In this episode, I visit with Tiffany Cruikshank, a global Yoga-teaching force in and of herself. We connect around how Yoga bridges the Eastern medicine energetics into Western Yoga students’ lives. See how she’s upleveling the physiology and anatomy training in the Yoga teachers she certifies.

I rap with Tiffany Cruikshank about Anatomy for Yoga Teachers:

• How Yoga is about noticing what works
• Longevity vs. short-term health
• Why teens need Yoga for discipline + dedication
• How Yoga Medicine came about
• How our Yoga practices have changed over time

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

• Why it’s important to get out of “pill and a bill” mode and into holistic care — looking at the whole person and who that person is — when you’re looking for or need to guide health improvements
• How looking at yourself and at illness like they’re trees can help you see the bigger picture of symptoms and wellness, from root to branches
• An understanding of what exponential value is in the scope of health and why it’s important
• What happens when East meets West in blending Yoga, Chinese Medicine, and Ayurveda
• Why you need to leave room for inquiry in personal practice

Links:

• Yoga Medicine Site
• Meditate Your Weight by Tiffany Cruikshank

Show Notes:

• 2:39 — The “big picture” approach is the best way to look at yourself or someone you’re trying to help, and Eastern medicine can provide a blend of techniques that make doing this much more effective.
• 8:27 — The nature of healing and recovery is not a “quick fix.” They’re slow paths, and climbing out of the depths can take a long time — a speed we’re not accustomed to in this day and age.
• 13:34 — Tiffany shares her motivation, how she created her methodology, and how they both have morphed.
• 18:07 — We’re facing an overwhelming inundation of information these days, and it’s hard to know what’s really healthy and what works. We need mindfulness while we investigate.
• 24:10 — One of the most powerful things about Yoga is that it lets you live in the moment and focus on how you feel right now, not worry about how you felt yesterday.
• 30:24 — People get confused when they first enter the Yoga world. They want to know a cut-and-dry “right way” to do things, but it’s not that easy. For Tiffany, teaching anatomy and physiology to students, and letting them decide, is what Yoga Medicine is all about. Part of respecting each individual is not having a “right way” to do things.
• 32:21 — How do our practices and businesses need to change to support who we’re becoming next?

Favorite Quotes:

• “We can take some of these concepts from Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda that are really relevant to Yoga and our students to get back inside the big picture.”
• “We know when something’s wrong, but we often forget as things get better.”
• “Listening is a form of compassion.”
• “Healthcare providers always feel like we have to have all the answers and know everything. The reality is, we don’t know everything. Science doesn’t know everything.”
• “Can I take care of myself without ruminating and obsessing about it and still allow myself to appreciate the moment?”

BIO:

Tiffany Cruikshank is an internationally renowned Yoga instructor who has  spent the past 20 years crafting  a methodology for teaching and practicing  Yoga. In these methods, the practice is melded with Eastern and Western notions of  medicine. Cruikshank’s teachings are held up by her work as a holistic health  practitioner, acupuncturist, and sports medicine expert. Based in Seattle,  Cruikshank teaches regularly for YogaGlo and travels extensively around  the world. She’s also the author of Meditate Your Weight.  Her approach has helped thousands of Yogis around the world see their  practice in a new light as a result of Cruikshank’s innovative thinking and  dedication to the practice.