The Youthful Older Yogi
Yogi Host and founder of SHARE YOGA, MJ Waddell, explores staying youthful in mind and body after 50. An E-RYT 500 yoga teacher, practitioner and educator for over 25 years, she advocates for movement, creativity and not missing the best years ahead. Real conversations with wellness pros and older yogis who still Down-Dog and dig it! Two episodes a month. Become a listener and supporter https://www.buzzsprout.com/2218834/supportWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theYOY50
A Summer Yoga Playground
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How is your summer going? Are you actually taking advantage of the gorgeous weather and getting outdoors?
In this episode, we are turning the season into The Summer Yoga Playground! Give yourself permission to take your practice completely off the studio floor and step into the elements. Iâm sharing three beautifully unique ways to let your senses soak up the season right now:
The Symphony of Sound: My recent experience wi...A Rochester Summer: Shaking Up Your Practice and Trying New Things
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When was the last time you were truly excited about summer? Honestly, for me, itâs been a while. So I decided to shake things up this season, take some chances, and dedicate this summer to connection, community, and trying brand-new things.
In todayâs episode, I am coming to you from my hometown of Rochester, New York, to share the wild (and slightly cracked!) adventures of my multi-state road trip, how a dedicated breathing practice saved my nervous syst...
Summertime Yoga Ease
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Summertime... we wait for it all year, don't we? Itâs that anticipated shift when the schedules wrap up, the routines clear out, and the world invites us into a beautiful season of pure "non-doing."
In this episode, I am admitting and acknowledging that I already have that lazy summertime feelingâand I am fully embracing it! In yoga, we often talk about the delicate balance between effort and ease. We spend so much of our year locked into the "effort," but summ...
The Money Episode: How to Ask for Your Value
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Are you afraid that asking for more money makes you seem "un-yogic"?
In todayâs episode, we are pulling back the curtain on the "palm-sweating" topic of money and compensation in the wellness world. Iâm sharing my personal story of navigating a recent pay negotiation, the reality of burnout in the digital age, and why "giving it away" isn't a sustainable business model for a solo-preneur. Whether youâve been teaching for two years or twenty, itâs time to stop...
Yoga is not a Visual Practice: Moving Beyond the Mirror
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Mirrors are a familiar part of many movement spacesâbut are they helping your yoga practice, or quietly changing it?
In this episode, I share my personal experience with mirrors from my early years as a dancer to my work as a yoga teacher, and how that relationship has evolved over time.
We explore how mirrorsâand even the images we see on social mediaâcan shift our focus outward, leading us to evaluate, compare, and ju...
Weaving the Limbs of Yoga into any Class (Part 3) Dharana, Dyhana, Samadhi
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What happens when attention becomes focus⌠focus becomes flow⌠and flow becomes full absorption?
In Part 3 of this series, we explore the final three limbs of yogaâdharana (concentration), dhyana (meditative flow), and samadhi (absorption). These can feel like the most abstract limbs, but theyâre actually experiences many of us have already touchedâboth on and off the mat.
This episode breaks these concepts down into simple, relatable language you can begin to understand...
Weaving the Limbs of Yoga into any Class (Part 2) Pranayama & Pratyahara
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Breath and attention are already a natural part of most yoga classesâwe may just not always name them as such.
In Part 2 of this series, we explore pranayama (breath practices) and pratyahara, a gentle turning inward of the senses,
Many of us already cue the breath in our classes. In this episode, I share a few simple ways to take that a step further by introducing short, accessible pranayama practices like ujjayi breathing an...
Weaving the Limbs of Yoga into any Class (Part 1) Yamas & Niyamas
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Are you a yoga teacher who feels hesitant to bring philosophy into your classes?
If so, youâre not alone. Even after more than 30 years of practice and over 20 years of teaching, Iâve often stayed in the âsafe zoneâ of poses and breath. Not because the deeper teachings of yoga arenât importantâbut because I didnât always know how to share them without sounding like I was giving a philosophy lecture.
In this episode, I share how Iâm beginning...
If You're Moving You're Winning
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What can the Olympics teach us about yoga, aging, and everyday resilience?
In this episode of The Youthful Older Yogi, I reflect on watching the Games â from childhood memories of dreaming big in front of a grainy TV to witnessing the triumphs and heartbreaks of todayâs athletes.
Behind every podium moment is dedication, rebuilding, disappointment, courage, and the willingness to show up again.
And that spirit? Itâs not reserved for Olympians.
It lives...
