Yoga Medicine

Concussions are very different for different people, which makes them easily missed, misunderstood, or misdiagnosed. Today, host Rachel talks with Dr. Daya Grant about concussions and how yoga practices can support the recovery process.

Dr. Grant is a certified mental performance consultant, neuroscientist, and yoga teacher. In this episode, she outlines what injuries can cause concussions, how they are diagnosed, the wide range of physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms that can be experienced, and – most importantly – how yoga can help.

Listen to this episode to learn which yoga practices help at each stage of recovery, tips for teaching students post-concussion, and general contraindications to bear in mind.

Show Notes:

• What ignited Daya's interest in concussions [3:03]
• What is a concussion and what causes it [5:50]
• An "invisible illness": the challenge of diagnosis [8:00]
• Somatic symptoms of concussion [12:09]
• Emotional symptoms of concussion [13:19]
• Cognitive symptoms of concussion [14:36]
• Daya's personal experience of concussion [15:25]
• Gradual return to activity after concussion; when yoga can help [19:05]
• Returning to group yoga classes after concussion [22:02]
• Breath work during concussion recovery [24:28]
• The value of Yoga Nidra and Restorative yoga to support healing [26:06]
• General contraindications for yoga during concussion recovery [28:16]
• Approaching balance poses with humility [30:25]
• The importance of minimal, simple cueing [31:09]
• Tips for teaching one-on-one yoga during concussion recovery [32:37]
• Why it's difficult to predict concussion healing timetables [35:16]
• Key takeaways and common misunderstandings about concussions [40:01]
• Maximizing our potential to heal from repeat concussions [42:23]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga for Concussions Online Course
• Tips from Yoga Philosopy
• Connect with Dr. Daya Grant:

Instagram | Daya Grant

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-47.

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 discuss a topic that affects many people in our communities whether we know it or not. Host Rachel speaks with Lara Ederer, a yoga teacher, Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist, and Chemical Dependency Professional with both personal and professional experience with addiction.

In this episode, Lara talks with Rachel about how she defines addiction, what withdrawal and recovery can look and feel like, how yoga contributed to her own sobriety, and the many ways it can support the recovery of others.

Listen to this episode to explore how yoga can ignite a student's awareness of and appreciation for their body, perhaps for the first time, as well as the importance of a supportive group environment, the potential for symbolism and storytelling to plant powerful philosophical seeds, and other advice on how to incorporate yoga and meditation practices into addiction recovery.

Show Notes:

• Lara's background in yoga and addiction recovery [3:10]
• Difficulty defining the scope of this growing problem [4:56]
• Recent changes in addiction perception [7:30]
• Defining addiction [8:51]
• Potential withdrawal symptoms [11:26]
• The role of yoga in Lara's recovery [15:11]
• Social support is key in the recovery process [20:24]
• Yoga can interrupt – even replace – the urge to use addictive substances [23:09]
• Tips for teaching yoga to those in addiction recovery [29:41]
• Advice on teaching meditation during recovery [36:02]
• Incorporating yoga philosophy into recovery [39:12]
• Sprinkling seeds of philosophy: the power of symbolism and story [41:53]
• Boundaries matter when teaching in recovery settings [44.40]
• Suggestions to address financial barriers to yoga for people in recovery [45:25]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Introduction to Yoga for Addiction Recovery Online Course
• Connect with Lara Ederer:

Instagram | Lara Ederer Yoga | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-46.

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.

One of the foundational principles of yoga practice is to bring mindfulness to everything we do. Today host Rachel speaks with Yoga Medicine teacher, studio owner, and mother Dana Diament about bringing that awareness into the crucial relationship between parent and child through the practice of conscious parenting.

In this episode, Dana shares her experience of learning to parent with more self-awareness, how it's never too late to try a new approach, the importance of "repair" when interactions don't go as planned, and the many overlaps between the yoga journey and the parenting journey.

You don't have to be a parent to benefit from this episode, which, at its core, is about learning how to build kinder, more patient relationships with others, as well as with ourselves.

