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Yoga Therapy Hour with Amy Wheeler

Yoga Therapy Hour with Amy Wheeler

By: Amy Wheeler
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Summary

Welcome to "The Yoga Therapy Hour Podcast," a harmonious blend of ancient wisdom and modern science, brought to life by Amy's expertise in psychology and public health. With over 100,000 downloads, this podcast delves deep into the principles of yoga therapy, offering expert interviews, practical solutions, and profound insights into real-life challenges.

From its inception, the first four seasons have been instrumental in elevating the domain of yoga therapy, emphasizing the pivotal role of lifestyle medicine in addressing both our mental and physical well-being. As we transition into Season 5, 6 & 7, Amy broadens the horizon, reaching out to the masses. Here, listeners will unravel how yoga therapy, when intertwined with lifestyle engineering, can serve as a powerful tool for holistic healing, touching the realms of the mind, body, and spirit.

Subscribe now and be part of a transformative journey that bridges the essence of embodied mental health with the spirit's depth. Join Amy in redefining mental and physical wellness. Also, leave us a review if you are enjoying the podcast and consider supporting us at the Optimal State & Yoga Therapy Hour Patreon page -https://www.patreon.com/yogatherapyhour


Go to www.TheOptimalState.com for more details on how to improve your mental and emotional health!

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Episodes
  • Post-Traumatic Growth and Neuroplasticity: Healing in Present Time with Colleen Millen

    Post-Traumatic Growth and Neuroplasticity: Healing in Present Time with Colleen Millen
    May 8 2026
    What happens when we stop treating suffering as a fixed identity and start relating to it as a changeable state?In this conversation, Amy Wheeler is joined by Colleen Millen, a licensed marriage and family therapist and yoga therapist who works at the intersection of somatic psychotherapy, nervous system regulation, and post-traumatic growth. Colleen shares how “healing happens in present time,” why choice and consent are foundational to real change, and how small, repeatable practices can reshape patterns that once felt permanent.Together, they explore neuroplasticity in everyday language (“neurons that fire together wire together”), how somatic tracking restores access to the prefrontal cortex when stress responses take over, and why therapy and yoga therapy can be most effective when they are collaborative—rooted in agency, curiosity, and what is life-affirming for the individual. In This Episode, You’ll HearWhy post-traumatic growth can be a more empowering framework than only focusing on post-traumatic stressHow agency and consent orient the healing process (“Do you even want to rewire this?”)A practical, listener-friendly explanation of Dan Siegel’s “hand model of the brain” and what it means to “keep the lid on”How somatic approaches support regulation when words aren’t accessibleWhy short-term coping practices can lead to long-term changeWhat it looks like to track psychobiological shifts in real time and “stay with” the moment of the changeA grounded reframe: depression or anxiety can feel like a trait—until, over time, it becomes “a jacket that doesn’t fit anymore”How yoga philosophy (including kriyā yoga and bhāvanā/intentionality) can support behavior change without forcing a one-size-fits-all approachThe role of telehealth in expanding access—especially for postpartum clients and busy householders Key Moments (listener roadmap)Colleen’s path: journalist → yoga teacher (since 1999) → LMFT journey (began 2009; licensed 2018)Why “post-traumatic growth” matters: hope, agency, and the possibility of a new relationship to sufferingSomatic psychotherapy basics: how stress shows up through the body (breath, belly, skin, heart rate)Window of tolerance + polyvagal orientation: getting a “map” for the nervous systemDan Siegel’s hand model: a clear explanation for both audio and YouTube listenersNeuroplasticity in daily life: how intention + repetition + small practices reshape what’s possiblePresent-time stabilization: why you don’t always need to “go into the past” to healRepetition and practice: why the micro-moments matter—and how real change accrues over time Practical Takeaways (gentle, doable)Name the moment: “Something just happened.”Anchor in the body: feel your feet, notice your breath, sense support from the chair.Choose one tiny action you can repeat (a short walk, a grounding pause, a few breaths, a hand on the heart).Track the shift: What changes in your breath, pace, sensation, or clarity when you slow down?Repeat: consistency is what makes the new pathway more available under stress. About Colleen Millen (LMFT-CA)Colleen Millen is a somatic psychotherapist and yoga therapist who supports clients navigating anxiety, depression, and the desire for post-traumatic growth. Her work emphasizes nervous system education, present-time stabilization, and collaborative inquiry that honors choice, pace, and lived experience. She currently offers telehealth and hybrid services in California. Resources MentionedNARM (NeuroAffective Relational Model) — inquiry, agency, and what you want for yourselfPolyvagal Theory — understanding states and regulationWindow of Tolerance — a framework for tracking arousal and capacityDan Siegel’s Hand Model of the Brain — “flipping the lid,” cortex/offline vs. online regulation supportInterpersonal Neurobiology / Mindsight (Dan Siegel) Connect with Colleen (California)Positive Counseling & Psychology: PositiveCounselingPsychology.comRula: Rula.com
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    51 mins
  • Cleaning the Lens: How Daily Practice Rewrites Belief, Body, and Behavior

