Yoga Medicine

The practice of Yin yoga is unusual in that it asks us to do the opposite of what we do in the rest of our lives. That contrast is powerful, but adjusting to it can bring up challenges.

In this episode, returning guest Shannon Stephens is back to talk to host Rachel about the common challenges of Yin Yoga for both students and teachers and shares her tips on how we can navigate them skillfully to get the most out of our practice.

Listen to this episode to learn how to embrace the contrast between Yin yoga and daily life to create a more fulfilling, and ultimately revealing practice.

Show Notes:

• Student challenges in Yin Yoga: dealing with discomfort [2:59]
• Discerning between different types of discomfort [4:32]
• Difficulty letting go in Yin [8:46]
• Managing the spectrum of mobility in a Yin yoga class [14:05]
• Noticing phasic changes within a Yin pose [19:49]
• Adjusting to the slow pace of Yin compared to the fast pace of life [20:35]
• Practical ways to attune to the subtle body in Yin [27:21]
• Yin can feel messy compared to other yoga styles [32:52]
• Challenges of teaching Yin Yoga [37:34]
• Pros and cons of moving around the room when teaching [39:10]
• How to leave more space for quiet [41:17]
• Strategies for keeping time [43:17]
• Guiding students out of poses and managing the “rebound” [46:12]
• Preparing to teach Yin [48:08]
• Tips for teaching Yin without props [50:45]
• Creating a safe, supportive space for students [53:36]
• Overall tips for managing the challenges of Yin: intention and compassion [57:41]
• Being prepared to teach and practice; show up authentically [1:00:32]
• Learning the impermanence of feelings and sensations [1:03:50]
• Final takeaways: every practice teaches us something [1:07:50]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • Episode 41: The Hidden Benefits of Yin Yoga
  • Episode 77: Restorative Yoga Essentials
• Yin & Meditation Yoga Teacher Training
• Yoga Medicine Online Guest Teacher
• Connect with Shannon Stephens:

Facebook | Instagram | This Land Yoga

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-80.

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.

After traumatic life events, some people experience negative mental and physical health outcomes, while others not only survive but thrive. 

There’s a growing body of research on the strategies that prime our potential for resilience to adverse events, but less understanding of the neural pathways that underpin them. Today guest Valerie Knopik Ph.D. returns to explore three of these pathways with host Rachel, sharing a recent review article on the neuroscience of resilience in adults. 

In this episode, Valerie unpacks how three key neutral pathways could interact to influence our capacity to successfully handle stress and trauma. She suggests a range of strategies we can employ to down-regulate the negative, up-regulate the positive, and retain overall perspective. 

Listen to this episode to learn about three proposed pathways to resilience and how we can, and should, work with all of them to prime our potential to learn, grow and thrive in the face of adversity.

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-79.

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.

Show Notes:

• A key review article on the neuroscience of resilience in adults [4:41]
• Defining resilience [6:29]
• A tripartite model: key neural pathways for resilience [9:11]
  • 1: Fear and distress network, the amygdala, and HPA axis [11:44]
  • 2: Reward pathways, the mid-brain, and the role of Dopamine [17:25]
  • 3: The default mode network and the role of rumination [23:21]
• Some strategies influence more than one pathway [30:10]
• Reframing the stress response [32:16]
• Down-regulating the negative: therapy, journalling, affect labeling [34:11]
• The power of the breath [39:07]
• Up-regulating the positive: optimism, humor, social connection, gratitude [42:24]
• Finding joy in required tasks [45:28]
• Transcending the self: finding meaning and purpose, nature, flow state [50:17]
• Final takeaways and further resources [55:03]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Tabibnia et al, “An affective neuroscience model of boosting resilience in adults”
• Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episode 49: Epigenetics, Mental Health & Yoga with Valerie Knopik PhD
• Mental Health & Wellness Yoga Teacher Training:
  • Online
  • In-Person
• Yoga Medicine® Online Resources:
  • Valerie’s Mental Health Monthly Dose
  • Slow Flow Down Shift
• Connect with Valerie Knopik:

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Yoga Medicine Online Teacher

We don’t all strive for elite physical performance, but we do all place demands on our bodies. Some of the internal signals that we receive as a result could be interpreted as pain, so how do we know when we should push through and when we should pull back?

We have talked in previous episodes about the complex phenomenon of pain, and how deeply enmeshed our perception of pain is with our beliefs and previous experiences. Today that conversation continues with host Rachel and returning guest and Doctor of Physical Therapy Marnie Hartman.

