Yoga Pilots Podcast by Yogapilots

Jennipher Walters is the co-founder and co-author of The Fit Bottomed Girl Anti-Diet and Editor-in-Chief at Fit Bottomed Girls and Fit Bottomed Zen, Jenn has several fitness credentials under her belt: She is an ACE-certified personal trainer, health coach, and advanced health and fitness specialist, and an AFAA-certified group exercise instructor. Fitbottomedzen - As Jennipher and company have expanded the Fittbottom world one thing has become so, so, so very clear: health isn’t just about workouts and eats. It’s about your entire lifestyle. Your home. Your relationships with others. Your relationship with yourself. Your career. Your purpose. Your path. And that’s exactly why we created Fit Bottomed Zen — to take that message a bit further and help readers to zen out in all areas of their lives. There will be tips, workouts, how-tos, guides … everything you need to help you find your flow — that magical place where you just feel AWESOME and are not just living in a body you love but also living a life you love. In this podcast we discuss Jennipher’s start in yoga Found yoga in high school Continued trying different types of yoga. Even with a fitness degree, it was often difficult to find the right class. Learning curve with yoga. Learned the basics watching and trying different styles. Jennipher has now found a home practice video featuring Rodney Yee and comments that she has enjoyed this home practice, and it is a long-standing routine. Mark talks about his initial experience in Bikram yoga. In many group yoga classes new students do not learn many of the key fundamentals that accelerate the enjoyment and benefits of yoga. Yoga makes people feel great, and that is what keeps people coming back yet it is often difficult to understand why yoga has such a great physical and mental effect. Yoga Styles – There are so many! Hot sweaty work-outs or resting in meditation. Yoga nidra is a meditative style of yoga that has been endorsed by the U.S. Army Surgeon General as therapy for PTSD, a very serious form of stress and anxiety. The results have been amazing. People can try a free yoga nidra session with Richard Miller one of the top experts at www.irest.us or with a great veterans support organization www.theveteransyogaproject.org. Athletes talk about yoga for durability, stamina and game time focus. Lebron James credits yoga for his incredible stamina. Have you ever seen Lebron look tired? Yoga and Weight Loss – Calorie burn, yoga postures to help curb appetite and the mindfulness of yoga that puts a pause between stimulus and response. Read more about facts Yoga and Weight Loss. Jennipher talks about what the mind-body connection means in her life and staying healthy. Listening to your body and finding a place to feel good about yourself and yoga really helps with that. Yogic Breathing Learning breathing is a huge and important part of getting the benefits out of yoga. Pranayama is the breathing practice of yoga and there is some pranayama is most yoga routines. Sinus arrhythmia – The heart rate slows on an exhale, and a simple way to relax is to count as you inhale, and then exhale for double the count to relax and slow your heart rate. Yoga has helped Jennipher to be more aware of her breathing, and she has integrated breathing practices into here running. Jennipher suggests, breath to relax as you are eating to slow down and realize what you are eating. Breathing helps to find flow. Alignment – Stacking your bones properly in a yoga posture allows a person to exert greater force without risk of injury. There is now substantial clinical evidence that this “force” on bones triggers bone density growth and can fend off and be therapy for osteoporosis. In a previous podcast Dr. Loren Fishman, who pioneered the research work discusses his research and remedies in his new book Healing Yoga. Forcing alignment can lead to repetitive stress injury if you try too hard to push yourself into the full expression of the posture or a picture of the posture. Yoga is very individualized so pay attention to your own body as you move. Jennifer makes the point that the non-impact nature of yoga is a great way to get the positive effects of weight bearing exercise. Inside a yoga class Very individualized. A group yoga class is a group of individuals listening and watching the teacher. It is not at all about people watching each other. It is your class and your experience Students are not on display, or on stage Run your own race. Do your own thing A person can nail a yoga posture by only going part way in and also get the benefits A good yoga instructor can be an incredible help to improving your yoga practice, teaching the fundamentals and in learning the modifications that are best for your own body. We offer a list of questions to ask a new teacher and a discussion on the value of a good yoga teacher at www.Yogapilots.com Yoga will condition your body to move between the excited fight or flight nervous system to the rest and digest nervous system. A yoga practice conditions your body to move from an excited state to a relaxed state, and over time develops better control over which state to be in. The final resting position in a yoga class brings the body’s nervous system back to the rest and digest side of the nervous system. The process of bringing the nervous system back to rest can be integrated into other exercises. As an example; Jennipher has integrated a mindfulness meditation session to be done the end of her run. Yoga is not all love and kindness. Although the message behind yoga is one of high ethics, kindness and discipline, it does not always follow that a yoga teacher or an experienced yogi will be a loving and kind people. Yoga will make a person more of what they already are. Realizing this before going to a yoga class will help build a yoga practice that is both enjoyable and sustainable. Yoga classes will vary greatly in style some will have Indian music, mostly done by Americans. Many classes are now integrating western music Yoga Clothes – Clothes that stretch, wick away sweat and are comfortable. Have a top on that doesn’t ride-up in an inversion. Comfortable clothes for moving around, so you can think about the yoga you are doing, and not what you are wearing. Preparation – Don’t eat three hours before class and drink water before a hot or warm yoga class. The first experience in a hot class can be intense, so hydrate before and help your body to acclimate. Terminology – Sanskrit terminology can be confusing. Always ask. Don’t hesitated to ask what a particular word or chant means. Most of the chants are agnostic with words like peace and phrases like, “may all beings be free. Chanting OM is not a religious invocation. It is thought to be a universal sound, and it is similar to putting an atmosphere in a room like singing a song together or a hymn in church. Children’s Yoga – Kids identify with the fun and imitation in yoga. Pre-schoolers identify with the animal names of some poses. Kids also relate to the changing physical states in a yoga class from being active to laying down to rest at the end of a yoga class. Teachers are commenting that yoga in a pre-school and grade school helps kids to focus better with more calmness. Jennipher has a kids workout to share: http://fitbottomedmamas.com/2016/04/yoga-poses-for-kids-and-you/ How to find Jennipher and the Fit Bottomed Girls www.Fittbottomedgirls.com http://www.fitbottomedmamas.com http://www.fitbottomedzen.com Jennipher will be at this event in Dallas on Saturday, June 25th, 2016 Sundown Naturals Goodness Tour: http://www.sundownnaturals.com/goodnesstour The Fit Bottomed Girl Anti-Diet book can be purchase at Amazon FitBottomedGirls — Powered by Jennipher Walters, Erin Whitehead and Kristen Seymour — features multiple weekday posts with fresh fitness content for real women (and even the guys) interested in improving their health and their lives through physical activity and healthy eating, minus the deprivation. The blog offers tips, workouts, reviews, personal accounts of their exercise endeavors, tidbits on healthy food, workout music suggestions and fitness humor. The FBGs pride themselves on their honest reviews, their inclusive and fun-loving attitude, and aren’t afraid to tell it like it is.

