Yoga Medicine

Latest Episodes:

Support the Low Back with Tiffany Cruikshank and Jenni Tarma Apr 21, 2022

Show notes

We have an instinctive understanding of the importance of the spine, especially the weight-bearing structures of the low back. But given that the majority of us will have some experience of low back pain during our lives, perhaps we need a little help figuring out how to best support it during yoga practice and in daily activities.

In this episode, hosts Tiffany and Rachel explore the low back with Yoga Medicine teacher Jenni Tarma. Jenni co-teaches the Yoga Medicine Spine Anatomy, Disfunction, and Application Yoga Teacher Training. As an RRCA endurance coach, CrossFit Level 1 Trainer, and lifelong athlete, she specializes in mobility, movement, and injury prevention. She is also the Founder and Head Coach at Kaari Prehab, a company that provides customized mobility, recovery and injury prevention, and rehab services for athletes and other active people.

Listen in as we unpack the role and resilience of the low back and discuss the prevalence of (and possible contributors to) low back pain. We talk about the impact of posture, the need for both strength and mobility, and offer a wide range of yoga practices that yoga students and teachers can call on to support the low back. Throughout, you'll hear the crucial impact our individual differences and circumstances play in determining which practices are helpful, and which are not.

Show Notes:

The role of the low back and the importance of caring for it [3:25]
The staggering prevalence of low back pain and its potential causes [6:28]
Isolated versus full-body movement practices for low back pain [9:45]
Analgesic effects of isometric strength work, even for skilled athletes [13:57]
The role of fear in low back pain or dysfunction and a TCM perspective [17:18]
The impact of posture on the health of the spine [20:55]
Disk loading in different body positions [23:30]
"Bad posture" versus "good posture" and acknowledging individual variation [27:27]
The importance of thoracic mobility [35:35]
Tapping into deep, subtle core support for the low back [36:37]
Yoga poses and transitions that require more thought or care [44:55]
Opinions on yoga backbends [51:54]
Finding the right amount of challenge [57:20]
Recruiting the power of the feet and legs to support the low back [1:01:51]
More supportive practices: gentle off-loaded movement, myofascial release, slowing down, and more [1:04:14]

Links Mentioned:

Watch this episode on YouTube
Spine: Anatomy, Dysfunction, and Application Yoga Teacher Training
Yoga Medicine Online: Low-Back Series 1a
Connect with Jenni Tarma: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Jenni Tarma | YM Online Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-26.

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

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

Pelvic Health with Melissa Oleson, DPT, CDNT, INHC Apr 14, 2022

Show notes

These days we all understand the importance of a strong and supple core, but sometimes forget that the pelvic floor is an integral part of that support system.

Today, we explore pelvic health with guest Melissa Oleson – a doctor of physical therapy and an Integrative Nutritional Health Coach as well as a registered yoga teacher. She is the founder of MSunn Yoga & Wellness, a mobile and virtual concierge physical therapy and wellness practice focused on helping people relieve pain, build strength, and gain mobility.

Melissa became passionate about pelvic health when she found that it was often the "missing link" that enabled her clients to fully recover from niggling injuries. In this episode, she provides a Pelvic Health 101, helping us to better understand pelvic floor function and disfunction. Melissa and host Rachel discuss how the chest, abdomen, and pelvis work together in harmony, and how we can benefit from building trust in our body's inherent capacity to meet the demands that life offers.

Listen in to hear common pelvic health myths and misconceptions busted, why Kegel's aren't a cure-all, and all the ways that pelvic health relates to our overall wellbeing.

Show Notes:

Active aging as initial inspiration for a career in physical therapy [2:39]
Adding yoga to the picture [4:28]
The draw to a speciality in pelvic health [6:21]
The challenge of making pelvic health approachable [7:35]
Tips for yoga teachers starting out on YouTube [9:03]
Pelvic health and the relationship with the core and respiratory diaphragm [11:19]
Experiences of pelvic disfunction, including back paining hip pain [13:30]
Describing the pelvic floor and its many roles [15:41]
The surprising relationship between pelvic health and relaxation [17:24]
Favorite releases for the pelvic floor [20:10]
The link between the pelvic floor, stress and jaw clenching [21:01]
Busting common pelvic floor myths and misconceptions around the core [22:29]
Misconceptions around posture and the glutes [27:16]
Misconceptions around Kegels [30:31]
Favorite practices to connect with pelvic floor engagement [33.20]
Misconceptions around the pelvic floor and bladder control [35:34]
Thoughts on yoga cues that relate to the pelvic floor [37:23]
Upcoming classes on Yoga Medicine Online – including the link between the feet and pelvic floor [40.30]
The male pelvic floor [42:35]

Links Mentioned:

Watch this episode on YouTube
Female Health Yoga Teacher Training
Connect with Melissa Oleson: Instagram | YouTube | MSunn | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-25.

