Podcasts about Postmaster

This happened in Scott City, KS. https://www.lehtoslaw.com

Author, songwriter, musician, husband, father, retired Postmaster, certified Methodist lay-preacher, former newspaper reporter, US Navy veteran, and long-time announcer at Sandwich (NH) Fair antique tractor pulls. Website: https://rickclogstonauthor.com/  Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Princess-Key-Shattered-Worlds-trilogy/dp/B0FC1NPJL8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3CXZUU9J7SLJM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.GaLcA7UEaBrMgDdfodAvbvg9Gm817X1-pYAeCl05PE8.KBo9KT0x4gbkqX73T19fDHgMj_sQ0TdvMzjp3pXLlk8&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+princess+key+rick+clogston&qid=1756429793&sprefix=the+princess+key%2Caps%2C216&sr=8-1  The Rick Clogston Band YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCOso9SbvYrB37suhKRJFDQ   The Rick Clogston Band / Red Hat Band Bandcamp page:  https://redhatband1.bandcamp.com/releases  Rick Clogston, Author FB page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574026660635  Rick Clogston / The Rick Clogston Band FB page: https://www.facebook.com/p/Rick-Clogston-The-Rick-Clogston-Band-100063504369759/  CallumConnects Micro-Podcast is your daily dose of wholesome leadership inspiration. Hear from many different leaders in just 5 minutes what hurdles they have faced, how they overcame them, and what their key learning is. Be inspired, subscribe, leave a comment, go and change the world!

Author, songwriter, musician, husband, father, retired Postmaster, certified Methodist lay-preacher, former newspaper reporter, US Navy veteran, and long-time announcer at Sandwich (NH) Fair antique tractor pulls. Website: https://rickclogstonauthor.com/  Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Princess-Key-Shattered-Worlds-trilogy/dp/B0FC1NPJL8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3CXZUU9J7SLJM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.GaLcA7UEaBrMgDdfodAvbvg9Gm817X1-pYAeCl05PE8.KBo9KT0x4gbkqX73T19fDHgMj_sQ0TdvMzjp3pXLlk8&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+princess+key+rick+clogston&qid=1756429793&sprefix=the+princess+key%2Caps%2C216&sr=8-1  The Rick Clogston Band YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCOso9SbvYrB37suhKRJFDQ   The Rick Clogston Band / Red Hat Band Bandcamp page:  https://redhatband1.bandcamp.com/releases  Rick Clogston, Author FB page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574026660635  Rick Clogston / The Rick Clogston Band FB page: https://www.facebook.com/p/Rick-Clogston-The-Rick-Clogston-Band-100063504369759/  CallumConnects Micro-Podcast is your daily dose of wholesome leadership inspiration. Hear from many different leaders in just 5 minutes what hurdles they have faced, how they overcame them, and what their key learning is. Be inspired, subscribe, leave a comment, go and change the world!

Author, songwriter, musician, husband, father, retired Postmaster, certified Methodist lay-preacher, former newspaper reporter, US Navy veteran, and long-time announcer at Sandwich (NH) Fair antique tractor pulls. Website: https://rickclogstonauthor.com/  Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Princess-Key-Shattered-Worlds-trilogy/dp/B0FC1NPJL8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3CXZUU9J7SLJM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.GaLcA7UEaBrMgDdfodAvbvg9Gm817X1-pYAeCl05PE8.KBo9KT0x4gbkqX73T19fDHgMj_sQ0TdvMzjp3pXLlk8&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+princess+key+rick+clogston&qid=1756429793&sprefix=the+princess+key%2Caps%2C216&sr=8-1  The Rick Clogston Band YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCOso9SbvYrB37suhKRJFDQ   The Rick Clogston Band / Red Hat Band Bandcamp page:  https://redhatband1.bandcamp.com/releases  Rick Clogston, Author FB page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574026660635  Rick Clogston / The Rick Clogston Band FB page: https://www.facebook.com/p/Rick-Clogston-The-Rick-Clogston-Band-100063504369759/  CallumConnects Micro-Podcast is your daily dose of wholesome leadership inspiration. Hear from many different leaders in just 5 minutes what hurdles they have faced, how they overcame them, and what their key learning is. Be inspired, subscribe, leave a comment, go and change the world!

In this warm, clinical-and-traditional conversation, Amy and Lisa explore how chanting and mantra practice can shape the autonomic nervous system and the mind through repetition, meaning, vibration, and relationship. Lisa shares her journey from clinical psychology leadership in pediatric behavioral health to yoga therapy and chanting in Europe, and she offers grounded guidance for meeting students exactly where they are—especially when voice, vulnerability, perfectionism, or skepticism show up.This episode holds a steady bridge between allopathic settings and yogic tradition: chanting as both a deeply ancient transmission method and a contemporary, accessible tool for resilience, co-regulation, and sustained inner change.In this episode, you'll hearWhy Yoga Sūtra 1.12 (abhyāsa + vairāgya) is a practical map for habit change, neuroplasticity, and healingHow abhyāsa can function like a “secure base” (attachment lens): a reliable place to return for steadinessHow vairāgya supports discernment and letting go—especially of limiting beliefs like “I can't chant” or “My voice isn't welcome”Why chanting can be done silently, anywhere, and how that matters when life gets stripped down to essentialsThe difference between mantra japa, kīrtan, and “therapeutic repetition” versus compulsive repetitionHow teachers build a safe, predictable container where practice becomes possible—even for tender nervous systemsWhat it means to keep mantra “alive” through oral transmission, practice, and continuity across generationsReal talk about resistance: voice, self-consciousness, perfectionism, and how practice mirrors our livesA moving reflection on how relational rupture can impact practice—and how reconnection can unfold over time Core teachings that stood outAbhyāsa as a secure baseLisa reframes abhyāsa as more than discipline. It becomes an inner home you can trust—something you return to when the world is loud, when your mind is moving fast, or when life is uncertain.Vairāgya as discernment, not detachmentVairāgya is the “letting go” side of change: releasing old impressions, beliefs, and protective habits that no longer serve. In this episode, it shows up as the courage to experiment—without over-identifying with fear, shame, or “I can't.”Mantra as a multi-layered interventionMeaning, vibration, rhythm, breath rate, imagery/bhāvana, memory, and relationship all converge. When the whole system aligns, the “new track” becomes easier to lay down—steadily and over time.The teacher's job is to match the doseLisa offers a clinical yoga therapy lens: choose repetition amounts and methods that fit the person's capacity, life context, and readiness. Sustainable practice matters more than idealized practice.Voice is a clinical doorwayChanting can bring up themes of safety, expression, shame, silencing, and self-trust. Rather than forcing exposure, Lisa models progressive steps—silent practice, practicing “on mute,” or starting with simple sounds—so expression becomes possible.Practical takeaways you can tryChoose a “minimum viable” mantra practice you can keep: 3 repetitions, 11 repetitions on fingers, or a partial mala with a clear stopping point.Decide the purpose of repetition before you begin: regulation, steadiness, devotion, confidence, or easing fear.Use choice points (listen only, chant silently, chant softly) to reduce performance pressure and build safety.Notice what your resistance protects—then bring abhyāsa to the edge of that resistance, gently and consistently.Let mantra become familiar enough that it appears on its own when you need it—like a trusted inner companion.About LisaLisa is a yoga therapist and clinical psychologist with decades of leadership experience in pediatric behavioral health and integrative hospital settings. Now based in the Netherlands, she teaches and offers yoga therapy and yoga psychotherapy, integrating mind, body, and spirit with clinical discernment and deep respect for lineage.Lisa joins us from near The Hague and Leiden, within an hour of Amsterdam.Connect with LisaWebsite: LifeTreeYogaRecorded classes: available via her YouTube channel (integrated 90-minute practices)Ongoing option: online group class on Fridays + private yoga therapy / yoga psychotherapy sessions onlineConnect with Amy www.TheOptimalState.comSchool 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

Episode overviewIn this episode, Amy sits down with Steve Haberlin to explore what's changing in contemplative practice as artificial intelligence becomes woven into daily life. Steve shares why he created a customized GPT mindfulness guide (“MetaZen”), how he's studying its use with doctoral students, and why he advocates a “human-first” approach: learn from a skilled teacher when possible, then use AI as a supportive bridge—not a replacement.Together, they unpack the promise and the concerns: access and personalization on one side, and privacy, data harvesting, and ethical guardrails on the other. The conversation closes with a look at education's future, the pressures faculty may face, and Steve's upcoming book MetaMeditation.What you'll hear in this episodeKey themesHow Amy and Steve connected through LinkedIn and why that kind of professional relationship-building matters nowWhat a “custom GPT” is and how Steve designed MetaZen as a science-grounded mindfulness guideLive facilitation with AI: a brief demonstration of an AI-led mindfulness practiceWhy human relationship still matters in meditation training (and what's lost if we remove it)The “opportunity gap”: the vulnerable window between learning a technique and sustaining itWhy most meditation app users stop early and what might help people stay with practiceAI as a “technological mirror”—helpful feedback, with real limits and risksEthical concerns: hallucinations, red flags, over-agreeableness, and the dangers of using LLMs as therapyVR and avatars: what's already here (Trip app + “Kokua”) and what may be next (smart glasses)Privacy and biometrics: what data is collected, what can be sold, and where oversight is still catching upHigher education: personalization, AI tutoring, and the likelihood of increased productivity pressure on facultySteve's upcoming book: MetaMeditation: How Neuroscience, Virtual Reality, and AI are Changing Practice and How You Can BenefitPractical takeawaysThink “blended model,” not replacement. AI can extend a teacher's support—especially between sessions—without removing the relational core.Sustainability is the missing piece. Access is expanding, but adherence still drops off quickly; support structures matter.Attach practice to an existing habit. A 60-second breath anchor paired with a daily routine can build consistency.Keep humans in the loop for anything mental-health-adjacent. LLMs weren't built for therapy, and risks increase when people treat them like clinicians.Privacy isn't a side issue. As biometrics and usage data become standard, informed consent and oversight will be essential.Steve's Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-haberlin-ph-d-22390b55/Steve Haberlin, Ph.D.The link for Steve's talk on how to build an AI Chat Bot: https://ucf.zoom.us/rec/share/2qP180cbV182FF0_T7mLG-uhTbyA_3myEGXLaipzNNMD49CHpzrOmLzMizGSsoQY.cPMJvDoX23UIjaFY?startTime=1770148625000 Passcode: Av0=9%qqContact Amy @ www.TheOptimalState.com Yoga Therapy Hour Podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yoga-therapy-hour-with-amy-wheeler/id1564687158 The Optimal State Mobile Apphttps://optimalstateapp.com Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theoptimalstate/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/OptimalStatebyAmyWheeler  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/AmyWheelerphd/featured Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/yogatherapyhour Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-wheeler-ph-d-a3095566/Apple 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  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  Hashtags for NDMU#IntegrativeHealth #HealthcareEducation #InterprofessionalEducation #GraduateSchool #NDMUproud #SOIHproud #SOIHYoga #SOIHAyurveda #NDMUYoga #NDMUAyurveda #SOIHGraduateSchool

