150 Stress Management for High Achievers: Community Conversations with Katharina Claeys
Yoga Medicine
High achievers in business, sport, and life in general can benefit hugely from yoga practice. However, the very traits that lead to success in their field can bring up unique challenges when brought to the mat. Today, host Katja speaks with Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist Katharina Claeys about teaching yoga to high achievers. Katharina is an educator, speaker, and consultant with a focus on building resilience and nervous system regulation, as well as women’s health. Listen to this episode to learn why setting realistic expectations, being flexible in your teaching approach, and...
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149 Who is Yoga Teacher Training For? Bonus Short
Yoga Medicine
A major barrier for many people interested in yoga teacher training is the assumption that it is only for certain kinds of people—whether that’s deep and spiritual, energetic and outgoing, irresistibly charismatic, or highly skilled at yoga postures. In this short excerpt from Episode 103, Teacher Training Myths, host Rachel and fellow teacher trainer Dana Diament share that the truth is that teaching yoga is as much about holding space for students to be themselves as it is about instructing yoga poses and practices. They also share details of the Yoga Medicine Online 200-hour Teacher...
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148 Support Yourself for a Joyful Holiday: Expert Insights with Diane Malaspina PhD
Yoga Medicine
The holidays can bring up strong feelings. Whether you’re managing travel, disruption to regular routines, over-indulgence, or deeper issues like family conflict or loss, this time of year isn’t always as magical as we perhaps imagine it to be. Today, host Rachel is joined by returning guest Diane Malaspina, yoga teacher and psychologist, to share practical suggestions on how we can better self-regulate through the holiday season. In this episode, Diane stresses the importance of making time for honest reflection on our feelings regarding this season, and shares how this process prompted...
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147 LoveYourBrain: Expert Insights on TBI with Kyla Pearce MPH, PhD, CBIS, E-RYT
Yoga Medicine
Today’s guest calls traumatic brain injury (TBI) “a silent epidemic”, describing a common yet complex injury that, for many, presents with chronic symptoms. In this episode, host Rachel Land speaks with expert guest Dr. Kyla Pearce, Senior Director of Programs, Research & Operations for the LoveYourBrain Foundation – a national nonprofit that delivers evidence-based holistic health programs for the brain injury community. Because individual experiences of TBI vary widely, it can be a daunting thing to work with as a yoga teacher. Dr. Pearce talks about the under-appreciated...
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146 Hustle Culture Meets Wellness Sphere
Yoga Medicine
Today hosts Katja and Tiffany introduce some recent research on an always-interesting topic: the place where hustle culture meets the wellness sphere. In this episode, we discuss how these two fields influence each other, how this relationship has shifted recently, and how yoga teachers can navigate the hustle. Listen in to learn about the origins of hustle culture, how it shows up in the wellness space today, and how yoga can help to adapt to recent challenges and changes that have been perhaps expedited by the recent pandemic. — Show Notes: Origins of hustle culture [1:44] Recent trends:...
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145 Back to the Mat with Tiffany Cruikshank: Shorts
Yoga Medicine
It can be a challenge to maintain a regular yoga practice in the busyness and distraction of daily life. In this short excerpt from Episode 5, Sustainability and Yoga, Rachel and Tiffany talk about what keeps us coming back to our mats year after year. We share the most important question to ask yourself on the mat, and highlight the underrated skill of finding what you need even within a led group class. — Show Notes: Myriad areas for focus and investigation in practice [1:04] The most powerful question to ask on the mat [3:15] An underrated ability: finding something you need in a...
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144 The Power of Language: Teachers' Series
Yoga Medicine
How we phrase things is so important, especially in a personal, experiential practice like yoga. Today, hosts Rachel and Tiffany talk about the power of the language we use when teaching. What does it mean to use open and invitational language versus commanding? How can our words help students to feel strong and resilient instead of fearful on the mat? What problems can arise for students when we offer pose options as a hierarchy? Listen in to learn how to tailor your language with more skill and discernment and cultivate an environment in which your students flourish. — Show Notes: Why is...
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143 Hip Health & Durability with Tiffany Cruikshank: Shorts
Yoga Medicine
Welcome to our new series of “Shorts”—gems from previous podcast conversations that deserve a second look (or listen). This excerpt is drawn from episode 54: Love Those Hips! All About the Hip Labrum. In discussing yoga practices to embrace and avoid during hip labrum injury, hosts Tiffany and Rachel also highlighted how all of us can strengthen, support, and mobilize these crucial joints to maximize their capacity over the long term. They also explored a repeated theme on this podcast: the power of curiosity and how our practice can act as an individual invitation to find the challenges...
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142 Female Hormones, Immune System, and Exercise: Research Roundup
Yoga Medicine
Today, hosts Tiffany and Katja discuss current research on female hormones, the immune system, and exercise. Both the female hormones as well as the immune function are intricate systems – bringing them together adds even more complexity! In this episode, we try to boil down the immune system and inflammatory response and explore recent research that sheds light on the relationship between the menstrual cycle, immune responses and exercise. We also discuss the nuances of inflammatory processes, individualised responses, and potential implications for peri- and post-menopause. Listen in as we...
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141 Pitfalls of Private Yoga (and How to Avoid Them): Community Conversations with Elena Cheung
Yoga Medicine
Teaching private yoga can be enormously fulfilling, but it also has the potential to create a whole new set of challenges for teachers. In this episode, host Rachel Land speaks with returning guest Elena Cheung about the pitfalls of private yoga sessions and some potential ways to avoid them. We discuss how to set student expectations early, manage anxiety regarding that first session, and offer tips on setting boundaries, taking payment, and setting cancellation policies. Listen in to learn how to navigate the pitfalls of private yoga like a pro, and find your niche. — Show Notes: ...
info_outlineMost of us have heard of, and even practiced, Yoga Nidra. But it holds a certain mystique that means we might not know as much about it as we think.
Today, host Rachel dives into this topic with returning guest and 1000-hr Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist Caroline Wybar. Caroline unpacks some of the misconceptions around Yoga Nidra and offers her tips for both students and teachers of this guided relaxation practice.
Listen in for more on Caroline’s upcoming Online Yoga Nidra Teacher Training, to learn about relaxation-induced anxiety and hear tips for staying awake during Yoga Nidra… if you want to!
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Show Notes:
- Is Yoga Nidra an ancient practice? [2:58]
- Does “authentic” Yoga Nidra require a set sequence of techniques? [8:13]
- Can Yoga Nidra replace sleep? [12:09]
- Must Yoga Nidra be done in Savasana? [14:59]
- Can Yoga Nidra cultivate Delta brain waves? [17:06]
- Yoga Nidra frees us from the pressures of time [20:47]
- How Caroline found her way to Yoga Nidra [28:03]
- Challenges for Yoga Nidra students [34:34]
- Who is Yoga Nidra for, and not for? [38:31]
- Teaching Yoga Nidra: script or no script? [42:06]
- Teaching Yoga Nidra: leaving space for silence [49:03]
- Upcoming Yoga Medicine Yoga Nidra training live online [50:32]
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Links Mentioned:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Yoga Nidra Teacher Training
- Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 68: Approaches to Anxiety
- Birch, J., & Hargreaves, J. (2015). Yoganidrā: an understanding of the history and context. The Luminescent. https://www.theluminescent.org/2015/01/yoganidra.html
- Connect with Caroline Wybar:
Facebook | Instagram | Caroline Wybar Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher
You can learn more about this episode and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-136.
And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.
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