In this bold and honest conversation, Amy welcomes Christine, founder of Integrated Yoga Therapy, for a raw discussion about what it means to stop performing and start living in alignment with truth. Together, they explore the cost of self-abandonment, the exhaustion of wearing a mask, and the journey back to embodied intuition and inner clarity.

Christine shares her personal and professional insight into how yoga therapy can become a vehicle for radical self-honesty—where we stop shape-shifting to meet others’ expectations and instead begin to honor what our body, heart, and intuition have been whispering all along.

This episode is a call to return to yourself—not the curated version, but the one that has always been there beneath the social conditioning, the masks, and the roles we’ve played. It’s about learning to live unarmored.

In This Conversation, We Explore:

• Why living in secrecy erodes the soul
• How to stop being a chameleon and start knowing yourself
• Listening to the body’s wisdom before logic takes over
• Reclaiming your voice when it’s been buried by shame or performance
• How yoga therapy can support the journey back to inner belonging
• Why authenticity is the greatest medicine—and the hardest practice

Who This Is For:

Anyone who is tired of performing. Anyone who feels the ache of pretending. Anyone ready to stop betraying themselves for acceptance. If you're seeking a path back to truth and embodiment, this conversation will land deep.

Connect with Christine:

 www.integratedyogatherapy.com

More From The Yoga Therapy Hour:

 Subscribe and listen on your favorite podcast platform

 Try the Optimal State Mobile App to track your nervous system, connect to your intuition, and reclaim balance

 Learn more and join our mailing list at www.TheOptimalState.com

Rate & Review:

If this episode stirred something in you, please leave a review and share it with a friend. Truth-telling is contagious—and healing.

Monday Nights with Amy: www.TheOptimalState.com

Mobile App: Optimal State App

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/

Episode Overview

In this grounded and heartfelt conversation, Amy Wheeler speaks with yoga therapist and licensed mental health professional Julia Romano about her new book, Yoga Therapy for the Whole Mother. While the book addresses the postpartum journey, Amy and Julia reveal that its deeper message is about learning to mother—not just children, but ourselves, one another, and the world.

Julia shares how her life on a farm in West Virginia, her personal healing, and her spiritual path have shaped her therapeutic work. She speaks about the power of awareness, the centrality of presence, and the practical and sacred ways that yoga therapy can help people return to their innate wholeness.

Topics Explored

• The archetype of the mother as a model for therapeutic presence and attunement
• The link between awareness and agency in nervous system regulation
• Yoga therapy as a re-mothering experience for clients with early attachment wounds
• Healing disordered body awareness through movement and breath
• Rupture and repair in relationships as essential to human growth
• Meaning and purpose as antidotes to modern fragmentation
• Why the teachings of yoga must be embodied, not just understood intellectually

Key Quotes

“Awareness begets choice—and choice is where healing begins.” — Julia Romano

“Yoga therapy is not just about asana or breath; it's about creating a sacred space where another human being feels truly seen.” — Amy Wheeler

“It’s not about the rupture—it’s about the repair.” — Julia Romano

“This book is not just about postpartum healing. It’s a masterclass in how to be a great yoga therapist.” — Amy Wheeler

About the Book

Yoga Therapy for the Whole Mother is a deeply researched and spiritually grounded guide to the postpartum journey, but its insights go far beyond the early months of motherhood. Drawing from classical yoga, neuroscience, clinical experience, and lived wisdom, Julia offers practical tools and philosophical depth for anyone seeking healing, connection, and purpose.

The book covers topics such as disordered body image, stress and fatigue, breath regulation, trauma-informed care, the pañcamaya model, and how the therapeutic relationship itself can be a path to wholeness.

All research citations and expanded literature reviews are available on Julia’s website under the resources section.

