhelpful ideas, tools, strategies
and systems I use and you canuse so that your business
thrives.
We'll cover a diverse range oftopics that will help you,
whether you're just starting outor you've got years under your
belt and you wanna dive deep andset yourself up for success.
(01:27):
I am so glad you're here.
Listen, I don't take myself tooseriously, so expect to hear
some laughs along the way.
Now let's do this together.
Oh, welcome back to the podcast.
I'm Monica, and I'm so gladyou're here.
Here is where we talk about theanatomy, the injuries, the
(01:51):
nervous system insights, and allthe real life knowledge You wish
had been included in your yogateacher training?
Today we're diving into a topicthat lives underneath the
surface of every yoga pose,every transition, and every
student experience.
Yet it's something many of uswere never taught to understand
(02:13):
and our foundational teachertraining.
We're talking aboutproprioception, interoception,
and the vestibular system.
Three essential sensory systemsthat shape how we move, how we
feel, and how we recover frominjury.
Even if you were taught theseconcepts in your teacher
(02:34):
training, I wonder if you weretaught how to teach them in your
classes.
I wasn't, but with someintention and practice, I
learned how to teach studentsabout these really important
internal senses that they canpractice connecting to and
increase their awareness of.
It doesn't matter what type offormats you teach, whether it's
(02:58):
flow yin chair yoga, you canincorporate these teachings into
your classes.
Let's start by breaking downeach one in simple terms, so you
start with an understanding ofwhat they are.
First is proprioception.
Proprioception is your body'sability to sense where it is in
(03:19):
space.
What allows you to touch yournose with your eyes closed or
balance in tree pose withouthaving to look at your foot?
It's not just about balance.
It's the reason students don'tfall over Every time they move
from Warrior two to let's sayhalf Moon.
It also explains why somestudents seem to struggle with
(03:43):
coordination or can't quite findalignment even when they're
looking in the mirror.
The next is interoception.
Interoception is your ability tosense what's happening inside
your body, like noticing yourbreath, your heartbeat, or that
fluttery anxious feeling in yourbelly before you teach.
(04:06):
Your classes in YogaInteroception is the gateway to
self-awareness.
It's what allows students toknow if a pose feels safe or
overwhelming.
It's also a vital component oftrauma-informed yoga because it
helps students reconnect withinternal sensations that they
(04:29):
may have learned to ignore orsuppress.
You should be helping studentslearn to become more self-aware,
not just emotionally, butphysically as well.
And the vestibular system isyour inner GPS.
The vestibular system lives inthe inner ear and is responsible
(04:50):
for spatial orientation, headposition, and balance.
It's activated in yoga.
Anytime we shift the head, thinkin forward folds, maybe in
inversions, or even simplyturning the head in seated
twists.
If you've ever had a student getdizzy when they come up from a
(05:11):
forward fold or feel off balancein downward facing dog, the
vestibular system is playing arole here.
So why is it important for youto know these terms and teach
them to your students?
It's because understanding thesesystems helps you teach more
effectively.
(05:31):
You realize that balancing posesare not just about physically
practicing more.
It could be a student'svestibular system that needs
some exercises.
Learning these concepts isespecially important for
students dealing with pain orinjury.
If you've ever experienced aninjury, you know how
(05:53):
dysregulated.
Overwhelmed and protective, youcan become about movement.
Let's say a student recoveringfrom an ankle sprain struggles
with balance poses.
Is it just muscle weakness?
Well, that's one part of it, butit's more likely proprioceptive
(06:14):
issue.
That foot is no longer sendingas strong a signal as it once
did about where it was in space.
Think about the students whopush through a practice without
knowing how they're feeling.
That's an interceptivedisconnect.
Their bodies are talking, butthey've been taught not to
(06:37):
listen or they ignore thesignals.
Their interoceptive sense isgiving them, in some cases this
leads to re-injury, regressionor burnout.
and with vestibular changes,students who get dizzy,
disoriented, or nauseous.
