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Trina Altman

Trina Altman

Pilates Deconstructed® & Yoga Deconstructed® Embodied Anatomy Biomechanics

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Why you can be flexible and still have hip pain

by Dev

It seems like the universal solution in yoga to hip pain…sciatica…and piriformis syndrome in yoga is pigeon pose – or rolling your glutes with a ball or foam roller.

As Dr. Phil would say, “How’s that working for you?”

While we don’t want to hate on pigeon or self-massage, because both are relaxing, but it’s important to know that it’s only one aspect of helping yourself.

Both pigeon pose and self-massage (or really any massage) can be classified as a form of stretching, because they passively mobilize your tissues and in turn increase flexibility. However, if you’re experiencing discomfort or pain during your yoga practice or during activities of daily life, then you need not only flexibility, but strength + stability as well to support your movements.

Unless your goal is to be an Instagram famous yoga star, you need to be less concerned with flexibility and more interested in improving mobility and strength.

Here’s why…

Flexibility is the ability to move through a large range of motion passively (e.g. getting your foot to your face or collapsing into the splits),

Hypermobile splits

whereas mobility and strength is about being able to move with control through various ranges of motion (e.g. being able to do the splits and pop back out of them with strength).

Flexible split

If you have good mobility, then you are also usually flexible. However, when combined with strength, mobility speaks to being able to use your range of motion, where as flexibility is more about hanging out in it, which is arguably less helpful for both athletic and daily activities. This brings us to stretching.

There are a lot of ways to stretch, but among the most popular is static stretching or tugging on a limb and hanging out at an end range of motion. Unfortunately, because yoga poses are so often in end ranges of motion, we can end up hanging in our joints as we fatigue, even when we’re trying not to. This can be an issue because end range of motion is usually where we have the least amount of strength + control and as a result, are most likely to get injured.

You shouldn’t fear static stretching, especially if you have a regular strength and stability practice. However, if you happen to have weakness at the end range of a joint (like your hips!), your body will often tighten that area as a protective mechanism. This is why you can stretch something or have a lot of flexibility and still feel “tight,” which is especially true if you’re prone to hypermobility or laxity in your joints.

This is also why static stretching and self-massage don’t always help long term with hip pain. The pain and feelings of tightness are happening, because of weakness around the hip joints, not because of short tissues.

We’re not saying that you need to stop stretching or practicing self-massage. These are wonderful tools for down regulation of the nervous system and relaxation, both of which promote better health and well-being.

But unfortunately, they’re a short term solution if you don’t do strength and stability work to teach your body how to use the new range of motion.

You have to earn the right to stretch and release. It’s the candy you get to eat after the main course.

However, the gym can be a loud and overwhelming place, so if you want to build strength and stability in your hips without a gym membership, you should check out my friend Nikki Naab-Levy’s brand new online course Hips Don’t Lie, an 8-week program to reduce stiffness and pain by building strength, improving balance and increasing flexibility.

I incorporate the concepts and exercises from this program into my personal movement practice and also recommend it to students and clients. As an added bonus, when you buy the course, you’ll also receive Class # 1 from my Yoga Deconstructed® course, a full hour and fifteen minute movement practice that will build upon the progress you make in Hips Don’t Lie with an added benefit of relaxation + making your yoga practice better 😉

Interested in learning more? Sign up + get all the details here: https://naablevy.com/hips-dont-lie-yd