Connect with Julia Romano

• Website: www.developingawarenesstherapy.com
• Offers individual yoga therapy sessions (telehealth and in-person)
• Available for mentoring newer yoga therapists
• Writes regularly on two Substack newsletters:
• The Yoga Therapy Lens
• Parenting While Walking a Spiritual Path

Closing Reflections

This conversation is a reflection on what it means to live the teachings of yoga—whether in clinical sessions, parenting moments, or quiet daily rituals. Julia reminds us that the act of mothering is not confined to gender or stage of life. It is a practice of witnessing, tending, and trusting the healing that comes through relationship.

For anyone who works in healing, caregiving, or simply wants to live with more integrity and compassion, this episode offers deep insight and practical inspiration.

Please add normal links for Amy and MUIH- thank you!

Episode Overview:

In this deeply heartfelt episode, Amy sits down with Tra Kirkpatrick, an experienced yoga therapist and transformational coach, for a courageous and honest exploration of body image, self-worth, and the lifelong process of self-discovery.

Tra shares her personal journey—from being placed on a diet at age 9 to discovering yoga in the late 1990s—and how her practice helped her separate external labels from internal truth. This episode is a compassionate guide for anyone who has ever felt disconnected from their body or confused about where to begin healing.

This is not a conversation about weight loss. Instead, it is an invitation to redefine the relationship we have with our bodies, to unpack the emotional and cultural baggage we carry, and to use the tools of yoga therapy, coaching, and discernment (viveka) to find greater ease, vitality, and self-acceptance.

Topics We Explore:

• Tra’s early experiences with weight stigma, medicalized body shame, and generational body narratives
• How yoga offered a path from self-rejection to self-awareness
• The evolution from body neutrality to body sovereignty
• Why core values are foundational for meaningful behavior change
• How cultural conditioning, social media, and family systems shape our internalized self-image
• The distinction between external identity and internal compass
• How to assess whether your behaviors align with your values using tools like the Wheel of Life
• Why affirmations didn’t work for Tra—and how she found more authentic language to support change
• Understanding the inner critic through the lens of ahiṃsā (non-harming)
• The role of discernment in resisting industry-driven narratives about beauty and worth
• Yoga therapy as a modality that respects the unique journey of each client

Tra’s Signature Offering:

“Waitlist: Let Go and Get Lighter”

An 8-week online program that helps participants identify and release the internal and external weight—mental, emotional, physical—that keeps them stuck. The program is not about dieting or physical aesthetics but rather freedom, vitality, and reclaiming your life.

 Program launching again later this year. Learn more at trakirkpatrick.com

 Favorite Quotes:

“It’s not about changing what I see in the mirror. It’s about changing the person who is seeing.” – Tra Kirkpatrick

“Our body is not something to fix. It’s something to feel at home in.” – Amy Wheeler

“You are the only one writing the story of your life.” – Tra Kirkpatrick

“Even if we don’t know the full context, yoga gives us the space to ask: What else could be true?” – Tra Kirkpatrick

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Yoga therapy tools: ahiṃsā (non-harming), svādhyāya (self-study), viveka (discernment)
• Wheel of Life assessment for value-based decision making
• Jennifer Kreatsoulas, author of The Courageous Path to Healing and Body Mindful Yoga
• Discussion of guṇa imbalance and body image:
• Vāta: restlessness, insecurity, over-exercising
• Pitta: perfectionism, body control, critical self-talk
• Kapha: stagnation, shame, hopelessness

Takeaways:

• Body image is not just physical—it’s emotional, social, and spiritual.
• You don’t need to love your body to begin healing. Sometimes neutrality or sovereignty is enough.
• Core values can be your guideposts when the inner critic is loud.
• Small, consistent steps—not grand transformations—make the biggest difference over time.
• Yoga therapy allows us to start from exactly where we are, with compassion and curiosity.

Stay Connected:

• Amy Wheeler: www.amywheeler.com | IG: @amywheelerphd
• Tra Kirkpatrick: www.trakirkpatrick.com
• The Yoga Therapy Hour Podcast: Subscribe & leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!
• To join Amy’s mailing list and receive free resources, go to TheOptimalState.com

In this powerful episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy Wheeler sits down with Chris Sax, President of Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH), to discuss one of the most significant transformations in the field of integrative health education: the merger of MUIH into Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU). Together, they reflect on the opportunities, challenges, and leadership lessons that come with navigating such a historic transition.

