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Yoga Meets Movement Science

Yoga Meets Movement Science

Jenni Rawlings & Travis Pollen, PhD

Yoga Meets Movement Science takes a science-based look at many of the common questions, myths, and controversies that arise in the realms of yoga, movement, and fitness. Join yoga teacher and educator Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor and longtime yogi Travis Pollen on this crash course, where the worlds of yoga and movement science collide!
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Top 10 Yoga Meets Movement Science Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Yoga Meets Movement Science episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Yoga Meets Movement Science for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Yoga Meets Movement Science episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss verbal, visual, and kinesthetic cueing in yoga and movement teaching. Using the tool of movement science, they examine what scientific evidence suggests about how these various teaching tools can best be utilized in a yoga/movement setting to optimize learning.

Points of discussion include:

  • Is it true that there are 3 types of learners: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic? Or is this a neuromyth?
  • Is teaching yoga or movement without demonstrating (or minimizing demonstrating) a superior method?
  • Is there a difference in attitudes about verbal cueing vs. physical demonstrating in the yoga world vs. the strength and conditioning world?
  • What are mirror neurons?
  • What does observational motor learning research suggest about the value of physical demonstrations?
  • Is sensory information processed in the brain in an isolated or integrated manner?
  • What are some common examples of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modes of teaching we might see in classroom settings and yoga/movement settings?
  • ...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

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

My Fit Tribe
Where each episode devles into unique experience and knowledge about body mind and spirit

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

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Yoga Meets Movement Science - The Top 7 Most Misused Movement Terms

The Top 7 Most Misused Movement Terms

Yoga Meets Movement Science

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10/01/23 • 89 min

Jenni and Travis discuss the top 7 most misused movement terms in yoga. Why did each of these movement terms make the list? How are their common uses in the yoga world unhelpful? How can we update our movement-based yoga language to be more in line with movement science?

Jenni and Travis are also offering a free *written guide* to the top 7 most misused movement terms! Grab your free guide here: https://www.jennirawlings.com/yoga-language-clarified-sign-up
Resources mentioned in this episode:

Free written guide: Top 7 Most Misused Movement Terms in Yoga!

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Blog post: End-Range Training: Does Closing the Gap Between Active and Passive ROM Prevent Injuries?

Research article: Is There Any Non-functional Training? A Conceptual Review

Podcast episode: Fascia Myths & Fascia Facts Part 2: Yin Yoga & Myofascial Release

Podcast episode: Interoception, Emotions, Pain, & Yoga

Podcast episode: Should We Always Listen to Our Body?

Podcast episode: Is Yoga Functional Movement?

Podcast episode: Can Stretching Make You Strong? w/ Greg Nuckols

Podcast episode: Stability: Clearing Up a Confusing Term!

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.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

My Fit Tribe
Where each episode devles into unique experience and knowledge about body mind and spirit

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

bookmark
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Yoga Meets Movement Science - Does Yoga Count as Exercise?

Does Yoga Count as Exercise?

Yoga Meets Movement Science

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08/23/22 • 94 min

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss whether yoga can be considered “exercise” – and why this is a much more complex and nuanced question than it might appear to be on the surface!

Points of discussion include:

  • Is a yoga practice challenging enough to be considered “exercise” by exercise science definitions?
  • What is the technical definition of “exercise”, and how is it different from “physical activity”?
  • Can a yoga practice by itself give our body everything it needs to be healthy from a movement/exercise perspective?
  • How a person can be considered both an “exerciser” and “sedentary” at the same time.
  • What is body composition? Can a yoga practice affect body composition?
  • Can a yoga practice improve muscular strength, and can it improve muscular endurance? (These are two different variables!)
  • What is cardiorespiratory fitness, and how is it measured?
  • Can a yoga practice improve cardiorespiratory fitness?
  • Can a yoga practice improve other components of fitness such as balance, agility, speed, power, and coordination?
  • What are the official guidelines for quantity and quality of exercise for healthy adults?
  • Can a yoga practice on its own satisfy these guidelines?
  • ...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

Podcast episode: Is Ashtanga a Cult? And the Value of Strength

Podcast episode: Stability: Clearing Up a Confusing Term!

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

My Fit Tribe
Where each episode devles into unique experience and knowledge about body mind and spirit

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

bookmark
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share episode
Yoga Meets Movement Science - Pigeon Pose: Friend or Foe?

Pigeon Pose: Friend or Foe?

Yoga Meets Movement Science

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06/14/22 • 87 min

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the ins and outs of pigeon pose.

