Yoga Medicine

Most of us have heard of, and even practiced, Yoga Nidra. But it holds a certain mystique that means we might not know as much about it as we think. Today, host Rachel dives into this topic with returning guest and 1000-hr Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist Caroline Wybar. Caroline unpacks some of the misconceptions around Yoga Nidra and offers her tips for both students and teachers of this guided relaxation practice. Listen in for more on Caroline's upcoming Online Yoga Nidra Teacher Training, to learn about relaxation-induced anxiety and hear tips for staying awake during Yoga Nidra… if you want to! — Show Notes: Is Yoga Nidra an ancient practice? [2:58] Does “authentic” Yoga Nidra require a set sequence of techniques? [8:13] Can Yoga Nidra replace sleep? [12:09] Must Yoga Nidra be done in Savasana? [14:59] Can Yoga Nidra cultivate Delta brain waves? [17:06] Yoga Nidra frees us from the pressures of time [20:47] How Caroline found her way to Yoga Nidra [28:03] Challenges for Yoga Nidra students [34:34] Who is Yoga Nidra for, and not for? [38:31] Teaching Yoga Nidra: script or no script? [42:06] Teaching Yoga Nidra: leaving space for silence [49:03] Upcoming Yoga Medicine Yoga Nidra training live online [50:32] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Yoga Nidra Teacher Training Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 68: Approaches to Anxiety Birch, J., & Hargreaves, J. (2015). Yoganidrā: an understanding of the history and context. The Luminescent. https://www.theluminescent.org/2015/01/yoganidra.html Connect with Caroline Wybar: Facebook | Instagram | Caroline Wybar Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher You can learn more about this episode and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-136. 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.

As both yoga teachers and practitioners, it is important to understand how to take general instruction and use it to cater to your personal needs. In this episode, hosts Tiffany and Katja talk about recent research on personalized medicine and training, discuss how wearables and data collection play into individualized training programs, and relate current research findings to personalized yoga approaches. Listen to this episode to learn about the history and trends of individualised medicine and training, how to know which data to collect, why body awareness is important in individualisation, and how to take this perspective into account in a group class. — Show Notes: What is the history of personalized medicine, training, and yoga [2:04] Factors to consider [8:31] Tracking and evaluating data [12:12] Current research and potential downsides [20:37] How to individualize a group class [35:32] Recap [37:49] — Links Mentioned: 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-135. 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.

