Enhanced Body by Monica

Home
United States
Chicago, IL
Enhanced Body by Monica

Discover how to take your teaching career to the next level. Connect with a community of teachers on the same path.

Connect to your values, discover what's important to you, plus simple and easy to accomplish steps so you create a career you thrive in! I am an experienced registered E-RYT 500hr Yoga Alliance certified instructor and teaching my students how to move intelligently is one of my top priorities. As a life-long student I am committed to training exclusively with master teachers in the industries of yoga, biomechanics, functional movement, and physiotherapy. Thus, I am equipped to aid in the identification of warning signs of poor movement patterns, which, over time, leads to repetitive stress injuries. My overall intention is to awaken the importance of body awareness, proper postural alignment and functional movement patterns. I remain committed to leading Teacher Trainings, and through Enhanced Body I host yoga retreats in Mexico, and facilitate movement workshops all with the objective of educating clients about their bodies.

01/13/2026

❓How do you teach a power yoga class to a student with plantar fasciitis? When there’s so much emphasis on standing, stepping, and flowing.
❓How do you teach a restorative class to a student with plantar fasciitis? When the focus is on stillness, relaxing, and breathing.
🤓 Do you understand how inflamed fascia affects someone’s movement throughout their day?
🤕 Do you know what helps vs what hurts?
With so many runners also practicing yoga, understanding their pain, injuries, and movement issues will help you address them confidently in class.
This is just a preview. Imagine having a clear, confident strategy for *every* student who comes to your class with pain / injuries.
In my Teaching Students w/ Injuries mentorship, you learn how to weave functional anatomy, modern pain science, sequencing, recovery strategies, and nervous system tools so you can teach your students with confidence, and stop guessing.
You’re not working outside of your scope. You’re actually teaching & re-educating students on movement… and the perk is… they’re gonna love you for it! 💕

✨ Comment/DM the word MENTORSHIP to learn more and I’ll send you the full mentorship curriculum.

01/12/2026

If you teach yoga, chances are you’ve taught Warrior 2 pose… I mean it’s a staple, and some might call it a foundational yoga pose.
But what happens when you notice a student with a narrow stance, a front knee that sways in, or a grimace on their face?
That student is likely not comfortable with ‘traditional’ alignment rules… and… we shouldn’t force them to be.
Instead, we should get curious as to why?
Do they simply not understand?
Do they have a history of injury?
What does their current ‘movement diet’ look like?
These questions help you understand your students on a different level. Not solely physical, but emotional, too.
In this week’s episode of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers podcast we’re not only discussing how structure & mobility factor into asana and alignment, but also how a student’s history and nervous system play a role as well.
Episode 107: Why Warrior 2 Looks and Feels Different For Every Student
✨Comment/DM - POD - and I’ll send you the episode!✨ No email sign-up necessary!

01/08/2026

Spinal fusions have been the default remedy for many folks suffering from back pain.
Whether they’re the right solution… well that’s a conversation for another day.
But the next time you meet a student who has a spinal fusion, pause, then:
✨Get a little excited
✨Think about how you might change the ‘focus’ of you current sequence
✨Ponder how you might shift the way you cue in class.
Teaching students with pain & injuries doesn’t have to be scary. You can be educated, confident, and serve these students well.
This is just a preview. Imagine having a clear, confident strategy for *every* student who comes to your class with pain / injuries.
In my Teaching Students w/ Injuries mentorship, you’ll get my complete system: anatomy, pain science, sequencing, recovery strategies, and nervous system tools so you can teach your students with confidence, and not guess.
You’re not working outside of your scope. You’re actually teaching & re-educating students on movement… and the perk is… they’re gonna love you for it! 💕

✨ Comment/DM the word MENTORSHIP to learn more and I’ll send you the full mentorship curriculum.

01/07/2026

Your students don’t care if you can do a perfect forearm stand. They care if you know what to do when their hip hurts in pigeon.
Because when a student says “my shoulder is pinching in chaturanga” and you respond with “um, just don’t go as low?” That’s not teaching. That’s guessing.
But when you understand… That pinching is likely subacromial impingement. We’ll practice with a slightly adjusted hand position, focus on engaging the serratus anterior, and on scapular depression.
THAT’S teaching.
We’ve been sold this idea that successful teachers are the ones with the most followers, the most aesthetic practice, the most impressive poses. But I’ll tell you what actually fills your classes and builds your private client roster…
Becoming the teacher who can confidently work with the student who has:
✨Hip impingement from running
✨Shoulder pain from their desk job
✨SI joint issues from pregnancy
✨Knee problems from an old injury
✨Chronic pain that doctors can’t solve (but you can teach students to move despite it)
THOSE students will find you, trust you, pay you premium rates, and tell everyone they know about you. Not because you can do a fancy pose. Because you have the KNOWLEDGE to actually help them.
I kept getting hurt from my yoga practice so I focused my continuing education on biomechanics, pain science, and understanding injuries. 1) to solve my own issues and 2) to make my TEACHING better.
Find your knowledge gaps, get your education, and become the confident, effective teacher that truly serves your students.
Fancy arm balances might get you some Instagram likes. But your deep understanding of anatomy, pain science, and injury mechanics?
That will build your career.
DM INJURY-AWARE and let’s have a conversation about where you are and how to evolve your teaching so you’re helping students where they really need it!

