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Speaker 1: Welcome Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of I

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Speaker 1: Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hey, you welcome to Stuff

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Speaker 1: to Blow your Mind. My name is Robert Lamb and

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Speaker 1: I'm Joe McCormick. And on the day we're recording this,

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Speaker 1: I just got back from a vacation. While I was out, Robert,

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Speaker 1: you've been busy. You had a chat with quite a

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Speaker 1: few people. Uh. Yeah, I decided to log a few

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Speaker 1: interviews since I couldn't sit here and chat with you.

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Speaker 1: Uh and uh. I happened to be in a yoga

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Speaker 1: boot camp right now where I'm I'm I'm going three

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Speaker 1: days a week and doing yoga at a ridiculous hour

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Speaker 1: of the morning, like really really in intense sweaty yoga.

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Speaker 1: So my mom, I've been thinking about yoga a lot.

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Speaker 1: And I was like, well, if I can't talk to Joe,

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Speaker 1: I want to talk to somebody about yoga. So I

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Speaker 1: called up An Swanson of an Swanson Wellness. She's the

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Speaker 1: author of Science of Yoga, Understand the Anatomy and Physiology

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Speaker 1: to Perfect Your Practice, And so oh, yeah, this is good.

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Speaker 1: It's just me chatting with Anne about yoga, about about

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Speaker 1: you know, what yoga is, what yoga isn't what happens

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Speaker 1: when when science and spirituality come together and occasionally like

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Speaker 1: butt heads in yoga practices. And also what the research

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Speaker 1: is telling us and what it's not telling us about

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Speaker 1: yoga and its benefits to UH to our mind to

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Speaker 1: our body to the mind body connection. Awesome. Well, I

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Speaker 1: am really excited to hear this one. I'm sure the

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Speaker 1: listeners out there, you folks, are too, so maybe we

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Speaker 1: should dive right in. Let's get in that pose, hi,

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Speaker 1: and welcome to the show. Can can you just introduce

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Speaker 1: yourself to our audience here? Yeah? Absolutely, I'm so glad

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Speaker 1: to be here, Robert. My name is Ann Swanson and

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Speaker 1: I am a total science nerd and spiritual nerd. I'm

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Speaker 1: also a yoga therapist and meditation teacher by trade. I

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Speaker 1: have a Masters of Science in Yoga therapy. I'm an

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Speaker 1: I o T certified yoga therapist and I studied yoga

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Speaker 1: and India, where it is from. I am also a

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Speaker 1: science educator, so I teach people about the real science

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Speaker 1: supporting yoga. So I take out the wu factor of

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Speaker 1: yoga that intimidates a lot of people, but I still

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Speaker 1: strongly believe in respecting the rich tradition of this ancient

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Speaker 1: practice that has really stood the test of time. So

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Speaker 1: we're gonna be talking about about yoga in this uh,

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Speaker 1: this interview. So but before we get going, I thought, well,

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Speaker 1: I might ask you to just stop and uh and

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Speaker 1: just answer the question, especially for people or maybe not

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Speaker 1: that familiar with it, what is yoga? Yeah? Absolutely, because

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Speaker 1: I think it's not what most people think it is.

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Speaker 1: Most people see these billboards and covers of magazines and

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Speaker 1: they think it's been people doing pretzel like poses. But

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Speaker 1: really you don't have to be been inflexible to do yoga,

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Speaker 1: And the poses are only a small part of this practice.

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Speaker 1: So like that's the part that made it popular and famous,

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Speaker 1: but really there's so much more. So they're the poses

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Speaker 1: is the first part. But also we have breath work,

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Speaker 1: controlled breathing practices for a specific physiological results. We have

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Speaker 1: focused exercises that train your brain, meditation, and a rich

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Speaker 1: philosophical underpinning that you can study that integrates into your lifestyle.

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Speaker 1: So a lot of people describe yoga as an entire

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Speaker 1: lifestyle and the word yoga loosely means union, So really

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Speaker 1: it's about feeling connected to ourselves, united, to others and

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Speaker 1: the world and feeling this greater sense of like compassion. Ultimately,

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Speaker 1: these practices they build space in your mind and in

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Speaker 1: your body for compassion. Yeah, I feel like the sort

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Speaker 1: of the billboard idea of yoga like for for me, well,

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Speaker 1: when I first started doing yoga, that was something that

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Speaker 1: thankfully got to a road way pretty quickly when I

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Speaker 1: went to like a y m C A yoga class

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Speaker 1: and I got to experience it, you know, amid different

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Speaker 1: age age levels, different ability levels, different body types, and

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Speaker 1: and realized that, you know, the sort of stereotypical billboard

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Speaker 1: version of yoga was was not going to be what

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Speaker 1: I was going to experience absolutely, And I think one

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Speaker 1: of the things from a scientific perspective is that the

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Speaker 1: research on yoga is not on how to have a

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Speaker 1: bikini body or you know, how to been like a pretzel.

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Speaker 1: Really the researcher on yoga is on therapeutic population. So

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Speaker 1: people like older adults, people that are OBEs, with diabetes,

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Speaker 1: with heart disease, with breathing issues. These are the people

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Speaker 1: that are getting the most benefits from the practice of yoga,

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Speaker 1: and that's what the research is showing. So I hope

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Speaker 1: that the image of yoga starts to change because the

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Speaker 1: people that can benefit most, or regular folks with anxiety,

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Speaker 1: with stress, with the common issues that we deal with

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Speaker 1: modern day. And we're gonna get into some of the

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Speaker 1: details of this here in a bit better, but I

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Speaker 1: do want to go ahead and highlight your book. Uh,

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Speaker 1: you're the author of the two thousand nineteen books Science

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Speaker 1: of Yoga. Understand the anatomy and physiology to perfect your practice. Naturally,

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Speaker 1: there are a lot of yoga books out there. Is

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Speaker 1: anyone who's ever done a search on Amazon or or browsed,

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Speaker 1: you know, through the bookstore can attest to what sets

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Speaker 1: this one apart. Yeah, I would say that this is

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Speaker 1: not the typical how to yoga book. Really, I describe

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Speaker 1: it as a how it works yoga book. It's for

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Speaker 1: those curious people who are going to yoga classes and

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Speaker 1: constantly asking why why is this pose affecting my kidneys

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Speaker 1: or squeezing out my toxins? Or even why do I

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Speaker 1: feel so relaxed and leap so much better after class?

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Speaker 1: So I did bunkle a lot of those woom myth

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Speaker 1: um and also I worked with a world class illustration

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Speaker 1: team to not only tell you why, but to show

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Speaker 1: you why, Yeah, I have to say that the layout

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Speaker 1: and the illustrations in this book are are just really gorgeous.

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Speaker 1: It's it's very readable, very browsable, very consumable, and uh

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Speaker 1: and I love the way that it's divided up to

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Speaker 1: so at beginning with just sort of an overview of

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Speaker 1: human anatomy, you know, what are the different parts and

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Speaker 1: systems of the body before going into the austina is

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Speaker 1: the poses and discussing how those affect those systems. And

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Speaker 1: then you have this very robust Q and a section

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Speaker 1: at the end where you also engage in some myth

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Speaker 1: busting as well, but but also just you know, uh,

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Speaker 1: discuss some of the scientific studies out there and what

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Speaker 1: they're saying and what they're not saying in some cases. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's really great for visual learners, but also for those

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Speaker 1: kinesthetic learners, like people that are body based learners that

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Speaker 1: have to move, because you can look at the picture

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Speaker 1: and I think it invites you to actually move and

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Speaker 1: see is that the effect I'm feeling? Can I visualize

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Speaker 1: my muscle as my organs working in that pose? So

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Speaker 1: I hope it appeals to both of those audiences. Another

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Speaker 1: big difference between my book um in so many other

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Speaker 1: yoga books is that I'm not just talking about the

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Speaker 1: muscles and bones, so I am talking about all the

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Speaker 1: systems of the body and the benefits of yoga. So

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Speaker 1: from studying Western science myself, from doing premed course load

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Speaker 1: and then earning my Master of Science and yoga therapy,

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Speaker 1: I have basically had ten years of tedious notes in

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Speaker 1: my notebooks that was about how our body is affected

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Speaker 1: through these stress management practices. And I compile those to

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Speaker 1: be in the most simple format, digestible format of the

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Speaker 1: top benefits, and I cover all the systems of the body,

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Speaker 1: because those most profound benefits are to the cardiovascular system,

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Speaker 1: which is showing that we can reduce blood plot pressure

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Speaker 1: and and reverse heart disease with a yogic lifestyle, or

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Speaker 1: the immune system reducing inflammatory of markers called cytokine, which

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Speaker 1: are really important because most of the major killers that

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Speaker 1: we are society suffers from have to do with inflammation.

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Speaker 1: And then, oh my gosh, the effects on your brain

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Speaker 1: are so amazing. Weekre to have an entire show on

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Speaker 1: that itself. So I think it's important to emphasize how

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Speaker 1: yoga affects all the systems of the body, not just

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Speaker 1: that gross level. Yeah. I love how throughout the book

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Speaker 1: you keep coming back to the mind body connection. And

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Speaker 1: in some cases, uh, I mean we discussed the mind

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Speaker 1: body connection on this show a lot, because I mean,

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Speaker 1: I think that's been one of the the real the

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Speaker 1: real take comes from a lot of a lot of

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Speaker 1: research over the past of several decades, is that we

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Speaker 1: we realize that we're not just this this brain in

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Speaker 1: a body, were not this rider on a horse or

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Speaker 1: disintegrated system and uh and and all of our mental

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Speaker 1: processes are not just you know, dependent on things that

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Speaker 1: are bottled in there, but they're and you know, some poses,

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Speaker 1: some systems you're discussing, you you bring in the mind

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Speaker 1: portion of the equation. Sometimes in cases where I had

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Speaker 1: never thought about it before, you know, like, oh, I

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Speaker 1: tend to just focus on what this muscle is doing

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Speaker 1: or what this muscle seems to be doing, and I'm

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Speaker 1: not thinking about my mental state. Yeah. Absolutely, I mean

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Speaker 1: we are a integrated whole. And the thing about yoga

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Speaker 1: that makes it so magical, that makes it work so well,

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Speaker 1: is that it is a whole person approach to well being.