Points of discussion include:

  • A description of the anatomy and biomechanics of pigeon
  • The different variations of pigeon pose and their unique effects on the body
  • Is pigeon pose risky for the front knee?
  • The relationship between pigeon pose and the piriformis muscle of the hip
  • Do we ever realistically stretch one muscle in isolation?
  • Is pigeon pose a good treatment for sciatica?
  • Should the front shin be parallel to the front edge of the mat in pigeon?
  • Should we flex the foot to protect the knee in pigeon?
  • Are active variations of pigeon superior to traditional passive pigeon?
  • Is pigeon pose the main form of “hip opener” that we practice in yoga?
  • ...And much more!

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

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Free yoga class from Jenni: “Pigeon is Our Friend”! (Through 6/30/22)

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

YouTube video: Does Flexing the Foot Protect the Knee in Pigeon Pose?

Research article: Is it painful to be different? Sciatic nerve anatomical variants on MRI and their relationship to piriformis syndrome

Podcast episode: Do We Store Emotions in Our Hips?

Podcast episode: Stretching Myths & Stretching Facts w/ Greg Lehman

Blog Post: Physical Touch in Yoga: Do Teachers & Students Agree?

Blog Post: End-Range Training: Does Closing the Gap Between Active and Passive ROM Prevent Injuries?

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

My Fit Tribe
Where each episode devles into unique experience and knowledge about body mind and spirit

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

bookmark
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share episode
Yoga Meets Movement Science - Chair Pose: Knees Over Toes and Other Hot-Topic Woes
play

07/12/22 • 86 min

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss chair pose (utkatasana), squats (malasana), and the common alignment questions and confusions that arise about these poses.

Points of discussion include:

  • The anatomy and biomechanics of chair pose
  • The differences and similarities between yoga’s chair pose and the strength world’s squat
  • Variations of chair pose
  • Is a bodyweight yoga practice a good way to build strength for chair pose?
  • The difference between a knee-dominant or hip-dominant chair pose and why you might choose one over the other
  • Jenni’s personal evolution about chair pose alignment in her yoga teaching over time
  • Is knees over toes an injurious alignment? In chair pose? In squats in the gym? In yoga’s standing poses like warrior 1 and lunges?
  • Should we tuck or untuck our tailbone in chair pose?
  • Does “buttwink” in a squat matter?
  • What’s the correct foot width in chair pose?
  • In twisting chair pose, should the knees stay flush, or should one knee track forward of the other?
  • ...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

Podcast episode: The Glutes: Peachy Keen or Not All They Seem?

Video: How to Find Your Perfect Squat Stance

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

My Fit Tribe
Where each episode devles into unique experience and knowledge about body mind and spirit

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Yoga Meets Movement Science - Stretching Myths and Stretching Facts w/ Greg Lehman
play

12/14/21 • 58 min

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-Analy

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

My Fit Tribe
Where each episode devles into unique experience and knowledge about body mind and spirit

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Yoga Meets Movement Science - Is Yoga Functional Movement?

Is Yoga Functional Movement?

Yoga Meets Movement Science

play

11/09/21 • 60 min

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.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

My Fit Tribe
Where each episode devles into unique experience and knowledge about body mind and spirit

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Yoga Meets Movement Science - Stability: Clearing Up a Confusing Term!

Stability: Clearing Up a Confusing Term!

Yoga Meets Movement Science

play

10/11/21 • 49 min

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.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

My Fit Tribe
Where each episode devles into unique experience and knowledge about body mind and spirit

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Yoga Meets Movement Science - Can We Prevent Yoga Injuries?

Can We Prevent Yoga Injuries?

Yoga Meets Movement Science

play

01/11/22 • 64 min

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.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

My Fit Tribe
Where each episode devles into unique experience and knowledge about body mind and spirit

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Yoga Meets Movement Science - Do We Store Emotions in Our Hips?

Do We Store Emotions in Our Hips?

Yoga Meets Movement Science

play

02/08/22 • 66 min

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.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

My Fit Tribe
Where each episode devles into unique experience and knowledge about body mind and spirit

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

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FAQ

How many episodes does Yoga Meets Movement Science have?

Yoga Meets Movement Science currently has 50 episodes available.

What topics does Yoga Meets Movement Science cover?

The podcast is about Yoga, Health & Fitness, Alternative Health, Fitness and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on Yoga Meets Movement Science?

The episode title 'Stretching Myths and Stretching Facts w/ Greg Lehman' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Yoga Meets Movement Science?

The average episode length on Yoga Meets Movement Science is 83 minutes.

How often are episodes of Yoga Meets Movement Science released?

Episodes of Yoga Meets Movement Science are typically released every 14 days.

When was the first episode of Yoga Meets Movement Science?

The first episode of Yoga Meets Movement Science was released on Oct 11, 2021.

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