Ahimsa or non-harming is a central value of yoga philosophy, but looking at the world around us it’s all too easy to find examples of systemic suffering that seem impossible to solve. Today’s episode tackles one such issue; gender-based violence and sex trafficking.

Host Rachel speaks with Sarah Symons, founder of international non-profit Her Future Coalition which has been working since 2005 to ensure that survivors of trafficking have what they need to remain free, safe and independent.

As well as sharing her own story, Sarah gives tips for those wanting to get involved in this or any other service work, including the importance of starting with a single step, listening to those who are closest to the issue, making mistakes and learning from them, and focusing your energy on the positives.

—

• The mission of Her Future Coalition [2:17]
• Why it’s so difficult to face gender-based violence [3:25]
• Sarah takes her inspiration from survivors [7:04]
• Early mistakes: trying to rush the healing process [10:26]
• Survivors often can’t return to their family [13:38]
• Benefits of the shelter environment for survivors [17:05]
• The power of non-verbal healing modalities – art, movement, games [18:59]
• Looking to the long-term: vocational education [22:39]
• Ripple effect: Survivors become part of the solution [24:50]
• Handling despair [28:51]
• Keys to success in service work [31:26]
• Savoring joy [34:48]
• Final takeaways [40:04]

—

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes:
  • 37: Yoga as Service with Amanda Cunningham
• Yoga Medicine® Seva Foundation
• Connect with Sarah Symons:

         Facebook | Instagram | Her Future Coalition | TEDx

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-117.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Perhaps you’ve heard that menopause is having a moment. But while menopause is more present in the media, there’s still a lack of balanced, nuanced, and honest information around this stage of life.

In this episode, host Rachel talks with yoga and Pilates teacher and teacher-trainer Niamh Daly about her passion project: yoga for the late reproductive stage, perimenopause, menopause, and beyond.

We discuss the lesser-known physical and mental implications of this menopause, and how we can fine-tune our yoga practice to support our changing needs.

—

• The challenges of measuring the effects of yoga with research [3:00]
• What inspired Niamh’s fascination with this life stage [5:14]
• The new stigma around menopause [10:28]
• Perimenopause can trigger existential angst [14:57]
• Less discussed impacts of menopause: changes in perceived capacity [19:48]
• Rage and menopause [24:54]
• Changes in self esteem [28:47]
• The medicalization of menopause & health worries [31:01]
• Shifts in purpose, career, relationships & libido [33:35]
• Yoga asana through late reproductive stage, perimenopause & menopause [38:32]
• Differences in approach: perimenopause vs menopause [47:58]
• The vital importance of Satya in media coverage & in our teaching [51:58]
• Research on menopause and pranayama [58:00]
• Meditation, self-judgement, CBT & Pratipaksha Bhavana [1:02:46]
• Wrap up & more resources [1:05:07]

—

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Female Health Yoga Teacher Training
• Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes:
  • 63: Yoga & Osteoporosis with Michaela Smith
  • 91: Balance Myths Busted with Sava Papos
• Connect with Niamh Daly:

         Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Yinstinct Yoga

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-116.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Burnout is becoming a more common experience than ever, in the yoga world and beyond, so today hosts Tiffany and Rachel dive into the varied experiences of and solutions to this problem.

We discuss three common precursors to burnout and how challenging it can be to generate the energy required to recognize and resolve it. We also share the role yoga practice can play in helping us build long-term physical and mental resilience as an antidote to burnout.

Listen to this episode to learn what burnout is, what causes contribute, and the intangible game-changers you could be overlooking when trying to overcome burnout.

---

• The three key symptoms of burnout [3:50]
• Perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and a potential up-side of burnout [5:10]
• Difficulty generating the energy to find a way out [7:30]
• Is restorative yoga the solution to burnout? [9:17]
• Burnout as a long-term imbalance between inputs and outputs [13:08]
• Individuality in burnout, emotional labour, and the role yoga can play [17:11]
• Training long-term resilience to burnout [23:59]
• A three-part approach: nervous system, connective tissue & mental resilience [27:00]
• Where to start [32.28]
• The Yoga Medicine Resilience Retreat and other resources [35:38]

---

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine® Resilience Retreat with Tiffany Cruikshank – Boulder, CO
• Yoga Medicine® Resilience Retreat with Tiffany Cruikshank – Norfolk, VA
• Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episode 05: Sustainability & Yoga
• YMO Resources:
  • Tiffany’s Burnout Resilience Playlist
  • Valerie Knopik’s Burnout Series

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-107.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

If you have ever felt unwelcome, unheard, or disempowered, you will relate to the content of today’s conversation between Rachel and Nicole Calhoun, PhD. Nicole has an undergraduate degree in Biology, a PhD in molecular genetics, and years of experience as a post-doctoral researcher, but has pivoted to working as a yoga teacher and studio owner.

After being told she “didn’t belong” in a yoga studio, Nicole was inspired to open her own space, becoming the change she wanted to see in her community. She shares her experience with racism in the yoga world and explains why she has decided to put diversity and inclusion in yoga at the forefront of her career.

Listen in as Nicole talks about how she uses a physically challenging yoga practice to support herself and her community and offers concrete actions we can take all address the lack of diversity in yoga.

Show Notes:

• Defining molecular genetics [4:06]
• Nicole’s early relationship with yoga [8:43]
• Using a challenging physical yoga practice therapeutically [11:02]
• What inspired Nicole to teach despite an established career in science [12:09]
• Feeling “othered” – Nicole’s experience with racism in yoga [15:35]
• Practicing yoga while Black [18:33]
• Opening her own yoga studio [24:57]
• Finding the courage to share uncomfortable truths [26:06]
• Diversity and inclusion in yoga [30:02]
• A physically demanding yoga practice can teach us how to handle adversity in life [35:02]
• How Nicole tailors her practice to support strength and confidence [36:56]
• Committing to diversity & inclusion 365 days a year [40:14]
• Actions we can take to make yoga more welcoming to all [44:19]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Connect with Nicole Calhoun, PhD:
  LinkedIn | Instagram | Mind Body Online | Elxr Yoga Lounge | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-17.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Let’s dive into the world of sleep and its effects on our physical and mental health. Today’s guest, Dr. Amy Sedgwick, is a board-certified and practicing emergency physician and a yoga and meditation teacher – putting her in the perfect position to help us unpack the importance of sleep duration and quality from varied perspectives.

In this episode, Amy and Rachel talk about how she found her calling and how both her colleagues and her patients benefit from healthy stress relief outlets like yoga and meditation. Amy shares tips for falling asleep, staying asleep, and getting high-quality sleep even when your personal life is hectic. She also talks about how to find the tools that work for you and why we should trust our “earth suits” over the latest trends in sleep science.

Listen in to learn the negative effects of poor sleep quality or duration over the long-term, why Amy sleeps in the cold, and ways to honor your natural sleep rhythms.

Show Notes:

• How Amy found her way to emergency medicine [6:26]
• Processing the stress and tragedy of emergency medical work [7:52]
• The Yin & Yang of Amy’s yoga journey [9:07]
• The underrated impact of recovery [11:55]
• Self-care for health workers [12:37]
• The call to teach yoga [14:35]
• Navigating a career in the ER with being a yoga teacher and studio owner [19:02]
• Effects of insufficient sleep quality or duration over the long-term [24:10]
• Honoring natural, seasonal rhythms [30:12]
• Human sleep cycles and REM vs non-REM sleep [31:55]
• How do we know if we have slept well? [33:13]
• Tips for better sleep duration and quality [35:45]
• How alcohol and late meals affect sleep [37:23]
• Evening wind-down routines, electronics and blue light [39:30]
• Blue light and sleep – evening vs morning practices [43:24]
• Morning routines also impact sleep quality and duration [44:13]
• Tips for people who wake up in the middle of the night [49:20]
• Mitigating the impact of periods of low sleep quality [53:01]
• Final thoughts, including sleep trackers [57:57]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Nervous System & Restorative Yoga Teacher Training
• Connect with Amy Sedgwick:
  LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Medicine Within

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-16.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

In today’s episode, we unpack persistent pain with Marnie Hartman. Marnie has a doctorate in physical therapy and is a certified strength and conditioning coach as well as being a yoga teacher, putting her in a unique position to help us understand pain, particularly lasting or persistent pain, from varied perspectives.

Marnie talks to Rachel about some of the myths and misconceptions around pain. She explains how the experience of pain is an output of the nervous system rather than an input, making it highly individual, and how that knowledge can inform the yoga techniques we use in pain care. She offers a range of suggestions on how we can work with pain in a more caring and compassionate way, whether it’s our own or that of others, by harnessing the power of curiosity and playfulness.

Listen in to learn how pain works and how we can work with it.

