This is Yoga Therapy

In traditional education and clinical settings, anatomy is typically taught from the outside in: Latin terminology, mechanical levers, origins, and insertions. But reciting muscle attachments does not heal a dysregulated nervous system or chronic somatic pain.

In this episode, host Michele Lawrence sits down with pioneering yoga therapist and author Leila Stuart to explore the shift from intellectual, structural anatomy to living, experiential inquiry. Leila breaks down how reclaiming a felt sense of our tissues and bones serves as the foundation for autonomic regulation, emotional resilience, and deep trauma-informed healing.

In This Episode...

What happens to human connection when speech, memory, and cognitive faculties begin to fade?

In this episode of This is Yoga Therapy, host Michele Lawrence sits down with colleague Denyse LeFever, MBA, C-IAYT, a certified yoga therapist specializing in healthy aging, cancer support, and cognitive longevity.

Denyse recently authored the chapter "Connecting With Those Who Forget" in the newly released The Caregiver’s Advocate (Volume 3). In her writing and in this conversation, Denyse shares a raw, intimate look at navigating caregiving from two distinct vantage points: first as a daughter witnessing her brilliant fa...

How does yoga therapy interface with modern healthcare systems, and what does it take to establish evidence-informed mind-body practices as standard clinical care?

In this episode of This is Yoga Therapy, host Michele Lawrence sits down with visionary educators and researchers Dr. Amy Wheeler, PhD, C-IAYT, and Dr. Marlysa Sullivan, DPT, C-IAYT. Together, they explore the release of their ground-breaking new textbook, Applying Therapeutic Yoga in Integrative Health.

Amy and Marlysa unpack the systemic shifts occurring across medicine, how to clearly communicate the clinical scope of yoga therapy to conventional providers...

Can vocal chanting and intentional vibration measurably alter our neurobiology? In this episode of This is Yoga Therapy, host Michele Lawrence sits down with scientist, researcher, and educator Dr. Gemma Perry. Dr. Perry shares findings from her doctoral research on the physiological and psychological mechanisms of chanting—from vagal nerve stimulation and heart rate variability to stress reduction and social connection.

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Long before yoga therapy was recognized by mainstream healthcare institutions, Michael Lee, MA, Dip.Psych, C-IAYT, was pioneering an internationally acclaimed method that bridged classical yoga, depth psychology, and body-centered awareness. In 1986, he founded Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, establishing a lineage that uses the body as a direct gateway to emotional and mental liberation.

In this episode of This is Yoga Therapy, host Michele Lawrence sits down with Michael to reflect on four decades of his work in this field. Together, they explore how integrating Rogerian person-centered psychology with yoga creates a powerful...

When someone has experienced trauma, chronic stress, or progressive illness, their own physical body can start to feel like an unsafe environment. They often report feeling disconnected from or even "betrayed" by their physical shape. How do we help clients shift out of a constant, cellular state of survival and return to a state of safety, trust, and connection?

In this episode of This is Yoga Therapy, host Michele Lawrence sits down with Meredith Phipps, C-IAYT, founder of Essentia Yoga Therapy. Meredith masterfully weaves together traditional yoga therapy, somatic practices, and polyvagal theory to help...

After sustaining a severe back injury, yoga therapist Jen Peterson, C-IAYT, found herself completely ostracized by modern, fitness-based studio spaces that prioritized rigid, hyper-flexible physical shapes. That turning point sparked a lifelong vow: to champion the truth that the pose is meant to serve the body—not the other way around.

In this episode of This is Yoga Therapy, host Michele Lawrence sits down with Jen Peterson, C-IAYT, an Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Reiki Master, and the founder of Yoga Grace. Jen beautifully splits her time between her private practice and working as an integrated provider at...

What if the secret to your next professional breakthrough isn't doing more—but mastering the art of the somatic off-switch?

In a high-intensity culture that treats "the hustle" and sleep deprivation as badges of honor, ambitious women are facing a quiet epidemic of chronic exhaustion, nighttime panic, and the dreaded 3:00 AM wake-up call. In this episode of This is Yoga Therapy, host Michele Lawrence sits down with Monica Le Baron, MBA, C-IAYT, a globally recognized sleep expert, certified yoga therapist, and the bestselling author of Sleep Simplified.