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Speaker 1: So therapeutic yoga looks at the entire person, and yes,

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Speaker 1: we move because this profound benefits to movement and exercise,

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Speaker 1: but we're also being aware of that movement, being mindful

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Speaker 1: and present, feeling the vibrations of your thirty seven truly

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Speaker 1: in cells are more in your body. You're you're acknowledging

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Speaker 1: that like life, that aliveness that you have. And I

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Speaker 1: think it's important that we acknowledge the whole person, the

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Speaker 1: emotional being, the the person that has stressors, the person

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Speaker 1: that has triggers and issues that are stored in their tissues.

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Speaker 1: So I think that's one of the great strengths of

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Speaker 1: yoga is that it has that whole person approach. I

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Speaker 1: wanted to touch on research for a second here. Up,

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Speaker 1: you signed a number of studies in the book, especially

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Speaker 1: you know, towards the end of the the Q and

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Speaker 1: A section UM, and then you also have you do

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Speaker 1: have a wonderful bit here too where you're talking about

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Speaker 1: how to how to tell um you have a a

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Speaker 1: particular study is reliable and discussing things like sample size

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Speaker 1: and in the use of a control group, some things

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Speaker 1: that you know, folks who are used to maybe teasing

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Speaker 1: apart a scientific study might be aware of, but others

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Speaker 1: not so much. Uh. In general, though, taking in all

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Speaker 1: of this this scientific research, how much research is there

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Speaker 1: into yoga, Well, you know, compared to pharmaceuticals, we don't

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Speaker 1: have the same lettl of funding, so that is an issue. However,

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Speaker 1: there has been an exponential growth of yoga research in

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Speaker 1: the past decade twenty years, so there is a decent

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Speaker 1: amount of research in certain categories. So areas like mental

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Speaker 1: health that would be the top area, along with chronic pain,

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Speaker 1: there's a lot of research. When we talk about yoga research,

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Speaker 1: we're also talking about meditation research, so that both of

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Speaker 1: those categories have a lot for depression anxiety PTSD along

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Speaker 1: with chronic pain. And another area of research that is

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Speaker 1: growing is for cardiovascular health and for other other chronic

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Speaker 1: pain conditions like arthritis and things that affect our daily

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Speaker 1: life with disabilities. So those areas are absolutely growing because

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Speaker 1: the resource was promising. And I do want to say

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Speaker 1: one reason I put that hierarchy of evidence in the

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Speaker 1: book is because I feel like there is a lack

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Speaker 1: of research literacy and the yoga community and the yoga

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Speaker 1: teacher community, but also enthusiastic yogi's and I don't think

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Speaker 1: that they want to be spreading um kind of woo

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Speaker 1: woo claims. I think they really want to be telling

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Speaker 1: people about the profound benefits. They just don't know how.

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Speaker 1: And so if we can start to be critical about

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Speaker 1: how we come about explaining the claims, the benefits, of

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Speaker 1: the warnings, of the yoga poses and practices that we

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Speaker 1: teaches yoga teachers, I think that's going to benefit the

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Speaker 1: practice overall, making it more accepted in the mainstream by

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Speaker 1: medical professionals, making it more accessible to those who can

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Speaker 1: really benefit the most. Because I mean when I'm in

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Speaker 1: a yoga class and they say a claim like this

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Speaker 1: is stimulating your kidneys, and they go on about that,

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Speaker 1: I'm in my head. I'm out of my body, and

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Speaker 1: I'm in my head, and I know that the doctor

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Speaker 1: and the nurse next to me are too. So if

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Speaker 1: we can, as yoga teachers and yoga professionals um actually

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Speaker 1: spread actual true claims, I think that's going to make

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Speaker 1: a big difference. It is fascinating to to to think

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Speaker 1: about yoga and the sort of opposing ideas that are

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Speaker 1: sometimes present there. You know, you have something that has

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Speaker 1: ancient roots and yet so much of it is actually

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Speaker 1: quite modern. A particular class or teacher might InVogue to

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Speaker 1: your point, both both modern health and science, but also

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Speaker 1: perhaps some elements of of Hinduism or New age spiritualism.

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Speaker 1: Uh so, I I guess it's it's kind of a

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Speaker 1: challenge to um to sort of balance all of that, right,

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Speaker 1: I mean to like, you know, you mentioned that you're,

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Speaker 1: you know, both a science nerd and a spiritualism nerd,

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Speaker 1: and like to to what extent do you sort of

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Speaker 1: have to have sort of two views of the yoga

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Speaker 1: and have to sort of switch from one to the

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Speaker 1: other during a practice. Yeah, I don't think we should

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Speaker 1: deny that yoga has its roots and India alongside Hinduism,

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Speaker 1: but they brilliant things about the practice can be adapted

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Speaker 1: to the modern day, to the culture, to the individual

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Speaker 1: and their beliefs. So for example, if you're not religious

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Speaker 1: at all, you can have a completely secular yoga practice

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Speaker 1: and have the profound benefits, have the brain changes and

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Speaker 1: the physiological health benefits. Or if you're religious, you can

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Speaker 1: incorporate prayer. Like I'm working with a Catholic woman right

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Speaker 1: now and she's doing her meditative practices with a rosary.

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Speaker 1: So I think it's okay to adapt it because ultimately,

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Speaker 1: if you are becoming a healthier and more peaceful and

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Speaker 1: connected human being, then that's a good thing for the world. However,

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Speaker 1: what does bother me Where I do have a bone

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Speaker 1: to pick is when teachers and yoga professionals don't fess

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Speaker 1: up to their modern adaptations of mixing these modalities. So,

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Speaker 1: for example, I mean, use my example of the kidneys.

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Speaker 1: I feel like I hear that a lot from teachers

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Speaker 1: that have a Chinese medicine base. They're saying, this is

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Speaker 1: affecting your kidneys. Well, scientifically, we can't claim that your

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Speaker 1: kidneys are being affected from some stretch or another. There's

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Speaker 1: no research supporting that. It doesn't even really make sense

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Speaker 1: with my understanding of anatomy and physiology. I mean, all

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Speaker 1: your organs are benefited from a yoga practice in general,

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Speaker 1: but we can't say that it's this particular pose versus

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Speaker 1: that particular poses affecting this organ um for the most part.

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Speaker 1: But I think that what could be done is, rather

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Speaker 1: than just saying this is affecting your kidneys, which is

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Speaker 1: confusing people, is say something like, well, according to Chinese medicine,

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Speaker 1: this would affect your kidney moor Ridian, Right, Like, then

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Speaker 1: you're actually describing the source of it so that the

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Speaker 1: people aren't thinking, well, actually, our modern day conception of

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Speaker 1: the kidney in the West is being affected. I think

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Speaker 1: that that's where it gets confusing and where it could

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Speaker 1: be a little clearer and why we should, as yoga

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Speaker 1: practitioners constantly ask why wait, why what do you mean? Oh,

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Speaker 1: you mean the kidney already and I got it. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's kind of like I guess, um, with with the body,

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Speaker 1: we're sometimes engaging with metaphorical or semi metaphorical sort of

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Speaker 1: spiritual models for what our bodies are doing and how

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Speaker 1: we're experiencing our our bodies and our and our mind.

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Speaker 1: Uh so you're saying, it's sort of a good idea

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Speaker 1: to be able to to state, like which model we're

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Speaker 1: dealing with for a particular claim, right, I think so

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Speaker 1: like where you got it from? Be able to know

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Speaker 1: where you where you got it from. That's just the

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Speaker 1: basic Also back to that scientific literacy is like where

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Speaker 1: did I hear that from? Can I look it up

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Speaker 1: and confirm? Because our memories will start to fade and

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Speaker 1: change things over time. Oh? Absolutely, Uh, you know, another

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Speaker 1: thing that comes up here. We've we we spoke with

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Speaker 1: a researcher on the show in the past who's a

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Speaker 1: focus was mindfulness, and they brought up how to study

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Speaker 1: meditation in some in some of these studies they were conducting,

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Speaker 1: you know, obviously they stripped away some of the more

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Speaker 1: spiritual aspects of the meditative practices. I think they were

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Speaker 1: looking at Tibetan models, and then they're stripping away any uh,

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Speaker 1: spiritualism from that. But then also even even removing the

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Speaker 1: word meditation from it, to referring it to something else

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Speaker 1: during the study so as not to you know, you know,

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Speaker 1: ignite any biases among the participants. But then they acknowledge that,

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Speaker 1: you know, is there is there a you know, at

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Speaker 1: risk there and removing some of the the ideas the

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Speaker 1: spiritual idea is not to you know, say that there

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Speaker 1: is you know, some sort of of magical practice going

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Speaker 1: on here. But but if we remove sort of the

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Speaker 1: spiritual fluff from the mechanics of something that it, perhaps

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Speaker 1: we're taking away something that helps it work. Do you

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Speaker 1: do you ever think that's that might be the case

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Speaker 1: with some of these yoga practices. You know, from my experience,

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Speaker 1: of reading research. A lot of yoga researchers are not

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Speaker 1: stripping away that essence, that that profound part of it.

