Yoga Therapy Hour with Amy Wheeler

What makes yoga therapy truly unique?

Is it the postures? The breathwork? Meditation? Lifestyle practices?

In this solo episode, Dr. Amy Wheeler explores a different answer: Yoga therapy is distinguished not by its techniques, but by its orientation. That orientation is Indian Psychology.

Inspired by the recent establishment of Indian Psychology Day, Amy reflects on why this recognition is significant for the future of yoga therapy. She explores how Indian Psychology provides the framework through which yoga therapists understand suffering, consciousness, transformation, and healing.

Rather than simply applying yoga techniques to medical diagnoses or combining yoga with Western psychology, yoga therapy offers its own sophisticated model of human flourishing—one rooted in thousands of years of Indian philosophical and contemplative traditions.

Throughout the episode, Amy discusses:

• Why every healthcare profession has its own orientation

• What Indian Psychology is—and what it is not

• How Indian Psychology differs from Western psychological models

• The classical sources that inform yoga therapy, including the Yoga Sūtras, Sāṅkhya, the Upaniṣads, the Bhagavad Gītā, Vedānta, Tantra, and Ayurveda

• Why yoga therapy assessment looks different from conventional healthcare

• How yoga therapists work with consciousness rather than symptoms alone

• Clinical examples of anxiety, chronic pain, and burnout through the lens of Indian Psychology

• Why preserving the philosophical foundations of yoga therapy is essential as the profession continues to evolve

Amy also reflects on the future of yoga therapy, encouraging the profession to clearly articulate its own identity while continuing to collaborate with medicine, psychology, physical therapy, and other healthcare disciplines.

Whether you are a yoga therapist, yoga teacher, healthcare professional, student, or simply curious about the deeper roots of yoga, this episode invites you to consider a fundamental question:

What if yoga therapy's greatest contribution to healthcare is not another technique—but another way of understanding human consciousness?

Key Topics

• Indian Psychology

• Yoga Therapy

• Consciousness

• Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras

• Sāṅkhya Philosophy

• The Five Kośas

• Kleśas

• Guṇas

• Citta

• Clinical Reasoning

• Integrative Healthcare

• Meditation

• Transformation

Resources Mentioned

The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali

Sāṅkhya Philosophy

The Bhagavad Gītā

The Upaniṣads

Applying Therapeutic Yoga in Integrative Health by Marlysa Sullivan & Amy Wheeler

Connect with Amy Wheeler

Learn more about Amy's work in yoga therapy education, research, speaking engagements, and upcoming events by following her professional channels and podcast updates.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who is interested in the evolving field of yoga therapy.

What if gratitude is not just a feeling, but a trainable skill—one that shapes leadership, relationships, and the way we experience our daily lives?

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy sits down with Paul Nardone, Director of the Workforce Center and faculty member in business, to explore gratitude as an intentional practice. Together, they unpack how small, consistent moments of appreciation can shift mindset, build trust, and create meaningful change within teams, organizations, and personal life.

This conversation moves beyond surface-level positivity. It offers a grounded look at how gratitude functions in real-world settings—especially during challenge, conflict, and uncertainty—and how it can be cultivated as a steady internal discipline.

Key Themes Explored

Gratitude as a Bhāvana (Mental Training)

Gratitude is not something that simply appears. It is cultivated through repetition and attention. Like any skill, it strengthens with practice and consistency.

From Concept to Practice

Rather than waiting for big moments, gratitude is built through small, daily acknowledgments—recognizing effort, presence, and contribution in real time.

The Two-Way Exchange

Gratitude benefits both the giver and the receiver. It reshapes perception, reinforces connection, and shifts attention toward what is working.

Leadership and Culture

In leadership, gratitude is not “soft.” It is strategic. It strengthens trust, improves collaboration, and contributes to psychological safety within teams.

Authenticity vs. Performance

There is a clear distinction between genuine appreciation and performative recognition. Sustainable impact comes from consistent, authentic engagement—not occasional gestures tied to outcomes.

Gratitude During Challenge

Gratitude is not about avoiding difficulty or bypassing real problems. It supports the ability to stay grounded while addressing challenges with clarity and respect.