What is it about yoga that makes such a significant difference in well-being for people with ADHD? Today, host Rachel invites guest Emily Mariola to help answer that question. Emily is a Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist and studio owner who recently completed her 1000-hr research project on Yoga for ADHD.  In this episode, Emily shares yoga practices that help those with ADHD learn to self-regulate both on and off the mat—from asana, to breath work, meditation, and use of drishti. She also encourages yoga teachers and practitioners to view disruptive behavior with more compassion. — Show Notes: Describing ADHD, its challenges and opportunities [4:22] How Emily's thesis project came about [10:56] Yoga practices for ADHD [16:49] Sun salutations: discipline & patterned behavior [21:52] Suggestions when struggling with stillness [25:31] Fixed gaze: focus & impulse control [31:14] Yoga for emotional regulation [33:27] Breath work for regulation, and a cue to internal state [38:34] Recognizing ADHD behaviors with compassion [44:23] Key outcomes of Emily's research project [49:45] Final takeaways [54:37] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Connect with Emily Mariola: Facebook | Instagram | Flex Yoga Wooster You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-134. 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 dives deep into Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) with returning guest Dr. Nikki Tugnet FRACP. We discuss common symptoms, what distinguishes RA from other inflammatory and auto-immune conditions, the role Western medicine can play, and – most importantly – how yoga can help. Listen in to learn how yoga teachers best serve students with RA, how to sneak more mindfulness and body awareness into your classes, and the vital importance of making space for rest. — Show Notes: The background on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) [2:22] Common symptoms [10:50] Uncontrolled RA versus remission [14:32] Western medical interventions [16:00] How yoga can help: stress release [19:28] How yoga can help: breath work & visualization [26:01] How yoga can help: meditation [28:27] Managing flareups [29:47] How yoga can help: easing morning stiffness [36:28] How yoga can help: standing, seated & floor options for asana [41:01] Guiding students to be more willing to rest [43:26] A general class flow for RA [48:38] Challenges of working with RA [50:51] Final takeaways [52:50] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes: 112: Yoga & Autoimmune Conditions A comprehensive scientific evidence-based impact of yoga in patients with rheumatoid arthritis Pawanmuktasana Joint Rotation Series Connect with Dr. Nikki Tugnet: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Nikki Tugnet You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-133. 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 and returning guest and Yoga Medicine Teacher Valerie Knopik PhD explore a recent research paper on the topic of interoception (Voss et al: Mind-body practices, interoception and pain: a scoping review of behavioral and neural correlates).  In this episode, we discuss the many ways yoga teachers can guide students to becoming more informed inhabitants of their body, and how honing that skill of interoception seems to help manage all kinds of pain. Listen in to learn more. — Show Notes: Overview of the scoping review paper [5:02] Limitations of the study [9:36] Defining interception [13:11] Challenges of studying yoga interventions [16:45] Interesting takeaways: interoception as a trainable skill [20:02] Yoga tools help pain management (whether used deliberately or not) [29:06] Guiding students in the experience of being their bodies [38:19] Other takeaways [40:59] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Mind-body practices, interoception and pain: a scoping review of behavioral and neural correlates, Voss et al: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37939212/ Mental Health & Wellness Online Training Yoga Medicine® Online: Interoception & Pain Research Monthly Dose Yoga Medicine® Podcast: Previous episodes on Pain Science: 15: Shifting Persistent Pain with Marnie Hartman, DPT, CSCS 64: Impactful Pain Strategies Previous episodes with Valerie Knopik PhD: 49: Epigenetics, Mental Health & Yoga 79: The Neuroscience of Resilience Connect with Valerie Knopik: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Yoga Medicine Online Teacher You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-132. 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.

Female health is something we are passionate about at Yoga Medicine — exactly why we have dedicated several episodes to the topic. Today we are distilling the best tidbits of information and advice from multiple episodes into this one. — Show Notes: The female hormonal cycle, starting with menstruation [1:28] The follicular phase and ovulation [6:33] The luteal phase [14:20] Major effects of estrogen on muscle mass, strength, and recovery [18:00] The female hormone cycle: impact on athletic performance and other goals [26:06] Does our movement practice need to change during menstruation [36:07] Yoga during perimenopause and menopause [51:39] The current state of research on female health [1:03:09] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes: 48: Research Roundup: Female Hormones 62: Yoga During Menstruation: Yes or No? 97: New Perspective on Athletic Performance in the Menstrual Cycle: Research Roundup 116: Yoga for Menopause & Beyond: Community Conversations with Niamh Daly 122: Estrogen Effects on Muscle: Research Roundup Online Female Health Yoga Teacher Training Online Traditional Chinese Medicine Yoga Teacher Training Yoga Medicine® Online Videos: Female Health Lecture Move & Nourish Series PMS Flow Menses Practice Post-Menstrual Practice Support Ovulation You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-131. 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.

Conversations on how to secure opportunities to teach yoga are much more common than those on when we should NOT teach, so today hosts Tiffany and Rachel explore a handful of scenarios where you may need to step back from the role of teacher—whether that is just for today or over the longer term.  In this episode, we discuss whether it's ever ok for a teacher to simply “go through the motions” and what it means to truly show up for students. We also talk about schedule sustainability and the value of teaching what is meaningful to you. Listen in to learn when yoga teachers should not teach. — Show Notes: Recognizing privilege in the choice to not work [1:54] When you're contagious [3:01] When you can't reliably stay in the room [5:28] When you can't truly show up for your students [8:58] Is there a time to permanently stop teaching a person or class [18:44] Energy management and sustainable teaching schedules [21:27] Moving on when you've taught all you can [31:22] When ethical limits are breached [34:55] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Yoga Journal articles: When Should You NOT Teach? How You Know When It's Time to Break Up With a Class You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-130. 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.

