Peaceful Power Podcast

Episode summary: Andrea untangles the misconceptions around the word "sadhana" — it's not a 5am routine or something reserved for monks, it's a consistent, devoted practice toward transformation. In this episode, she breaks down the difference between ritual and routine, shares two deeply personal stories of taking her practice off the mat during real grief and hard family moments, and offers simp...

Two years ago, I made a quiet vor to live and teach through the five vayus, the ancient yogic map of how life-force energy moves through us. What started as curiosity became a full-bodied devotion, one class at a time. In this episode, I share how Apana shows up on my grounding walks, how Udana wakes up in unexpected moments of voice, and why these five "winds" aren't just philosophy they're a pra...

I was sitting by the river last week my favorite spot in nature, the place I go when I need to hear myself think when three different groups floated by within a few minutes of each other. First, a canoe, moving fast, paddling hard, clearly trying to put distance between themselves and everything else. Then a group of kayakers, chatting back and forth, passing the third group a raft full of people...

I've been a longtime listener of A Grateful Life , and if you've spent any time in the yoga or wellness world, chances are you already know Dr. Lauren Tober's voice — thoughtful, grounded, and never afraid to go deep. So when I had the chance to sit down with her for this episode, I couldn't say yes fast enough. Lauren is a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Yoga Teacher who has spent over two decad...

Skill in Action: Protection, Ritual & Embodiment with Michelle Cassandra Johnson In this episode, I sit down with author, activist, spiritual teacher, racial equity consultant, and intuitive healer Michelle Cassandra Johnson to talk about her sixth book, You Are Protected . We dig into what real protection means (hint: it's not the fear-based kind), the guides and unseen support available to all o...

This week I'm getting honest about the week I ignored every signal my body was sending me nine yoga classes subbed in four days, zero rest, and a stumble that finally got my attention. I'm talking about what Ayurveda taught me about pitta season, the sneaky ways we override our own bodies in the name of being helpful, and why slowing down isn't the same thing as giving up. Plus, I share why I'm he...

The Pitta Wall: What Happens When You Skip the One Thing That Grounds You Ever notice yourself getting irritable over nothing, feeling like there's never enough time, or hitting a wall of exhaustion right around this time of year? In Ayurveda, this is a classic sign of a Pitta imbalance and late August is prime time for it. In this episode, I get personal about hitting my own Pitta wall a few week...

Here's a draft for the show notes: Episode Title: Stop Looking, Start Feeling Peaceful Power Podcast Show Notes: This episode starts with cows. On a recent road trip to Colorado, my three year old was on the hunt for cows out the window. I pointed to some grazing on a distant hill — "Look, there are cows!" — while my husband pointed out the field of them right in front of us that I'd completely mi...

What I Learned From a Social Media Break (That No One Talks About)   I didn't take a break from social media with some grand plan in mind. I took a break because I was tired. What I didn't expect was to find out  how tired and how much of that tiredness had been hiding in plain sight.   In this episode, I'm sharing what came up during my time away: the subtle overwhelm I didn't realize I was carry...

Before my son does his backfloat, his swim teacher asks him one question: song, count, or silence? He gets to choose every time and more often than not, at three years old, he chooses silence. In this episode, I connect that small, ordinary moment at the pool to something I hear constantly in my work: a woman doing everything "right" in her training program, still gaining weight, still exhausted,...

What 40 Days of Yoga Nidra Taught Me (That I Didn't Expect) I committed to 40 days of yoga nidra — no skipped days, no exceptions — as the final piece of my teacher training with Tracee Stanley and Dr. Chanti. I thought I was signing up for better sleep and a little more stillness. What I got was a quiet dismantling of habits I didn't even know I had. In this episode, I'm sharing what actually shi...

Why Your Daily Life Is Already Sacred Peaceful Power Podcast  What if the most powerful spiritual practice you could have isn't something you find it's something you're already living? In this episode, I sit down with Tracee Stanley yoga nidra teacher, author, and one of the most grounding voices in the modern wellness space for a conversation that felt less like an interview and more like a permi...

Pitta Season Is Here: How to Cool Down Without Checking Out Summer is Pitta season in Ayurveda — and as a fellow Pitta, host Andrea knows exactly how provoking it can be. Solo parenting, work, meltdowns, errands, bedtime: it's all go-go-go energy that heats up both Pitta and Vata. In this episode, Andrea shares the real (not aspirational) practices keeping her grounded this summer: afternoon yoga...