Show Notes:

• Marnie’s journey from physical therapist to yoga teacher [3:43]
• Defining pain and common misconceptions about pain [7:26]
• Is pain a reliable indicator of tissue damage? [11:14]
• Our tendency to frame pain as an unpleasant experience [13:19]
• Environmental influences on pain perception [14:45]
• The relationship between pain and stress, the first and second dart [17:27]
• Yoga in pain care and the pain mandala model [23:52]
• The power of simple practices, including listening, when working with someone in pain [30:02]
• Teasing out the details of the pain experience to shift our neurologic maps [34:21]
• Body scanning to invite curiosity around sensation, “and this too” [38:49]
• Other yoga applications for people with persistent pain [42:10]
• The importance of language in pain care [58:35]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Pain Science – Yoga – Life by Niamh Moloney & Marnie Hartman
• Pain Science for Yoga Teachers Online Course
• Connect with Marnie Hartman:

Body IQ PT | LinkedIn | Email | Pain Science Yoga Life | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-15.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today’s episode is all about fascia as a sensory organ. Whether you are a healthcare provider, body worker, or yoga teacher, it is so important to have all the information on this issue that we so often disregard. Listen in as Tiffany and Katja talk all about proprioception, take a look at interception and discuss how they relate to the fascial system and yoga practice. 

They explain the recent research on sensory nerves and point out how important is it for the body to be able to collect a really rich picture of what’s happening within us. They also talk about how we can stimulate fascial receptors and the varied functions of free nerve endings.

Listen to this episode to learn about the different types of fascial receptors, practical uses of proprioception, and to get an idea about what interoception is about.

Show Notes:

• Defining exteroception [2:15]
• What proprioception is [2:40]
• Describing interoception [3:01]
• Fascia is our richest sensory organ [4:35]
• What can happen when our body senses don’t work [7:37]
• Explaining sensory nerves [10:55]
• Role of Pacini receptors [11:45]
• Understanding Ruffini endings [14:28]
• Why it’s important to stimulate fascial receptors [17:50]
• Creating sensory input with MFR [20:33]
• The complexity of muscle spindles [22:49]
• Implications of Golgi endings [24:14]
• Body check-ins as sensory information collection [26:02]
• The many functions of free nerve endings [28:59]
• Receptors in superficial fascia [33:51]
• Sensory “hot spots” in deeper fascial layers [37:05]
• The importance of the superficial fascia layer [38:53]
• Recent research on thoracolumbar fascia [39:59]
• Practical uses of interoception [42:32]
• Feeling and listening to create body awareness [44:50]
• The nervous system and the Nobel Prize 2021 [58:08]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Myofascial Release Teacher Training
• Myofascial Release Bundle Online Course: for the Legs & Feet, Hips, Neck & Shoulders
• Research Resources Doc
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | YM Online Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-14.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Most of us will run into unexpected setbacks in life. Today's guest Megan Kearney knows plenty about using those situations as opportunities to learn and grow stronger. An admitted type-a personality and “recovering triathlete”, Megan has been in the health and wellness industry for more than 20 years. She is a Yoga Medicine therapeutic specialist with additional trainings in mental health and traumatic brain injury resilience and iRest Yoga Nidra.

When COVID-19 hit, Megan’s previously successful yoga studios closed, and her marriage ended. In this episode, she talks with Rachel Land about turning these, and other, setbacks into success by practicing relentless realistic optimism. She also talks about the importance of self-care rituals, movement, getting outdoors, gratitude, relationships, journalling, therapy, and other practical ways to make space to feel and process both good and bad experiences until we feel ready to move on.

Listen in to learn how to pull yourself out of 'the suck’, and how to turn what we learn in that struggle into the source of our future success.

Show Notes:

• Megan’s journey to yoga starts with meditation [4:13]
• From Bikram yoga, through sports injuries, to yoga as a source of healing [6:29]
• The transition from practicing to teaching yoga [14:32]
• Opening two yoga studios [18:29]
• The professional and personal impact of the pandemic [19:58]
• Key self care techniques to create space to feel in times of crisis [23:08] and [31:51]
• The power of gratitude and ‘Five Things Friday’ [33:05]
• The importance of connection and relationship and Megan’s ‘Areas of Inquiry’ [35:40]
• Journalling, therapy and movement in nature to help us process our experiences and shift perspective [39:09]
• Megan’s Yoga Rx program and honest consideration of readiness to change [42:56]
• Final thoughts for anyone currently in ‘the suck’ [48:43]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga & Mindfulness 101 for Physicians & Healthcare Providers Online Course
• Myofascial Release Teacher Training
• Connect with Megan Kearney:

LinkedIn | Instagram | Pinterest | Reset With Megan | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.yogamedicine.com/podcast-13.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.yogamedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Hip mobility is a hot topic on social media and in the movement world, seeming to generate strong opinions as to whether extreme range of motion is good or bad for us. So in today’s episode, Tiffany and Rachel unpack what is considered “normal” range of motion for the hip joint and its application in daily activities. They discuss the potential implications of significant limitations in hip mobility, as well as those of extreme mobility. They cover the difference between muscle tension and bony end range, and explore the roles of passive versus active range of motion.

Listen in to hear how gaining neurologic control of your mobility, and perhaps even losing some of your end range, could help you feel better in your body, and the value of viewing hip mobility not as an end goal, but through the context of how you would like your hips to function in a yoga context and beyond.

Show Notes:

• What is considered “normal” range of motion in hip flexion [3:15]
• Functional range of motion will differ for each of us [8:10]
• Implications of significant limitations in hip flexion [8:43]
• “Normal” range of motion in hip extension [11.02]
• The role of individual bony structure in range of motion [13:11]
• Hip extension in daily life, and implications of significant limitations in hip extension [13:51]
• Extreme hip range of motion after hip replacement [15:33]
• Hip abduction [16:45]
• Hip adduction [18:19]
• Stability is key for the IT band, the Yin & Yang of yoga and running [18:51]
• Hip external rotation [23:06]
• How our fascia adapts to repeated loading; implications for mobility [25:20]
• Hip internal rotation [28:01]
• Differentiating bony limitations from muscle tension at end range [29:06]
• Control over our mobility: passive versus active range of motion [31:13]
• Active range of motion and improved neurologic control, and the value of cross-training [35:14]
• Implications of big gaps between active and passive range [36:47]
• Can there be value in decreasing our passive range of motion? [40:42]
• Assessing hip mobility in the context of the demands of our individual lives [47:01]
• Suggestions from research on extremes in hip range of motion [53:50]
• Conclusions and take-away points [56:47]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Hip Intensive Yoga Teacher Training

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-12.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

When was the last time you asked yourself: what do I truly want? Today we are talking about motivation and identity with someone who asks themselves that question multiple times a day. Author, yoga teacher, and fitness coach Kirsten Beverley-Waters holds a B.S. from Kent State University along with multiple qualifications from the American College of Sports Medicine, CrossFit, and Precision Nutrition.

No stranger to struggle, Kirsten teaches movement through the lens of mental wellness, setting her clients up for success when facing the inevitable challenges of life. In this episode Kirsten shares that, to keep up motivation in the long term, we need to choose goals that speak to us personally then find joy in the repetition of the little things that get us closer to our goals. She talks with Rachel about her plans to break a world record in 2022 in support of The Trevor Project and LGBTQ youth, and the importance of all of us understanding our own identity in order to show up more authentically in our lives.

Listen in to learn how to choose goals that excite and inspire, how to manage unavoidable ebbs and flows in motivation, and the importance of making friends with struggle.

Show Notes:

• What inspired Kirsten’s interest in sports performance and coaching [3:18]
• Running as an escape from early struggles [5:46]
• Beginning yoga practice during cancer treatment [9:17]
• Accepting the call to teach yoga [12:13]
• Kirsten’s world record goal for 2022, supporting the Trevor Project and LGBTQ youth [14:07]
• Finding life goals that inspire and excite us [21:40]
• Journalling as a tool to help us clarify our thoughts and intentions [26:51]
• How to keep showing up once we’ve chosen a goal [29:49]
• The power of repetition [32:30]
• Reframing struggle [36:10]
• Lessons from strength training: failure as a prompt for growth [41:05]
• More tips to sustain motivation longterm [44:19]
• The importance of rest and recovery [46:45]
• Why consideration of personal identity is important for all of us to show up authentically [52:28]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Sex, Gender, & Identity in Yoga Online Course
• Connect with Kirsten Beverley-Waters:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | K B Waters | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-11.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today Rachel Land talks with MacKenzie Kozlowski (Miller) about the challenging, sometimes uncomfortable, business of navigating change and transformation -- which MacKenzie knows plenty about.

She was a personal trainer and group exercise instructor before discovering yoga and training to become a teacher. Soon afterward she was living the “yoga Influencer” life, rapidly building a career and teaching all over the world.

You may be familiar with MacKenzie from her social media profile, but in this deeply personal conversation you’ll hear how meeting her husband, moving from LA to rural Canada, and becoming a mother changed her trajectory completely. MacKenzie found herself grappling with all the shifts in her personal and professional life.

Listen in to hear MacKenzie share how she began the journey to redefine herself in this new light, and what tools and techniques have helped her do so with kindness and clarity.

Show Notes:

• MacKenzie’s introduction to yoga and her evolving practice [3:41]
• Growing an engaged social media following [9:33]
• An unexpected shift in MacKenzie’s career trajectory [14:37]
• The pressure to keep up with social media expectations [19:24]
• A lesson in letting go of control: MacKenzie’s first pregnancy and delivery [21:21]
• Motherhood and MacKenzie’s changing identity [31:15]
• Allowing time and space for refection is key for clarity in times of change [37:51]
• Pregnancy and childbirth during a global pandemic [43:00]
• How speaking or journalling your fears can decrease their power over you [44:11]
• MacKenzie’s relationship with social media now and decisions around including her children [46:28]
• The importance of kindness and compassion when rekindling a workout routine [51:35]
• MacKenzie’s advice on navigating life change [56:13]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Connect with MacKenzie Kozlowski:

YouTube | Instagram | Twitter | MacKenzie Yoga

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-10.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today we are continuing our discussion on research. In the first half of this interview, Katja and Tiffany discuss why research is so valuable, where to look for the good stuff, and how to filter through this information with a critical eye.

