Yoga Meets Movement Science

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss chair pose (utkatasana), squats (malasana), and the common alignment questions and confusions that arise about these poses.

Points of discussion include:

• The anatomy and biomechanics of chair pose
• The differences and similarities between yoga’s chair pose and the strength world’s squat
• Variations of chair pose
• Is a bodyweight yoga practice a good way to build strength for chair pose?
• The difference between a knee-dominant or hip-dominant chair pose and why you might choose one over the other
• Jenni’s personal evolution about chair pose alignment in her yoga teaching over time
• Is knees over toes an injurious alignment? In chair pose? In squats in the gym? In yoga’s standing poses like warrior 1 and lunges?
• Should we tuck or untuck our tailbone in chair pose?
• Does “buttwink” in a squat matter?
• What’s the correct foot width in chair pose?
• In twisting chair pose, should the knees stay flush, or should one knee track forward of the other?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

Podcast episode: The Glutes: Peachy Keen or Not All They Seem?

Video: How to Find Your Perfect Squat Stance

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen are joined by Matthew Huy, MSc to discuss his recent dissertation: “Language, Fear, and Science in the Yoga Studio”. Matthew is a longtime yoga teacher and an anatomy and physiology teacher in yoga teacher trainings worldwide. He also holds a master’s degree in Exercise Science and is the co-author of the book The Physiology of Yoga, published by Human Kinetics in June 2022.

Points of discussion include:

• How can the yoga world improve its scientific literacy?
• What type of content has historically been included in yoga anatomy/physiology modules of yoga teacher training programs?
• The fact that nearly all popular yoga anatomy books do not include scientific references
• What is the hierarchy or pyramid of scientific evidence?
• The impact that the infamous New York Times article How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body by William Broad had on societal perceptions of yoga
• What is a nocebo and how is it different from a placebo?
• Do forward folds in yoga cause “yoga butt” (proximal hamstring tendinopathy)?
• Is placing the foot on the knee in tree pose (vrksasana) injurious?
• If we flex and extend our spine repeatedly, can it snap like a credit card?
• The research-based connection between psychological beliefs and pain
• The potential that yoga teachers have to influence students’ beliefs via the language they use when teaching
• Should pain be avoided during exercise?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Order Matt Huy and co-author Andrew McGonigle’s book The Physiology of Yoga

Matt Huy’s website / Instagram

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

New York Times article: How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body

Huffington Post article: Stop Stretching Your Hamstrings!

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the ins and outs of pigeon pose.

Points of discussion include:

• A description of the anatomy and biomechanics of pigeon
• The different variations of pigeon pose and their unique effects on the body
• Is pigeon pose risky for the front knee?
• The relationship between pigeon pose and the piriformis muscle of the hip
• Do we ever realistically stretch one muscle in isolation?
• Is pigeon pose a good treatment for sciatica?
• Should the front shin be parallel to the front edge of the mat in pigeon?
• Should we flex the foot to protect the knee in pigeon?
• Are active variations of pigeon superior to traditional passive pigeon?
• Is pigeon pose the main form of “hip opener” that we practice in yoga?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Free yoga class from Jenni: “Pigeon is Our Friend”! (Through 6/30/22)

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

YouTube video: Does Flexing the Foot Protect the Knee in Pigeon Pose?

Research article: Is it painful to be different? Sciatic nerve anatomical variants on MRI and their relationship to piriformis syndrome

Podcast episode: Do We Store Emotions in Our Hips?

Podcast episode: Stretching Myths & Stretching Facts w/ Greg Lehman

Blog Post: Physical Touch in Yoga: Do Teachers & Students Agree?

Blog Post: End-Range Training: Does Closing the Gap Between Active and Passive ROM Prevent Injuries?

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the topic of micromanaging in yoga and movement classes.

Points of discussion include:

• What does “micromanaging” mean in a yoga or movement context?
• Do we see micromanaging tendencies in other movement fields, such as personal training, physical therapy, or somatics-based practices?
• What are some examples of micromanaging that we see in yoga classes?
• Why is it common for yoga instructors to use a micromanaging approach in their teaching?
• How can micromanaging in yoga be unhelpful?
• In what contexts can teaching in a detailed manner (which is not necessarily the same thing as micromanaging) actually be helpful?
• Are these common alignment cues in yoga examples of micromanaging? “Externally rotate your shoulders in down dog”, “pull your navel to your spine”, and “find a neutral pelvis”?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

YouTube video: 3 Tips for Shoulder Pain in Down Dog

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss verbal, visual, and kinesthetic cueing in yoga and movement teaching. Using the tool of movement science, they examine what scientific evidence suggests about how these various teaching tools can best be utilized in a yoga/movement setting to optimize learning.

Points of discussion include:

• Is it true that there are 3 types of learners: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic? Or is this a neuromyth?
• Is teaching yoga or movement without demonstrating (or minimizing demonstrating) a superior method?
• Is there a difference in attitudes about verbal cueing vs. physical demonstrating in the yoga world vs. the strength and conditioning world?
• What are mirror neurons?
• What does observational motor learning research suggest about the value of physical demonstrations?
• Is sensory information processed in the brain in an isolated or integrated manner?
• What are some common examples of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modes of teaching we might see in classroom settings and yoga/movement settings?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the widely varying viewpoints on headstand and shoulder stand in the yoga world. On the one hand, these two inversions are often proclaimed to be the “king and queen of yoga poses” and are therefore treated as almost essential yoga poses. On the other hand, there’s a growing belief in the yoga world that these two poses are inherently injurious and should not be taught in yoga classes.

