Ep 83: Mobility: How You Define It Matters!

You’ve probably heard people say that yoga improves both flexibility and mobility. While that may be true, what most yoga teachers don’t realize is that mobility has more than one definition.

Each definition matters when you're teaching students with injuries, pain, or physical limitations. 

In this episode, I’m going to break down those definitions & explain why understanding them (and using them for their intended purpose) can make a huge difference in how effective and safe your teaching is.

If you're working with students with injuries and especially if you're helping them recover from them, you'll want to understand the different uses of the term mobility!

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Episode Transcript

Monica (00:00):
Today's episode is focused on a concept.
I'm sure you've heard about,maybe you use it while you're
teaching and you might not evenrealize that it has different
definitions depending on whoyou're talking with.
It's using the term mobility.
How do you define mobility, andare your students defining it

(00:20):
the same way you are?
Let's get rid of the confusion.
Welcome to the EssentialConversations for Yoga Teachers
Podcast with me.
I'm Monica Bright and I've beenteaching yoga and running my
yoga business for over a decade.
This is the podcast for you.
If you are a yoga teacher,you're looking for support.

(00:44):
You love to be in conversation,and you're a lifelong student.
In this podcast, I'll share withyou.
My life as a yoga teacher, thelessons I've learned, my process
for building my business andhelpful ideas, tools, strategies
and systems I use and you canuse so that your business

(01:07):
thrives.
We'll cover a diverse range oftopics that will help you,
whether you're just starting outor you've got years under your
belt and you wanna dive deep andset yourself up for success.
I am so glad you're here.
Listen, I don't take myself tooseriously, so expect to hear

(01:27):
some laughs along the way.
Now let's do this together.
Welcome back to the podcast.
I'm Monica, and I'm so gladyou're here.
Here we talk about the anatomy,the injuries, the nervous system
insights, and all the real lifeknowledge you wish had been

(01:48):
included in your yoga teachertraining.
Today's episode is focused onsomething I'm sure you've heard
about.
Maybe you use it while you'reteaching and you might not even
realize that it has differentdefinitions depending on who
you're talking with.
It's the term mobility.
I did a poll in my stories awhile ago asking movement

(02:11):
teachers what their definitionwas, and I was.
Because most of them defined itdifferently than I do now.
I'm not saying their definitionis incorrect, but it is
imperative that when we useterms to describe something
we're teaching, We must use itand define it as well so that

(02:33):
everyone is on the same page.
You've probably heard people saythat yoga improves both
flexibility and mobility.
That may be true, but what mostyoga teachers don't realize is
that mobility has more than onedefinition, And those
definitions really matter whenyou're teaching students with

(02:56):
injuries, pain, or physicallimitations.
In this episode, I'm gonna breakdown those definitions and
explain why understanding themcan make a huge difference in
how effective and safe yourteaching is.
Let's start with the most commonconfusion.

(03:16):
Mobility can mean differentthings depending on who you're
talking to The fitness world,yoga world, and clinical rehab
world often use the same word,but we're not always referring
to the same concept.
The first definition of mobilityis simply the general ability.
To move.

(03:37):
This is the everydayunderstanding of mobility.
When someone says I'm working onmy shoulder mobility, they often
mean they want to increase howfar they can move their
shoulder, especially in dailylife.
This definition is about beingfunctional, about being able to
walk, bend, reach, and movethrough space without excessive

(04:01):
restriction.
The second definition, however,is far more precise and is used
in physical therapy, strengthtraining, And neuromuscular
rehabilitation.
It defines mobility as activecontrol of a joint throughout
its full range of motion.

(04:23):
This means a person cannot onlymove a joint through a large
range, but they can alsostabilize and control it during
that movement without assistancefrom gravity, momentum, or
external.
Aids like a strap or a block orthe floor.

(04:43):
This is different fromflexibility.
Flexibility refers to theability to stretch or be
passively moved into a position.
Mobility in the clinical senseis about what you can actively
do with your own strength Andneuromuscular control.
A student might be able toposition themselves into a deep

(05:05):
lunge or a forward fold becauseof passive flexibility, but that
doesn't mean they have the jointcontrol or mobility to support
themselves safely in that range.
A passive stretch is thempushing past a physical
limitation that they cannotactively control in their

(05:27):
bodies.
This is why I teach jointmovement without the use of
props in my classes, because Iwant students to actively
control their joints.
This distinction is a criticalconcept for you to understand if
you want to support yourstudents with clarity, safety,
and long-term results, andespecially if you're working

(05:49):
with students.
With persistent pain andstudents with injuries.
Let's talk about why.
Understanding that mobility inthe case of joint control is
important and you shouldconsider adding it to your
classes.
First, flexibility is not alwaysthe goal, nor should it be.

(06:09):
In many yoga classes, theemphasis is often on getting
deeper into a pose or accessingmore range of motion.
But many students already havemore passive flexibility than
they can control.
Teaching only for stretch canreinforce movement patterns that
the student's body.

