Anatomical Gangster

What if everything you’ve ever believed—about your body, your pain, and your healing—wasn’t just in your head, but alive in your fascia?

This episode of Anatomical Gangster turns the world of bodywork and belief systems upside-down in the best possible way as Sue Hitzmann sits down with Christine Wushke: myofascial yoga pioneer, Hakomi practitioner, and founder of the Myofascial Yoga Institute of Canada.

Dive into the surprising connections between fascia, the nervous system, and our most deeply held unconscious beliefs. Discover why lasting change is less about force and more about presence, co-regulation, and relational safety—plus how animals like Christine's dog Koda can unlock new dimensions of intuitive healing.

Key highlights include:

• The mind-blowing experience that shifted Christine Wushke’s understanding of fascia and embodiment in a dissection lab
• How the nervous system and fascia shape (and are shaped by) our beliefs, trauma, and resilience
• Practical exploration of Hakomi: using posture and breath to surface unconscious patterns
• Relational healing, trust, and the underestimated intelligence of our own bodies and the animals we love

Feeling stuck or disconnected? This episode shows you why you are nature—resilient, adaptive, and capable of finding a way through.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 Welcome and introduction to Christine Wushke

02:29 Christine Wushke’s origin story: from yoga therapy to fascia

06:03 Discovering Hakomi and unwinding pain

11:32 How beliefs become embodied in posture and movement

13:37 Fascia as sensory system and organ of awareness

19:25 The dissection lab experience and profound shift: “I am nature”

29:31 The nervous system’s role in embodied beliefs

33:51 Selective attention, pattern interruption, and healing

41:40 Fascia as the medium of relational experience

43:45 Why relational qualities (presence, co-regulation, safety) are essential for healing

47:57 Insights from time in nature & mountaineering

52:01 Founding the Myofascial Yoga Institute and applying new principles

57:13 Lessons from animals and non-verbal healing

01:01:09 Christine’s #1 life lesson: “You are nature and you’re resilient”

01:02:31 Closing thoughts and next steps

Can a tiny patch on your skin change how your brain organizes information? 

In this fascinating episode, Sue Hitzmann sits down with Jay Dhaliwal, founder of Super Patch, to explore the neuroscience behind haptic vibrotactile patterns — and why touch‑based signaling may influence everything from balance to mood. They break down the research, the EEG findings, the Brodmann area activation, and the surprising ways patterned touch interacts with the nervous system. 

Together, they explore: 

·       what haptic vibrotactile “trigger patterns” actually are 

·       how tactile input communicates with the brain

·       EEG findings showing shifts in brainwave activity 

·       Brodmann area activation related to pain, balance, cognition, and mood 

·       why these patches don’t use chemicals, electricity, or vibration 

·       how patterned touch may disrupt the neuromatrix of pain 

·       research showing improvements in balance, stability, and sleep 

·       the future of non‑invasive neuro‑technology 

This episode blends neuroscience, curiosity, and real‑world application — perfect for anyone fascinated by the intersection of touch, perception, and human performance.

What happens when you stop waiting for the healthcare system to change… and build the thing you wish existed?In this episode of Anatomical Gangster, Sue Hitzmann sits down with Kristin Oja, DNP, IFMC. She's the CEO and Founder of STAT Wellness, the nation’s first fully integrated functional medicine + movement practice. Under Kristin’s leadership, STAT has grown into a multi location powerhouse serving more than 10,000 patients with a team of over 60 clinicians, coaches, and movement professionals.Kristin is a clinician, entrepreneur, and systems builder who believes in addressing the root causes of symptoms rather than managing them. Her model blends diagnostics, lifestyle medicine, strength training, metabolic health, and personalized coaching — all under one roof. It’s a blueprint for what modern healthcare could be if we designed it around real people instead of outdated systems.Together, Sue and Kristin explore:• why functional medicine and movement belong in the same building• how STAT Wellness grew from an idea into a multi location ecosystem• the future of integrative care and patient centered health• what it takes to build a team that actually collaborates• the leadership lessons Kristin learned along the way• how strength, metabolic health, and lifestyle medicine shape long term outcomesThis is a conversation about vision, courage, and the kind of healthcare model that actually works for real humans.linkedin.com/in/kristin-oja-dnp-fnp-c-ifmcp-70516453instagram.com/statwellnessinstagram.com/kristinojadnpwww.statwellness.com

What if symptoms aren’t signs of failure — but signs of intelligence?In this powerful episode, Sue Hitzmann sits down with Dr. Larry Palevsky, a pediatrician known for his deeply human, terrain‑based approach to children’s health and development. This conversation goes far beyond conventional pediatrics and into the heart of how the body communicates, adapts, and expresses meaning through symptoms.Together, they explore:• how symptoms can be understood as signals, not malfunctions• the role of the nervous system in shaping perception, fear, and healing• why children often express truth through their bodies more than adults• how core beliefs, environment, and development influence health• Differences between treating a diagnosis and understanding the terrain• how parents can navigate uncertainty without collapsing into fear• the emotional and biological intelligence behind the body’s responses• what it means to trust the body rather than fight itThis conversation is raw, philosophical, biological, and deeply human — a rare dialogue between two people willing to explore the questions most avoid. If you’re curious about the meaning behind symptoms, the intelligence of the body, and the terrain‑based lens on health, this episode will stay with you long after it ends.Learn more from Lawrence B. Palevsky, MDwww.drpalevsky.com

Why did humans stop doing the one posture our bodies were designed for? In this episode, Sue Hitzmann talks with Kasey Jackson — creator of the Hunkering movement — about the forgotten mechanics of being human. They dive into primal posture, modern pain, pressure management, and why getting low might be the key to moving better, breathing better, and feeling more grounded. This is a fun, eye‑opening conversation that blends science, humor, and embodied wisdom. Your hips, spine, and nervous system will thank you.