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Speaker 1: So with meditation and with yoga, so I'll give it

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Speaker 1: as a two part answer. So with meditation, a lot

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Speaker 1: of the researchers themselves are meditators, so they want to

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Speaker 1: maintain the essence of the practice. So let me give

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Speaker 1: you an example. The there is a study that's my

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Speaker 1: favorite study of meditation of all time is at wake

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Speaker 1: Forest School of Medicine, and they had four different groups.

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Speaker 1: One group was a mindfulness meditation group. They were taught

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Speaker 1: mindfulness meditation by an experienced expert. They were taught the process,

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Speaker 1: a little bit of the history, and guided through a

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Speaker 1: traditional practice. Now and this particular research study was evaluating pain,

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Speaker 1: so they gave them a little shock in their leg

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Speaker 1: before they learned meditation, before they got the treatment, and

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Speaker 1: then after they were getting the treatment. Another group got

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Speaker 1: it plus seaboat cream, so they didn't learn any meditation

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Speaker 1: or any processes, but instead they got a cream. They said,

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Speaker 1: this is going to really help, but has an analgesic

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Speaker 1: effect even though it didn't. The third group got the

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Speaker 1: control of listening to a book like not even related.

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Speaker 1: That was the control group. Now the fourth group is

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Speaker 1: my favorite. The fourth group got sham meditation. Yes you

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Speaker 1: heard that right, fake meditation. So instead of being taught

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Speaker 1: the traditional mindfulness techniques as the first group got, they

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Speaker 1: were here, let's do it together. You can do it

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Speaker 1: at home. If you're listening to so sit all. Imagine

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Speaker 1: you're in a group of people. You're you're sitting on

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Speaker 1: the floor in a circle. Okay, I am the instructor,

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Speaker 1: and I'm saying, all right, everybody, take a deep breath.

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Speaker 1: We're sitting here and we are meditating. Keep breathing, keep meditating.

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Speaker 1: That's it. So what they found was pretty amazing. All

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Speaker 1: the groups improved except the control The book listening did nothing,

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Speaker 1: but the sham meditation, the placebo cream, and the mindfulness

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Speaker 1: meditation group they all improved. But the mindfulness group significantly

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Speaker 1: reduced pain compared to the others. That's pretty powerful and

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Speaker 1: I think that researchers really do care about keeping that

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Speaker 1: essence of the practicing. Now, I'd like to talk about

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Speaker 1: a yoga example if I can. Yes, So I also

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Speaker 1: used to think that about yoga. Well, if we if

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Speaker 1: we do research on yoga, then we're going to lose

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Speaker 1: that essence, lose that whole person approach to well being.

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Speaker 1: So a seven year clinical trial, randomized controlled trial on

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Speaker 1: yoga for arthritis at Johns Hopkins University by Dr Muna's

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Speaker 1: showed significant improvements and arthritis symptoms, including reduced joint swelling

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Speaker 1: as measured by rheumatologists, which is a very objective measure,

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Speaker 1: improved health related quality of life, which is this like

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Speaker 1: broad measure, but it is a validated instrument that shows

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Speaker 1: that overall quality of life improved from doing yoga. And

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Speaker 1: also the huge finding is that pain was reduced by

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Speaker 1: about which is significant. That's similar to what many pharmaceuticles do.

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Speaker 1: So this particular trial by Dr Muna was not just

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Speaker 1: you know, ten poses to help you with your knee

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Speaker 1: arth rightis it was a well rounded practice, a well

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Speaker 1: rounded yoga practice that included awareness and focus exercises, chanting,

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Speaker 1: chanting the sound of how I was really impressed by

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Speaker 1: some of the details you shared about about chanting home

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Speaker 1: as well, because that's something when when I practice yoga

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Speaker 1: by myself, sometimes I have this moment of doubt where

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Speaker 1: I'm like, do I really need to say, Oh, if

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Speaker 1: there's no there's nobody else here. Uh And I found

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Speaker 1: your answer interesting. Yes, Actually I'll get back to that.

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Speaker 1: Because this particular researcher, Dr Munas taught yoga or taught

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Speaker 1: meditation to Congress and had them sneakily chant om like

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Speaker 1: circle back around to that. So the entire practice that

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Speaker 1: she taught for earth rightists had all these elements like

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Speaker 1: them that are required, Like I teach this as a

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Speaker 1: teacher training. People can come as yoga teachers and learn

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Speaker 1: how to teach this evident based program yoga for Earth Rightists,

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Speaker 1: and a lot of teachers come and they think they're

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Speaker 1: going to learn some magical sequence, but instead they get

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Speaker 1: a basic halfa which is that basic style of yoga class,

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Speaker 1: and they get bill philosophy that's pulled from the rich

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Speaker 1: tradition of yoga that's integrated through the US that makes

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Speaker 1: it really rich and specific to arthritis and chronic pain

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Speaker 1: and dealing with pain and all the things that come

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Speaker 1: with arthritis. That's what the real magic, the essence of

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Speaker 1: that practice it. And you have to teach a well

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Speaker 1: rounded yoga class in order to have this evidence race program,

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Speaker 1: Like you can't just go in and take those elements

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Speaker 1: out and not chant home and not incorporate the philosophy,

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Speaker 1: then it's not yoga for arthritis. Based off of a

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Speaker 1: seven year clinical trial, and a lot of yoga researchers

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Speaker 1: are doing that. When you look at their actual protocols,

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Speaker 1: it is a well rounded practice that includes a lot

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Speaker 1: of traditional elements. So back to the sound of home

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Speaker 1: and why that's important. Well, we know that singing and

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Speaker 1: verbalizing has great benefits for your health. If you do

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Speaker 1: sing in the shower, you know that it makes you

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Speaker 1: feel good. But also in the modern day, we know

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Speaker 1: that it stimulates the vegas nerve, which is a nerve

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Speaker 1: that is coming off from the base of the brain

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Speaker 1: and it's the only one that goes to other areas

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Speaker 1: of the body. It goes to your heart and your gut,

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Speaker 1: and it's connecting your mind and the vital organs of

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Speaker 1: your body. So it is responsible in essence for that

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Speaker 1: mind body connection, or greatly responsible for it. And when

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Speaker 1: you chant, the vibrations are stimulating that nerve, which puts

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Speaker 1: you in the rest, digest and rejuvenate state of your

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Speaker 1: nervous system, that parasympathetic nervous system state, that place where

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Speaker 1: you're healing at the highest capacity. All your organs are

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Speaker 1: functioning at their optimal level. In that place, your heart

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Speaker 1: rate slows, your blood pressure goes down, your digestion improves.

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Speaker 1: So chanting the sound home is doing that. And according

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Speaker 1: to yoga tradition, the sound of o specifically is sacred.

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Speaker 1: It has these three parts that represent a sense of beginning,

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Speaker 1: middle and end, a sense of life and connection. I

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Speaker 1: mean they say that before the universe, before the before

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Speaker 1: the Big Bang, there was only the sound of olm,

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Speaker 1: and that's where we all came from, right, that's the mythology,

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Speaker 1: the tradition. But what I find interesting in the research,

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Speaker 1: of course, is like a small trial. Not many people

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Speaker 1: have money to research something so esoteric as this. But

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Speaker 1: they compared people chanting the sound of home versus people

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Speaker 1: just going making a sound yeah uh huh, and the

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Speaker 1: sound of home changed their brain waves more into that

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Speaker 1: relaxed state of alpha when the sound of studn't. The

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Speaker 1: sound of home had more uh going into the parasympathetic

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Speaker 1: nervous system that rest and digest than the sound of

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Speaker 1: So maybe the Yogis were onto something or not. You

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Speaker 1: want to believe the mythology of the beautiful mythology of

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Speaker 1: before the Big Bang, there was only the sound of

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Speaker 1: or not. The sound of home does have physiological benefits

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Speaker 1: and it feels good to do it. So back to

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Speaker 1: that researcher Dr Munas who did the yoga for arthritist trial.

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Speaker 1: She was asked to teach meditation, a meditation like to

432
00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:26,640
Speaker 1: open an event for chrome Gress, and she asked them

433
00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:30,280
Speaker 1: if she could chant home and she was told no.

434
00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,520
Speaker 1: So she's a little bit of a rebel. Actually, I'd

435
00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:36,880
Speaker 1: like you to do this with me. What she did,

436
00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:39,520
Speaker 1: she didn't ask permission to do this. She just went

437
00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,359
Speaker 1: on the stage and she said, Okay, everybody, we're going

438
00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:44,679
Speaker 1: to side together. So Robert, you can do it with me.

439
00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:46,399
Speaker 1: If you're at home, you can try it out with me,

440
00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:50,720
Speaker 1: because you're gonna get the same benefits. So notice your breath,

441
00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:56,680
Speaker 1: notice your posture. We'll do three size together, repeat after me.

442
00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:18,680
Speaker 1: Ah oh oh m. So basically Congress, and that's this beautiful.

443
00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:21,159
Speaker 1: I love the idea of of getting you know, everyone

444
00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:23,760
Speaker 1: in Congress to um to sort of have their their

445
00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:27,159
Speaker 1: neurons fire on the same wavelength for for once, for

446
00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:30,720
Speaker 1: at least for a moment there Absolutely all right, It

447
00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:32,600
Speaker 1: looks like it's time for a break, but we will

448
00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:39,760
Speaker 1: be right back with more of this interview and we return. So, uh,

449
00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:41,840
Speaker 1: you touched a little bit on this already, but I

450
00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:44,240
Speaker 1: wanted to to ask you about something you discussed in

451
00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,679
Speaker 1: the book here, and that's mirror neurons, because one of

452
00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:50,679
Speaker 1: the things that I often find with with yoga is

453
00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,080
Speaker 1: that you know, I can I can do yoga on

454
00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:56,840
Speaker 1: my own and have sort of a standard routine, probably

455
00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:59,800
Speaker 1: too standard that I fall into, uh, and and then

456
00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:01,439
Speaker 1: I can do a video and get a little more

457
00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:03,160
Speaker 1: out of it. But you know, there's nothing like going

458
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,720
Speaker 1: to a class, and a large part of that is,

459
00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:10,240
Speaker 1: like I feel, it's it's following somebody's instruction. It's doing

460
00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,080
Speaker 1: what they tell me to do, doing what they show me.