01/06/2026

Teaching students with injuries might feel scary, but it doesn’t have to be!
However, it does require a commitment to understanding what your students are going through and thinking about a well-rounded approach to addressing their injury/condition.
If you’re still offering props, modifications, and “out of my scope” as your only responses to pain and injuries… just know that there’s sooo much more you can do to help your students.
Sciatica-like pain is super common in the yoga world, so I’m sure you’ve met a student who’s asked you to “do some hip stretches for them in class.”
Teaching pigeon pose or figure fours aren’t even all that effective. Trust me, there are so many other methods you can use instead.
How have you helped students with sciatica-like pain in your classes? And are you open to tying new ideas?

01/05/2026

Perfect alignment doesn’t exist!
Every body has different:
* Bone structure
* Joint architecture
* Injury history
* Nervous system wiring
* Proprioceptive awareness
Because we’ve all had different life experiences.
When you teach solely based on alignment you were taught from a manual, you’re not actually helping your students.
👉🏽You’re teaching them to override their body’s signals
👉🏽You’re creating dependency (i.e. you know better than they do about their body’s needs)
👉🏽You migh be creating the conditions that lead to pain & injury
Modern anatomy and pain science research tells a completely different story about what we thought we knew about the idea of perfect alignment in yoga.
In Episode 106 of the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers podcast, I break down:
→ What alignment actually means (vs. what you learned in YTT)
→ How a student’s structure, injuries, and nervous system all influence movement → When to cue alignment and when to offer silence, and
→ How to teach students to trust their body over your direction
This episode will challenge what you learned in your 200hr. And that’s exactly the point.

Episode 106: The Myth of Perfect Alignment

✨Comment/DM - POD - and I’ll send you the episode!✨ No email sign-up necessary!

01/04/2026

If you want to get serious about teaching students with pain and injuries just know that it requires more than offering props & pose modifications to really make a difference.
But we were never, ever taught HOW to do this in YTT.
If you’re like me, you were told to refer them out & simply tell them that their issue is outside of your scope of practice.
And that’s what I did… until I realized that I could actually help them. It came with years of study and continuing education. But I synthesized what I learned and began to teach differently it in my classes and with my private clients.
Now I get excited when I meet a student with pain and injuries because I am confident that I can help them… yes, within my scope of practice.
And I want to share a bit of my process with you.
My dream is for all yoga teachers to lean in and get curious about teaching students with injuries.
With this series, my intention is to help you realize there are so many ways you can work with these students, expand your knowledge, and pique your curiosity.
So follow along and ask any questions that come up for you! 💕

01/03/2026

Never too late to remember that being an educated yoga teacher = career longevity 💕
Hope your new year is off to a great start! And you’ve thought about the continuing education you want to commit to this year!
What’s gonna separate you from the new batch of yoga teachers (that paid $30 for their YTT 🤷🏼‍♀️), just saying.

01/02/2026

Follow if you want to feel confident & empowered when you work with yoga students with injuries.
I teach teachers how to create spaces that support students needs, offer recovery strategies, and work within your scope of practice.
Follow to see how it’s done! 🧠

sequencing

01/01/2026

Many yoga teachers will spend this year trying to stay consistent, post more, and retain more students in their classes.�However, a smaller group of teachers will spend this year differently.
🤓They’ll choose to focus on continuing education.�🫀They’ll learn to understand anatomy, pain, and the nervous system.�🦵🏽They’ll stop guessing what to do with students with pain and injuries & begin teaching from an educated place.
Before you plan another class, ask yourself:�Do I want to increase my skills in 2026?
How will my teaching & education separate me from the sea of yoga teachers?
One group of yoga teachers will still be hoping students stay…�The other group won’t have to hope because their students will seek out their classes and offerings.
Which group do you want to be in?
💬 DM me INJURY-AWARE if this is the year you’re ready to help students with pain and injuries in your classes.

12/30/2025

19 years ago today I birthed one of the most perfect humans alive 🤭
My dear Charlotte Amalie, I could not be more proud of the young lady you’re becoming. My life is forever bright because of you.
Before you celebrate the new year, please help me celebrate another year around the sun for my sweet, sweet baby. 💕

12/29/2025

Ever walk into class and suddenly feel like what you’ve planned for class doesn’t feel right? * The sequence you worked so hard on suddenly feels wrong for the room
* A student walks in with something unexpected, and you’re not sure what to do
If you’ve ever felt unprepared, you’re not alone. It happens to the best of us.
Every yoga teacher (even the most experienced) has faced this moment.
But what matters most isn’t whether you were perfectly prepared. It’s how you respond when you find yourself in this situation.
In this week’s episode of The Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers Podcast, I’m sharing how to handle uncertainty in class and still show up grounded, calm, and confident.
We’ll discuss how to:
🌿regulate your nervous system in real time
🌿adapt to your students’ needs, and
🌿use those moments of “I don’t know” as powerful opportunities for growth and connection w/ students.
Confidence doesn’t always come from having every class perfectly planned, it comes from trusting that you can meet the moment, no matter what happens.

This week’s episode on the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers podcast is all about the moment! Have a listen…
Episode 105: Ever Felt Unprepared in Class? Here’s What To Do

✨Comment/DM - POD - and I’ll send you the episode!✨ No email sign-up necessary!

Address

Chicago, IL

Website

http://enhanced-body.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Enhanced Body by Monica posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Enhanced Body by Monica:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Chicago?