Jenni Rawlings | Yoga & Movement

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Should We Always Listen to Our Body?

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Video version of Episode 38:


Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss what research suggests about whether we should truly “always listen to our body”.

Points of discussion include:

  • A review of interoception

  • Do yoga & mindfulness practices actually improve interoception?

  • What’s the connection between interoception and anxiety?

  • Does what we feel in our body necessarily reflect what is actually taking place in our body?

  • Do feelings of back stiffness correlate to actual biomechanical back stiffness?

  • The conundrum of treating pain in a rehab context when pain does not necessarily correlate with tissue damage

  • Should rehab exercises be painful or not painful?

  • Is the sensation we feel at the end of a stretch an accurate reflection of the mechanical end range of our tissue’s length?

  • What role does interoception play in athletic performance?

  • Do elite runners have better interoception than non-runners?

  • …And much more!

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


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Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

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

Research study: Feeling stiffness in the back: a protective perceptual inference in chronic back pain

Research study: Interoceptive differences in elite sprint and long-distance runners: A multidimensional investigation

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.