In this episode, we talk about some common issues with certain types of research, the current gaps in the yoga research that's being done, and what the future holds for research.

Listen in to learn about the features to look for in high-quality research, tips for getting started with finding the right research information to support your practice, and some of the ways that yoga teachers can safely point to research for their students.

Show Notes:

• Challenges with randomized control trials [1:26]
• What is missing from yoga research [3:02]
• What is filtered research [4:08]
• How systematic reviews and meta-analyses work [4:25]
• Types of studies outside of the evidence pyramid [9:24]
• Features of a high-quality study [11:02]
• Aspects of interventions in yoga research [13:42]
• How many participants are needed for a good yoga research study [15:56]
• The future of Yoga Medicine research [19:47]
• Tips for starting out finding the right research study for you [23:19]
• Ways yoga teachers can safely cite research [32:26]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Ready to Research Resources Doc
• Evidence Pyramid
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | YM Online Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-09.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today we are diving into the many reasons research is important both for clinicians and yoga teachers -- and we are very happy to have Katja Bartsch back with us to do it. Katja also joined us for our recent episodes on the Placebo Effect and she focuses a lot of her energy on doing her own research and combing through the research that others are doing on the topic of yoga.

There is a lot of research currently being done that relates to the yoga world, but how do we sift through and find high-quality research? How can we analyze it and apply it to our own lives? In this episode, Katja and Tiffany talk about how to evaluate research and apply a critical lens to find high quality research.

They'll talk on the limitations of specific types of research and discuss the strengths & limitations of different types of studies. They also talk about the way that information application is evolving with time and how to make the most of the research we do by blending it with all that we've learned through our own experiences.

Listen in as Katja and Tiffany discuss why research is so valuable, where to look for the good stuff, and how to filter through this information with a critical eye.

Show Notes:

• Why it is so important to consider research [4:04]
• Research limitations [6:57]
• Sources for good quality research [12:02]
• Pros of using PubMed [13:50]
• The importance of peer-review in articles [15:07]
• How to know if an article has been peer reviewed [16:45]
• What are the components of a typical study [21:17]
• What is a case study [28:54]
• What is a cohort study [32:04]
• Benefits of cohort studies [36:58]
• Important aspects of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) [38:10]
• How to do a double-blind test [42:42]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Ready to Research Resources Doc
• Evidence Pyramid
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | YM Online Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-08.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today host Katja talks with Dr. Stephanie Otto about exercise oncology, exercise, and fascia. We discuss the biological foundations of cancer and the research link between fascia and cancer.  We also talk about therapeutic interventions related to cancer exercise and fascia and explain what distinguishes healthy tissue from cancerous tissue.

Listen in to learn how important effective exercise can be for our oncology and how exercise oncology interventions relate to fascial tissues.

• What makes cancer develop [3:47]
• Can we affect cells that become cancerous [6:45]
• Exercises to target biometrics of tissues [8:18]
• Optional treatment paths for exercise for oncology [11:37]
• Breathing and nervous system approaches [19:26]
• What is next for the field of exercise oncology research [25:32]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Connect with Dr. Stephanie Otto:

         LinkedIn | Twitter | ResearchGate

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-106.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

We’ve all experienced burnout, whether in our work or our home lives, and it can leave us feeling so overwhelmed that we don’t know how to start finding our way out of it.

Today Tiffany and Rachel talk about what burnout is — what it looks and feels like, including some signals that can help us recognize it early. We share our personal experiences of burnout and offer a range strategies to explore (some of which may surprise you). We build a simple three-step plan to navigate out of burnout, and emphasize the importance of each of us tailoring that plan to our individual needs.

Listen in to find out how to get through burnout without losing your way.

Show Notes:

• What does burnout look and feel like; early warning signs to look out for [2:40]
• “Languishing” as a subtle version of burnout [8:32]
• A range of strategies to help manage burnout [12:14]
• Going deeper than the cliche of “self-care” [17:22]
• Why it can be tough to improve sleep quality during times of stress [21:19]
• Viewing burnout through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine [23:02]
• The preciousness of rest to rebuild resilience [25:42]
• Recharging through curiosity and creativity [29:20]
• Counter negativity with a gratitude practice [32:33]
• Can we avoid burnout if our job is our passion? [38:39]
• Which burnout strategy will be most effective for you? [42:55]
• The characteristics of an actionable burnout management plan [45:02]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-07.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today Rachel talks about the power of mindfulness with Dr. Rashmi Bismark MD MPH, a U.S.-trained physician who is board certified in both preventative medicine and public health. Dr. Rashmi is uniquely qualified to speak on the impact of mindfulness practices as, in parallel with her conventional medical studies, she also studied alternative and complementary therapies including Ayurveda, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.

Dr. Rashmi specializes in preventative medicine and blends eastern and western traditions in her medical practice. Her mission is to help individuals and communities rediscover their true nature, redefine their relationships with the world around them, and harness the power within themselves to be healthy, well and resilient.

Listen in to this episode as Rachel and Dr. Rashmi discuss her unique pathway to medicine, how she began teaching mindfulness and yoga, what inspired her award-winning illustrated children's book, Finding Om, and her thoughts on the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation. Through it all, you’ll hear recurring themes around the importance of curiosity and trust.

Show Notes:

• An early personal experience with Ayurveda sparks Dr. Rashmi’s curiosity [3:53]
• Dr. Rashmi’s medical training, blending eastern and western approaches [6:15]
• Dr. Rashmi’s initial exposure to yoga through her father and grandmother [17:39]
• Where yoga teacher training fitted into the picture [21:01]
• Passing yogic traditions on to Dr. Rashmi’s daughters [24:16]
• The inspiration for the book Finding Om [26:05]
• Cultural appreciation versus cultural appropriation [30:50]
• Why representation in children’s literature matters [38:53]
• What mindfulness practices can teach us in uncomfortable or unresolved situations [43:21]
• The challenge of translating traditional concepts to clinical settings [44:52]
• Tips to start a mindfulness practice [50:21]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga & Mindfulness 101 for Physicians & Healthcare Providers Online Course
• Yin & Meditation Yoga Teacher Training
• Ayurvedic Foundations for Clinicians with Dr. Siri Chand
• Yoga Medicine Online
• Connect with Dr. Rashmi Bismark:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | R S Bismark MD | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-06.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today Rachel and Tiffany talk about all of the ways we find the inspiration we need to create positive behaviors and maintain them long-term -- whether that's in our yoga practice, our teaching, or really, in any aspect of our lives.

We discuss the paths that each of us took to get to the kind of yoga that we practice and teach today and share how our practice has evolved over the years. We also talk about why curiosity is a superpower, and how to keep your yoga practice, and teaching, from becoming a chore.

Listen in to learn how we come up with ideas for our yoga classes and courses, and our tips for teachers, whether just starting out or maintaining momentum over the years.

Show Notes:

• What brings Tiffany back to her yoga mat again and again? [1:35]
• Determining what we need in our yoga practice [4:51]
• How has Tiffany’s yoga practice changed over the years? [8:59]
• Tiffany’s yoga practice today [15:41]
• Overcome feeling uninspired to practice [23:41]
• The greatest tool for a sustainable yoga practice [26:22]
• What inspires Rachel and Tiffany to keep learning and teaching [28:42]
• How Tiffany develops new class and course content ideas [33:56]
• The pressure to maintain inspiration and creativity [37:09]
• How to keep yoga from becoming a chore [39:36]
• Capturing creative ideas for future practices and classes [41:22]
• The power of simplicity [45:37]
• Avoiding burnout [47:57]
• The myth that teaching yoga should never feel like “work” [51:07]
• Advice for new yoga teachers [53:13]
• Managing your energy and maintaining clarity to keep teaching over the long-term [57:44]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-05.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today's guest gives us a masterclass in how yoga can help us navigate life’s uncertainty with a little more grace. Diane Malaspina is an Applied Psychologist and yoga teacher with over 15 years of experience in the health and wellness field. Diane has a B.S. in Psychology, a Master of Education, and a PhD in Educational and Developmental Psychology.

Rachel and Diane discuss why she was drawn to psychology as an area of study, how yoga and meditation turned out to be exactly what she needed as a stressed-out grad student, and how she started teaching yoga almost by accident when her favorite teacher called in sick. Diane also talks about how the pandemic forced her, as it did many of us, to completely change her professional plans but also allowed her the time and space to reconsider how to best spend her energy and time.

Listen in to find out why the expression "no news is good news" doesn't actually ring true for many of us and how yoga and meditation can help us shift our baseline to change our relationship with stress and uncertainty.