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy Wheeler is joined by Joann Lutz, psychotherapist and yoga therapist and educator whose work focuses on nervous system regulation, resilience, and the therapeutic application of yoga across a wide range of life contexts. Their conversation explores a central theme of this season: that nervous system regulation is not achieved through force, positivity, or performance, but through consistent, attuned yoga/ somatic practice over time. Together, Amy and Joann reflect on the Eight Limbs of Yoga as a coherent and practical framework for supporting autonomic nervous system stability—particularly within a culture that often prioritizes speed, productivity, and intensity over steadiness, reflection, and discernment. Joann shares how yogic tools support regulation not by suppressing or overriding stress responses, but by creating the internal and relational conditions in which the nervous system can reorganize itself. The discussion emphasizes the importance of pacing, repetition, and relationship—both within one's personal practice and within therapeutic, educational, and clinical settings. Rather than framing dysregulation as something to eliminate, this episode invites a more nuanced understanding: regulation as a dynamic capacity that is gradually strengthened through appropriate effort, self-study, and compassionate awareness. Amy and Joann also explore how yoga therapy serves as a bridge between ancient yogic frameworks and modern understandings of the nervous system. They reflect on why practices such as ethical inquiry, self-reflection, breath awareness, and embodied presence remain foundational—not as abstract philosophical concepts, but as practical supports for safety, clarity, adaptability, and sustainable change in daily life. This episode will resonate with yoga therapists, clinicians, educators, and practitioners who are interested in how nervous system regulation develops over time through intentional practice, relational support, and an integrated view of the human experience. In This Episode, We ExploreWhy safety, relationship, and pacing are essential for sustainable regulationThe role of discernment in selecting and applying yogic tools skillfullyHow yoga therapy supports resilience without pushing, bypassing, or overriding lived experience About the GuestJoann Lutz is a yoga therapist and educator specializing in nervous system regulation and therapeutic yoga. Her work emphasizes clarity, relational presence, and the thoughtful integration of yogic principles into both personal practice and professional application. She is known for a grounded, compassionate approach that supports individuals and communities in cultivating steadiness amid stress, change, and complexity.Her website:Her primary website is https://joannlutz.com/ Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joann-lutz-licsw-e-ryt-c-iayt-ba85739/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lutz124/?hl=enBook she wrote:She is the author of Trauma Healing in the Yoga Zone Subscribe, Share, and Stay ConnectedIf this season supports your personal practice or your professional path, consider subscribing, sharing an episode with a colleague, and following along as the series unfolds across 2026. School of Integrative Health at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-healthMaster 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  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  Yoga Therapy Hour Podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yoga-therapy-hour-with-amy-wheeler/id1564687158 The Optimal State Mobile Apphttps://optimalstateapp.com

Episode SummaryIn this solo episode, Amy Wheeler lays the philosophical foundation for the upcoming season by returning to one of the most essential—and often misunderstood—concepts in yoga philosophy: citta, the mind-field. Rather than approaching yoga as a collection of tools and techniques, Amy invites listeners to remember the deeper purpose of yoga as articulated in Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra—the reduction of suffering through clarity, discernment, and relationship to our deepest self.Amy carefully differentiates between the citta mind and the citta field, explaining how manas (sensory and processing mind), ahaṅkāra (identity and survival mind), and buddhi (discernment and intuitive wisdom) function together within the mind-field. She emphasizes that none of these aspects are inherently “good” or “bad”; the work of yoga is learning when and how to use each one skillfully.From this lens, the Eight Limbs of Yoga are reframed—not as techniques for calming or self-optimization—but as a regulatory and ethical pathway that guides us back toward buddhi and closer relationship with puruṣa, the witness. Amy walks through each limb, highlighting how social ethics (yamas), personal care (niyamas), posture, breath, sensory withdrawal, and meditation progressively support the inward movement of the mind.Throughout the episode, Amy reflects candidly on modern overwhelm, distraction, and survival stress, naming how easy it is to become trapped in manas or ahaṅkāra—especially in times of social and political intensity. She models a return to practice not as withdrawal from the world, but as the necessary ground for discerned, ethical service.This episode serves as a framing conversation for the season ahead—inviting yoga teachers, yoga therapists, and serious practitioners to clarify their orientation, remember the roots of the tradition, and consider what kind of inner cultivation is required if yoga is to remain a living, ethical, and relational science for generations to come. Key Themes & TopicsWhat citta really means in yoga philosophyThe distinction between mind, mind-field, and witnessManas, ahaṅkāra, and buddhi: functions and imbalancesSuffering as a signal of misused mental functionsThe Eight Limbs as a regulatory and ethical frameworkWhy the yamas come before self-careAsana and pranayama as preparation for inward clarityPratyāhāra as a natural outcome, not a techniqueMeditation as a progressive, non-linear processReturning to practice as an act of discerned service Reflection Questions for ListenersWhich aspect of the mind has been most dominant for you lately—manas, ahaṅkāra, or buddhi?Where might survival concerns be overshadowing discernment or meaning?How do your current yoga practices support clarity of mind, not just regulation of state?What would it mean to re-center your practice around relationship with the witness? Closing NoteThis episode sets the tone for the season: yoga as a rooted, ethical, relational path—not a collection of techniques, but a way of organizing the inner landscape so that we may suffer less and serve more wisely.Thank you for listening and for being part of the Yoga Therapy Hour community.www.TheOptimalState.com to contact Amy 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 solo episode, Amy explores the patterned nature of the mind through the framework of the Yoga Sūtra of Pātañjali and its relevance to the autonomic nervous system.Rather than approaching change as something we force or “hack,” this episode returns to a classical yogic understanding: the mind is conditioned, the body follows, and awareness is the pathway to regulation.Drawing from Yoga Sūtra 1.1–1.4 and 1.12, Amy unpacks how repeated thoughts and emotional states create saṁskāras (impressions), which accumulate into vāsanās (deep tendencies), shaping identity and physiology over time.This conversation bridges ancient phenomenological observation with modern nervous system language — without collapsing one into the other. In This EpisodeWhat atha yoga-anuśāsanam (YS 1.1) means in lived experienceYogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ (YS 1.2) as regulation of mental fluctuationsHow saṁskāra and vāsanā shape behavioral and physiological patternsThe relationship between the guṇas — sattva, rajas, and tamas — and nervous system statesHow chronic emotional patterns reinforce autonomic conditioningThe kleśas (avidyā, asmitā, rāga, dveṣa, abhiniveśa) as drivers of repeated sufferingWhy yoga is not about eliminating activation, but cultivating flexibilityAbhyāsa and vairāgya (YS 1.12) as the yogic model of repatterningMeditation as a stabilizer of sattva and interoceptive clarityThe distinction between conditioned identity and the steady witness (YS 1.3) Key ThemesThe Mind Is PatternedThe fluctuations of the mind are not random. Repeated thoughts and emotions form grooves. These grooves influence perception, behavior, and physiology.Yoga names these grooves saṁskāras.When we live unconsciously from them, the nervous system reflects those patterns.www.TheOptimalState.com The Optimal State Mobile Apphttps://optimalstateapp.com  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 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 

Mary Katharine Goddard, known for her role as one of the first women to run a newspaper in American history, was appointed as the postmaster of Baltimore in 1775. This dual role placed her at the heart of communication during a time of great upheaval and transformation. Her contributions as a printer not only included the printing of newspapers but also vital documents like the Declaration of Independence. Through her work, she helped facilitate public discourse and community engagement, underscoring her importance in the early American landscape.

Julia O'Malley, granddaughter of Fred and Lidia Selkregg, speaks with archivist Becky Butler Gallegos about her family's papers. Lidia Selkregg was a land use planner, University of Alaska Anchorage faculty member, earthquake researcher, and Anchorage Assemblywoman (among many other things!). Fred was an insurance adjustor, Postmaster of Anchorage, code enforcement officer (again, among many other things!). In fact, we learn Fred was a mystic in this episode! View the description of the Fred and Lidia Selkregg papers here: https://archives.consortiumlibrary.org/collections/specialcollections/hmc-0631/ Cover photo is the Selkreggs with their children and grandchildren. It was taken circa 1977-1983 for one of Lidia Selkregg's Assembly campaigns.

In this solo conversation, Amy Wheeler makes a clear case for yoga therapy as a distinct clinical discipline—not a “licensed healthcare modality + a few yoga tools.” She explores why yoga therapy has struggled to define its contribution, and she proposes a steady answer: yoga therapy's central work is helping people reorganize their inner landscape through a coherent philosophical and practical framework—most clearly articulated in Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra, with the Eight Limbs as a regulatory pathway for mind, nervous system, body, relationship, and meaning.What you'll hear in this episodeWhat “regulatory framework” means in this series: regulating mind, nervous system, body, perception, relationships, and connection to the EarthThe “golden thread” Amy feels the yoga therapy field risks losing aA practical comparison of domain-specific problem solving in other professions, including:Physical therapy: movement dysfunction, strength, mobility, pain through biomechanical/neuromuscular modelsOccupational therapy: functional capacity, ADLs, sensory integration, environmental adaptationPsychotherapy/counseling: cognition, emotion regulation, behavior patterns, diagnostic frameworks and treatment modelsSocial work: psychosocial context, systems, resources, advocacy, and the web of supportThe key distinction: yoga therapy does not start with “What is broken and how do we fix it?”Yoga therapy's starting question: How are you perceiving and relating to your lived experience—and what patterns are shaping suffering or freedom?The clinical emphasis on capacity (what's available, what can be strengthened) rather than diagnosisYoga therapy as an integrative map across “layers” of the human system (physical, energetic/breath, mental-emotional, relational, and sacred/spiritual)A clinical example: when “back pain” becomes a doorway into insight about life patterning, stress physiology, and meaning—not just mechanicsWhy we don't need to speak traditional yogic language in medical settings—but we do need to retain the models internally and translate skillfullyHow the guṇa model supports daily self-regulation by tracking fluctuations in mood, energy, motivation, clarity, and reactivityWhy “embodied awareness” becomes essential when people cannot access cognition reliably under stress, pain, or trauma—and why bottom-up regulation mattersA grounded caution: yogic models vary by lineage, can be oversimplified or “whitewashed,” and can be hard to standardize—yet they remain clinically powerful when held with integrityAmy's argument for where yoga therapy can be sustainable in healthcare: often on the health education / behavioral health / worksite wellness / stress reduction side, while remaining a parallel, adjunctive support to medical careThe call to action: yoga therapy needs a unifying clinical framework and clinical reasoning that stays aligned with its own scope and philosophical foundationThe culminating proposition: Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra offers a coherent, ethical, clinically applicable framework—especially through Chapter 2 and the Eight LimbsKey concepts and phrases from the episode“Regulatory framework” (broad, layered, relational)“Golden thread” (the essential philosophical lens of yoga therapy)“A different set of glasses” (a different starting question than biomedical/diagnostic paradigms)“Reorganization of the inner landscape” (a tangible way to describe yoga therapy's deeper aim beyond symptom management)“Translator” and “bridge” (the yoga therapist's role in interdisciplinary settings)“Whole person over diagnosis” (holistic mapping rather than narrow domain reduction)“Freedom = inner spaciousness” (not escape, but a changed inner relationship to experience)“Clinical reasoning within our framework” (not borrowing another field's logic to justify our work)Books Amy recommends (mentioned in the episode)T.K.V. Desikachar — The Heart of YogaT.K.V. Desikachar — Reflections on the Yoga Sūtra of PatañjaliRanju Roy & David Charlton — Embodying the Yoga Sūtra (Amy's strongest recommendation for translating Yoga Sūtra into yoga therapy)What's ahead in the seriesAmy shares that this year of The Yoga Therapy Hour will stay closely aligned with the Eight Limbs as a regulatory framework, and she's beginning a longer-term writing project to explicitly translate Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra into a clinically usable foundation for yoga therapy.Listener reflection promptsWhere in your work (or life) do you notice yourself defaulting to “problem-fixing,” and what changes when you shift to “perception and relationship”?If yoga therapy's domain is reducing suffering through clarity and self-regulation, how would you describe that in the language of your current setting?What is one way you can strengthen your ability to translate yogic models into interdisciplinary language without losing the model itself?What does “reorganizing the inner landscape” mean for you personally—and how do you recognize when it's happening?ClosingAmy closes by encouraging listeners to spend time with the Yoga Sūtra—not as an abstract philosophy, but as a practical guide for daily living, clinical reasoning, and long-term change through discernment, self-awareness, and the steady cultivation of freedom.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 thoughtful and grounded conversation, Amy Wheeler is joined by Dr. Lauren Tober to explore two foundational pillars of ethical and effective yoga teaching and yoga therapy: scope of practice and the creation of a safe container.The episode begins with a clear and nuanced discussion of scope of practice—what it truly means, why it cannot be standardized across all practitioners, and how clarity protects both students and teachers. Dr. Tober emphasizes that scope of practice is shaped not only by formal training, but also by lived experience, competence, and confidence. Amy reflects on how her background in educational psychology and kinesiology informs her own scope, particularly in the areas of mental health and nervous system regulation.From there, the conversation moves into one of the most practical and quietly powerful parts of Dr. Tober's work: teaching yoga teachers how to create a safe container. Together, they explore why safety is not just about what is taught, but how space is held—relationally, predictably, and with nervous system awareness.Dr. Tober names an important reality: no space can ever be 100% safe for every person, given the diversity of lived experience and nervous system histories. Yet there is much teachers can do to increase the likelihood of felt safety—and doing so is foundational for healing, learning, and regulation. Without safety, students are less likely to return, more likely to become dysregulated, and less able to receive the benefits of practice.The discussion highlights how predictability, transparency, and thoughtful environmental choices support nervous system settling. Simple, often overlooked elements—starting and ending on time, explaining the structure of a class, orienting students to exits, maintaining consistent room setup, and letting students know how long a practice will last—can make a profound difference, especially for those who have rarely experienced spaces of welcome, inclusion, and belonging.Amy connects this directly to Polyvagal-informed teaching, emphasizing the importance of clearly naming what will happen during a class. While repeating this structure may feel unnecessary to seasoned students, it offers essential regulation cues to others—and does not limit creativity. Structure, as both Amy and Dr. Tober note, is not the opposite of freedom; it is what allows variation and creativity to land safely.Throughout the episode, a steady throughline emerges: clarity builds trust. Whether we are naming the edges of our scope of practice or the arc of a yoga class, transparency supports safety, integrity, and sustainability—for everyone involved.In This Episode, We Explore:·        What scope of practice means in yoga and yoga therapy·        Why scope is individual, contextual, and evolving·        Mental health awareness versus mental health treatment·        Trauma-informed yoga versus treating trauma·        Referral as an ethical and relational skill·        What a “safe container” actually is—and why it matters·        How predictability supports nervous system regulation·        Simple, practical ways teachers can increase felt safety·        Why structure does not limit creativity, but supports it·        How clarity and humility build student trustKey Takeaway: Safety and scope are not constraints. They are foundations. When we clearly name what we offer, how we hold space, and what students can expect, we create conditions for trust, regulation, and meaningful change.About the Guest:Clinical Psychologist, Yoga Teacher, Author + Host of A Grateful Life Podcastwww.yogapsychologyinstitute.com Host of the A Grateful Life Podcast - Conversations on mental health, yoga & living a good life. About the Host: www.TheOptimalState.com Amy Wheeler, PhD, C-IAYT, is the host of The Yoga Therapy Hour, an educator, yoga therapist, and leader in the integration of yoga therapy, psychology, and nervous system regulation. 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 Listen & Subscribe: Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