Jenni and Travis examine both of these extreme points of view (and everywhere in between!) using the helpful tool of movement science.

Points of discussion include:

• What are the 3 most common yoga poses associated with injury, according to scientific research?
• How prevalent are yoga injuries in general, according to scientific research?
• How safe or unsafe is headstand?
• How delicate is the human neck with regard to being loaded?
• Can we and should we strengthen our neck in a direct, targeted way?
• Does practicing headstand increase blood flow to the brain?
• How safe or unsafe is shoulder stand?
• Is practicing shoulder stand on blankets safer than practicing shoulder stand flat on the floor?
• Does practicing shoulder stand reverse one’s cervical curve?
• Does shoulder stand stimulate the thyroid gland?
• Do headstand and shoulder stand confer any specific benefits for those who practice them?
• Are there contraindications we should be aware of for practicing either of these poses?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

Blog post: How Common Are Yoga Injuries? by Jari Karppinen

Research article: Headstand (Sirshasana) Does Not Increase the Blood Flow to the Brain

Research article: Intraocular Pressure Changes and Ocular Biometry during Sirsasana (Headstand Posture) in Yoga Practitioners

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the nervous system and take a science-based look at the popular polyvagal theory with Dr. Laura Baehr, PT, DPT, and PhD candidate in Rehabilitation Sciences.

Points of discussion include:

• A brief primer on nervous system structure and function
• The relationship between the “fight or flight” and “rest and digest” nervous system responses
• The definition of “resilience” and how a movement practice can enhance this quality
• A brief summary of polyvagal theory, which was introduced by Stephen Porges in 1994
• The widespread prevalence of polyvagal theory and its concepts today in yoga, yoga therapy, mental health fields, somatics-based practices, and more
• Does increased vagal tone correlate with increased emotional resilience and vice versa, as put forth by polyvagal theory?
• Is heart rate variability an accurate measurement of vagal tone or vagus nerve activation?
• Can we realistically stimulate the vagus nerve in isolation in yoga and movement settings?
• The connection between polyvagal theory and beliefs that emotions and trauma can be stored in the tissues of the body
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni (Dr. Laura Baehr is a special guest teacher in Jenni's library too!)

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

Research article: Direct measurement of vagal tone in rats does not show correlation to HRV

Dr. Laura Baehr’s Instagram page

Dr. Laura Baehr’s website

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the glutes and the many beliefs and claims about this area of the body we tend to hear in the yoga, fitness, and therapeutic worlds.

Points of discussion include:

• A brief overview of the functional anatomy of the glutes
• Should we relax or contract our glutes in backbends in yoga?
• The difference between internal and external movement cues
• Is glute strengthening important for preventing and treating pain?
• What’s the connection between anterior pelvic tilt and back/hip pain?
• Is gluteal amnesia a widespread issue we should be aware of?
• The difference between muscle activation and muscle strength
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

Blog post: What’s the Best Way to Cue Movement in Yoga?

YouTube video: Knee Pain & Hip Strength: What’s the Best Approach?

Research article: Anteromedial versus posterolateral hip musculature strengthening with dose-controlled in women with patellofemoral pain: A randomized controlled trial.

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss a controversial study that found that stretching was more de-stressing than restorative yoga. Could this assertion possibly be true?

Points of discussion include:

• The temptation to make definitive conclusions based on the results of a single study
• What is the “stress response” (a biological process in the human body)?
• What’s the relationship between restorative yoga and the stress response?
• What’s the relationship between exercise in general and the stress response?
• Foundational tips for reading and analyzing a research article
• What did the researchers in this study do, and what did they find?
• What are some practical applications we yoga practitioners might take away from this study?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

Article: Effect of restorative yoga vs. stretching on diurnal cortisol dynamics and psychosocial outcomes in individuals with the metabolic syndrome

Article: The Rise of Online Yoga

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss how hot yoga and cold yoga affect the body and the eye-opening and geeky science of body temperature!

Points of discussion include:

• How does temperature affect our bodies in general, and what role does it play when we’re moving our bodies in yoga or any other movement practice?
• Is hot yoga a safe type of yoga, or does it pose significant risks we should be aware of?
• Does the sweating that we do in hot yoga detoxify our body?
• Do hot yoga and cold yoga require more energy expenditure than room temperature yoga? (In other words, do we burn more calories in hot and cold yoga?)
• What do we know about the benefits of heat exposure in a sauna and cold exposure in cold water immersion or cryotherapy? Can we assume that we’d get these same benefits from hot or cold yoga?
• How does the human body regulate temperature anyway?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

Article: Constrained Total Energy Expenditure and Metabolic Adaptation to Physical Activity in Adult Humans (Pontzer et al. 2016)

Instagram Post: Do Yoga Twists Detoxify the Body?

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!