Usually, this podcast features seasoned yoga instructors, so today we are doing something different: exploring the perspectives of those early in the experience of holding the role of a teacher.  In this episode, we connect with three guests who completed 200-hour teacher training at the end of 2023. We discuss their expectations of the training, which areas of study best prepared them for the work they hoped to do afterward, how they secured their first teaching opportunities, and what advice they would share with those considering yoga teacher training now. If you are a newer teacher yourself, or contemplating yoga teacher training, listen in to learn about the reality of yoga teacher training, as well as the joys and challenges new teachers tend to experience. — Show Notes: Is teacher training only for people who want to teach [3:05] Hopes and expectations prior to teacher training [6:23] Most and least enjoyed areas of study [10:24] What did you feel most and least prepared for after teacher training [14:26] Challenges that arise for new teachers [18:42] How to find the first opportunities to teach [21:36] Next steps, including how to know you're ready for ongoing study [26:36] Advice for future yoga teachers [30:34] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes: 127: Your 200HR YTT Questions Answered 103: Teacher Training Myths 200HR Online Teacher Training Connect with today's guests: Becky Bruce – Instagram Suzanne Powell – Email | Union Yoga Co. You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-129. 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 of us kick off the new year ready to commit (or recommit) to a dedicated personal yoga practice. But as the days and weeks pass, this commitment can start to run out of steam. So today hosts Tiffany and Rachel share their personal practice tips as well as things that have been particularly helpful in keeping their practice going over the years. We emphasize the importance of flexibility of mind and how we can change our lens to turn needs into likes.  Listen in to learn how to build a realistic personal practice that supports you.  — Show Notes: Why personal practice matters, for teachers and students [3:07] What constitutes a personal practice? [12:37] Being honest with yourself about what is and isn't yoga practice [23:19] Does frequency on the mat matter? [27:28] Should we prioritize needs or wants? [33:20] Does your personal practice have to be self-guided? [37:38] Takeaways & more tips [38:51] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes: 05: Sustainability & Yoga 96: Creating Change with Alison Heilig YMO Monthly Dose: Supporting & Building your Home Practice You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-128. 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.

It is a new year—the perfect time to commit to a new path or project. Each year, for some, that means diving into yoga teacher training.   In this episode, returning guest and lead teacher of the Yoga Medicine 200hr teacher training, Dana Diament, sits down with host Rachel Land to explore all your 200hr teacher training questions. We explain how you know if you are ready to take that journey and what to consider before signing up. We also unpack the realities of fitting the training schedule into your life and what hurdles you can face transitioning to teaching afterward.   Listen to this episode to learn if yoga teacher training is right for you, and to hear about the upcoming Yoga Medicine 200hr Online Teacher Training, kicking off between February and June. — Show Notes: How do I know I'm ready? [2:10] Do I have to want to teach? [7:48] Which yoga teacher training should I choose? [11:09] In-person locally, retreat/ immersion format, or online? [14:14] Considering the style of yoga [23:43] Is Yoga Alliance registration important? [29:18] Recap: considerations discussed so far [31:32] Prerequisites for YTT: your own practice [32:42] Prerequisites for YTT: sufficient time [35:20] Prerequisites for YTT: passion for learning [36:57] Things that aren't required before YTT [39:58] How should I prepare? [41:02] Will I be ready to teach right after YTT? [45:36] Will I be taught to craft my own sequences? [47:28] Recap: major takeaways [54:15] Yoga Medicine 200hr Teacher Training for 2025 (& early bird rate!) [56:39] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Yoga Medicine® 200hr Yoga Teacher Training Other podcast episodes: Episode 103 Teacher Training Myths  Episode 56 Controversial Yoga Cues  Episode 71 More Controversial Yoga Cues You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-127. 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 this special best-of episode for 2024, we feature clips from some of our favorite episodes, highlight common threads that weave different guests and topics together, and feature some of the gems you might have missed during the year. — Show Notes: Fascia science behind the benefits of movement [1:17] Reframing tension: moderation over extremes [4:03] How yoga helps regulate the nervous system [7:12] Are we handling stress as well as we think? [9:38] Safe practice spaces as a refuge from overwhelm [12:21] The causes, components, and symptoms of burnout [14:11] Perpetual optimization of physical health at the expense of mental health [16:29] The “new stigma” of menopause [22:07] Yoga as self-discovery for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence [26:49] Body awareness and self-agency for persistent pain care [31:15] How yoga teachers help keep students “safe” [35:46] Is there one perfect breath rhythm or duration? [38:33] Answering student questions [42:22] Human complexity; we are more than machines [44:35] The power of truly listening [46:47] How to integrate new approaches, tools & techniques [51:33] Cultural relevance and appropriation [55:12] Can we separate yoga from its historical, philosophical, and religious influences? [59:28] Who is yoga for and who should be teaching it? [1:04:02] Is it less about what we do, and more about how we do it? [1:07:10] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Find all the episodes mentioned at https://yogamedicine.com/podcast/ You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-126. 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.