They dive into:

• Why “hunkering” is the posture humans evolved for

• How modern chairs, shoes, and habits reshape our nervous system

• The link between pressure management, posture, and pain

• Why getting low changes breathing, balance, and stability

• How to rebuild the movement patterns your body was designed for

• Why kids naturally hunker — and adults forget

• The surprising emotional and neurological benefits of floor‑based positions

• How to integrate hunkering into daily life without forcing it

This conversation blends science, humor, and embodied wisdom. It will change the way you think about sitting, standing, and being human.

Share, comment, follow!

What if most disease is reversible? What if the body isn’t failing — it’s responding?And what if the future of longevity has less to do with fighting aging and more to do with understanding how the body actually heals?In this episode of Anatomical Gangster, Sue Hitzmann sits down with Noah Laith — founder of The Longevity Clinic, known globally as The Stoic Biohacker. Noah blends philosophy, biology, and cutting‑edge therapeutics like peptides, stem cells, exosomes, and regenerative medicine to challenge everything we think we know about aging, chronic illness, and human potential.Together, they explore: Why Noah believes most diseases are reversible The real science behind peptides & stem cell therapies How autism, trauma, and chronic illness relate to cellular communication The mindset shift required to heal Why longevity is less about lifespan and more about healthspan The role of stoicism in modern biohacking What Noah sees in the next decade of regenerative medicineThis conversation is equal parts science, philosophy, and embodied wisdom — a deep dive into what it means to take responsibility for your biology and reclaim your health from the inside out.Learn more about Noah Laith: https://www.thelongevityclinic.comInstagram: ‪@TheStoicBiohacker‬ ‪@The-Longevity-Clinic‬ Subscribe for more conversations that challenge assumptions and reconnect you to your body’s intelligence.

Lelia Stuart — educator, clinician, and author of Experiential Anatomy — joins me for a powerful conversation about embodiment, interoception, the koshas, and the subtle architecture of the human body. We explore how awareness transforms movement, how the body stores meaning, and how to cultivate presence in a world that constantly pulls us away from ourselves.

A rich, grounded, deeply human episode.

This is one of those conversations that shifts how you inhabit your own body.Lelia is brilliant, generous, and deeply attuned — and this episode is a masterclass in what it means to be fully human.

👉 Subscribe for more conversations that reconnect you to your body’s intelligence.

James Waslaski is a global leader in orthopedic massage and integrative manual therapy. In this episode, he breaks down the mechanics of pain, the patterns most practitioners overlook, and the principles that lead to real, lasting change in the body.

A must‑listen for anyone interested in healing, movement, or the deeper intelligence of human anatomy. His integrative approach blends sports medicine, joint capsule work, myofascial techniques, and clinical reasoning to help people resolve complex pain patterns that often go untreated or misunderstood.

Dr. Jeff Karp is a world‑renowned scientist whose work sits at the intersection of biomimicry, creativity, and human potential. In this episode, we explore how nature shapes innovation, how curiosity rewires the brain, and how Jeff’s Life Ignition Tools help people break patterns and reinvent themselves.

Jeff has this incredible way of taking something as simple as a bubble and turning it into a full‑blown pattern interruption — a moment that snaps you out of autopilot and back into your aliveness. And honestly… that’s what this entire conversation felt like.

We talked about how nature teaches us to innovate, how curiosity rewires the brain, how to break the patterns that keep us stuck, and why the most powerful tools for reinvention are often the simplest ones.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re running the same mental loops, repeating the same habits, or craving a spark of creativity — this episode is your invitation to interrupt the pattern.

Jeff is a Harvard professor, a biomedical innovator, a biomimicry pioneer, and the author of LIT: Life Ignition Tools. But more than that, he’s a reminder that science, creativity, and human potential are all connected.

In this episode, Sue welcomes Dr. Shawn Talbott, a nutritional biochemist, psycho‑nutritionist, endurance athlete, and one of the leading voices redefining how we understand the microbiome and the gut‑brain‑heart axis.

Aging research has transformed in the last five years — and Dr. Shawn is at the center of that shift. His work shows that the microbiome isn’t just about digestion; it’s the control center for mood, stress, inflammation, metabolism, resilience, and long‑term vitality.

Together, Sue and Dr. Shawn dive into:

• Why the gut‑brain‑heart axis is now the core framework for aging

• How microbiome composition shapes mental fitness and emotional resilience

• The biochemical drivers of stress, mood, and metabolic health

• What determines whether we age with resilience or decline

• Practical ways to support the microbiome for better energy, focus, and longevity

This is a conversation about the future of aging — interconnected, biochemical, and surprisingly accessible.

About Dr. Talbott: As a scientist (PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from Rutgers) and entrepreneur (EMP in Entrepreneurship from MIT), his recent projects include two academic textbooks, an award-winning documentary film, several best-selling books translated into multiple languages, and numerous top-selling nutraceuticals and functional foods.3WavesWellness.comhttps://www.instagram.com/doctalbott/https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctalbott/