The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
296: Can Science & Spirituality Co-Exist? with Stevie Inghram
Description:
There has always been some friction between science and spirituality. Some people may even think they are polar opposites that cannot co-exist. Stevie Inghram shares some of their insights about the integration of science and spirituality and their intersection with modern medicine & holistic health/medicine.
Stevie Inghram is a Queer & Trans Feminine Yoga Therapist who holds a Master of Science in Yoga Therapy and has been teaching yoga for over a decade. As a Yoga Therapist, Stevie’s primary work is focused on healing the trauma that is so pervasive in the queer and transgender communities. Stevie also hosts a podcast called Queer Story Time via Instagram that is focused on sharing stories from the gender and sexually expansive (GSE) communities and advocates for expanding GSE competencies in healthcare training programs. Stevie teaches GSE competencies at several Yoga Therapy Training programs and is writing on the topic for Yoga Therapy Today while also being a passionate advocate for science & evidence-informed practice in the holistic medicine world. They are a strong believer that a middle ground can truly be found, one that simultaneously respects the scientific method and cares for the whole-person.
Stevie shares more about their background and how they came to be passionate about both science and spirituality. He explains how science and spirituality are both human endeavors of discovery, and why people think we have to choose between them. Stevie also shares their thoughts on spiritual bypassing in yoga, what feels toxic in yoga spaces, and how we can nurture our spirituality while also promoting science. If you have been wondering how you can practice and communicate your yoga while still leaning towards science and combating misinformation.
Key Takeaways:
[2:45] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Stevie Inghram.
[5:35] What does Stevie do and who do they do it for?
[7:13] Stevie is studying to be a naturopathic doctor. They share a little more about it.
[9:05] When did Stevie's yoga journey begin?
[11:26] What are Stevie's thoughts on the idea that you can either follow science or spirituality but not both?
[16:10] It's possible that we will never have the science to explain some of what happens in yoga. How does Stevie balance that in their own teaching, practice, and life?
[20:48] Shannon started leaning heavily into science since the pandemic because she was trying to shift the pendulum in the yoga world. Did Stevie have a similar experience?
[25:04] Spiritual bypassing is something Shannon has noticed in the yoga world. What does it look like and what are some examples of it?
[31:48] Shannon pops in to give a shout out of thanks to sponsor, Offering Tree.
[33:37] How can we nurture the spirituality side of things even as we hold on to science?
[42:09] It can get very tiring to constantly talk about science, and that's when we can ask ourselves "is this causing me suffering?"
[44:47] What is Stevie's advice for someone who encounters misinformation or anti-science sentiment being spread in a yoga context?
[54:58] Learn more from Stevie and find out more about their work on Instagram and Tiktok.
Links:
Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree.
Quotes from this episode:
"So much in this world is divisive and divided and I don't think that it is beneficial to any of us as yogis to be continuing to propagate this idea that science and spirituality are separate. They're really not.”
“Science and spirituality are both human endeavors of discovery."
"The thing that science and spirituality share in common is um they're both Systems of Discovery."
“The reality is spirituality creates meaning and value and connection in people's lives. And the truth of the matter is we don't need science to explain that to us."