Yoga & Beyond | The Yoga and Movement Science Podcast

How often do your students ask for help with tight hamstrings? In this episode Jenn Pilotti and I discuss a study that compared 4 stretching techniques for greater hamstring flexibility. This study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared two active stretches and two passive stretches in 100 people over the course of 8 weeks. It’s clear that one resulted in the greatest gains. We discuss the results here and in our Yoga Research and Beyond review.

How can Buteyko breathing help with asthma? Research shows 6-30% of asthma sufferers use breathing methods to alleviate their asthma symptoms in the UK.  Catherine and I discuss a paper from the Complementary Therapies in Medicine journal about Buteyko breathing and asthma. Buteyko breathing technique (BBT) is a method that is used in some practices to help with hyperventilation, and asthma. BBT trains people to slow their breath rate, eliminate mouth breathing (using a small strip of tape on the mouth), and use controlled breath pauses to increase CO2 levels. Russian physiologist, Konstantin Buteyko, created it in the 1950’s after experimenting with a slower breathing rate on himself and his patients. He postulated that hyperventilation and mouth breathing create hypocapnia (low CO2), which causes hundreds of ailments, including bronchospasm. 

What are Ground Reaction Forces (GRFs) and why are they important? In biomechanics GRF is the force exerted from the ground onto the body when they make contact. It's basically Newton's 3rd law: for every action there is a reaction. Measuring these forces helps us understand how yoga poses impact bones and possibly bone mass.

Can virtual reality technology affect pain perception? Well, yeah. Catherine Cowey and I discuss a fun study about this co-authored by Lorimer Moseley in 2015 in the Psychological Science Journal. The researchers used VR technology to give subjects (with a history of neck pain) the illusion that they had moved their neck more or less than they actually had. As they hypothesized, this had an effect on their perception of pain.

Proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT) is a pathology of the tendon with a combination of tissue damage, inflammation, and possibly pain at the proximal tendon where the hamstring attaches to the ischial tuberosity. PHT is very common among yoga practitioners as well as in other populations.  Jules Mitchell and I talk about our own experiences with hamstring injuries as well as a 2016 clinical commentary entitled Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy: Clinical Aspects of Assessment and Management from the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.

Breathing is a hot topic for yoga teachers and fitness professionals. Jenn Pilotti and I talk about a study on the 90/90 breath technique with ball and balloon. Postural Restoration Institute (PRI) practitioners use this exercise to help people of all ages with musculoskeletal pain, including low back pain. We discuss the relationship between breathing and posture and how they might affect low back pain.

How does Kinesiotape® affect balance and athletic performance? Cat and I discuss a study from the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy done in 2016. The authors hypothesized that there would be improvements in athletic performance but it didn’t work out that way. There are many claims about the benefits of ktape. Cat and I discuss all of that and more. Bottom line. If it works for you, use it, but don’t become dependent on it.

Can 12 minutes of yoga a day reverse osteoporotic bone loss? The title of this study "Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss" might lead you to believe so, but the results and data are incomplete and inconclusive.  Jules Mitchell and I talk about this complicated, underwhelming study published in the Geriatric Rehabilitation Journal in 2015. 

Catherine Cowey and I discuss an article on chronic pain and hypermobility syndrome (HMS) from the Journal of Pain Research. This article gives a thorough overview of the many kinds of hypermobility conditions and symptoms and makes it very clear that it’s a complicated subject. There’s a wide spectrum of hypermobility syndromes and  symptoms which can make diagnosis challenging. The criteria are confusing and overlap depending on the type of hypermobility syndrome, and therefore, may need to be updated. We also talk about how to work with people who are hypermobile. When it comes to exercise and movement, people tend to do what they’re already good at it. Flexible people may love to do yoga because they find the poses accessible. For flexible people who also have hypermobility (joint laxity), only doing yoga and stretching can potentially exacerbate HMS symptoms or create instability in their joints. Couple this with the pervasive idealization of flexibility in yoga asana, as if it is somehow tied to spiritual heights, and you have a potentially injurious combination. Hypermobile yoga students would benefit from incorporating strength work and holding back on how far they go in poses in order to gain more strength and control in the ranges that they have.

Are headstands safe? Jules Mitchell and I discuss a study about headstands from 2014. This is the first study of its kind that assessed loads on the neck and head in headstand.  We had different reactions to this study. When I read it, it reinforced my decision to exclude headstands from my practice and group classes. When she read it, it didn’t change her mind about excluding it from group classes, but she went back to headstands in her personal practice. What was it about the study that deterred me from headstands? There is some data in this study that at face value can be alarming about the amount of force on the head and neck, and risks of fracture with compression and extension in the cervical spine. However Jules provides us with context about how those studies were conducted that made the data less alarming. As Jules likes to say, one study does not a conclusion make. This pioneering study opens the door to more questions and does not allow us to make definitive conclusions about the right or wrong ways to do headstand.