Show Notes:

• What drew Diane to the study of psychology [2:40]
• Diane’s discovery of yoga practice and introduction to teaching [4:44]
• Why are we so afraid of uncertainty [22:07]
• How the stress response can help us shift into problem-solving mode [22:45]
• What the Yerkes–Dodson law teaches us about optimal stress levels [24:54]
• The physiological effects of prolonged stress [26:18]
• The power of trained awareness [26:46]
• Three options in the face of stress and uncertainty [27:57]
• Cultivating acceptance in situations we can’t change [30:41]
• Practices Diane uses to support mental health through the pandemic [33:45]
• Training your brain to react more positively to uncertainty [39:28]
• Practicing resilience on the yoga mat [43:23]
• How to bias ourselves toward growth [47:03]
• The power of the pause [53:13]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Inside the Yoga Sutras Online Course
• Working with Grief Online Course
• Exploring the Yamas through Meditation & Practice Online Course
• Yoga Medicine Online
• Mental Health & Wellness Yoga Teacher Training
• Connect with Diane Malaspina:

Facebook | Instagram | Diane Malaspina | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-04.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today we are continuing our discussion on the Placebo Effect. In the first half we talked about what the Placebo Effect is, why it is so important, and how it applies to the work we do. In this episode we dive into the many ways that placebo effects relate to lifestyle, movement, and yoga.

In this episode, you'll learn how your mindset affects your relationship to exercise, why meditation is the groundwork for what yoga teachers do, why our language matters and why exercise you enjoy is so important.

Show Notes:

• How does stress & mindset influence the immune system [2:00]
• Is yoga a cure all? [4:00]
• How does your support system affect healing [5:25]
• How does marketing affect your relationship with exercise & food [8:20]
• Importance of exercise you enjoy [16:18]
• Belief in self & influences capacity [23:08]
• How our expectations shape us & the Rosenthal Effect [26:50]
• How expectations influence our teaching [28:50]
• Limitations of the Placebo Effect [32:00]
• Harnessing the power of the mind & our intention [35:02]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World by Lynne McTaggart
• Placebo Effect References
• Connect with Katja Barsch:

Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | YMO Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-03.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

This episode is the first part of the conversation with Tiffany Cruikshank and Katja Barsch on the Placebo Effect and how it relates to yoga.

Katja is a Yoga Medicine instructor and a researcher with a focus on fascia. She runs anatomy and fascia physiology yoga teacher trainings around Europe and contributes research roundups to several Yoga Medicine trainings. She is currently working on her PhD under the skillful guidance of Dr Robert Schleip and is a Board-Certified Structural Integration Practitioner (BCSI; ATSI) trained by Tom Myers and his Anatomy Trains school. We are honored to have her researchers eye for our research focused episodes.

Together, we dive into the history of the Placebo Effect, how it can be used for the treatment of pain and chronic pain, and how that relates to its function in yoga classes. We also discuss how the Placebo Effect relates to expectation and why, as teachers, our words matter so much.

Listen and learn about some possible positive effects that the Placebo Effect can have, how genetics affect the Placebo Effect, and how to use the Placebo Effect in yoga.

Show Notes:

• What is a placebo [0:45]
• What is the Placebo Effect [2:00]
• What are some possible positive effects that the Placebo Effect can have [3:45]
• What is the Nocebo Effect [4:45]
• What is the history of the Placebo Effect [6:45]
• How to use the Placebo Effect in yoga [14:00]
• How is the Placebo Effect used in medicine [16:00]
• Which external factors can effect a placebo study [17:00]
• What are open placebos used for [19:00]
• How do genetics affect the Placebo Effect [32:30]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Placebo Effect References
• Connect with Katja Barsch:

Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-02.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Welcome to the very first episode of Yoga Medicine! In this inaugural episode, Tiffany Cruikshank and Rachel Land discuss why they started this journey together, what to expect from the Yoga Medicine podcast, and how to get the most out of your yoga practice and your life.

Both women train yoga teachers to really understand the body and, with this podcast, they hope to dive deeper into topics that you can’t cover in a traditional yoga class. This podcast is really about the intersection of science and research with traditional practices and our personal experiences.

Show Notes:

• What to expect from the Yoga Medicine podcast [1:00]
• Our mission and who this podcast is for [2:00]
• Some benefits & perks of yoga [7:30]
• Preview of what’s to come [9:45]
• What are our plans for the Yoga Medicine Podcast [15:30]
• How often Yoga Medicine will air [16:30]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-01.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

It’s common knowledge that the vast majority of us will experience low back pain at some point in our lives. Today we hone in on an aspect of low back pain that is less commonly considered and discussed: pain in or around the sacroiliac joints.

Rachel Land hosts yoga studio owner, YACEP, Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist, and 1000-hour teacher Kelsea Wright, whose capstone research project was a comparison of two interventions for long-term SI joint pain.

In this episode, we share key practices for strength, stability, and body awareness as well as tips for postural and positional awareness off the yoga mat. We also unpack the importance of detailed student intake interviews and their usefulness in pain education and student empowerment.

Listen in to hear key takeaways from Kelsea’s 1000-hour project on SI joint pain.

• Kelsey’s own experience: persistent SI joint pain & fear of flare-ups [3:03]
• Outlining Kelsey’s 1000-hour research project [6:38]
• Pain education as a key component of care [9:46]
• The impact of detailed intake interviews [16:39]
• Strength and stability practices for SI joint pain [20:31]
• Key myofascial release practices and approaches [30:37]
• MFR as a novel tool to improve mind-body connection [40:00]
• Key learnings from the results of Kelsey’s intervention [45:45]
• The under-estimated importance of keeping good notes [56:01]
• Cultivating a “glass half full” attitude [58:12]
• Final takeaways and the benefit of immediate relief [1:00:06]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes:
  • 15: Shifting Persistent Pain
  • 26: Support the Low Back
  • 70: Yoga & MFR: Fundamentals to Get the Most Out of Your Practice
• Connect with Kelsea Wright:

         Instagram | Limitless Yoga Studio

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-105.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today hosts Tiffany and Rachel discuss a question many yoga teachers grapple with: should we aim to make our classes safe or fun? Is it possible to do both?

In this episode, we talk about the challenges teachers face when balancing these two aims in all-levels classes. We offer tips on how to keep safety in mind as you plan and teach yoga classes, and dissect what fun could actually mean for your students. 

Listen in as we talk about the pressure to teach appropriate and engaging classes to all-levels and share tips for encouraging your yoga students to become their own teachers.

• Is this the biggest question yoga teachers face? [1:03]
• Challenges teaching to the stated class level and description [2:26]
• Options are key [10:02]
• Empower students to be their own best teacher [12:22]
• Safe in the short-term isn’t always safe in the long-term [15:28]
• Curiosity over assumption; the importance of language [19:02]
• What actually makes a yoga class fun? [25:28]
• Countering the pressure for novelty and creativity [30:53]
• Big takeaways [36:20]
• Invest in in the students who come back, and your own ongoing inspiration [39:27]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Online
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 74: Yoga for All: Community Conversations with Elena Cheung
• Sequencing with Purpose Yoga Teacher Training

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-104.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

The mention of yoga teacher training conjures up a bundle of images and ideas, many of which are inaccurate or at least incomplete. So today host Rachel talks with returning guest Dana Diament, lead teacher of the Yoga Medicine 200hr Teacher Training, about common misconceptions and misunderstandings about yoga training.

In this episode, we discuss what personal qualities are (and aren’t) important for aspiring yoga teachers and unpack the realities of the training experience and how you might feel afterward.

If you have been wondering if you should embark on yoga teacher training, this episode is for you.

• Myth #1: All yoga teachers must be… (pick your adjective) [2:21]
• Who should do a yoga teacher training? [2:22]
• Being yourself when teaching yoga [5:31]
• Charisma and comfort speaking to a group [12:07]
• Myth #2: Yoga must be all you do and care about [17:51]
• Myth #3: There’s only one pathway to teaching yoga [20:13]
• Myth #4: Yoga training is all about personal transformation [25:46]
• Myth #5: All yoga teacher trainings are the same [31:30]
• Myth #6: Yoga teacher training is fun and easy [35:48]
• Myth #7: You won’t be nervous to teach after teacher training [41:19]
• Myth #8: You’ll know everything about yoga [44:16]
• Myth #9: You’ll feel confident and complete as a teacher [48:02]
• Key takeaways [52:34]
• Yoga Medicine 200hr Teacher Training options for 2024 [55:27]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine® 200hr Yoga Teacher Training
• Connect with Dana Diament:

         Facebook | Instagram | Yoga Medicine Online | Raia Collective

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-103.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today's hosts Tiffany and Katja return for a deeper discussion of fascia and pain. Recently, fascia is being more generally acknowledged as a pain generator, especially of one specific type of pain: myofascial pain. In this episode, Tiffany and Katja discuss the mobility of fascia, look at fascia as a sensory organ, and explain the influence of fascia on pain mechanisms.

Listen to this episode to learn how to interact with and influence the fascia and what this information can teach us about implications for pain and mobility disorders.

• Understanding the complexities of pain [3:21]
• Myofascial and skeletal pain [4:47]
• Utility of trigger points [11:26]
• Mobility of fascia [15:19]
• Implications for yoga practice [21:37]
• Mobility of fascia a myofascial pain [28:20]
• Myofascial pain and mobility [31:31]
• Tools for treating mobility disorders [38:20]
• Fascia as a sensory organ [42:18]
• Proprioception and hypermobility [48:10]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Fascia Pain Continued Overview
• Myofascial Release Training
• Yoga Medicine® Online
• Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episode 19: Fascia & Pain
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

         Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-102.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

In the yoga world, as elsewhere, opinions seem more polarized than ever. Today we’re making space to explore one popular all-or-nothing topic in the wellness sphere: whether our practice is intended to create comfort or offer challenge.