Chris shares openly about:

· The vision behind the merger and how it positions NDMU as the first comprehensive university in the U.S. with a School of Integrative Health.

· The unique opportunities this merger brings for interprofessional collaboration between integrative health programs and conventional disciplines like pharmacy, occupational therapy, nursing, physician assistant studies, and art therapy.

· The personal and professional realities of leadership during change—from high-stakes decisions to the very human challenge of guiding teams through uncertainty.

· Why cultivating compassionate leadership and emotional steadiness is just as essential as strategy, and how Chris has grown in this area throughout the pandemic and the merger process.

· The importance of knowing yourself as a leader—your strengths, your limitations, and the “sweet spot” where passion, skills, and natural wiring intersect.

· How to navigate burnout, resilience, and self-regulation while sustaining the long, slow work of higher education leadership.

· The future of higher education, why mergers are becoming more common, and how adaptability, possibility-thinking, and resilience will be critical skills for leaders moving forward.

Added Insights

Through stories of self-assessment, professional pivots, and the emotional labor of leadership, Chris offers grounded wisdom about what it takes to lead well in times of uncertainty. She speaks candidly about the loneliness of leadership, the value of knowing your own wiring, and how burnout shows up in subtle ways. Her reflections on ego, failure, and service illuminate a path toward authentic, purpose-driven leadership.

Together, Amy and Chris explore:

• Why self-awareness is the cornerstone of sustainable leadership

• How tools like the FIRO-B helped Chris realize she didn’t need to “be like everyone else”

• The internal cues that signal burnout—and how to respond to them

• The ego's role in both success and failure

• How higher education is shifting—and the mindset shifts required to keep up

• What it means to lead from service, not self

This is a conversation about leadership as a practice of svādhyāya (self-inquiry), vairāgya (non-attachment to outcome), and tapas (disciplined effort)—rooted in humility, honesty, and care.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

· Master of Science in Yoga Therapy at MUIH/NDMU: Learn more - https://muih.edu/academics/yoga-therapy/master-of-science-in-yoga-therapy/

· Post-Master’s Certificate in Therapeutic Yoga Practices (for licensed healthcare providers): Learn more -  https://muih.edu/academics/yoga-therapy/post-masters-certificate-in-therapeutic-yoga-practices/

· Post-Baccalaureate Ayurveda Certification: Learn more - https://muih.edu/academics/ayurveda/post-baccalaureate-ayurveda-certification/

· Optimal State Mobile App – for daily check-ins and simple interventions to stay balanced: Visit here - https://optimalstateapp.com/

· Online Community with weekly yoga therapy classes & full class library: Join here - https://theoptimalstate.com/monday-yoga-therapy-clinic/

Episode Overview:

In this rich and inspiring episode, Dr. Amy Wheeler sits down with Sarajean Rudman, a multi-disciplinary healer and professor at Maryland University of Integrative Health, to explore what it truly means to live Ayurveda in today’s world.

Sarajean shares how her journey into Ayurveda began at Kripalu and evolved through a deep immersion in yoga, fitness, health coaching, clinical nutrition, and integrative medicine. Her ability to translate ancient wisdom into practical daily action is exactly what modern healthcare — and families — need now.

Together, Amy and Sarajean explore:

• What integrative Ayurveda means in the context of modern healthcare
• How licensed healthcare professionals (LHPs) can incorporate Ayurvedic routines and language into their practice
• Why Ayurveda is not just for wellness seekers, but also for educators, parents, and burned-out professionals
• How simple acts — like warm water in the morning, walking after lunch, or creating a soothing workspace — can transform your nervous system and your life
• The surprising role of color therapy, aromatherapy, and Dinacharya (daily routine) in regulating mind and mood
• How children and teachers alike can benefit from Ayurvedic principles in classroom settings
• The cultural gap in understanding Ayurveda — and how to make it accessible, non-dogmatic, and evidence-informed

Sarajean also introduces her upcoming project, The Replacement Project, which aims to reduce harm and promote healthier daily rituals — especially for women who find themselves caught in the “coffee-to-cocktail” cycle of modern motherhood and overwork.

