Scott Anderson, Ph.D.

The old Johnnie Taylor song reminded us that where there's smoke, there's fire . In the human body, where there's pain, there's inflammation. In teaching therapeutic yoga, I rarely find pain without accompanying inflammation. Inflammation is the body's response to irritants. In some cases the irritant may be faulty biomechanics, while in other cases the cause may be mental stress. In both cases, Yoga is a powerful ally in healing. Quite often, however, yoga breathing and postures alone do not root out the cause of the inflammation. Without getting to the cause, the benefits of Yoga are often short-lived. As mentioned in Part 1, inappropriate food choices are a common cause of inflammation. Food choices that are clearly detrimental to health include too many refined foods, lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, or excess consumption of fried foods. Quite often, however, the food choices responsible for chronic inflammation are not as obvious. Frequently we'll find ...

In my work as a Yoga Therapist, I’m fortunate to meet many interesting people. Some of them come in search of the inner rewards that Yoga can provide, though the vast majority are drawn to Yoga as a means to relieve their body’s pain. It’s gratifying work, and I find many people find the Yogic path so interesting that they stick around long after they’ve eliminated their pain. When taking information during the intake session with new students, I’ve found a couple questions integral to a rewarding outcome: is there a history of ankle/foot injury or abdominal surgery? Both of these experiences, particularly when occurring in childhood, alter the body’s movement patterns in ways that often reveal as pain or injury in the second half of life. Depending on the student’s history, I’ll teach them a handful of techniques that will help resolve their imbalances. These techniques may focus on postural-imbalances or breathing disturbances – usually it’s a combination of the two that yields rewa...

I sometimes wonder whether some of the old cars running around Madison support their bumper stickers, or whether the bumper stickers offer a sort of exoskeletal support structure for the cars? Regardless the nature of this symbiotic relationship, there is occasionally wisdom to be found in unlikely places. A decade or so ago, we saw the bumper-sticker no one is free when others are oppressed on many of Madison’s aging Volvos. In this simple statement, we saw a fundamental tenet of yoga revealed. By gently invoking the Yama of Ahimsa (non-violence) this bumper-sticker reminded us of our essential connectedness. As the Yogis understood eons ago – we are interconnected in ways that often elude our perceptions. For the aspiring Yogi(ni), the starting point of yoga practice is an understanding of Ahimsa (non-violence). While many interpret Ahimsa as an imperative toward vegetarianism, violence comes in many forms besides hitting people or eating animals. If we parse violence to its essence...

The notion of one-size-fits-all can be captivating. There's something appealing about erasing our differences, and we'll frequently turn to our physical form to express this desire. Many years ago I worked as a bicycle mechanic. The early 90's weren't such a robust time for budding Yoga teachers, and the day-job provided a modicum of financial stability. (As day jobs go, you could do worse than wrenching bikes.) While fixing another rusty hybrid bicycle, Jason observed that in the bicycle's attempt to do everything, it ended up not doing anything well. It didn't readily go off-road, nor did the hybrid bicycle offer much in terms of on-road performance. The negation of excellence in the pursuit of homogeneity has left us the poorer in more arenas than bicycling. It used to be that clothes billed themselves as one-size-fits-all. In the age of rampant obesity, only the muumuu can now make good on that claim. In response, we're finding clothing that bills itself...

While Homer’s bowling ball is unlikely to enter our vernacular like Occam’s razor or Schrodinger’s cat , there’s still a lesson to be learned from Homer Simpson. In an early Simpsons episode (#7G11), Homer Simpson bought his wife Marge an expensive birthday present – a bowling ball engraved with his name - Homer. Marge was understandably incensed, though Homer tried mightily to rationalize his behavior.
 Homer observed that Marge was unlikely to use the bowling ball, and rather than this beautiful bowling ball sitting unused, Homer thought himself cleverly proactive in monogramming his name on it. Clearly Homer’s gift wasn’t about Marge, but about himself. All too often, we find yoga teachers unconsciously behaving like Homer. Rather than teaching a class suited for the diversity of the students in their class, teachers often stick with techniques they’ve found relevant in their own practice. I’ve heard many teachers state confidently that their classes are based on their personal ex...

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The phrase Form Follows Function is often considered the rallying cry of modernism, and over the past century, has been pivotal in shaping our man-made world. The utensils we use, the buildings we inhabit, and the cars we drive are often based on this design paradigm. This design paradigm isn’t entirely a man-made phenomenon. When we study the natural world, we’re continually reminded that form follows function. While the bright colors of a particular bird or the puzzling bumps found on the femur may appear to be randomly selected, deeper study often reveals how these traits are integrally related to the whole. Generally the question is not if a particular trait has function, but in determining how many functions are served by that trait. As a long-time student of anatomy and physiology, I’m continually amazed at the level of genius contained within our physical form. What may at first appear accidental or random is often found to contain a remarkable depth of function. Yoga has ser...