Host Rachel explores the delicate balance yoga teachers seek between challenge and comfort and the compassion required to do so with returning guest Aisha Fakhro LAPHP, LNRPC, a licensed psychotherapist and yoga teacher who specializes in working with anxiety, trauma, grief, relationships, stress management and personal growth.

Listen in as we compare, and perhaps reconcile, the case for the comfort of safe and welcoming practice spaces with the growth we might experience from venturing outside our comfort zones.

• Do we even need to know what students need? [3:58]
• The case for comfort: who we become in welcoming & inclusive spaces [5:53]
• The case for courage: challenging our comfort zones [12:15]
• The need for safety with the challenge [16:19]
• Empowering students to choose what they need: it starts with us [20:33]
• Compassion as the thread drawing extremes toward each other [25:46]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Online Guest Teacher
• Connect with Aisha Fakhro:

          Instagram | Soft Strength Podcast | Aisha Fakhro

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-101.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Many yoga students and teachers feel part of a culture and tradition we don't fully understand, leading to the necessity for open, honest, and potentially uncomfortable conversations about the wider context our practice exists within - including its long and complicated history and its intersections with culture, commerce, and politics.

Today host Rachel is joined by Firdose Moonda - a journalist, academic, yoga teacher, and researcher - to explore some of these intersecting issues, and offer an introduction to important definitions and common misunderstandings about the practice. 

Listen in to learn about the historical and cultural context of yoga and its contributions to our unique and individual in-body experiences.

Show Notes: 

• Firdose’s early experience with yoga; the drive to deeper study [3:22]
• The inspiration for Firdose’s new Yoga Medicine course [6:40]
• Definition and geographical origins of yoga [9:38]
• Politics and privilege in yoga [12:21]
• Is yoga actually intended to make us feel good? [17:10]
• Is yoga really for everyone? [21:59]
• Chakras, and other concepts we misconstrue as part of yoga tradition [24:52]
• Acknowledging varied individual embodied experiences of yoga [29:11]
• Yoga’s origin and religious association; implications for appropriation [36:47]
• Valuing ongoing education for its own sake [41:19]
• Yoga’s relationship to colonization [47:15]
• Details on Firdose's new Yoga Medicine course [49:24]
• The most powerful three words yoga teachers can say [52:29]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga & Politics Online Course
• Episode 21: South Asian Teacher Panel
• Connect with Firdose Moonda:

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-100.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today hosts Katja and Tiffany dive into the importance of dynamic mobility training and its broader applications. Stretching is always a loaded topic. There are lots of different opinions and broad research available, with new research being released regularly. In this episode, we talk about the newer research on dynamic stretching and how it relates to athletic performance and injury prevention. 

Listen in to learn the purpose of stretching, how to incorporate dynamic stretching before exercising, and the different psychological aspects of different stretching modalities. 

• Static stretching before sports [2:31]
• Purpose and type of stretching [5:15]
• What is dynamic stretching [9:00]
• Dynamic stretching and athletic performance [15:08]
• Injury incidence and dynamic stretching [16:09]
• How much range of motion (ROM) do we really need? [22:55]
• Mechanisms of ROM increase [27:15]
• Mechanisms – balance and proprioception [33:39]
• Psychological aspects [39:34]
• How to use different stretching applications [44:04]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga for Athletes Teacher Training Online
• Dynamic Stretching Overview
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-99.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

There is no shortage of strong opinions on what areas of study are appropriate for yoga teachers and students. The study of anatomy is one that, at times, inspires controversy - so today hosts Tiffany and Rachel dive into the pros and cons of using anatomy in yoga. 

We discuss the challenges of using anatomical language and the risk that a simplified model might be confused with reality. We also debate whether emphasizing the physical could detract from more subtle aspects of yoga practice, as well as how it might provide a shared experience to more deeply connect us to life, each other, and ourselves.

Listen in to explore some of the drawbacks and advantages of studying and teaching anatomy in the yoga world.

• Does anatomy study limit the concept of yoga to the purely physical? [2:31]
• Anatomy is a simplified model of a complex and individual reality [7:55]
• Anatomical language is not familiar to most students [13:26]
• Recapping the main drawbacks of studying & teaching anatomy [19:56]
• We all experience life through our physical body; why not learn about it? [21:07]
• Anatomy study is one lens through which we can know ourselves better [25:52]
• Anatomical language can be learned and is shared with medical/ movement professionals [28:36]
• Anatomy study supports intelligent and effective teaching [32:03]
• Anatomy study can inspire curiosity, reverence, gratitude, and wonder [39:42]
• Final thoughts, a reminder of the big picture, and Yoga Medicine resources [43:18]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Core Curriculum Bundle
• Shoulder: Anatomy, Dysfunction, & Application Yoga Teacher Training
• Hip: Anatomy, Dysfunction, & Application Yoga Teacher Training
• Spine: Anatomy, Dysfunction, & Application Yoga Teacher Training
• Sequencing with Purpose Yoga Teacher Training

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-98.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Any potent practice carries the potential for adverse effects, and yoga - while comparatively gentle - is no exception. 

Yin yoga seems to generate especially polarized views, so today hosts Tiffany and Rachel unpack its common cautions and contraindications.

Listen in as we explore who Yin yoga is best for versus who might invest their time elsewhere, and share our tips on how we can all approach this nourishing practice to minimize risks and maximize benefits.

—

• Polarized views of Yin yoga [3:33]
• Yin and hypermobility [6:09]
• Approaching Yin when you don’t need more range of motion [10:17]
• Yin during pregnancy [16:00]
• Yin during spinal injury: disc injury, osteoporosis [17:17]
• Yin for older populations: osteoarthritis, joint replacement [25:34]
• Ongoing themes: more isn’t better, take an individual approach [32:43]
• Yin for sedentary people & desk workers [36:01]
• Yin for athletes [38:25]
• Recap: It’s about HOW you approach Yin yoga [45:57]
• Tips for Yin yoga teachers [48:51]
• Final takeaways & resources [52:09]

—

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yin & Meditation Teacher Training IN-PERSON in Colorado October 13-20 2024
• Yin & Meditation Yoga Teacher Training Online
• YMO Balanced Function for Flexible Folks Series
• YMO Tutorial: Practicing with Osteoporosis

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-115.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today hosts Tiffany and Katja talk about a topic that always draws a lot of interest: the female menstrual cycle. The pair discuss new research around athletic performance throughout the cycle, offering new angles that go beyond the fluctuations of female sex hormones. They focus on new findings that consider the importance of psychological aspects in this context.

Listen in to learn some new perspectives on athletic performance and the female cycle and ways to use yoga to support your menstrual cycle.

• Assumptions of menstrual cycle-based training [3:51]
• New research on performance during menstrual cycle (MC) [6:52]
• Who participated in the study [10:44]
• What was tested for in the experiment [14:18]
• Results of the latest research [16:19]
• Further considerations on inclusion criteria [18:57]
• The complexity of studying the female cycle [21:24]
• Performance vs. training [23:38]
• How yoga can help to work with the MC [25:42]
• Importance of the nervous system in training [27:12]
• Limitations of current research [30:43]
• Individual experience “versus” research [33:03]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Athletic Performance Menstrual Cycle Overview
• Yoga for Athletes Teacher Training
• Female Health Yoga Teacher Training
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-97.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Most of us have experienced the all-too-familiar gap between wanting to change something in our lives and actually doing it. In today’s episode, returning guest Alison Heilig breaks down the most common barriers to behaviour change with host Rachel.

Alison shares how behaviour change is not about self-control or lack of, and is instead a set of learnable skills. We discuss the importance of setting realistic expectations and explain why habit initiation is more important than habit completion.

Listen in to learn how to turn a fixed mindset into a growth mindset, and how to create systems to support your goals for lasting change.

• Motivating people with a different approach to change or challenge [2:57]
• Barrier #1 to follow-through: is it really lack of self-control? [7:19]
• Recognizing a fixed mindset [11:20]
• Discerning between fixed mindset and acceptance [14:55]
• Growth mindset eases perceived time pressure [18:00]
• Where can yoga teachers intervene with a fixed mindset [20:28]
• Emphasizing effort over outcome to empower students [25:21]
• Barrier #2 to follow through: Behaviour change skills [28:32]
• How your “future self” helps you learn to tolerate discomfort [31:49]
• Just get started: how habit initiation is more important than completion [38:06]
• Managing overwhelm with intentional prioritization [41:49]
• Barrier #3 to follow through: No system [46:44]
• Barrier #4 to follow through: Unsupportive environment [52:35]
• Barrier #4 to follow through: Unrealistic expectations [1:02:30]
• Final takeaways [1:10:04]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 32: Harness Your Potential, Yoga for Athletes
• Yoga for Athletes Teacher Training
• Connect with Alison Heilig:

Facebook | Instagram | Alison Heilig | Yoga Medicine Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-96.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Feel pressured to make your classes new and exciting? More complex? More demanding? Today hosts Tiffany and Rachel offer tips for yoga teachers who are ready to work smarter, not harder, when crafting class sequences.