Featured Topics:

• Lifestyle medicine through the Ayurvedic lens
• Circadian rhythms and hormonal regulation
• Ayurvedic applications in mental health, sleep, and digestion
• Bridging Eastern traditions with evidence-based Western models
• Ayurveda for educators, children, and busy families
• Empowering clients to reclaim sovereignty over their health
• Tips for overcoming the cultural discomfort of slowing down and tuning in

About Sarajean Rudman:

Sarajean Rudman is a professor of Ayurveda, clinical nutritionist, yoga educator, and health coach. She has earned multiple graduate degrees in integrative health and brings a grounded, science-informed perspective to ancient Ayurvedic wisdom. Sarajean teaches at both Maryland University of Integrative Health and Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. She also runs a private integrative practice offering telehealth consultations that combine lab analysis, tongue and pulse diagnosis, and individualized lifestyle planning.

Website: www.sarajeanrudman.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarajeanrudman

Learn with Sarajean at MUIH

Sarajean teaches in the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Ayurveda program at MUIH, which includes four foundational courses:

1. Foundations of Ayurveda
2. Ayurvedic Nutrition
3. Ayurveda for Mental Health
4. Advanced Ayurvedic Lifestyle Skills

Perfect for yoga professionals, educators, and LHPs looking to deepen their self-care and bring Ayurveda into their client care and classroom environments.

Learn more: muih.edu

Subscribe & Share

If this episode sparked ideas, validation, or a deep breath of inspiration, we’d love to hear from you! Please leave a review, share with a friend, or tag us on social media.

Learn more about Amy’s programs: www.TheOptimalState.com

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/

In this solo episode, a passionate Amy Wheeler shares candid reflections on the current state and future direction of the yoga therapy profession, with a specific focus on scope of practice, ethics, trauma care, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Now serving as the Chair of the Department of Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda at Maryland University of Integrative Health, Amy is teaching a course on ethics, code of conduct, and scope of practice for yoga therapists. This class has reignited critical questions about the growing responsibilities—and limitations—of yoga therapists as the field matures into a recognized profession.

Amy explores the nuanced distinction between yoga teaching and yoga therapy, why a tighter scope of practice means doing less (not more), and how trauma-informed care requires collaborative oversight with licensed healthcare practitioners. She also addresses ethical dilemmas in integrating somatics, psychotherapy, and nervous system regulation into yoga therapy sessions—and the risks of unintentionally appropriating Indian philosophical roots by stripping out the foundational teachings of Yoga.

With humility and experience, Amy examines the difference between salutogenic models (focused on wellness and whole-person care) and pathogenic models (focused on illness and symptoms), and encourages yoga therapists to find clarity in their role within an integrated care system.

Key Topics:

• Why the scope of yoga therapy is narrower than yoga teaching
• Understanding the ethical boundaries of trauma-informed yoga therapy
• The importance of interdisciplinary referrals to LHCPs (Licensed Healthcare Practitioners)
• How yoga therapists can avoid burnout and emotional overextension
• The difference between pathogenic and salutogenic models of care
• Why Indian philosophy must remain central to yoga therapy (and not be replaced by neuroscience alone)
• The relevance of Yoga Sūtra teachings such as svādhyāya, viveka-khyāti, and īśvara-praṇidhāna in trauma-sensitive practice
• Thoughts on training requirements for both LHCPs entering yoga therapy and yoga therapists working in mental health contexts

Resources Mentioned:

• Amy’s blog: The Yoga Therapy Bridge
• www.amywheeler.com → Blog section
• Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali, Bhagavad Gītā, Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (as foundational sources)
• Spotify for accessible Upaniṣadic and Yogic philosophy podcasts to share with clients

Takeaways:

• Yoga therapy is becoming a true profession, and with that comes greater responsibility, structure, and accountability.
• Trauma-informed work requires caution, training, and often, referral partnerships—it cannot be done in isolation.
• It’s time for the yoga therapy field to develop clear referral guidelines, codify trauma care policies, and ensure practitioners are supported in their own healing journeys.