In Episode 193, Scott Piehler's topics include: The latest from City Council. A look ahead to the next Planning Board. Layoffs paused at Alameda Health. Our new Postmaster makes history. The latest real estate sales. The Rotary Club plants for the future. Carrier Con is back. A golden celebration. Events for your weekend, and don't forget the time change on Sunday.  Support the show• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • TikTok • YouTube • Apple News •

OA1239 - Did the Supreme Court just hand Donald Trump the biggest L in US presidential history? We go beyond the headlines to break down the first decision on the merits of any of the second Trump term's policies. What is the deal with the “major questions doctrine” and why can't the conservative justices agree about what it is and how to use it? Why did Neil Gorsuch choose this case to drop a lengthy diss track with bars about every one of his colleagues? And is there anything Clarence Thomas wouldn't let a Republican president do? We then review a lesser-noticed SCOTUS decision from this week on whether you can sue USPS for intentionally stealing your mail for openly racist reasons (the answer may surprise you!).  Finally, in today's footnote: Thomas Takes the ICE Exam! Learning Resources, Inc. et al. v. Trump (2/20/2026) United States Postal Service v. Konan  (2/24/2026) “The Postmaster,” William Shawn, The New Yorker (11/14/1970)(letter addressed to William Faulkner from Post Office Inspector Mark Webster) Memorandum Summary of Documents Newly Received from DHS Whistleblowers, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (2/23/2026)(with leaked ICE training documents attached) Check out the OA Linktree for all the places to go and things to do!

In this inaugural episode of Season 10, Amy Wheeler introduces the guiding framework for the year ahead: exploring the Eight Limbs of Yoga as a practical, integrated regulatory framework for the autonomic nervous system. Rather than offering “tools and tricks” for stress, this season centers a wider view—how yoga shapes the conditions for safety, stability, adaptability, and coherence across daily life. Amy explains why nervous system regulation matters across integrative health contexts. When we support autonomic balance, we support the whole person—how we sleep, digest, think, relate, decide, and recover from chronic stress and burnout. This season also bridges personal practice and professional application, supporting listeners who want yoga to be a private anchor, and those discerning how yoga therapy can responsibly integrate into healthcare, education, and community settings. A key reframe anchors the episode: the Eight Limbs are not a ladder to climb, but a circle with eight doors. Each limb is an entry point, and once you enter, every practice influences the whole system—physiology, perception, behavior, relationships, and purpose. Season 10 also aligns with Amy's forthcoming book (with Marlisa Sullivan), Applications of Therapeutic Yoga in Integrative Health(anticipated late spring/early summer 2026), designed as a companion guide to help practitioners translate yogic principles into accessible language for real-world settings. In This Episode, Amy ExploresWhy the autonomic nervous system is a shared meeting point between yoga and integrative healthcareThe Eight Limbs as a regulatory framework, not simply a set of techniquesHow regulation affects perception (viveka), behavior, communication, and ethical decision-makingWhy “coherence” matters: aligning life demands with inner and outer resourcesThe Eight Limbs as a circle with eight doors—interrelated, non-hierarchical entry pointsThe yamas and niyamas as the ethics of regulation, not moral perfectionHow yoga therapy differs from fitness-based yoga: assessment, client-centered care, scope, and responsibilityWhy this season includes more solo teaching episodes, with select guests across disciplinesHow listeners can develop simple language and metaphors (like the stoplight model) to explain regulation Invitation for the SeasonAs you listen this year, consider tracking phrases, metaphors, and explanations that help make complex ideas accessible. This season is designed as a shared learning laboratory—supporting personal regulation, while also strengthening the collective capacity to communicate clearly about yoga therapy in integrative health spaces. Host: Amy Wheeler at www.TheOptimalState.comAbout: Chair, Yoga Therapy & Ayurveda Department, Notre Dame of Maryland UniversityAlso Featured: insights informed by Amy's work with the Polyvagal Institute Subscribe, Share, and Stay ConnectedIf this season supports your personal practice or your professional path, consider subscribing, sharing an episode with a colleague, and following along as the series unfolds across 2026. School of Integrative Health at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-healthMaster 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  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  Yoga Therapy Hour Podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yoga-therapy-hour-with-amy-wheeler/id1564687158 The Optimal State Mobile Apphttps://optimalstateapp.com

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy Wheeler is joined by Sara Klute Behn, a yoga therapist and health coach based in Iowa, for a thoughtful conversation about nervous system regulation, sustainable health behavior change, and the deep overlap between yoga therapy and health coaching.Together, they explore why willpower alone rarely leads to lasting change—and why regulation, safety, and support matter far more. Sara shares her personal journey through anxiety, life transitions, and healing, and how those lived experiences shaped her work supporting women who feel overwhelmed, overextended, and stuck in cycles that no longer serve them.This conversation invites listeners to slow down, reconsider how change actually happens, and reflect on what it means to create a regulated life—one small, compassionate step at a time.In This Episode, We ExploreWhy health behavior change is not a motivation problem, but a nervous system issueHow yoga therapy and health coaching naturally complement one anotherThe role of self-regulation in eating, movement, sleep, and emotional resilienceWhy consistency grows from safety, not forceReframing identity as a pathway to sustainable changeLetting go of all-or-nothing thinking around movement and wellnessHow slowing down can actually increase effectiveness and clarityThe importance of creativity, joy, and ritual in healingSupporting women through burnout, anxiety, and overachievement without self-judgmentAbout SaraSara Klute Behn is a yoga therapist and health coach who supports women in reconnecting with their bodies, values, and inner wisdom. Her work integrates yoga therapy, nervous system regulation, and holistic coaching to help clients move out of overwhelm and into steadier, more nourishing patterns of living.She offers individual coaching, group programs, corporate wellness, and seasonal offerings designed to support long-term change with compassion and clarity.Website: https://www.yourwiseselfwithsara.com Closing ReflectionIf you've ever felt frustrated by your inability to “stick with” healthy habits—despite knowing what to do—this episode offers a reframing worth sitting with. Regulation precedes change. Support matters. And slowing down may be the most strategic step forward.Contact Amy Wheeler: www.TheOptimalState.comSchool of Integrative Health at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-healthMaster of Science in Yoga Therapy at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-health/yoga-therapyExplore 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-practicesTry 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 #SOIHGraduateSchoolOptimal State App for iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/optimal-state/id1604424804