How does ankle instability affect the knee? In the previous episode Jenn Pilotti and I discussed proximal stability for distal mobility - how core stability affects the knees and ankles. But what about the other way around? How do distal joints affect more proximal ones? Many movement professionals work from the ground up, thinking about how the foot and ankle affect the rest of the kinetic chain. This is one of the few studies Jenn found that examines how the ankle affects the knee and landing kinematics. We review this study and talk about our own ankle injuries and working with people who have ankle issues. Yoga teachers often say it’s all connected. This paper touches on an aspect of that, namely how the ankle (a distal joint) affects the knee (a more proximal joint).

Proximal stability for distal mobility is a principle that’s often used in corrective exercise, manual treatment and personal training. Generally, it means that working on core stability can affect distal joints, providing more mobility. This is logical. A stable core may allow for less chaos in the periphery. In this episode Jenn Pilotti and I discuss 2 studies that look at how proximal strengthening impacts the knees and ankles of female athletes. The first study looks at the effect core stability has on landing kinematics for female Capoeira practitioners; the second looks at what strengthening the hip does for high school female basketball players with history of ankle injury. These studies support the notion that core stability in the lumbo pelvic hip complex affects the knees and ankles.

Does Yoga improve athletic performance? It might, but we don't know exactly how. Jules Mitchell was researching how yoga affects athletics performance for her upcoming book and discovered a gap in the literature. There's plenty of research about the SAID principle and adaptation, but not enough about yoga's impact on sports performance. In this episode we talk about the only two studies that cover this topic as well as their many limitations. Hopefully there will be more studies about this in the future so we can have more clarity.

Yoga and Movement Research Series How does Bikram yoga affect heart rate and core temperature? To be completely honest neither Cat nor I are fans of Bikram yoga or hot yoga in general. Nonetheless, we did our best to discuss Bikram yoga and this study as objectively as possible. In this episode we reviewed an ACE (American Council on Exercise) sponsored study done in 2015, which examines the effect of Bikram yoga on core temperature, heart rate and rate of perceived exertion of 20 Bikram practitioners. Some interesting data from the study: The average highest core temp was 103.2 for men and 102 for women. One male had a core temp of 104 by the end of the 90 minute class. The average heart rate was 80% max for men and 72% max for women. The highest recorded was 92% for men and 85% for female. It's essential for Bikram teachers to have a basic understanding of thermoregulation and know the signs and symptoms of heat related illness. Teachers should be trained to respond appropriately in the event of an emergency to keep the participant's safety a priority. Because participants experienced dangerous elevated core temperatures 60 minutes into class, shortening the class to 60 minutes or less might minimize potential for heat intolerance. Researcher Emily Quandt offers three key recommendations: shorten the class, lower the room temperature and focus on hydration.

Jenn Pilotti and I discuss a thorough review of 29 studies that answers this question: Are core stability exercises the best for back pain? The meta review was conducted in 2014 and is entitled, "An update of stabilization exercises for low back pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis." The studies compare core stabilization techniques (side plank, plank and bird dog) to other forms of exercise such as low intensity aerobics, pilates, walking, running in place, and stretches. It might be a common sense conclusion that core strengthening is the best for back pain, but the research does not support this. In fact, the research tells us that core work is no more or less effective than any other kind of exercise.

In this bonus episode Jules Mitchell (biomechanist and yoga educator) asks me questions about my new workshops for teachers called the Yoga Re:Alignment Workshop Series. We also talk  about the role of movement science in yoga asana and whether or not yoga is about more than the poses...of course it is.

Whether or not to use mirrors in yoga classes is a popular topic of discussion among teachers. This is the first episode in my new yoga and movement research series. I talk to Jules Mitchell about the efficacy of using mirrors when learning yoga asana. We discuss a study entitled, "Effect on performance of learning a pilates skill with or without a mirror."  The study examines a pilates move called the STAR movement,  but what we learn from it can also be applied to yoga. The STAR move is similar to Vasistasana (side plank) while raising and lowering the top leg. The stated goal of this study was to "use an objective measure of performance to look at the effect of mirrors when learning Pilates star movement that must then be done without the mirrors." What do you think? Is it best to learn a motor skill with or without mirrors?