Strong Enough to Stay Independent
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In this episode, I explore the balance between strength and flexibility and why strength becomes increasingly important for maintaining mobility, balance, and confidence in everyday life as we get older. I share simple, accessible ways to build strength in key areas that support independence, including:
Feet and ankles (for balance and gait)Legs and hips (for standing, sitting, and moving with ease)Core muscles (for posture, stability, and support)Hands, wrists, and arms (for grip strength and daily function)⨠Th...
Menopause, Change and Learning to Listen
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In this episode of The Youthful Older Yogi, MJ is joined by Trish Wager for a real, honest conversation about navigating menopauseâcomplete with unexpected twists, emotional whiplash, and moments where all you can do is laugh because⌠what else are you going to do?
Trish generously shares her personal menopause journeyâone that hasnât been easy and is still ebbing and flowingâand reflects on what it feels like when even familiar supports, including yoga, donât always help. Together, MJ and Trish...
Beginnings Matter--How We Start a Yoga Class and How We Start Anything
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How you begin a yoga class is often how you begin everything elseâa new year, a new day, or a new chapter in life.
In this episode, MJ reflects on why beginnings matter and how the first moments of a yoga class can set the tone for presence, safety, curiosity, and ease. Drawing from years of teaching experience, she explores how time of day, energy in the room, and nervous system awareness all shape the way we begin.
...
Unlearning My Way to 2026
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As the year comes to a close, this episode is a reflection on what 2025 offeredâthrough learning, unlearning, healing, and showing up again and again. Endings donât feel like endings here; they feel like space being made for whatâs next.
Unlearning as a Practice
After decades of yoga, unlearning has become just as important as learning. Letting go of absolutes, expectations, and old stories creates room for curiosity, choice, and a more honest practiceâon and off...
How Yoga Complements Fitness after 50 with Kristin Mangold
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In this episode of The Youthful Older Yogi, MJ sits down with the incredible Kristin Mangold â a captain and merchant marine, lifelong mover, and a dedicated yoga practitioner of more than 20 years. Kristen brings a grounded, approachable spirit to everything she does, and sheâs the perfect guide for todayâs conversation on weaving yoga into a full, active life.
Together, we explore how yoga complements other fitness practices â especially as we move into our 50s, 60s, and beyond. Yoga isnât me...
When Yoga Brings You to Tears
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Ever found yourself in pigeon pose thinking, âHuh⌠why am I suddenly leaking from my eyes?â Youâre not alone â and youâre definitely not broken. In this episode, we dive into the very real, very human moment when yoga unexpectedly brings up tears, tenderness, and every emotion in between.
MJ opens with a personal story about the first time she realized that crying on the mat isnât just possible â itâs common. From there, she unpacks what might be happening beneath the surfac...
Let's Not Do This Solo
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đď¸ Letâs Not Do This Solo
In this episode, MJ shares why companionship and accountability are so powerful, especially as we move into a new year of caring for our bodies, minds, and hearts. Youâll also hear a few of her stories from teaching yoga and meditation in community â and how even solo practices can create deep bonds when shared with others.
So much of what we do for our health â yoga, meditation, exercise â can feel like a solo act. But studie...
Teaching Authentically in Divided Times
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In this episode:
MJ explores what it means to stay true to yourself as a yoga teacher (and as a human being) in times that can feel divided, uncertain, and sometimes just plain loud.
Youâll hear about:
The challenge of balancing authenticity with sensitivity in the yoga roomNavigating faith, spirituality, and language around the divine in classHow to bring the yamas, niyamas, and deeper teachings of yoga into modern practice without alienating studentsWays to...Aging, Yoga & the Super-Ager Science
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In this episode of The Youthful Older Yogi, MJ dives deep into what it really means to age well â not just in years, but in purpose, vitality, and joy.
She shares the latest science on healthy aging, what researchers look for when predicting long-term wellness, and how optimism can help you live not just longer, but better longer. Â Youâll hear about:
đ§ââď¸ Why itâs never too late to start yoga â and how simple movements can improve your balance, strength, and inde...
Why I Share Yoga -- On and Off the Mat
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 When it comes to yoga, sharing what we practice, what we learn, and even what we wrestle with creates a ripple effect far beyond the mat. In this episode of The Youthful Older Yogi, MJ shares the story of how ShareYoga began, the importance of generosity in teaching, and the wisdom she continues to learn from her own practice, her students, and other teachers.
Sharing, after all, is servingâand itâs one of the most powerful poses we can take.
...