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy welcomes back Kristine Weber for her third conversation on the podcast. Kristine is known for weaving together yoga philosophy, neuroscience, social justice, and policy in a way that is both grounded and deeply practical. This conversation ranges from marketing and entrepreneurship to self-regulation, somatics, and the future of yoga therapy as a profession.The episode opens with a candid discussion about what it really takes to build a sustainable yoga business in the current landscape. Kristine shares the story of how one comment in a Facebook yoga research group changed her entire approach, leading her to study marketing, hire a digital strategist, and invest consistently in paid advertising—while staying aligned with her values and with authentic, evidence-informed yoga.From there, Amy and Kristine move into the heart of the conversation: yoga as self-regulation and why the vagus nerve is only one piece of a much larger picture. Kristine contrasts Western models of self-regulation and the autonomic nervous system with yogic models that include doṣas, guṇas, the kośas, and ethical frameworks like the yamas and niyamas. Together, they explore how yoga invites us to move beyond mechanistic “fix the machine” thinking toward a biopsychosocial–spiritual, socio-ecological understanding of who we are.They also discuss:How to define self-regulation from both neuroscience and yoga perspectivesThe limits of a purely “vagus nerve–centric” approach and why it's important to situate the vagus nerve inside broader models of health and meaningThe role of interoception, perception, ethics, and self-study (svādhyāya) in genuine regulation and resilienceWhen devices and vagal stimulators can be helpful, and how worldview shapes whether they support or undermine long-term healingThe emerging tension around somatic therapies in systems like the VA and APA, and why training and scope of practice matterISMETA and other advocacy efforts working on regulation and recognition for somatic modalitiesGrassroots versus federal-level advocacy, and why yoga therapists need to think locally and globallyLicensure, silos, and why it's both necessary and problematic for yoga therapyKristine's concept of “yoga in all policy” and the importance of bringing yoga into schools, treatment centers, public health, and beyondAmy also shares about her forthcoming co-authored book with Marlysa Sullivan, Applications of Therapeutic Yoga in Integrative Health: Reimagining Well-Being (Routledge Press Spring 26), which places the vagus nerve and neuroscience inside the larger arc of the eight limbs of yoga—rather than asking yoga to fit into a narrow biomedical frame. Kristine responds with enthusiasm for this more holistic paradigm and calls on yoga professionals to reclaim yoga as a complete system for human transformation and flourishing, not “just stretching” or a series of isolated techniques.Toward the end of the episode, Kristine describes ways to study with her, including:The Science of Slow – an on-demand course on fatigue, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and body imageNeuroscience of Yogic Meditation – exploring the distinctiveness of yogic meditation practicesHer Subtle Yoga breathwork certification and other nervous-system-focused trainingsWeekly classes through the Subtle Yoga Resilience Society membershipLive workshops in the U.S. and internationallyThis conversation is for yoga therapists, yoga teachers, and integrative health professionals who sense that yoga has far more to offer than “yoga for the vagus nerve” headlines—and who want to align their work with a broader, more humane vision of health, policy, and social change.Find Amy Wheeler on WWW.TheOptimalState.comMaster 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/#IntegrativeHealth #HealthcareEducation #InterprofessionalEducation #GraduateSchool #NDMUproud #SOIHproud #SOIHYoga #SOIHAyurveda #NDMUYoga #NDMUAyurveda #SOIHGraduateSchool

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy speaks with Valerie Hesslink and Jeanne Kolker, both from Insight Counseling & Wellness, about how yoga therapy has tapped into billing through Wisconsin's Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) program. Jeanne and Valerie discuss the realities of providing trauma-informed, community-based care, the role of skill building in recovery, and the organizational standards required to deliver CCS services. Valerie also shares her personal journey and how yoga helped her reconnect with herself during a difficult period. The conversation offers a grounded look at the future of integrative mental health and the importance of embodied practices in long-term healing.Valerie HesslinkValerie brings both professional training and lived experience to her work in CCS. She speaks openly about a period in her life marked by emotional struggle and a deep sense of disconnection—an experience that led her to yoga when traditional therapies were not enough. Through sustained breathwork, embodiment practices, and steady support, she found her way back into her body and rebuilt her internal sense of safety and clarity. This personal journey now informs the way she teaches. Valerie's approach is patient, relational, and grounded in empathy. She understands the courage it takes for clients to begin again and offers tools that help them move through daily life with more steadiness and trust.Jeanne KolkerJeanne is a therapist and yoga teacher with extensive experience in trauma-informed care. She works at the intersection of somatic awareness and mental health, supporting individuals through recovery with clarity and compassion. Jeanne offers insight into how yoga therapy fits into multidisciplinary care and what is needed to ensure clients receive safe, consistent, and high-quality services.Learn more about their work:Insight Counseling & WellnessCounseling Services: https://insightmadison.com/ccsYoga Studio: https://insightmadison.com/yogastudioLearn More about the MS in Yoga Therapy: 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 Contact Amy Wheeler at www.TheOptimalState.com

Episode summary Computer-science-turned-cognitive-science researcher and yoga therapist Chen Or Bach joins Amy to share a candid journey from academia to cancer survivorship, from mat-based practice to living yoga moment-to-moment. We trace how the pañca-kośa model reframed her healing, why standards and accreditation helped yoga integrate into Israeli healthcare, and what it means to let go of familiar tools and still remain fully in the path. It's a forward-looking conversation about bringing steadiness (sthira) and sweetness (sukha) into real life—mountain trails, laundry folding, and all.Listen forNature as practice: Boulder's mountains as living teachers of stability in change.Pañca-kośa in plain life: tending annamaya, prāṇamaya, manomaya, vijñānamaya, and especially ānandamaya—not as theory but daily design.When the practice stops “working”: giving yourself permission to let go of certain tools (āsana, set routines) and allow yoga to become how you meet each moment.Healthcare integration: how Israel's modular 1,000-hour training (500 teacher + 500 therapy with specialty tracks) supported hospital uptake.Karma yoga without burnout: serving the field while protecting one's vitality (tapas with svādhyāya and īśvara-praṇidhāna—Kriyā Yoga in action).Key takeawaysĀnanda is not optional. Many of us optimize the outer layers (food, steps) and starve ānandamaya kośa. Intentionally design joy-creating activities; the outer layers flourish downstream.Your practice can change shape. If a tool stops serving, it's not failure—it's viveka (discernment). Let the aim (clarity, compassion, steadiness) stay constant while methods evolve.Standards serve people. Thoughtful accreditation isn't bureaucracy—it's ahimsā and satya for clients and health systems: clear scope, reliable skills, safer care.Karma yoga needs boundaries. Service without self-regulation fuels burnout. Pair tapas with rest, supervision, and community—abhyāsa with vairāgya.Practical micro-practices (try today)Joy audit (5 min): List three ordinary tasks. For each, name one sensory element you can savor (temperature of water while washing dishes, sound of leaves on a walk).Kośa check-in (2 min): Ask: What does my body/energy/mind/wisdom/joy need right now? Choose one small step.Walk as yoga (10–20 min): No metrics. Attend to breath cadence, ground contact, and horizon/sky—let attention, breath, and body cohere.Resources mentionedPātañjala Yoga Sūtra (as study companion during illness)Bhagavadgītā (as a source of resilience and meaning)IAYT-inspired standards and Israel's modular specialty pathways (trauma, oncology, etc.)About our guest — Chen Or Bach Chen Or Bach blends cognitive/neuroscience training with decades of yoga practice and service. In Israel, she helped advance standards that enabled yoga and yoga therapy to integrate into mainstream healthcare, including rehabilitation settings (e.g., TBI). Now based in Boulder, she continues to teach, mentor, and model a life where all life is yoga.Pull quotes“Once your attention, breath, and body are in the same place, the game changes.”“If one tool stops serving you, the tradition still has a thousand doors.”“I stopped ‘doing' yoga and started being it—moment by moment.”“Standards aren't red tape; they're how we protect people.”School of Integrative Health at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-healthMaster 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

Episode snapshotDebbie Lamond (near London, UK) is a yoga teacher and yoga therapist specializing in support for people living with lymphoedema. After decades of personal practice and training with the British Wheel of Yoga, she blends breathwork, Yoga Nidra, gentle movement, self-care for the lymphatic system, and realistic habit tracking. This conversation feels like tea with a wise friend—practical, hopeful, and grounded in ahiṃsā, svādhyāya, and the steady courage of śraddhā.What we coverDebbie's path: yoga since 1994, why it offered something team sports and fitness didn't—time, calm, and coming home to self.Lymphoedema support, plain language: why movement, hydration, skin care, and compression are foundations—and how yoga fits in.Breath changes the body: how diaphragmatic breathing helps down-shift sympathetic overdrive and, anecdotally, can ease night-time swelling enough to return to sleep.Yoga tools that help: slow rhythmic movement, Yoga Nidra for nervous-system recovery, present-moment awareness to interrupt “what-if” spirals.Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD): “open the drains,” then move—pair with water intake and gentle activity.Ayurvedic lifestyle touches: cooling choices when heat aggravates symptoms, morning light, toxin reduction, and a simple habit tracker.Agency and dignity: building a daily routine you'll actually keep—this isn't a quick-fix pill.Practical takeaways (save/print)Three-minute reset: recline, elevate legs, one hand on belly; inhale gently through the nose, exhale a little longer; ~15–20 breaths. Notice if sensation and anxiety both dial down.Daily rhythm idea:Brief self-MLD (as taught by a qualified therapist).10–20 minutes of gentle yoga or a short walk.Hydrate and quick skin-check.Yoga Nidra or guided rest later in the day if swelling or fatigue rises.Get support: work with a qualified lymphoedema therapist for compression, self-care education, and monitoring.How yoga philosophy frames this workAhiṃsā (non-harm): move/rest in ways that protect tissue and reduce irritation.Svādhyāya (self-study): track patterns—sleep, flares, foods, stressors—without judgment.Īśvara-praṇidhāna (surrender): accept today's reality while practicing skillful effort. Together, these form a sustainable sādhana for long-term conditions.Resources mentionedBritish Wheel of Yoga (for teacher standards and CPD)Lymphoedema Support Network (UK)Manual Lymph Drainage (find a qualified therapist)Yoga Nidra recordings for regulation and restWho this episode is forPeople living with primary or secondary lymphoedema; those post-treatment or post-surgery; clinicians curious about integrating breath and gentle movement; yoga therapists seeking condition-specific insights.About our guestDebbie Lamond is a UK-based yoga teacher and yoga therapist focusing on lymphoedema support. She offers one-to-one sessions (including online), small therapeutic groups through a local cancer charity, and a complimentary 30-minute consultation to explore fit.Connect with DebbieWebsite: DebbieLamondYoga.co.uk Initial consultation: 30 minutes, no charge (book via her website)Disclaimer: This episode and show notes are for educational purposes only and are not medical advice. If you have new or worsening symptoms, seek qualified medical care promptly.Plans of Study for NDMU Yoga Therapyhttps://livendm.sharepoint.com/sites/Academics/SitePages/Yoga-Therapy-Plans-of-Study.aspx?csf=1&web=1&share=EeZhGMscDMFOl1Lk0PD6gOsBTxvKkWvbfjhHLmMMuNpLFw&e=ApOX4h&CID=45c542e6-5528-4c68-a8ac-5596fb4fc161 School of Integrative Health at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-healthMaster 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

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's hot topic: scope of practice and the identity of “yoga therapist.” Erin offers a clear, compassionate take on keeping sessions yoga-centered while collaborating across disciplines. They close with concrete, do-today practices and a peek at Erin's free community gatherings and the Women's Writers Collective in Yoga Therapy.Guest: Erin Byron, MA — psychotherapist, certified yoga therapist, author of Safety in the Body: Foundations in Mental Health Recovery through Yoga Therapy, Expressive Arts, and Neurophysiology; co-author of Yoga Therapy for Arthritis.Key Topics & Takeaways:Coming home to self: How classical yoga practices (breath, relaxation, attention training) quickly shifted Erin's stress and sleep in early practice.Neurophysiology 101: Why connection, co-regulation, and prefrontal cortex “thickening” matter for trauma recovery.Judith Herman's 3-stage model: Safety & trust → reconnection with joy/identity → integration and contribution.Joy is not a bypass: Adding play, beauty, and expressive arts prevents rehearsing trauma and accelerates healing.Personalized yoga works fast: Tailoring asana, breath, mantra, and visualization to the individual often yields quick, embodied results.Scope & language: Keeping sessions yoga-centered (practice-forward) while naming scope clearly; how to redirect talk into practice without overstepping.The profession today: Why holding firm to “yoga therapy” as a distinct, skillful discipline matters—and how collaboration (not dilution) serves clients.Practical nugget: Small “yoga snacks” (e.g., a fear-soothing mantra + mudra) can shift state in minutes when practiced consistently.Memorable Quotes:“Yoga didn't change who I am; it taught me who I've always been.” — Erin“Do the hard work in the presence of joy—otherwise we just rehearse trauma.” — Erin“Bring the yoga only you can bring. No other field has these tools in this context.” — AmyResources Mentioned:Safety in the Body by Erin Byron (info and community updates via her newsletter/IG)Yoga Therapy for Arthritis (co-author Erin Byron)IG: @erinbyron.maNewsletter & free twice-monthly community hour: sign up via her website (link in show notes)Call to Action:Share this episode with a colleague who supports trauma recovery.Join the Women's Writers Collective author spotlight Leave a rating/review if this conversation helped you—your support grows the reach of yoga therapy.Women's Writers Collective in Yoga Therapy: monthly author spotlights & free book-club style events: ·        https://happy-back-yoga.teachable.com/p/the-yoga-therapy-book-club   Plans of Study for NDMU Yoga Therapyhttps://livendm.sharepoint.com/sites/Academics/SitePages/Yoga-Therapy-Plans-of-Study.aspx?csf=1&web=1&share=EeZhGMscDMFOl1Lk0PD6gOsBTxvKkWvbfjhHLmMMuNpLFw&e=ApOX4h&CID=45c542e6-5528-4c68-a8ac-5596fb4fc161 School of Integrative Health at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-healthMaster 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

