Episode Summary:

In this intimate and empowering conversation, Amy Wheeler sits down with yoga therapist, postpartum doula, and mother of two, Alexi Neal, to explore what happens when the yoga practice you’ve loved for decades no longer serves your body in the same way.

Alexi shares her journey from starting yoga at age 12, falling in love with the strength and presence it gave her, to discovering—through chronic pain, pelvic dysfunction, and motherhood—that her hypermobility was both a blessing and a challenge. She opens up about the difficulty of letting go of deep, stretchy poses that felt emotionally nourishing but were damaging her SI joints and pelvic stability.

The conversation dives into:

• How cultural narratives around motherhood and women’s health leave many women without the support they need
• The physical and emotional realities of hypermobility and pelvic floor dysfunction
• Why heavy strength training became a surprising but essential part of Alexi’s healing and empowerment
• How honoring boundaries in movement is an act of self-respect and long-term sustainability
• The “village” mindset and how it applies not only to mothering but to self-care

Alexi’s story is an invitation to listen deeply to your body, to adapt your practice as life changes, and to recognize that true yoga is not performance—it’s about honoring what supports your wholeness today.

Connect with Alexi Neal:

• Website: soulfulsomatics.com (Soulful with two L’s)
• Instagram: @soulfullexi

Plans of Study for NDMU Yoga Therapy

https://livendm.sharepoint.com/sites/Academics/SitePages/Yoga-Therapy-Plans-of-Study.aspx?csf=1&web=1&share=EeZhGMscDMFOl1Lk0PD6gOsBTxvKkWvbfjhHLmMMuNpLFw&e=ApOX4h&CID=45c542e6-5528-4c68-a8ac-5596fb4fc161

School of Integrative Health at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-health

Master of Science in Yoga Therapy at NDMU https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-health/yoga-therapy

 Explore NDMU’s Post-Master’s Certificate in Therapeutic Yoga Practices, designed specifically for licensed healthcare professionals.  https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-health/yoga-therapy/post-masters-certificate-in-therapeutic-yoga-practices

Try our Post-Bac Ayurveda Certification Program at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-health/ayurveda/post-baccalaureate-ayurveda-certification

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