Reframing the Inner Narrative

When the mind moves toward negativity or self-doubt, gratitude can help shift focus—not by denying reality, but by widening perspective.

Cultural Change and Adoption

Not everyone adopts new ways of thinking at the same pace. Modeling, storytelling, and consistency help others begin to see the value over time.

Memorable Insights

• Gratitude is a mindset that requires intention. It does not happen automatically. 
• Small, consistent moments of appreciation create more impact than occasional large gestures. 
• Trust, teamwork, and collaboration improve when gratitude becomes part of daily interaction. 
• Gratitude does not replace accountability—it strengthens the ability to engage in honest conversations. 
• The practice shifts not only how we see others, but how we experience our own lives. 

Practical Reflection for Listeners

Consider where gratitude currently shows up in your life.

• Do you tend to reserve appreciation for major moments, or do you notice the small, daily contributions around you?
• How might your relationships shift if you named one specific thing you appreciate about someone each day?
• When facing difficulty, can you hold both reality and appreciation at the same time?

Closing Thought

Gratitude is not about ignoring what is hard.

It is about choosing where to place attention—again and again—until it becomes a steady way of being.

Over time, that choice begins to shape not only how we lead, but how we live.

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy Wheeler welcomes Jeremy David Engels, PhD, professor at Penn State University, to explore how mindfulness, yoga philosophy, and compassionate communication can help us navigate an increasingly polarized world.

Jeremy discusses his newest book, On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World(Parallax Press, February 2026). Structured in the spirit of Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny, the book presents 27 concise reflections that encourage readers to engage in democracy with clarity, courage, compassion, and a deep recognition of our shared humanity.

The conversation explores what it means to move beyond "enemyship" and cultivate mindful civic engagement rooted in interdependence rather than division. Amy and Jeremy discuss how many of the principles found in contemplative traditions, including yoga, can support healthier dialogue, stronger communities, and more resilient societies.

Jeremy also shares insights from his second recent book, Living Namaste (Inner Traditions, distributed by Simon & Schuster, June 16, 2026), which extends the practice of yoga beyond the mat and into everyday relationships, communication, and public life.

Whether you are a yoga therapist, healthcare professional, educator, or simply someone seeking constructive ways to engage with others during challenging times, this episode offers practical wisdom for bringing mindfulness into both personal and civic life.

In This Episode

• What inspired On Mindful Democracy
• Why interdependence is essential for healthy communities
• Moving beyond polarization and "enemyship"
• The role of compassion in difficult conversations
• Mindfulness as a foundation for civic engagement
• Connections between yoga philosophy and democratic participation
• Bringing the spirit of Namaste into everyday life
• Practical ways to cultivate courage, clarity, and connection

Featured Books

On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World

Parallax Press (February 2026)

Living Namaste

Inner Traditions (distributed by Simon & Schuster)

Published June 16, 2026

What if one of the most transformative practices in yoga is also one of the least understood?

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy Wheeler sits down with yoga therapist and educator Mona Shah to explore Pratyāhāra, the fifth limb of Patañjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga. Often translated as "withdrawal of the senses," Pratyāhāra is much more than turning away from the world. It is the profound shift from seeking fulfillment externally to discovering a deep source of nourishment within.

Together, Amy and Mona discuss why Pratyāhāra serves as the bridge between the external practices of yoga and the deeper meditative practices of concentration, meditation, and absorption. They explore how cultivating mastery over the senses allows us to respond rather than react, develop greater clarity through buddhi (higher wisdom), and experience greater freedom from habitual patterns of suffering.

The conversation also bridges ancient yogic philosophy with modern neuroscience, exploring how nervous system regulation, attention, neuroplasticity, and contemplative practice complement one another.

Whether you are a yoga therapist, yoga teacher, meditation practitioner, or simply someone seeking greater peace amidst today's constant stimulation, this episode offers a thoughtful roadmap for living from the inside out.