Episode summaryAfter 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 questions that helped her rewire patterns. We also talk relationships after loss, somatic signs of awe, and how to make the “next right step” when you don't know what's next. This is a clear-eyed look at resilience, seen through yoga's lens of abhyāsa (steadfast practice) and vairāgya (non-attachment): effort rooted in discernment, without clinging to outcomes.Dr. Lisa Nezneski — Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher; board-certified pharmacotherapist; Reiki Master; poet and author of Grounded in Chaos: Leaning into Adversity, Learning Joy (2020; updated edition forthcoming). Former clinical pharmacist and hospital administrator; taught at Duquesne University; past Chief Clinical Officer at Schatz Clinical Services; founder of Healthy Mindful Self. Website: lisanezneski.comKey takeawaysChoose self-priority without apology. Midlife caretakers often land last on their own list; reclaiming agency is the hinge of recovery.Practice over prediction. Twice-daily meditation + consistent restorative yoga created the conditions for healing—abhyāsa in action.Non-attachment reduces reactivity. “This is this day.” Meet what is, breathe three times, then respond—classic vairāgya.Somatic joy is real data. Tingling, goosebumps, softening—felt sense can signal alignment more reliably than analysis.The “next right step” is enough. Use simple inner tests (Lisa's “speedometer” method) and adjust course—no catastrophizing.Relational healing is possible. Mutuality, gratitude, and playfulness can re-pattern partnership after grief.Hands calm the nervous system. Repetitive handcrafts (e.g., finger-crochet) function like mudrā/nyāsa—bottom-up regulation.ResourcesDr. Lisa Nezneski — lisanezneski.comBook — Grounded in Chaos: Leaning into Adversity, Learning Joy (1st ed., 2020; updated edition forthcoming)Listener reflection (journal prompts)Where in my week do I practice abhyāsa without clinging to a result?What does my body feel like when a choice is a genuine “yes”?What micro-ritual will I use as my three-breath reset cue?Call to actionIf this episode helped you locate a little joy inside the storm, share it with one person who needs a steady hand. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us the one practice you're committing to this week.Plans of Study for NDMU Yoga Therapyhttps://livendm.sharepoint.com/sites/Academics/SitePages/Yoga-Therapy-Plans-of-Study.aspx?csf=1&web=1&share=EeZhGMscDMFOl1Lk0PD6gOsBTxvKkWvbfjhHLmMMuNpLFw&e=ApOX4h&CID=45c542e6-5528-4c68-a8ac-5596fb4fc161School of Integrative Health at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-healthMaster 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 

This is the eighteenth episode in the Crypto Hipster's Curtain Calls Series, which includes 3–4-minute clips from Seasons 6-8. This compilation draws upon my conversations with:Mr. Blue, developer and a founder @ LEVR.bet (8/27/2024, Season 8)Kyle "Post Master", developer @ Karate Kombat (6/15/2024, Season 7)Peter Argerakis, CEO & Co-founder @ Six Sigma Sports (9/24/2023, Season 6)

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 by intention (saṅkalpa) and awareness (svādhyāya), and lived through skillful action (kriyā/karma-yoga). No sugar-coating—just a compassionate, accountable path forward.About our guest Philip Goldberg is the author of the classic American Veda and many other works on India's wisdom traditions. He writes, teaches, and speaks internationally about the practical application of yoga philosophy in modern life. More at philipgoldberg.com.What we coverTwo default frames that fail: cynical materialism (“life's unfair—deal with it”) and a punitive theism that outsources justice—why yoga offers a third way: karma as a law of nature, not a cosmic scorekeeper.Intention matters: why the motivation and quality of mind behind an action shape its consequences—on us and on the field around us.It's not linear: why “instant karma” is the exception; most effects are complex, delayed, and braided with other people's actions.Not just the “bad stuff”: noticing beneficial returns—friendship, support, opportunities—as karma, too.Humility as the doorway: we can't fathom every cause; we can act skillfully anyway.Prevention is practice: building a karmic “balance sheet” through ethical living, steady practice, and timely amends reduces the sting when old debts come due.Forgiveness begins at home: how self-forgiveness and sincere amends interrupt the “slow acid drip of regret.”Prayer, Bhakti & nervous system: prayer as practice for the prayer-giver (bhakti), shifting state and making right action more likely.Yama–Niyama as method, not morals: using the first two limbs practically to uproot harmful samskāras rather than memorize rules.Boundaries are dharma: over-giving and “doormat karma” as the near-enemy of compassion; why healthy limits are part of right action.Practical takeaways Choose skillful action now. You can't rewrite yesterday's causes; you can stack better conditions today.Mind the motive. Before you act, ask: What's my real intention? Adjust there.Make clean amends. Own your slice only, sincerely, and repair what you can. Then change the behavior.Practice = prevention. Daily āsana–prāṇāyāma–dhyāna clears the field (samskāra hygiene) so wise choices come faster.Measure by learning. Treat consequences as feedback, not verdicts. If the same pattern repeats, a lesson is waiting.Selected quotes“Karma is closer to physics than to theology—causes and conditions, not a personality keeping score.”“If you dismiss suffering as ‘their karma,' that response becomes your karma.”“Humility matters: we can't trace every cause, but we can choose wisely now.”“Boundaries are part of compassion—virtue misapplied becomes a near-enemy.”Resources & linksKarmic Relief by Philip Goldberg — Monkfish (now available).Philip Goldberg's site: philipgoldberg.comAlso by Phil: American Veda (context for how Eastern wisdom seeded the West).Related Yoga Therapy Hour episode: Our first conversation with Phil on American Veda (link in feed).Interested in advancing your own studies in Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda?Explore these graduate and certificate programs at Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH):Master of Science in Yoga Therapy https://muih.edu/academics/yoga-therapy/master-of-science-in-yoga-therapy/Post-Master's Certificate in Therapeutic Yoga Practices (for licensed healthcare professionals) https://muih.edu/academics/yoga-therapy/post-masters-certificate-in-therapeutic-yoga-practices/Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Ayurveda https://muih.edu/academics/ayurveda/post-baccalaureate-ayurveda-certification/Plus, join us on our Optimal State Mobile App for daily check-ins and simple, easy interventions to help you stay in balance.And explore our Online Community, where you'll receive weekly classes and gain access to a library of classes you can enjoy anytime. Learn more at www.AmyWheeler.com.

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 into graduate study in neuroscience at King's College London to understand the brain networks behind what she and her clients were experiencing. This is a grounded dialogue where ancient yoga maps (kośas, guṇas, abhyāsa/vairāgya) meet modern neuroscience and trauma-informed care.Listen forHow chronic sciatic pain (without injury) resolved through tiny, breath-led movements and attention trainingWhy interoception (insula-based networks) is the missing link across PTSD, anxiety, depression, addiction, and eating disordersThe limits of protocols: why yoga therapy must meet the person—not the diagnosisPractical strategies for “sitting is the new smoking” workplacesUsing Yoga Nidra and micro-practices to “bring a region back online” and rebuild brain–body connectionsTrauma-informed considerations for healthcare and why telehealth lowers barriers for clients with PTSDKey ideas & takeawaysPain is a messenger, not a verdict. When we treat it like data, we can adapt habit loops (workload, sitting time, emotional patterns like anger), not just tissues.Attention before ambition. Danielle's recovery hinged on “microscopic movements, breath, mudrā, and curiosity”—a living example of abhyāsa (steady practice) and vairāgya (non-grasping).Interoception is foundational. Many clients say “I'm fine” until they close their eyes and notice otherwise. Building interoceptive literacy (Yoga Nidra body scan, slow breath, graded exposure to sensation) is therapy.No one-size-fits-all. Back pain, for example, can stem from different drivers (biomechanical load, overthinking/rumination, shock/trauma, life stress). Assessment across the pañca-maya kośa clarifies which lever to pull first.Healthcare and gym yoga. A doctor's “try yoga” often misfires; yoga therapy (or therapeutic yoga) individualizes, paces, and is trauma-informed.Maintenance is the path. Bodies require lifelong tending. Danielle uses movement “snacks,” nature walks, and between-client resets—little choices that keep systems regulated.Practical practices mentioned (try these)Micro-movement + breath: Choose one joint/region that feels “offline.” Explore 1–2 minutes of tiny ranges with smooth nasal breath and curiosity. Stop well before pain.Yoga Nidra, targeted: If you consistently “drop out” during a specific body region, create a 10-minute Nidra just for that side/area to rebuild signal.Workday resets: Every 45–60 minutes, stand, walk a block, or do 2–3 shapes while the kettle boils.Green-space therapy: Daily time in nature to shift autonomic state toward safety and restoration.Memorable quotes“Attention is where it's at. People say ‘mindfulness,' but what changed me was attention—and curiosity.” —Danielle“What got disconnected along the way? That's the puzzle yoga therapy helps clients solve.” —Amy“We're not treating a protocol; we're meeting a person, this week.” —DanielleAbout our guestDanielle De Pillis is a yoga therapist and neuroscience-informed practitioner based in Minneapolis. She holds a Master's in Neuroscience from King's College London and runs a global online private practice focused on trauma, chronic pain, and interoception.Website: danielledepillis.comInterested in advancing your own studies in Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda?Explore these graduate and certificate programs at Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH):Master of Science in Yoga Therapyhttps://muih.edu/academics/yoga-therapy/master-of-science-in-yoga-therapy/Post-Master's Certificate in Therapeutic Yoga Practices (for licensed healthcare professionals)https://muih.edu/academics/yoga-therapy/post-masters-certificate-in-therapeutic-yoga-practices/Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Ayurvedahttps://muih.edu/academics/ayurveda/post-baccalaureate-ayurveda-certification/Plus, join us on our Optimal State Mobile App for daily check-ins and simple, easy interventions to help you stay in balance.And explore our Online Community, where you'll receive weekly classes and gain access to a library of classes you can enjoy anytime. Learn more at www.AmyWheeler.com.