If you have tried yoga nidra, you have most likely heard of Richard Miller, and may even recognize his voice. Richard has practiced, studied, taught and researched yoga nidra for more than forty years. His work brings stress relief, chronic pain relief and better sleep to many people including veterans where there has been exceptionally good results and great proof of the benefits. Richard is the Founder, Executive Director and President of the Board of Directors of the Integrative Restoration Institute.  Richard Miller; Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, author, researcher, yogic scholar and spiritual teacher. Richard Miller has devoted his life and work to integrating the nondual wisdom teachings of Yoga, Tantra, Advaita, Taoism and Buddhism with Western psychology. Among his mentors were Jean Klein, T.K.V. Desikachar and Stephen Chang. Richard is the founding president and CEO of the Integrative Restoration Institute, co-founder of The International Association of Yoga Therapy and founding editor of the professional Journal of IAYT. Outline of what we discuss in this podcast Personal history in yoga, yogic path, clinical phycologist. Path to yoga nidra. Attended a yoga class in San Francisco in 1970 that included yoga nidra and experienced a profound sense of peace and connectedness. Resolved to better understand his experience. How does yoga nidra/iRest work scientifically? Sleep – Explanation of the science behind the restorative deep rest found in iRest. Sleep research -175 people in a clinical program to assess yoga nidra versus other sleep aids. Calms the nervous system. Yoga nidra – helps to take negative cyclical thoughts offline (worry, guilt, anxiety) out of the sleep cycle. Thoughts quiet down. Pain management Interrupt pain signals. Meet the pain as a sensation and remove the label. And then work at the level of the sensation. Yoga nidra = iRest Richard Miller was asked to re-name yoga nidra because the military was interested in offering yoga nidra but the name had a stigma. Richard created the name Integrative Restoration or iRest. After subsequent great success and research results, yoga nidra is now part of the name! 10 Tools of iRest – Introduction – Insights about building a practice – Scientific basis Affirming your heartfelt mission – What is the deepest intention for your life? Looking back at your life what are the principles that make you feel happy and satisfied (completed the mission). Affirming your intention – inner statements to fulfill the heartfelt mission {daily intentions): Better sleep, stress reduction, a better relationship, better communication. Forgetting and remembering. Welcoming what is. Recognizing your “negativity bias.” Affirming your inner resource – Insight on how to discover your inner resource as a feeling of constant well-being – how do we put this natural resource in place - Inner resilience against negative experiences – place to go back to & rest deeply - insight on how to understand and use it. Find a safe place to fall back, time-out, rest. Imagine a time when you felt a sense of ease, peace and well-being. How did it feel? Let the image go and keep the feeling. Inner resource – develops value meaning and purpose as an inate quality that we carry with us. Not hinged on what is going on in life. A resource always there. Visualization – Practice in small increments. Activate, take the time to activate and cultivate an inner resource. Eventually, it will stay with you as a real and permanent resource. Practicing Bodysensing – you can’t feel your body and think about it at the same time. Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Autogenics. Relaxation response. Bodysensing helps people to get out of the “default network” or thinking pattern that may be too negative or unhealthy. Practicing Breathsensing Sinus arrhythmia – Healthy people the exhale is longer than the inhalation. Stress will cause people to go into thinking. Simple breathing and and bodysensing interrupts this pattern. Welcoming Opposites of Feelings and Emotions – messengers – feedback Focusing and defocusing. Feelings. Emotions. Welcoming Opposites of Thought – Opposites are two complimentary parts that rise within a field of wholeness. Welcome self-compassion with self-criticism. Welcoming opposites and holding both, inviting both improves our ability to handle an extreme of either. Bring in the opposite through memory, feeling or visualization. Back and forth carefully. When we hold one side the mind tends to be too active. When holding both, the mind relaxes and thinks less because the mind is not getting hung up on either extreme. Welcoming Joy and Well-Being. Experience Being Awareness – Opens you up to experiencing an indestructible sense of well-being and non-separate wholeness with all life. Ultimate inner resource. Take perspective and observe changing states and then move to and navigate difficult situations. Importantly with practice the awareness and well-being begin to arise spontaneous. Experience Your wholeness – A unique individual connected to the wholeness of life – observe the changing states – being is a felt sense of presence that you are aware of. Being everywhere and nowhere. Core principles Learn to be welcoming Stop judging yourself Know everything is a messenger Accept what is Know that you are always doing your best Understand the law of awareness Discover your non-separate wholeness Practice little and often Yoga nidra/iRest are Benefiting a variety of groups including: Veterans, people with trauma (human trafficking) and chronic pain, students and homeless people. Richard Miller’s website is www.irest.us Book – The iRest Program for Healing PTSD. A 42 audio meditation practices that accompany the book as a separate offering. 6 CD course: The Ease of Being - Just Say Yes : A Personal Retreat with Richard Miller. 26 audio meditation practices are another way to learn. 1, 2, and 3 day workshops. Personal Practice immersions Training to learn the practice and/or be certified Retreats: 4-10 day intensives to learn the depth of these practices on many levels Richard describes his personal practice – Asana practice for body strength and mobility, pranayama and yoga nidra. Richard explains that his practice has evolved to be with him throughout the day, and he describes a sense of how his yoga practice will come to him as he moves through his daily activities. Richard Miller talks about the future of yoga Doctors are adopting yoga. Practicing yoga with their patients. Insurance companies are beginning to recognize yoga as treatment. Veterans are now asking for iRest. More people will continue to see yoga as a adjunctive and in support of our personal religious belief and philosophy.