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Thank you for creating the art for my book @design Thank you for creating the art for my book @designedbydg ! Ya’ll definitely need to check out Dionna’s incredible work!.
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A plethora of diversity with these colorful yogis created for @trinaaltman’s book “Yoga Deconstructed®: Movement science principles for teaching🧘🏽‍♀️ 🧘🏻‍♀️🧘🏿‍♀️🧘🏼‍♀️#yogadeconstructed #trinaltman #yogalove #yogainspiration #healthandwellness #science #physicaltherapy #yogatherapy #neuromuscular #modernscience #yogi #handspring #yogabook #diversity #diversityandinclusion #yogabody #yogalife #diverseyoga @handspringpublishing
Thank you for having me back on your podcast @kath Thank you for having me back on your podcast @kathrynbruniyoung ! Check my stories for the link to listen to our conversation ⬆️
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@trinaaltman is back on the podcast this week talking about her new book Yoga Deconstructed and we talked a little bit about pain and teaching (because I can’t not).Trina is a super creative teacher who integrates ideas across modalities to find something that works right here right now.We talked about the biopsychosocial perspective and how there’s a difference between thinking about these ideas and being able to actually integrate them into teaching.To listen to the full episode click the link in my profile then select podcast.Or find the Mindful Strength Podcast on any of the big podcast apps.And go order Trina’s book, it’s pure gold.#mindfulstrength #mindfulmovement #functionalmovement #yogadeconstructed #pilates #somatics
I get asked this question over & over again no mat I get asked this question over & over again no matter what I am teaching. While I know that this question comes from a desire to keep our students safe & it is important to have an understanding of general contraindications, I think it also stems from the “correct & protect” philosophy, rather than the “exposed & adapt framework.”⁣
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Another problem with being concerned with a specific set of contraindications is that it is rooted in binary black & white thinking & being overly attached to labels & diagnoses. ⁣
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As teachers, we know that we are not our label or our injury. We are whole & complete human beings who deserve to recover & grow strong based on our unique individual experiences. ⁣
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By the time I am working with a private client one on one, they have already done their physical therapy or are doing physical therapy in conjunction with their sessions with me. At that point, if contraindications are an issue, I will ask them to check with their physical therapist for guidelines about what they should or should not be practicing. However, my scope of practice is to teach movement & not to fix people or solve their pain, so if a specific joint needs medical attention, I will refer out.⁣
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When it comes to teaching, if someone has a diagnosis that dictates the types of movements we do, I will consider their stress levels, movement or loading history, & beliefs around what they perceive as safe.⁣
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What we work on together will change depending on the individual & what stage they are in the healing process. So with this in mind, I would propose that we be less concerned with contraindications & more concerned with using our critical thinking skills to ask our clients what movements feel good or bad that day?⁣
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If you do need someone’s contraindications, then have them consult their medical provider. However, know that they are simply guidelines & not hard and fast rules & that long term, most students will experience the most success through pain science education, progressive loading, graded exposure, & self-inquiry.⁣
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How do you approach working with folx who are stuck in binary black-and-white thinking and/or are overly attached to labels/diagnoses?⁣
Thank you for taking my online Somatics training M Thank you for taking my online Somatics training Maude!⁣
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Repost from @maude.moreno⁣
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“IT IS EASIER TO BUILD STRONG KIDS THAN IT IS TO REPAIR BROKEN ADULTS.” - F. Douglass⁣
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⚡️ In one of @trinaaltman’s workshops yesterday, we did this thing called “Supine Roll Reach” which is the first move in my video post-dog cuddles. Trina cued, “Now reach out like a baby just saw their toy. Like they just saw their mom or dad.” And I tried my best to lose my tendency to overthink. Always (over) thinking about alignment, what joints need to be stacked over each other, 90 degree angles and such. I tried to do just that- move like a baby. And it occurred to me how we, as Yoga students, have become zombies to our teachers’ cues. It’s become more like, “Simon says...” and we have given ourselves permission to lose the ability to be self-directive. As a teacher, I am guilty as charged.⁣
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👶🏾 While imitation plays a part in babies and toddlers learning movement, acquiring different types of movements by themselves as they go through motor development stages make babies the ideal case studies for intuitive movement. As we grow to be adults, in time we start to lose our ability to move by intuition. We are told how a lunge *should * look. Where all the limbs should be in any pose. That having parallel feet when standing is ideal. How to make sure our knees don’t get past our ankles (God forbid, we get “injured!”) and so many more. We have lost the ability to be self-directive and have subscribed to being told what to do and how to do it. And while being taught proper form and execution is key to having a pain-less and efficient practice, a one-size-fits-all prescriptive approach will not work for every body because every body is different. ⁣