Of the thirteen sub-postmasters thought to have taken their own lives because of the Post Office scandal, only two have been named publicly. Michael Mann was one of them. Our reporter has spoken to his family, former partner and ex-colleagues to tell his story for the first time. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Hugo Daniel, news reporter, the Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Edward Drummond and Shabnam Grewal.Read more: The forgotten postmaster ‘hounded to death' by investigators Further listening: The Post Office scandal: How a TV drama delivered justiceClips: ITV, Channel 4 News, ITV News, Horizon Inquiry. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.comThis podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knuckles is back with Charleville's finest, Trev 966, and this time the big banger yarns take a detour into posties, planks and pure fear of heights.It starts light – Knuckles giving a shoutout to his gun postie Jeffro getting CTC hats overnight – then Trev drops a proper true yarn about the local postal manager Tom, a paint job, and a fall straight out of Cliffhanger.At 14, Trev's up on trestles helping Tom paint his house when something goes horribly wrong. One second they're cutting in around the windows, the next Tom brushes past Trev, falls from the plank, and locks eyes with him mid-air on the way to the ground. Broken ribs, an ambulance ride, and the sound of that “oof” has stuck with Trev ever since.Asked to go back and finish the job, he climbs onto the same plank, feels it rock, climbs straight back down and quits on the spot:“You can tell Tom to paint his own fucking house. I've quit.”From there it's a lifetime of being no good with heights:Boys on site stirring him up because he's “terrible on roofs”Walking sheets on a high roof in Mackay, promising if he falls, someone's coming with himAss cheeks “like suction caps on the roof” if he slipsJust when he thinks he's getting better, he's back on a school job walking trusses along a fully extended plank. The boys grab the truss out of his hands and Trev suddenly realises he's got nothing to hang onto. Frozen in the middle of the gap, he watches a mate fall off the top plate and break his neck on the ground below. That's it. Line in the sand.By the end of it, Trev's made peace with his fate:“This is me. I'm a concreter now. I'll just stick to the ground stuff.”It's a dark, funny, very real look at how one bad moment can turn a 14-year-old Charleville kid into a lifelong ground-dweller – even if he still climbs into the big bangers for a living.#propertrueyarn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 service.Shabana shares:How a health crisis transformed her relationship with her body and inspired her to take charge of her wellbeing.Her experience of nesophobia (fear of illness) and how yoga helped her move from anxiety to resilience.The life-changing impact of yoga therapy on her vertigo, and why she committed to making it her profession.The importance of intention in yoga practice and teaching, and how acts of kindness are integral to true healing.Her philosophy of simple, sattvic living—fresh food, fresh breath, and fresh thoughts—as the foundation of wellness.The role of prāṇāyāma as a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern science, and why she believes it is the most powerful tool for transformation.How she combines yoga therapy, prāṇāyāma, and sound healing in her signature Rest Reset Method to help clients manage stress, recover from burnout, and rediscover joy.Throughout the episode, Shabana emphasizes that yoga is not just postures—it is a holistic system of mindset, lifestyle, compassion, and self-regulation. Her clarity, kindness, and lived wisdom shine through, offering listeners a reminder that true yoga begins with simplicity and intention.Connect with Shabana: Find her on LinkedIn at Shabana Safdari (search Yoga with Shabana). Her website will be launching soon, featuring her offerings, including one-on-one yoga therapy, corporate wellness programs, and sound healing.Interested in advancing your own studies in Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda?Explore these graduate and certificate programs at Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH):Master of Science in Yoga Therapy https://muih.edu/academics/yoga-therapy/master-of-science-in-yoga-therapy/Post-Master's Certificate in Therapeutic Yoga Practices (for licensed healthcare professionals) https://muih.edu/academics/yoga-therapy/post-masters-certificate-in-therapeutic-yoga-practices/Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Ayurveda https://muih.edu/academics/ayurveda/post-baccalaureate-ayurveda-certification/Plus, join us on our Optimal State Mobile App for daily check-ins and simple, easy interventions to help you stay in balance.And explore our Online Community, where you'll receive weekly classes and gain access to a library of classes you can enjoy anytime. Learn more at www.AmyWheeler.com.

Believe it or not, over one-third of college students transfer at least once while earning their degree. So why do so many students assume their first school will be their forever school? Amy and Mike invited college advisor Jaime Smith to share insights on how to plan for your college transfer. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Where do students most commonly struggle when preparing to transfer schools? How easy is it to transfer credits between colleges? What might students do in advance if a potential transfer is in their future? Do transfer students need SAT or ACT scores? Is there a difference between transferring from 2-year or 4-year colleges? MEET OUR GUEST Jaime Smith, M.A., MS.Ed., is a Certified Educational Planner with 25 years of experience in the field of education. After many years of teaching English at the middle, high school, and college levels, Jaime turned to online education and founded a virtual K-12 supplementary education program, Online G3, where she continues to teach gifted and twice-exceptional homeschooled students. As a college advisor, Jaime specializes in transfer admissions, application essays, homeschoolers, neurodiverse learners, and other non-traditional applicants. In 2023, she completed a Post-Master's Certificate in Transfer Leadership and Practice at the University of North Georgia in collaboration with the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students. Jaime is the author of The Complete Guide to College Transfer. A California native, Jaime now lives in Oregon with her husband and pet bunny. She has one daughter, a former homeschooler turned transfer student who just started grad school.  Jaime previously appeared on the podcast in episode 578 to discuss WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TRANSFERRING. Learn more about Jaime at TransferSavvy.com and follow her on Linkedin. LINKS Common App for transfer https://www.transferology.com https://www.assist.org The Complete Guide to College Transfer RELATED EPISODES HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE FRESHMAN WHAT TO DO WHEN A STUDENT STRUGGLES IN COLLEGE THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF COLLEGE SUCCESS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.  

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 as a “GPS for the soul,” guiding us through both personal transformation and collective upheaval. Together, Amy and Madi dive into the themes of Sacred Rage as a catalyst for change, the necessity of setting clear boundaries, and why “quiet revolutions” are already taking root across the globe.You'll hear about:·        How Pluto in Aquarius marks a 20-year cycle of transformation, innovation, and power to the people.·        Why sacred rage—channeled wisely—can be a force for justice, creativity, and healing.·        The art of saying “no” without over-explaining, and the empowerment that comes from it.·        Why grassroots movements and personal authenticity will shape the next chapter of our collective story.·        Practical ways to plant seeds for the future, even if you're not the loudest voice in the room.This episode is both an invitation and a call to action: to fortify your values, live authentically, and play your part in shaping a more empathetic and connected future. Whether you're navigating a personal rebirth or tuning into the shifting tides of our world, this conversation will leave you inspired, grounded, and ready to claim your cosmic zone.About Madi Murphy: Madi Murphy is an astrologer, intuitive, shamanic practitioner, and author of In the Cosmic Zone. With a gift for blending the mystical with the practical, Madi helps clients align with their “divine assignment” through astrology, intuitive insight, and grounded, actionable tools.Resources & Links:·        Connect with Madi Murphy: https://www.instagram.com/thecosmicrx/?hl=en ·        In the Cosmic Zone – https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/782212/in-the-cosmic-zone-by-madi-murphy/  ·        Follow Amy Wheeler and The Yoga Therapy Hour: www.TheOptimalState.com  Plans of Study for NDMU Yoga Therapyhttps://livendm.sharepoint.com/sites/Academics/SitePages/Yoga-Therapy-Plans-of-Study.aspx?csf=1&web=1&share=EeZhGMscDMFOl1Lk0PD6gOsBTxvKkWvbfjhHLmMMuNpLFw&e=ApOX4h&CID=45c542e6-5528-4c68-a8ac-5596fb4fc161School of Integrative Health at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-healthMaster 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

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 discovering—through chronic pain, pelvic dysfunction, and motherhood—that her hypermobility was both a blessing and a challenge. She opens up about the difficulty of letting go of deep, stretchy poses that felt emotionally nourishing but were damaging her SI joints and pelvic stability.The conversation dives into:How cultural narratives around motherhood and women's health leave many women without the support they needThe physical and emotional realities of hypermobility and pelvic floor dysfunctionWhy heavy strength training became a surprising but essential part of Alexi's healing and empowermentHow honoring boundaries in movement is an act of self-respect and long-term sustainabilityThe “village” mindset and how it applies not only to mothering but to self-careAlexi's story is an invitation to listen deeply to your body, to adapt your practice as life changes, and to recognize that true yoga is not performance—it's about honoring what supports your wholeness today.Connect with Alexi Neal:Website: soulfulsomatics.com (Soulful with two L's)Instagram: @soulfullexi Plans of Study for NDMU Yoga Therapyhttps://livendm.sharepoint.com/sites/Academics/SitePages/Yoga-Therapy-Plans-of-Study.aspx?csf=1&web=1&share=EeZhGMscDMFOl1Lk0PD6gOsBTxvKkWvbfjhHLmMMuNpLFw&e=ApOX4h&CID=45c542e6-5528-4c68-a8ac-5596fb4fc161School of Integrative Health at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-healthMaster 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 

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-searchingFacing generational and personal trauma, and choosing to heal rather than hideHer experiences with yoga, somatic psychology (Hakomi), and how they gave her tools to break cycles of shameHer journey bringing yoga therapy into Israeli hospitals, including working with trauma survivors, war refugees, and healthcare professionalsHow yoga therapy offers active, empowering healing—distinguished from both passive treatments and talk therapyThe courage it takes to tell your story, even when others may not approveAmy 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 KrentzmanHighlights:How generational trauma shaped Rachel's early lifeThe emotional toll—and liberation—of telling the truth publiclyWhat it's like raising children in Israel amid war and instabilityWhy yoga therapy is growing rapidly in Israel's healthcare systemThe nervous system, trauma, and how breathwork offered relief when even pain meds couldn'tA vision for yoga therapy as a vital component of integrative medicineLearn 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 HourAmy 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/

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's creation—from its origins in conversations on chronic pain and health disparities to a larger message of universal healing through Yoga.Together, they explore the historical exclusion of Black communities from mainstream yoga spaces, systemic health inequities, and the emotional toll of ongoing racial bias in healthcare and research. Yet this episode is also rooted in hope—emphasizing the healing power of community-based practice, and the recognition that Yoga is not something to be “brought into” the Black community—it's already there.Listeners will be moved by their reflections on resilience, the limits of resilience, and the need to reimagine yoga therapy education, credentialing, and access through a lens of equity, affordability, and cultural inclusion.Key Topics Covered:How the book organically evolved through monthly conversations, Google Docs, and shared purposeChronic pain, scientific bias, and the history of mistrust in research and healthcareYoga as a path to liberation, community care, and remembrance of inherent wholenessCentering Black lived experience while offering a universal message of healingThe challenges of inclusion in mainstream yoga and the importance of culturally-rooted practiceReimagining Yoga therapy education and credentialing with equity and accessibilityActionable steps for individual and collective healing, starting with self-reflectionA call to yoga professionals to integrate social, historical, and emotional literacy into their workQuotes to Remember:“You don't need to be in a place to practice Yoga. It's how you wake up in the morning, how you walk through the day, and how you sleep at night.” – Marilyn Peppers-Citizen“If you want to work with any community, you must know their history.” – Charlene Muhammad“We are not a broken people. We are whole humans with pride, joy, and daily challenges.” – Marilyn Peppers-CitizenResources Mentioned:  Yoga in the Black Community: Healing Through Wholeness, History, and Hope – by Charlene Muhammad & Marilyn Peppers-Citizen  Jana Long's film: The Uncommon Yogi  Gabor Maté – The Myth of NormalConnect with the Guests:Charlene Muhammad – Yoga therapist, educator, and community healer Marilyn Peppers-Citizen – Yoga therapist and advocate for health equityTakeaway Message: This episode is a call to reflect, remember, and reconnect—with ourselves, our communities, and the deeper truths of yoga. Healing must begin within, and it must include all of us.Listen & Subscribe:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | www.TheOptimalState.comJoin the Conversation:Tag us with your thoughts and reflections using #YogaTherapyHourFollow @OptimalStateYoga on Instagram and FacebookAlso find us on Patreon under The Optimal State and Yoga Therapy HourIf you would like more information about getting a masters degree in Yoga Therapy at MUIH, go to:Master of Science in Yoga Therapy at NDMU https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-health/yoga-therapyPlans of Study for NDMU Yoga Therapyhttps://livendm.sharepoint.com/sites/Academics/SitePages/Yoga-Therapy-Plans-of-Study.aspx?csf=1&web=1&share=EeZhGMscDMFOl1Lk0PD6gOsBTxvKkWvbfjhHLmMMuNpLFw&e=ApOX4h&CID=45c542e6-5528-4c68-a8ac-5596fb4fc161School of Integrative Health at NDMU: https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-health 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 episode of America's Founding Series, Professor Nick Giordano uncovers the remarkable story of Mary Katherine Goddard, the fearless printer who risked her life to publish the names on the Declaration of Independence. At a time when free expression could be punished as treason, Goddard embodied the true meaning of a Free Press during the American Revolution. As Baltimore's Postmaster and the printer of the famous Goddard Broadside, she demonstrated extraordinary courage by putting her own name beneath the signers of the Declaration. Her story reveals how ordinary citizens played extraordinary roles in securing America's liberty. Episode Highlights How Mary Katherine Goddard became the first printer to publish the Declaration of Independence with all 56 signatures. Why her role as Baltimore's Postmaster made her central to Revolutionary communications and the Patriot cause. The enduring lesson of her courage and what it means for the survival of a free press in America.