Teaching After 50
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Yoga Teaching After 50: The Tech, the Truth, and Why I Keep Going
Description:
 Back in the 80s, I was teaching aerobics in the Jane Fonda eraâyes, leotards and leg warmers included. By the mid-90s, I fell in love with yoga and soon began teaching.
Fast forward to 2025, and yoga teaching looks very different. Studios want numbers, social media wants constant content, and if youâre over 50, it can feel like youâre being l...
Is Breath Boring?
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Breathingâitâs something we do all day, every day, without thinking. But what happens when we do think about it? Turns out, the benefits are anything but boring.
In this episode of The Youthful Older Yogi, MJ explores and shares the surprising science of conscious breathing. Youâll hear:
đŹď¸ Fun facts about your amazing respiratory systemđĽ MJâs post-surgery story and why doctors gave her a spirometerđ Research comparing conscious breathing with mindfulness meditationâand why breathwork often comes out on top for boosting m...Welcome Yourself Back
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Have you ever stepped away from your yoga practiceâor any passion or routineâbecause of injury, illness, or just⌠life?
 Me too.
After living with advanced arthritis and undergoing a double hip replacement (yes, both hips!), Iâm experiencing yoga like itâs brand newâbecause in many ways, it is. In this episode, I share my story of how my asana practice changed, how I leaned into other limbs of yoga like breath and me...
Time to Nurture and Nourish
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đď¸ In this episode, MJ invites you to hit pause on your go-go-go life and say yes to something deeply restorative: the Nurture & Nourish Retreat, happening this September on beautiful Bald Head Island, NC.
Youâll hear all the details about this âOnly If You Want Toâ kind of retreatâlaid-back, low-key, and lovingly curated for women who crave rest, reconnection, and really good food. MJ and Terri share the science behind why time in nature, shared meals, community connection, and letting someo...
The Hip Chronicles--Episode # 5: Hip,Hip Hooray!
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đď¸ This episode is the big oneâSurgery Day.
In Hip, Hip Hooray, I take you behind the curtain (literally) of the operating room and share what it felt like to finally arrive at the day Iâd been mentally prepping for and nervously circling for months.
I knew it was the right choice. I had the research, the second opinions, the pre-op yoga practice, the calming breaths.
 And stillâmy heart pounded, and a very real part of...
The Hip Chronicles--Episode #4: From Om to OMG: Pre-Surgery Chronicle
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When you hit play on this, Iâll be two days post-op, resting with two brand new hips (and probably packed in ice and filled with a relaxed euphoria thanks to pain meds).
But this short episode was recorded two and a half weeks before surgery â in the thick of it. I was overwhelmed, anxious, and buried under a mountain of insurance calls and logistics. I share all of that here, honestly and unfiltered.
The Hip Chronicles --Episode #3: The Flexible Mayor: Yoga, Hips and Healing
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In this episode, I sit down with Julie Domaratz â Mayor of Fairport, NY, fellow yogi, and proud owner of two titanium hips.
 Nine years ago, Julie underwent the exact procedure Iâm about to have: a double anterior hip replacement. And let me tell you â her story is a masterclass in self-advocacy, resilience, and hope.
Julie shares:
𦴠The first signs something wasnât quite right
 đ¨ The fears and hesita...
The Hip Chronicles Episode: Episode #2 No Pain, No Clue: The Silent Hip Saga
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đď¸In this keep-it-real episode of The Hip Chronicles, I sit down with my friend and hip hero Wendy Lopez-Swiatek, who just recently had her hip replaced.
Wendy is no stranger to putting her body to workâshe was a competitive swimmer and field hockey player, and she spent 36 years as a USPS mail carrier. Yep, this womanâs hips have seriously earned their retirement package.
We talk about the real stuff no one wa...
The Hip Chronicles--Episode #1 Before the New Hips
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Episode 1: Before the New Hip â Hopes, Fears, and Weird Reactions
Welcome to the very first episode of The Hip Chronicles â where Iâm documenting my journey through hip replacement surgery with honesty, humor, and a whole lot of curiosity.
In this episode, Iâm sharing:
Why I decided to start this series (hint: itâs not just about the hip)What it feels like to face major surgery for the first timeMy biggest hopes and my very real fearsThe surprising...Teaching with Confidence
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Ever had a student quietly confess something right before classââI just had surgeryâ⌠âIâve never done yoga beforeâ⌠âI canât get up and down from the floorâ⌠or list off a medical condition youâve never even heard of? Cue internal freak-out. đł
In this episode, I share real fears yoga teachers faceâespecially when we worry we donât know enough to support our students safely. I'll share some personal stories, practical tools, and the exact words I use to help new, injured, and older s...