The experts we interviewed in recent podcasts have shared some great insights that will help new and seasoned yoga practitioners get more out of yoga. We highlight 12 jewels of wisdom that will benefit your practice. One or two of these ideas should add an insight or a clarification to benefit your practice. We are on ITunes, please leave us a review (to find us search "Yoga Pilots" in ITunes). Please offer any comments and share our content. Thank you. The links will take you to the specific podcast summary page. On the podcast summary page, scroll to the podcast player and fast forward to the time indicated in the link to hear the expert at a certain point in the podcast.. 1. Yoga and Weight Loss Dr. Loren Fishman, a forty year yoga practitioner who studied with Iyengar, also a Harvard trained brilliant practicing physician shares insights from his new book, Healing Yoga, about yoga postures that help to curb appetite and build a greater awareness of what a person eats. Go to 34 minutes in the podcast. Dr. Rick Hecht is a long time practitioner of Yoga and also a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Hecht is finishing groundbreaking work on mindfulness meditation and weight loss. In this podcast interview, Dr. Hecht describes the clinical studies he has been working on, the results and offers some clear, straightforward advice about how mindfulness meditation can be applied to losing weight. Go to 11 minutes, 30 seconds in this podcast. Yogapilots has an article, Yoga and Weight Loss, with a calorie burn chart comparing yoga to other forms of exercise. The bottom line is that Ashtanga, Bikram and Vinyasa styles of yoga are comparable to jogging, intermediate pilates and moderate spinning. Calorie burn is not the main component of weight loss, weight loss is primarily a function of diet. One "Happy Meal" and your 1000 calorie interval training class is toast! Yoga wins big here compared to other exercises because of the benefits of better awareness and mindfulness about what you eat! 2. Alignment for Better Bone Health When the body is aligned properly in a yoga posture force can be applied without risk of injury. Appling force to your bones, for example, in Tree Posture stimulates bone density growth. Dr. Fishman has completed the clinical research to support this, and yoga can be considered an effective therapy and preventative measure for osteoporosis. Go to 4 minutes in the podcast to listen. 3. Joint Pain Relief and Arthritis Ellen Saltonstall, an accomplished yoga instructor and author, teaching yoga for 30 years, originally trained in the Iyengar and Anasura styles of yoga. Ellen is also the co-author of a book with Dr. Fishman, Yoga for Arthritis and explains how yoga is a remedy. Go to 16min, 40 seconds in this podcast. Yogapilots has a great practical explanation for why yoga is great for aches and pains here. 4. Back Pain Relief Some of the best clinical studies on the physical benefits of yoga surround back pain relief. Yogapilots has compiled some of the better research on the physical benefits of yoga here.  Dr. Loren Fishman, the eminent physician discusses the importance of getting the diagnose right when treating back pain because simple forward bends or back bends can aggravate certain ailments. Dr. Fishman has a large section about back pain in his new book, Healing Yoga. He discusses yoga as a remedy for back pain with us. Go to 23 minutes, 30 seconds in the podcast. 5. Backbends Gordon Kaplan is a well-schooled and accomplished yoga teacher and yoga therapist. Gordon is certified at 2000 hours. His primary yoga training is in the Purna style of yoga that is derived from B.K.S. Iyengar's teachings. Gordon worked as an athletic trainer in collegiate basketball coaching with Bobby Knight, for the Orlando Magic and various Olympic athletes. Gordon has some great insight into the biomechanics of backbends. He discusses the importance of symmetry and that there should be expansion, with vertebrae moving away from one another, not crunching!  Go to 30 minutes, 10 seconds in this podcast. 6. The Biomechanics of Inversions Mel Robin is a 30 year Iyengar teacher and the author of a 1500 page handbook for yoga teachers describing the western medical effects of yoga postures. Mel discusses the biomechanical triggers in an inversion, and why an inversion can be relaxing, or not!  Go to 37 minutes 10 seconds  in this podcast. 7. A Western Medical Explanation for Savasana Mel Robin (mentioned above) talks about how a consistent yoga practice conditions the nervous system and explains the biomechanical reasons to take an extra few minutes and rest, in savasana, at the end of a yoga class.  Go to 32 minutes and 10 seconds in this podcast. Millard Roper, one of our accomplished local teachers, who trained with Ana Forrest and Raghunath Cappo,  offers his insights on resting at the end of a yoga class and why it could be applied usefully in other forms of exercise. Go to 27 minutes in this podcast. 8. Curious about the History of Yoga? Eric Shaw, Yoga Historian and Yoga Teacher, studied and trained in yoga for more than twenty years. He has five academic degrees. Eric talks about how yoga came to the United States. Did you know Bikram was in a yoga competition judged by Iyengar! Podcast is here. 9. Yogic Breathing - Pranayama Leslie Kaminoff, a yoga teacher for 37 years and the co-author of the best-selling book Yoga Anatomy, offers some great insights the surprising individual effects of yogic breathing.  Abdominal breathing often described as relaxing, does not always have that effect. Go to 10 minutes and 45 seconds in this podcast. Ellen Saltonstall, an accomplished yoga instructor and author, teaching yoga for 30 years, originally trained in the Iyengar and Anasura styles of yoga, talks about yogic breathing (pranayama) as an integral part of restorative yoga. Go to 32 minutes in this podcast. 10. "Lengthen the Spine," as a Universal Cue, Can Lead to Repetitive Stress Injuries “Lengthen your spine,” is often a universal cue in a yoga class. Leslie Kaminoff, a yoga teacher for 37 years and the co-author of the best-selling book Yoga Anatomy says, "not necessarily true for certain postures." In axial extension your spine is less able to articulate in movements and spreads the stress of movement to other body parts. Axial extension deflects movements into places like you hip joints. Leslie talks about the need be aware of repetitive stress injuries. Go to 22 minutes in this podcast. 11. What "Surrender" Means in Yoga Leslie Kaminoff, a yoga teacher for 37 years and the co-author of the best-selling book Yoga Anatomy uses the Serenity Prayer, by American theologist, Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr, to expain the concept of "surrender" in yoga. Go to 6 minutes, 25 seconds in this podcast. 12. Yoga Nidra in Action - Did you realize the U.S. Government has Endorsed Yoga! Dan Libby, the Executive Director and Founder of the Veterans Yoga Project tells us that yoga Nidra is one of our veterans favorite styles of yoga, and used quite often to sleep better and reduce stress. Dan talks about it at 26 minutes, 50 seconds in this podcast.  The great work that the Veterans Yoga Project is doing, with veterans and in yoga,  is very meaningful to veterans and toward the broader acceptance of yoga. There are two free yoga Nidras on their website that anyone can try.  Both the Surgeon General and the Veterans Administration have endorsed yoga as a complementary practice for the treatment of PTSD, and for the management of chronic pain in military and veteran settings.  The success of yoga with veterans is truly amazing, read about recent success stories here.

