Yoga Medicine

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. — S...

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 th...

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 unde...

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 e...

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...

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...

"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 i...

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 t...

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...

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,...

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 affec...

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...

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 e...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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) importan...

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...

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 L...

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,...

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. ...

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 d...

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 pers...

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 settin...