In this episode, Marnie and host Rachel explore what neuroscience can teach us about physical performance. Listen in as we discuss the importance of bringing curiosity and playfulness into our physical pursuits, choosing to question our assumptions, and learning to listen deeply – but with discernment – to our internal signals.

Show Notes:

• Defining physical performance as how our bodies interact with the environment [4:56]
• Athletes’ relationship to pain [7:38]
• Sensory science 101: perception, interoception, nociception [9:38]
• Nociceptive signals in physical performance [13:56]
• The magic of training: creating a gap between signal and response [17:49]
• Recognizing and reframing less desirable experiences in the past [22:59]
• A case study in context and the impact of stress [27:35]
• Learning to discern our internal signals [31:35]
• Choosing to bring that awareness into physical challenges [36:31]
• Having our assumptions reflected back to us [40:12]
• Playfulness unloads our stress cup [48:22]
• Exploring the role of yoga practice [49:55]
• How our “patterning” can become an obstacle to overcome [58:42]
• Final thoughts and resources [1:02:21]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Previous Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • Episode 15: Shifting Persistent Pain
  • Episode 64: Impactful Pain Strategies
• Pain Science for Yoga Teachers Online Course
• Yoga Medicine® Online Resources:
  • Pain vs Suffering: Where to Begin
  • Neuroscience Enhanced Performance
• Connect with Marnie Hartman:

Body IQ PT | LinkedIn | Email | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-78.

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.

In our busy lives, it can be challenging to allow ourselves to truly rest, but there are potent benefits to be gained when we do. So today hosts Tiffany and Rachel dive into the stillness and quiet of restorative yoga.

In this episode, we outline the key characteristics of restorative yoga and how they work to soothe the nervous system and offer an antidote to stress. We discuss who restorative yoga is for, how to navigate its most common challenges, and how it compares to Yin yoga.

Listen in to hear about the unique benefits of restorative yoga inversions and our tips on how to get started in a restorative yoga practice.

Show Notes:

• Common elements of restorative yoga: nervous system focus, long holds, supportive props [2:39]
• Common elements of restorative yoga: low levels of sensation [5:55]
• Restorative yoga as an antidote to stress [7:51]
• A flexible definition of restorative yoga [10:14]
• Savasana as our most familiar restorative posture [12:36]
• Who is restorative yoga for? [14:02]
• Restorative yoga for better sleep [18:38]
• Comparing restorative and Yin yoga [22:51]
• Challenges of restorative yoga: adjusting to less stimulus [26:46]
• Challenges of restorative yoga: making peace with imperfection [28:33]
• Tips for restorative yoga beginners [31:17]
• In a busy life, restorative yoga can feel inefficient [36:08]
• Is there such a thing as too much restorative yoga? [39:33]
• The benefits of restorative inversions [43:33]
• Home substitutions for common restorative yoga props [45:57]
• How to get started with restorative yoga and Yoga Medicine resources [50:44]
• Reaping the benefits: frequency over duration [53:48]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Nervous System & Restorative Yoga Teacher Training
• Traditional Chinese Medicine Teacher Training
• Yoga Medicine® Online Resources:
  • Foundations: Intro to Restorative
• Yoga Medicine® Teacher Directory

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-77.

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 host Rachel speaks with returning guest Jenni Tarma about hypermobility disorders, which appear more often in yoga students than in the general population.

In this episode, Jenni describes the wide range of symptoms linked to hypermobility, some of the challenges yoga teachers face when working with students on this spectrum, as well as how yoga can help. Since hypermobility disorders can bring up both physical and mental symptoms, we talk about the importance of incorporating nervous system down-regulation practices, as well as those incorporating tactile external feedback.

Listen to this episode to learn why we could all benefit from getting more comfortable with a moderate range of motion and how to best help your hypermobile yoga students.

Show Notes:

• Describing hypermobility generally and EDS specifically [4:10]
• Some of the ways hypermobility shows up [7:21]
• Other potential symptoms of hypermobility – physical and psychological [10:09]
• Prevalence of hypermobility, especially in yoga students [17:35]
• Slow, controlled movement for stability and improved proprioception [20:51]
• The value of nervous system down-regulation [23:20]
• Tips for breath practices for hypermobile students [25:17]
• Benefits of recalibrating to moderate range of motion, and isometric contraction [28:50]
• Working with hypermobile students one-on-one versus in group settings [34:11]
• Utilising walls and props for tactile input or to isolate movement options [38:25]
• Strength training for hypermobility [40:51]
• Final tips and resources [44:58]
• Group class teaching tips to support all students, hypermobile or not [49:36]
• More resources for hypermobility [54:17]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga for Hypermobility Online Course
• Yoga Medicine Online Resources:
  • Balanced Function for Flexible Folks Series
• Hypermobility resources on social media:
  • Nikki Naab-Levy // @naablevyfitness
  • Catherine Cowey // @catherinecowey
  • Jill Zimmerman // @jillzimmermanpt
  • DC Taylor Goldberg // @thehypermobilechiro
  • Myo Durham // @myodurham

• Connect with Jenni Tarma:

Facebook | Jenni Tarma Instagram | Kaari Prehab Instagram | Kaari Prehab | LinkedIn | Yoga Medicine Online Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-76.