Dan is the Founder and Executive Director of the Veterans Yoga Project.  He is a licensed clinical psychologist and yoga instructor.  Both the US Army Surgeon-General and Defense Centers of Excellence confirmed Yoga as a complementary practice for the treatment of PTSD, and for the management of chronic pain in military and veteran settings. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University’s Department of Psychiatry and the VA’s Mental Illness Research and Education Clinical Center, Dan conducted research and has taught mindfulness and yoga to hundreds of veterans and active-duty service members. Daniel is currently a psychologist at the Oakland Vet Center in Alameda, California, where he teaches several yoga and meditation classes weekly.   Veterans Yoga Project www.veteransyogaproject.org,  is an educational and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of military veterans. Working in partnership with veterans, active-duty military personnel, student veterans organizations, and other non-profit organizations, Veterans Yoga Project supports recovery and promotes resilience among veterans, their families, and their communities. In this podcast we discuss The Veterans Yoga Project does their work in 3 primary ways Educate Yoga teachers and healthcare professionals to work with veterans Organized yoga and meditation retreats for veterans and their families Work with community-based veteran programs. Provide resources for veterans to practice yoga www.veteransyogaproject.org  has free online yoga practices – in the “Resources for Veterans Section” – several breathing exercises, series of yoga postures (asana), and three yoga Nidra audio sessions. Research work Dan found that there was a real demand for yoga at VA centers, yet there was a lack of trained staff to teach yoga. Researched Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: People with PTSD have less parasympathetic nervous system response. PTSD is a mind-body disordered. So the treatment for PTSD is enhanced with remedies that engage the body through breathing and movement, in addition, to talking therapies. A very interesting observation considering Dan Libby is a trained psychologist. Mindful Resilience yoga practice is a collection of mind-body practices that veterans use to help them breathe easy, focus clearly, move freely, rest deeply and remember gratitude Five Tools of Mindful Resilience Breathing -? Simple techniques that enhance the relaxation response. Meditation – ?Awareness exercises that enhance focus and concentration. Taught to veterans as help to think more clearly, and be more aware of the stimulus and stress on their body Mindful Movement – ?Deliberate exercises that bring the body through its natural range of motion to enhance strength and flexibility. The exercise part of yoga that includes stretching, bending, twisting and isometrics and calisthenic-like motions. Guided Rest – ?Guided meditation practices that lead to deep and profound relaxation and rest in the mind and body.? Gratitude – ?Simple exercises in being thankful for what is right.  Dan Libby thinks of the veteran success stories as a great blessing. He shares several of these stories about veterans benefiting from yoga and moving more freely, without pain, sleeping without nightmares, reducing stress and healing relationships. Dan is grateful to see the veterans benefiting from yoga, and has often heard, “yoga has saved my life.” From post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic growth! www.veteransyogaproject.org has a section entitled, “Yoga is for Sissies.” We discuss the stigma that follows yoga around that yoga is for tree-hugging hippies or slim young women in tight, colorful pants.  There are several examples of top athletes who practice yoga in this section. Not everyone is aware of the many Top Pro-Athletes and CEOs who practice yoga, in addition, see our Yogapilots article with what these people are saying about yoga! Veterans and people, in general, do not want to take pills. The success and the positive stories will often include gratitude to yoga because works without pills. Dan comments we brush our teeth every day because we want to take care of our teeth, and it makes sense to care for your mind and body through meditation and yoga. Veteran Yoga Project has a special fundraiser for Memorial Day. The proceeds go to fund the yoga classes provided to veterans, to train the yoga teachers and to organize healing retreats for veterans and their families. ABOUT LIGHT A CANDLE MEMORIAL DAY 2016 As Memorial Day approaches, it is time to pause, take a breath and consider the true meaning of this holiday. Memorial Day represents one day of national awareness and reverence, honoring those Americans who died while defending our Nation and serving our country.  ? Veterans Yoga Project will commemorate with a Memorial Day Meditation. We invite you to join us by making a donation and dedication to Light-A-Candle in a simple and unifying way. At our Memorial Day Peaceful Warrior in Action Meditation at MAYfest in Cold Spring, NY, a votive candle will be lit for each dedication made. Please go to www.veteransyogaproject.org to learn more, learn to teach Mindful Resilience, volunteer or make a contribution.  

