On Air by Yoga For First Responders

What if the experiences that seem completely unrelated are actually what make you uniquely qualified to do what you do? In this episode of YFFR On Air, we're sharing a recording of Olivia's talk at a Women in Business event hosted by our local Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. Speaking about career evolution and transitioning between industries, Olivia shares how her unexpected journey from ballet dancer and performer to yoga teacher, neuroscience-informed educator, and founder of Yoga for First Responders shaped the work she does today. Her performance background helped her become a confident teacher and public speaker. Her dance training introduced her to movement and the body. And her experiences along the way helped her develop a unique approach to supporting first responders. Olivia calls this your “niche of one” — the combination of experiences, skills, and perspectives that makes you uniquely capable of doing what you do. In this talk, Olivia explores: Finding value in experiences that once seemed unrelated Recognizing transferable skills when transitioning careers Knowing when it's time to move on from something you're good at Turning unexpected life experiences into new opportunities Understanding why you're never truly starting from scratch Whether you're considering a career change, navigating an unexpected transition, or figuring out what's next, this talk is a reminder that everything you've learned along the way has the potential to become part of your next chapter. You have your own niche of one. Don't undervalue it. Learn more about Yoga for First Responders: 🌐 https://yogaforfirstresponders.org

Every YFFR instructor started in the same place: day one of instructor school. In this From the Vault episode, we revisit three years of On Air conversations with YFFR Trainees and Instructors. Each of these 4 conversations describes what instructor school did for them, and what it could do for you. In this episode: Debbie Stiesmeyer, law enforcement officer and YFFR instructor, on the aftermath of a double homicide call, turning her guest bathroom into a hot yoga studio during COVID, and why breath work belongs on every officer's tool belt. Firefighters from the Developing Tactical Resilience cadre, recorded the morning after a 24-hour training. New instructor Patrick "Armie" Armitage talks about the strength in stillness, and Tuna explains how one question, "challenge or threat?", reframed his universe. Maggie Eastman and Sarah Hall, two breast cancer survivors who met on the mat at instructor school. Maggie shares the moment her mind and body stopped being at war, and how instructor school changed the direction of her career. Eric Brenneman and instructor Rachel Warmath on going from terrified to confident as a new teacher, why we require recorded practice classes, and the 400-plus-instructor community you join when you certify. Content note: Debbie's segment describes the aftermath of a homicide call involving two young children. Please listen with care. Interested in finding your own Instructor School story? Our next in-person instructor school is March 1–5, 2027 at the Bernalillo County Training Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. You don't need to be a yoga teacher, just ready to do the work for yourself first. Register: yogaforfirstresponders.org/instructor-school Learn more about our on-demand training app, online courses and in-person training at yogaforfirstresponders.org.

What if the biggest thing standing between a great wellness tool and the first responders who need it isn't the tool itself? It might be the language. The culture. The way it's introduced. In this week's Quickcast, Olivia walks through what 13 years of teaching skeptical rooms has taught her, and explains why she's opening 100 free 15-minute calls for yoga teachers, clinicians, peer support members, chaplains, wellness coordinators, and anyone else trying to bring wellness, resilience, or stress management tools to first responders. Bring your roadblock: agency access, leadership buy-in, resistance in the room, or language that isn't landing. Olivia brings what she's learned, and what she hears from all 100 conversations will help shape what YFFR does next. 👉 Request a conversation with Olivia: https://forms.gle/ktYkXz6LsD9KrKkj9 Interested in joining us and bringing these tools to your community? Public registration is open for In-Person Instructor School, March 1–5, 2027, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Learn more at yogaforfirstresponders.org/instructor-school

What happens when you walk into a room full of first responders and nobody asked for yoga? That's the question at the heart of this week's Quickcast. When Olivia first began bringing yoga into firehouses, police departments, academies, and other public safety spaces, she quickly learned that teaching yoga wasn't the hardest part. The real challenge was earning the trust of a room that might be skeptical, resistant, or simply wondering why they were there in the first place. In this episode, Olivia shares what more than a decade and 40+ Instructor Schools have taught her about teaching first responders — and why effective YFFR instruction requires much more than knowing yoga poses. She talks about learning to understand first responder culture, translating yoga into tools that address problems people already care about, and why credibility, communication, adaptability, and the ability to read the room can matter just as much as the protocol itself. Whether you're an experienced yoga instructor wondering how to work with first responders, or a first responder considering bringing YFFR into your own agency, this episode offers a look at what Instructor School is really designed to teach. In this episode: Why teaching yoga to first responders is fundamentally different from teaching in a traditional yoga studio What it means to "earn the room" Why first responder credibility and existing relationships are such a powerful asset What to expect from YFFR Instructor School Interested in Instructor School? Public registration for our 2027 open Instructor School opens October 1, 2026. The in-person school will take place March 1–5, 2027, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Learn more at yogaforfirstresponders.org/instructor-school For more information and resources, visit yogaforfirstresponders.org . Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review to support our mission!

What happens when the skills you train actually show up when you need them most? In this episode of Yoga for First Responders On Air, Olivia sits down with longtime YFFR instructor, trainer, board member, veteran, and former U.S. Marshal John Wojtowicz for a conversation recorded on the 25th anniversary of 9/11. John’s path to yoga didn’t start with a desire to become a yoga instructor. It started with a problem many first responders know all too well: he couldn’t sleep. After losing a close friend and teammate to suicide, John spent several years struggling with sleep before eventually walking into his first yoga class in 2009. What happened at the end of that class changed the trajectory of his practice — and eventually led him to YFFR. More than 15 years later, John has taken those practices far beyond the yoga studio. He now incorporates breathwork into peer support, Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), work with veterans, and his own approach to recovery and performance. In this conversation, Olivia and John explore what it means to train the nervous system the same way we train any other operational skill — until the response becomes automatic. In this episode, we talk about: The yoga class that finally helped John sleep Why first responders are often skeptical of anything that doesn’t immediately demonstrate practical value The tactical applications of breathwork, movement, and nervous system regulation Why John starts with just two minutes when introducing breathwork The idea of “autonomic fitness” and what it could look like in public safety training Why the goal isn't to make difficult situations easy, but to become more capable within them John’s story is a powerful reminder that the goal of this work isn't to make life stress-free. It's to train ourselves so that when life gets hard, we have more tools available to meet it. *One factual correction from the conversation: John referred to Mohamed Atta as the “20th hijacker” in discussing a high-threat trial in Alexandria, Virginia. Atta was actually the lead hijacker and one of the 19 men who carried out the September 11 attacks. The individual tried in Alexandria in connection with the 9/11 conspiracy was Zacarias Moussaoui, who was later sentenced to life in prison. We’re including this clarification here to ensure the historical record is accurately represented.* Don't forget to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast: yogaforfirstresponders.org Instagram: @yogaforfirstresponders Facebook: www.facebook.com/YogaForFirstResponders/