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 hosts Tiffany and Katja discuss fascia and the immune system. In this episode, learn what role the fascia plays in the immune system and which less obvious components of fascia contribute to this relationship. We also cover why fibroblasts are dynamic participants of immune processes, and how fluid flow versus stagnation play into immune function.

Listen in to learn how cells within our fascial system enable communication in our tissues, the pros and cons of mechanical fascial manipulation, and recent research into the possible existence of a fascial microbiome.

Show Notes:

• Introducing fascia and the immune system [1:30]
• The role of fibroblasts in immune processes [5:05]
• The importance of fluid flow [16:06]
• Mechanical manipulation of fascia [26:52]
• Studying the fascial microbiome [33:37]
• Yoga to help us understand the body [38:38]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Fascia & Immune System Resources Doc
• Lymphatics Yoga Teacher Training
• Myofascial Release Training
• Functional Anatomy Online Course with Yoga International
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-75.

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.

Often it’s the details that make our experience; in the context of a yoga class, it’s not just about the poses and practices we teach but the WAY we teach them that determines whether our class feels welcoming.

Today host Rachel speaks with Yoga Medicine therapeutic specialist Elena Cheung. Elena shares her tips for creating impactful all-level classes that welcome the wide range of people who attend them. We discuss the little things that shape and color the student experience and yet are easily overlooked or forgotten – including how to kickstart class in a welcoming way, make your focal point relevant to everyone present, use inclusive language and props, and harness the power of simplicity and silence.

Listen in to learn how to make your classes more accessible to all, and let go of the pressure to reinvent the wheel every time you teach.

Show Notes:

• The challenge of making all-level classes welcoming and relevant to all [2:23]
• Advice around yoga inclusivity is often framed in the negative [5:00]
• Truly inclusive classes empower each student [6:50]
• Preparing ahead for all-levels classes that welcome all [13:06]
• First impressions: acknowledging each arriving student [14:15]
• Tips for starting all-levels classes [18:03]
• Be patient and trust the process [23:22]
• It’s possible to be too welcoming [27:41]
• Keep it simple: make even complex concepts accessible to all [30:45]
• The pressure on yoga teachers to constantly reinvent the wheel [39:19]
• Tips for more inclusive language when cueing [43:45]
• Integrating props into practice as tools rather than “training wheels” [48:36]
• Tips to “tie the bow” when closing yoga classes [52:31]
• More on Elena, including the course: The Art of Teaching Impactful Group Classes [57:00]
• A final tip: how can yoga students make other students feel welcome? [1:02:03]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• The Art of Teaching Impactful Group Classes Online Course
• Sequencing with Purpose Yoga Teacher Training
• Previous Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • Episode 71: More Controversial Yoga Cues
  • Episode 56: Controversial Cues Unpacked: Community Conversation with Dana Diament & Valerie Knopik PhD
• Connect with Elena Cheung:

          Instagram | Elena Shapeshifts | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-74.

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 hosts Tiffany and Rachel explore one of the more common challenges yoga students face: shoulder pain when arms are overhead. We shed some light on this common issue, unpacking the anatomical structures involved, and discussing possible triggers.

Given how often we take our arms overhead – in yoga, sport, and daily life – we are likely to come across this issue at some point. So whether you are a teacher or yoga student, whether you have this issue or are working with those who do, listen in to this episode to learn all about overhead shoulder pain, and more importantly what you can do about it.

