Yoga Therapy Hour with Amy Wheeler

Episode Summary: Amy sits down with therapist–author Erin Byron for a candid conversation that moves from Erin’s lived experience of trauma to the practical tools that help people feel safe in their bodies again. They explore how yoga therapy complements mental health care, why personalization matters, and how joy, play, and creativity support nervous system recovery. Midway, they wade into today’...

Episode summary After losing her home, savings, and a 34-year marriage, pharmacist and integrative medicine leader Dr. Lisa Nezneski chose a different path: put herself first, grieve fully, and cultivate joy deliberately. In this candid conversation, we trace the arc from rupture to renewal—restorative yoga twice a week, twice-daily meditation, beach “walking meditations,” and the seven mindful qu...

Episode summary At 32, Marcia found a lump she assumed was “nothing.” It wasn’t. In quick succession came diagnosis (May 1998), surgery including mastectomy and reconstruction, and years of hormone therapy. The shock gave way to a long, messy recovery marked by anxiety, tears, and the fierce desire to “be there” for her two young sons. Yoga entered as a lifeline: first disciplined  Iyengar  classe...

Episode summary Author and teacher  Philip Goldberg  returns to unpack his new book,  Karmic Relief  (Monkfish). We cut through pop-karma clichés and ask the hard questions: Why do bad actors prosper? What about innocent suffering? Does “what goes around” really come around—and when? Phil offers a clear, practice-ready model grounded in Yoga and Vedānta: karma as lawful cause-and-effect, refined b...

Guest: Danielle De Pillis, MS Neuroscience, C-IAYT (12 Petals Wellness) Danielle De Pillis joins Amy from South Minneapolis for a clear-eyed conversation about chronic pain, interoception, and why “sending someone to yoga class” is not the same as yoga therapy. Danielle traces her arc from high-pressure ad agency life into a years-long recovery that rewired her relationship with her body—then back...

In this rich and heartfelt conversation, Amy Wheeler sits down with Canadian yoga therapist and author  Leila Stuart  to explore her life’s journey through yoga, Ayurveda, chronic illness, and the groundbreaking field of  experiential anatomy . Leila shares how yoga first saved her as a 19-year-old in debilitating back pain, again when chronic fatigue and inflammatory arthritis nearly ended her ca...

In this heartfelt conversation, Amy Wheeler sits down with Shabana Safdari, yoga therapist, teacher, and founder of  Yoga with Shabana , based in Bangalore, India. Shabana’s journey into yoga began with a deeply personal health scare when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Faced with anxiety and fear, she turned to yoga—first for her own healing, and eventually as a lifelong path of serv...

Episode Summary: What does it mean to live in alignment with your soul’s purpose—especially when the world feels upside down? In this powerful and inspiring conversation, Amy sits down with astrologer, intuitive guide, and author Madi Murphy to explore how to harness life’s cosmic curveballs, leave the comfort zone, and step into your fullest, most authentic self. Madi shares how astrology can act...

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 discoverin...

Episode Summary In this powerful and intimate episode, Amy welcomes Christi Sims , a yoga teacher from Texas who shares her personal story of recovery after a devastating diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). At one point unable to walk, talk, or process language, Christi was told by doctors that her condition was irreversible. Through faith, deep surrender, and a daily yoga practice guided by Dr....

Episode Overview: In one of the most vulnerable and transformative conversations to date, Amy Wheeler sits down with  Naomi Finkelstein , a yoga therapist and founder of  The Sanctuary , to explore what it means to reclaim body autonomy, live in alignment with truth, and practice yoga from a foundation of  ahiṁsā —non-harming—toward oneself. Naomi shares her deeply personal story of being sent to...

Episode Summary In this rich and deeply reflective conversation, Amy Wheeler speaks with  Bonnie Buckner , author of  The Secret Mind: Unlock the Power of Dreams to Transform Your Life . Together, they explore how  dreams—both night dreams and daydreams—can become a powerful path to healing, self-awareness, and transformation . D aydreams and night dreams  are not just subconscious wanderings—but...

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...

Episode Overview: In this powerful and heartfelt conversation, Amy Wheeler welcomes yoga therapists and authors  Marilyn Peppers-Citizen and Charlene Muhammad  to discuss their groundbreaking new book,  Yoga in the Black Community: Healing Through Wholeness, History, and Hope . With humility, courage, and vision, Marilyn and Charlene share the deeply intentional 4-year journey that led to the book...

Episode Summary: In this heartfelt and expansive episode, Amy Wheeler sits down with renowned author, educator, and activist Susanna Barkataki  to discuss her new book  Ignite Your Yoga , and the path of yoga leadership grounded in ethics, lineage, and collective care. Susanna shares personal stories from her life, including her upbringing in a bicultural household, her journey through burnout, an...

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 in...

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...

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...

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 les...

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, clini...

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 ethic...

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 a...

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 growt...

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 wor...

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...