“Is Yoga a religion?” is an often-asked question, and the deeper we delve into the historical and philosophical underpinnings of the practice, the less simple and straightforward the answer becomes.

Here to guide us on that complex conversational journey is returning guest Firdose Moonda, who holds an MA in the Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from the School of Oriental and African Studies and is undertaking doctoral work into the politics of yoga.

Listen in to unpack yoga’s historical and present-day entanglements with South Asian religions, and explore the responsibilities of modern yoga teachers in the West.

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• Defining religion [3:44]
• Can you be spiritual but not religious [7:02]
• Evolution of yoga: the Vedic period [10:58]
• Emergence of Buddhism and Jainism [15:51]
• Hatha yoga, and separation of yoga from religion [19:30]
• Is yoga even more entangled with religion today [23:55]
• Contributions from Tantra & South Asian Islam [24:55]
• Implications of the International Day of Yoga [29:44]
• Can yoga teachers avoid politics, history, religion, and philosophy entirely [34:40]
• Finding your place as a teacher in the modern yoga world [43:50]
• We are also creating yoga history [48:18]
• More resources, and a final word of caution [54:49]

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• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes:
  • 100: Yoga, Politics & History
• Yoga Medicine® Book Club
• The Race & Yoga Journal, UC Berkley
• Yoga Mimamsa, The Scientific Journal of Yoga, Kaivalyadhama
• Connect with Firdose Moonda MA:

Instagram | YMO Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-114.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

Today hosts Tiffany and Katja discuss a topic near and dear to Katja: tissue stiffness. Claims about terms like stiffness and tension in the body can be confusing, so our goal with this episode is to clear up some of that confusion as well as leave some space for what we do not know yet. In this episode, we talk about terminology and physiology around tissue stiffness. We also talk about factors that influence stiffness and if stiffness is a friend or foe when it comes to athletic performance, injury risk, and disease of the musculoskeletal system.

Listen in to learn more about common tissue stiffness misconceptions, potential applications, and future learning.

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• Common misconceptions [2:27]
• Stiffness terminology [4:22]
• Factors that influence stiffness [12:40]
• The role of the nervous system in tissue stiffness [16:21]
• Athletic performance and stiffness [19:09]
• Is more stiffness always better? [25:07]
• Assessing stiffness [30:50]
• Range of motion versus tissue stiffness [44:51]
• Takeaways [48:26]

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• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga for Athletes Training
• Connect with Katja Bartsch:

Facebook | Instagram | Kalamana Yoga | Yoga Medicine® Online Guest Teacher

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-113.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.

As yoga teachers, most of us will either have an autoimmune condition, or teach students who do. Yoga is uniquely suited to work alongside conventional medical treatment to help manage these disorders and address the symptoms that impact most on quality of life.

Today host Rachel speaks with Dr. Nikki Tugnet - a UK-trained physician, board-certified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, and Yoga Medicine® Therapeutic Specialist - about yoga and autoimmune conditions.

Listen to this episode as we unpack the common denominators of autoimmune conditions, the importance of normalizing prop use, and the power of taking it slow.

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• What is rheumatology? [2:57]
• Are autoimmune disorders becoming more prevalent? [4:28]
• What drives Nikki’s passion for rheumatology [6:04]
• Common denominators in autoimmune conditions [10:05]
• What drove a rheumatologist to seek answers in yoga [13:55]
• Autoimmune uncertainty; mental health impacts of long-term disease [18:02]
• How yoga can support autoimmune conditions [23:30]
• The underutilized power of propped yoga poses [28:10]
• A surprising yoga tool [33:28]
• Daily Yoga Nidra to improve energy and sleep quality [35:14]
• Are we handling chronic stress as well as we think? [37:22]
• Tips for teaching yoga for autoimmune conditions – group classes [39:51]
• Tips for teaching yoga for autoimmune conditions – one-on-one [43:38]
• Final tips & takeaways [49:11]

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• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Nervous System & Restorative Online Training
• Myofascial Release Online Training
• Previous Yoga Medicine® Podcast Episodes:
  • 15: Shifting Persistent Pain with Marnie Hartman
• Connect with Dr. Nikki Tugnet:

Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Nikki Tugnet

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-112.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

To support our work, please leave us a 5 star review with your feedback on iTunes/Apple Podcasts.