I Hated Part of My Own Program — And I Did It Anyway On consistency, the meditation cushion, a 40-day sadhana, and why showing up matters more than feeling like it. Trainers aren't supposed to say this — but Andrea hated the last three weeks of her own Seasonal Strength spring program. In this episode she gets honest about what it really means to do hard things, why she decided to run her own prog...

The Monkey, the Coconut, and What You Won't Let Go Of On aparigraha, a three-year-old in the hallway, and the art of loosening your grip. There's an old story about a monkey and a coconut — and it might be one of the most honest teachings yoga has ever offered us. In this episode, Andrea shares the full Hanuman story and explores the yogic principle of aparigraha (non-attachment): what it really m...

The Right Pairing | Hallmark Mysteries & More Have you ever had a song hit you at exactly the right moment and completely undo you? That's where this episode starts — with a beautiful, tear-worthy moment in Season 4 of The Way Home — and it takes us somewhere much deeper. In this episode Andrea explores the Ayurvedic concept of the gunas — the three fundamental qualities of tamas, rajas, and sattv...

I'll be honest — I don't use AI a lot. But this summer I did something unexpected with it, and I genuinely loved the result. In this episode I'm sharing how I used AI to build a personal Yoga Sutras morning devotional practice — something I searched for everywhere and couldn't find. I walk you through what I asked for, what it's given me, and why I've been showing up for it every single morning si...

Episode Summary: Andrea shares her love of reading — from a lifelong passion to her current goal of 50 pages a day — along with her favorite books from the last few months. She also opens up about her intentional Instagram break starting May 19th, her heartwarming daily reading ritual with her boys, and gives a sneak peek at an upcoming Ayurvedic Book Club launching at Green Lotus this fall. Books...

Episode Description If you've been feeling edgy, overheated, or like you just can't slow down this episode is your sign. Pitta season is here, and the practice that carried you through winter may be the very thing throwing you off balance now. In this episode, we're diving into the Ayurvedic wisdom of Pitta season: what it is, how summer changes your body and your yoga practice, and exactly what t...

In this episode, we sit down with Annie Au- trauma-informed somatic Yin yoga educator, nervous system guide, and creator of the 50-Hour Trauma-Informed Somatic Yin Yoga Online Teacher Training. Annie shares her deeply personal journey from panic attacks and a decade of professional dance, to heartbreak and burnout, and how the sacred sound of Om led her to a practice that would change everything....

If you've ever cycled through meditation apps, techniques, and challenges without feeling like anything is actually sticking, this episode is for you. We're talking about what it really means to go deep in your practice, and why your nervous system craves repetition and return far more than variety. You'll learn why boredom in meditation is usually a sign you're right at the edge of a breakthrough...

I'm delighted to share a fellow local Minneapolis teacher and someone I respect deeply, Pam Grosman. I took a mini training with Pam all about Acu Meridi-Yin Yoga training and fell in love with this practice. I look forward to taking her next full weekend training coming October 16-18th, 2026 at her studio in Two Rivers in Inver Grove Heights, MN.    About Pamela Grosam: Pamela is an intuitive hea...

The last few weeks I've taught a one day retreat and an Ayurvedic spring workshop. The theme I really tried to nail down for both groups. Gunas or qualities of the season. Noticing what is happening outside the body is happening within. If you understand the gunas it makes Ayurveda much easier to understand why we make the decisions to avoid salads in the winter, avoid overly heavy foods in the sp...

In this episode, we challenge the popular notion that more weight equals more progress. With nearly two decades of coaching experience, I explore why "lifting heavy every workout" can leave you stiff, sore, and spread thin across the activities you love, things like tennis, yoga, and daily life. I'm sharing a practical, seasonally aware approach to strength that combines science with lived experie...

Have you been told your iron is low and handed a supplement? Before you reach for that pill, this episode might just change everything you thought you knew about iron and your body. Today on the Peaceful Power Podcast, I'm sitting down with Samantha Chandler — also known as Wellness & Womb — a Women's Wellness Coach who is flipping the script on iron and women's health. Samantha coaches women, hea...