LYT

Category: Wednesday Q&A

  • 641. Wednesday Q&A: Tips for Confidence, Retraining Weak Glutes, & LYT to Rebalance Your Nervous System

    641. Wednesday Q&A: Tips for Confidence, Retraining Weak Glutes, & LYT to Rebalance Your Nervous System

     

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

     

    In this Wednesday Q&A, we answer your questions about tips for teaching confidence, retraining weak glutes after hip replacements, and LYT Yoga to rebalance your nervous system. 

     

    Your questions:

    • Tips for confidence? I’m the only LYT teacher in the studio. For example, a student leaving during class. 
    • I have a question about a new student who tripped and broke her femur in the summer. She’s in her sixties and had gotten both hips replaced maybe two years before she fell. She’s been doing PT for a while and we just started doing privates once a week. I have a general idea of what to do from level two training and Google, but would love any tips or advice. She’s not as tight as I assume she would be, but her glutes are super weak. She also has some pretty intense scars from her most recent hip surgery and redo of her hip replacement. 
    • Michelle wonders what a what would a LYT class yin-style look like? How would the conversation of the body feel in LYT, maybe blissful? We have Bliss classes, but Bliss feels focused on the restorative aspect of movement.

     

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

     

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  • 639. Wednesday Q&A: Glute Activation, Long Thoracic Nerve Palsy, & Whole-Food Diet

    639. Wednesday Q&A: Glute Activation, Long Thoracic Nerve Palsy, & Whole-Food Diet

     

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

     

    In this Wednesday Q&A, we answer your questions about glute activation in movements, whether Bikram yoga is advisable when you have long thoracic nerve palsy, and the meaning of a whole-food diet. 

     

    Your questions:

    • From Conor Harris on Instagram: When I hear that squeezing your glutes will help them grow or activate more… Hold up! One of the biggest myths in the fitness industry is that more sensation equals more and better activation of the muscles, so what you should feel after Taco Bell and not every hip-dominant exercise. So the problem with actively squeezing your glutes throughout an exercise is that you are going to keep them in a shortened position throughout the entire movement. Take a hip thrust, for example… the bottom position of the hip thrust is one of hip internal rotation where the back of the pelvis opens up and the glutes stretch. The push shortens the glutes as they close off the back of the pelvis and create hip extension and external rotation. This stretch to contract is a huge driver of mechanical tension and muscle damage needed for hypertrophy. Because the glutes wrap around the pelvis and attach on the femur, opening the outlet for the stretch is key. This applies to many different exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and even more basic glute bridges.
      So what he’s saying is muscles should activate and contract because they are moving to create a necessary joint position. Keeping the muscle in a shortened position will not only throw off the mechanics of the joint, but limit your gains around it. So he’s going to say that’s why you shouldn’t keep a band around your legs while you’re going it like holding it there while doing bridges. You shouldn’t be doing the sidestepping, keeping that tension because you’re keeping the muscles in a shortened position. What are your last thoughts about this?
    • Do you think Bikram is good to do when I have a long thoracic nerve palsy? I’ve had it many, many, many years ago and it seems like it just acted up again. 
    • Do you have an explanation of what it means to eat a whole-food diet? I think a lot of people don’t understand what that means and why it makes a difference in your body. 

     

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

     

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  • 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?

     

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  • 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?

     

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  • 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?

     

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  • 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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  • 628. Wednesday Q&A: Wrist Strength, Heart-Opening, & Proprioception

    628. Wednesday Q&A: Wrist Strength, Heart-Opening, & Proprioception

     

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

     

    In this Wednesday Q&A, we answer your questions about how to develop wrist strength, heart-opening yoga poses, and improving proprioception.

     

    Your questions:

    • I was gifted a set of Wrist Buddy yoga blocks. I do have some discomfort in my wrists occasionally, in crow or handstand, but I’m unsure if these are a good or safe solution. Do you recommend them or what do you suggest to strengthen wrists and take some of the pressure off during hand-balanced poses?
    • What does it mean if a pose is heart-opening and what are the benefits?
    • What helps to improve proprioception? 

     

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

     

    Do you have a question?

     

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

    https://lytyoga.uscreen.io/

  • 625. Wednesday Q&A: Yin Yoga, Postpartum Joint Pain, & Twisting With Breath

    625. Wednesday Q&A: Yin Yoga, Postpartum Joint Pain, & Twisting With Breath

     

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

     

    In this Wednesday Q&A, we answer your questions about yin yoga, postpartum joint pain, and twisting with breath. 

     

    Your questions:

    • You advise against doing yin yoga because it does not generate any added value that another style of yoga would not. Yoga teacher Josh Somers claims that yin yoga stretches the tissues, which is not possible with any other yoga style, because once the muscle is engaged, the tissues are not stretched as they are when the muscle is relaxed. If I understand him right, Josh Somers is not referring to the stretching of muscles or ligaments, but to the stretching of tissue and the benefits that go with it. I was wondering what your opinion is on this.
    • Have you seen postpartum joint pain? 
    • Can you explain why in quadruped when you twist you exhale to rotate open and inhale to return back to center?

     

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

     

    Do you have a question?

     

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