Connect with Amy Wheeler:

• Website: www.amywheeler.com
• Learn more about her academic work at www.optimalstate.com

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/

In this powerful and deeply moving episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy Wheeler sits down with yoga therapist, educator, and caregiver Lisa Madden. Together, they explore the intersection of yoga philosophy and real-life caregiving through the lens of Lisa’s journey—supporting both of her aging parents through dementia, cancer, and mental health crises, while navigating her own transformation as a daughter, teacher, and practitioner.

Lisa shares her personal story of discovering yoga in her mid-thirties—via a Shiva Rea CD in her living room—and how her practice has grown from physical movement into a profound spiritual foundation that helps her meet grief, exhaustion, and purpose with grace. She opens up about her mother’s struggle with bipolar disorder and her eventual passing, her father’s ongoing experience with dementia, and how yoga philosophy, especially ahiṃsā, satya, and self-regulation, has become her compass in this season of life.

Whether you are a caregiver yourself, supporting someone through chronic illness, or facing the complexities of intergenerational trauma and aging, Lisa’s honesty, vulnerability, and resilience offer comfort and practical insight. She reminds us that yoga is not just something we do on the mat—it is a way we show up for life, even when life is messy and painful.

Topics Covered:

• Lisa’s first experience with yoga and her journey into teaching and yoga therapy
• Founding Into Yoga in Lapeer, Michigan, and transitioning ownership during a caregiving crisis
• How COVID-19 impacted her studio and led to innovative online solutions for older adult communities
• Supporting a parent with bipolar disorder and navigating the grief of suicide
• The long-term demands and spiritual depth of being a dementia caregiver
• Using yoga philosophy—ahiṃsā, satya, saṃtoṣa, and co-regulation—as a framework for compassionate caregiving
• Shifting from the role of daughter to contemplative caregiver
• Practicing yoga off the mat through biking, journaling, gratitude, and breath
• The power of rewriting family narratives through the lens of forgiveness and love
• Reflections on grief, resilience, and the subtle body memory of love

Content Warning:

This episode includes sensitive discussions around suicide, mental health, and the loss of a parent. Please listen with care. A brief content warning is provided in the episode prior to these discussions.

Connect with Lisa Madden:

• Facebook: SattvaYT
• Instagram: @sattva_yoga_therapy
• Yoga Studio: Soul Nectar Yoga – Lapeer, MI
• Private Sessions: Lisa offers private yoga therapy via Zoom. Contact her through the studio website or her social media for more information.

Upcoming Event:

Lisa is on faculty at the International Institute of Yoga Therapy and is helping coordinate the second Symposium on Clinical Advancements in Yoga Therapy, scheduled for January 16–18, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. CEUs for Yoga Alliance, IAYT, nurses, social workers, and physicians will be available.

Show host Amy Wheeler, Ph.D. is the Chair of the Department of Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda at Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) and a leader in the fields of yoga therapy and Ayurveda. She played a key role in helping to set standards for Ayurvedic Yoga Therapists at the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) and served as President of the Board of Directors for the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) from 2018 to 2020.

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/

In this deeply reflective episode, Amy Wheeler welcomes meditation teacher and yogic scholar Earle Birney to share his personal journey through yoga, meditation, and values-based living. From an unexpected start with Light on Yoga in a New Zealand prison to co-founding a remote retreat center in the Arizona desert, Earle’s story is a testament to transformation, dedication, and spiritual growth.

