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PODCAST

On Air by Yoga For First Responders

Yoga For First Responders

On Air by Yoga For First Responders, shines a light on the importance of mental health and wellness for public safety personnel. In this show, we explore the world of yoga and its powerful impact on first responders, all while maintaining a sense of humor and lightheartedness because let"s face it, we don"t take ourselves too seriously. You know all too well the toll that the job can take on your mental and emotional well-being. That"s why we"re here to help you find balance and peace of mind

health & fitness mental health

All Episodes

33:46

"Instructor School Changed My Life": YFFR Instructors...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/10/11

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

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12:10

QC- I Want to Talk to 100 of You

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/10/04

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

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15:37

QC- Earning the Room: What it Really Takes to Teach...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/09/27

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

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01:05:57

From Sleepless to Self-Regulated: John Wojtowicz’s...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/09/20

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

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17:17

QC- From-the-Vault: One Conscious Breath with Joe...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/09/13

CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes discussion of suicide, grief, and addiction. Please take care of yourself while listening.In honor of September being Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we're bringing an important conversation back from the YFFR On Air archive.Originally released in early 2024, this From-the-Vault episode features highlights from a longer conversation with Joe Spector, a former police officer and firefighter who shares the story of a moment he never saw coming—and how one

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21:12

She's In: Linzie's Fire Academy (And What That Means...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/09/06

Linzie is officially headed to the fire academy!After months of preparation, training, and wondering, “What have I gotten myself into?”, Linzie has made it to the next chapter of her journey into the fire service.In this week's podcast episode, Olivia and Linzie sit down to talk about what happened at first orders, what Linzie’s 28-week academy schedule looks like, the physical and mental challenges she’s already encountering, and how the tools she’s learned through YFFR are becoming part of her

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12:55

QC- Sets and Reps: What Happens After You Decide to...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/08/30

Deciding to change is easy. Becoming the person you decided to be takes repetition — and life will hand you the reps whether you're ready or not.In this week's Quickcast episode of YFFR On Air, Olivia unpacks "personal policies" (the boundaries, standards, and non-negotiables you've set for how you operate now) and why establishing one seems to invite the exact situation that tests it. She shares a personal example — a lease renewal that arrived with an unexpected rent increase — and walks through

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40:39

Celebration Station: Linzie's Final Steps to Firefighter

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/08/23

She's officially passed all the tests!In this episode of Yoga for First Responders, Olivia and Linzie chat right after she gets the news that she passed her final psych exam and officially cleared the way to start fire academy, the last hurdle in a hiring process that's taken months.Linzie opens up about being the only woman among 26 recruits in her academy class, the grief of leaving the home she and her husband built inside a storage facility (yes, really, and it's a better story than it sounds),

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15:48

QC- We're Not Doing Anything Until We Take Three Breaths

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/08/16

"We're not doing anything until we take three breaths."That's what Olivia said to her three-year-old mid-meltdown— and it's the line she realized she needs to say to herself a lot more often, too.In this week's QuickCast episode, Olivia unpacks how a toddler's emotional morning connected to something she's been thinking and teaching about for years: the boundaries we need with ourselves, not just with other people. She breaks down why regulation isn't the same as relaxation, what "autonomic fitness"

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02:00:10

Healing the Healers: Mental Health in Medicine with...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/08/09

Not every career change is about chasing something new. Sometimes it's about saving yourself.This week on Yoga for First Responders On Air, Olivia and Eric sit down with registered nurse, YFFR instructor, and resilience advocate Jonna Meyer to discuss what happens when your identity becomes your profession—and why walking away from the career you thought defined you can become the healthiest decision you ever make.Jonna shares her journey from growing up in rural Missouri, becoming a young mother,

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01:04:17

From Student to Teacher: Linzie's First Live Class

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/08/02

What happens when a Yoga for First Responders Instructor School graduate teaches her very first in-person class?In this episode, Olivia sits down with firefighter recruit and YFFR instructor Linzie immediately after stepping off the mat to reflect on the experience. Together, they unpack what effective teaching really looks like, why verbal cueing matters, and how curiosity is one of the most powerful tools we can develop.The conversation expands beyond yoga into communication, leadership, first

