Dream states are more than just random fantasy. Dreaming can be incredibly healing and is believed to be an essential part of all restful sleep. Robert Waggoner, a leading authority on lucid dreaming, suggests that by decoding our dreams we can begin to understand our psyche. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, Lucas Rockwood and Robert look at different types of sleep and dreams, and the potential impact that lucid dreaming can have on our physical and mental health. Robert is the author of, Lucid D...
Nov 19, 2015•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, you’ll meet biohacker, Ben Greenfield, who teaches you how functional exercise, nutrition, and the balance between performance and health can help you improve your yoga practice, achieve your fitness goals, and improve your quality of life. In 2008, Ben was nominated by the NSCA as America's top personal trainer, and in 2013 and 2014, Ben was voted as one of the top 100 most influential individuals in health and fitness. Ben writes for numerous health and wellness ...
Nov 12, 2015•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast When we practice yogic breathing, we can either up-regulate, down-regulate or balance our nervous system. In different situations, all three can be valuable, but for whatever reason, balanced breathing practices are not taught or practiced as often as they should be—and they are extremely useful. In this mini-bonus class, you'll learn the simple practice of 4x4 breathing as Lucas leads you through a shorted, seated practice. You'll Learn: How to use a 1-to-1 ratio for balancing your nervous syst...
Nov 05, 2015•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast “ The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for your soul to reside in.” - B. K. S. Iyengar Your gut health is vitally important for your immune system, digestion, and even your mood. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, g astroenterologist and wellness expert, Dr Robynne Chutkan, teaches the importance of a cultivating a balanced microbiome; and she warns against the severe impact digestive distress can have on your body and your life. Dr Chutkan founded the Digestive Center for Women (DCW) in ...
Oct 29, 2015•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast You’ve probably measured your heart rate while exercising with a chest strap or a wrist device - but have you ever measured your heart rate variability (HRV)? It’s fascinating stuff for yoga students. Ronda Collier joins Lucas Rockwood on this week’s Yoga Talk Show to explain why HRV is a crucial health metric, the importance of "coherent breathing", and how all of this ties in with your yoga practice. Ronda has more than 25 years of experience in high technology product development with a prove...
Oct 22, 2015•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you’re excited about inversions, and handstands in particular, than you’re going to love this week’s Yoga Talk Show. Ryan Hurst, Program Director and co-founder of GMB Fitness, shares his tips for how you can get started with handstand and what kind of training program you should follow if you want to advance.Hurst holds black belts in Kendo, Judo, and Shorinji Kempo and practiced 10 years as a competitive gymnast. He has extensive experience and a personal passion for arm balancing. What you...
Oct 15, 2015•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast In an attempt to lead the healthiest life possible, food and movement often become the main focus - but you must also address your mental and emotional health, particularly as you age. More and more research links physical health problems to root emotional problems meaning stress, worry, and anxiety left unchecked can have horrendous long-term implications on your health. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, clinical psychologist, David Carbonell, decodes anxiety: why we worry, how anxiety sets in, an...
Oct 08, 2015•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yoga is unique and powerful as a mind-body fitness modality in that it can restore balance to the body's electrical system (aka your nervous system) - and breathing is the secret key that makes it all possible. In the same way that our breath changes very predictably during times of fear, sorrow, love, or rest, we can flip that equation around and change our breathing patterns in order to change our mood. Why then do psychiatrists prescribe drugs before using this age-old practice of balancing b...
Oct 01, 2015•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast When most people think about world hunger and poverty, they often think of Vitamin A deficiency impacting vision or distended abdomens from protein deficiency in developing countries. Oddly, a much bigger problem affects people across the globe: iron deficiency. Low iron can lead to weakness, impaired cognitive ability, increased risk of illness, and even death - and as many as 50% of the population are at risk. To solve this problem, please meet, Gavin Armstrong, the purpose-driven entrepreneur...
Sep 23, 2015•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Negative lifestyle habits and poor food choices can impact the neural messengers that keep you energized, calm, focused, optimistic, and inspired. In many ways, our modern world undermines our brain health and can lead to imbalances with very serious repercussions. On this week’s talk show episode, Dr. Mike Dow introduces “The Brain Fog Fix”, a program designed to balance serotonin, dopamine, and cortisol, three essential chemical messengers for fog-free living. By naturally healing your brain h...