Dan John has been lifting weights since 1965 and coaching for more than 30 years.  He holds the American record in the Weight Pentathlon event, won the American Masters Discus Championships several times, and has competed in Olympic weightlifting and the Highland Games. Dan has a common sense approach to fitness that appeals to most of the strength coaches and trainers that I know. We talk about strength training for women, mindset in competition, why he hates terms like cardio, core and functional, the cult of stretching, the goblet squat and more.

Charlie Reid, CSCS, CMT, considers himself an "anti-guru", an educator, and an enthusiast for all things strength and conditioning related. His pragmatic approach centers around helping others find solutions that are practical, while sifting through all the hype so prevalent on the internet. We talk about strength and mobility training, some research behind the The Biggest Loser, how most commercial group fitness just makes people tired not better, thought viruses that need to go away, fitness candy, and one-legged cable McTwisty presses.

Greg Lehman, Physiotherapist and Chiropractor talks about why pain science and biomechanics need to be reconciled. People think that pain science challenges everything in biomechanics, but it doesn’t. It challenges it a little. We can and should still use biomechanics. It’s still important but you have to add all the psycho social stuff to it as well. We talk about biomechanics research, how and why to use alignment, how the musculoskeletal systems is allowed to look weird, tendon research and why it's ok to poke the bear (not hump it).

Shelly Prosko, PT, PYT, CPI, specializes in pain science, yoga therapy and pelvic floor health. She's dedicated to bridging the gap between yoga and modern healthcare philosophies and believes this integration is highly effective in creating and sustaining optimal health. Shelly has been integrating yoga into her physical therapy treatments since 1998, addressing a wide variety of conditions and populations, with a special focus on helping people suffering from persistent pain and pelvic health issues. We discuss what yoga therapy is, how it can be used in healthcare professions, pelvic floor health, pain science, how the research does not support the idea that “optimal alignment” eliminates pain and the how we can still teach alignment without instilling fear of movement and more.

Last year Mel, Kim and I decided to write a book in order to dispel some of the popular claims we hear in mainstream yoga classes. Exposing Yoga Myths V1 is the result of those efforts. In this episode we talk about some responses (good and bad) to the book. We go off on some fun tangents too about Ace of Bass and Insane Clown Posse. don't ask.Co-owners of SMARTer Bodies™, Kim-Lien Kendall and Melissa Gutierrez have collaborated for more than 5 years to help their clients move better and improve their quality of life. Together they transcend the fitness and yoga industries’ quick fixes and trends to create a meaningful and lasting system that truly helps people attain their goals.

Diana and Helen are both experienced yoga teachers and physical therapists. They've created a course that reflects the thirst for applicable and teachable knowledge regarding functional anatomy both for the yoga teacher and the physical therapist. Each course aims to fill the gap between basic training and a safer, smarter practice. Both are grounded in anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and therapeutics. Their quest: to enhance awareness and safety for the 21st Century movement specialist.

Lauren Ohayon is a body mechanics geek who relishes in constant learning, laughing and community. Through her biomechanics and movement studies, Lauren has developed a style of teaching that helps students gain awareness of their structure as well as understand how to re-balance their bodies. She also specializes in helping clients with diastasis recti, organ prolapse and other pelvic floor issues. Lauren uses tools from Yoga, Pilates and Restorative Exercise™ to offer her clients long term solutions for living in a well balanced, functional and strong body. Holy Shift is an educational and experiential platform that delivers information regarding alignment, aging and health and gives people factual science based information for longevity of their bones, muscles, organs and tissues.

Redefining stretching with Biomechanist and Yoga Educator Jules Mitchell, MS. We talk about her upcoming book, different types of stretching like PNF, the shoulder joint in downward dog and why she doesn’t say the word "tight" anymore when referring to muscles.

Mobility maker and creator of Radius Yoga, Dana Santas talks more about how she works with athletes, why breathing is THE fundamental movement pattern and her beef with good posture.

Mel, Kim and I talk about the myth that doing yoga gives you long and lean muscles and a  Vogue article about foam rolling that Tony Gentilcore busted up. We touch on body image, eating disorders, women in sports and dance, Ronda Rousey, Serena Williams, Misty Copeland and Mel summons Rage Against the Machine.

Mel, Kim (SMARTer Bodies founders) and I talk more about our book, Exposing Yoga Myths. We riff more about cultural misappropriation, yoga teachers trying to make a living, Lululemon, Kirtan, yoga can't hurt you, the Yoga Alliance and teacher regulation, the Dunning-Kruger effect, and pain as a teacher. oh yeah, it's on!

