Episode Overview:

In one of the most vulnerable and transformative conversations to date, Amy Wheeler sits down with Naomi Finkelstein, a yoga therapist and founder of The Sanctuary, to explore what it means to reclaim body autonomy, live in alignment with truth, and practice yoga from a foundation of ahiṁsā

—non-harming—toward oneself.

Naomi shares her deeply personal story of being sent to weight-loss camps as a teen, struggling with disordered eating for decades, and ultimately being diagnosed with anorexia at age 40—all while living in a larger body. She speaks honestly about how societal fatphobia masked her illness, and how yoga became both a site of harm and, ultimately, a path to healing.

This conversation redefines what it means to "do yoga." It's not about performance. It's about presence, choice, and radical self-respect.

Amy openly reflects on how this dialogue challenged her own internalized body narratives. This is not just a podcast episode; it’s an invitation into deep nervous system work, self-reflection, and community reimagining.

Topics Covered:

• Naomi’s journey through fatphobia, eating disorder recovery, and reclaiming the word “fat” as a neutral descriptor
• The harm caused by body-normative yoga spaces—and how to create truly inclusive ones
• Trauma-informed yoga through the lens of personal choice and body consent
• How shifting your internal dialogue during practice changes the entire nervous system response
• What it means to build a yoga community rooted in safety, autonomy, and interdependence
• Why health cannot be measured by weight alone—and how to practice viveka (discernment) in medical spaces
• A reframe of tapas and ahiṁsā
• that honors those recovering from disordered eating

Key Quotes:

“I had to relearn what it meant to show up on my mat—from a place of choice, not punishment.”

— Naomi Finkelstein

“The sensation you’re feeling right now? That’s what healing feels like.”

— Naomi Finkelstein

“If yoga isn’t here to bring us home to ourselves, what are we doing?”

— Amy Wheeler

Learn More About Naomi:

Naomi Finkelstein, C-IAYT, is a certified yoga therapist, trauma-informed educator, and founder of The Sanctuary, an inclusive online community supporting people in larger bodies through movement, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation. Her October courses include:

• Befriending the Body – An 8-week gentle yoga journey for those beginning or returning to practice
• Yoga Nidrā for Deep Rest – A 6-week guided series to support nervous system recovery

Learn more at NaomiFinkelstein.com

Listener Note:

This episode may stir deep emotions, especially for those in eating disorder recovery or with long-term body image struggles. We invite you to listen slowly, take breaks, and notice your breath and sensations. Healing is nonlinear. Come back to the episode as needed.

Episode Summary

In this rich and deeply reflective conversation, Amy Wheeler speaks with Bonnie Buckner, author of The Secret Mind: Unlock the Power of Dreams to Transform Your Life. Together, they explore how dreams—both night dreams and daydreams—can become a powerful path to healing, self-awareness, and transformation. Daydreams and night dreams are not just subconscious wanderings—but powerful tools for healing, insight, and transformation. Bonnie explains how the default mode network of the brain, active during dreaming, holds the key to our creative and emotional intelligence, bypassing the inner critic that often stifles our potential. Together, they unpack the symbolism of animals in dreams, the science behind functional mutuality in the brain, and how re-entering a dream through waking imagery can bring resolution and clarity. Amy even shares a personal dream about a mountain lion, and Bonnie gently guides her to see it not as a mystery to decode, but an energy to honor and heal. This episode offers a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of neuroscience, yoga philosophy, and the art of listening deeply to the inner self.

Drawing from both neuroscience and imagery-based therapeutic tools, Bonnie shares how the default network of the brain, often activated during non-linear, imaginative states, plays a crucial role in our inner healing. She explains how dreams reveal our inner blocks, and how we can use waking dream exercises to address unresolved patterns—without needing to overanalyze or “figure it out.”

Amy and Bonnie reflect on:

• The importance of daydreaming as a seed of creativity and vision
• Why sleep dreaming bypasses our inner critic and opens access to deeper truths
• How to re-enter dreams to resolve internal conflict and restore inner harmony
• Why images are the language of the nervous system, and more powerful than words alone
• How dreamwork intersects with yoga therapy, and why Patāñjali encourages dream observation as a path to self-knowledge
• The relationship between creativity and blocked energy, especially for performers and professionals who feel stuck

Amy even shares one of her own dreams, and Bonnie offers a moving example of how we can tend to the symbolic beings that appear in our subconscious—offering healing not only to the dream, but to the dreamer.

About Bonnie Buckner

Dr. Bonnie Buckner is the founder of the International Institute for Dreaming and Imagery, and teaches globally on the power of dreams and the creative mind. She works with leaders, creatives, and performers to help them access their potential through dreaming, imagination, and intuitive intelligence.

She also leads programs like the Dreamer World Artist Lab and Project Dreaming, where participants use dreams as portals into creative breakthroughs and transformational growth. Bonnie teaches at centers like Kripalu, and continues to bridge ancient inner wisdom with modern cognitive science.

Connect & Learn More

BonnieBuckner.com – Book, blog, classes, and dream mentoring

Institute for Dreaming and Imagery – Courses, retreats, and training in dreamwork and creativity

The Secret Mind – Available wherever books are sold

Host Reflection

“I loved Bonnie’s presence—soft yet strong. Her insights reminded me that our deepest transformations often come not through effort, but through stillness, receptivity, and inner listening. As yoga therapists and seekers, this is an essential reminder: we are dreaming ourselves into being every day.”

— Amy Wheeler, Ph.D.

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-searching
• Facing generational and personal trauma, and choosing to heal rather than hide
• Her experiences with yoga, somatic psychology (Hakomi), and how they gave her tools to break cycles of shame
• Her journey bringing yoga therapy into Israeli hospitals, including working with trauma survivors, war refugees, and healthcare professionals
• How yoga therapy offers active, empowering healing—distinguished from both passive treatments and talk therapy
• The courage it takes to tell your story, even when others may not approve

Amy 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 Krentzman

Highlights:

• How generational trauma shaped Rachel’s early life
• The emotional toll—and liberation—of telling the truth publicly
• What it’s like raising children in Israel amid war and instability
• Why yoga therapy is growing rapidly in Israel’s healthcare system
• The nervous system, trauma, and how breathwork offered relief when even pain meds couldn’t
• A vision for yoga therapy as a vital component of integrative medicine

Learn 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 Hour

Amy 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/