Sep 16, 2015•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jackson MacKenzie is the co-founder of PsychopathFree.com, an online support community that reaches millions of abuse survivors each month. Driven by personal experience, his mission is to spread awareness and give survivors a safe place to validate their experiences, so that every empathetic person can find happiness and love after abuse. The expanded edition of his book, Psychopath Free, is now available on Amazon or his website. You can learn more about his work at PsychopathFree.com --------...
Sep 10, 2015•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast For some strange reason, many yoga students overlook the importance of diet on their yoga practice—and this is a huge mistake. "You are what you eat," is a phrase everyone has heard, but in yoga, it's even more true than in other activities. Certain foods digest quickly, nourish your soft tissues, and simply make practice easier. Other foods fry your nervous system, slow digestion, and add unnecessary roadblocks to your practice. In this Show, You'll learn: Why micronutrients are so important Wh...
Sep 03, 2015•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nutrition is such an important topic, and no matter where we find ourselves on our health journey,we are constantly looking for ways to feel better, live longer, and generally lead healthier, happier lives. This week, Lucas Rockwood and guest speaker, Ariane Resnick, dig into fundamentals of healthy home food prep, and more specifically, the power of old-fashioned, organic bone broth. Ariane Resnick is a private chef and certified nutritionist who specializes in organic farm-to-table cuisine. Sh...
Aug 27, 2015•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we take a close look at the brain mechanisms of emotion and memory. With as many as 25% of adult women taking some form of antidepressants, emotional health has become a huge problem in the US - and around the world. On today’s episode, Lucas Rockwood and Joseph LeDoux talk about why our emotions are constantly being spun off balance, and what it is that we can do to get in better emotional health. Joseph LeDoux is a professor and a member of the Center for Neural Science and Departme...
Aug 20, 2015•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Can breathing unlock your inner power, strengthen your body, and boost your immune system? Wim Hof (aka the “Ice Man”) on this week’s Yoga Talk Show says, yes. Wim also says you’ll sleep better, improve your energy and boost your immune system if you practice his method regularly. Wim Hof (aka the "Iceman") holds 20 world records including longest ice bath. He has summited Mount Kilimanjaro in nothing but shorts and nearly made it to the top of Mount Everest in shorts as well. His longest ice ba...
Aug 13, 2015•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Some people seem to be naturally flexible while others struggle with even the most basic poses—but this need not be. In this bonus episode, Lucas explains the difference between flexibility training and stretching warm-ups, two very different practices that are often confused and delivery completely different benefits. In this Show, You'll learn: Why you should do stretching warm-ups before exercise, but should not do flexibility training Why stretching exercises before exercise will never lead ...
Aug 06, 2015•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Medical marijuana has always been a polarizing topic, clouded in controversy, and it can be challenging to distinguish the real medical benefits from the stoner myths. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, Dr. David Casarett takes us on a tour of the medical cannabis world to learn about its uses and benefits as “medicine”. Dr. David Casarett is a physician, researcher, and tenured associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. His studies have included more than 10K...
Jul 30, 2015•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ever heard of kombucha? Kombucha is a fermented tea loaded with beneficial bacteria, activated micronutrients, and if you like sour - it tastes amazing. Traditionally, it’s made with black tea and sugar, fermented by an added Scoby (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) for days, weeks or even months. Basically, this is sweet, rotten tea that’s actually good for you. On this week’s show, Lucas Rockwood and Hannah Crum explore the benefits of drinking Kombucha, and how easy it is to start brewi...
Jul 23, 2015•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Modern footwear leaves most people’s feet deformed by the time they reach adulthood, and these abnormalities lead to all kinds of movement problems, pain and cascading injuries. For yoga students, stiff and deformed feet are synonymous with impaired balance and stability, and even though this is such a common problem, it’s something we rarely talk about. On this week’s talk show, Lucas is joined by, Dr. Ray McClanahan, to learn how to naturally fixing your feet and toes, as well as how to go abo...
Jul 16, 2015•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you’re a vegan or a vegetarian, chances are someone has already asked you where you’re getting your protein from, or if you’re getting enough of it. We know many yoga students and teachers are exploring the plant-based diet, so this week we wanted to take a closer look at the challenges of a vegan/vegetarian diet, and what you need to do to avoid protein deficiency. Our guest this week, Dr. John Douillard, covers some of the most common questions around this topic; he also introduces the scie...