In certain poses when you'reable to explain why they're able
(07:00):
to understand and modify basedon this system and it can make
or break their experience inyour class.
Think student trust and studentretention.
Let's skip practical.
Now.
Here are a few ways you canstart integrating this knowledge
into your teaching.
To teach proprioception, you canoffer eyes close variations.
(07:24):
Teach familiar poses with theoption for students to close
their eyes to train spatialawareness.
You can use tactical feedbacklike blocks, straps, and walls
to help the nervous system feelits boundaries, and you can cue
directionality, use cues likepress down, reach up, or hug in
(07:48):
to develop motor control.
You may wanna pause this episodehere and write down what poses
you think you might be able toteach proprioception in to teach
interoception.
Think about pausing for internalcheck-ins.
Invite students to askthemselves, what do I notice or
(08:10):
what sensation is present rightnow?
Slow your classes down a littlebit.
Invite students to become moreinternally aware.
You can teach them to use theirbreath as a guide.
Teach students to let theirbreath inform how much they move
into or back out of a pose.
(08:32):
And you can offer multiple entrypoints, create permission for
students to modify back off orchoose another pose entirely
based on what they're feelinginside, not what they think they
should be doing, or what thestudents next to them are doing.
If you teach in a studio withmirrors, you might want to turn
(08:54):
the class around, so the mirrorsare behind the students and they
can focus on what they feel andnot what they look like.
And finally, to teach vestibularawareness.
Introduce head movementsgradually, especially in
beginners or older students.
Let them find comfort beforelayering in fast transitions or
(09:18):
inversions.
For example, tilting the headside to side in seated poses
before queuing to try it out ina more challenging pose, like a
standing balance, like treepose, for example.
Use slow transitions becausesudden changes in head
positioning can triggerdizziness.
(09:41):
Instead, cue slow mindfulmovements and teach with care
and balance poses.
Give students something visualto focus on and offer wall
support if needed.
If you've ever had a studentwith vertigo.
That's a vestibular systemissue.
I had it, and let me tell you,it is not fun.
(10:03):
It's very disorienting.
It affects balancing and morebalancing will not cure it.
When you're teaching injuredstudents, these senses are a big
deal.
When a student is injured,whether it's a sprained joint,
they've got persistent pain, orthey're still recovering and
(10:25):
relearning how to move, thesesystems are often disrupted.
The brain gets less clear inputfrom the body, and in response
it restricts.
Movement creates tension orbecomes hypersensitive.
This is where your understandingas a teacher becomes invaluable.
(10:47):
Teaching through proprioception,interoception and the vestibular
system helps to rebuild thesepathways.
It allows a nervous system torecalibrate, leading to safer
movement, increased confidenceand better long-term outcomes
for your students.
(11:07):
This is not about stretching orstrengthening, it's about
remapping the brain bodyconnection.
So here's my challenge for you.
Can you create a class that iscentered around teaching one of
these concepts?
Can you teach all aboutproprioception and help students
get a good understanding of it?
(11:29):
Instead of pushing farther inclass or offering more
challenging poses, can youcreate a space where students
come to learn about themselvesand their bodies?
Understanding anatomy,biomechanics, and the effects.
Yoga also now have on the bodyhelps you understand your
students.
If you've been enjoying theseepisodes, then I know that
(11:51):
you're a yoga teacher who'sready to teach with more
intention and less fear aroundinjuries.
Let's continue to raise the barfor how yoga supports real
bodies in real life.
It's so important for us to havethis conversation so that you
remember that students of allshapes, sizes, alignment, and
(12:13):
abilities come to your classesand you can serve.
All of them, you know that mygoal is for you to love the yoga
teaching life.
It's important to understandmovement and the issues students
come to your classes with.
Subscribe to the podcast soyou're always in the know when a
new episode drops and share itwith another yoga teacher who
(12:35):
you think would love to be in onthese conversations.
And finally, thank you forhelping to spread the word about
this podcast.
Alright, thank you forlistening.
That's it for now.
Bye.
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