(06:29):
Cannot actually stabilize, whichmay lead to compensatory
patterns, strain, or repetitivestress injuries.
second, students with injuriesoften do not need more
stretching.
They need more control.
If someone is dealing with lowback pain, shoulder.
Stability or hip jointdiscomfort.

(06:51):
What they typically need is areturn to joint coordination,
not passive opening orstretching.
When we start to emphasizeactive joint control, teaching
students to move in smallerranges, they can fully control.
We help reduce the risk ofre-injury and encourage more
functional movement that helpsto build more confidence.

(07:15):
And third mobility focusedteaching builds resilience and
trust When students learn tomove with control rather than
momentum, they begin to feelmore stable in their bodies.
They're more connected to theirown boundaries and capabilities,
which can be incrediblyempowering, especially for those

(07:38):
managing chronic pain.
Age related changes or injuryrecovery.
If we, as yoga teachers claim tobe teaching awareness of self,
then it's our job to teachstudents to learn their
limitations, be okay with them,and practice within those
ranges.

(07:58):
So the big question you may havenow is how do you begin to bring
more mobility based thinkinginto your sequencing and
queuing?
You don't have to stop teachingyoga or turn your classes into
physical therapy.
That's not the answer.
You just need to layer inintention and a better

(08:18):
understanding of how jointsactually work in motion.
One technique you can start withis called controlled articular
rotations or cars.
These are slow, intentionalcircular joint movements where
their focus is on moving thejoint through.
Its.
Full range without compensatingwith other body parts.

(08:40):
For example, a shoulder carinvolves slowly rotating the arm
in a big circle while keepingthe torso still.
These movements are simple butpowerful ways to assess and
improve joint control.
You can include them in yourwarmup or as part of a
mindfulness centered movementportion of your sequence.

(09:04):
Another approach is to cue.
Active engagement at end ranges.
Instead of asking students torelax fully into a pose, you can
invite them to press down, pullin, or gently lift while holding
the shape.
For example, in a supinehamstring stretch, you might ask

(09:24):
the student to.
Actively press their lifted leginto their strap and hold for
five seconds.
This helps to activate thenervous system and strengthen
tissues in positions that areoften only stretched passively.
A third strategy is to focusmore on stability than depth.

(09:45):
Encourage students to workwithin a range they can control.
That might mean backing out of apose slightly, or adjusting
alignment to prioritizefunctional control over
aesthetic appearance.
This not only helps in injuryprevention, but it also
encourages long-termsustainability in their

(10:07):
practice.
Ultimately, the most powerfulthing you can do as a yoga
teacher is to help your studentsshift their mindset from chasing
flexibility to building control.
I started teaching joint controlabout eight years ago, but I
sprinkled it in in small dosesand I explained why I was

(10:29):
teaching it to help students geton board.
It was a time when my teachingstyle was shifting.
I started working with moreinjured students.
I wanted to create my own stylefor my classes, and most
importantly, I wanted to educatemy students on the wise behind
what we were doing in class.

(10:50):
Yoga is not about pushing deeperinto shapes just because we can.
It is about learning how to movewith awareness, intention and
respect for our bodies'boundaries.
Somewhere along the way, yogabecame an aesthetic practice
where students were pushed pasttheir limits in order to look
the same and look like picturesin a.

(11:12):
This is why there's such a risein injuries in the yoga world
and why I'm committed toteaching teachers about them
when we understand mobility inthe clinical sense and teach
students to actively controltheir movement.
We help them build trust intheir own bodies.
We help them to reduce fear,build confidence, improve joint

(11:35):
integrity, and create a practicethat truly serves students
long-term, especially those withinjuries or sensitivities.
You don't need to become aphysical therapist to teach this
way.
You just need to be willing toshift your attention from how
things look, to how thingsfunction.

(11:56):
Remember this mobility is notjust about range.
It's about.
Ownership.
Ownership of your movements.
It's not about how far you cango, it's about how well you can
control and support yourselfalong the way.
By integrating joint controlledmovements into your classes,

(12:16):
you're not only potentiallypreventing injury, but you're
also teaching your studentssomething even more valuable.
Self-trust through movement.
Understanding anatomy,biomechanics, and the effects.
Yoga also gonna have on the bodyhelps you help your students.
If you've been enjoying thisepisodes, I know that you're a

(12:37):
yoga teacher who's ready toteach with more intention and
less fear around injuries.
Let's continue to raise the barfor how yoga supports real
bodies in real life.
It's so important for us to havethese conversations.
So you remember that students ofall shapes.
Sizes, alignment and abilitiescome to your classes and you can

(12:59):
serve all of them.
You know that my goal is for youto love the yoga teaching life,
and it's important to understandmovement and the issues students
come to your classes with.
Subscribe to the podcast soyou're always in their know when
a new episode drops and sharewith another yoga teacher who
you think would love to be in onthese conversations.

(13:21):
And finally, thank you forhelping to spread the word about
this podcast.
Alright, that's it for now.
Bye.