Show Notes:

• Dana's introduction to mindfulness through journalling [4:04]
• Children as a mirror of unconscious scripts [6:35]
• A key difference between parenting and other close relationships [10:40]
• Defining conscious parenting [12:45]
• Dealing with external expectation and pressure as a parent [16:22]
• An example of conscious parenting [17:20]
• It's never too late for "repair" when interactions don't go to plan [20:48]
• Tools for kids to recognize and resolve agitation [25:01]
• Application to other relationships [29:40]
• "SMILE": techniques to connect with children [33:20]
• Our primary relationship, with ourself [37:05]
• Relevant themes from yoga philosophy [38:21]
• Separating the parent's identity and expectations from the child's [46:55]
• Dana's takeaways [51:15]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• YMO Monthly Dose – Tips from Yoga Philosophy
• Conscious parenting books and resources:
  • Good Inside Podcast with Dr Becky Kennedy, @drbeckygoodinside
  • Joyful Toddlers & Preschoolers by Faith Collins
  • Mothering Our Boys by Maggie Dent
  • The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J Siegel MD
  • The Conscious Parent by Dr Shefali Tsabary
• Connect with Dana Diament:

Facebook | Instagram | Lennox Yoga | YM Online Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-45.

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.

Messages around "clean" eating and ideal body shape or size are ubiquitous, even in the yoga world, with potentially devastating impact for those who experience disordered eating.

Today host Rachel speaks with Chelsea Roff, who found her way to yoga early in her recovery from a serious eating disorder. Chelsea went on to become a scientific researcher and yoga teacher, eventually bringing her skills and experience together to become the Founder and Director of Eat Breathe Thrive: a non-profit organization aiming to prevent and help people recover from eating disorders.

Today Chelsea shares her definition of eating disorders and describes the wide range of people who can experience them. We discuss the process of redefining your relationship with food, debunk the myth that there is a single way that a healthy body should look, and unpack how yoga practice can help us learn how to truly feel what we feel.

Listen in to learn what constitutes disordered eating and how yoga can help with both prevention and recovery.

Show Notes:

• Chelsea's professional background in scientific research [4:20]
• Chelsea's own recovery from an eating disorder [7:43]
• The start of Chelsea's relationship with yoga [9:58]
• Pivoting from researcher to yoga teacher [12:08]
• Defining disordered eating on a spectrum [16:13]
• Eating disorder recovery and yoga [20:51]
• The learned skill of interoception [25:44]
• Appreciating the body for more than its appearance [28:24]
• Regulating our internal state [30:48]
• Lessons from yoga philosophy [37:17]
• An unorthodox start for the non-profit Eat Breathe Thrive [41:27]
• The power of sharing our stories [49:38]
• Advice for yoga teachers working within our scope on eating disorders [51:11]
• Yoga as a double-edged sword in eating disorder recovery [55:40]
• A final takeaway from Chelsea: celebrate impermanence [1:02:06]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Connect with Chelsea Roff and Eat Breathe Thrive: Facebook | Instagram | Eat Breathe Thrive

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-44.

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.

There is so much research and information out there about mindfulness, so today hosts Tiffany and Katja tackle this big and important topic from a different angle. In this episode, the pair takes a critical lens and unpacks the pitfalls of mindfulness research. Tiffany and Katja discuss how mindfulness is defined in the research, why self-selection of study participants may be of importance, and what the field of Contemplative Neuroscience is all about. They also touch on contraindications and adverse events of mindful meditation, as well as considerations surrounding mindfulness practices and mental health.

Listen in to learn more about both the important takeaways and the challenges of recent mindfulness research.

Show Notes:

• The background of mindfulness research [3:06]
• The challenge of defining mindfulness [6:26]
• MBSR as intervention for many research studies [13:05]
• Unpacking social desirability and self-selection in mindfulness research [18:42]
• Are we asking the right questions? Validity in mindfulness research [21:56]
• On Contemplative Neuroscience and fMRI [23:55]
• Contraindications of mindfulness practices [27:55]
• Adverse events of mindful meditation [33:23]
• Idea of capacity building & titration [37:55]
• Mindfulness research takeaways [42:24]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yin & Meditation Yoga Teacher Training
• Mindfulness Research 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-43.

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.

Self-care is much deeper than the "massages and bubble baths" trope. Today host Rachel learns from guest Yely Staley that setting clear and healthy boundaries is a foundational part of true self-care, especially for those of us who care for others.

Yely figured out the need for regular commitment to self-care the hard way — by experiencing repeated bouts of burnout while working in the corporate world as an attorney, and even after pivoting to become a yoga teacher and studio owner. In this episode, Yely shares how her experience taught her to appreciate simple, daily self-care practices, and how setting boundaries over the past two years has transformed her life.