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🧘‍♀️ This is why I have really grown to love Somatics. It just allows the person or student to be, moving though inquiry-based cues and truly embracing a movement as an experience without caring about aesthetics. Somatics puts the student in charge of their practice and what they want to make out of it, which promotes movement autonomy in a low stress environment. If you have not tried Somatics, give @trinaaltman a follow and check out
Thank you Anastasiya! Slide left for her video ⬅ Thank you Anastasiya! Slide left for her video ⬅️
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I promised this review a week ago, but I am still reading the book. A small preface for those who are with me recently or do not know me at all. My name is Anastasiia. I am a cardiologist and yoga teacher. I did my 200 hours with Yoga International and 340 hours with Yoga Circle Aсademy in Berlin.
We studied biomechanics, the principles of progress and regression in asanas to help students cope with limitations and prepare for asanas. As the author of the book well emphasizes, people have many channels of information perception. For example, I do not perceive information well by audio  and it is much better when several sensory systems are involved in training. Therefore, this book has become for me a visual instruction that involves all systems.
After completing the courses in independent practice, I was faced with the fact that my students, like me, have different dominant communication channels. I was wondering how to improve contact? How to combine different sensory systems for a better result? How to write your program based on the principles of regression and progress? How can you help students feel better about their body?
In this book, the terminology is given step by step, the essence of the principles is revealed, tasks are given, the reader receives and simultaneously works with the material. At the end of the book, chapter 8 is devoted to creating a yoga class.
This book can be useful for physiotherapists, sports doctors, yoga coaches. It is an excellent base for beginning teachers and those who open up new horizons of awareness of their body in movement and rest.
Trina @trinaaltman thanks for the book, I've been waiting for it for a long time.P.s. You can order this book on Amazon or go through link trinaaltman.com
Thank you @dannipomplun for having me back on your Thank you @dannipomplun for having me back on your podcast! I’m so grateful for your support my friend 💙.
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Check my IG story for the link to listen ⬆️
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I've always considered myself an asana-based teacher. And, for the most part, I just “get it” when it comes to postural alignment. As a vinyasa junkie, I am always looking for new ways to apply modern movement science to the way I teach classes and lead my yoga teacher trainings.My teaching completely changed a few years back thanks to the lovely human behind Yoga Deconstructed®. She made me fall in love with asana all over again!If you're not following Trina Altman @trinaaltman, you should start now. This week she's back on the SEEKER + SAGE pod and she's got some big news! I for one am super proud of her and selfishly so happy that she WROTE A BOOK!I picked her new read up and truthfully could not put it down until I finished it. One of my favorite parts about hosting this podcast is hosting amazing yogis and business minds with so much knowledge to pass on.Trina is no exception! Tune into the show and listen to her amazing journey! Oh, and pick up the book! You'll thank yourself later. Listen and enjoy.Checkout Seeker+Sage on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and my website at www.dannipomplun.com/podcast (link in bio).⁠⠀⁠⠀⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁠⠀⁠⠀
And If you love the show, please take a second to subscribe and leave a review! It helps get the word out, so more people can listen and share.⁠⠀⁠⠀
Want to win a FREE copy of my book?Hey ya’ll! Want to win a FREE copy of my book?Hey ya’ll!I wanted to let you know that Erika Belanger, the host of On and Off Your Mat Podcast is running a giveaway for my book Yoga Deconstructed®: Movement Science Principles for Teaching. All you have to do to enter the giveaway is to leave a review for the On and Off Your Mat Podcast in general or for any episode you enjoyed on iTunes or on your iPhone podcast app by February 21. If you want to listen to the episode about my book, it’s #57.Erika will announce the winner on her next podcast episode and on Instagram @onandoffyourmatpodcast.And if you don’t win, you can always purchase the book by clicking the link in my bio ⬆️
 
Good luck!
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@handspringpublishing
Everyone has unique ways of expressing their affec Everyone has unique ways of expressing their affection on Valentine’s Day 🤣🥰
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Slide left for more photos of angora bunnies 🐰
So… Valentine’s Day kind of a dud this year? W So… Valentine’s Day kind of a dud this year? We’ve got your back!
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Click the link in bio to get all the details and enroll – but hurry, because it goes away TONIGHT at midnight and we don’t know when we’re offering it again!@sarahcourtdpt
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@trinaaltman#Anatomynerd #mobility #yoga #bodynerd #injuryprevention #fascia #yogateacher #neverstoplearning #iloveyoga  #biomechanics #alwaysastudent #pilatesinstructor #yogateachertraining #yogatherapy #movementculture #yogastrong #movementtherapy #fitspo #yogastudent #movementlogic #quantumleap #yogadeconstructed #pilatesdeconstructed #bodyofknowledge #onlineyogacourse #pelvicfloorrehab
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