Leslie Kaminoff – The best-selling co-author of YogaAnatomy. Leslie is a yoga educator inspired by the traditionof T.K.V. Desikachar. An internationally recognized expert with 32years of experience, Leslie teaches, and does workshops for yogastudents and teachers. 2000 people have participated in Leslie’sonline Yoga Anatomy workshops.Quote from Leslie Kaminoff about practicing yoga….“People can benefit immensely from a process that enables you tothink more clearly, breathe more effortlessly and move moreefficiently.” T.K.V. Desikachar – Health Healing and Beyond, writtenby Desikachar. Leslie was involved in putting this book together.Wonderful stories about Deikachar’s father Krishnamacharya and thehealing practices of yoga.Personal history, background and trainingSivananda YogaBirth of the yoga and fitness IndustryStudios in New York. The Breathing ProjectThe Meaning of Surrender in YogaSerenity prayer – Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr, AmericanTheologist.“Grant me the serenity of mind to accept the things which cannotbe changed, the courage to change that which can be changed, andwisdom to know one from the other.” Relationship to yogic philosophy and the surrenderconnection.Acknowledging reality in an asana practice – what your body canand cannot do -  For example; An Ashtanga jump through can bevery difficult if you have a long torso compared to your arms.Let go of what you cannot do in yoga. Focus on what you can doin yoga. Have the wisdom to know the difference.Surrender in yoga is an act of will, and does not mean give upor quit.Healthy BreathingNot a single correct or “proper” way– Students will react verydifferently to different forms of yogic breathing.There are correct breathing “techniques.”Diaphragmatic breathing is a misnomer because the diaphragm isalways part of breathing.Abdominal or belly breathing – Useful breathing pattern andtechnique for a student to learn. Many students find it relaxing,and some student will become anxious. A yoga teacher should be careful to observe and realize thatstudents will react individually and make adjustment andadaptations in order help to student benefit.Understanding the anatomy is important from a teachingperspective, but the terminology can be confusing to students. Manygreat yoga teachers are not experts in anatomy, and it is mostimportant to be aware and understand how students react and respondto teaching.Actions of the Spine – Discussion of “Lengthening theSpine.”Five basic actions of the spineForward bending - flexionBack bending - extensionAxial rotation - twistingLateral bendingAxial extension – simultaneously reducing theprimary and secondary curves in your spine.  The thoraciccurve and lardotic curves of the cervical and lumbar. Axial Extension does make you taller. Engagethe muscles that flatten all three curves and you will get taller.Axial extension is done in standing postures like the Mountain Poseand sitting postures that include axial extension with a forwardbend. “Lengthening your spine,” is often a universal cue in a yogaclass. Not necessarily true for certain postures. Axial extensionhas become associated with decompressing the spine that is notalways true.In axial extension your spine is less able to articulate inmovements and spreads the stress of movement to other body parts.Axial extension deflects movements into places like you hipjoints. Over time, doing yoga postures with constant axialextension is less healthy and can lead to a repetitive stressinjury in the parts of the body where the stress is deflected andthis is often the hips.For example, a forward fold with strong axial extension puts thestress on your hips, or trying to square your hips in a Warrior-1posture puts additional stress on hip joints.  Cues of “axial extension” (lengthen your spine) and “squaringyour hips” in postures where it is not appropriate can put unduestress on the hips and, over time, can lead to repetitive stressinjuries and even hip replacements.“Lengthened spine” (axial extension) and a “neutral spine” arevery different things. A neutral spine is ready to move.Comfort sitting cross-legged – Ifuncomfortable, sit up on something so that your hip joints areslightly above your knee joints. Sitting on something puts yourspine in a neutral position. Use a folded blanket or ablock.   Americans have not grown up sitting cross-legged, while Indianshave been sitting cross-legged since childhood. It is a matter ofsurrendering to what you may not be able to do.Leslie describes his personal practice – Howlittle can I get away with.With a busy work schedule it is often not practical or possiblehave time for an hour plus practice.  So it is… as little aspossible, or yoga practice on an as needed basis. Leslie will practice more often when he feels the need. Benefitsfrom the extensive practice he cultivated in his 20’s. Hisawareness of his health and body enables him to move moreefficiently and not build up the tension that requires a long yogasession to remedy.Advice for a new studentFeel safe in a group class. Be careful not to jump into aposture that is complicated, new or difficult. Notice theatmosphere the teacher creates. Does the yoga teacher give you theoption to try a variation or perhaps a less challengingposture?Seek out a studio or a class that offers a basic or beginnerclass. Give yourself the freedom to try several styles andapproaches to yoga given the wide range of styles. Whatresonates?  How to Find Leslie Kaminoffwww.yogaanatomy.org –Leslie’s classes are geared to serious student and yoga teachers.Leslie Kaminoff’s teaching and class schedule posted onWebsite.Online courses at www.yogaanatomy.net recordedversions of the live seminars Leslie teaches at his studio in NewYork. More than 2000 people have enrolled in the online courses, atremendous response worldwide.Book – Yoga Anatomyby Leslie KanKaminoff and Amy Matthews, 2nd edition. 300,000 copiessold, available online.

Mel Robin is the author of a 1500 page book titled, A Handbook for Yogasana Teachers, The Incorporation of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Anatomy into the Practice, he is about to publish a more comprehensive eBook in 2016. Mel has practiced yoga, studied and taught Iyengar yoga for the past thirty years. Mel started practicing yoga at age 50 and became passionate about the relationship between what is experienced in the physical postures of yoga (asana) and functions of the body, mind and emotions as put forth by western medicine. Before learning yoga, Mel was Captain of the Gymnastics team at UCLA and worked as a Chemist for Bell Labs for 28 years. Mel combines his intellect, experience and knowledge of yoga to bring a western medical explanation to yoga postures in reasonable and logical ways. In this Podcast we discuss: Balancing in yoga postures Mental balance allows balancing in a yoga postures. To balance on one foot in a yoga posture focus on the ankle. Freeze other body joints and keep the ankle joint loose and in focus. Find a stationary spot across the room and hold it in your center of vision. Vision is an important part of balancing. It is easier to balance with eyes closed in headstand, than eyes closed in a standing balance. And this is because your head is not moving in headstand. The progression of a yoga posture series, the effect on nervous system and how a student feels after class. Stress or anxiety causes the sympathetic nervous system to react to a perceived threat. The physical reaction is a defensive posture, the of release chemicals, increasing your heart rate, the chest collapses, ribs pull down to your pelvis, shoulders roll forward, body hunches over, muscles contract in the abdomen. Reaction to stress and anxiety is very quickly (fight or flight response). The calming, “rest and digest” nervous system is the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system reacts more slowly (in15 to 30 minutes). Yoga postures can stimulate the sympathetic or the parasympathetic nervous systems and a sustained yoga practice will foster better control of the stimulus and response of the body’s nervous systems. Most useful and healthy is being able to activate both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Best to be able to activate the nervous system most appropriate for a given situation. To fire-up when needed, or to relax when needed. The progression of a yoga class: Parasympathetic postures à sympathetic postures  à parasympathetic postures. Ending a yoga class in a parasympathetic mode leaves a student feeling satisfied and happy walking out of class. A good reason to stay for Savasana! (lying on your back at the end of class. Remodel stress and anxiety in your mind as a challenge rather than a threat. A challenge will not cause the same excitation of the sympathetic nervous system. Yoga Posture: Open up your chest (sometimes referred to as “open up your heart”). Mel prefers the physiological description and directs students to; lift your chest, drop your shoulder blades, move your arms so that your shoulder blades push into the back of your chest from behind. Then lift and open your chest. The lifting your chest motion is part of many yoga postures and over time cultivates better body posture including the strengthening and toning of back muscles. Biomechanical Effects of Inversions – Blood returns blood to the heart through veins. When the body is in an inversion, gravity causes increased pressure in the blood returning to the heart.  There is a sensor in the upper right atrium of the heart that reduces the heart rate and the force of the heart contraction, producing a relaxing effect.  If the student is a beginner, and fearful of an inversion, the “relaxing effect” may be offset by the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The relaxing effect of the shoulderstand is also, in part, due to sensors in the neck that sense the reduced blood flow to the head and correspondingly reduce the heart rate. The action of tilting the chin into the chest as part of the shoulderstand posture partially blocks blood flowing to the head and triggers the sensors to slow the heart rate. The Mental Effects of Yoga More awareness. Body, mind and emotions. The barrier is reduced between conscious action and subconscious action. More permeable.  Conscious actions becomes subconscious. Subconscious actions become part of conscious actions. For example, A new student may hold their breath when entering a difficult posture as a subconscious response. As a student progresses, breathing becomes consciously slow and even through all postures. Mel talks about his personal yoga practice and the work he is doing to finish his book. Mel Robin’s book is available on Amazon: A Handbook for Yogasana Teachers, The Incorporation of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Anatomy into the Practice Mel’s New book is expected to be out this Summer (also available through Amazon) A 21st Century Yogasanailia, in Celebration of Yoga, Science and Medicine.

