Today’s guest Alice Blunden is a prime example of the cautionary phrase: you can’t always judge a book by its cover. Alice is a therapeutic specialist and primary school teacher who was born with an undiagnosed case of hip dysplasia. She says she sees her lifestyle as a consequence of simply needing to do the things she required to live a fulfilling life. That includes modifying her yoga practice to suit her body’s needs since her diagnosis and subsequent surgeries. In this episode, host Rachel ...
Nov 10, 2022•58 min
Our biology certainly influences our health and behavior, but the environment can also have a significant impact on our health and well-being. Thanks to the fascinating field of epigenetics, we now understand that factors like our nutrition, movement habits, stress levels, and feelings of emotional connection can affect the way our genes are expressed. So today host Rachel dips her toes into the world of science to discuss epigenetics, mental health, and yoga with guest Valerie Knopik. Valerie h...
Nov 03, 2022•51 min
Today hosts Katja and Tiffany discuss the empowerment that comes with an understanding of female hormones and their fluctuation through the menstrual cycle. Yoga encourages this deeper personal investigation and can also provide support and relief to the body as it moves through the phases of the menstrual cycle and life. In this episode, Katja and Tiffany talk about the various factors that affect the menstrual cycle, how this cycle affects our physical and cognitive function, and what happens ...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr
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 experien...
Oct 20, 2022•47 min
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...
Oct 13, 2022•53 min
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 interaction...
Oct 06, 2022•57 min
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 or...
Sep 29, 2022•1 hr 8 min
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 a...
Sep 22, 2022•48 min
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 epis...
Sep 15, 2022•57 min
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 st...
Sep 08, 2022•57 min
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 ...
Jul 28, 2022•55 min
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 t...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 11 min
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 epis...
Jul 14, 2022•56 min
Compassion and service are at the heart of yoga philosophy. Many of us see overwhelming inequities in the world today and want to help, but don’t know where or how to start. Today’s guest on the podcast would have us simply “start, by starting”. Host Rachel talks with the Yoga Medicine Seva Foundation Director, and a Sisters of the Planet Ambassador with Oxfam America, Amanda Bonfiglio Cunningham. As well as being a yoga instructor, Amanda has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and a Master’s in T...
Jul 07, 2022•58 min
Our shoulders are something of an underdog, but just because the joints and muscles of the shoulders are less familiar than those of the hips or spine doesn’t mean they are less important. These under-appreciated joints have massive impact on our yoga practices and beyond. Today hosts Tiffany and Rachel talk about the importance of the shoulders and share favorite practices for both mobility and stability. They explore how shoulder work can be key to unpacking neck and upper back issues, plus im...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Today hosts Tiffany and Katja continue the discussion on fascia and more specifically how our fascia is connected to the autonomic nervous system. This relationship reminds us that movement has a profound effect on our minds and emotions and that the inverse is also true. In this discussion, Tiffany and Katja explain different pathways how the fascial system is related to the autonomic nervous system. They share more reasons to incorporate some myofascial release work into our yoga practice and ...
Jun 23, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Many of us feel the weight of others’ expectations to look, speak, or feel a certain way. But perhaps if we were able to be more fully ourselves, as yoga teachers we could then create spaces that welcome our students to do the same. Today’s episode is a warm and heartfelt conversation between Tiffany and long-time friend, Kathryn Budig. Kathryn is a shining example of following her own compass in work and in life. Building on almost two decades as an internationally recognized yoga teacher, auth...
Jun 16, 2022•56 min
Today’s guest Mark Hunter took a long road to teaching yoga, including almost 3 decades of working in (and instructing) massage and remedial therapy. He has been passionate about fascia since long before it was mainstream. He shares this passion with his students, many of whom are over 60 years old, in group classes, one-on-ones, and senior’s balance sessions. Whether you’ve thought about it or not, we are all aging. So in this episode, Mark and host Rachel explore what we can learn about aging ...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr
How do we as yoga instructors help athletes train to stay healthy, durable, resilient, and at peak performance? Tiffany chats on these big questions with two coaches and Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialists - Jenni Tarma and Alison Heilig. Jenni is a Yoga Medicine Online instructor, endurance athlete, and CrossFit trainer who works with weight lifters and athletes at all skill levels. Alison is an accomplished ultra-marathon runner and weightlifter as well as a strength and endurance coach and ...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 20 min
Today we explore the concept of intention—one of the core principles of what we do at Yoga Medicine. Most of us have a general understanding of what it is and why it is important, especially given the mindfulness we bring to yoga practice, but haven’t considered in detail how we form intentions or their potential to change outcomes. To help us unpack the theory and practice of intention in more detail, host Rachel talks to returning guest, Diane Malaspina Ph.D. As well as teaching yoga, Diane ha...