In This Episode

• What Pratyāhāra really means beyond the common translation of "withdrawal of the senses"

• Why Pratyāhāra is the pivotal transition between the outer and inner limbs of yoga

• The relationship between Pratyāhāra, the nervous system, and emotional regulation

• How the first four limbs prepare us for deeper meditation

• The distinction between sensory suppression and genuine mastery over the senses

• The role of buddhi (higher wisdom) in transforming our responses to life

• How habitual conditioning (saṃskāras), the kleśas, and the guṇas influence perception

• Why suffering is part of the human experience—and how yoga changes our relationship to it

• Connections between yogic philosophy and modern neuroscience, including neuroplasticity and self-regulation

• How Pratyāhāra cultivates compassion, self-awareness, resilience, and inner freedom

• Why Patanjali's Eight Limbs remain remarkably relevant in an age of information overload, artificial intelligence, and constant distraction

Key Takeaways

Pratyāhāra is not about escaping the world. It is about changing where we draw our nourishment.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga are not separate practices but an integrated developmental pathway that prepares body, breath, mind, and awareness for meditation.

As our practice matures, we become less driven by external stimulation and more guided by discernment, clarity, and inner wisdom.

True healing comes not from controlling external circumstances but from transforming our relationship to them.

Yoga therapy empowers individuals to become active participants in their own healing rather than passive recipients of treatment.

About Mona Shah

Mona Shah is a certified yoga therapist, educator, and passionate student of the Yoga Sūtras. Her work integrates classical yoga philosophy with contemporary neuroscience and emphasizes practical tools for cultivating resilience, self-awareness, and lasting transformation through yoga practice.

www.stillpointyoga.life

Yoga Bharati

yogabharati.org

Resources Mentioned

• Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras

• The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Aṣṭāṅga Yoga)

• Pratyāhāra

• Dharaṇā

• Dhyāna

• Samādhi

• The Kleśas

• Buddhi, Manas, and Ahaṃkāra

• The Pañcamaya Kośa Model

• Neuroplasticity and nervous system regulation

In this solo episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, host Amy Wheeler, Ph.D., explores Pratyāhāra, the fifth limb of Patañjali’s eight-limbed path, and how Yoga Nidra can become a powerful therapeutic pathway for turning the senses inward.

Rather than presenting Yoga Nidra as a single technique, Amy explores the many ways it can be understood and applied. Some approaches emphasize embodiment and awareness of physical sensation, while others invite experiences of spaciousness, transcendence, or non-dual awareness. From a yoga therapy perspective, the central question is not which approach is “right,” but rather: What does the person in front of us need?

Amy shares the development of the Optimal State approach to therapeutic Yoga Nidra, created over several years in collaboration with colleagues Colleen Carroll and Lori Angris. Together, they explored how Yoga Nidra could be adapted specifically for yoga therapy through individualized assessment, shared intention-setting, and ongoing reflection.

In this episode, Amy explores:

• Pratyāhāra as the movement from external sensory engagement toward inner nourishment and awareness.
• Why Yoga Nidra is not one single practice or philosophical approach.
• The difference between more embodied, dualistic approaches and transcendent or non-dual approaches to Yoga Nidra.
• Why a person experiencing chronic pain may need a different practice than someone navigating grief, caregiving, or questions surrounding death and meaning.
• The importance of assessment and co-negotiation between the yoga therapist and client.
• Using the pañca maya model to explore the physical body, breath and energy, mind and emotions, inner wisdom and beliefs, and experiences of joy or spirituality.
• How interoceptive awareness can help a person notice not only discomfort, but also areas of ease, comfort, and spaciousness within the body.
• Amy’s personal experience using Yoga Nidra while working with significant knee pain and nervous-system overload.
• Why people who naturally tend toward transcendence may sometimes benefit from greater embodiment, while highly body-oriented individuals may benefit from exploring spaciousness and transcendence.
• The importance of returning from transcendent experiences to breath, sensation, orientation, and everyday life.
• How personalized imagery and bhāvana can be developed collaboratively with a client.
• Why therapeutic Yoga Nidra requires follow-up and adjustment rather than assuming one practice will work equally well for everyone.

