Yoga Meets Movement Science
Jenni Rawlings & Travis Pollen, PhD
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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.
What’s the Best Way to Teach Yoga? Visual, Verbal, & Kinesthetic Cueing
Yoga Meets Movement Science
05/17/22 • 67 min
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 PodcastWelcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!
ABCs of the Knees: Anatomy, Biomechanics, & Cueing
Yoga Meets Movement Science
07/11/23 • 69 min
Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the anatomy, biomechanics, and cueing of the knees.
Points of discussion include:
- What is the structure of the knee joint?
- What are the ligaments of the knee?
- Are quadriceps-targeted exercises the only way to strengthen the knee?
- Is the knee joint only a hinge joint?
- What’s the screw home mechanism of the knee?
- What are knee valgus and knee varus?
- What is knee hyperextension and what is terminal knee extension?
- How can we load or target the knee in our yoga, strength, and/or movement practice?
- The meniscus of the knee and common conditions of this structure
- Is exercise good or bad for knee osteoarthritis?
- ...And much more!
Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis
Jenni & Travis’ program: 5 Weeks to Strong & Flexible Hamstrings
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 PodcastWelcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!
Is Ashtanga a Cult? And the Value of Strength
Yoga Meets Movement Science
12/27/21 • 73 min
In this episode, yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen cover a ton of ground regarding yoga, strength, and movement, including these hot-button topics (and more!):
- Is Ashtanga Yoga a cult?
- Are repetitive movement activities a bad idea?
- 4 distinct phases that a movement science-based yogi might go through on their yoga journey over time
- The common tendency to see yoga as a magical practice that offers everyone everything they need
- How a strength training practice can be about so much more than aesthetics and how we look
- Is adding resistance bands and weights to a yoga practice a good way to get strong?
- And tons 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: Physical Touch in Yoga: Do Teachers & Students Agree?
To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram
Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.
Fit, Healthy & Happy PodcastWelcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!
Stretching Myths and Stretching Facts w/ Greg Lehman
Yoga Meets Movement Science
12/14/21 • 57 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
To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram
Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.
Fit, Healthy & Happy PodcastWelcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!
Are Headstand & Shoulder Stand the King & Queen of Yoga Poses?
Yoga Meets Movement Science
05/03/22 • 84 min
Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the widely varying viewpoints on headstand and shoulder stand in the yoga world. On the one hand, these two inversions are often proclaimed to be the “king and queen of yoga poses” and are therefore treated as almost essential yoga poses. On the other hand, there’s a growing belief in the yoga world that these two poses are inherently injurious and should not be taught in yoga classes.
Jenni and Travis examine both of these extreme points of view (and everywhere in between!) using the helpful tool of movement science.
Points of discussion include:
- What are the 3 most common yoga poses associated with injury, according to scientific research?
- How prevalent are yoga injuries in general, according to scientific research?
- How safe or unsafe is headstand?
- How delicate is the human neck with regard to being loaded?
- Can we and should we strengthen our neck in a direct, targeted way?
- Does practicing headstand increase blood flow to the brain?
- How safe or unsafe is shoulder stand?
- Is practicing shoulder stand on blankets safer than practicing shoulder stand flat on the floor?
- Does practicing shoulder stand reverse one’s cervical curve?
- Does shoulder stand stimulate the thyroid gland?
- Do headstand and shoulder stand confer any specific benefits for those who practice them?
- Are there contraindications we should be aware of for practicing either of these poses?
- ...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: How Common Are Yoga Injuries? by Jari Karppinen
Research article: Headstand (Sirshasana) Does Not Increase the Blood Flow to the Brain
Research article: Intraocular Pressure Changes and Ocular Biometry during Sirsasana (Headstand Posture) in Yoga Practitioners
To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram
Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.
Fit, Healthy & Happy PodcastWelcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!
Is Rounding Your Back Dangerous? w/ Dr. Sam Spinelli
Yoga Meets Movement Science
11/01/22 • 96 min
Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen are joined by the knowledgeable Dr. Sam Spinelli to discuss all things lumbar flexion!
Sam is a doctor of physical therapy (DPT), a certified strength & conditioning specialist (CSCS), co-founder of E3 Rehab, and co-founder of Citizen Athletics. He does a fantastic job bringing evidence-based education on the topics of rehab and exercise to the general public through his social media presence (especially on his E3 Rehab channel on YouTube), and he is very respected in the rehab community.
Points of discussion include:
- The basic anatomy and biomechanics of the low back region
- What are some common “pathologies” or changes that can take place in the lumbar spine region?
- Why it’s time to redefine what “normal” structure for the lumbar spine is
- What is a “neutral spine”?