461
00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:15,919
Speaker 1: And then also sort of you know, looking around and

462
00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:17,560
Speaker 1: seeing what other people were doing, and you know what

463
00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:19,800
Speaker 1: I need reminders about which arm is in the air

464
00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:22,800
Speaker 1: and which one's on the floor, etcetera. But but you

465
00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:26,240
Speaker 1: you you mentioned your mirror neurons is being a key

466
00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:28,920
Speaker 1: to what's going on here. Yeah, I think actually there's

467
00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:31,800
Speaker 1: several components I'd like to mention, mirror neurons being one

468
00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:34,520
Speaker 1: of them. You know, you are connecting with what the

469
00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:38,360
Speaker 1: teacher is doing and you're physically moving your arm in

470
00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:42,160
Speaker 1: a similar way and you're thinking that out. But you're

471
00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:47,920
Speaker 1: also probably connecting with your teachers compassion or present moment awareness,

472
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:50,520
Speaker 1: and same with the people present with you in the room,

473
00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:53,360
Speaker 1: the people next to you. So that absolutely is a

474
00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:57,840
Speaker 1: contributing path factor to those group classes. But also I

475
00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:03,160
Speaker 1: would say that there's something quite special or magical about

476
00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:09,000
Speaker 1: a group setting. We are herd animals, we are social creatures,

477
00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:13,320
Speaker 1: and isolation is the new smoking. So to come into

478
00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:16,680
Speaker 1: a group of people and to practice something that's healthy

479
00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:21,320
Speaker 1: and positive and connect with people is really profound for

480
00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,800
Speaker 1: our health. And I want to come back to something

481
00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:27,000
Speaker 1: that you mentioned earlier, Um, and this is something that

482
00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:31,080
Speaker 1: a claim about yoga or just something you hear about

483
00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:35,960
Speaker 1: yoga a lot that that always kind of raised my doubts, uh,

484
00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:38,800
Speaker 1: And that was the idea that there's you have like

485
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,320
Speaker 1: emotions stored in your body and then they're released during yoga.

486
00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,880
Speaker 1: And yet at the same time, like I've I've had

487
00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:49,160
Speaker 1: experiences during yoga where this felt very true. Uh, you know,

488
00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:54,240
Speaker 1: where I'll suddenly have some sort of you know, negative

489
00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:57,680
Speaker 1: emotion that seems to sort of be released from inside

490
00:29:57,760 --> 00:29:59,920
Speaker 1: me or maybe i'm you know, I end up even

491
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,240
Speaker 1: hearing up during the practice. So where do you stand

492
00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:08,280
Speaker 1: on this, this idea of emotional release during yoga practice. Well,

493
00:30:08,280 --> 00:30:11,720
Speaker 1: it's undeniable. Like you said, if you practice yoga for

494
00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:15,080
Speaker 1: a certain amount of time, eventually you'll feel something like

495
00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:18,720
Speaker 1: this and like that. Are your Vedic saying which is

496
00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,320
Speaker 1: that Indian medical system? Are your Veda? If I mentioned earlier,

497
00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:25,600
Speaker 1: the issues are stored in the tissues. So I'm also

498
00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:27,920
Speaker 1: a licensed massage therapist and I see this all the time.

499
00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:31,479
Speaker 1: People will cry or even laugh when you release a muscle.

500
00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:34,920
Speaker 1: Now I think it's even more powerful when somebody can

501
00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:37,720
Speaker 1: do that for themselves. So you're on your island of

502
00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,760
Speaker 1: a yoga matin I as a teacher or yoga therapist

503
00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:45,320
Speaker 1: and just guiding you through that awareness im movement. So

504
00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:49,320
Speaker 1: I am teaching you how to release those stored emotions

505
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:53,480
Speaker 1: that maybe have been ignored. And when you release that

506
00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:57,800
Speaker 1: that there's a relief of letting go of that tension

507
00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:03,000
Speaker 1: that's held in your body. But also there is a

508
00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:07,120
Speaker 1: psycho emotional release that may help you live to your

509
00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:09,480
Speaker 1: fullest and That's really what I want to do is

510
00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:12,880
Speaker 1: empower people to learn how to use these practices so

511
00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:15,200
Speaker 1: they can do that from themselves. They don't have to

512
00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:17,640
Speaker 1: come to me or go get a massage. They now

513
00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:20,960
Speaker 1: have the tools to be able to do this for themselves.

514
00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:24,360
Speaker 1: And that brings me to something that I think is

515
00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:29,240
Speaker 1: interesting to explain from both a spiritual and a scientific perspective,

516
00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:34,720
Speaker 1: is that concept of prama. So prana is vital energy

517
00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:37,400
Speaker 1: or life force. You may have heard it as Chi

518
00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:43,600
Speaker 1: and Chinese tradition and different Asian philosophies and Native philosophies.

519
00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:47,920
Speaker 1: There's this like vital energy that makes us us and

520
00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:53,160
Speaker 1: that surrounds us and connects us a life force. Well, I,

521
00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:58,959
Speaker 1: as I was studying the premed courseload and doing physics

522
00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:03,840
Speaker 1: and anatomy and geology, has started to conceptualize prana is

523
00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:07,840
Speaker 1: maybe something that ancient yogis who like devoted their whole

524
00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:11,360
Speaker 1: life to this practice, observing their bodies, feeling it, observing

525
00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:18,000
Speaker 1: writing these observations down. They were basically feeling the physiology

526
00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:21,720
Speaker 1: and the physics of their own body. So there's these

527
00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:24,960
Speaker 1: different types of energy that we have in our body,

528
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:29,240
Speaker 1: and perhaps perhaps prana is all of those put together.

529
00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:31,960
Speaker 1: Now this is just like my theory. Maybe it will

530
00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:34,320
Speaker 1: change in time, but this is how I feel about it.

531
00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:38,440
Speaker 1: So we have these emotional charges, We have these uh

532
00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:44,480
Speaker 1: held emotional energies in our body, and they change, they

533
00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:48,960
Speaker 1: evolve and turn into electrical energy right through our nervous network,

534
00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:52,800
Speaker 1: this eloquent electric language that we have within us, so

535
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:55,520
Speaker 1: that now it's in our nervous system, and how our

536
00:32:55,560 --> 00:33:00,800
Speaker 1: brains fire, and how are muscles are connected to our

537
00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:04,480
Speaker 1: nerves and maybe how they hold tension. And then there's

538
00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:08,440
Speaker 1: also this mechanical energy and us we have these vibrating

539
00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:12,080
Speaker 1: cells within us that are all communicating through our body,

540
00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:15,160
Speaker 1: and they are affected by our lifestyle changes. So noga

541
00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:19,720
Speaker 1: affects your biochemistry, changes the way your cells released chemicals,

542
00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:22,600
Speaker 1: the way your brain releases chemicals. And then there's this

543
00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:26,239
Speaker 1: like sense of potential energy within us that that is

544
00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:30,720
Speaker 1: released from kinetic energy from movement from the poses or aucinas,

545
00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:34,040
Speaker 1: and we feel this flowing energy, this the blood and

546
00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:38,360
Speaker 1: the fluids circulating in our body. So maybe praana is

547
00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:40,640
Speaker 1: all of this, all these types of energy that I

548
00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:44,480
Speaker 1: learned about in physics class. Maybe the ancient yogis were

549
00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:48,440
Speaker 1: just feeling it and put a word to it and

550
00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:51,640
Speaker 1: called it vital life force energy. Yeah, I think I

551
00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,160
Speaker 1: think that's a that's a great point because obviously, you know,

552
00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:57,800
Speaker 1: sometimes we think about people in the ancient past and

553
00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:02,600
Speaker 1: we have we have a reluctant to attribute like, um,

554
00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:05,480
Speaker 1: you know, really modern consciousness to them and to to

555
00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:08,239
Speaker 1: realize that they would have you know, that they're obviously

556
00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:11,760
Speaker 1: capable of having you very deep thoughts and insights into

557
00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:14,279
Speaker 1: and to say what the body is doing even if

558
00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:17,520
Speaker 1: they don't have certainly the modern terminology or the the

559
00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:20,640
Speaker 1: English language terminology for for what's going on. I like

560
00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:25,279
Speaker 1: how you emphasize the Hans Saliers ninety six concept of

561
00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:29,840
Speaker 1: not only stress, but but you stress. Um, can you

562
00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:32,840
Speaker 1: explain the distinction and how it factors into yoga. Yeah,

563
00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:36,359
Speaker 1: we think stress is bad. Let me get rid of stress, right,

564
00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:40,440
Speaker 1: But I will tell you, although I do believe in

565
00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:43,640
Speaker 1: the power of yoga, it will not get rid of

566
00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:48,360
Speaker 1: your stress. What it will do is help change how

567
00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:54,719
Speaker 1: you perceive, experience and deal with stress, so that you

568
00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:59,760
Speaker 1: can deal with stress with a better attitude and more resilience.