In this episode, we talk about the importance of starting with a clear focal point and a base class template, and the benefits of reusing past sequences. We also discuss the two parts of the creative process and what to do when you are sapped of inspiration.

Listen in to learn how to save time and energy with a simple and systematic sequencing process that brings your ideas to life.

• Pressure to craft the “perfect” sequence for every class [1:10]
• Tip 1: Start with a clear focal point or intention [4:30]
• Thoughts on Peak Pose sequencing [15:40]
• Tip 2: Plan your classes, but hold your plan loosely [17:43]
• Thoughts on building a curriculum over time [21:10]
• Tip 3: Use a base class template [24:23]
• Leaving space in your sequence [27:05]
• Tip 4: Use a systematic sequencing process [32:17]
• Tip 5: Keep and reuse your sequences [38:23]
• Fear our focal point won’t be relevant to every student [42:36]
• How we record sequences and ideas [48:44]
• Working with the two phases of the creative process [53:40]
• Sources of inspiration when you’re out of ideas [55:32]
• Learning to sequence versus using a set sequence [1:01:41]
• Key takeaways, being of service [1:05:44]
• Upcoming Yoga Medicine Sequencing Teacher Training [1:08:55]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Sequencing with Purpose Yoga Teacher Training
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • 05: Yoga & Sustainability
  • 74: Yoga for All
  • 92: Right Brain Skills for Yoga Teachers

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-95.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

In communication, stories and symbols have the capacity to reach us in ways that facts and figures do not. So today host Rachel dips her toes into Hindu mythology with returning guest Steph Wall.

In this episode, we talk about the importance of mythology and its links to many of the poses we know and practice. Steph also offers advice on how to introduce symbolic stories into classes where students have varied beliefs and experiences.

Listen in to learn what mythology can teach us and how to incorporate it into your yoga classes.

• Steph’s first introduction to mythology [4:01]
• Steph shares one of her favorite Hindu myths [7:05]
• Stories offer us insight into ourselves [14:58]
• The challenge of sharing stories about gods and goddesses [18:45]
• How to start sharing mythology in your teaching [22:02]
• Tips for sharing Hindu mythology with students of varied faiths [26:41]
• Mythology and mystery versus an evidence-based approach [31:02]
• Final takeaways and Steph’s upcoming classes on Yoga Medicine Online [36:08]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 59: Explore the Dark Side
• Connect with Steph Wall:

         Instagram | The Kali Collective | Facebook | Yoga Medicine Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-94.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today hosts Tiffany and Katja talk tips for keeping calm under pressure. This episode is all about choking up or freezing under pressure, which can apply to so many different situations whether you’re a yoga teacher, a presenter, or an athlete. We talk about the mechanisms behind choking under high-pressure situations and offer tools that you can use to prepare yourself for situations where you might encounter hyperarousal, distraction and excessive self-focus, which can get in the way of your performance.

Listen in to learn what is happening in your body when you face pressure and what you can do to mitigate the negative effects of performance jitters.

• Mechanisms behind choking under pressure [5:59]
• Tools to counter hyperarousal [11:21]
• “Pressure as privilege” mindset [18:50]
• Tools to prepare for distractions [21:47]
• Pre-performance routines for athletes [27:48]
• Reframing internal worries [31:41]
• Interventions for paralysis by analysis [33:55]
• Minimizing explicit knowledge of specific movements [37:47]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Calm Under Pressure Overview
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

         Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-93.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Yoga teachers love a good training. When in doubt, many of us tend to look for more technical skills – more evidence, more information, more protocols and strategies. But what if the true magic of the teacher-student relationship lies elsewhere: not in perfection, but in presence.

Today’s episode hones in on right brain or relational teaching skills, which are less about WHAT we teach and more about HOW we teach it. Our guest, Sandy Raper, is a long-time yoga teacher, teacher trainer, author and mentor. In this episode, she shares her right-brain teaching tips for both new and experienced yoga teachers with host Rachel.

Listen to this episode to learn the difference between left brain and right brain skills, why you should let go of your plan to leave space for next time, how to build trust with your students, and the vital importance of remembering your “why.”

• Our tendency to lean into left brain teaching skills [3:05]
• Left versus right brain skills [4:51]
• Tips for new teachers: leave room for “next time” [8:35]
• Build trust with students: presence and progress, not perfection [14:37]
• One-on-one versus group teaching skills [23:13]
• What keeps students coming back? [33:28]
• Supporting longevity as a teacher [37:22]
• How to develop right brain skills [45:40]
• Final reflections [53:46]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Connect with Sandy Raper:

          Sandy Raper | Beyond Yoga Teacher Training Podcast | Facebook | Instagram

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-92.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today we are busting balance myths with two people who are passionate about balance and standing stability. Host Rachel talks to Sava Papos, is a long-time yoga teacher and Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist, now immersed in a degree in Exercise and Sport Physiology. 

In this episode, we discuss balance as a trainable skill and a key aspect of physical performance, providing advice to teachers and students aiming to make balance practice as applicable to the real world as possible. 

Listen in as we talk about finding the right type and level of challenge for everyone, and the importance of being willing to experience instability in order to train better stability.

• Why we are passionate about balance training [2:47]
• Myth #1: Balance training is only for the elderly [3:47]
• Myth #2: You either have it or you don’t [10:56]
• How we currently teach balance skills in yoga [14:51]
• Holding an external focus when balancing helps [16:09]
• Myth #3: Doing yoga balance poses is enough [17:42]
• Myth #4: “Good” balance means never wobbling or falling [21:47]
• Myth #5: Balance is all about the core; ankle, hip & step strategies [27:53]
• Playing with key contributors to balance: visual, vestibular & proprioceptive system [35:26]
• Footwear and heel height impacts on stability [44:37]
• The big question: is yoga sufficient balance training? [49:41]
• Our base of support; foot and arm position, prop use [56:41]
• Summing up, more resources [1:01:16]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 33: Age Well with Yoga
• YMO Monthly Dose Bullet-Proof Balance
• Research links from Sava Papos:
  • DiStefano et al., “Evidence Supporting Balance Training in Healthy Individuals: A Systemic Review”, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, December 2009. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2009&issue=12000&article=00041&type=Fulltext&casa_token=4wnZzwAf4TsAAAAA:YuRzitf4-5Kg_acQW1AA-041KcQyoT9-sYVXhGQOXrOtf3YVXKXrTRZuQ6GZZ91EhfkGI-ajY1vdhflMoi1axoLPmQ
  • Chiviacowsky et al., “An external focus of attention enhances balance learning in older adults”, Gait & Posture, October 2010. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0966636210002286?casa_token=8vX0hAHEKpoAAAAA:FBBc_QJrbbaShKg9eK2Lo76rRHq_9CVNB6MNSmcDXeC1WfP4EJ6WXiebev24S0VLI2iSNggeokQ
  • Heijnen et al., “Falls in young adults: Perceived causes and environmental factors assessed with a daily online survey”, Human Movement Science, April 2016. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167945715300762?casa_token=K3TTb7d_8fkAAAAA:gFTdJXnxbkRbZguB5LeJZfk_KKULgexd0xVwTk2kE_7FijqwyGRZSFFa8sEuaHIsxkRg4PLh4A
  • Ramachandran et al., “Effects of Plyometric Jump Training on Balance Performance in Healthy Participants: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis”, Frontiers in Physiology, October 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8564501/
• Yoga Journal Article: 4 Surprising Ways to Use a Yoga Bolster
• Connect with Sava Papos:

          LinkedIn | Instagram | Email

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-91.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today’s media landscape - which equates leadership with certainty of opinion, popularity, or charisma - can be challenging for yoga teachers to navigate. So today, hosts Tiffany and Rachel explore what leadership can look like in the yoga world. 

We discuss the importance of humility and vulnerability, the challenge of balancing evidence-based with more traditional inputs, and whether there are different expectations of yoga teachers than there are of other roles in our communities.

Listen in as we explore the kind of leadership that lifts everyone up. 

• Confusing certainty or popularity for true leadership [2:57]
• Humility as a central quality of good leadership [13:06]
• The kind of leadership we need can change over time [20:53]
• Balancing evidence-based with traditional inputs [22:49]
• Finding your compass as a leader [25:54]
• Service & Ego: expectations of yoga teachers versus other occupations [33:58]
• Pressure for yoga teachers to project perfection [39:46]
• Balancing leadership and vulnerability [51:32]
• Key takeaways [54:42]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 88: Social Media Marketing Made Easy

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-90.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Most of us have loaded beliefs related to the core and core strength. While most hold a grain of truth, plenty of these preconceptions are inaccurate, incomplete, or just plain unhelpful when it comes to our individual yoga and movement practices. 

Today host Rachel and returning guest Jenni Tarma unpack the most common core myths and misconceptions. In this episode, we explore the anatomy and function of the core, talk about what core stability really looks like, and examine the complex relationship between the core and low back pain.  

Listen in to learn how to define a healthy core, explore the wide range of poses and practices you could use to bring awareness to this area, and how you might teach a core-focused practice to groups or individuals.