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

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

Yoga & Injury, Part 2 Apr 07, 2022

Show notes

Last week we opened a conversation about yoga and injury. Tiffany and Rachel talked about the three main phases of healing, common mistakes made during the healing process, and what role therapeutic yoga can play. This week we continue the conversation, with Tiffany and Rachel now focusing on how teachers and students can reduce the potential for yoga injuries.

In this episode, Tiffany and Rachel discuss whether or not to ask about injuries before class, poses and transitions they avoid or approach with caution, and practical tips to create a yoga practice that focuses on variety, curiosity, and resilience.

Listen in to learn why it's important to respect the power and potency of the practice, and how to use it to explore the owner's manual to your own body.

Show Notes:

Whether or not to ask students about injuries before class [3:11]
Yoga poses and transitions we avoid or approach with caution [6:38]
Thoughts on headstand and shoulderstand [9:20]
The impact of repetition: Chaturanga and jumping forward or through transitions [12:50]
Acute versus chronic injuries [15:24]
Top tip to reduce the likelihood of injury [18:32]
"Correct" form and "incorrect" form [20:25]
Different approaches for injury management in one-on-one versus group classes [23:30]
Setting aside the ego [25:27]
More suggestions to decrease the potential for yoga injury [28:00]
Speaking mindfully: nociceptive or fear-based language [33:44]
The therapeutic power of vividly visualizing challenging yoga poses pain-free [37:42]
Key take-away points [40:55]
Defining therapeutic yoga [44:29]

Links Mentioned:

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-24.

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

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

Yoga & Injury, Part 1 Mar 31, 2022

Show notes

Injuries are, to some extent, inevitable in life. So when injuries do occur, when should we rest and when is the right time to reintroduce challenge? Today we explore this important question in the first of two episodes on the topic of yoga and injury.

In today's episode, Tiffany and Rachel provide context for the conversation by offering some interesting statistics on yoga and injury, then unpack the three phases of connective tissue healing as well as what to bear in mind at each stage of the process.

Listen in as we discuss the importance of appropriate load to encourage injured tissues to heal fully, common mistakes made during the healing process, and the role that therapeutic yoga can play in support of other treatments.

Show Notes:

Context on the conversation around yoga and injury [1:39]
Interesting statistics on yoga and injuries [4:33]
Inflammation, circulation, and the healing process as it relates to fascia [10:31]
Three phases of healing: Inflammation, Proliferation, and Remodeling [13:22]
The importance of appropriately loading an area to facilitate full healing [16:47]
A fine line between insufficient load (and incomplete healing) and overload [19:26]
How important is rest after an injury? [20:46]
The timeframe of healing [24:59]
Common mistakes during the healing process [26:02]
The roles of physical therapy and therapeutic yoga in healing [34:43]
Instilling accountability in yoga students [41:44]

Links Mentioned:

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-23.

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

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

Fascia, Hormones & Training with Laura Philipp Mar 24, 2022

Show notes

Today's guest Laura Philipp is a world-class professional athlete who has won 16 Ironman 70.3 races, 3 Ironman races and boasts the fastest Ironman debut time of all time for any woman. Laura was even invited to and participated in the legendary Hawaii Ironman, placing fourth at her first participation. She also has a very special way of training: she bases her training around her menstrual cycle and female physiology.

In this episode, Laura talks with host Katja Bartsch about the benefits of having a natural menstrual cycle without hormonal interference as well as how she first got interested in menstrual cycle-based training and how she implemented certain changes to her lifestyle and training routines to maximize her performance. The two also discuss the ways that hormones fluctuate, how that can relate to training, and the effects of stress on the menstrual cycle.

Listen in as Laura opens up about the research she says is still missing on hormones and training, why she gets most of her injuries in the second half of her menstrual cycle, and how to see your cycle as a gift to work with.