    Cleaning the Lens: How Daily Practice Rewrites Belief, Body, and Behavior
    May 1 2026

    In this solo reflection, Amy explores why daily practice matters beyond flexibility, strength, or stress relief. Using a simple morning ritual—cleaning her glasses—she offers a clear metaphor for what practice does: it helps us notice what has accumulated in the mind-body system and gives us a way to “wipe the lens” so we can see, sense, and choose more clearly.

    This episode weaves yogic psychology, behavior change, and neuroscience into one steady message: our beliefs don’t just shape our thoughts—they shape our bodies, our felt sense, and our default responses. The work of change is possible, but it asks for time, repetition, and a compassionate willingness to witness what’s already wired.

    In this episode, Amy explores

    • Why daily practice functions like “cleaning the lens” of perception
    • How repetitive beliefs shape behavior, communication, and lived experience
    • The neuroscience of habit loops: “neurons that fire together wire together”
    • Why beliefs become embodied—and how sensations can become predictable over time
    • How yoga therapy supports change from both directions: top-down and bottom-up
    • The importance of cultivating the observer before trying to rewire patterns
    • How mantra, mudrā, saṅkalpa, and visualization can interrupt old loops and build new ones
    • Why meaningful rewiring often takes years, not weeks
    • How the ego can resist change when long-held patterns feel “cement-like”
    • Why dramatic life changes don’t always create transformation if beliefs remain unchanged
    • How yoga therapy stays self-empowered while still benefiting from skilled guidance
    • A woven framework: Rāja Yoga (mind), Haṭha Yoga (body), and a mature, non-bypassing view of Vedānta
    • A thoughtful comparison between Vedānta and The Matrix as a metaphor for misperception and awakening

    Key takeaways

    • Change begins with awareness: noticing the loop without immediately obeying it.
    • The body and mind are trained together; sustainable change includes both sensation and belief.
    • Practice is not about perfection—it’s about repetition with clarity.
    • External reinvention can create space, but real change comes from rewiring the underlying beliefs.
    • A mature spiritual framework supports healing without bypassing what is real and human.

    Reflection question for listeners

    What is one familiar “loop” you notice in your mind-body system—and what might it feel like to pause, witness it, and choose a new response today?

    Mentioned in this episode

    • Daily practice as a method of “cleaning the lens”
    • Behavior change and learning theory
    • Rāja Yoga and the Yoga Sūtra as a practical path for health, healing, and liberation
    • Haṭha Yoga as a pathway back into sensation and embodiment
    • Advaita Vedānta and the movement from perceived separateness toward wholeness
    • The role of a yoga therapist or guide in supporting insight without bypassing
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    39 mins
  • From Resistance to Resonance: Chanting, Co-Regulation, and the Healing Container

    From Resistance to Resonance: Chanting, Co-Regulation, and the Healing Container
    Apr 24 2026
    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/...
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    1 hr and 1 min
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