What Madonna’s Yoga Instructor Can Teach Us About Gut Health
Jun 3, 2021
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NYC-based yoga teacher Eddie Stern, known for high-profile clients like Madonna, shares insights on yoga beyond poses. He discusses the link between yoga, gut health, and daily practices for lasting change. Topics include Patanjali's sutras, gut analysis, benefits of daily yoga, advanced breathing techniques, and the shift to Zoom yoga classes during the pandemic.
Yoga goes beyond poses to connect with true self through restraining the mind and engaging body, breath, surrender.
Pure food, digestion techniques from yoga can positively impact gut health by promoting mental clarity, strong memory.
Deep dives
Understanding Yoga Philosophy and Practice
Yoga, as explained by Eddie Stern, delves into the ancient tradition of Patanjali's teachings, emphasizing a practice of eliminating extraneous mental activities to connect with one's true self. Through methods like Kriya Yoga and the Ashtanga Yoga's eight limbs, practitioners aim to restrain the mind by engaging the body, breath, and surrender. This profound definition of yoga goes beyond physical postures, serving as a pathway to self-realization and awareness.
The Link Between Yoga and Gut Health
Eddie Stern explores how yoga can positively impact gut health by emphasizing the importance of diet, digestion, and mental clarity. Highlighting verses from the Upanishads, he illustrates the significance of pure food for a clear mind and strong memory. Through various yoga practices like Naoli, Uddhiana Kriya, and Ashwini Mudra, practitioners can massage the intestines, enhance digestion, and promote overall digestive well-being.
Stress Reduction and Inflammation Control through Yoga
Eddie Stern discusses the role of yoga in managing stress, inflammation, and chronic health issues. By engaging in slow breathing practices like resonance breathing, individuals can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, regulate heart rate variability, and promote homeostasis in the body. These practices help reduce chronic inflammation, improve cardiovascular health, and shift the body into a repair and restore mode, showcasing yoga's therapeutic benefits on a physiological level.
The Community Impact and Accessibility of Yoga
The podcast explores the significance of community support in yoga practice and the accessible approach taken during the pandemic. As Eddie Stern shifted classes online, he embraced a donation-based model to ensure inclusivity and diversity. By removing financial barriers, individuals worldwide can participate in yoga classes, fostering a sense of togetherness and making the practice more widely available and communal.
Can regular people use yoga to improve their gut health with just a moment or two of practice each day?
Eddie Stern says yes. Eddie is a NYC-based yoga teacher, author and lecturer whose clients have included Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mike D, Lou Reed, and many more.
On this episode, Eddie and Andrea discuss what yoga is (it’s not just poses!), the easiest entry point into yoga and how you might expect your gut to improve with a regular practice.
They also discuss Eddie’s belief that long-term, life-changing practices start with teeny, incremental daily steps, and he introduces us to a way that nearly guarantees success in starting a yoga and mindfulness practice.
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