Change is constant and inevitable, but the sheer speed of recent changes in the yoga world leaves many of us confused about what it actually looks like and means to be a yoga teacher right now. Today hosts Rachel and Tiffany look back over the massive changes that have occurred in the yoga world over the past few decades, and what they might signal for the years ahead. We debate the pros and cons of boom times, the rise of social media, and the ever-evolving needs of students.  Listen to this episode to learn how yoga teachers can continue to adapt to better serve our communities.  — Show Notes:  Looking back can help us move forward with more clarity [1:18] Early days of yoga in the West: underground, no-frills, “anti-influencer” [3:53] Big changes in the early 2000s [11:00] The first commercial teacher trainings and new yoga brands [15:35] Yoga celebrities, yoga fashion, and growing competition [16:46] Credibility from yoga lineage overtaken by social media following? [21:45] Yoga Medicine and explosive growth in YTT [27:38] The 2010s: The yoga boom and growing pains [31:35] Covid challenges and opportunities: meeting people where they're at [33:56] Post-COVID era: options versus overwhelm [37:35] Takeaways: find your niche with patience, persistence, and presence [40:03] Takeaways: What feeds you changes over time [48:04] Takeaways: Know what you bring to the table [53:55] Takeaways: Be purpose-driven [58:45] Final thoughts [1:02:33] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube  Listen to Episode 82: Building a Healthy Relationship with Social Media Listen to Episode 5: Sustainability & Yoga You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-125. 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.