In this episode I talk to Mel and Kim of SMARTer Bodies about our upcoming ebook, Exposing Yoga Myths. We talk about how we started working together, cultural misappropriation in the yoga world, and infallible gurus, and how we're not afraid to contextualize yoga in science and physiology.Co-owners of SMARTer Bodies™, Kim-Lien Kendall and Melissa Gutierrez have collaborated for more than 5 years to help their clients achieve more efficient movement and improve their quality of life. Together they transcend the fitness and yoga industries’ quick fixes and trends to create a meaningful and lasting system that truly helps people attain their goals.

How has modern yoga practice changed since the early 90s? Can the Yoga Alliance or International Association of Yoga Therapists do a better job credentialing yoga teachers? J. Brown and I also discuss injury in yoga practice and the controversial reactions sparked by Kino McGregor's hip injury. J. Brown is the owner  of the Abhyasa Yoga Center in Brooklyn and the creator of the Gentle is the New Advanced yoga method.

How does exercise affect the brain? After achieving tenure at NYU and researching how memory works in the brain, neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki realized that her life was in the lab and her social and physical well being were suffering because of it. She wasn't maximizing the potential of her brain because everything you do or don't do affects the brain. She decided to do something about it - to start exercising and to get strong. She stuck to it and with hard work she started to notice the effects on her brain: her mood, memory and attention improved because of exercise. This fascinated her and has become the focus of her work as a neuroscientist. She's dedicated to researching the power of exercise to improve people’s learning memory and cognition.We talk about her new book, Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain & Do Everything Better, how exercise affects the brain, brain hacks, brain myths and more.Dr. Wendy Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University (NYU)'s Center for Neural Science. A popular speaker, she is a regular presenter at the World Science Festival and TEDx, and is frequently interviewed on television and in print for her expertise regarding the effects of exercise on brain function.

Dr. Evan Osar - creator of Fitness Education Seminars and author of Corrective Exercise Solutions talks to us about his approach to movement which requires alignment breathing and control. He shares why you probably don't need to release your psoas, why we need to earn the right to get to higher level complex exercises, what happens when we try to over use muscles like the TVA (transversus abdominis), and why we don't need stretching we just need better alignment when we move.

Mike Fitch, creator of Animal Flow and Global Bodyweight Training talks about what we get out of quadrupedal movements, his experiences with Parkour and other influences of Animal Flow, and his new Bodyweight Athlete program. His advice: "Whatever you do, learn something new. Be willing to be bad at something! "

Dana is the yoga/movement expert for CNN and CNN Health, and the creator of Radius Yoga Conditioning which helps athletes move, breathe and focus better to enhance performance and decrease injury.  Nicknamed the “Mobility Maker,” over the last ten+ years, she’s worked with more than 35 teams and hundreds of athletes in the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA, MLS, PGA, LPGA & WTA. She's worked with the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Orlando Magic and Tampa Bay Lightning; she’s also mobility consultant to many other pro & collegiate teams.We talk a lot about the breath, how the diaphragm is the king of the core, how it affects mobility, how there’s a lot of conjecture out there in yoga, how she’s a difference maker to many athletes and what yoga every damn day means to us.

Joanne Elphinston is a physiotherapist for more than 20 years, writer, innovator, lecturer and educator. She’s also the creator of JEMS which stands for Joanne Elphinston Movement Systems. JEMS is all about enabling people of all backgrounds, ages and levels of physical ability to learn the art of working with their body instead of against them, to have confidence in their bodies, and to reclaim and enjoy the activities that matter most to them.JEMS draws from the fields of biomechanics, motor learning, neuroscience, philosophy  psychology and holistic practices. We talk about her method as well as her book entitled Stability, Sport and Performance Movement. 2pdnj3uk

Dr Ray McClanahan is not your typical Podiatrist. Instead of reverting to surgery, he believes in preventative measures and uses sports science principles to restore foot alignment and function. He also educates the public on healthier shoe choices and created the silicone toe spacers, Correct Toes. There are a lot of tips here for foot strengthening, stretching, making smart shoe choices, dealing with the wear and tear of high heels.

Katy Bowman talks about what minimal footwear is, what it does for your body and how to transition into it. I also included 2 foot-related excerpts from previous interviews with Dr. Mark Cheng and James Earls!

Join me for an in-depth conversation with Gary Ward about how he works with the feet and how they influence the whole body. We talk about how the feet affect the whole body, footwear, the joy of going barefoot, ways to mobilize the feet, and the importance of giving the feet and the brain varied surfaces to adapt to.