Podcast: Keith Mitchell is learned and experience advocate of mediation and yoga. Keith has led mediation and yoga sessions with Congress, President Obama’s family and veterans. Keith found meditation initially as a healing agent after a football injury left him partially paralyzed. Before that, Keith was a Pro-Bowl linebacker in the NFL. Meditation and yoga helped Keith heal his body and transformed his life in a very positive direction. In this podcast we discuss: Keith’s background as a Pro-Bowl linebacker who never missed a game due to an injury. Keith grew up in Texas, “Friday Night Lights,” Texas A&M and then eight years in the NFL. The injury left him half paralyzed from the neck down for six months. Keith Mitchell found meditation through conscious breathing. It gave him the opportunity to take part in healing. Keith viewed meditation as his playbook to make his recovery happen when he was not hearing that the doctors attending to him had solutions. Insights on how to meditate What happens when you breathe? The biomechanical effects of breathing. We take 15,000 to 25,000 breaths per day. Each breath has an impact on your metabolism. There can be intention in each breath. Observe how you are breathing in different situations. Awareness is information. Healing breath is a calming, soothing and peaceful. Build a continuous awareness or consciousness of your breathing set to an intention. Activate the parasympathetic side of your nervous system (rest and digest). Cultivate Contemplation Cultivating. Like in cultivating a garden. Show-up to practice. Cultivate your ability to meditate. Show up & practice and gain a better relationship and understanding of yourself. In the time of contemplation, we do not always tell ourselves the truth. We expect others to tell us the truth, but we are not always telling ourselves the truth. There has to be a truthful relationship with yourself. So you take better care of yourself. Keith uses the example of an athlete putting himself in harms way as an example of not telling yourself the truth. A person can move more easily into meditation with an understanding of the format such as Keith used. Keith approach conscious breathing as a game plan, to contribute to the process of healing himself. A game plan that includes the part of your brain that wants to act and figure. Keith describes the choice he had to be part of his healing process through conscious breathing. Integration of contemplation. Get past the situations that are hurting you. Letting go of the things you cannot control by contemplation. Step into the places you can control. Opens up more options and opportunities. Advice to get started. Just show up. Keep it simple. Think about gratitude. Life is beating me up, but I am showing up anyway. Show up every day in meditation. Life may not be perfect but show up and recognize that there are opportunities for positive changes. Surrendering to “what is,” in your life, see who you are with kindness and optimism that there are an infinite amount of opportunities. And keep coming back, showing up to practice. “Where are where we are,” yet there are always opportunities. Keith suggests contemplating what you are struggling with while meditating. Possibly speak out-loud what you are struggling with Saying it out loud is more powerful and may help to see it more clearly. Maybe it is fear or self-doubt. Observe yourself in that space, see what is going on and then consciously choose to let it go, breathe into what you see, consciously choose not to support it and move on. Keith recommends sitting with a straight spine or sitting upright against a wall. It is quite possible to meditate in other positions if you can’t sit, Keith started meditation while lying in a bed. Keith talks about the tremendous power in a personal transformation through a yoga and meditation practice. There are many ways to grow that are outside of how we are conditioned to grow and achieve in a linear fashion. Meditation brings focus to the human being level; to be a great human as well as a great doctor or football player. Meditating with Congress and Congressman Tim Ryan – Yoga session in the halls of Congress. Leading a meditation on the White House lawn at Easter time with President Obama’s family and guests. Meditation is Observation. Reality is when you go back to the film and see where you really were in the play. Grow your ability to observe yourself more clearly. Hold that space in observation, sustaining awareness. Try to hold awareness all day long. The yoga mat is the see the playbook in action. Get a chance to see yourself and how you show up. Try to see yourself from an observational standpoint, not a judgmental standpoint. That is where the great benefits of meditation and yoga are found. We have an idea in our minds of how we think we are showing up to practice yoga or meditation, and there is also a reality of seeing yourself clearly. www.Kethmitchell59.comwww.thelightupfoundation.org Upcoming Events this year: Sivananda Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas April 10-16th, 2016 Veterans initiative, Holland, medical institutions , mental health May 22-29th 2016 1440 Foundation conference in June 2016 Yoga retreat to build a school in Nepal, November 2016 Yoga retreat in Bali. December 2016

Podcast: Stacy Plaske is one of our great local yoga teachers specializing in the Ashtanga style of yoga. A founder and co-owner of Long Island-based Balance Yoga & Healing Arts Center in Huntington, NY. A teacher for fourteen years; Stacy traveled to India eight times and studied with the creator of Ashtanga yoga, Pattabhi Jois. Stacy is a wonderfully enthusiastic and knowledgeable teacher who continues her studies with top professionals in the yoga community including Richard Freeman, Mary Taylor and Tim Feldman. Stacy’s Studio is Balance Yoga and Healing www.balanceyogaandhealing.com In this podcast we discuss: The types and variety of Ashtanga classes. The Ashtanga Series explained. Led Ashtanga yoga – Everyone begins together and does a series together as a class. Better for a student with experience. About 90 minutes per class Mysore classes – Named after a town in India – Open practice room for 2.5 hours Everyone practices at their own pace. Learn series in progression as each posture prepares a student for the next posture. Memorization of postures. Teacher walks around and helps students individually. Better for beginners. The type of person that practices and enjoy Ashtanga yoga. Ashtanga yogis are more the shepherds than the sheep. Take charge and dive into learning and practicing. Rigorous physical practice. A good teacher is very important. Student’s must possess the inner desire and be patient to build an Ashtanga practice over time. In Stacy’s classes the demographics are 30 to 60 year old men and women from the community. Going to India to study yoga. Stacy describes experiences learning from Pattabhi Jois, the founder of Ashtanga yoga. Senior chair yoga Group is mostly women – 60 to 80 years old. Start with a guided meditation. Then breathing. Gentle movement. An hour long class. Practice sitting and standing near chair. The feedback has been tremendous! The feedback from seniors is that they are feeling much better, look forward to the class and want to practice at home. The importance of a good teacher, and questions to ask a new teacher. A good yoga teacher has the ability to connect to her students. Stacy’s personal practice – an experts insight into the evolution of a physical practice and personal development found in the philosophical and ethical principles of yoga. Spirituality and Ethical Philosophy or Religion – Yoga is not a religion. A science of the mind and a comparison to the “Golden Rule.” Yoga has strengthened the existing faith and religion of the students that Stacy teaches. www.balanceyogaandhealing.com 680 East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station, N.Y.