May 26, 2022•55 min
Nowadays the phrase “trauma informed yoga” is familiar to most of us. But if you’ve heard the term and assume it doesn’t represent the students you teach or practice alongside, you may be surprised to hear in this episode that up to 90% of adults will experience a traumatic event in their lives. Today’s guest, Dr. Ann Bortz, is a licensed clinical psychologist with almost 30 years in the field. Host Rachel speaks with Dr. Bortz about her specialty working with those who are impacted by trauma. S...
May 19, 2022•42 min
When it comes to stretching, many things have gone in and out of style. There are still plenty of myths and misconceptions out there and there is still a lot we don’t know. To complicate matters even further, stretching is one of the more confusing areas of research because the terminology, application, and even results in stretching studies vary greatly. In this episode, hosts Tiffany and Katja talk about the myths and the research on stretching, different types of stretching, using stretching ...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Anxiety is a normal response to life stress — until it isn’t. Today, host Rachel talks with Aisha Fakhro, a Bahrain-based UK-licensed psychotherapist and yoga teacher who specializes in working with anxiety, trauma, grief, stress management, and personal growth. In this episode, we learn more about anxiety and how yoga can help. Aisha jokes that she could have a PhD in personal experience with anxiety. She shares how practicing and teaching yoga inspired her to study psychotherapy, by changing t...
May 05, 2022•1 hr 7 min
If you have been listening to this podcast, the chances are very high that you’ve heard a mention or two of today’s guest, Dr. Robert Schleip, the fascia research legend. His background in biology and psychology makes him the perfect person to speak with about his vast knowledge as it relates to yoga. In this episode, Dr. Schleip talks about the value of traditional yoga practices in the modern world, discusses how our connective tissue plays a role in different elements of the yoga practice, an...
Apr 28, 2022•59 min
We have an instinctive understanding of the importance of the spine, especially the weight-bearing structures of the low back. But given that the majority of us will have some experience of low back pain during our lives, perhaps we need a little help figuring out how to best support it during yoga practice and in daily activities. In this episode, hosts Tiffany and Rachel explore the low back with Yoga Medicine teacher Jenni Tarma. Jenni co-teaches the Yoga Medicine Spine Anatomy, Disfunction, ...
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 16 min
These days we all understand the importance of a strong and supple core, but sometimes forget that the pelvic floor is an integral part of that support system. Today, we explore pelvic health with guest Melissa Oleson – a doctor of physical therapy and an Integrative Nutritional Health Coach as well as a registered yoga teacher. She is the founder of MSunn Yoga & Wellness, a mobile and virtual concierge physical therapy and wellness practice focused on helping people relieve pain, build stre...
Apr 14, 2022•46 min
Last week we opened a conversation about yoga and injury. Tiffany and Rachel talked about the three main phases of healing, common mistakes made during the healing process, and what role therapeutic yoga can play. This week we continue the conversation, with Tiffany and Rachel now focusing on how teachers and students can reduce the potential for yoga injuries. In this episode, Tiffany and Rachel discuss whether or not to ask about injuries before class, poses and transitions they avoid or appro...
Apr 07, 2022•47 min
Injuries are, to some extent, inevitable in life. So when injuries do occur, when should we rest and when is the right time to reintroduce challenge? Today we explore this important question in the first of two episodes on the topic of yoga and injury. In today’s episode, Tiffany and Rachel provide context for the conversation by offering some interesting statistics on yoga and injury, then unpack the three phases of connective tissue healing as well as what to bear in mind at each stage of the ...
Mar 31, 2022•46 min
Today’s guest Laura Philipp is a world-class professional athlete who has won 16 Ironman 70.3 races, 3 Ironman races and boasts the fastest Ironman debut time of all time for any woman. Laura was even invited to and participated in the legendary Hawaii Ironman, placing fourth at her first participation. She also has a very special way of training: she bases her training around her menstrual cycle and female physiology. In this episode, Laura talks with host Katja Bartsch about the benefits of ha...
Mar 24, 2022•59 min
In today’s episode, we bring together four yoga teachers with personal or family roots in different parts of India to talk about their experiences with yoga, while growing up and now. They offer their unique perspectives on practicing and teaching yoga in the modern context. Previous podcast guest Rashmi Bismark facilitates the conversation. Rashmi is a U.S.-trained physician, board-certified in both preventative medicine and public health, who blends eastern and western traditions in her medica...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 18 min