Show Notes:

History of sports science and female physiology [4:05]
The motivation behind menstrual cycle-based training [6:10]
Tracking and understanding the menstrual cycle [11:01]
Surprises with fasted training [12:41]
Looking for environmental hormonal disruptors [13:56]
Popularity of menstrual cycle-based training [16:14]
Breaking down the phases of training around the menstrual cycle [23:14]
Training considerations during the first phase of the menstrual cycle [24:41]
Ovulation and its effects on fascia, balance, and injury [27:28]
Physical effects of the second half of the menstrual cycle [34:45]
Nutrition in the second half of the menstrual cycle [39:03]
Effects of stress on the menstrual cycle [42:27]
Combatting stressors that affect the menstrual cycle [44:35]
The future of training based on female physiology [52:55]

Links Mentioned:

Watch this episode on YouTube
Female Health Yoga Teacher Training
Yoga for Athletes Teacher Training
Fascia, Hormones & Training Resources Doc
Connect with Laura Philipp: YouTube | Instagram | Laura Philipp

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-22.

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

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

South Asian Teacher Panel with Rashmi Bismark MD MPH, Ashish Arora, Monisha Bhanote MD FCAP ABOIM and Pooja Virani Mar 17, 2022

Show notes

In today's episode, we bring together four yoga teachers with personal or family roots in different parts of India to talk about their experiences with yoga, while growing up and now. They offer their unique perspectives on practicing and teaching yoga in the modern context.

Previous podcast guest Rashmi Bismark facilitates the conversation. Rashmi is a U.S.-trained physician, board-certified in both preventative medicine and public health, who blends eastern and western traditions in her medical practice. Ashish Arora was born in Delhi and moved to the U.S. 21 years ago. After a career as an engineer in the computer and video game industry, Ashish now teaches yoga full-time. Monisha Bhanote was born in Punjab and emigrated to the UK, then the U.S., with her family. A quintuple board-certified physician with more than 20 years of experience in health care, she is the founder of the Holistic Wellbeing Collective. Pooja Virani grew up in New York City and relates memorable childhood experiences of attending the Iyengar Institute in Pune with her mother and grandmother. Now based outside of Washington D.C., Pooja is a pain-free movement specialist and social justice consultant, specializing in rehabilitative yoga, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC yoga, and social justice education.

Listen in to learn how our guests define what yoga is (and is not), discuss cultural appropriation versus cultural appreciation, and share their thoughts on how we can all practice yoga with more reverence and respect.

Show Notes:

Earliest experiences of yoga, and the central position of philosophy and ceremony [10:26]
What is yoga? Eastern vs Western practices [24:00]
Common questions: use of the word namaste, and the Sanskrit language [28:11]
Perspectives on cultural appropriation in yoga [32:48]
Use of the word yogi [39:21]
The experience of Indian students in international yoga studios [41:05]
Playing music in yoga asana classes [43:45]
Statues of deities in yoga studios [47:31]
Contrasts between westernized yoga mantra and traditional Indian raga [49:34]
The relationship between yoga, religion, and spirituality [58:10]
Treating yoga texts with respect [1:07:05]
Ways to practice and teach yoga with more mindfulness and respect [1:09:03]
Where to from here? More resources [1:16:47]

Links Mentioned:

Watch this episode on YouTube
Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 06: The Power of Mindfulness with Dr. Rashmi Bismark MD MP
Let's Talk Yoga Podcast
Social Justice resources
ABCD Yogi Community
Tejal Yoga
Learn more about Mantra and/or classical Indian music:
- Mantra chanting classes:
  - Sandhiya Ramaswamy
  - Melissa Shah
- Chanting and Sanskrit texts:
  - Shantala Sriramaiah
  - Kavitha Chinnaiyan
- Indian classical music:
  - Sheela Bringi

Connect with Rashmi Bismark: Instagram | Twitter | YM Online Guest Teacher
Connect with Ashish Arora: Instagram | Ashish Yoga
Connect with Monisha Bhanote: Instagram | Dr. Bhanote
Connect with Pooja Virani: Instagram | Pooja Virani

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-21.

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

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

Health & Healing with Aisa Locsin Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

Have you ever stopped to consider what health is or what it truly means to be healthy in the context of your own life? Thanks to the upheaval of the pandemic, plus a recent injury, today's guest Aisa Locsin has been forced to.

Aisa's lifelong love of moving, especially outdoors, lead to her challenging her body in a wide variety of athletic pursuits. She brought the same attitude to her yoga practice and her teaching.

In this episode, she talks with Rachel about the challenges she has faced during the pandemic, including a serious foot injury that forced her to reassess her perception of health and healing in despite years of experience working one-on-one with individuals experiencing joint dysfunction and pain.

In sharing her personal story, Aisa also shares how she was able to turn a difficult time into one of growth, learning through her injury the true power of treating herself and others with deeper compassion. Listen in to learn why movement is medicine, but how slowing down allows us to also learn from moments of stillness and silence.