Eric Shaw – Yoga Historian and Yoga Teacher. Eric trained in and studied yoga for more than twenty years. He has five academic degrees, and did his primary yoga training with Shandor Remete, Matt Huish and Arkady Shirin. Eric is currently working with Rod Stryker and his Parayoga form. Eric is an enthusiast learned student of the history of yoga and the lineage of the styles now prevalent in the United States. Eric has cultivated his own yoga style and teaches Prasana Yoga  (www.prsanayoga.com) – Derived from his studies Shandor Remete –Emphasizes patterns and forms in yoga. Aesthetics of movement, flow and connective style through transitions. Graceful to the eye. Creative choreography. Eric Shaw teaches daily in Taipei and will be traveling to the US, see the schedule on his website and is working with Pure Yoga. Our Discussion about the history and lineage of Yoga Myth – Yoga poses were invented in the 1930’s – Mark Singleton’s quote, from his book Yoga Body is misinterpreted Yoga history Images of yoga postures as far back as 5000 years ago. Text from middle ages describing postures and images. Vinyasa systems describe around 200 AD. 1983 Swami Vivekananda brought yoga to the United States. The uniqueness about this new chapter in yoga history was that the students did not pledge to a (Guru)teacher and learn yoga one-on-one in a confidential relationship. Swami Vivekananda taught yoga and meditation for the first time in a group session to Americans. Much of the history of the styles practiced in the United States stem from intense activity in the kingdom of Mysore in the 1930’s ruled by King Wadiyar 4th – Very wealthy man and a proponent of physical exercise – Also involved in the creation of the YMCA T. Krishnamacharya – born in 1888 – Started a yoga school for King Wadiyar 4th. Krishnamacharya taught many students including B.K.S. Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois, the founder of Ashtanga yoga. Krishnamacharya’s son Desikachar studied with his father and opened a school to teach Yoga therapy. Eric strongly rejects any notion that yoga was appropriated from India. Eric believes that the spread of yoga around the world was purposeful, a natural evolution or sorts and is very beneficial. Evolution of Bikram Yoga – Bikram Choudhury - born in 1947 Bikram was a student of Bishnu Ghosh Bishnu Ghosh was a body builder and the brother of Yogananda Bishnu Ghosh and Krishnamacharya were friends Bikram’s first studio was in the US was in Hawaii Bishnu Ghosh was also the teacher of Swami Sivananda. B.K.S. Iyengar was a judge at a yoga competition where Bikram was one of the contestants. Kundalini yoga Swami Bhajan Came to the United States in the 1960’s. Created Kundalini as his signature style – blended several yoga schools of thought. Criticized by Indian teachers for integrating tantric sexual practices that were eventually dropped as the Kundalini practice evolved in the United States. Intense breathing practices Iyengar and meeting Pope Paul Is yoga a religion, an ethical discipline? Eric has a podcast on this subject Eric is a firm believer in the deep philosophical principles in yoga Eric embraces eastern religious ideology Managing life force with yoga and or religion Similarities in eastern and western spiritual practices Eric Shaw’s thoughts about the evolution of yoga: Large companies offering yoga around the world is growing at a very rapid rate. Eric on a work assignment for Pure Yoga is finding yoga spread like this to be a very positive force. Teacher are putting their hearts into the practice, helping to lead people to self-understanding, helping people to develop their bodies as a way to develop their minds. Eric sees the continuation of senior teachers like Rod Stryker and Shiva Rea being sought out by experienced students to learn more and go deeper into practice. Yoga is moving to a social context. Yoga was not originally designed to be social Prisoners and drug addict. Acro Yoga Social activism – Sean Korn Role of yoga as a positive force in corporate social conscious Eric’s personal practice Make time to meditate. Separate from the constant activity of your mind, step away in meditation to access your higher decision capacity www.prasanayoga.com Eric Shaw is based in Taipei. See his US event page here, Eric will be in Aptos Ca. August 6th, Chicago, IL 8/14-16 and Rochester MN 8/18-20.    

Milard Roper is one of our great local teacher here on Long Island. Milard has two studios in Huntingtin, NY offering classes, teacher training and workshops; he studied yoga with some of the most senior yoga teacher trainers in the industry including; 200 hours with Ana Forrest, 100 hours with Raganuth and 500 hours with Sandra Loring.  In addition, Milard is a licensed Acupuncturist, Massage Therapist as well as a Board Certified Chinese Herbalist. Milard has also taught Kung Fu and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for many years. Milard’s website is www.thefunkyom.com.  Class schedules, workshops and training Milard talks with Yogapilots about: Forrest yoga - Anna Forrest Core work – supporting structuring muscles – at the beginning of practice Postures – vinyasa similarity – build heat internally – holding postures – practiced at 85 degrees – mindful assisting Breathing and movement Alignment Bhakti - Raganuth Capo Background as a monk and rock musician. Bhakti yoga – Yoga of devotion - Emphasis on devotion to the divine. Traditional yogic ethical philosophy originating from ancient Indian texts Bhakti yoga – Devotional tradition that works in tandem with an individual’s religion. Analogous to Christian Gospel traditions. Kirtan - Chanting/singing a devotion to a divine higher power. Includes physical postures in practice Yoga – breathing deep – restorative effects Feel good part of yoga – pro athletes – stamina and durability Why does a yoga practice have the feel good and restorative effect Importance of the final resting pose in yoga (Shavasana) takes the physicality of practice, the firing up of the sympathetic nervous system and transfers the energy of the activity to the restorative parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system. Mental Benefits of Yoga Game time focus – Concentration – Quarterback decisions in the pocket Yoga history – how to use yoga to control and manage your mind – practice and determination Strength of mind through the practice of yoga Advice for a new student Try it with a reference frame to be open to new experiences. Get through your first class before making a judgment. Milard’s personal practice – Daily home practice