Join me for an in depth conversation with Dr. Mark Cheng about his roots in Chinese Martial Arts and the many MA masters he's been lucky to study with. We talk about his Tui Na Practice, FMS/Gray Cook, Pavel Tsatsouline, why movement is like money, breathing, his DVDs and more.

Charlie Weingroff - Doctor of Physical Therapy, certified Athletic Trainer and certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Formally trained in DNS, ART, Dry Needling, Graston, FMS/SFMA and the RKC.Charlie talks about the boundaries of health and fitness professionals and how they can work together to get the best results for their clients. We talk about functional movement, squats, deadlifts, reflexive core stability, about why russian twists are obsolete, why the diaphragm is the most important core muscle, how yoga fits into an athletic training program, his DVDs including a new one he just released with Dr. Mark Cheng called Hacking the Hinge.

James Earls is a Structural Integrationist, Writer, Lecturer, Bodywork practitioner and the director of Kinesis UK. We talk about his book - Born to Walk : Myofascial Efficiency and the Body in Movement which combines evolutionary anatomy, the Anatomy Trains model and the latest research on fascia to create an up to date vision of how we walk. It's the first time the Anatomy Trains model has been applied to gait.  We talk about efficient walking patterns, how the AT myofascial meridians work in the gait cycle, minimalist footwear, whether or not walking is falling, the pelvic floor, psoas restriction, orthotics and more.

Trail Guide to the Body author, Andrew Biel talks about his latest book, Trail Guide to Movement. We discuss his unique approach to writing about anatomy and functional movement; the fact that Western society is in the midst of a movement/proprioception crisis; muscle function; ideal resting tone for muscle tissue; why there's no such thing as perfect posture, and new word...balmoture!

Jill Miller is the creator of the corrective exercise format, Yoga Tune Up and the author of The Roll Model: A Step-by-Step Guide to Erase Pain, Improve Mobility, and Live Better in Your Body. The book is all about self-care, soft-tissue conditioning and improving the quality of your life with better movement habits.

David Weinstock codeveloped Neurokinetic Therapy® in 1985 and since then has been traveling the world teaching the method to all kinds of medical and fitness professionals. His book, Neurokinetic Therapy, An Innovative Approach to Manual Muscle Testing outlines the muscle tests and common movement compensation relationships.

Dr. Kathy Dooley talks about her new training and rehab facility - Catalyst Sport where she practices as a Rehabilitative Chiropractor.  She also shares insights on the stability/mobility puzzle, gait analysis, the importance of breath and more.

Tom Myers is the originator of  Anatomy Trains Myofascial Meridians, and director of Kinesis Myofascial Integration (KMI). He studied directly with Drs. Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and Buckminster Fuller and has practiced integrative manual therapy for more than 30 years. He talks about changes to the latest edition of Anatomy Trains, the latest in fascia research, the new biomechanics and why leaders in the yoga community need to be more responsible when it comes to preventing injury.

Todd Hargrove, author of A Guide to Better Movement, talks about about pain science, what good movement is, why it’s important to have it, some myths about pain, why perfect biomechanics doesn’t guarantee pain-free movement, the benefits of mindful movement, and movement variability.

Brent Brookbush is a Personal Trainer, Physical Therapist,  Founder of the Brookbush Institute of Human Movement Science, and the author of Fitness or Fiction: The Truth About Diet and Exercise. We talk about the institute, his book, what integrated muscular anatomy is, why stretching is good, hyper mobility, hot yoga and more.

Dr. Perry Nickelston is a Chiropractor, founder of Stop Chasing Pain, Creator of Primal Movement Chains, Master Instructor for NKT and Rocktape, and Instructor for FMS, SFMA. He talks about his work as a Chiropractor, his Primal Chains workshop, what Stop Chasing Pain is about and how it all started.

Katy Bowman is a Biomechanist, Author, Teacher and Director of the Restorative Exercise Institute.  Move Your DNA is her latest book which highlights the fact that our modern society is in the middle of a movement crisis. We don’t move enough and our bodies are suffering because of it. We don't need more exercise, we need more natural movement. Katy offers suggestions on how to move, sit, stand and rest to make every moment of your life count on the cellular level.

Matthew Remski is a Writer, Therapist and Yoga Asana Teacher who is taking on the topic of pain, injury and recovery in the context of yoga asana. For this project, called WAWADIA - What Are We Actually Doing In Asana, he has collected more than 100 interviews and is crafting these stories into a book which will attempt to "paint a lesser-seen portrait of a culture struggling to both understand and fulfill its healing promise, and provide a map for how it can intelligently evolve."