The science and spirituality of yoga is a very vast and expansive topic, and yet I really enjoy it when we as yoga teachers can understand it in simple language. I have been waiting for a very long time to find a guest who can do justice to this massive subject. Finally, the long wait is over, Dr. Abha Rajbhandari, a neuroscientist is going to dive into the intersection of science and spirituality.
Dr. Abha Rajbhandari is also a yoga teacher focusing on stress management by integrating science and spirituality to promote holistic health and well-being. In this conversation, we explore the definition of science and spirituality, where they intersect, the nature of our consciousness, what yoga does to our brains, the goal for emotional regulation, and so much more.
Dr. Abha effortlessly simplifies and helps clarify a lot of complex questions and gives direction to this conversation. I believe this conversation is of tremendous value to anybody who practices or teaches yoga and I hope that you will enjoy this episode as much as I did.
Dr. Abha Rajbhandari is a neuroscientist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Dr. Rajbhandari was born in Nepal and moved to the United States to pursue her higher studies after high school. Her research focuses on understanding the biological mechanisms of brain and body interactions in regulation of stress and cardiorespiratory functions to help develop novel therapeutic avenues of conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Rajbhandari obtained her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and did her postdoctoral work at the University of California-Los Angeles. Consistent with her research, she teaches yoga outside the lab, focusing on stress management by integrating science and spirituality to promote holistic health and well-being.
