LYT

Category: Podcasts

  • 637. Wednesday Q&A: The Pelvic Floor Episode!

    637. Wednesday Q&A: The Pelvic Floor Episode!

     

    Welcome to Wednesday Q&A, where you ask questions and we answer them!

     

    In this Wednesday Q&A, we answer your questions about the pelvic floor. 

     

    Your questions:

    • How does prolonged sitting and poor posture impact the pelvic floor muscles and pelvic health?
    • Can you explain the difference between a tight, high-tone pelvic floor and a strong pelvic floor? What are the options to decrease tightness or tone? What do you do if you always feel some tension in the pelvic floor? 
    • How does breathing affect the pelvic floor? Is pranayama part of LYT? 
    • Sometimes my anal region spasms for 30 minutes. Why? 
    • How much do the proximal hamstrings affect the pelvic floor?
    • How do you find neutral pelvis when you’re constantly tight in other areas with poor posture and muscle tone?
    • What’s your take on pelvic floor engagement/training during pregnancy? How can you feel if your pelvic floor is too engaged?

     

    To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/

     

    Do you have a question?

     

    Sponsors:

  • 636. Monthly Motivation: Making Time to Move & The Science of Why We Should

    636. Monthly Motivation: Making Time to Move & The Science of Why We Should

     

    Join Lara for a deep dive into the science of why we should be moving more. She is here to help anyone who is either struggling to get moving, struggling to stay moving, or just wants to move more and to really understand the science behind it and let that help you encode the importance of moving. So listen in to get inspired and then get moving!

     

    In this episode Lara will discuss:

    • why we are not moving enough.
    • why we should move more.
    • research that points to the fact that we need to move more and how it impacts us.
    • how we can implement more movement if we are struggling to get moving or struggling to stay moving.

     

    To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/

     

    Connect with Lara Heimann, The Redefining Yoga Podcast, and LYT Yoga

    Lara Heimann Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lara.heimann/ 

    Redefining Yoga Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/redefiningyogapodcast/ 

    LYT Yoga Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lytyogamethod/

     

    Sponsor:

    Check out and sign up for LYT Daily and LYT Prime, including our 2-week FREE trial of each here:

    https://lytyoga.uscreen.io/

  • 635. Photography, Conservation, & Kindness with Marcus Westberg

    635. Photography, Conservation, & Kindness with Marcus Westberg

     

    Join Lara for a conversation with Marcus Westberg, a Swedish photographer and storyteller, focusing on conservation and travel. ​​Marcus is a multiple-award-winning conservation photojournalist and travel writer and photographer, whose work is regularly featured in publications such as the NY Times, Washington Post Magazine, the Guardian, BBC Wildlife Magazine, and Africa Geographic. He divides his time between working for conservation non-profits in Africa, travel assignments around the world, and, lately, documenting deforestation in his native Sweden. He is also married to the wonderful LYT-certified yoga teacher Jessica. He’s interested in, and frequently writes about, topics like kindness, curiosity, mindfulness, and the importance of good intentions.

     

    In this episode, you’ll learn about:

    • how Marcus got into photography and journalism.
    • the role photography can play in conservation efforts. 
    • conservation issues in different countries.
    • the impact of education on conservation efforts and ways to address conservation issues.

     

    To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/

     

    Guest Resources:

     

    Connect with Lara Heimann, The Redefining Yoga Podcast, and LYT Yoga

     

    Sponsor: 

  • 634. Wednesday Q&A: Recommendations for Parkinson’s Diagnosis, Modifications for Kidney Donors/Recipients, & Foot/Ankle Positioning in Hip Openers

    634. Wednesday Q&A: Recommendations for Parkinson’s Diagnosis, Modifications for Kidney Donors/Recipients, & Foot/Ankle Positioning in Hip Openers

     

    Welcome to Wednesday Q&A, where you ask questions and we answer them!

     

    In this Wednesday Q&A, we answer your questions about recommendations for someone diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and working hard to stay healthy post-diagnosis, how the LYT practice should be modified for kidney donors/recipients, and more information about the optimal angles of the ankle for certain hip opening poses.

     

    Your questions:

    • I’m 52, have practiced yoga for 25 years, and got certified to teach in 2008. Have dealt with sciatica and weakness on my left side, a stiff neck and trunk, as well as dystonia in my left hand over the last few years. Was diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease at the end of the year. As you often say, a diagnosis is a blessing and a curse. Taking carbidopa-levodopa several times a day, which helps with the stiffness. As the only proven strategy for slowing the progression of PD is intense exercise, I’ve been doubling down on my LYT practice and it’s currently helping. Any other suggestions? I plan to seek out OT for my hands but feel like my PT needs are being addressed by LYT right now? Thoughts? My understanding is that PD diagnoses are on the rise, so I thought this might resonate with others. 
    • I work with a couple, both in their early sixties, the woman donated her husband a kidney. The operation was last September. She suffered more. She’s literally destroyed and bloated belly. He takes strong medications to keep the organ. Would you recommend special exercises or to adapt the reset and the structure of LYT?
    • What is the foot and ankle positioning in a seated twist, easy twist, or pigeon that best supports the knee? And is it in fact causing the tibia or fibula to jam into the knee, depending on the foot and ankle?

     

    To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/

     

    Do you have a question?

     

    Sponsors:

  • 631. Pelvic Health with Physical Therapists Dr. Ashley Newton and Becky Keller

    631. Pelvic Health with Physical Therapists Dr. Ashley Newton and Becky Keller

     

    Join Lara for a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation with physical therapists Dr. Ashley Newton and Becky Keller, both pelvic health specialists. This is a must-listen episode!

     

    Ashley is a LYT yoga instructor and pelvic health physical therapist. She got into this specialty because she found that her patients had pain, sexual health, and urinary health issues that she was unable to help with. She saw it as a way to provide people with the power to care for themselves and to help people talk about taboo topics without shame or judgment. 

     

    Becky is a physical therapist with over 20 years experience and has specialized in pelvic health physical therapy since 2009. She got into this field because of her interest in the human body and wanting to understand the missing piece of the puzzle regarding the core, sacroiliac area, and pelvic floor. She saw a need for these services as millions of people experience pelvic health concerns, including urinary incontinence and constipation, across all genders and ages. She is grateful for the knowledge she has gained and how she can impact someone’s intimate and human body function level. One of her passions is utilizing Low Pressure Fitness (LPF)  hypopressives movement system for her pelvic health clients as well as for clients to improve their fitness and wellness. 

     

    In this episode, you’ll learn about:

    • pelvic anatomy and the sexual response cycle.
    • how tension in the body can affect sexual function and tips for reducing tension.
    • how sex should not cause pain, and discomfort during sex is not normal. 
    • what can cause deficits in sexual function.
    • the difference between gripping and activation, specifically in regards to breathing, the pelvic floor, and the abdominal muscles.
    • the LYT Reset – the initial portion of any LYT yoga class, focused on neutralizing imbalances in the body, improving posture, and rewiring habits through improved neuromuscular activation.
    • Low Pressure Fitness (LPF) – a series of breathing and postural exercises that safely strengthen your deepest core muscles.

     

    To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/

    Guest Resources:

     

    Connect with Lara Heimann, The Redefining Yoga Podcast, and LYT Yoga

     

    Sponsor:

  • 632. Wednesday Q&A: Slipped & Herniated Disc Recommendations & High Lumbar Hinge

    632. Wednesday Q&A: Slipped & Herniated Disc Recommendations & High Lumbar Hinge

     

    Welcome to Wednesday Q&A, where you ask questions and we answer them!

     

    In this Wednesday Q&A, we answer your questions about what exercises are appropriate for during and after recovery from both slipped and herniated discs and the impacts a large belly can have on our spine and overall movement patterns. 

     

    Your questions:

    • My husband recently tried to move a heavy chair and within less than a second he collapsed forward and couldn’t move. After visiting the E.R. and having an MRI, we now know that he has three herniated disks, one lower thoracic and two lumbar, and spinal degeneration. He loves exercise and in the past was a runner and loved high-intensity plyometrics. He feels as though he will never be able to do these things again. Do you have any thoughts on appropriate exercise for recovery – he loves a good sweat and core work he can do without causing back pain – and whether or not he will ever get back to where he once was? 
    • I’ve slipped a disc, L5-S1. Have started physio now. What exercises would you recommend?
    • I have observed many men that get large bellies appear to have a high lumbar hinge. Is this similar to pregnant women who, during pregnancy, develop a higher lumbar hinge between T12 and L1? Is the large belly that some men develop similar to pregnancy and does it have the same effects that a pregnant belly would have?

     

    To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/

     

    Do you have a question?

     

    Sponsor:

  • 631. Compassion to Action with kindcore founder Mark Heimann

    631. Compassion to Action with kindcore founder Mark Heimann

     

    Today is National Random Acts of Kindness Day! Join Lara for a conversation with her husband, Mark Heimann, about his non-profit organization kindcore. Mark, an actor with a master’s degree in humane education from the Institute of Humane Education, believes that kindness is what makes society thrive. It is important in today’s world because of the growing trend of divisiveness. 

     

    Kindcore is a company that aims to bridge the gap between compassion and action, providing resources for parents, guardians, and teachers to help spread kindness and encourage learning about humane education. They are committed to educating young people about the wide-ranging impact of a single kind act. The company was founded by Mark and his and Lara’s son, Jonah, who wanted to provide a resource for parents to inspire kindness in their kids.

     

    In this episode you’ll learn:

    • what is humane education?
    • why is kindness so important in the world? 
    • how is kindcore helping to inspire and create more kindness? And how can you get involved?
    • more information about the four different areas of acts of kindness: environmental, human, animal, and self-love.

     

    To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/

     

    Guest Resources

     

    Connect with Lara Heimann, The Redefining Yoga Podcast, and LYT Yoga

     

    Sponsor:

  • 630. Wednesday Q&A: Shoulder Blade Movement, Osgood-Schlatter’s Knee, & Working For Yourself Tips

    630. Wednesday Q&A: Shoulder Blade Movement, Osgood-Schlatter’s Knee, & Working For Yourself Tips

     

    Welcome to Wednesday Q&A, where you ask questions and we answer them!

     

    In this Wednesday Q&A, we answer your questions about the movement of the shoulder blades, Osgood-Schlatter’s knee pain, and tips about working for yourself. 

     

    Your questions:

    • I’m not clear as to how the shoulder blades need to upwardly rotate, but at the same time, I thought I’ve heard over and over again to lean into them.
    • My husband has Osgood-Schlatter’s knee in one knee. He’s had it since he was a teenager, but it has definitely become larger since we’ve been in the U.S. Is there anything he can do for it? We are hiking a lot, so maybe it’s aggravated. He started doing some yoga with me today, but found it hard being on his knees, and when we modified I think it was just too uncomfortable. 
    • I’ve been working for others for a number of years in health care, and I want to work for myself. I’d love to know your tips for working for yourself.

     

    To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/

     

    Do you have a question?

     

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