YogaBrain Sabbi Lall

In this episode we discuss emotion in practice and the role of the amygdala, part of the brain linked to emotion, with guests Marina Traub (yoga) and Dr. Kay Tye (neuroscience). Twitter Marina Traub is a captivating and charismatic yoga teacher, as well as a NCAA Champion Rowing Coach, who found yoga on her own personal search for healing. She’s been bringing people more in tune with their bodies for 20 years and is known for accessible and informative cueing, a genuine love of the body’s capabilities, and a compassionate and lighthearted approach to learning and personal growth. Kay M. Tye is the Wylie Vale Professor of the Systems Neuroscience Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in affiliation with UCSD. Dr. Tye earned her bachelor's degree at MIT in 2003, her PhD at UCSF in 2008, opened her lab at MIT in 2012, was tenured in 2018, and moved to the Salk Institute in 2019. She has been recognized with the NIH Director's New Innovator Award and the Pioneer Award, was named SFN Young Investigator, and the Okazaki Award. Outside of the lab, Dr. Tye is the mom of two children, and enjoys spending time with her family, yoga, surfing, dancing and trying new things.  

This month we discuss what the brain does when you're not on task. Marcus Raichle tells us about organized brain activity at baseline, and Tristan Boyer-Binns discusses rest and practise. Tristan Boyer-Binns is a Certified Iyengar Instructor and enjoys helping students find new ways to see their challenges, embrace the incredible strength we all have–physical and emotional–and learn to relax and release into softness. Instagram: @tristanofyoga Marcus Raichle is a neurologist and Professor at Washington University in St Louis. He and his colleagues have made outstanding contributions to the study of human brain function through brain imaging.

This month we discuss the effect of the body on the brain. Hannah Adams talks about the the breath and tuning into the body for postures such as handstand, and Catherine Tallon-Baudry the effect of the heart on the brain. Hannah Adams is an international yoga teacher and handstand enthusiast based in Boston. As a teacher, Hannah aims to facilitate her students’ gain of a greater somatic understanding of themselves, and a more refined sense of presence through the practice of movement and breath. Web: www.hannahadams.fit Instagram: @hannahadamsyoga Catherine Tallon-Baudry is a CNRS senior researcher in Cognitive Neuroscience at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. She examines links between the viscera and the brain, and how these connections may encode a sense of self.        

What moves us to practice? In this episode of YogaBrain, we talk to teacher Brittney Burgess about what motivates her and how she motivates students, and Dr. Michael Bruchas about motivation in the brain, introducing an important driver of motivation and action, Dopamine. Tune in, then let me know what motivates your practice!  This month's guests: Brittney Burgess is driven to teach yoga that empowers. She inspires her students to access the power of intention and to use their yoga practice to help create a purposeful, impactful life. You can find Brittney's classes at  and follow her journey on instagram @brittneyburgess Dr. Michael R. Bruchas is a professor at the University of Washington Seattle. His lab is focused on how brain circuits communicate with one another in order to understand the neural basis of stress, emotion, and reward. His work understanding the neuroscience of addiction was recognized through the Jacob P. Waletzsky Prize from the Society for Neuroscience, and he was also awarded an NIH MERIT Award for his work on stress and drug seeking behavior. Follow Michael's latest research on Twitter @mbruchas

Brain. Body. Practice. Mind. A show about yoga, and the brain. Understanding the brain and how it works to help hone physical and mental practice. This week we discuss how the brain drives movement in your yoga practice.