The Optimal State Therapeutic Yoga Nidra Process

Amy introduces the general framework used in the Optimal State approach:

1. Begin with an intentional opening that marks the transition from daily life into practice.
2. Refine the state of the mind through breath, movement, chanting, or another appropriate yogic tool.
3. Establish a collaboratively developed intention based on the client’s assessment and goals.
4. Use an individualized body rotation or internal movement of awareness and prāṇa.
5. Introduce an appropriate object of meditation, visualization, mantra, imagery, or bhāvana.
6. Allow a period of deep rest, spaciousness, or transcendence depending upon the intention of the practice.
7. Gradually return awareness to the body, breath, surroundings, and daily life while carrying forward the qualities cultivated during the practice.

The practice can then be recorded for the client to use regularly, often for approximately one month, before reassessing and determining what is needed next.

A Central Question for Yoga Therapists

Throughout the episode, Amy returns to a foundational principle of yoga therapy: meet the person where they are.

Therapeutic Yoga Nidra does not require every person to move toward the same experience. One client may need to inhabit the body more fully and discover places of safety and ease. Another may need a temporary experience of spaciousness beyond pain, grief, diagnosis, or identity.

In either case, the underlying intention remains Pratyāhāra: reducing the constant pull of the external sensory world so that we can develop a deeper relationship with our internal experience.

The result can be a profound form of self-connection—an opportunity to become more intimate with our own body, breath, mind, emotions, and inner life.

Mentioned in This Episode

Amy developed this therapeutic Yoga Nidra approach with longtime colleagues Colleen Carroll and Lori Angress, drawing upon their different backgrounds and decades of experience with Yoga Nidra.

Amy also discusses Pratyāhāra in the book she co-authored with Marlisa Sullivan, Applying Therapeutic Yoga in Integrative Health.

About The Yoga Therapy Hour

The Yoga Therapy Hour explores the principles, practices, research, and clinical applications of yoga therapy. Hosted by Amy Wheeler, Ph.D., the podcast brings together traditional yogic wisdom, contemporary healthcare perspectives, and practical approaches for supporting well-being.

Whether you are a yoga therapist, yoga teacher, healthcare professional, student, or practitioner, this episode offers an invitation to reconsider Yoga Nidra not simply as relaxation, but as an individualized therapeutic practice and a pathway into Pratyāhāra.

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy welcomes two guests whose work intersects at the heart of yoga therapy education: Leila Stuart and Kimberly Searl from the School of Integrative Health at Notre Dame of Maryland University.

The conversation centers on the integration of Experiential Anatomy into a graduate-level yoga therapy curriculum, and what it means to move beyond memorization of anatomy into direct, embodied understanding.

Rather than approaching anatomy as static knowledge, this dialogue explores anatomy as a lived, perceptual experience—something that can be sensed, refined, and integrated into clinical practice.

In This Conversation

Amy, Leila, and Kimberly reflect on how experiential anatomy supports the development of skilled, perceptive yoga therapists. They explore how students shift from learning about the body to learning through the body.

The discussion highlights the value of integrating subjective experience with objective anatomical knowledge. This approach allows future practitioners to better understand their clients, not just structurally, but relationally and perceptually.

There is also a thoughtful look at how anatomy education can support interoception, clinical reasoning, and therapeutic presence—skills that are essential in yoga therapy but often underdeveloped in traditional anatomy courses.

Key Themes

Embodied Learning in Anatomy

Anatomy becomes more meaningful when it is felt and explored internally, rather than only studied intellectually.

Bridging Science and Experience

The conversation clarifies how experiential anatomy complements traditional biomedical models without replacing them.

Clinical Application

Students trained in this way develop a more nuanced ability to observe, listen, and respond to the lived experience of their clients.

Education that Transforms Practice

The integration of this textbook into a master’s program offers a model for how yoga therapy education can evolve to meet the needs of modern healthcare environments.

Why This Matters

For yoga therapists and educators, this episode offers a clear direction: anatomy education can support deeper awareness, more refined clinical skills, and stronger therapeutic relationships.

For those training practitioners, it raises an important consideration—how we teach anatomy shapes how practitioners perceive and work with the human system.

