Yoga Meets Movement Science

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the many nuanced connections between strength and pain with Adam Meakins, a brilliant and influential physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach.

Points of discussion include:

• What is strength, and what parameters need to be met in order for an activity to be strengthening?
• If someone adds strength work into their movement practice and they end up feeling better in their body, why do they feel better?
• Do weak muscles cause pain?
• Are “tight” muscles simply weak, and is the solution always to strengthen them?
• What’s the relationship between muscle imbalances, poor posture, and pain?
• Is regional interdependence a well-supported explanation for why people have pain? (We define this term in the podcast for those who aren’t familiar with it.)
• What are some limitations of using strength training to treat people in pain?
• …And much more!

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

Adam Meakins is a specialist physiotherapist, sports scientist, and strength and conditioning coach working in the National Health Service and private practice in the UK. He is internationally recognized for calling out B.S. Many newcomers in the physiotherapy field cite Adam as their #1 influence. He shares excellent educational content through his social media platforms and his continuing ed courses online.

Find and follow Adam here: website / Twitter / Instagram

The Better Clinician Project w/ Adam Meakins & Ben Cormack – A unique online learning resource for all healthcare professionals who want high-quality low-cost education that's engaging and entertaining.

The NAF Physio podcast w/ Adam Meakins & Greg Lehman

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!

In this episode, yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen dive into the topic of whether or not we store emotions in our hips (or in our body in general).

Points of discussion include:

• Is this claim accurate?
• What’s the explanation for why and how emotions are stored in our hips or in our body, and does this explanation hold up to scrutiny?
• Is the psoas muscle a magic muscle?
• What’s the connection between “hip-openers” and emotion?
• The “recovered-memory therapy” movement from the 1980s and 90s and what lessons and insights it has to offer us today
• What do the terms “tight” and “release” really mean?
• What does an evidence-based approach to self-myofascial release look like?
• …And lots 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: The Return of the Repressed: The Persistent and Problematic Claims of Long-Forgotten Trauma

This American Life Episode: An Epidemic Created by Doctors (About the recovered memory movement of the 1980s & 90s)

”Repressed memory” entry on Wikipedia 

“Day-care sex-abuse hysteria” entry on Wikipedia

Stretching Science 101 online course by Jenni

Article by Chris Lieb: Self-Myofascial Release: What Does It Do? (And What Doesn’t It Do?

Article: Fascia Myths & Fascia Facts

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!

In this episode, yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen dive into the topic of chaturanga, or yoga’s push-up-like asana. 

Points of discussion include:

• The anatomy & biomechanics of chaturanga
• The differences between chaturanga and a typical push-up you’d find in the fitness world
• Why chaturanga is actually a much more difficult pose than many people realize
• Potential injury mechanisms of chaturanga
• Should the elbows hug in in chaturanga or not?
• Should we only lower halfway down (to 90°) or not?
• Should we shift forward onto the toes before lowering down into chaturanga?
• What should the shoulder blades be doing in this pose?
• The relationship between the common yoga pose knees-chest-chin and chaturanga
• …And so 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

Strength Training for Yoga (digital book written by Jenni & Travis)

YouTube video: Is Knees-Chest-Chin a Good Prep for Chaturanga?

Instagram post: Do You Know How Much Weight You’re Pushing in Plank?

YouTube video: Should We Shift Forward Onto Our Toes in Chaturanga?

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!

In this episode, yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the hot topic of how to prevent yoga injuries. Travis is a recognized expert in the field of injury prevention, having researched and written his dissertation on the topic, as well as creating a masterclass on injury prevention for Physio Network. His insights on preventing injuries in yoga are therefore especially valuable and insightful!

Points of discussion in this episode include:

• How is an “injury” defined in the scientific literature?
• How are injuries classified and categorized in research on injury prevention?
• What are some common risk factors for injuries?
• The belief in the yoga world that “alignment” is the most important factor for yoga injuries
• Whether common yoga alignment rules about “joint stacking” are helpful for injury prevention
• The connection between strength training and yoga injury prevention
• A closer look at the popular FMS (Functional Movement Screen) and whether it’s a trustworthy tool for injury prediction
• Best practices for preventing yoga injuries
• And lots 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

Infographic: Pain or injury? Why differentiation matters in exercise and sports medicine

International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement: Methods for Recording and Reporting of Epidemiological Data on Injury and Illness in Sports 2020

Improved reporting of overuse injuries and health problems in sport: an update of the Oslo Sport Trauma Research Center questionnaires

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!