Listen in to hear Yely share her tips for overcoming guilt around saying no, the value of teaching people how to treat you, and why she is so touched by Hispanic Heritage Month.

Show Notes:

• Yely's background [3:40]
• A surprising pathway from attorney to yoga studio owner [7:13]
• Redefining self-care [13:48]
• Self-care tools for burnout prevention [15:51]
• Managing guilt around taking time for self-care [18:30]
• Why we sometimes struggle to set healthy boundaries [21:08]
• Setting and communicating personal boundaries proactively [24:31]
• Two kinds of boundaries to set [28:24]
• Benefits of setting healthy boundaries [34:06]
• Communicating boundaries decisively requires non-attachment to outcome [36:10]
• Daily self-reflection or spiritual practice is key [43:57]
• Self-care as an avenue to authenticity rather than toxic positivity [46:08]
• Reflecting on Hispanic Heritage Month [52:37]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Connect with Yely Staley: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | YogaYely | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-42.

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.

We have mentioned Yin yoga in previous episodes of this podcast within the context of flexibility and fascial health. Today host Rachel talks with yoga teacher and educator Shannon Stephens about the more hidden or secret benefits of Yin yoga that can transform our lives.

In this episode, Shannon shares how the Yin practice creates the quiet space and time lacking in modern life — inviting us to get to know ourselves, recalibrating our senses to more subtle settings, and forcing us to sit and stay with whatever comes up, including boredom.

Listen in as Shannon explores the many ways Yin can teach us how to respond rather than react — both in yoga and in our daily lives.

Show Notes:

• Shannon's early experience with Yin replenishing depletion [3:30]
• An observer's seat for changing sensation [5:50]
• Sharpening our inner awareness [8:30]
• Teaching interoception with open-ended questions [12:26]
• The "Goldilocks zone" of sitting in conversation with discomfort [16:09]
• Highlighting the individual nature of a Yin practice [19:12]
• The magic ingredient of time and the power to stay [22:42]
• Holding space for surrender [26:25]
• A gateway to and container for meditation [28:42]
• Tactile experience of impermanence [30:12]
• Feeling the subtle body: TCM meridian lines and elements [32:11]
• Opening to self-care and self-compassion [36:52]
• Yin as a connecting force [39:29]
• Finding sacredness in the mundane and the privilege of boredom [43:19]
• Learning to respond rather than react [47:42]
• Final thoughts and favorite YMO practices from Shannon [51:42]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yin & Meditation Yoga Teacher Training
• The Hidden Benefits of Yin Yoga
• Yoga Medicine Online: Yin Yoga to Cultivate Compassion
• Yoga Medicine Online: Yin Yoga to Nourish the Water Element
• Connect with Shannon Stephens:

Facebook | Instagram | This Land Yoga | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-41.

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.

The image of a handstand or forearm stand on the beach is such a stereotype in modern postural yoga that it's almost easy to forget that these poses have a real power and potency to them.

Today host Rachel talks with Amelia Schrader about what she has learned from her long-standing inversion practice. Amelia is a yoga teacher and educator with a Bachelor of Health Science and a background in Naturopathy. After getting a taste of inversions in gymnastics as a child, she was humbled by relearning these poses as an adult.

In this episode, Amelia shares the many reasons why she harbors such a strong love for inversions. She talks about her favorite techniques for strengthening hands and forearms, tips for preventing yoga wrist injuries, as well as what inversions have taught her about lateral thoracic breathing and the 360-degree nature of the core.

Listen in to hear the physical and mental lessons Amelia has learned from her patient practice in inversions, as well as the inner confidence and strength that she gained along the way.

Show Notes:

• Finding centre in a period of life transition [3:55]
• COVID-19 as a nudge from the universe [7:09]
• The challenge of going slowly, not addressing uncertainty with busyness [11:25]
• A practice of patience: learning handstands and forearm stands as an adult [13:48]
• Preventing yoga wrist injuries [19:28]
• Techniques to awaken weight-bearing hands and forearms [24:01]
• Lateral thoracic breathing: accessing the breath while the core is engaged [27:19]
• Yoga poses to access lateral thoracic breathing [32:13]
• Building core strength and overcoming back and sacroiliac pain [34:56]
• Gaining confidence from inversions leads to courage in real life [41:56]
• "Enjoy the journey": takeaway messages from Amelia [47:24]
• Amelia's upcoming inversion classes on Yoga Medicine Online [50:23]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 26: Support the Low Back with Tiffany Cruikshank & Jenni Tarma
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 19: Fascia & Pain
• Connect with Amelia Schrader: Facebook | Instagram | Axis Yoga | YM Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-40.

