aligned friendship as a yoga teacher: bts of cactus club yoga mastermind

Join Shawna Krueger, Ben Kalra, Kimia Hajian, Marla Tortorice and Brand Bergado for a behind the scenes look into our self-created yoga teacher mastermind and friendship group. There are some absolute keys for finding authentic friendship in the yoga world, along with some good laughs.

This episode explores what it means to grow in community as a yoga teacher and creative. Let’s talk finding aligned friendships, choosing collaboration over competition, and building accountability and honesty within relationships. We touch on the balance between playfulness and focus, and the importance of becoming the kind of person you’d want to be friends with. And, what happens when friendship doesn’t come easily — and how openness, trust, and consistency can transform that over time.

Ben Kalra - @benkalra

Kimia Hajian - @kimihajian

Marla Tortorice - @marlasyoga

Brandon Bergado - @brandonberg_

Shawna Krueger - @shawnkru 

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Own a copy of the guided journal I created, code POD for $33.

Ritual of Writing Journal 

Come on my Costa Rica yoga retreat in January 2026:
https://www.shawnakru.com/sweet-simplicity-retreat

time stamps: 

00:00 intro

01:00 trust me, don’t skip the intro

03:45 real friends are found on the mountain

05:10 shawna’s letter to cactus club

08:15 brandon’s cactus club origin story

10:00 community as a yoga teacher

15:45 brandon on where to find aligned friends 

20:00 ben on collaboration over competition 

25:40 marla on accountability in friendships

30:00 kimi on honest feedback in friendships

35:25 ben on balance between silliness & focus

40:00 becoming the kind of person you’d want to be friends with

45:50 kimi on when friendship doesn’t come easily at first