Yoga for Hypermobility

Join host Jivana as he talks with Libby Hinsley, a yoga teacher and physical therapist based in Asheville, North Carolina, about yoga and hypermobility. Libby, who lives with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome herself, shares how her own health journey shaped her approach to treating clients with hypermobility syndromes and connective tissue disorders, and why she wrote her book, Yoga for Bendy People. Together, they explore the dangers of using yoga to try to "fix" students and balancing service and self-care as a yoga teacher managing a chronic health condition.

In the second part of the episode, Jivana chats with co-host Deanna Michalopoulos about yoga culture's fixation on flexibility and the importance of not projecting fear onto students' bodies. They discuss ABCs of Accessible Yoga (agency, boundaries, collaboration) as a framework for handling distractions or tension in class and conclude with an update on the editing process for Jivana's upcoming book, Yoga Meditation.

Topics include:

The connection between hypermobility, impaired proprioception, heightened interoception, and neurodivergence

Strength training and self-massage as tools for sensory grounding

Asana's role in nervous system regulation and stability versus true strength-building

Why disabled students are often more attuned to their bodies, not less

The ABCs of Accessible Yoga: agency, boundaries, and collaboration

Book editing as a meditation / mindfulness practice

Check out:

Get your copy of Yoga for Bendy People: Optimizing the Benefits of Yoga for Hypermobility

Accessible Yoga for Older Adults course