Should We Always Listen to Our Body?

Yoga Meets Movement Science

Mar 21 2023 • 1 hr 23 mins

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!

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.

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