• Exploring basic beliefs about the core [5:01]
• Myth #1 Core = abs; difficulty defining the core [6:24]
• Myth #2 Only crunches and planks strengthen your core [13:13]
• Myth #3 Core stability means bracing [22:54]
• Defining stability [30:35]
• Myth #4 A strong core is tight and “ripped” [32:31]
• Myth #5 A strong core is the solution to low back pain [37:53]
• Tips for teaching individual and group yoga classes focused on the core [47:45]
• More on the core: Yoga Medicine resources [57:24]
• Final takeaways; moving toward unconscious competence [1:00:53]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Spine: Anatomy, Dysfunction & Application | Module – San Diego, CA
• Movement Intelligence Online Course
• Werner et al: “From protection to non-protection: A mixed methods study investigating movement, posture, and recovery from disabling low back pain” European Journal of Pain, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35959703/
• Yoga Journal core article series from Rachel:
  • 3 Common Misconceptions About Core Strength
  • 35 Yoga Poses No One Ever Told You Are Core Work
  • 44 Cues to Help You Strengthen Your Core in Any Yoga Pose
• Yoga Medicine Online Classes focused on the core:
  • Balanced Function for Flexible Folks, Support for the Spine
  • Second Nature Core Support
  • Energizing Core Practice
  • Hips & Core for Full-Body Support
  • Spinal Mobility for Resilience & Strength
  • Creative Core for Full-Body Connection
• Previous Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes with Jenni Tarma:
  • Episode 26: Support the Low Back
  • Episode 32: Harness Your Potential, Yoga for Athletes
  • Episode 60: Strength Training Myths Debunked
  • Episode 76: Hypermobility in Yoga
• Connect with Jenni Tarma:

Facebook | Jenni Tarma Instagram | Kaari Prehab Instagram | Kaari Prehab | LinkedIn | Yoga Medicine Online Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-89.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Most of us have a complicated relationship with social media, but it can be a powerful business tool if we learn how to harness it effectively.

Today host Rachel talks social media marketing with returning guest Dana Diament, a yoga teacher and graphic designer with years of experience in branding. Dana creates clarity around social media communication by prompting us all to ask ourselves exactly who are we talking to, and what key themes we aim to convey. Whether your challenge is to identify your student niche or shift to a new one, or find an easier way to determine what to post and when, Dana has simple, practical advice for you.

Listen in to learn how to build an effective online community, whether you are a new yoga teacher or a veteran still searching for your groove.

• The insatiable pressure to post [3:05]
• Niche: who are you talking to? [4:01]
• How a need-driven niche helps [7:40]
• Why you need a niche (hint: you aren’t actually for everyone) [14:33]
• Advice for new yoga teachers: finding a niche or changing niche [17:23]
• When in doubt, ask your students [28:04]
• Content pillars: a framework for social media content [35:33]
• Practical examples of content pillars [39:05]
• How content pillars facilitate a marketing schedule [46:40]
• Tips for getting started [58:54]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Marketing for Yoga Teachers Online Course
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 82: Building a Healthy Relationship with Social Media
• Previous episodes with Dana Diament:
  • Episode 45: Conscious Parenting
  • Episode 56: Controversial Yoga Cues Unpacked
  • Episode 65: Spiritual Imposter Syndrome
• Connect with Dana Diament:

          Facebook | Instagram | Yoga Medicine Online | Raia Collective

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-88.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

“Is Yoga a religion?” is an often-asked question, and the deeper we delve into the historical and philosophical underpinnings of the practice, the less simple and straightforward the answer becomes.

Here to guide us on that complex conversational journey is returning guest Firdose Moonda, who holds an MA in the Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from the School of Oriental and African Studies and is undertaking doctoral work into the politics of yoga.

Listen in to unpack yoga’s historical and present-day entanglements with South Asian religions, and explore the responsibilities of modern yoga teachers in the West.

—

• Defining religion [3:44]
• Can you be spiritual but not religious [7:02]
• Evolution of yoga: the Vedic period [10:58]
• Emergence of Buddhism and Jainism [15:51]
• Hatha yoga, and separation of yoga from religion [19:30]
• Is yoga even more entangled with religion today [23:55]
• Contributions from Tantra & South Asian Islam [24:55]
• Implications of the International Day of Yoga [29:44]
• Can yoga teachers avoid politics, history, religion, and philosophy entirely [34:40]
• Finding your place as a teacher in the modern yoga world [43:50]
• We are also creating yoga history [48:18]
• More resources, and a final word of caution [54:49]

—

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes:
  • 100: Yoga, Politics & History
• Yoga Medicine® Book Club
• The Race & Yoga Journal, UC Berkley
• Yoga Mimamsa, The Scientific Journal of Yoga, Kaivalyadhama
• Connect with Firdose Moonda MA:

         Instagram | YMO Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-114.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today hosts Tiffany and Katja hone in on another topic related to pranayama: the science of breathing less. In this episode, we talk about the natural fear of retention of the breath and what we can do to combat this fear. We also connect the dots between concepts like intermittent hypoxic training, breathing less volume, and voluntary hypoventilation and talk about how all those practices may affect breathing gases. Finally, we talk a lot about the application of breathing less in our own practice and how to experiment with it.

Listen in to learn where the concept came from, what we can learn about breathing less from other fields of study, and how we can apply that to our yoga practice.

Show Notes: 

• Origins of the concept of breathing less [2:15]
• The O2 side of the coin - intermittent hypoxia & co [3:45]
• The CO2 side of the coin - hypoventilation & co [8:15]
• Unpacking voluntary hypoventilation [13:39]
• The fear of breathing less [17:00]
• Breathing less from the yoga lens [24:11]
• Breath holds and pranayama [27:50]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Online Resources:
  • September Monthly Dose – Breathe Life Into Your Practice
  • Less is More: Breath Practice for CO2 Tolerance
• Breathing Resources Doc
• Pranayama Yoga Teacher Training
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

          Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-87.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today host Rachel speaks with returning guest Alice Blunden – a Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist, schoolteacher, and creator of The Yoga Project UK – about accessible ways we can translate yoga tools and techniques for children as they navigate the potentially challenging transition back to school.

In this episode, Alice shares a handful of her favorite techniques that you can teach to children of any age, the essence of which yoga students and teachers will likely find familiar.

Listen in to learn creative yet practical activities that introduce kids to yoga concepts that help increase their capacity for focus, concentration, memory, mindfulness and self-regulation.

• “Back to school” can be a big adjustment for children and families [2:38]
• Creative activities to introduce yoga concepts and practices to children:
  • Focus and memory: What’s on the tray [4:19]
  • Concentration and listening skills: Supermarket list [9:34]
  • Open sensory awareness: Safari walk [12:56]
  • Patience and mindfulness: the Mindful Malteser [20:44]
  • Emotional awareness and vocabulary: Paper cup faces [27:37]
  • Elongated exhalation for nervous system regulation: Pinwheel breath [33:48]
  • Diaphragmatic breathing for nervous system regulation: Teddy bear breath [37:58]
  • Breath-focused meditation: High-five breath [40:50]
  • Shift in internal state, vagal tone: Hummingbee breath [44:49]
• Summing up and general advice for teaching children [47:49]
• Connecting with Alice, more resources for teaching yoga to children [52:08]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Previous Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • Episode 45: Conscious Parenting with Dana Diament
  • Episode 50: Stronger After Surgery with Alice Blunden
• Teaching Yoga to Children Online Course
• Simple Hand Tracing Meditation Online Class
• Connect with Alice Blunden:

          Instagram | Alice Louise Yoga | Yoga Medicine Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-86.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today hosts Tiffany and Katja take you on a stroll through the breathwork landscape. In this episode, the pair gives an overview of the origins of different breathing practices - covering Eastern traditions from India to China, techniques founded by "psychedelic" transformational and scientific communities as well as practices stemming from Eastern Europe.

If you've ever wanted an overview of where Conscious Connected Breathing, Tummo, Resonant Frequency breathing, and Buteyoko came from - this is the episode you've been waiting for.

We also discuss the bigger picture of breathwork as a whole and how Pranayama as a very multi-faceted practice fits into it. 

• Indian breathwork traditions [2:21]
• Tibetan breathwork traditions [7:57]
• Chinese breathwork traditions [15:55]
• Transformational, “psychedelic” breathwork origins [21:06]
• Scientific origins – Resonant frequency breathing [32:54]
• Eastern European breathwork traditions [38:34]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-85.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Whether we are athletes or not, we all have areas in our lives where we want to perform well. Today host Rachel speaks with returning guest Dr. Daya Grant about how aspects of yoga philosophy can help us do that - by improving our focus and concentration. 

Dr. Grant helps athletes and other high performers train their brains with the same care they invest in training their bodies. She draws heavily on the yoga techniques of Pratyahara and Dharana to help athletes focus on what they CAN control, cultivate intuition and prevent burnout. In this episode, she shares practical ways you can connect to these techniques.

Listen in to hear how simply connecting to your feet or choosing where to rest your gaze can completely change your response to a heightened situation, why Dr. Grant encourages athletes to journal, and a range of other yoga tools that you can harness to improve your performance, whatever your ambition.