569
00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:04,359
Speaker 1: So Hans Celier coined the term stress in ninety six,

570
00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:08,320
Speaker 1: and he described that as the body's response to change,

571
00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:11,680
Speaker 1: So not necessarily a bad thing as we talk about

572
00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:14,440
Speaker 1: it in the modern day. Now, there's two different types

573
00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:18,040
Speaker 1: of stress. There's you stress like the word euphoria that

574
00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:21,440
Speaker 1: that same thing root words like a good stress. And

575
00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:23,960
Speaker 1: then there's distress. That's what we think of in the

576
00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:27,560
Speaker 1: modern day. Right does that bad stress or I don't

577
00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,279
Speaker 1: even necessarily want to say bad stress. It's like a

578
00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:34,560
Speaker 1: real or imagine stress that puts pressure on your system,

579
00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:38,120
Speaker 1: that weighs down your system and puts this greater load

580
00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:44,600
Speaker 1: on it, that makes your organs work harder, that degrades

581
00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:50,879
Speaker 1: your brain tissue that ultimately leads to these lifestyle diseases.

582
00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:58,719
Speaker 1: These lifestyle diseases like heart disease and diabetes and um arthritis,

583
00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:03,440
Speaker 1: these things that start to affect not just start to

584
00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:09,680
Speaker 1: that are deeply affecting our society. So I say that

585
00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:13,680
Speaker 1: yoga can help you deal with that distress better and

586
00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:18,360
Speaker 1: not have as much imagined distress. So it's real or

587
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:25,920
Speaker 1: imagined stressors. Right like the paper tigers, right like we

588
00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:29,760
Speaker 1: feel like we're being chased by a saber tooth tiger

589
00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:33,719
Speaker 1: and we have the same physiological stress response as if

590
00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,360
Speaker 1: we are when we're about to go into a meeting,

591
00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:40,799
Speaker 1: and instead like it's probably going to be fine, your

592
00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:43,799
Speaker 1: your life is not in danger. You do not need

593
00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:48,840
Speaker 1: to release the same level of cortisol, a, stress hormones

594
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:54,400
Speaker 1: or adrenaline, yes, throughout the day. Not to criminalize adrenaline

595
00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:56,440
Speaker 1: or stress hormones, because throughout the day those go up

596
00:36:56,480 --> 00:36:58,439
Speaker 1: and down and we need to have them. We don't

597
00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,719
Speaker 1: want to be stress free. We actually need to have

598
00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:06,040
Speaker 1: stress to rise to the occasion. So instead, when I'm

599
00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:07,880
Speaker 1: about to go into a meeting or I'm about to

600
00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:11,920
Speaker 1: do a talk, maybe I can observe my heart beating

601
00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:17,040
Speaker 1: and my sweat as an indicator that this is something

602
00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:20,600
Speaker 1: that's important to me. Now, can I use my tools

603
00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:25,719
Speaker 1: of yoga to clear my mind to breathe deeply, make

604
00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:32,000
Speaker 1: sure I'm getting the proper breath for the awareness that

605
00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:36,080
Speaker 1: i need in the moment. Kelly McGonagall, a researcher, talks

606
00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:39,880
Speaker 1: about this that you can observe that stress response as

607
00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:43,440
Speaker 1: a good thing as your body rising to the occasion

608
00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:46,839
Speaker 1: to be able to handle that stress. So I think

609
00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:51,319
Speaker 1: that yoga and the mindset shift from yoga is that,

610
00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:53,799
Speaker 1: oh I can deal with the stress, and now I

611
00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:59,920
Speaker 1: have tools to not get into a spiraling down anxiety

612
00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:04,040
Speaker 1: in this stressful state. Instead, I can observe it and say, Okay,

613
00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:07,359
Speaker 1: this is hard, but like this could be turned into

614
00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,719
Speaker 1: a good type of stress, or maybe I can minimize

615
00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:15,359
Speaker 1: those those imagined stresses here in the moment through awareness,

616
00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:19,759
Speaker 1: through mindfulness, through deep breathing or opposed That helps me

617
00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:24,200
Speaker 1: feel more connected and aware. So in discussing the mind

618
00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:26,719
Speaker 1: and our you know, and and all sorts of perceptions

619
00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:30,920
Speaker 1: of stress and so forth, the brain itself. Can yoga

620
00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:36,520
Speaker 1: change the brain? Yes, it sure does. The electrical activity

621
00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:39,839
Speaker 1: and our brains changes, like in the moment when you

622
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:45,560
Speaker 1: are meditating or when you're doing mindful practice like yoga,

623
00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:50,000
Speaker 1: like movement with awareness. So you go from that alert

624
00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:55,560
Speaker 1: state where your mind is constantly balancing around that beta

625
00:38:55,719 --> 00:39:00,839
Speaker 1: brain waves to more alpha brain waves, which is relaxed

626
00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:04,120
Speaker 1: state of the mind where it's like you're about to

627
00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:07,040
Speaker 1: fall asleep. Yeah, the mind wanders a little here and there,

628
00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:12,520
Speaker 1: but it's lesser. So and then sometimes meditative practices can

629
00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:17,880
Speaker 1: even put us in a different electrical state, the data waves,

630
00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:22,040
Speaker 1: which are associated with creativity. And this is something really

631
00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:23,960
Speaker 1: common in kids they have a lot of theta waves,

632
00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:27,160
Speaker 1: but adults don't as much. But meditators can go into

633
00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:31,680
Speaker 1: that creative space more beyond that, Yoga in the short

634
00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:35,200
Speaker 1: term and in the long term affects what parts of

635
00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:38,399
Speaker 1: your brains are are firing. So in the short term

636
00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,399
Speaker 1: we can look and see that the areas of your

637
00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:46,279
Speaker 1: brain through these these awareness practices that are firing are,

638
00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:49,440
Speaker 1: for example, your prefrontal cortex that has to do with

639
00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:52,520
Speaker 1: that's the essence that makes us us as humans. It

640
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:58,760
Speaker 1: helps us plan and evaluate and regulate our emotions, and

641
00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:03,160
Speaker 1: that area yet increases with a lot of these practices

642
00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:07,760
Speaker 1: because we're focused, and over a long term that area

643
00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:11,400
Speaker 1: becomes measurably thicker, like we can look at it in

644
00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:14,320
Speaker 1: a scanner and see that you have more brain tissue

645
00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:17,880
Speaker 1: because you have more connections in that area. And to

646
00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:22,160
Speaker 1: maintain the brain connections in our prefrontal cortex is huge

647
00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:26,360
Speaker 1: because as we age, there's a natural degradation that occurs

648
00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:30,759
Speaker 1: with age. But if we can maintain that, then we

649
00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:36,960
Speaker 1: are basically like Sarah Lazar's researcher her she's a Harvard researcher,

650
00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:42,560
Speaker 1: and she shows that fifty year old meditators have key

651
00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:45,520
Speaker 1: brain structure similar to that of twenty five year old

652
00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:50,440
Speaker 1: non meditators. So this suggests, yeah, that meditation may slow

653
00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:52,919
Speaker 1: or even prevent some of the natural degradation of brain

654
00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:57,400
Speaker 1: tissue that happens with aging. So that is pretty huge.

655
00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:00,160
Speaker 1: Some other areas of your brain are down regular it,

656
00:41:00,320 --> 00:41:05,799
Speaker 1: so areas like your your fear center is down regulated.

657
00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:11,680
Speaker 1: And then your memory area, your hypocampus, builds more connections,

658
00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:15,760
Speaker 1: so you have more of a sense of being able

659
00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:18,279
Speaker 1: to recall things from the far past, but more of

660
00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:20,680
Speaker 1: a working memory, I think is what's really important to

661
00:41:20,719 --> 00:41:24,640
Speaker 1: a lot of people that improves through these meditative practices.

662
00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:28,239
Speaker 1: So through yoga and through meditation, see, all of these

663
00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:33,000
Speaker 1: changes are pretty profound. I don't know. I also like

664
00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:37,719
Speaker 1: the biochemical effects because we are seeing changes in the

665
00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:43,200
Speaker 1: chemistry of your brain. Uh. There is a type of

666
00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:51,400
Speaker 1: neurotransmitter called gabba that is basically something that counteracts anxiety

667
00:41:51,440 --> 00:41:56,399
Speaker 1: and stress symptoms. So when we are depressed or anxious,

668
00:41:56,680 --> 00:42:00,479
Speaker 1: a lot of the medications actually are increasing our gap levels.

669
00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:05,439
Speaker 1: They're affecting those Well, meditation does that and yoga does

670
00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:09,400
Speaker 1: that on its own. It increases gaba, which means that

671
00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:12,879
Speaker 1: you are more relaxed and you have less of those

672
00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:16,960
Speaker 1: stress and anxiety sort of symptoms. Also, serotonin one that

673
00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:23,080
Speaker 1: we we've all heard of that medications affect for depression

674
00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:26,200
Speaker 1: and anxiety, Well, that goes up from meditation and yoga,

675
00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:33,560
Speaker 1: and dopamine is a reward chemical that's regulated, that's regulated

676
00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:36,680
Speaker 1: through yoga and meditation, and then cortisol overall is reduced

677
00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:41,000
Speaker 1: that stressed hormone, and nor epinephrine or the adrenaline basically

678
00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:45,319
Speaker 1: is reduced overall from from yoga and meditation. So all

679
00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:49,719
Speaker 1: of these chemicals change. That's pretty awesome. I mean, that's

680
00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:52,960
Speaker 1: what the pharmaceutical companies don't want you to know is

681
00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:54,799
Speaker 1: that you can do a lot of this on your own.

682
00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:58,560
Speaker 1: And I'm not suggesting that we should not take medications.