About the Guests

Leila Stuart is the author of Experiential Anatomy, a text that invites readers into a direct, felt understanding of the body through guided inquiry and exploration. https://leilastuart.com

Kimberly Searl teaches anatomy within the Yoga Therapy Master’s program at Notre Dame of Maryland University, where she integrates experiential methods into graduate-level education. https://kimsearl.offeringtree.com

Closing Reflection

This episode invites a shift in perspective—from seeing anatomy as information to be mastered, toward experiencing it as a dynamic, living process. That shift has implications not only for education, but for the quality of care offered in yoga therapy settings.

Contact Amy Wheeler:

www.TheOptimalState.com

Optimal State App for iPhone:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimal-state/id1604424804

The Yoga Therapy Hour Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yoga-therapy-hour-with-amy-wheeler/id1564687158

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

Optimal State App for iPhone:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimal-state/id1604424804

The Yoga Therapy Hour Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yoga-therapy-hour-with-amy-wheeler/id1564687158

Our Book is Coming August 10th 2026! "Application of Therapeutic Yoga in Integrative Health" by Wheeler & Sullivan

#IntegrativeHealth #HealthcareEducation #InterprofessionalEducation #GraduateSchool #NDMUproud #SOIHproud #SOIHYoga #SOIHAyurveda #NDMUYoga #NDMUAyurveda #SOIHGraduateSchool

Contact Amy Wheeler:

www.TheOptimalState.com

What if much of what we’ve been taught about the breath in yoga is backwards? In this episode, Amy sits down with yoga therapist and author Robin Rothenberg for a frank, eye-opening conversation that challenges one of yoga’s most cherished cues: “take a big breath.”

After a respiratory crisis upended her own health, Robin discovered that the long, dramatic breaths she’d taught for years were making her symptoms worse, not better. The fix ran counter to everything she thought she knew about pranayama: breathe less, build CO2 tolerance, and let the body actually use the oxygen it already has.

Robin opens with a short guided practice, then she and Amy dig into the physiology of carbon dioxide, why “move more, breathe less” became her motto, how nasal breathing transformed her exercise and energy, and why the heart of classical pranayama was never the long exhale but the extension of kumbhaka (breath suspension). It’s a warm, candid, occasionally myth-busting conversation for anyone who teaches, practices, or simply breathes.

Key Takeaways

• Bigger isn’t better. Chronic sighing, yawning, mouth breathing, and “taking a big breath” are often signs of over-breathing and distress — not relaxation.
• CO2 is the catalyst, not the enemy. Carbon dioxide is what releases oxygen from the blood into your tissues. Low CO2 tolerance can drive fatigue, brain fog, achiness, and that “can’t-get-through-the-day” feeling — even when oxygen saturation reads 98–99%.
• Move more, breathe less. Movement and exercise generate CO2; light, nasal-only breathing keeps it in the system. Together they raise your CO2 tolerance and your real aerobic capacity.
• Keep your mouth closed. Unless you’re running from a lion or racing to win, there’s no reason to mouth-breathe during exercise. Let nasal breathing set your pace — you’ll get more out of less effort.
• Pranayama is about kumbhaka. The classical texts emphasize extending the breath suspension after the exhale, practiced several times a day — not the modern habit of simply lengthening the exhale.
• It’s a transformation, not a quick fix. Dialing the breath down can feel uncomfortable at first because you’re bumping against a subnormal CO2 ceiling. Titrate gradually, raise the ceiling toward normal, and expect it to take months — ideally with skilled support.
• This is bigger than yoga. Over-breathing is, in Robin’s view, epidemic in our stressed culture and relevant to chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, and far more — a call for the whole yoga community to stop passing along breath misinformation.

About the Guest

Robin Rothenberg, C-IAYT, is a yoga therapist, educator, and author who has spent decades studying the breath. A past president and board member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), she trained in the Buteyko method and has worked to bring functional breathing science into the yoga world. She is the founder of Essential Yoga Therapy and creator of the Restore Your Prana (RYP) training program for yoga teachers and yoga therapists, which offers both personal and professional tracks.