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 soulHow to stop being a chameleon and start knowing yourselfListening to the body's wisdom before logic takes overReclaiming your voice when it's been buried by shame or performanceHow yoga therapy can support the journey back to inner belongingWhy authenticity is the greatest medicine—and the hardest practiceWho 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.comMore 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.comRate & 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.comMobile App: Optimal State AppMaster 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/

We begin the episode with apologies to Sarah, who emailed us while in labor… again. Gerrit then sets the stage for a multi-part deep dive: Brigham Young, James K. Polk, and the Mormon Battalion with a question about the oft-repeated story that in General Conference Brigham Young announced a U.S. president “died and went to hell.”  Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future here is a link to our 2027 tours ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email that is rarely monthly: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com   Rex's Elders Quorum President's Show Notes: 00:02:47 – General Banter 00:14:10 – Baby naming digression 00:18:46 – Listener email reading 00:23:59 – President Hinckley, and improvised remarks during a church meeting. 00:29:29 – Brigham Young and the U.S. president, question raised about which president Brigham Young referenced, opening into deeper historical analysis. 00:33:51 – Secretary of Defense texts and politics, Discussion of a Secretary of Defense text message reference, bridging to political tensions in LDS history. 00:37:55 – Brigham Young's perception of government problems, exploration of Brigham Young's uneasy feelings about U.S. government actions and underlying suspicions. 00:43:30 – James Polk and the Mormon Battalion, quoting Polk's journal about calling Mormons into military service, with historical and political implications. 00:48:49 – Party politics and Mormon voters, Analysis of Democrats vs. Whigs, Mormons as consistent Democrat voters, and shifting political dynamics. 00:52:46 – Close elections and minority status, Reflection on razor-thin election margins, using comparisons to modern U.S. states like Texas. 00:55:09 – Email reading recap, Lighthearted commentary on how emails were read, with jokes about voice impressions. 00:57:46 – Figuring things out in real time, Hosts note that they essentially just “lived through” the lesson while talking—meta humor about their own podcasting style. 01:01:04 – Postmaster positions and patronage, Historical detail about the importance of postmaster appointments and thousands of federal jobs. 01:06:09 – Closing thoughts and unfinished material, Discussion of Alexander McCrae's anger, acknowledgment that time ran out, and teasing future continuation.

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 InsightsThrough 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 selfThis 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/  

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! En enero de 1942, en plena Segunda Guerra Mundial, un comando británico de operaciones especiales ejecutó una de las misiones más audaces y poco conocidas: la Operación Postmaster, en la isla española de Fernando Poo (actual Bioko, Guinea Ecuatorial). Su objetivo: apoderarse de tres barcos del Eje anclados en el puerto neutral de Santa Isabel. Bajo máxima discreción y con la complicidad encubierta de ciertos contactos locales, los comandos lograron abordar y llevarse los buques hacia Lagos, en Nigeria. Una operación secreta, diplomáticamente arriesgada, que reveló la audacia y creatividad de las fuerzas especiales británicas. 🆕 ENLACE A TODOS LOS CB FANS 💥 https://t.me/+1uHtwikQTZ85ZWRk 📧¿Queréis contarnos algo? puedes escribirnos a casus.belli.pod@gmail.com Casus Belli Podcast pertenece a 🏭 Factoría Casus Belli. Casus Belli Podcast forma parte de 📀 Ivoox Originals. 📚 Zeppelin Books zeppelinbooks.com es un sello editorial de la 🏭 Factoría Casus Belli. Estamos en: 👉 https://podcastcasusbelli.com 👉 X/Twitter https://twitter.com/CasusBelliPod 👉 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CasusBelliPodcast 👉 Instagram estamos https://www.instagram.com/casusbellipodcast 👉 Telegram Canal https://t.me/casusbellipodcast 👉 Telegram Grupo de Chat https://t.me/casusbellipod 📺 YouTube https://bit.ly/casusbelliyoutube 👉 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@casusbelli10 👨💻Nuestro chat del canal es https://t.me/casusbellipod ⚛️ El logotipo de Casus Belli Podcasdt y el resto de la Factoría Casus Belli están diseñados por Publicidad Fabián publicidadfabian@yahoo.es 🎵 La música incluida en el programa es Ready for the war de Marc Corominas Pujadó bajo licencia CC. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/ El resto de música es bajo licencia privada de Epidemic Music, Jamendo Music o SGAE SGAE RRDD/4/1074/1012 de Ivoox. ¿Quieres anunciarte en este podcast, patrocinar un episodio o una serie? Hazlo a través de 👉 https://www.advoices.com/casus-belli-podcast-historia Si te ha gustado, y crees que nos lo merecemos, nos sirve mucho que nos des un like, ya que nos da mucha visibilidad. Muchas gracias por escucharnos, y hasta la próxima. ¿Quieres anunciarte en este podcast? Hazlo con advoices.com/podcast/ivoox/391278 Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

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 healthcareHow licensed healthcare professionals (LHPs) can incorporate Ayurvedic routines and language into their practiceWhy Ayurveda is not just for wellness seekers, but also for educators, parents, and burned-out professionalsHow simple acts — like warm water in the morning, walking after lunch, or creating a soothing workspace — can transform your nervous system and your lifeThe surprising role of color therapy, aromatherapy, and Dinacharya (daily routine) in regulating mind and moodHow children and teachers alike can benefit from Ayurvedic principles in classroom settingsThe cultural gap in understanding Ayurveda — and how to make it accessible, non-dogmatic, and evidence-informedSarajean 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 lensCircadian rhythms and hormonal regulationAyurvedic applications in mental health, sleep, and digestionBridging Eastern traditions with evidence-based Western modelsAyurveda for educators, children, and busy familiesEmpowering clients to reclaim sovereignty over their healthTips for overcoming the cultural discomfort of slowing down and tuning inAbout 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/sarajeanrudmanLearn with Sarajean at MUIHSarajean teaches in the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Ayurveda program at MUIH, which includes four foundational courses:Foundations of AyurvedaAyurvedic NutritionAyurveda for Mental HealthAdvanced Ayurvedic Lifestyle SkillsPerfect 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.eduSubscribe & ShareIf 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.comMaster 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/

Thinking about transferring colleges—or guiding someone who is? In this episode, I sit down with independent educational consultant Jamie Smith about her just-released book on transfer admissions, the surprising data behind who actually makes the leap, and why the process is so much more complex than people realize. If you're navigating the transfer path or supporting someone who is, this one's worth a listen!BioJaime Smith, M.A., MS.Ed., is a Certified Educational Planner with 25 years of experience in the field of education. After many years of teaching English at the middle, high school, and college levels, Jaime turned to online education and founded a virtual K-12 supplementary education program, Online G3, where she continues to teach gifted and twice-exceptional homeschooled students. As a college advisor, Jaime specializes in transfer admissions, application essays, homeschoolers, neurodiverse learners, and other non-traditional applicants. In 2023, she completed a Post-Master's Certificate in Transfer Leadership and Practice at the University of North Georgia in collaboration with the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students and is a fervent advocate for transfer support. Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-smith-cepLearn more about Jaime at https://jsmithiec.com/Access free resources and learn more about Sheila and her team at Signet Education at signeteducation.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilaakbar/.

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 teachingUnderstanding the ethical boundaries of trauma-informed yoga therapyThe importance of interdisciplinary referrals to LHCPs (Licensed Healthcare Practitioners)How yoga therapists can avoid burnout and emotional overextensionThe difference between pathogenic and salutogenic models of careWhy 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 practiceThoughts on training requirements for both LHCPs entering yoga therapy and yoga therapists working in mental health contextsResources Mentioned:Amy's blog: The Yoga Therapy Bridge www.amywheeler.com → Blog sectionYoga Sūtra of Patañjali, Bhagavad Gītā, Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (as foundational sources)Spotify for accessible Upaniṣadic and Yogic philosophy podcasts to share with clientsTakeaways: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.comLearn more about her academic work at www.optimalstate.comMaster 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 episode, Lisa and Jaime discuss:Understanding the role of impacted majors and prerequisitesThe critical importance of aligning majors with career goals earlyNavigating the complexities of college transfersFinancial planning and its impact on educational choicesKey Takeaways: Over one-third of undergraduates transfer colleges, and without early planning around majors, prerequisites, and credit alignment, they risk losing time, money, and progress.Students in impacted majors like Computer Science, Business, Nursing, and Engineering must complete strict, school-specific prerequisites, so they should map overlapping requirements across multiple target schools.While some parents fear transferring will hurt their job or graduate school prospects, employers usually see only the final degree, and graduate programs value applicants who can explain a well-reasoned shift.Before committing to a college—whether first-time or transfer—use FAFSA estimators to gauge real costs, research transfer scholarships, and compare prerequisite overlaps to avoid financial strain and lost credits.“Most employers aren't looking for whole transcripts to see your collection of credits. They're just looking for the final outcome.” – Jaime SmithAbout Jaime Smith: Jaime Smith is a Certified Educational Planner specializing in college transfer, online learning, homeschooling, and supporting neurodiverse learners. A longtime transfer student advocate, she earned a Post-Master's Certificate in Transfer Leadership and Practice from the University of North Georgia with the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students in 2023. She holds a BA in Linguistics from UC Berkeley, an MA in TESOL, an MSEd in eLearning, and a certificate in College Counseling.Founder and CEO of Online G3—an independent online program for gifted and twice-exceptional K–12 students—Jaime continues to teach English. A California native now in Oregon, she lives with her husband and pet bunny. Her daughter, a former homeschooler turned transfer student, is now in grad school.Episode References:#140 Avoiding the Pitfalls of College Transfers with Jaime SmithThe Truth about College Admission by Brennan Barnard and Rick ClarkEnter to win a free copy of The Complete Guide to College Transfer at flourishcoachingco.com/transfer through August 31.Order The Complete Guide to College Transfer on Amazon starting August 26 to get the full roadmap for navigating college transfersExplore school-by-school data on competitive and impacted majors at flourishcoachingco.com/majors to make smarter application choices.Get Lisa's Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career...(without painting themselves into a corneConnect with Lisa:Website: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flourishcoachingcoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishcoachingco/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-coaching-co