Despite several years of upheaval and uncertainty, grassroots yoga studios are still the beating heart of many communities world-wide, so today Rachel hosts a panel of yoga studio owners to discuss the current state of studio life across the globe. In this episode, we explore what has changed over the past few years, what studios are struggling with today, and what seems to be working well. Common themes emerge around the difficulty of finding a class schedule and pricing strategy that work for everyone, maximizing teacher fulfillment and consistency, balancing regular classes with special events, and building lasting relationships with the wider community. Listen in to this episode to hear what has changed in yoga studios since the pandemic, and what to look forward to in the future. Things don't have to be the way they were before. — Show Notes: How things have changed: online vs in-person, classes vs other offerings [2:46] Biggest struggles: teacher consistency, scheduling, managing special events [10:38] What's working well: variety & choice, price packages, community relationships [19:19] Looking to the future: things don't have to be the way they were before [42:41] Final thoughts [51:49] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Connect with the yoga studio owners: Anne Eberhardt: Instagram | Facebook | Bubble Yoga Ashley Gudknecht: Instagram | Facebook | Gud Yoga Dana Diament: Instagram | Facebook | Lennox Yoga Lisa Hamre: Instagram | Facebook | My Yoga Room Rachel Workman: Instagram | Facebook | Longview Yoga Wellness Shannon Stephens: Instagram | Facebook | This Land Yoga You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-124. 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 one of our favorites. Hosts Tiffany and Rachel dive deep into sequencing to unpack common pitfalls for yoga teachers and how they can be avoided. Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? How can we choose a class focal point or theme that resonates with students? Are we teaching from a place of thinking rather than feeling? In this episode, we talk about the most important aspects of sequencing, what to add to or trim out of your class, and how to shorten or elongate students' perception of time. Listen in to learn how to create a balanced and intention-based yoga class sequence. — Show Notes: The pressure of the “perfect” sequence [1:26] Pitfall #1: Timing, timing, timing [5:09] Pitfall #2: No central theme to create clarity & cohesion [15:30] Pitfall #3: Too much of a good thing [21:18] Pitfall #4: Picking the wrong theme for your students [26:32] Pitfall #5: Unintentional overload [30:15] Pitfall #6: Sequencing purely for novelty or complexity [36:03] More rapid-fire sequencing tips [41:00] Yoga Medicine® Sequencing with Purpose online training [49:12] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Sequencing with Purpose Online Yoga Teacher Training Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episode 95: Smarter Not Harder: Creative Sequencing 5 Most Common Sequencing Mistakes That (Even Experienced) Yoga Teachers Make Yoga Teachers: Here's How to Get 5 Completely Different Classes Out of the Same Exact Sequence of Poses You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-123. 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 discuss recent research on estrogen's effects on muscle. This is a hot topic at the moment, so in this episode, we share the importance of understanding the background of our hormones and the effect of estrogen on areas like muscle mass, neuromuscular activation, and recovery. Listen in to learn how the effects of estrogen are being studied in research and the different ways that estrogen impacts our muscular tissues. — Show Notes: Background on estrogen's relationship with fascia and tissue [1:59] How is the effect of estrogen on muscle being studied [3:31] Different types of estrogen [8:38] Impact of estrogen on muscles specifically [9:43] Importance of individuality when working with women's bodies [16:29] Impact of estrogen on strength on a molecular level [19:03] Ways that estrogen impacts recovery [24:26] Takeaways [33:41] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Traditional Chinese Medicine Yoga Teacher Training Female Health Yoga Teacher Training Traditional Chinese Medicine + Female Health Yoga Teacher Training | Tulum, Mexico – March 23-30, 2025 Yoga for Athletes 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-122. 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 all know that yoga is much more than a physical practice; it is underpinned by a framework of philosophy that is centuries old. But as a yoga teacher, you may or may not have incorporated this theoretical understanding into daily action - or helped your students do so.  So today we talk about the practical application of some key yoga sutras with returning guest Diane Malaspina PhD. In this episode, Diane helps host Rachel appreciate how three of Patanjali's sutras apply to the challenges we face in daily modern life.  