• Improved performance isn’t just for elite athletes [2:21]
• Fresh definitions of Pratyahara and Dharana [3:38]
• Practical examples of Pratyahara and its benefits [6:21]
• “Self One” and “Self Two” [12:13]
• More tools to “reverse the flow” [15:35]
• Training the brain is as important as training the body [21:36]
• Understanding Dharana [25:38]
• Using breath work for improved focus: challenges and tips [30:48]
• Self-talk, and finding strength in self-compassion [34:23]
• Communicating helpful concepts like surrender to athletes [40:10]
• The power of practice [43:41]
• Harnessing the tool of imagery [45:55]
• Final takeaways [51:14]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 47: Concussion Care
• Yoga for Concussions Online Course
• Connect with Dr. Daya Grant:

          Instagram | Daya Grant

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-84.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today’s topic is an interesting one that comes up a lot in the yoga world. In this episode, hosts Tiffany and Katja talk about the latest research and newest findings on the Polyvagal Theory. They discuss the evolutionary biology that Polyvagal Theory is based around, the neuroanatomy that’s involved, and assumptions that have been made about this complex aspect of the body.

Listen in to learn about the anatomy of the vagus nerve and how Polyvagal Theory is applied in yoga and therapeutic settings.

• The emergence of Polyvagal Theory [2:58]
• Evolutionary biology and dorsal vagus [5:50]
• Sympathetic nervous system [10:35]
• Ventral vagus [13:40]
• Nuances of ventral and dorsal vagus, combinations [15:03]
• Anatomy of the vagus nerve [17:38]
• Afferent parts of the vagus nerve (from body to brain) [21:24]
• Efferent components of vagus (from brain to body) [26:50]
• How researchers look at cardiac function and Polyvagal Theory [33:01]
• The role of Polyvagal Theory in yoga and therapeutic settings [37:29]
• Hypotheses about ventral vagus evolution [43:33]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Polyvagal Resources Doc
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-83.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today hosts Tiffany and Rachel talk about building a healthy relationship with social media. These platforms have become a ubiquitous facet of our lives, so in this episode, we examine the way we use social media as yoga students and teachers.

We discuss the pros of social media, like its capacity to help us connect with other people, the sense of community it can create, and the resource-sharing capabilities it allows for. We also talk about some of social media’s trickier topics like dealing with negativity, the futility of chasing the algorithm, and engaging with misinformation.

Listen in as we explain how we can better balance our time on social media and find ways to embrace its benefits.

• Is there a secret to social media success that you’re missing? [1:25]
• Do you need a large social media following to support your teaching? [3:43]
• Deciding what to post [6:07]
• The futility of chasing the algorithm [16:33]
• Deciding who to follow and engage with [18:41]
• Negative experiences with social media [23:34]
• Balancing time on social media and engaging with misinformation [32:01]
• Social media tips for yoga teachers [39:40]
• Is it still possible to build a teaching business through social media? [53:35]
• Tiffany’s start on social media, and playing the long game [56:00]
• Social media as a global community builder [59:01]
• The upcoming Yoga Medicine Innovation Conference [1:00:00]
• Final takeaways on building a healthy relationship with social media [1:03:02]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Innovation Conference

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-82.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Military personnel and first responders show up to other people’s worst day, every day. Exposed to workplace experiences the rest of us can’t imagine, some experience post-traumatic stress, and some work through that experience to demonstrate post-traumatic growth.

Can yoga play a part in biasing these populations toward growth? Today’s guest, Dr. Nicole McKenna, is here to share her thoughts on the topic.

Dr. McKenna has a Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology with a concentration in crisis response and is also a Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist. She started her working life in the military as an Army Master Fitness Trainer and now blends her fields of experience and expertise to help military personnel, veterans and first responders manage the physical and psychological impacts of their work.

In this episode, she and host Rachel discuss post-traumatic stress and its symptoms along with tips for working with veterans and first responders.

Listen in as we share what sort of yoga practices can bias these individuals towards post-traumatic growth rather than post-traumatic stress.

• What sets military veterans and first responders apart [3:05]
• Avoiding processing traumatic experiences can be a form of adaptation [5:43]
• Defining post-traumatic stress and potential symptoms [7:58]
• Building trust with veterans and first responders [15:07]
• Direct communication and instruction are key [20:18]
• It can take time to feel the benefit of more subtle yoga practices [23:18]
• What is post-traumatic growth [29:49]
• Different approaches help different individuals [36:01]
• Tips for starting yoga work with veterans and first response [40:11]
• The comfort of repetition and knowing what to expect [43:37]
• When to incorporate breath work and/or meditation practices [45:48]
• Keep verbal cues and class themes simple and practical [50:48]
• More resources [57:26]
• Polarized opinions on military and first responder organizations [58:18]
• Dr. McKenna’s recommending reading list [1:02:20]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • Episode 30: Trauma-Informed Yoga Dr. Ann Bortz
  • Episode 77: Restorative Yoga Essentials
• Mental Health & Wellness Yoga Teacher Training | Austin, TX
• Yoga Medicine Innovation Conference
• Dr. Nicole McKenna’s recommended reading list:
  • Trauma and Memory: Brain and Body in a Search for the Living Past: A Practical Guide for Understanding and Working with Traumatic Memory, by Peter A. Levine
  • The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
  • Transformed by Trauma: Stories of Posttraumatic Growth, by Richard G. Tedeschi Ph.D. and Bret A. Moore PsyD with Ken Falke and Josh Goldberg
  • Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee, by Shannon Lee
• Connect with Dr. Nicole McKenna:

Facebook | Instagram | Grateful Warrior Yoga Foundation

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-81.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

The practice of Yin yoga is unusual in that it asks us to do the opposite of what we do in the rest of our lives. That contrast is powerful, but adjusting to it can bring up challenges.

In this episode, returning guest Shannon Stephens is back to talk to host Rachel about the common challenges of Yin Yoga for both students and teachers and shares her tips on how we can navigate them skillfully to get the most out of our practice.

Listen to this episode to learn how to embrace the contrast between Yin yoga and daily life to create a more fulfilling, and ultimately revealing practice.

• Student challenges in Yin Yoga: dealing with discomfort [2:59]
• Discerning between different types of discomfort [4:32]
• Difficulty letting go in Yin [8:46]
• Managing the spectrum of mobility in a Yin yoga class [14:05]
• Noticing phasic changes within a Yin pose [19:49]
• Adjusting to the slow pace of Yin compared to the fast pace of life [20:35]
• Practical ways to attune to the subtle body in Yin [27:21]
• Yin can feel messy compared to other yoga styles [32:52]
• Challenges of teaching Yin Yoga [37:34]
• Pros and cons of moving around the room when teaching [39:10]
• How to leave more space for quiet [41:17]
• Strategies for keeping time [43:17]
• Guiding students out of poses and managing the “rebound” [46:12]
• Preparing to teach Yin [48:08]
• Tips for teaching Yin without props [50:45]
• Creating a safe, supportive space for students [53:36]
• Overall tips for managing the challenges of Yin: intention and compassion [57:41]
• Being prepared to teach and practice; show up authentically [1:00:32]
• Learning the impermanence of feelings and sensations [1:03:50]
• Final takeaways: every practice teaches us something [1:07:50]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • Episode 41: The Hidden Benefits of Yin Yoga
  • Episode 77: Restorative Yoga Essentials
• Yin & Meditation Yoga Teacher Training
• Yoga Medicine Online Guest Teacher
• Connect with Shannon Stephens:

Facebook | Instagram | This Land Yoga

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-80.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

After traumatic life events, some people experience negative mental and physical health outcomes, while others not only survive but thrive. 

There’s a growing body of research on the strategies that prime our potential for resilience to adverse events, but less understanding of the neural pathways that underpin them. Today guest Valerie Knopik Ph.D. returns to explore three of these pathways with host Rachel, sharing a recent review article on the neuroscience of resilience in adults. 

In this episode, Valerie unpacks how three key neutral pathways could interact to influence our capacity to successfully handle stress and trauma. She suggests a range of strategies we can employ to down-regulate the negative, up-regulate the positive, and retain overall perspective. 

Listen to this episode to learn about three proposed pathways to resilience and how we can, and should, work with all of them to prime our potential to learn, grow and thrive in the face of adversity.

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-79.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

• A key review article on the neuroscience of resilience in adults [4:41]
• Defining resilience [6:29]
• A tripartite model: key neural pathways for resilience [9:11]
  • 1: Fear and distress network, the amygdala, and HPA axis [11:44]
  • 2: Reward pathways, the mid-brain, and the role of Dopamine [17:25]
  • 3: The default mode network and the role of rumination [23:21]
• Some strategies influence more than one pathway [30:10]
• Reframing the stress response [32:16]
• Down-regulating the negative: therapy, journalling, affect labeling [34:11]
• The power of the breath [39:07]
• Up-regulating the positive: optimism, humor, social connection, gratitude [42:24]
• Finding joy in required tasks [45:28]
• Transcending the self: finding meaning and purpose, nature, flow state [50:17]
• Final takeaways and further resources [55:03]

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Tabibnia et al, “An affective neuroscience model of boosting resilience in adults”
• Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episode 49: Epigenetics, Mental Health & Yoga with Valerie Knopik PhD
• Mental Health & Wellness Yoga Teacher Training:
  • Online
  • In-Person
• Yoga Medicine® Online Resources:
  • Valerie’s Mental Health Monthly Dose
  • Slow Flow Down Shift
• Connect with Valerie Knopik:

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Yoga Medicine Online Teacher