In this episode we answer emails from Postmaster, John, and Patrick.  We discuss the ins and outs of managed futures, the outs of international bonds and currency funds, and Risk Parity Chronicles.  Reborn!And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the eight sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio.Additional Links:Father McKenna Center Donations:  Donate - Father McKenna Center Demystifying Managed Futures Article:  Demystifying Managed Futures AQR.pdfDBMF Video (and link to YouTube channel):  DBMF in Four MinutesMorningstar Article re Alternatives:  How ETF Diversifiers Performed During Market Turmoil | MorningstarRisk Parity Chronicles Shannon's Demon Article:  Shannon's Demon Explainer - by JustinRPC Article re Rebalancings:  Does threshold rebalancing work with leveraged funds?RPC Portfolios:  Overview of the RPC Portfolios - by JustinRPC Subscription Link:  Risk Parity Chronicles | Justin | SubstackBreathless Unedited AI-Bot Summary:Ever wondered how managed futures work and why they're becoming increasingly popular in diversified portfolios? This episode delivers a comprehensive explanation of these powerful but often misunderstood investment vehicles.Managed futures use trend-following strategies (academically called "time series momentum") to profit from price movements across commodities, currencies, interest rates, and equity indexes. Dating back to the 1960s, these strategies challenge efficient market theory by capitalizing on the observation that when prices start moving in a direction, they often continue that trajectory for extended periods.What makes managed futures particularly valuable is their complete lack of correlation with traditional assets like stocks and bonds, combined with their positive skew. Unlike stocks that "go up the stairs and down the elevator," managed futures typically deliver modest returns during normal markets but can produce extraordinary gains during extreme market environments - precisely when conventional investments struggle most. This unique return profile was on full display in 2022 when many managed futures funds gained 20-30% while both stocks and bonds suffered.The democratization of managed futures through ETFs like DBMF, KMLM, and newer offerings from Fidelity and BlackRock has made these institutional-quality strategies accessible to everyday investors at reasonable costs. DBMF, in particular, uses an innovative replication approach to match the performance of the Société Générale CTA Index, functioning somewhat like a Vanguard for the managed futures space.We also discuss why international bond funds make less effective diversifiers than managed futures, share exciting news about the return of Risk Parity Chronicles blog, and review the performance of our eight sample portfolios.Support the show

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 therapyFounding Into Yoga in Lapeer, Michigan, and transitioning ownership during a caregiving crisisHow COVID-19 impacted her studio and led to innovative online solutions for older adult communitiesSupporting a parent with bipolar disorder and navigating the grief of suicideThe long-term demands and spiritual depth of being a dementia caregiverUsing yoga philosophy—ahiṃsā, satya, saṃtoṣa, and co-regulation—as a framework for compassionate caregivingShifting from the role of daughter to contemplative caregiverPracticing yoga off the mat through biking, journaling, gratitude, and breathThe power of rewriting family narratives through the lens of forgiveness and loveReflections on grief, resilience, and the subtle body memory of loveContent 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: SattvaYTInstagram: @sattva_yoga_therapyYoga Studio: Soul Nectar Yoga – Lapeer, MIPrivate 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 pathThe difference between physical yoga and yoga as a way of lifeThe relevance of Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sūtra for modern practitionersUnderstanding Kriyā Yoga and Aṣṭāṅga Yoga as practical, embodied frameworksThe concept of cognitive dissonance in ethics and how to track your personal integrityCreating non-negotiable time for meditation and reflectionThe practice of “Harvesting Joy” and retraining the mind for positivityA profound insight from a 3-year silent retreat: love as a non-object-dependent inner stateUsing core values as a moment-to-moment compass for yogic livingHow modern life erodes attention, and what we can do about itQuotable 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 BirneyAbout 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.orgYoga Studies Institute: yogastudiesinstitute.orgThree Jewels NYC: thethreejewels.orgConnect with Amy Wheeler: www.amywheeler.com- Yoga Therapy Bridge Blogwww.TheOptimalState.com- Classes with AmyOptimal State Mobile App- iPhone App StoreAmy 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/

Guests: Kenya DeJarnette, Yoga Therapist and Cancer Survivor Tina Paul, Yoga Therapist and Instructor at Memorial Sloan Kettering and MUIHIn this powerful episode, host Dr. Amy Wheeler sits down with yoga therapist Kenya DeJarnette and her former professor Tina Paul for a deeply moving conversation on healing, resilience, and finding one's path through cancer and beyond. Kenya shares her transformational journey from a breast cancer diagnosis to discovering yoga therapy as a lifeline—a practice that reconnected her to her body, her faith, and her purpose.Through heartfelt storytelling, Kenya reflects on how yoga helped her navigate infertility, grief, trauma, and the physical toll of cancer treatment. With grace and courage, she opens up about how being part of a supportive yoga and cancer care community reawakened her fighting spirit and taught her to embrace life with newfound openness.Tina Paul offers a behind-the-scenes look at the integrative yoga therapy work being done at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, describing the role of therapeutic presence, breath, movement, and research in supporting those undergoing cancer treatment.Together, the three explore themes of:Nervous system dysregulation and the role of breath and yoga in recoveryFaith, spirituality, and openness to healing across different modalitiesYoga Nidra as a gateway to deeper rest and reconnectionCommunity as medicine for trauma and illnessThe importance of clinical training in yoga therapyHow yoga can bring people back to their true selfKey Quotes:

Episode Summary: In this deeply moving and honest episode, Amy Wheeler welcomes Lisa Becks—a yoga teacher, clinical social worker, and long-time practitioner—who shares her lifelong journey with yoga as a steady companion through grief, motherhood, cancer, and healing. Lisa recounts how she first encountered yoga in her early twenties while grieving the sudden loss of her mother, and how that one class at a Zen Buddhist center in Michigan led to decades of inner transformation.From the profound influence of her first teacher Barbara Linderman (a direct student of Śrī T. Krishnamacharya) to her healing experience with Kate Holcombe after a breast cancer diagnosis, Lisa's story reminds us that yoga isn't about performance or ambition—it's about returning to ourselves, again and again. Throughout this conversation, Amy and Lisa reflect on parenting without a mother, the reverberations of our actions and emotions, and how the most healing practices are often the simplest and most sincere.Listeners will be inspired by Lisa's vulnerability, her gentle wisdom, and the way she lives the teachings she practices. Whether you're new to yoga or have been on the path for years, this episode is a tender reminder that yoga, when approached with sincerity and self-awareness, meets us exactly where we are. Key Topics Covered:Grieving the loss of a parent and finding yoga as a healing anchorThe sacred presence of humble teachers and quiet transmissionEvolution of practice across life stages: young adulthood, motherhood, illnessSelf-awareness, self-regulation, and the nervous systemUsing observation instead of judgment to shift behaviorTeaching yoga as a form of service and continued self-discoveryCancer recovery, the role of gentle discipline, and meeting yourself with graceYoga as a way to parent consciously without inherited patternsComing home to the self—again and again Mentioned in This Episode:Barbara Linderman (student of Śrī T. Krishnamacharya)Kate Holcombe (teacher in the tradition of TKV Desikachar)Inward Bound Yoga Collective, Ann Arbor, MIOptimal State Yoga Therapy Training About Lisa Becks: Lisa is a yoga teacher, clinical social worker, and mother of two. She offers private yoga therapy sessions by request and believes in the quiet, transformative power of personalized practice. Lisa does not actively market her services, but those who find her often discover a steady, compassionate guide.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. www.TheOptimalState.comMaster 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 thought-provoking solo episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy Wheeler explores the profound topic of safety in human relationships, drawing from recent co-creative discussions with seasoned therapists and yoga practitioners, as well as insights from Polyvagal Theory.Episode Highlights:The Foundation of Healing: Amy emphasizes that safety—both internal and external—is the essential foundation for healing, transformation, and authentic human connection.The Role of Nonjudgment: A central theme of this episode is how nonjudgmental presence, both in therapy and daily life, fosters safety and allows people to open up and be themselves.Artificial Intelligence & Safety: Amy reflects on the surprising role AI therapy bots play in creating a nonjudgmental space, and what this teaches us about human interaction.Key Qualities that Foster Safety:Comfort with silence and emotional presence.Ability to repair ruptures in relationships, not just avoid them.Unconditional positive regard without creating stories about others.Transparency balanced with cultural sensitivity.Openness to new experiences and flexibility in thinking.Clear and honest communication that eliminates guesswork.Self-awareness and the ability to reflect and take responsibility.Consistency, calm regulation, and respect for time and commitments.Attunement to the emotional state of others, with empathetic mirroring.A melodic, regulated voice that supports co-regulation.Genuine listening that seeks to understand, not just respond.Familiar rituals and environments that offer predictable support.Respect for diverse perspectives and willingness to stand up for justice.Key Takeaways:Safety isn't just about avoiding harm; it's about creating conditions where authenticity, trust, and transformation can thrive.Even positive judgments can feel like evaluations, reducing the sense of safety in a relationship.Sacredness in connection—showing up mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepared—amplifies the healing potential of every interaction.Resources Mentioned:Polyvagal Theory – A framework for understanding how safety and social engagement are wired into our nervous system.Book Recommendation: Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud – Understanding when and how to bring closure to relationships in a healthy way.Connect with Amy Wheeler: For more episodes, resources, and information about Yoga Therapy, visit TheOptimalState.comSupport the Show: If you found value in this episode, please rate, review, and share it with others who may benefit from these insights into creating safer, more authentic relationships.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 1912, the small town of Louisburg, Kansas, was rocked by the shocking murder of its postmaster, unraveling a scandalous tale of betrayal and unanswered mysteries that linger to this day.Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateInfo on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScreamInfo on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TVIN THIS EPISODE: When you think of bleak, mysterious murders with a Gothic hue, a small town in early 20th century Kansas is not the first thing that springs to mind. Neither is a postmaster, for that matter. Well, think again. *** Not everything creepy that happens to someone can be classified as paranormal or otherworldly. In fact, a majority of the things that give us goosebumps and set our hair up straight are totally explainable… but that doesn't mean they aren't terrifying. We'll look at some true stories from people who had some creepy experiences that while scary, were not of supernatural origin. *** One girl seemed to be able to move things with the power of her mind. Another girl seemed to have the strength of a dozen men. Were they charlatans, mere entertainers, or were their powers derived from something supernatural? *** AND MORE!CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Show Open00:03:02.701 = The McElheny Murder Mystery00:22:16.154 = Creepy Things This Side of Normal00:55:14.239 = The Electric Girl And The Georgia Wonder01:12:39.244 = The Randonautica Dead Body01:19:04.703 = Show CloseSOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…“The Randonautica Dead Body” posted at The Scare Chamber: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/af5u7h9w“The McElheny Murder” from Strange Company: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2bx9jwep“Creepy Things This Side of Normal” by Michelle Nati for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/brsf4rhe“The Electric Girl and the Georgia Wonder” by Romeo Vitelli for Providentiahttps://weirddarkness.tiny.us/awuppu2n; and Tony Wolf for Atlas Obscura https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/54npznbjWeird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: September 13, 2021SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/postmasterpistolingTRANSCRIPT: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/msdvpf5a