Ellen Saltonstall is an accomplished yoga instructor and author. She has been teaching yoga for 30 years, originally training in the Iyengar and Anasura styles of yoga. Ellen is the co-author of two books, Yoga for Osteoporosis and Yoga for Arthritis. Ellen teaches yoga, therapeutic yoga and the anatomy of yoga classes from her studio in New York City. www.ellensaltonstall.com Ellen has developed a therapeutic practice to massage and stretch localized areas of the body called Bodymind Ballwork. The distinct feature of Bodymind Ballwork is the use of rubber balls of varying sizes and textures (as small as a walnut and as big as a melon), which support, massage and stretch localized areas of the body.  There are techniques for every part of you, from head to toes. The result is a wonderful feeling of lightness and ease in the body, and quiet alertness in the mind. To quote one student: “It’s like having a massage therapist in your pocket”. In this podcast we discuss: Ellen’s yoga teaching style and philosophy: Safe practice Self-knowledge Development Body movement and body awareness Lean more about yourself, your mind, your emotions and tendencies Alignment in yoga postures – Where are your body parts when you move? Bending at the hips instead of the waist – One of the biggest culprits to back pain and not being able to bend at the hips are tight hamstrings. Stretch your hamstrings while lying on the floor to protect your spine as you stretch Three steps to wrist safety – Wrists are a common injury in yoga. How to keep your wrists safe in downward-facing dog Therapeutic yoga Yoga and anatomy Yoga for arthritis Cartilage wears away – body response is to make more bone. Synovial fluid doesn’t flow as evenly Yoga takes joints to a full range of motion – feeds and stimulates the flow of synovial fluid though joints Stretch connective tissue and muscles – joints have more room to move. Alignment – a cause of arthritis Mental and emotional – calms the mind – state of your mind affects your experience of pain Yoga practice for arthritis is very individualized, and a private lesson, with a qualified teacher, is the best way to start Bodymind Ballwork Practice in combination with yoga Release tension, loosen muscles and relax specific areas of your body Specific exercise for releasing shoulder tension This is what my shoulders are supposed to feel like! Yogic Breathing – Adding breath-work (pranayama) to your yoga routine can be a great health benefit Ellen’s personal yoga practiceYou can find more about Ellen at www.ellensaltonstall.com. Ellen is conducting a Bodymind Ballwork workshop March 18-20th in NYC.    

Dr. Loren Fishman has been practicing yoga for forty years, he trained for a year with yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar and is currently Medical Director of Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Fishman is a professor at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and has written and edited more than eighty academic articles and books on rehabilitative medicine. Dr. Fishman combines his significant depth of knowledge in medicine and yoga to treat patients; he has also completed clinical studies that support yoga for healing. In this podcast, Dr. Fishman is joined by colleague and yoga therapist Gabriella Barnstone. We discuss: Western medicine, yoga as an accompanying or alternative therapy and the clinical evidence supporting yoga. Yoga for Osteoporosis. Yoga for Scoliosis. Yoga for back pain – The importance of the diagnosis, and how yoga can be therapy for a variety of back ailments. Yoga and Weight Loss – Yoga postures to curb your appetite and how to use yoga and improve your reaction to appetite stimulus. Dr. Fishman describes his personal yoga practice and offers his wisdom of forty years of practice and as a top practicing physician. Dr. Fisham’s website is www.sciatica.org. He has several upcoming workshops to teach his remedies and/or purchase his DVDs (see his website for full details) NEXT WEEK! Yoga for Osteoporosis with Certification: Two weekends: April 2-3 and April 23-24 Low Back Pain Methods with Certification: Two weekends March 5-6 and March 19-20. (new York City)  

  Gordon is a well-schooled and accomplished yoga teacher and yoga therapist. Gordon is certified at 2000 hours. Gordon’s primary yoga training is in the Purna style of yoga that is derived from B.K.S. Iyengar's teachings. Gordon worked as an athletic trainer in collegiate basketball coaching with Bobby Knight, for the Orlando Magic and various Olympic athletes. His overarching principal is to work with students in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual components. Many athletes focus primarily on the physical, and 90% of athletes over-train or only train in one area. Our discussion includes details about Gordon’s highly developed yoga teaching style as well as in-depth insights into the anatomy of the body. Podcast Highlights:   The importance of teaching a series of postures The movements of the hip. The nuances of a good yoga posture for runners Gordon discusses how long postures should be held for maximum benefit and fascia release Gordon emphasizes alignment and comments about the pace of class versus and corresponding risk of injury Gordon comments on the negative biomechanical effects of sitting and how yoga can help We discuss backbends and the risks of injury. Talking about what it feels like to do a beneficial backbend and when the back may get “crunched” Gordon emphasizes that backbends should bring expansion in the lower back and lift vertebrae away from each other. There should be symmetry through the length of the spine in a good healthy backbend. Gordon talks the importance of the final resting posture in yoga (Savasana) and how this creates a shift and brings the actions of the postures to the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system. Do yoga 5 minutes a day, do some yoga every day Gordon is also currently working on Yoga Nidra for better sleeping Gordon Kaplan’s website is www.teamyoga.com. He is based in Redmond, Washington and does private lessons, corporate yoga, pro-sports yoga and teaches a few group classes.  

Bikram Yoga is one of the most widely practiced yoga styles in the world, yet there has not been significant clinical research until recently. Dr. Hunter has done several clinical studies and is completing new research. Please join us for a discussion about the new research, the results and the benefits of Bikram yoga. Dr.Hunter also discusses her personal practice and offers advice to people interested in practicing Bikram and other styles of yoga.   Dr. Hunter is the Research Director of www.pureaction.org a non-profit focused on bringing the benefits of yoga to mainstream medicine through research, education and community research. Dr. Hunter has published several studies on the impact of yoga on cardiovascular health and glucose tolerance. Pureaction is hosting a Yoga Research Conference July 22 through July 24th 2016, details can be found at www.pureaction.org

Meditation and mindfulness are integral to a yoga practice. Dr. Rick Hecht, a long time practitioner of Yoga, is also a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Hecht is finishing groundbreaking work on mindfulness meditation and weight loss. In this podcast interview, Dr. Hecht describes the clinical studies he has been working on, the results and offers some clear, straightforward advice about how mindfulness meditation can be applied to losing weight.