Monica beautifully bridges the ga...

In this episode of This is Yoga Therapy, host Michele Lawrence sits down with Renata Sumar Gaertner, C-IAYT, the director and lead teacher of Yoga for All Abilities, carrying forward her mother’s legendary Sonia Sumar Method.

Renata began her yoga journey at just three years old and completed her first Hatha training at twelve. Raised alongside her sister, Roberta, who was born with Down Syndrome, Renata witnessed firsthand the profound developmental power of an individualized practice. Bridging her lifelong lineage roots with a degree in Speech Therapy and a postgraduate specialization in La...

What happens when traditional public health science meets ancestral wisdom? In this episode, host Michele Lawrence sits down with Melissa Shah, MPH, C-IAYT, the founder of Find Your Breath, to explore the intersection of modern healthcare, lineage reclamation, and the physiological power of sound. Melissa breaks down the Western misconceptions surrounding mantra, reclaiming it as a potent, therapeutic practice.  Whether you are a healthcare provider looking to expand your somatic toolkit or an advanced yoga teacher committed to honoring the true roots of the practice, this episode serves as a vital blueprint for the future of culturally respectful, therapeutic c...

What does it mean to age well? In 2026, the conversation has officially shifted from lifespan—how many years we live—to healthspan—how well we live those years. In this episode, host Michele Lawrence sits down with pioneering medical doctor and certified yoga therapist Dr. Baxter Bell to discuss the intersection of Western medicine and yoga.

Baxter shares his personal evolution from working as a busy family physician in the 1990s to stepping onto the mat full-time as a global leader in the yoga therapy community. Together, they dive into the medical science behind why strength, flexibility, and ba...

What happens when we stop trying to "fix" our bodies and instead learn to negotiate our own terms of healing?

In this episode of This is Yoga Therapy, host Michele Lawrence sits down with legendary movement educator, physical therapist, and yoga therapist Sherry Brourman, PT, C-IAYT. With an astonishing 53 years of clinical experience, Sherry shares her profound evolution from the rigid, biomechanical silos of 1970s physical therapy into the compassionate, integrated world of modern pain science and yoga therapy.

Diving into her recent book, From Bodily Knowledge to Intuitive Movement: Where Physical Therapy, Yoga Therapy...

What happens when a legacy of "radical rest" meets the modern era of constant noise? In this episode of This is Yoga Therapy, Michele Lawrence sits down with Lizzie Lasater—Restorative Yoga teacher, architect by training, and a vital voice in the evolution of modern yoga.

As her mother, yoga pioneer Judith Hanson Lasater, prepares to retire at age 80, Lizzie reflects on the longevity of a teacher, the structural integrity of a healing practice, and why slowing down is actually an act of civil disobedience. We explore how restorative yoga serves as the "ur...

Are you a brilliant yoga teacher or therapist who feels paralyzed when it comes to the business side of your practice? You’ve done the trainings, you have the heart, and you’re ready to reduce suffering—but the logistics of running a viable business feel like a separate, cold world.

In this episode, Michele sits down with Erin Alexander and Katie Pine, both graduates of Inner Peace Yoga Therapy and co-creators of the Sacred Success Mentorship. Together, they explore how to stop info-hoarding and start taking embodied action. We dive into w...

What happens when deep academic study meets 20 years of dedicated practice? In this episode, Michele sits down with Tova Olsson, a religious studies scholar, author, and PhD candidate at Umeå University. Known for her "user-friendly" approach to yoga and tantra studies, Tova explains how mythology serves as a mirror for our "stuckness," why humor is an essential ingredient for spiritual growth, and how the Tantric view of the body can transform a yoga therapy session.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

This episode is a vital deep dive into a life transition that has been underserved and misunderstood for far too long. Michele sits down with Petra Coveney, the pioneering founder of Menopause Yoga™ and author of the new book, Menopause Yoga and Wellbeing.

Together, they explore why standard yoga often falls short during the menopausal transition and how a specialized, therapeutic approach—rooted in both endocrinology and the Five Koshas—can transform a woman’s experience from one of "deficiency" to a powerful "Second Spring."

In This Episode, We Discu...