Books & Resources

• Restoring Prana — Robin’s comprehensive book on functional breathing for yoga professionals.
• The Svadhyaya Breath Journal — the companion guided-practice journal designed to hold you accountable to the work (Amy contributed the foreword).
• 10-hour online course — an IAYT/YACEP-accredited “weekend workshop” format blending education and experiential practice; a good place to start.
• Restore Your Prana (RYP) — in-depth training program with personal and professional tracks, plus mentorship support.
• Recommended reading: James Nestor’s Breath — especially the chapter on his three-week mouth-breathing experiment.

Connect with Robin

Website: EssentialYogaTherapy.com

Instagram: @essential.yoga.therapy

Are prāṇāyāma and modern breathwork the same thing, or do they represent fundamentally different approaches to working with the breath?

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy Wheeler explores one of the most common questions arising in yoga therapy, wellness, and healthcare today. While both prāṇāyāma and modern breathwork involve conscious breathing practices that can influence stress, mood, attention, and overall well-being, their origins, purposes, and underlying frameworks are quite different.

Drawing from the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, the classical Haṭha Yoga texts, and contemporary scientific research, Amy examines how ancient yogic teachings understood the relationship between breath, prāṇa, and consciousness—and how those teachings compare with modern approaches that focus on nervous system regulation, respiratory physiology, emotional health, and performance.

Whether you are a yoga therapist, healthcare professional, yoga teacher, or curious practitioner, this episode offers a deeper understanding of how traditional wisdom and modern science can inform our work with the breath.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• The Sanskrit meaning of prāṇa and āyāma
• Why prāṇāyāma is more than a breathing technique
• The distinction between breath and prāṇa in classical yoga
• Prāṇāyāma's place within Patañjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga
• Key teachings from the Yoga Sūtras on breath regulation, concentration, and meditation
• How Haṭha Yoga expanded prāṇāyāma through nāḍīs, chakras, kuṇḍalinī, bandhas, and mudrās
• The central role of kumbhaka (breath retention) in traditional practice
• Classical prāṇāyāma techniques including Nāḍī Śodhana, Ujjāyī, Bhastrikā, Śītalī, Sūrya Bhedana, and Bhrāmarī
• The presentation of prāṇāyāma in the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, Śiva Saṃhitā, and Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā
• Modern breathwork approaches such as diaphragmatic breathing, coherent breathing, box breathing, the Wim Hof Method, and resonance breathing.
• Scientific perspectives on breathing, including autonomic nervous system regulation, heart rate variability, carbon dioxide tolerance, respiratory physiology, and emotional regulation
• How yoga therapists can integrate traditional teachings and contemporary evidence when working with clients

Contact Amy Wheeler:

www.TheOptimalState.com

Optimal State App for iPhone:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimal-state/id1604424804

The Yoga Therapy Hour Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yoga-therapy-hour-with-amy-wheeler/id1564687158

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

#IntegrativeHealth #HealthcareEducation #InterprofessionalEducation #GraduateSchool #NDMUproud #SOIHproud #SOIHYoga #SOIHAyurveda #NDMUYoga #NDMUAyurveda #SOIHGraduateSchool

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy Wheeler welcomes yoga therapist, meditation teacher, and breathwork facilitator Laurie Angress for a thoughtful conversation about conscious connected breathwork and its potential to serve as a portal into deeper self-awareness, healing, and connection.

Laurie shares her personal journey into breathwork, including how curiosity led her to explore a practice that initially felt unfamiliar, despite decades of experience in yoga, meditation, and yoga therapy. What she discovered was a powerful yet accessible approach that helped her access emotional release, profound stillness, and deeper layers of inner knowing.

Together, Amy and Laurie explore:

• What it means to think of breath as a "portal"
• The relationship between breath, presence, and self-discovery
• How conscious connected breathwork differs from traditional prāṇāyāma practices
• The role of curiosity, beginner's mind, and willingness in transformational practices
• Laurie’s experience training with Seven Directions Breathwork
• Why trauma-sensitive facilitation and nervous system awareness are essential in breathwork settings
• The importance of agency, choice, and pacing during intense inner experiences
• Emotional release, embodiment, and the wisdom that can emerge through breath
• Music as a supportive element in the breathwork journey
• The distinction between ethical breathwork facilitation and cathartic group experiences
• How breathwork may support the integration of plant medicine experiences
• The intersection of breathwork, meditation, Yoga Nidra, and contemplative practice
• Presence as the ultimate goal—not fixing, changing, or seeking a particular outcome

Laurie also shares a deeply personal story about a breathwork session that occurred just hours before the passing of her aunt. The experience became a powerful reflection on love, grief, support, and the mystery of human connection.