Jul 09, 2015•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Modern Hot Yoga practice originated from a teacher named, Bishnu Gosh, in Calcutta, India, though it’s probably best-known today from one of Gosh’s most influential (and notorious) students, Bikram Choudhury in Los Angeles. The Hot Yoga world is changing very quickly, and while 20 years ago, Bikram studios were the only game in town, there are now dozens of new and alternative Hot Yoga styles and studio groups popping up. In Canada, Moksha Yoga is a really great school founded by Ted Grand. In A...
Jul 02, 2015•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Just to mix things up a little at The Yoga Talk Show, this week, Lucas will lead you through a guided yoga breathing exercises called, Box Breathing. Box breathing is an easy-to-learn and highly effective practice that you’ll feel benefits from immediately. Listen & Learn: How to slow your heart rate How to increase your heart rate variability How to stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system How to encourage alpha brain wave states How to reduce stress hormones and find stillness And all thi...
Jun 25, 2015•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast As a yoga student, you’ve no-doubt heard of pranayama (yogic breathing practices), but you’ve probably had very little experience practicing it. Yoga breath work is mostly a “lost art” today partly due to the fears and myths that surround the practice. The typical advice from teachers is that pranayama can only be learned after years of asana practice and then you must learn from a master - but is there any truth to that? Probably not. Breathing practices can serve as a very comfy bridge between...
Jun 18, 2015•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yoga teaching was dominated by men until Russian-born, Indra Devi, came to Los Angeles in 1947 and quietly changed the direction of modern yoga forever. Devi was not only the first woman to break through the gender barrier, she was also the first western woman to study and teach in India with Krishnamacharya, a modern master whose students spread yoga throughout the world. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, writer and researcher, Michelle Goldberg, shares highlights from her newest book all about th...
Jun 10, 2015•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Environmental toxins, genetically modified food, chronic stress, and the rise in autoimmune conditions have all contributed to an explosion of thyroid problems. Dr. Will Cole joins Lucas on this week’s Yoga Talk Show to explore thyroid health, how you can get tested, treatment options, and the importance of your microbiome. Dr. William Cole D.C, graduated from Southern California University of Health Sciences in Los Angeles, California. He has his post doctorate education and training in Functio...
Jun 04, 2015•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast People use the term "eat clean" in different ways, but what does a healthy diet entail? One of the biggest challenges many people face is reducing their sugar intake. Sugar in all its forms, not just the refined white crystals, is so difficult to avoid, so addictive, and so harmful to our health. In this week’s episode, Lucas Rockwood and Tosca Reno talk about how to identify “food” that is harmful for you, how to pull yourself off of sugar and beat the cravings. Tosca is the New York Times best...
May 29, 2015•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over-the-counter drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen are cheap, easy to obtain and provide instant pain relief - but they are more of a coverup than a cure. For these reasons, it’s no surprise that yoga students often look toward natural remedies first, and to help you with this area of study, Susun Weed joins this week’s Yoga Talk Show to share her wisdom about herbal medicine with a specific slant toward yoga students. Susun Weed began studying herbal medicine in 1965 and wrote her first book, Wi...
May 21, 2015•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ayurveda, often referred to as traditional Indian medicine, offers us a truly holistic look at health and wellness. From understanding your own personal constitution to the food you eat and the energies impacting you continuously, Ayurveda is truly a perfect pairing for yoga-minded students. My guest today is, Ananta Ripa Ajmera, founder of "Whole Yoga & Ayurveda" a health practice using Ayurveda Health Consultations, Private Yoga Classes, and workshop series to help clients transform. Ananta is...
May 15, 2015•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Everyone from trainers to medical doctors is touting the benefits of lifting, not just for cosmetic reasons, but for metabolic health, hormonal health, bone density, and more. Nia Shanks joins to Lucas on the Yoga Talk Show to share her experiences with weightlifting, and the impact that continuous exercise can have on your overall well-being. Nia Shanks is a coach, health and fitness writer, and founder of "Lift Like a Girl" website and popular podcast. She is busting the myth that women can’t ...
May 07, 2015•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Poor sleep quality has reached critical mass, and the problem seems to be getting worse with our modern lifestyles. Whether it’s stress, anxiety or diet-related, millions are struggling each night. In an effort to improve your sleep, Dan Pardi shares his professional work experience and research into insomnia and narcolepsy, and the crucial role of sleep quality and good health. Dan is a health researcher, educator and facilitator. Early in his career, he served as a Division 1 Strength and Cond...
Apr 30, 2015•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