Earle shares how his early Ashtanga Yoga discipline evolved into a more integrated approach rooted in daily life—not confined to the mat, but extending into every interaction and breath. The conversation touches on Kriyā Yoga, Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra, core values, and how meditation serves as the anchor to cultivate integrity, presence, and love.

Key Topics Covered:

• Earle’s first yoga experience and how it catalyzed his spiritual path
• The difference between physical yoga and yoga as a way of life
• The relevance of Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sūtra for modern practitioners
• Understanding Kriyā Yoga and Aṣṭāṅga Yoga as practical, embodied frameworks
• The concept of cognitive dissonance in ethics and how to track your personal integrity
• Creating non-negotiable time for meditation and reflection
• The practice of “Harvesting Joy” and retraining the mind for positivity
• A profound insight from a 3-year silent retreat: love as a non-object-dependent inner state
• Using core values as a moment-to-moment compass for yogic living
• How modern life erodes attention, and what we can do about it

Quotable Highlights:

“My yoga is not about a pose—it’s about how I walk through the room with elegance and grace.” – Earle Birney

“Now. Yoga begins now. There’s always an opportunity to step into it.” – Earle Birney

“Your spiritual practice shouldn't fit into your life. Your life should fit around your spiritual practice.” – Earle Birney

“Love is not dependent on anything. It’s a state that arises when the mind is quiet.” – Earle Birney

About the Guest:

Earle Birney is a meditation and philosophy teacher affiliated with Yoga Studies Institute and Three Jewels NYC. He co-founded Diamond Mountain Retreat Center, a remote off-grid refuge in the Arizona desert dedicated to deep retreat and advanced study. Earle specializes in Buddhist and yogic philosophy, one-pointed meditation, and guiding others to live from their deepest values. He is especially interested in helping modern practitioners reconnect with purpose and inner stillness.

Learn More & Connect:

• Diamond Mountain Retreat Center: diamondmountain.org
• Yoga Studies Institute: yogastudiesinstitute.org
• Three Jewels NYC: thethreejewels.org

Connect with Amy Wheeler: 

www.amywheeler.com- Yoga Therapy Bridge Blog

www.TheOptimalState.com- Classes with Amy

Optimal State Mobile App- iPhone App Store

Amy Wheeler, Ph.D. is the Chair of the Department of Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda at Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) and a leader in the fields of yoga therapy and Ayurveda. She played a key role in helping to set standards for Ayurvedic Yoga Therapists at the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) and served as President of the Board of Directors for the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) from 2018 to 2020.

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/

Episode Summary: In this powerful episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, host Amy Wheeler welcomes psychotherapist and yoga therapist Michelle Fury for an in-depth discussion on complex trauma, emotional healing, and the role of yoga therapy in mental health. Michelle shares her deeply personal journey, how yoga helped her navigate complex trauma, and how she now integrates yoga therapy into her work with children, adolescents, and families.

Michelle was a pioneer in the field, practicing yoga therapy before it was even a recognized profession. She discusses her time at Colorado Children's Hospital, where she worked alongside art and music therapists, supporting young individuals dealing with self-harm, eating disorders, and trauma. Michelle recounts how her journey led her to develop therapeutic tools, including the use of Optimal State emotional regulation charts, to help children and families reconnect with their emotions and sensations.

We explore topics such as:

• How trauma disconnects individuals from their bodies and emotions
• The impact of yoga therapy on young people in psychiatric care
• Differentiating between dissociation and embodied awareness
• How yoga therapy bridges the gap between mental health and somatic healing
• The process of guiding clients through self-awareness and emotional literacy
• The power of pranayama and mantra in deepening healing practices

Michelle also discusses her upcoming book Yoga Therapy for Complex Trauma, set for release in August, which offers an integrative approach to healing through yoga. She emphasizes the importance of teaching both yoga professionals and mental health practitioners how to incorporate yoga safely and effectively within their scope of practice.