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09:37

QC- Information Isn't Transformation: Why Explaining...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/07/26

What if the sentence that changed how you teach could also change how you heal?In this week's Quickcast, Olivia shares the moment a simple piece of feedback — "telling isn't teaching" — flipped her entire approach to yoga instruction. She unpacks why information alone never changes behavior, why emotion is what turns information into memory, and how a trip to see Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey reminded her that plot isn't the same as experience.Then she brings it home to the mat: your tight

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09:53

QC- From the Vault: Virtual Instructor School...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/07/19

This week, we're taking you back to one of the earliest conversations in Yoga For First Responders On Air.Originally released as Season 1, Episode 25, this Quickcast features highlights from a conversation with Peggy Cash, capturing the early days of what was then called the Instructor School Bridge Course—now known as Virtual Instructor School.Together with Eric and Olivia, Peggy discusses what makes YFFR Instructor School unique, why mentorship matters, how the program fits into busy schedules,

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51:11

From Applicant to Future Firefighter: Following the...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/07/12

After months of preparation, testing, interviews, and uncertainty, Linzie receives the phone call she's been hoping for: a conditional offer to join the fire academy.In this episode of Yoga For First Responders On Air, Olivia and Linzie sit down to unpack everything that's happened since the interview: getting the unexpected phone call, processing imposter syndrome, preparing for psychological evaluations, and facing the uncertainty of what's still to come before the academy begins.They also have an

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27:15

From the Field: Learning to Lead and Take Up Space

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/06/28

Leadership isn't just about what you know...it's about how you're willing to show up.In this candid From the Field conversation, Olivia Mead and Jess Gannon pull back the curtain on what happens behind the scenes before YFFR Instructor School begins.Fresh off two neural meditations, they unpack limiting beliefs around visibility, authenticity, self-worth, and the fear of taking up space. Their conversation explores how doing your own inner work allows you to better serve others—and why the best

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43:32

Pencils, Scantrons, and Firefighter Dreams: Following...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/06/21

What happens after the physical test?Fresh out of her written exam, Linzie joins Olivia to break down her experience—from the testing room experience and how she managed her stress to what comes next in the hiring process.This candid conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of pursuing a career in the fire service while highlighting the importance of preparation, confidence, and honest self-assessment.Whether you're preparing for a firefighter hiring process, considering a

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11:29

Running on Empty: Burnout vs Under Recovery

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/06/14

Are you burned out...or are you simply under-recovered?In this week's Quickcast, Olivia explores a common mistake many first responders, military personnel, healthcare workers, and high-performers make: confusing burnout with a lack of recovery. She breaks down the critical differences between the two, explains the warning signs your body sends when it's running at a deficit, and shares practical ways to restore your resilience before exhaustion turns into true burnout.You'll learn:• The difference

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48:02

Do It Scared: Linzie's Test Day (Following the Fire)

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/06/07

What happens when months of preparation come down to one morning?In this special behind-the-scenes episode of Yoga For First Responders On Air, we're bringing you along for every moment of Linzie's test day. From the early morning nerves and nausea to the breathwork, mindset tools, waiting in the parking lot, and the moment when she finds out if she passes or fails.This isn't a polished recap after the fact. It's a real-time audio diary captured throughout the day, giving you an authentic look at

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38:46

From the Field: Podcasting, Resilience, and...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/05/31

In this special “From the Field” episode of YFFR On Air, Olivia sits down in Downtown Disney with YFFR podcast producer Maia Lucas for a candid conversation about stress, resilience, rollercoasters, podcasting, and the unexpected ways life mirrors nervous system training.This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the people who help bring the podcast to life and explores how everything from Disneyland rides to walking down Main Street can become lessons in surrender, stress response,

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39:00

Ep 72: The Firefighter Mindset: Following the Fire...

On Air by Yoga For First Responders ·

2026/05/24

In this episode of Yoga for First Responders On Air, Olivia hands the mic over to Linzie and Albuquerque Fire Rescue Lieutenant Charles Bustos for a real conversation about what it actually takes to prepare for the fire service — physically, mentally, and emotionally.Charles shares lessons from 22 years in the fire service, how kettlebell training completely changed the way he approaches firefighter performance, and why nervous system regulation may be one of the most overlooked skills in public

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