- The backstory of Dr. Stuart McGill’s famous research on lumbar spine mechanics and disc herniations and how it has influenced the general public’s beliefs about protecting the low back
- Are forward folds in yoga a likely cause of low back injury?
- Even if we consciously try to maintain a neutral spine as we move into a deadlift, squat, and many other exercises, our lumbar spine will move into flexion
- Does current research support the longstanding advice that we should always “lift with our legs and not with our back”?
- What is the technical definition of “loaded lumbar flexion”?
- Is “buttwink” (the posterior tilt of the pelvis in the bottom position of a squat) a risky position for the low back?
- After a backbend in yoga, should we “neutralize the spine” before moving into a forward fold?
- Is lumbar flexion a dangerous position for people with osteopenia and osteoporosis?
- ...And much more!
Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Follow and learn from Dr. Sam Spinelli: Instagram / E3 Rehab website / E3 Rehab YouTube
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 PodcastWelcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!
Which Yoga Educators Should I Trust?
Yoga Meets Movement Science
11/15/22 • 95 min
Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss helpful tips for how to discern whether or not to trust a source of information in the yoga, fitness, and rehab worlds.
Points of discussion include:
- Concrete tips for how to think more scientifically
- Jenni and Travis’ personal experiences with being taught misinformation in trainings they’ve taken
- How to look on the bright side about having been taught misinformation in the past
- Common biases we are all prone to that we should be aware of
- What is “bro science”?
- What is pseudoscience?
- Common logical fallacies and examples of their use in the yoga, fitness, and rehab worlds
- Top takeaway tips for how to discern whether to trust a yoga, fitness, or rehab educator
- ...And much more!
Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
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 PodcastWelcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!
Should We Stop Teaching Yoga for Low Back Pain?
Yoga Meets Movement Science
11/29/22 • 86 min
Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen are joined by the legendary Paul Ingraham, owner and operator of www.PainScience.com, to discuss the connection between yoga and low back pain.
Points of discussion include:
- How and why pain is weird
- What’s the difference between acute, chronic, and persistent pain?
- When back pain is connected to a serious medical condition (which is rare), what are some of these possible conditions?
- Is back pain usually a biomechanical or structural problem, or is it caused by something else?
- How well does general exercise help with low back pain?
- What are “corrective exercises”, and are they evidence-based?
- How well does yoga, specifically, help with low back pain?
- Is a weak core a likely cause of back pain, and does strengthening the core cure back pain?
- Are inflexible hamstrings a likely cause of back pain, and does stretching them cure back pain?
- Why are most “Yoga for Low Back Pain” classes not evidence-based?
- Is it possible to teach a “Yoga for Low Back Pain” class in an evidence-based manner?
- What is a nocebo, and how is it different from a placebo?
- ...And much more!
Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Paul Ingraham’s article for Jenni’s blog: Yoga Has No “Active Ingredient” for Back Pain
Paul Ingraham’s e-book The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain
Paul Ingraham’s website: www.PainScience.com
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 PodcastWelcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!
Yoga Alignment Rules That Don’t Make Sense
Yoga Meets Movement Science
01/10/23 • 94 min
Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss a selection of yoga alignment cues that don't make sense! These cues all have one thing in common: they are each used inconsistently across similar (or the same) positions. By examining these carefully-chosen examples, we gain insight into whether or not these cues are actually important. And we improve our ability to think critically about the information we’re taught!
Yoga alignment rules covered in this episode include:
- Stack the shoulder over the wrist in plank pose
- Stack the shoulder over the wrist in side plank pose
- Don’t let the feet turn out in wheel pose
- Don’t jump back to straight-arm plank pose; instead, jump into bent-elbow chaturanga
- Don’t transition from closed-to-open hip poses or vice versa
- Don’t place your foot on your inner knee in tree pose
- Ground your inner hands down in down dog
- Internally rotate your hips in forward folds
- Catch the outer ankle in bow pose
Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
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
Sara Paige, who inspired the idea for this episode! website / Instagram
YouTube video: Should We Shift Forward Onto Our Toes in Chaturanga?
YouTube video: Is Turning Your Feet Out in Wheel Bad?
YouTube video: Is Jumping Back to Plank Bad for Our Shoulders?
Blog post: No Foot on the Knee in Tree Pose? Questioning the Cue
YouTube video: Should We Avoid Closed to Open Hip Transitions in Yoga?
YouTube video: Should We Ground Our Inner Hands in Down Dog?
To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram
Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.
Fit, Healthy & Happy PodcastWelcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!
Do We Store Emotions in Our Hips?
Yoga Meets Movement Science
02/08/22 • 65 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 PodcastWelcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!
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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 82 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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