683
00:42:58,600 --> 00:43:01,759
Speaker 1: We need it. There's a lot of additions that absolutely

684
00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:04,279
Speaker 1: need it or times in your life where you may

685
00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:07,960
Speaker 1: need it in order to get at that funk. But

686
00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:11,719
Speaker 1: yoga is being shown through the research to be excellent

687
00:43:11,880 --> 00:43:17,240
Speaker 1: agunt therapy to be used alongside whatever your medical team

688
00:43:17,320 --> 00:43:21,239
Speaker 1: and you decide is appropriate for you because it has

689
00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:25,400
Speaker 1: these same grain chemistry changes. I know. I want to

690
00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:28,920
Speaker 1: go back to discussions of of the the yoga community

691
00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:32,560
Speaker 1: and uh, you know, spiritualism and science and sometimes the

692
00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:36,600
Speaker 1: sort of budding of heads between the two. Uh. In

693
00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:40,520
Speaker 1: two thousand twelve, Put Prize winning New York Times science

694
00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:43,719
Speaker 1: writer William J. Broad's book The Science of Yoga, The

695
00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:46,600
Speaker 1: Risks and Rewards came out, and I thought it was

696
00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:49,480
Speaker 1: a very illuminating book. I read it when it came out,

697
00:43:49,520 --> 00:43:52,880
Speaker 1: and I appreciated the attention to historic and scientific detail.

698
00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:55,759
Speaker 1: But he also caught some criticism from some of the

699
00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:59,239
Speaker 1: yoga community. Uh do I think in large part two

700
00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:03,560
Speaker 1: discussions of injuries and uh and and really the risk

701
00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:08,320
Speaker 1: portion of that subtitle. What's what's your take on this? Well,

702
00:44:08,320 --> 00:44:11,000
Speaker 1: first of all, I agree that the historical aspects of

703
00:44:11,040 --> 00:44:14,920
Speaker 1: the book were really fascinating. It drew me in. But

704
00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:18,480
Speaker 1: it's funny. I was actually at a conference soon after

705
00:44:18,520 --> 00:44:20,480
Speaker 1: that book came out, and I was at the Symposium

706
00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:24,000
Speaker 1: of Yoga Research at Kripalu. So that's where all the

707
00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:26,719
Speaker 1: yoga researchers and the world get together. A nerd out

708
00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:30,760
Speaker 1: about the recent yoga research. And some of the researchers

709
00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:34,200
Speaker 1: who were interviewed in his book or whose researcher was

710
00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:40,480
Speaker 1: referred to in his book definitely felt misconstrued. The yoga community,

711
00:44:40,560 --> 00:44:43,800
Speaker 1: whether it be the mainstream yoga community or also the

712
00:44:43,880 --> 00:44:48,320
Speaker 1: yoga research community, felt misconstrued. And I would say the

713
00:44:48,680 --> 00:44:52,160
Speaker 1: reason being that that uh, yoga researchers tend to be

714
00:44:52,239 --> 00:44:56,480
Speaker 1: quite conservative in their claims and reasonable. And this book

715
00:44:56,520 --> 00:44:59,759
Speaker 1: is an editorial book versus mind was just like a

716
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,880
Speaker 1: reference book and an educational resource. So in this editorial

717
00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:08,719
Speaker 1: style often comes some sensationalizing, which I won't want lie

718
00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:10,520
Speaker 1: it really makes it interesting, and it makes it a

719
00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:13,560
Speaker 1: New York Times bestseller. So he actually put out an

720
00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:16,240
Speaker 1: article in the New York Times right when the book

721
00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:20,080
Speaker 1: was released called how Yoga Will Wreck Your Body? And

722
00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:24,279
Speaker 1: he does practice yoga, so he's not saying yoga is

723
00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:28,680
Speaker 1: actually bad, but that's sort of villain in station or

724
00:45:28,760 --> 00:45:33,600
Speaker 1: that sensationalizing. I don't think it's overall helpful for getting

725
00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:36,880
Speaker 1: yoga to the masses. So I think that that is

726
00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:39,600
Speaker 1: part of it. Um. I mean, there's a systematic review

727
00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:42,160
Speaker 1: on the safety of yoga. That a review is when

728
00:45:42,160 --> 00:45:44,080
Speaker 1: there's enough research so that we can look at it

729
00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:47,200
Speaker 1: and be like, Okay, here's what all of that research says.

730
00:45:47,520 --> 00:45:50,000
Speaker 1: And it shows that yoga is as safe, is not

731
00:45:50,200 --> 00:45:53,280
Speaker 1: safer than other forms of exercise. And I would argue

732
00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:55,600
Speaker 1: it's safer because we have that sense of present moment

733
00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:59,640
Speaker 1: awareness and and the philosophy of not harming yourself. So

734
00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:03,720
Speaker 1: that's one aspect of it. It's just kind of sensationalizing

735
00:46:03,800 --> 00:46:06,799
Speaker 1: any harm that could happen from yoga. There are some

736
00:46:06,800 --> 00:46:10,120
Speaker 1: some injuries with yoga, and I think it's important that

737
00:46:10,200 --> 00:46:12,719
Speaker 1: yoga teachers no ways to be safer. And I have

738
00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:16,200
Speaker 1: some things that you can as a practitioner or teacher

739
00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:20,800
Speaker 1: be able to understand the safety. In my book Science

740
00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:23,719
Speaker 1: of Yoga Compared to the Science of Yoga, I think

741
00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:26,520
Speaker 1: it confused a lot um, but in my book I

742
00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:28,960
Speaker 1: talk about that because I think it is important. However,

743
00:46:29,880 --> 00:46:33,359
Speaker 1: the number of injuries is pretty darn low. When we

744
00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:37,239
Speaker 1: look at how much yoga is practiced. It is overall

745
00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:42,800
Speaker 1: of really safe practice. Um And he was also pretty

746
00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:46,880
Speaker 1: critical of yoga therapy, which is my field, and it

747
00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:50,240
Speaker 1: is an emerging field. But now we have a clear

748
00:46:50,239 --> 00:46:55,920
Speaker 1: scope of practice and Veterans Affairs hospitals, the A hospitals

749
00:46:55,960 --> 00:46:59,640
Speaker 1: are hiring full time yoga therapists due to those success

750
00:46:59,640 --> 00:47:04,120
Speaker 1: and they search on PTSC and chronic pain, two issues

751
00:47:04,200 --> 00:47:08,279
Speaker 1: that veterans really can benefit from. So there is a

752
00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:13,080
Speaker 1: shift happening towards integrative and preventive health care, and the

753
00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:16,040
Speaker 1: International Association of Yoga Therapist has a seat at the table.

754
00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:21,040
Speaker 1: So since Broad has written that book, things have changed rapidly,

755
00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:24,560
Speaker 1: and they're continuing to change as more and more research

756
00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:27,200
Speaker 1: comes out now on the on the topic of of

757
00:47:27,200 --> 00:47:29,600
Speaker 1: of risks, You do have a section in your book

758
00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:34,760
Speaker 1: about cautions and uh that I found very insightful because

759
00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:37,440
Speaker 1: I think back to times where, you know, only a

760
00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:40,160
Speaker 1: couple of really mainly one or two times where I've

761
00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:44,040
Speaker 1: had some sort of minor um you know, uh, injury.

762
00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:47,960
Speaker 1: I guess from yoga. It's generally from times where I

763
00:47:48,160 --> 00:47:50,839
Speaker 1: was over zealous and I wasn't really approaching it with

764
00:47:50,920 --> 00:47:54,560
Speaker 1: the right mindset where I'm like, oh, I really, I've

765
00:47:54,600 --> 00:47:58,040
Speaker 1: got to have that bind. Like that bind looks so

766
00:47:58,040 --> 00:47:59,840
Speaker 1: so so great. I feel like if I could just

767
00:48:00,239 --> 00:48:03,560
Speaker 1: connect my my hands in this particular pose, I'll be

768
00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:05,440
Speaker 1: so happy. And then of course I pull something because

769
00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:08,000
Speaker 1: my body is not ready to do that. Uh. So

770
00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:11,160
Speaker 1: that that seems to be a part of the scenario,

771
00:48:11,280 --> 00:48:15,080
Speaker 1: right that we should just knowing what to do and

772
00:48:15,120 --> 00:48:18,480
Speaker 1: what not to do for our bodies. Right. Yeah, absolutely,

773
00:48:18,520 --> 00:48:20,680
Speaker 1: And that's why I work with a lot of people

774
00:48:20,719 --> 00:48:23,719
Speaker 1: are one on one because as a yoga therapist, I

775
00:48:23,760 --> 00:48:28,759
Speaker 1: am working with more the at risk populations, people with

776
00:48:29,080 --> 00:48:35,799
Speaker 1: joint replacements, chronic pain, severe arthright is, back issues, And

777
00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:38,840
Speaker 1: so I would suggest to people to if you feel

778
00:48:38,840 --> 00:48:41,080
Speaker 1: like you're not sure to get a one on one

779
00:48:41,120 --> 00:48:43,680
Speaker 1: teacher or a yoga therapist, but if you feel like

780
00:48:43,760 --> 00:48:46,800
Speaker 1: you can go to a group class, don't compare yourself

781
00:48:46,840 --> 00:48:50,360
Speaker 1: to other people in the room. Try to make sure

782
00:48:50,600 --> 00:48:53,680
Speaker 1: that you are on your little island of a yoga

783
00:48:53,719 --> 00:48:56,120
Speaker 1: mat and you were doing what is right for you.

784
00:48:56,120 --> 00:49:01,200
Speaker 1: You're not harming yourself. I think that is really important.

785
00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:03,160
Speaker 1: There are some key things you can do to not

786
00:49:03,239 --> 00:49:05,520
Speaker 1: get hurt, and I like to outload those things and

787
00:49:05,560 --> 00:49:08,280
Speaker 1: I teach teachers those things because I think it is important.