Show Notes:

• A common challenge in yoga, overhead sports, and daily life! [0:42]
• Anatomical structures involved in overhead shoulder pain [3:21]
• Common triggers [6:41]
• Implications of the now-controversial label “impingement” [7:38]
• Untangling multiple contributing factors for overhead shoulder pain [11:49]
• Exploring shoulder resilience: should our shoulders be able to support our weight? [18:55]
• The importance of scapula upward rotation [21:44]
• Muscles that can limit or facilitate upward rotation [25:00]
• “Shoulders back and down” is not always a helpful cue; offering alternatives [27:52]
• Tips for group classes versus working one-on-one [31:43]
• Summarizing common issues: Levator Scapulae, Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius, Rotator Cuff, Serratus Anterior, thoracic mobility, and the cervical spine [36:13]
• A general approach to address overhead shoulder pain and suggested practices [39:42]
• Medical interventions and final takeaways [45:41]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Shoulder Yoga Teacher Training
• Yoga Medicine Find A Teacher
• Previous Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • Episode 36: Shoulder IQ: What, Why & How
  • Episode 71: More Controversial Yoga Cues
• Yoga Medicine Online Resources:
  • Tiffany’s Shoulder Resilience Playlist
  • Rotator Cuff Resilience Series
  • Scapular Mobility Practice
  • Spine Series 2: Mid-Back Mobility
  • Shoulder Essentials Series 4: Overhead Arms

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-73.

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.

Compassion itself is vast and inexhaustible but for those who care for others, systemic factors, secondary traumatic stress and cumulative overwhelm can become barriers to being able to express it fully and freely. 

Today host Rachel talks about compassion fatigue with returning guest Rashmi Bismark. In this episode, we discuss the importance of preventative self-care for caregivers and how even simple rituals can create structured ways to acknowledge the burdens of care. We also talk about the value of being in community with others and why we should be reminding ourselves of the ways in which we are all connected.

Listen in to this episode as we explore what compassion fatigue is, who it impacts, how it differs from regular burnout, and what we can do to counter its effects.

Show Notes:

• Secondary trauma and the role of detachment in health professionals [4:50]
• Defining compassion and compassion fatigue [7:33]
• Compassion fatigue versus burnout [11:26]
• Compassion fatigue is not a failure or lack of compassion [14:40]
• Summing up who is most commonly impacted [16:45]
• Signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue [17:41]
• Recognizing compassion fatigue in ourselves [19:40]
• Don’t wait for systemic issues to be resolved [21:47]
• Addressing compassion fatigue: a three-part approach [23:27]
• Finding structured ways to recognize and acknowledge grief and other burdens [28:19]
• Tools from yoga and mindfulness traditions [30:35]
• The power of acting in community [34:50]
• Fierce compassion and creating sustainable boundaries [37:27]
• “What will nourish me?”: the power of explicit kindness to ourselves [40:29]
• Clarifying your intentions as a helper or healer and exploring “compassion satisfaction” [42:37]
• Summing up with the metaphor of a ghee lamp [46:02]
• Further resources [51:58]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Resources from Rashmi Sudarsanan Bismark:
  • Sustainable Caring
  • Sustainable Caring Virtual Physician’s Retreat
  • Sustainable Caring Gentle Grieving
• Yin & Meditation Yoga Teacher Training
• Previous Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • Ep 21: South Asian Teacher Panel with Rashmi Bismark MD MPH, Ashish Arora, Monisha Bhanote MD FCAP ABOIM & Pooja Virani
  • Ep 07: Navigating Burnout
  • Ep 06: The Power of Mindfulness with Dr. Rashmi Bismark MD MPH
• Connect with Dr. Rashmi Bismark:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | R S Bismark MD | Yoga Medicine Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-72.

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 hosts Rachel and Tiffany continue the conversation we started in Episode 56, exploring controversial yoga cues. There is so much to say on the topic, so we are back with a second episode to unpack when these familiar cues are useful (and when they aren’t), the potential downside of protective cues, and the one yoga cue that Rachel hates.

Show Notes:

• Even the best cues don’t always translate across cultures [2:42]
• “Shoulders back and down” [4:05]
• Cueing based on specific intention instead of a laundry list approach [12:30]
• “Soften your glutes” versus “Squeeze your glutes” in backbends [14:19]
• “Turn your back foot out 45 degrees” and alternatives [25:35]
• “Wrap your elbows in” versus taking elbows wide for wheel pose [31:12]
• “Hug your elbows against your sides” in Chaturanga [38:02]
• “Stack your elbows over your wrists”: mechanical disadvantage in Chaturanga [40:25]
• Tips for teaching Chaturanga in group classes [43:10]
• “Flex your foot to protect your knee” and the pros and cons of protective cues [46:39]
• “Full expression of the pose” and “If you can’t…” cues [52:39]
• “Breathe into your belly” or “Diaphragmatic breath” [54:27]
• “Breathe loud enough your neighbor can hear you” or “Darth Vader breath”: cueing Ujjayi breath [56:54]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Shoulder Yoga Teacher Training
• Hip Yoga Teacher Training
• Spine Yoga Teacher Training
• Previous Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • Episode 56: Controversial Cues Unpacked
  • Episode 36: Shoulder IQ: What, Why & How

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-71.

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.