Throughout the conversation, Amy and Laurie emphasize that conscious connected breathwork is not about chasing extraordinary experiences. Rather, it is about creating a safe and intentional space where individuals can meet themselves more fully, cultivate presence, and reconnect with what matters most.

Whether you are a yoga therapist, meditation practitioner, healthcare provider, or simply someone curious about the healing potential of breath, this episode offers a grounded and compassionate exploration of how breath can become a bridge between the seen and unseen, the conscious and unconscious, and the ordinary and sacred dimensions of life.

About Laurie Angress

Laurie Angress is a Certified Yoga Therapist, meditation teacher, Yoga Nidra facilitator, and Conscious Connected Breathwork Facilitator. Her work integrates nervous system awareness, mindfulness, embodiment practices, and breathwork to support healing, self-discovery, and connection. Laurie is passionate about creating trauma-sensitive spaces that honor the unique experience of each individual while inviting greater presence, compassion, and inner wisdom.

www.MindfulYogaTherapy.net

@illuminated_breath on IG

Key Takeaway

"The breath is always available to us. Sometimes it helps us relax. Sometimes it helps us release. Sometimes it helps us remember who we are."

Contact Amy Wheeler:

www.TheOptimalState.com

Our Book is Coming Summer 2026! "Application of Therapeutic Yoga in Integrative Health" by Wheeler & Sullivan

Optimal State Mobile App for iPhone:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimal-state/id1604424804

The Yoga Therapy Hour Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yoga-therapy-hour-with-amy-wheeler/id1564687158

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

In this solo episode, Amy Wheeler explores a fascinating question: What happens when we look beneath the physical practice of yoga and return to its deeper purpose? Beginning with the history of āsana, Amy traces how yoga postures evolved from simple meditation seats into the diverse practices we know today. Along the way, she examines the Tantric influence of the Śiva Saṃhitā, the rise of embodied awareness in modern somatic practices, and the importance of lived experience as a pathway to understanding ourselves more deeply. The episode invites listeners to consider how yoga therapy can serve as a bridge between ancient wisdom and contemporary understandings of human experience, healing, and transformation.

In this episode, Amy discusses:

• The Sanskrit root of āsana and its original meaning as a seat or stable posture for meditation

• The role of āsana in the Yoga Sūtras and why Patañjali devoted only a few verses to posture

• The evolution of āsana through the Haṭha Yoga tradition, including the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā, and Śiva Saṃhitā

• Why the Śiva Saṃhitā is considered one of the most Tantric of the major Haṭha Yoga texts

• The concepts of prāṇa, nāḍīs, chakras, and kuṇḍalinī as experiential maps of human transformation

• How modern somatic approaches emphasize interoception, self-awareness, and embodied regulation

• The importance of first-hand lived experience in understanding consciousness and healing

• The connection between lived experience, yoga therapy, and the study of consciousness

• How Indigenous ways of knowing value observation, participation, relationship, and direct experience

• Why lived experience may be one of the most important meeting points between yoga, science, and healing

Closing Thoughts

One of the enduring gifts of yoga is its invitation to investigate experience directly. Whether we approach that inquiry through Classical Yoga, Tantra, somatic practice, lived experience, or Indigenous wisdom traditions, each reminds us that transformation begins with attention. The path of yoga therapy is not simply about changing symptoms or improving function. It is also about learning to observe, inhabit, and understand our lived experience more fully. In doing so, we may discover that the body, breath, mind, and spirit have been teaching us all along.

Contact Amy Wheeler:

www.TheOptimalState.com

Optimal State App for iPhone:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimal-state/id1604424804

The Yoga Therapy Hour Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yoga-therapy-hour-with-amy-wheeler/id1564687158

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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