788
00:49:08,719 --> 00:49:11,440
Speaker 1: But I also don't want to sensationalize that aspect of

789
00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:17,000
Speaker 1: yoga because overall yoga is safe. Just don't push yourself

790
00:49:17,080 --> 00:49:20,560
Speaker 1: to your hard Now you already touched on at least

791
00:49:20,560 --> 00:49:22,080
Speaker 1: one yoga myth, and like I said in the in

792
00:49:22,120 --> 00:49:24,720
Speaker 1: the book, you you you do a bus of myths

793
00:49:24,719 --> 00:49:26,920
Speaker 1: here and there. You mentioned the kidneys already. Do you

794
00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:29,600
Speaker 1: have another great example that that you feel comes up

795
00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:33,440
Speaker 1: a bit too often. Yeah. I hear in yoga classes

796
00:49:33,520 --> 00:49:37,480
Speaker 1: sometimes it's said we're doing this twist to help you

797
00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:43,040
Speaker 1: ring out the toxins, or they describe a yoga class

798
00:49:43,040 --> 00:49:48,000
Speaker 1: like detoxifying after Thanksgiving or a night of drinking. And

799
00:49:48,840 --> 00:49:52,480
Speaker 1: I do not think that you were ringing out your

800
00:49:52,520 --> 00:49:56,839
Speaker 1: toxins by twisting. I I think also that I don't

801
00:49:56,880 --> 00:50:01,480
Speaker 1: like the philosophy of considering myself toxic. My body is

802
00:50:01,560 --> 00:50:07,239
Speaker 1: able to deal with toxins efficiently through the liver, filtering

803
00:50:07,320 --> 00:50:12,440
Speaker 1: them and by movement. I'm not stimulating my liver, not

804
00:50:12,480 --> 00:50:14,279
Speaker 1: as far as we know. Like, a liver is not

805
00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:17,520
Speaker 1: an organ that works by like squeezing it, Like that's

806
00:50:17,600 --> 00:50:21,919
Speaker 1: not what encourages this function. However, the digestive organs are.

807
00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:26,080
Speaker 1: They work by movement and squeezing them that helps the

808
00:50:26,200 --> 00:50:30,279
Speaker 1: process of parastalsis or the movement of food through the

809
00:50:30,320 --> 00:50:34,840
Speaker 1: digestive track through your rowels. So instead I might replace

810
00:50:34,880 --> 00:50:40,160
Speaker 1: that when we're twisting, as you are encouraging good digestion

811
00:50:40,640 --> 00:50:45,400
Speaker 1: and a flow to have good proper elimination. You're encouraging

812
00:50:45,480 --> 00:50:49,640
Speaker 1: that parastalsis. That is a true benefit. But I don't

813
00:50:49,640 --> 00:50:52,000
Speaker 1: know if I buy that you are ringing out to

814
00:50:52,080 --> 00:50:55,640
Speaker 1: the toxin, nor do I buy that that you are

815
00:50:55,760 --> 00:50:59,160
Speaker 1: toxic and you need to do something about it. I

816
00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:02,960
Speaker 1: think you are and perfect just as you are. You

817
00:51:03,120 --> 00:51:06,400
Speaker 1: do not need to detoxify yourself, And that is the

818
00:51:06,440 --> 00:51:10,759
Speaker 1: philosophy of yoga, is recognizing that fullness. Your body does

819
00:51:10,840 --> 00:51:14,000
Speaker 1: that naturally, So I think it's just best to focus

820
00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:16,959
Speaker 1: on what's actually happening. And what's actually happening is pretty

821
00:51:17,040 --> 00:51:20,279
Speaker 1: darn cool, so why not. So for anyone out there

822
00:51:20,280 --> 00:51:23,480
Speaker 1: who who has heard heard this interview and they're like, Okay,

823
00:51:23,520 --> 00:51:25,759
Speaker 1: I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna finally try yoga, and

824
00:51:25,760 --> 00:51:27,680
Speaker 1: they're going to go out somewhere and try it for

825
00:51:27,680 --> 00:51:31,160
Speaker 1: the first time, what advice do you have for them?

826
00:51:31,560 --> 00:51:34,360
Speaker 1: Don't feel like you need to be flexible or have

827
00:51:34,600 --> 00:51:38,560
Speaker 1: a certain body type. Most of the yoga research is

828
00:51:39,239 --> 00:51:42,960
Speaker 1: on the profound benefits for older adults and people's chronic diseases, Like,

829
00:51:43,000 --> 00:51:45,520
Speaker 1: anybody can do this, That's what their research is showing.

830
00:51:46,440 --> 00:51:49,680
Speaker 1: So it's not about you know, being able to put

831
00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:54,200
Speaker 1: your feet behind your ears. Like the research, if anything

832
00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:57,320
Speaker 1: is shows that it's about what's in between your ears

833
00:51:57,600 --> 00:52:00,920
Speaker 1: that is most profoundly affected. So I would say just

834
00:52:01,040 --> 00:52:06,160
Speaker 1: try it. Take a ten minute break of yoga at

835
00:52:06,200 --> 00:52:08,440
Speaker 1: work and do something in your chair. I have some

836
00:52:08,520 --> 00:52:12,799
Speaker 1: three videos on my website and Swanson Wellness dot com.

837
00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:16,520
Speaker 1: You can do these things right at work. Do yoga breaks.

838
00:52:16,680 --> 00:52:19,600
Speaker 1: So instead of going on a smoking break, take a

839
00:52:19,680 --> 00:52:23,120
Speaker 1: yoga break. You're gonna have even more benefits from doing

840
00:52:23,239 --> 00:52:27,680
Speaker 1: small practices throughout the day rather than a full sixty

841
00:52:27,680 --> 00:52:31,240
Speaker 1: minute practice. If that feels overwhelming to you, so actually

842
00:52:31,280 --> 00:52:33,160
Speaker 1: you're gonna get more from it if you can take

843
00:52:33,200 --> 00:52:37,520
Speaker 1: a five minute meditation here or two minute meditation there.

844
00:52:38,000 --> 00:52:40,719
Speaker 1: So I would say try it. If you don't like

845
00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:43,080
Speaker 1: a specific class, try another. Maybe get a one on

846
00:52:43,160 --> 00:52:46,520
Speaker 1: one teacher so that you can adapt it for your body.

847
00:52:47,040 --> 00:52:50,600
Speaker 1: And I feel like you can do small things because

848
00:52:50,600 --> 00:52:53,839
Speaker 1: the small things make a big difference. All right, looks

849
00:52:53,880 --> 00:52:55,640
Speaker 1: like it is time for a quick break, but we

850
00:52:55,680 --> 00:53:01,560
Speaker 1: will be right back with more. And we're back now.

851
00:53:01,560 --> 00:53:03,799
Speaker 1: Of course, when when someone tries out yoga for the

852
00:53:03,800 --> 00:53:05,440
Speaker 1: first time, at the second time, the third time, as

853
00:53:05,440 --> 00:53:07,359
Speaker 1: they tried different options. You know, they're again they're going

854
00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:12,440
Speaker 1: to encounter those you know, that intersection of science and spiritualism,

855
00:53:12,480 --> 00:53:14,960
Speaker 1: which which again is is I think one of the

856
00:53:15,000 --> 00:53:19,000
Speaker 1: most fascinating things going going on with yoga. Yeah. I'm

857
00:53:19,040 --> 00:53:22,320
Speaker 1: of the mind that you know that both are important.

858
00:53:22,560 --> 00:53:25,440
Speaker 1: The science has to be uh, you know, our skeptical bedrock,

859
00:53:25,520 --> 00:53:28,239
Speaker 1: but the spiritual modes of thinking can greatly improve the

860
00:53:28,320 --> 00:53:31,319
Speaker 1: human condition. How do how do you integrate the two

861
00:53:31,360 --> 00:53:34,719
Speaker 1: in your practice? Yeah? Absolutely, I want to emphasize that

862
00:53:35,200 --> 00:53:40,640
Speaker 1: science and spirituality do not have to be mutually exclusive. So,

863
00:53:40,840 --> 00:53:45,040
Speaker 1: like I said, I am a total hashtags science nerd,

864
00:53:45,120 --> 00:53:50,120
Speaker 1: hashtex cerial toil nerd. Get my millennial side in there. Um.

865
00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:53,120
Speaker 1: I work with people with chronic pain, anxiety, and sleep

866
00:53:53,160 --> 00:53:57,680
Speaker 1: issues because yoga therapy is so well student for these multifaceted,

867
00:53:57,960 --> 00:54:03,319
Speaker 1: complex lifestyle conditions, and it's that spiritual component that I

868
00:54:03,360 --> 00:54:07,359
Speaker 1: think really does serve people. So it's not only does

869
00:54:07,360 --> 00:54:14,480
Speaker 1: the scientific research suggest but that these these practices have benefits,

870
00:54:14,520 --> 00:54:20,280
Speaker 1: but also that their life changing. And that's what people

871
00:54:20,320 --> 00:54:22,880
Speaker 1: tell me, and that's my experience myself. People say to me,

872
00:54:23,960 --> 00:54:27,200
Speaker 1: this simple practice that you gave me, it literally changed

873
00:54:27,360 --> 00:54:29,759
Speaker 1: my life. And when somebody says life changing to me,

874
00:54:29,880 --> 00:54:33,560
Speaker 1: that represents a spiritual shift. But you may not be

875
00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:36,680
Speaker 1: comfortable towards spiritual and that's cool, Like you can replace it.