Yoga Guilt
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Ever felt like you're not yoga-ing hard enough? Like maybe you should be practicing more, eating differently, meditating daily, or have read the entire Yoga Sutras by now? Yeah⌠me too.
In this episode, I get real about the sneaky little voice of yoga guiltâthe one that whispers âyou shouldâŚâ whenever life pulls you in a different direction. I share some personal stories, including a time I had zero interest in rolling out my mat, the shame spiral triggered by an Ayurveda t...
The Power of Props
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Props arenât crutchesâtheyâre assistants. And guess what? Everyone needs an assistant sometimes. In this episode, I dive into the power of props and how they help us refine, support, and evolve our yoga practice.
Using a block, a strap, or a bolster isnât about taking the easy way outâitâs about making space for what works now. As our bodies change, so does our practice, and that can be tough to accept. B...
The Posture of Podcasting with Adrianne Jerrett
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In this episode, I sit down with yoga educator and fellow podcaster Adrianne Jerrett, host of All Mats Taken, a podcast that brings together online yoga teachers to share advice and wisdom on navigating the digital space.
We dive into the realities of building an online yoga presenceâsharing our wins, challenges, and the lessons weâve learned along the way. From podcasting to virtual studios, thereâs no single "right" way to...
Peak Flow with Lucinda Snyder
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In this episode, I sit down with Lucinda Synder, the inspiring founder of Peak Flow. Lucinda helps college athletes tap into the super power of their minds, enhancing their mental game both on and off the field. As a registered yoga teacher, certified in Mindfulness for Student Athletes, and a Certified Mental Mastery Coach, Lucinda brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the fields and courts.
We dive into her early years as a...
Slow Shifting with Rita Smith
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In this episode, we sit down with Rita Smith, a yoga instructor, holistic health coach, and cardiac rehab exercise specialist, to explore the power of slowing down. Rita shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with Hashimoto's in her 30s and how it forced her to embrace a slower, more intentional way of living.
As a former Type A personality, she understands firsthand how challenging it can be to shift gearsâbut she also knows the long-term benefits for overall he...
YOU DESERVE A RETREAT with MJ WADDELL & TERRI ORR
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In this episode MJ Waddell and Terri Orr invite you to join them on their NURTURE & NOURISH RETREAT.Â
A five-day, four night relaxing adventure on Bald Head Island, NC.
Bald Head Island is a two-mile journey across the Cape Fear River from Southport, North Carolina. You can reach this exquisite subtropical island only by passenger ferry or private vessel.
PRACTICING YOGA AND MEDITATION, EN...
Beginnings and Endings with MJ Waddell
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Send a voicemail with your question or thought, it might be part of a future episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/Shareyogawithmj
In this episode MJ shares research on habits, ambitions and desire to make a change and stick with it.
MJ dives into the data of why 92% of people abandon their resolutions within two weeks.
She shares the meaning of Samskara, the sanskrit word for habit, and how she is...
FURRY YOGA
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Send a voicemail with your question or thought, it might be part of a future episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/Shareyogawithmj
In this episode Mj share the joy and the many benefits of practicing yoga with your furry friends.
She tributes her two favorite yoga buddies, Sir Benson the cat and Yogi Caler the dog. They have since passed but MJ recalls how they added a sense of play...
Breath is Beautiful with MJ Waddell
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In this episode MJ shares tips and resources when you're dealing with a respiratory illness and it's hard to take a deep breath.
Yoga is the practice of joining breath, body and mind. When the breath and body are weakened from illness, practicing is put on hold so your miraculous body can heal.
She explores the questions:
Should we teach or practice while we're sick?
Are there exercises or remedies that help to expedite our recovery?
...
Teaching During Turmoil with MJ Waddell
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In this episode MJ shares times she's had to teach yoga when that's the last thing she wanted to do.
She explores the questions: How do we teach during times of personal distress?
How do we make our student's feel good, when we feel like shit?
How do we navigate different personal and political views while maintaining our own personal convictions?
MJ has taught during a heart-breaking divorce, injuries, the pandemic and presently when many in this country are...
Meditation Made Easy
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In this episode I'll share with you a simple way to start a meditation practice.
No need to sit for a long period of time, trust me that will suck if you're new to meditation.
Just 10-12 inhales and exhales can do wonders.
You start to tame and train you mind.
Meditation is just that, you become the tamer and trainer of your mind.
It's simple but it may not feel easy as your mind isn't used to b...
