#yogiscientist

[vknopik]

Most of you know I’m both an academic scientist/researcher and a yoga teacher. For years I tried to figure out how to better merge these two really important parts of my life. If I’m honest I kept them as two separate pieces of me for far too long. Thankfully I am now in a position where that has changed. And that has been in large part to my landing in the @yoga_medicine family and @tiffanycruikshank encouraging both myself and my colleague and friend @dianemalaspinayoga to co-create the Mental Health and Wellness training. When we offered that training for the first time in 2019, I received a ton of questions on how the gut microbiome might affect our mental health. Well....this week at the Yoga Medicine Innovation conference I’ll share what I know. There is still so much to learn but the relationship between our gut, stress, and mental health is ... well... 🤯🤓 so cool! . I am just one of a big and impressive lineup of presenters. Registration is still open but not for long! The conference runs Sept 14-18 and whatever you can't attend live will be recorded and available to watch later. . I present on Tuesday Sept 15, 8-9pm ET! . Hope to see you there! 🧠🤯🤓🧬 Let's need out together!! . Head over www.yogamedicine.com to register! . #yogamedicine #yminnovationconference #yogateacher #yogiscientist #gutmicrobiome #mentalhealth #kiragrace #kiragraceyoga #amazingkiragrace #shinebright 📸: @aniconicphoto (at Coxhall Gardens) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFF4x3rDade/?igshid=1rddrumh8kaqx

[vknopik]

First day of the Fall semester means #backtobusiness 🤓 Both at the college level and in my yoga classes, it's all about stress (both positive and negative) and health 🧠🧬🧘🏻‍♀️ What do you want to know about in this arena? Tell me below! 👇👇 . . Loving this new Back to Business line by @kiragraceyoga ♥️👌 This is their new coffee color ☕️ and Prince of Wales Plaid 🥰 . . #kiragrace #kiragraceyoga #amazingkiragrace #yoga #stressandhealth #navasana #yogaonadesk #goldengemini #goldengeminiyoga #beyou #yogiscientist #yogisofinstagram 📸: @adjustafresh https://www.instagram.com/p/B1YkRd3jVee/?igshid=rhw0rpbf58vj

[vknopik]

There is growing research that mindfulness meditation induces changes in brain structure and function. 🧠 How does this happen? What are the underlying mechanisms? What is actually happening 'under the skin'? A recent review by Tang et al (2015) in Nature Reviews Neuroscience discusses possible mechanisms support these processes. They suggest that one possibility is that engaging the brain in mindfulness affects brain structure by inducing dendritic branching, synaptogenesis, myelinogenesis or even adult neurogenesis - all things we tend to lump together under the umbrella term of neuroplasticity. Alternatively, the authors suggest that mindfulness positively affects autonomic regulation and immune activity, which may result in neuronal preservation, restoration and/or inhibition of apoptosis (aka cell death). We know that mindfulness-based techniques are highly effective in stress reduction, and it is possible that such stress reduction may also mediate changes in brain function. Even though we, as scientists, as still exploring these underlying mechanisms, I find it so powerful (and super cool!) that we have these initial results that suggest we have the capacity to change our internal landscape .... What about you? . 🧬🧬🧬 . We'll touch on some of these topics and so much more in our upcoming @yogamedicine Mental Health and Wellness module coming up in a couple of weeks! So excited! Wearing my @kiragraceyoga dots ... they always make me happy! . 🧠🧘🏻‍♀️🧠 . #yogiscientist #knowledgeispower #changeyourinternallandscape #mentalhealth #mentalhealthandwellness #yogamedicine #meditation #mindfulness #shinebright #neuroplasticity #kiragracewarrior #amazingkiragrace #kiragrace 📸: @adjustafresh https://www.instagram.com/p/B0LyAGCnVrC/?igshid=116l59a1eqyrd

[vknopik]

"Don't seek for everything to happen as you wish it would, but rather wish that everything happens as it actually will - then your life will flow well." | Epictetus 🏹 How do you react when things don't quite go your way? When you are 'thrown for a loop'? I don't know about you, but for me (a bit of a control freak) it can be hard to accept! Yoga and meditation has helped me with this quite a lot...to try to be better about accepting what is. (In fact, I can be a bit of a beast if I don't practice regularly!) And then I read a passage in a book called "The Daily Stoic" about not just accepting what is but to actually shift your perspective and enjoy it. To love it even. "To wish for what has happened to happen is a clever way to avoid disappointment because nothing is contrary to your desires. But to actually feel gratitude for what happens? To love it? That is a recipe for happiness and joy." | Ryan Holiday. I'll take that recipe. What about you? Shift your perspective....�� . . . #yogiscientist #raisethebar #goldengemini #goldengeminiyoga #kiragrace #kiragraceyoga #kiragracewarrior #yogateacher #yogamedicine #yogisofinstagram #practicemakesprogress #practiceyogachangeyourworld #meditateonit #yogainspiration #shiftyourmindset #perspectiveshift #thedailystoic 📸: @adjustafresh (at Indiana)

[vknopik]

Take a leap of faith and allow your wings to take you places. 🦋 I took a similar picture last year while in Sayulitas....I honestly can't believe how much my life has changed in the span of one year! 🦋💜 I'm slowly getting into a routine and hope to post more regularly very very soon. Stay tuned for exciting happenings in 2018! 🏹✨💥💫 . . . #transformotion2017 #goldengemini #goldengeminiyoga #aimtrue #yogamedicine #practice #yogaretreat #shinebright #raisethebar #yogiscientist #transformation (at Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico)

[vknopik]

Go Time: 3pm Thursday. 💪🏻👊🏻🏹 . . . #goldengemini #goldengeminiyoga #yogiscientist #raisethebar #leanin #aimtrue #shinebright (at Purdue University)

[vknopik]

Really excited to see this out in @yogadigest today! Link in bio👆❤️ . . . @yoga_medicine #yogamedicine #fountainofyouth #meditation #breathe #brainhealth #goldengemini #goldengeminiyoga #yogateacher #practiceyogachangeyourworld #practiceyogachangeyourbrain #yogiscientist