Listen in as we discuss the balancing act we must manage to realize any important long term goals, and how self-compassion can be a powerful tool for connection. — Show Notes: Defining the yoga sutras [3:16] What yoga philosophy teaches us about the nature of life [6:58] Committed practice (abhyasa) & non-attachment (vairagya) [10:54] Rolf Gates' definition of abhyasa [14:35] Another definition of sutras 1:12-1:16 – “Trust the Process” [19:42] Ahimsa as a counter to fear & polarization [30:36] The change begins with us; self-compassion leads to connection [35:07] Boundaries as a sustainable balance to Ahimsa [48:15] More resources & Diane's Yoga Medicine courses [51:02] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Inside the Yoga Sutras – The Path to Freedom Online Course Exploring the Yamas through Meditation & Practice Online Course Join Diane LIVE & IN-PERSON for the Yoga Medicine® Resilience Retreat from Nov 2nd – 3rd in Santa Rosa, CA Suggested reading: Meditations from the Mat, Rolf Gates The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Chip Hartranft The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Swami Satchidananda Inside the Yoga Sutras, Jaganath Carrera Kristin Neff, Self Compassion Journaling Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes with Diane Malaspina PhD: 04: Find Ease in Uncertainty 31: The Power of Intention 57: Drishti, the Potency of Our Focus – Research Roundup Connect with Diane Malaspina:          Facebook | Instagram | Diane Malaspina You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-121. 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 the all-too-common complaint of neck pain and its hidden contributors. We discuss local sources of neck tension, explain the importance of the thoracic spine and shoulder complex, and dive into more subtle influences like posture, the nervous system, and even breath mechanics. Listen in to learn a well-rounded approach for generalized neck pain relief. — Show Notes: Myriad potential reasons for generalized neck issues [00:47] A good starting place: stretches or strengthening for the neck itself [2:36] Differentiate between neighboring muscles in neck tension [3:44] Mixed signals around the cue “shoulders back and down” [6:39] Shoulder mechanics as a solution for neck pain [11:06] Posture and neck pain [12:53] More subtle influences on neck pain: stress, living in the future [15:37] MFR favorites for stress relief [18:37] Addressing the posterior shoulder and chest opening [21:56] Core and hip stability as a hidden influence on the neck [23:54] The place for targeted neck strengthening work [26:46 The role of thoracic mobility, respiratory function, and the jaw [30:55] Summing up: Start gently and work indirectly [33:46] Relevant Yoga Medicine Online classes [39:19] Relevant Yoga Medicine Teacher Training options [41:14] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Yoga Medicine® Teacher Trainings: Spine Anatomy, Dysfunction & Application Shoulder Anatomy, Dysfunction & Application Myofascial Release Nervous System & Restorative Pranayama Yoga Medicine® Online Classes mentioned: Neck Fix Regulate Neck Pain Neck Resilience, Isometrics & Headstand Fast-Track to Zen Neck, Shoulder & Upper-Back Favorites Mobilize Your Shoulders, Release Your Neck Spine Series 3: Head & Neck Awareness You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-120. 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 all deserve to feel good in our bodies, but when we have negative perceptions of how our body looks, feels, or functions that experience can seem impossible. Today host Rachel talks with returning guest Alison Heilig about the sometimes sneaky ways body image manifests in yoga. In this episode, we discuss how body image forms and the different ways negative body image can show up - including the perpetual optimization of health and demonization of the aging process. We also touch on implications for gender conformity and advocate normalizing diversity in ability and appearance in yoga classes. We share our tips on how yoga teachers can provide positive embodiment experiences, ensuring that body image isn't what stops our students practicing. Listen in as we talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of body image. — Show Notes: Defining body image, and why it matters more in yoga than you think [3:05] How does body image form [7:33] Personal experiences of poor body image [8:58} The added impacts of social media, photoshop, filters & AI [12:50] Body image challenges through life; perceptions of aging [14:39] The surprising ways poor body image can manifest [16:40] Orthorexia, perpetual optimization & the medicalization of body image [20:00] Implications in yoga [24:59] How yoga teachers can foster more positive body awareness [30:58] Tips on teaching groups [39:45] Advice for individuals & the slow journey to positive body image [53:33] The conversation continues: Fit Bottomed Girls [1:02:26] Final thoughts & key takeaways [1:08:04] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes: 32: Yoga for Athletes 96: Creating Change 116: Yoga for Menopause & Beyond Yoga Journal articles: Are the Poses You Hate The Ones You Need Most? The One Cue I Never Use When I Teach 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-119. 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 dive into the common misconceptions around breath work and Pranayama. Is breathwork really the new Pranayama? Is deep breathing indeed always better? Does breathwork really need to be intense to work? In this episode, we unpack these and other common misconceptions about Pranayama and breathwork. Listen in to find ways to feel better in your life through a better understanding of Pranayama. — Show Notes: Myth 1: Breathwork is the new pranayama [3:07] Myth 2: The ultimate goal of pranayama is to fully control the breath [9:02] Myth 3: Pranayama must be practiced over long periods of time to see benefits [16:31] Myth 4: Ujjayi and/or deep breathing is a superior technique [22:29] Myth 5: Breathwork involving hyperventilation is life-changing, always [30:36] Myth 6: Only advanced practitioners should do Pranayama [37:31] Myth 7: Pranayama has one magic rhythm/ pattern [41:17] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Pranayama Yoga Teacher Training Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes: 85: Research Roundup: A Stroll Through the Breathwork Landscape 87: The Science of Breathing Less: Research Roundup 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-118. 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.

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. — Show Notes: 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] — Links Mentioned: 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. — Show Notes: 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] — Links Mentioned: 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.

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. — Show Notes: 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] — Links Mentioned: 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.

“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. — Show Notes: What is rheumatology? [2:57] 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] — Links Mentioned: 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 discuss a topic near and dear to Katja: tissue stiffness. Claims about terms like stiffness and tension in the body can be confusing, so our goal with this episode is to clear up some of that confusion as well as leave some space for what we do not know yet. In this episode, we talk about terminology and physiology around tissue stiffness. We also talk about factors that influence stiffness and if stiffness is a friend or foe when it comes to athletic performance, injury risk, and disease of the musculoskeletal system. Listen in to learn more about common tissue stiffness misconceptions, potential applications, and future learning. — Show Notes: Common misconceptions [2:27] Stiffness terminology [4:22] Factors that influence stiffness [12:40] The role of the nervous system in tissue stiffness [16:21] Athletic performance and stiffness [19:09] Is more stiffness always better? [25:07] Assessing stiffness [30:50] Range of motion versus tissue stiffness [44:51] Takeaways [48:26] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Yoga for Athletes 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-113. 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.

As yoga teachers, most of us will either have an autoimmune condition, or teach students who do. Yoga is uniquely suited to work alongside conventional medical treatment to help manage these disorders and address the symptoms that impact most on quality of life. Today host Rachel speaks with Dr. Nikki Tugnet - a UK-trained physician, board-certified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, and Yoga Medicine® Therapeutic Specialist - about yoga and autoimmune conditions.  Listen to this episode as we unpack the common denominators of autoimmune conditions, the importance of normalizing prop use, and the power of taking it slow. — Show Notes: What is rheumatology? [2:57] Are autoimmune disorders becoming more prevalent? [4:28] What drives Nikki's passion for rheumatology [6:04] Common denominators in autoimmune conditions [10:05] What drove a rheumatologist to seek answers in yoga [13:55] Autoimmune uncertainty; mental health impacts of long-term disease [18:02] How yoga can support autoimmune conditions [23:30] The underutilized power of propped yoga poses [28:10] A surprising yoga tool [33:28] Daily Yoga Nidra to improve energy and sleep quality [35:14] Are we handling chronic stress as well as we think? [37:22] Tips for teaching yoga for autoimmune conditions – group classes [39:51] Tips for teaching yoga for autoimmune conditions – one-on-one [43:38] Final tips & takeaways [49:11] — Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Nervous System & Restorative Online Training Myofascial Release Online Training Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes: 15: Shifting Persistent Pain with Marnie Hartman Connect with Dr. Nikki Tugnet:          Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Nikki Tugnet You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-112. 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 dive into the topic of student questions and share their thoughts on how to answer them. Student questions can be intimidating, prompting anxiety around whether we will be able to answer “correctly”, but so many positives can come from opening a dialogue with students actively seeking more information. We talk about ways to handle student questions relating to pain, injury, and medical conditions, on pose alignment and progression, and around the choices you make as a teacher. Listen to this episode to learn how to handle yoga student questions and maximize the positive outcomes that can stem from the resulting conversation. --- Show Notes: Anxiety around student questions and a suggested response [1:10] The myth of teacher x-ray vision [3:55] Answering student questions with questions of your own [6:41] Reading the situation around the question [9:00] Questions on pain and injury; how to say “I don't know” [16:13] When a student flags pain or injury before class [25:55] Questions around alignment [30:50] Using questions as seeds for content [40:10] Questions around yoga teacher choices [41:15] How to handle tangential student questions [46:23] Final takeaways [51:13] --- Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-111. 