In this episode, yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen cover a ton of ground regarding yoga, strength, and movement, including these hot-button topics (and more!):

• Is Ashtanga Yoga a cult?
• Are repetitive movement activities a bad idea?
• 4 distinct phases that a movement science-based yogi might go through on their yoga journey over time
• The common tendency to see yoga as a magical practice that offers everyone everything they need
• How a strength training practice can be about so much more than aesthetics and how we look
• Is adding resistance bands and weights to a yoga practice a good way to get strong?
• And tons 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: Physical Touch in Yoga: Do Teachers & Students Agree?

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!

In this episode, yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the science of stretching with one of their mentors and biggest inspirations, Greg Lehman, BKin, MSc, DC, MScPT. As is the norm with this podcast, an abundance of common myths about this topic are highlighted and busted. We hope this discussion helps inspire a change in the dialog around stretching in the yoga, movement, and fitness worlds!

Topics discussed include:

• What is stretching?
• What’s the distinction between active and passive stretching – and does it really matter?
• How does stretching affect the tissues of the body – in both the immediate, short term and in the bigger picture, long term?
• What’s the relationship between stretching and injury prevention?
• What does research currently suggest about stretching right before an athletic activity? Does it hinder performance or not?
• Is the practice of Yin Yoga and long-held passive stretches in general safe?
• Should people with systemic connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome avoid stretching?
• Should flexibility be retired as a major component of physical fitness?
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

NAF Physio Podcast episode with Greg, Adam Meakins, and Kara Gillett on Hypermobility

Jenni & Travis’ article: End Range Training: Does Closing the Gap Between Active and Passive ROM Prevent Injuries?

To learn more from Greg Lehman: website / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube

Greg’s Recovery Strategies Pain Workbook

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: The Case for Retiring Flexibility as a Major Component of Physical Fitness

Article: Strength Training Versus Stretching for Improving Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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!

The core is a multifaceted and somewhat controversial topic in the yoga, movement, and fitness worlds. In this episode, yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen dive into the topic of the core, busting many myths about this region of the body along the way!

Points of discussion include:

• What is the core?
• What is the function of the core?
• Should the core be trained isometrically (without movement) or dynamically (with movement)?
• Is there a recommended order or progression for training the core?
• Do you need to do direct core training?
• Is core strength important for handstand and other inversions?
• Myths about low back pain and core stability
• The difference between abdominal hollowing and abdominal bracing
• Is it time to retire the “navel to spine” cue?

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

Travis’ article: Do You Need Direct Core Training?

Jenni’s article: A Modern Approach to Core Stability: Is Navel-to-Spine the Best Cue?

Jenni’s YouTube video: What Should We Say Instead of Navel to Spine?

Everything I Thought I Knew About Low Back Pain Was Wrong by Dave Lasnier 

The Role of Core Stability in Athletic Function (Kibler et al 2006)

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!

In this episode, yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the confusing and not-well-defined term of “functional movement” and whether this term should be used to describe yoga. Topics covered in this episode include:

• What does the term functional movement mean?
• How is the term functional movement commonly used both in the yoga world and in the fitness/strength & conditioning world?
• Are “pretzel”-like yoga poses non-functional?
• Are isolated, single-joint movements non-functional, while compound, multi-joint movements are functional?
• Is weight training in machines less functional than weightlifting with free weights?
• Is functional movement a yes/no, black/white concept, or does it exist on a spectrum?
• …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: End Range Training: Does Closing the Gap Between Active and Passive ROM Prevent Injuries?

Instagram post: What is Functional Training?

Travis’ article on handstand walking

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!

This episode might change the way you think about yoga sequencing!

In this episode, yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen have a thorough, nuanced discussion about yoga sequencing. Using a movement science lens, they cover what yoga sequencing is, why it matters, some common approaches to sequencing, and they include a special focus on “peak pose sequencing” – arguably the most popular style of sequencing out there!

Jenni and Travis cover some of the advantages of peak pose sequencing as well as some very surprising disadvantages of this sequencing style that seem to be largely overlooked in the yoga world.

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: Yoga Pose/Counterpose Rules: Are They Necessary?

Blog post: 3 Claims About the Body Yoga Teachers Should Stop Making

Catherine Wilkinson – excellent evidence-based yoga teacher trainings in South Africa (and online!)

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!

Learn all about the term “stability” as it applies to the human body and movement!

Stability is a buzz term in the yoga, movement, and fitness worlds today, and it’s often used in multiple different ways to mean different things, which can make for a confusing and not well-understood concept.

In this episode, yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen cover the varying definitions and uses of this complex term, including:

• the biomechanical definition of stability
• core stability
• joint stability
• the relationship between stability & mobility
• dynamic vs. static stability
• internal vs. external perturbations
• …and much more!

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

Jenni & Travis’ blog post they wrote in conjunction with this podcast episode

Article: The Role of Core Stability in Athletic Function (Kibler et al 2006)

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!