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

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

Today hosts Tiffany and Katja are focusing in on myofascial release (MFR) applications and the current MFR research. In this episode, we talk about what the research suggests at this time regarding the duration and frequency of MFR, the speed and intensity of its application, and ways of combining MFR with yoga and other stretches for both athletes and non-athletes alike. As always, keep in mind that, with the application of MFR, there are plenty of individual variables to consider from person to person, so this episode is more of a general overview than a personalized plan.

Listen in to learn about tips for athletes, recommended tools for MFR, and some of the intricacies of current MFR research.

Show Notes:

• What is SMFR [1:48]
• Duration and frequency of MFR [2:45]
• Effects of MFR on pain are transient, yet cumulative [6:03]
• MFR duration and range of motion [8:28]
• MFR duration and sports performance [12:02]
• Looking at study protocols matters [14:50]
• MFR, tissue stiffness, and blood perfusion [16:22]
• Rolling fast or rolling slowly? [20:00]
• Review on the chronic effects of rolling [24:57]
• Recommended intensity for MFR [26:08]
• Tools for MFR [35:14]
• Benefits of vibrating tools for MFR [44:33]
• Combining movement and stretching with MFR [50:23]
• Individual exploration matters [1:05:19]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 14: Fascia as a Sensory Organ
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 27: Fascia & Yoga – Research Update with Dr. Robert Schleip
• Yoga Medicine Online: Foundations: Intro to MFR
• Functional Anatomy Online Course
• Myofascial Release Bundle for the Legs & Feet, Hips, Neck & Shoulders Online Course
• Myofascial Release for the Hips Online Course
• Myofascial Release for the Legs & Feet Online Course
• Myofascial Release for the Neck & Shoulders Online Course
• Myofascial Release Online Training
• Myofascial Release Training in Denver, CO
• MFR Applications & Research 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-39.

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.

Optimal health sometimes requires the support of both western science and other interventions — like diet and lifestyle changes and mindfulness practices including yoga.

Today's guest is perfectly placed to talk about both sides of the equation. Dr. Mariya Farooqi is a clinical pharmacist, functional medicine specialist, and registered yoga teacher. Along with her initial work as a nutritionist, these experiences have shaped her philosophy of "food and movement first, drugs second".

In this episode, Dr. Farooqi speaks with host Rachel about how common medications can interact with our yoga practice, offering her advice as a pharmacist on how we might manage common side effects by tailoring what, when and how we practice. She shares her thoughts on pain management, unpacks the vital link between gut health and overall health, and explores how even small changes to our diet, routine, movement, and mindfulness practices can have far-reaching impacts. She also talks about more personal experiences, like that of completing yoga teacher training as a Muslim woman, and the personal meaning the work of the Yoga Medicine Seva Foundation holds for her.

Show Notes:

• Early perceptions of yoga from a Muslim Indian family background [2:45]
• Challenges and growth opportunities: yoga teacher training as a Muslim woman [9:08]
• The growth of Mariya's interest in functional medicine [15:04]
• Strengths and weaknesses of western medicine for chronic illness [20:20]
• Complexities in discussing medication in the context of yoga practice [25:05]
• Relevant potential side-effects of common medications:
  • Anti-depressants [26:20]
  • Lithium [28.18]
  • Diuretics (water pills) [29:27]
  • Sleep medications [30:05]
  • Allergy medications [31:58]
  • Anti-anxiety medications [32:22]
  • Antibiotics [33:05]
• A pharmacist's advice for yoga teachers working with students one-on-one [34:00]
• Approaches to pain management [37:44]
• Medications can affect gut health [41:18]
• Actions steps for people whose medication is affecting gut health [46:00]
• The wide-reaching impact of regulating the central nervous system [47:55]
• The Seva Foundation's work has personal meaning to Mariya [50:03]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Connect with Dr. Mariya Farooqi:

Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | PharmToTable

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at www.YogaMedicine.com/podcast-38.

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.