If you're a yoga therapist, psychotherapist, or someone interested in using yoga as a tool for healing, this episode is packed with insights that will deepen your understanding of the mind-body connection.

Resources Mentioned:

• Michelle’s first book: Using Yoga Therapy to Promote Mental Health in Children and Adolescents
• Upcoming book: Yoga Therapy for Complex Trauma (August release)
• Optimal State mobile app for self-regulation and emotional tracking
• The Minded Institute’s Yoga Therapy for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Training

Learn More:

• Michelle Fury’s website (Launching February): www.rhythmyogatherapy.com
• The Minded Institute Training: www.themindedinstitute.com
• Optimal State Mobile App (iOS & Android)
• Connect with Amy Wheeler: www.theoptimalstate.com

Listen & Subscribe: Find The Yoga Therapy Hour on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Follow Us on Social Media:

• Instagram: @optimalstate
• LinkedIn: Amy Wheeler Yoga Therapy
• YouTube: The Yoga Therapy Hour Podcast

Support the Podcast: If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps bring these important conversations to a broader audience!

Connect + Take Action:

• Want to be a guest on Season 10? Email Amy with your desired topic from the 8 Limbs series!
• Explore Amy’s offerings at TheOptimalState.com
• Subscribe and leave a review if this episode touched you.
• Support the show by sharing this episode with a friend or colleague in the healing arts.

Episode Summary:

In this deeply personal and reflective solo episode, Amy Wheeler closes out Season 8 of The Yoga Therapy Hour and sets the tone for a rich, story-filled Season 9.

Amy shares how the theme of “being human” emerged as the guiding force of Season 8, inspired by the courageous individuals who came forward to tell their stories—many for the first time. These stories weren't just interviews. They were powerful acts of vulnerability, resilience, and truth-telling, offering a mirror into the ways Yoga, Yoga Therapy, and Āyurveda can help us feel more, suffer less, and reconnect with ourselves and others.

From feeding the birds on a crisp Minnesota morning to attending the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday celebration with the Tibetan American community, Amy reflects on the importance of embodiment, interconnection, and what it means to belong—to ourselves, to each other, and to something greater.

She also speaks frankly about the state of the yoga therapy profession—naming the challenges in funding, insurance, job growth, and institutional integration—and invites listeners to return to the heart of the practice. Yoga was never meant to be a job market. It was—and still is—a sacred path for healing, presence, and service.

What’s Ahead in Season 9:

• Season 9 will continue the storytelling format, focusing on real humans navigating real suffering and how they found relief and resilience through Yoga and Āyurveda.
• The season is already fully booked through December 2025, with Amy often recording two stories per week to keep up with the demand.
• The core question guiding the season: What does it mean to be human in an age of AI, disconnection, and overwhelm?

Special Announcement: Season 10 Preview

Amy shares a glimpse of what’s coming in 2026:

A 15-month podcast series dedicated to the 8 Limbs of Yoga, integrating ancient wisdom with modern neuroscience and lived experience. Topics include:

• January: Citta-vṛtti-nirodha & the Autonomic Nervous System
• February: Abhyāsa & Vairāgyam
• March: The Kleśas & Suffering
• April–December: The Eight Limbs (Yamas through Samādhi)

Interested in being a guest for one of these episodes? Amy invites you to email her to claim a topic!

Key Quotes:

“Maybe Yoga can’t be your sole source of income right now. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be your sacred path.”

— Amy Wheeler

“When we let go of trying to fit Yoga Therapy into a broken system, we begin to remember the soul of this work.”

— Amy Wheeler

“Humanity is not something we need to digitize—it’s something we need to feel again.”

— Amy Wheeler

Connect + Take Action:

• Want to be a guest on Season 10? Email Amy with your desired topic from the 8 Limbs series!
• Explore Amy’s offerings at TheOptimalState.com
• Subscribe and leave a review if this episode touched you.
• Support the show by sharing this episode with a friend or colleague in the healing arts.