Episode Summary:

In this powerful and heartfelt episode, Amy sits down with yoga therapist, somatic psychotherapist, and author Rachel Krentzman, C-IAYT, to explore her stunning new memoir, As Is.

This isn’t just a story about yoga. It’s about survival, identity, family, trauma, and healing—and ultimately, coming home to oneself. From her childhood in a strict Orthodox Jewish community in Montreal, to freedom and expansion in California, and finally to her current life in Israel, Rachel takes us through three distinct lifetimes—each with its own transformation.

Rachel speaks candidly about:

• Writing and publishing As Is after ten years of hesitation, rewrites, and deep soul-searching
• Facing generational and personal trauma, and choosing to heal rather than hide
• Her experiences with yoga, somatic psychology (Hakomi), and how they gave her tools to break cycles of shame
• Her journey bringing yoga therapy into Israeli hospitals, including working with trauma survivors, war refugees, and healthcare professionals
• How yoga therapy offers active, empowering healing—distinguished from both passive treatments and talk therapy
• The courage it takes to tell your story, even when others may not approve

Amy and Rachel discuss how yoga therapy is uniquely positioned to help people self-regulate, feel their bodies again, and reclaim their narratives—especially during times of personal or collective crisis.

Whether you're a yoga therapist, a healthcare provider, or someone navigating your own healing, Rachel’s story is a call to honesty, agency, and inner transformation.

“I hope readers see that they are not their story. They are not their shame. There is always a way out—and that way is inward.” — Rachel Krentzman

Highlights:

• How generational trauma shaped Rachel’s early life
• The emotional toll—and liberation—of telling the truth publicly
• What it’s like raising children in Israel amid war and instability
• Why yoga therapy is growing rapidly in Israel’s healthcare system
• The nervous system, trauma, and how breathwork offered relief when even pain meds couldn’t
• A vision for yoga therapy as a vital component of integrative medicine

Learn More:

 Visit Rachel’s website to purchase As Is and learn more about her work: www.rachelkrentzman.com

 As Is is available worldwide on Kindle, paperback, and major book retailers.

About Rachel Krentzman:

Rachel is a licensed physical therapist, certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), and a graduate of the Hakomi Institute’s somatic psychotherapy training. She is a pioneer of yoga therapy in Israel, working to integrate it into hospitals and mental health care systems.

 Connect with Amy Wheeler:

 Website: www.TheOptimalState.com

 Instagram: OptimalStatewithAmy Wheeler

 Podcast: Yoga Therapy Hour

Amy is the Chair of the Dept. of Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda at Notre Dame of Maryland University, School of Integrative Health (Formerly MUIH). 

Master of Science in Yoga Therapy https://muih.edu/academics/yoga-therapy/master-of-science-in-yoga-therapy/

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

Try our Post-Bac Ayurveda Certification Program at MUIH: https://muih.edu/academics/ayurveda/post-baccalaureate-ayurveda-certification/