876
00:54:36,760 --> 00:54:38,960
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm embracing it, but you can replace it

877
00:54:39,000 --> 00:54:42,800
Speaker 1: to a mindset shift or a life of more purpose

878
00:54:43,160 --> 00:54:47,680
Speaker 1: and meaning. That's what I think yoga provides us or

879
00:54:47,760 --> 00:54:50,560
Speaker 1: can provide us. And one of my favorite quotes is

880
00:54:50,600 --> 00:54:54,279
Speaker 1: by Einstein. If I can read that, he says that

881
00:54:54,360 --> 00:54:57,640
Speaker 1: a human being is a part of a whole called

882
00:54:57,680 --> 00:55:02,040
Speaker 1: by us as a universe, a part limited in time

883
00:55:02,160 --> 00:55:06,960
Speaker 1: and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, is

884
00:55:07,000 --> 00:55:11,160
Speaker 1: something separate from the rest, a kind of optical delusion

885
00:55:12,080 --> 00:55:16,320
Speaker 1: of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison

886
00:55:16,400 --> 00:55:19,440
Speaker 1: for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to

887
00:55:19,640 --> 00:55:23,760
Speaker 1: affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task

888
00:55:23,880 --> 00:55:27,680
Speaker 1: must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening

889
00:55:27,719 --> 00:55:32,640
Speaker 1: our circle of compassion, to embrace all living creatures and

890
00:55:32,719 --> 00:55:36,880
Speaker 1: the whole of nature in its beauty. Yeah. To me,

891
00:55:36,960 --> 00:55:42,360
Speaker 1: that's what yoga helps me realize, is is that that interconnectedness,

892
00:55:42,440 --> 00:55:46,800
Speaker 1: that union, and I think that it can be both

893
00:55:47,320 --> 00:55:51,279
Speaker 1: science based and have research to support it and have

894
00:55:51,600 --> 00:55:57,239
Speaker 1: that spiritual component, that deeper sense of connection simultaneously. Well,

895
00:55:57,640 --> 00:55:59,879
Speaker 1: we we talked about this before we went to went

896
00:56:00,080 --> 00:56:02,719
Speaker 1: on the air. Here, if you will, you gave us

897
00:56:02,719 --> 00:56:08,680
Speaker 1: this example of the fake meditation, the fake mindfulness exercise earlier. Um,

898
00:56:08,960 --> 00:56:11,879
Speaker 1: so we're gonna see if you can close out here

899
00:56:11,920 --> 00:56:15,600
Speaker 1: for us with an example of an actual mindfulness exercise

900
00:56:15,719 --> 00:56:18,920
Speaker 1: that our our listeners can also participate in. Absolutely And

901
00:56:18,960 --> 00:56:22,520
Speaker 1: you mean remember me mentioning earlier that the sound of

902
00:56:22,560 --> 00:56:25,319
Speaker 1: home stimulates the biggest nerve and puts you in that

903
00:56:25,400 --> 00:56:29,960
Speaker 1: rest to digest state. Well, ancient Yogi is also intuited

904
00:56:30,200 --> 00:56:35,400
Speaker 1: that elongating your exhales puts you into that relaxed state,

905
00:56:35,800 --> 00:56:40,080
Speaker 1: and it actually does. It stimulates your biggest nerve also,

906
00:56:40,560 --> 00:56:44,280
Speaker 1: so you can go into a deeper relaxation state quicker

907
00:56:44,400 --> 00:56:46,839
Speaker 1: if you along at your exhales. I think it's pretty

908
00:56:46,880 --> 00:56:49,600
Speaker 1: cool they intuited that. And now we have a name

909
00:56:49,640 --> 00:56:52,120
Speaker 1: for respiratory scinus or with meia like not that you

910
00:56:52,200 --> 00:56:54,279
Speaker 1: need to know the name, but that I have an

911
00:56:54,320 --> 00:56:57,120
Speaker 1: actual name for it in the modern scientific day. So

912
00:56:57,280 --> 00:56:59,920
Speaker 1: let's practice it for ourselves. You if you're like driving

913
00:57:00,000 --> 00:57:01,439
Speaker 1: are out in the world. You can have your eyes

914
00:57:01,480 --> 00:57:05,040
Speaker 1: open and continue on your day doing this, or if

915
00:57:05,080 --> 00:57:07,799
Speaker 1: you are comfortable at home, you're welcome to sit or

916
00:57:07,840 --> 00:57:10,600
Speaker 1: stand tall and pause for a moment, maybe even close

917
00:57:10,640 --> 00:57:21,400
Speaker 1: your eyes if that's comfortable. Notice your natural breath to begin. Now,

918
00:57:21,480 --> 00:57:26,240
Speaker 1: I'd like you to bring your breath down. What I

919
00:57:26,280 --> 00:57:30,880
Speaker 1: mean by that is allow your belly to move more

920
00:57:31,000 --> 00:57:35,240
Speaker 1: with your breath, to expand with the inhales and release

921
00:57:35,840 --> 00:57:38,840
Speaker 1: down and in with the exhales. Maybe want to put

922
00:57:38,840 --> 00:57:43,160
Speaker 1: your hands on your belly to feel and allow that.

923
00:57:47,960 --> 00:57:55,000
Speaker 1: Begin to elongate your exhale, trying to let as much

924
00:57:55,040 --> 00:57:59,640
Speaker 1: of the breath out with each exhale without forcing m

925
00:58:01,000 --> 00:58:15,680
Speaker 1: You may be deepening your breath. That's good. Maybe even

926
00:58:15,760 --> 00:58:25,640
Speaker 1: listen to your breath as you do this. You may

927
00:58:25,680 --> 00:58:28,920
Speaker 1: hear all the sounds around you and whatever environment you're in,

928
00:58:31,520 --> 00:58:35,040
Speaker 1: but focus on your breath in the foreground, feeling it,

929
00:58:36,800 --> 00:58:42,040
Speaker 1: sensing it, hearing it as you elongate your exhales for

930
00:58:42,840 --> 00:59:06,600
Speaker 1: five more deep breaths, finishing off these breaths. As you

931
00:59:06,680 --> 00:59:12,800
Speaker 1: finish them, notice how your body feels in the state

932
00:59:12,840 --> 00:59:16,960
Speaker 1: of your mind from just a minute or two of

933
00:59:17,040 --> 00:59:25,760
Speaker 1: awareness and simply elongating your exhales. Your eyes are closed,

934
00:59:25,800 --> 00:59:32,480
Speaker 1: you can gently open them. Thank you so much, Robert

935
00:59:32,600 --> 00:59:35,080
Speaker 1: for having me on the show. Oh, thank you for

936
00:59:35,560 --> 00:59:39,600
Speaker 1: joining us and discussing yoga and discussing your book. Absolutely,

937
00:59:39,640 --> 00:59:43,400
Speaker 1: And if people are interested in the research, I have

938
00:59:44,080 --> 00:59:47,840
Speaker 1: a reference guide on my website, Science of Dot Yoga,

939
00:59:48,440 --> 00:59:50,919
Speaker 1: and you can download it and click right to these

940
00:59:50,920 --> 00:59:53,480
Speaker 1: research studies. So if you're interested in not only my

941
00:59:53,520 --> 00:59:55,880
Speaker 1: book the Simple Ways, but being able to dive in

942
00:59:56,000 --> 00:59:59,240
Speaker 1: and see for yourself as you ask why why why,

943
00:59:59,280 --> 01:00:04,080
Speaker 1: I have those on www jot Science of Dot Yoga. Excellent.

944
01:00:04,600 --> 01:00:07,560
Speaker 1: All right, thanks, all right, good bye, all right, So

945
01:00:07,640 --> 01:00:10,640
Speaker 1: there you have it, um again. The book is Science

946
01:00:10,680 --> 01:00:14,360
Speaker 1: of Yoga, Understand the anatomy and physiology to perfect your practice.

947
01:00:14,360 --> 01:00:16,800
Speaker 1: It came out this year, in twenty nineteen, and it's

948
01:00:16,800 --> 01:00:19,919
Speaker 1: available I think pretty much all formats and in different languages. Again,

949
01:00:19,960 --> 01:00:23,560
Speaker 1: it's a gorgeous book. The layout in illustration and the

950
01:00:23,560 --> 01:00:26,560
Speaker 1: content itself is fabulous. And you can check out Anne's

951
01:00:26,600 --> 01:00:30,040
Speaker 1: website at and Swanson Wellness dot com. And if you

952
01:00:30,080 --> 01:00:32,439
Speaker 1: want more episodes of Stuff to Blow your Mind, heading

953
01:00:32,520 --> 01:00:34,240
Speaker 1: overs Stuff to Blow your Mind dot com, that's where

954
01:00:34,240 --> 01:00:36,160
Speaker 1: you'll find our show. If you want to check out Invention,

955
01:00:36,400 --> 01:00:39,160
Speaker 1: you'll find that at invention pod dot com. And you

956
01:00:39,240 --> 01:00:42,600
Speaker 1: also just find the show wherever you get podcasts these days,

957
01:00:42,640 --> 01:00:45,280
Speaker 1: and wherever that may happen to be. Sprinkle a few

958
01:00:45,320 --> 01:00:48,200
Speaker 1: stars are away, leave a nice review that really helps

959
01:00:48,280 --> 01:00:51,200
Speaker 1: us out huge thanks as always to our excellent audio

960
01:00:51,240 --> 01:00:54,040
Speaker 1: producer Seth Nicholas Johnson. If you would like to get

961
01:00:54,080 --> 01:00:56,120
Speaker 1: in touch with us with feedback on this episode or

962
01:00:56,120 --> 01:00:58,440
Speaker 1: any other, to suggest a topic for the future, just

963
01:00:58,560 --> 01:01:01,880
Speaker 1: to say hello, you can email us at contact at

964
01:01:01,960 --> 01:01:11,520
Speaker 1: stuff to Blow your Mind dot com. Stuff to Blow

965
01:01:11,560 --> 01:01:13,320
Speaker 1: Your Mind is a production of I Heart Radios How

966
01:01:13,320 --> 01:01:15,840
Speaker 1: Stuff Works. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit

967
01:01:15,840 --> 01:01:18,640
Speaker 1: the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen

968
01:01:18,680 --> 01:01:31,640
Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.