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 are looking at where the fascia and acupuncture worlds collide. There is a lot of info out there on possible mechanisms behind acupuncture, and while research is great, we really need to look into the details for answers. In this episode, we talk about the relationship between fascia and Traditional Chinese Medicine. We also talk about acupuncture and how it can affect the connective tissue matrix. Listen to this episode to learn what we know so far about current research that points to fascia as a potential substrate for energy flow and how to absorb new research while leaving room for the mystery of the unknown. --- Show Notes: Meridians and fascia and acupuncture [2:41] How research brings fascia and acupuncture together [5:47] Anatomical correlations between acupuncture and fascia [6:28] Concept of needle grasp in acupuncture [23:14] How fascia can contribute to acupuncture mechanisms of action [23:28] The importance of the fluid component of fascia [30:57] Current fascia and acupuncture research trends [33:20] --- Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Fascia Science Resources Overview Traditional Chinese Medicine Training Myofascial Release 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-110. 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 haven't had or taught a one-on-one yoga session, it might feel like a secret club that you're locked out of. Today host Rachel demystifies the whole process with returning guest and Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist Dana Diament. In this episode, we talk about the therapeutic benefits of being seen and heard and the importance of helping people clarify their felt experience through both objective and subjective assessment tools. Listen in to learn tips for teaching private yoga sessions, how to get and prepare for the first session with a new client, and how to manage the challenges that could arise.   Show Notes: Dana and Rachel's first experience teaching yoga one-to-one [2:10] Take the stress out of teaching one-on-one: minimum number of sessions [7:41] Establish area of focus beforehand [10:12] The initial session with a new client: the power of listening [13:12] Using initial intake assessment tools [18:23] Ending the first session constructively [22:52] Developing a working hypothesis between initial and follow-up sessions [25:08] Choosing homework for your student [29:08] When your strategy needs to pivot [33:23] What happens when you hit a wall with a student [41:58] When you are no longer the right teacher for this student [45:00] How to find students for one-on-one yoga instruction [48:58] Final takeaways and resources [53:38]   Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Dana's tips for a first session Rachel's take on the “Do this one thing for pain” approach Yoga Medicine® Conducting a Comprehensive Evaluation in a Therapeutic Setting Online Course Yoga Medicine® Recognizing Red Flags in a Therapeutic Yoga Setting Online Course 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-109. 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.  

Coming home from another yoga teacher training, full of new information and techniques to utilize, can be exciting…and also overwhelming. In today's episode, hosts Tiffany and Rachel talk about how to integrate all the tools you learn in training in a way that is meaningful for your students. In this episode, we stress the importance of a slow and steady approach guided by clarity of purpose for each class. Listen in to learn how to incorporate new material and when to use which teaching tools in both group classes and when working with students one-on-one.   Show Notes: The challenge of integrating new information into classes in a meaningful way [1:33] Focus on one area of content at a time, in practice and teaching [4:31] The importance of setting and meeting student expectations [9:30] “Drip-feed” new content or techniques into your teaching [12:10] Creating classes for the students who come back [16:41] Using a class series to introduce new content gradually [18:36] Combining techniques in group classes versus one-to-one [22:05] A real-world example [28:58] Summing up: simplicity, clarity, repetition, patience, and individuality [31:26]   Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-108. 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.   Show Notes: 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]   Links Mentioned: 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.

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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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.

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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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] Links Mentioned: Watch this episode on YouTube Yoga & Politics Online Course Episode 21: South Asian Teacher Panel Connect with Firdose Moonda:           Instagram | Souldier Yoga   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.  Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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.

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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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.” Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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.  Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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. Show Notes: 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] Links Mentioned: 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.

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. Show Notes: “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] Links Mentioned: 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.