Episode 009: In this episode of The Love Who You Are Podcast, I sit down with yoga educator Cindy deJong for a rich, heart-centered conversation about the surprising transformation that can happen through restorative yoga. Together, we unpack the emotional layers that can rise to the surface in stillness and how this practice offers a gentle path toward healing and self-compassion.
Through personal stories and reflections, Cindy shares how restorative yoga has shaped her life–from debunking hustle culture and self-worth tied to productivity, to redefining what it means to hold space for discomfort. We talk about the nervous system, breath as a lifeline, and the importance of creating environments that support deep rest.
This conversation is a reminder that transformation doesn’t always come through doing more—it can arrive in the spaciousness of simply being.
If you’re curious about how to meet yourself with more compassion, patience, and presence, this episode is for you. Get ready to feel inspired, supported, and invited back home to yourself.
Key Takeaways:
- How cultural conditioning has led us to tie self-worth to busyness and productivity.
- How Cindy has deprogrammed herself from the constant “doing” mindset, and how she supports others to do the same.
- How true wellbeing comes from balancing effort with rest, which is different than sleep.
- How the practice of “allowing” is fundamental to restorative yoga, which can feel strangely unfamiliar for many people. Cindy shares how she helps students through these experiences and creates safety.
- How overcoming barriers to stillness starts with knowing you have choices–you can adjust, come out of a pose, or even skip it entirely.
- How restorative yoga helps you give yourself permission to simply be with whatever arises, observing sensation without judgment and honoring what feels right for you in the moment.
- Why I got addicted to practicing psoas release after experiencing a significant release in the practice.
- The role of the environment a teacher creates, in a restorative class.
- How it’s common to experience waves of emotion when we get still—and how to manage these experiences in a class.
Key Links:
- Our Faculty Mentored Restorative Teacher Training led by Cindy: https://devatree.com/50-hour-restorative-yoga-teacher-training/
- Cindy deJong’s Socials:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindy.dejong71/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindy.dejong.98
About the Guest:
Cindy deJong, RYT-1000, teaches DevaTree’s Restorative Yoga Teacher Training, a Faculty-Mentored Self-Study program. Cindy is core faculty at DevaTree and has taught in multiple foundational and professional level teacher trainings. Cindy has also studied energy healing and the body/mind/spirit connection since 1999. She is a Reiki/Master Teacher trainer who has studied and apprenticed in shamanism and oracle card work. Cindy brings an inspiring, grounded, and loving energy to her teachings. Famous for her infectious laugh, she offers students a compassionate and down-to-earth experience through her private classes and workshops.
Intro Music by Brenda McMorrow – All One Song from the album “My Heart Bows Down to You”. brendamcmorrow.com
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