Slow Down & Tune In
I want to share a moment that stayed with me after teaching a yoga class recently. It wasn’t dramatic. No conflict. Just a comment I overheard but it revealed something much deeper about how many of us have been conditioned to move through the world.
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I was subbing a yoga class
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A student mentioned he couldn’t really “get into all the jargon” to his friend who actually has attended my class several times.
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At first glance, that’s easy to dismiss when you’ve been teaching nearly two decades
- But instead of brushing it off, I sat with it.”
Was It Really About the Jargon?
What happens when choice feels harder than being told what to do?
In this reflective solo episode, Andrea Claassen—yoga teacher of 19 years—shares a moment from a recent yoga class that opened a deeper conversation about autonomy, embodiment, and why so many of us feel uneasy when invited to listen to our own bodies.
A student’s comment about “too much jargon” revealed something more profound: a discomfort with choice itself. Andrea explores how modern yoga, fitness, and wellness often prioritize compliance over self-trust—and why that approach stops working, especially in perimenopause and midlife.
This episode is for women who are tired of rigid rules, one-size-fits-all programs, and constantly outsourcing their inner knowing. It’s an invitation to slow down, tune in, and reclaim yoga as a practice of discernment—not obedience.
In This Episode, We Explore:
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Why “too much jargon” often isn’t really about language
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The nervous system’s relationship to structure, rigidity, and choice
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How being told what to do can feel safer than listening inward
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Why Andrea’s teaching style prioritizes embodiment over uniformity
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The connection between yoga autonomy and life off the mat
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How perimenopause invites deeper listening and self-trust
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Why yoga shouldn’t train us to ignore our body’s signals
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The difference between discipline and discernment
Key Themes & Takeaways
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Yoga is not about doing it “right”—it’s about learning to listen
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Choice can feel threatening when we’ve been conditioned to follow scripts
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Embodied practices support nervous system regulation in midlife
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Trusting your body is a skill that must be practiced
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Yoga is preparation for life, not performance on a mat
Who This Episode Is For
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Women 35+ navigating perimenopause or burnout
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Yoga students who feel disconnected from their bodies
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Teachers rethinking traditional, rigid yoga models
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Anyone craving slower, more intuitive movement
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Those ready to trust themselves again
“Most of the class wasn’t about language at all. It was about listening.”
This is a great place to normalize:
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Some people truly want structure
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Some nervous systems feel safer with rigidity
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This isn’t a judgment—it’s an observation
The Discomfort of Choice
Name it clearly:
“What he didn’t like wasn’t the words. It was the choice.”
My Teaching Philosophy
My values:
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Fewer rules
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Less rigidity
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More internal authority
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More honesty
Bringing Yoga Off the Mat
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How often women ask:
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“Am I doing this right?”
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“What should I be doing?”
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How fitness, wellness, and even spirituality can become another form of outsourcing wisdom
You might say:
“If yoga only teaches us how to follow instructions better, then we’ve missed the point.”
Closing Reflection + Gentle Invitation
Offer a few questions listeners can sit with:
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Where in my life do I crave being told what to do?
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Where am I afraid to listen to my body?
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What might happen if I trusted myself just a little more?
“This way of teaching and living won’t be for everyone. But for those of you who feel a quiet ache for more honesty, more slowness, more inner authority… I see you. And I’ll keep teaching for you.”
About the host
Andrea Claassen is a yoga teacher, strength coach, and Ayurvedic practitioner with nearly two decades of experience supporting women through stress, burnout, and the perimenopause transition. Her work blends strength training, yoga, seasonal rhythm, and Ayurveda to help women feel capable, calm, and connected in their bodies.
✨ If this resonates, you may enjoy my 5 Day Stillness Challenge or taking my Perimenopause Support Quiz both designed to help you slow down, tune in, and reconnect with your inner rhythm during this season.
