A selection of podcasts I recommend for readers looking to find out more about what influences our work. Discussions on bodywork and movement practices, acupuncture and Chinese medicine, biomechanics, neurology and exercise.
I have only discovered podcasts relatively recently last year, or perhaps it was 2014. If I was walking around it was music or nothing. When commuting i would usually read a book and try and avoid doing emails so as to decompress and help manage stress levels. It was reading ‘Move your DNA’ by Katy Bowman (which is an excellent book by the way, if you have a human body you should read it) that made me give it a try. She suggests moving more and also giving your eyes a break from all the close looking we tend to do- computers, tablets, smartphones TV, just being inside. So I started checking out what was available and listening to interesting and educating discussions and expositions while looking far away to the clouds (or other distant stuff).
This will not be an exhaustive list, nor wide ranging, just a few casts that I have found useful and edifying and which are on subjects related to our work here. Movement & exercise, healthcare, bodywork, anatomy, fascia, biomechanics, acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
Liberated Body– This podcast is brilliant. It is lead by Brooke Thomas, and in each episode she interviews a ‘thought leader’ as she puts it, in the world of bodywork, movement, somatic experience and embodiment. She talks to a wide range of people from different backgrounds with some really interesting ideas and takes on anatomy, the body, and how we live in it, being a body. Top people from the fields of myofascial release, physical therapy, osteopathy, yoga, strength training and interoception all have a say and Brooke’s humble open interviewing style is lovely, unjudgemental and really draws some interesting stuff out of the interviewees.
Everyday Acupuncture– Of all the acupuncture podcasts i have listened to this is easily my favourite. Accessible yet erudite, serious without being unfriendly. There is a lot of extra depth to be plumbed in the area of Chinese medical theory and Michael Max who runs this one is very good at doing so. He has also translated textbooks from Chinese and has a great understanding and knowledge, yet is humble in how he talks about his subjects. The way the information is presented here whether in discussion with another practitioner or not is clear enough to make sense to the layperson, but still has enough depth to be of interest to the practitioner or those with more experience with East Asian medical theory.
Katy Says- Having recommended this to one yoga teacher here in London in the same breath as the books, she listened first and didn’t like it so much- I would recommend this one as extra to the written material. Read the stuff first and this podcast fleshes it out in discussion. That said quite a few people find her through the podcast as first contact anyway. Katy Bowman discusses issues around alignment and health, our society, movement and how you can stack your life to be healthier and happier. They also banter and use a fair amount of humour, which I happen to like, it makes it all the more approachable and accessible.
The Gait Guys– This is a bit more technical, more suited to the practitioner of some sort of rehab medicine or with an interest in gait. These guys are awesome. Their breadth of knowledge and training is immense. Both are trained as chiropractors, but each also has several other strings to their clinical bow. Each episode they discuss issues and interesting science papers with perspectives from rehab, neurology, physical therapy, orthotics, sports, strength training and even acupuncture sometimes! So if you want to know about afferent drive or the importance of the interneuronal pool in movement and skill re-education, check it out. They also banter a bit and are into rock and roll so thats all good too!
Physioedge– This is also more technical and more appropriate to practitioners. To be honest I have not enjoyed all of these that I have heard, but some are amazing, it basically depends on who David Pope is interviewing and on what subject. He also has a nice open interview style which doesn’t interfere with what his guest is saying, but rather offers them the space to expand their ideas and comments. His questions are unpretentious and don’t assume that the listener knows much about the research/ work being discussed. Some episodes are from quite a conventional viewpoint, and others are really fascinating. I especially found the episodes with Linda Joy Lee and Diane Lee inspiring.