Show Notes:

Aisa's introduction to yoga practice, and opening a studio [3:43]
Teaching yoga and Aisa's introduction to Yoga Medicine [10:33]
The importance of outdoor movement [16:23]
The impact of the pandemic [19:30]
An athlete's mindset helps Aisa through the pandemic [24:05]
Derailed by injury [32:21]
Starting from scratch – a humbling new perspective of healing [38:37]
Helping those healing: the value of clear communication and compassion [42:12]
Healing the body also asks us to heal the heart and mind [45:33]
Learning from nature: healing in your hometown [47:24]
Aisa's advice for health and healing [51:20]

Links Mentioned:

Watch this episode on YouTube
Connect with Aisa Locsin: Instagram | Yoga Plus | Facebook | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-20.

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

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

Fascia and Pain Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

Today Tiffany and Katja take a look at the cutting-edge new topic of fascia and pain. Pain is complex and recent research is showing just how relevant the fascial tissue is when we're looking at pain. In this episode, Katja shares the findings of the latest research on changes in fascia that can contribute to pain.

The pair discuss the difference between pain in the fascia versus pain in muscle tissues and potential causes of fascial pain. They also touch on how other aspects such as the lymphatic system and lifestyle factors relate to inflammation, pain, and the fascial system.

Listen in to learn about the anatomy and physiology of fascia and pain, how it happens, and ways you can potentially intervene.

Show Notes:

Why it's important to differentiate pain in fascia versus muscle [3:37]
Unpacking delayed onset muscle soreness pain [8:45]
The complexity of pain [9:52]
Causes of fascial pain [12:49]
Macroscopic changes in fascia that can contribute to pain [13:37]
Microscopic changes in fascia that can contribute to pain [17:42]
Role of innervation in fascial pain [24:38]
Innervation of fascia and low back pain [25:18]
How innervation changes with inflammation [28:37]
Vascular and lymphatic system and their role in inflammation and pain [31:40]
Causes of hypersensitivity to pain [35:28]
Changes in the tension of the fascial system as it relates to pain [38:48]
How psychology and lifestyle may affect inflammation [47:51]

Links Mentioned:

Watch this episode on YouTube
Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 14: Fascia as a Sensory Organ
Fascia & Pain Resources Doc
Connect with Katja Bartsch: Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-19.

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

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

Optimize Stress to Boost Focus with Eding Mvilongo MScE, MD, FRCPC Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

Today we are reframing stress with Eding Mvilongo, an Anesthesiologist and Clinical Professor from Montreal Canada. Eding's work is defined by the need to maintain focus under extreme pressure. She understands from both theoretical and practical standpoints which tools and techniques we can employ to help us maintain our attention despite distraction, even under duress.

In this episode, Eding shares her favorite short- and longer-term tools for managing stress and maintaining focus – some of which may surprise you. Rachel and Eding also discuss how attention is linked to the stress response, how the brain allocates attention, and the importance of sleep. Eding also weighs in on the value of Black History Month and her experience of micro-aggressions in the medical world.

Listen in to learn how the right balance of practices around movement, breath, meditation, hydration and sleep can help us optimize our stress levels, and to hear Eding's hopes for the future.

Show Notes:

What drew Eding to the study of science and her career in medicine [5:06]
Yoga as stress relief and an opportunity to focus purely on herself [8:40]
Curiosity leads Eding to yoga teacher training [10.45]
What we should know about the pandemic [12:40]
An anesthesiologist's experience during COVID-19 [14:44]
Focus under pressure – the break down of an anesthesiologist's role [18:10]
How the brain allocates attention [21:16]
The link between attention and the stress response [25:20]
Tips to help focus your attention where you want it [29:35]
How REM sleep supports attention by resetting the Locus Coeruleus [32:25]
Using yoga practice to manage stress, improve sleep and support attention [33:44]
Meditation and mantra – release attachment and expectation to manage stress [37:43]
Final suggestions – use self-compassion to capitalize on your reward pathways [43:02]
Eding's thoughts on Black History Month [46:57]
Hopes for the future – knowledge as power [53:15]

Links Mentioned:

Watch this episode on YouTube
Nervous System & Restorative Yoga Teacher Training
Connect with Eding Mvilongo: Instagram | Facebook | Yoga Medicine | About Black Lives | Pediatric Anesthesia Research Team

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-18.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at www.YogaMedicine.com. To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Empower Yourself & Your Community with Nicole Calhoun, PhD Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

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

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

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

Show Notes:

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