In this short and sweet solo episode, host Amy Wheeler reflects on an incredible year of The Yoga Therapy Hour as we prepare to go on winter break. Join Amy as she:

• Expresses Gratitude: Amy reviews some of the amazing guests we’ve had on the show in 2024, thanking them for their invaluable contributions to conversations about yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda.
• Encourages Exploration: Didn’t catch every episode? Amy invites you to revisit the season and discover any gems you might have missed. This is the perfect time to soak in the wisdom shared throughout the year.
• Looks Ahead to Season 8: Starting in January 2025, The Yoga Therapy Hour is taking an exciting new direction! In Season 8, Amy is inviting YOU—our listeners—to lead the conversation. Share your personal stories of health, healing, and transformation through yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda. This new season will celebrate the resilience and growth found in these practices and highlight the profound impact they’ve had on your life.

✨ Wishing You Peace and Prosperity: The entire team at The Yoga Therapy Hour and The Optimal State wishes you a joyful New Year filled with health, happiness, and abundance. Thank you for being part of our community, and we’ll see you in 2025 with inspiring new stories to share!

📌 Get Involved in Season 8: Have a story to share? Email Amy at amy@amywheeler.com to be a guest on the podcast.

🔗 Stay Connected:

• Website: TheOptimalState.com
• Instagram: @TheOptimalState
• Facebook: TheOptimalState

🌟 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share the podcast with friends who might benefit from the wisdom of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda.

We’ll see you on the other side in 2025!

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Additional Resources with Amy Wheeler:

• University of Minnesota Therapeutic Yoga Series
• Polyvagal Institute Mighty App
• 7-Week Course on Yoga, Yoga Therapy & Polyvagal Theory
• Optimal State Mobile App
• Optimal State and Yoga Therapy Hour Patreon

· Monday Night Yoga Therapy Clinic on www.TheOpimtalState.com

· Join us for our Monday night Yoga Therapy Clinics, specially designed to address specific health and wellness topics. The sessions are held every Monday from 4:00-5:15 PM PST and are led by Amy Wheeler, a seasoned expert in yoga therapy. This clinic provides a supportive environment where participants can explore therapeutic yoga techniques to aid in addiction recovery and overall well-being.

· For those seeking professional development, there is an option to stay longer after class and earn Continuing Education (CE) credits. This extended session offers in-depth training and valuable insights into integrating yoga therapy with addiction treatment.

This week on The Yoga Therapy Hour, Amy sits down with Halli Faulkner, a trauma-informed yoga therapist and trainer specializing in working with survivors of sexual assault and violence. Halli shares her deeply personal journey of healing from childhood trauma and how it led her to develop workshops and one-on-one sessions designed to create safe, empowering spaces for survivors. With a focus on autonomy, choice, and compassion, Halli has created impactful trauma-informed trainings and retreats that help individuals reclaim their agency and begin the process of healing. We have a Content Warning on this show due to the nature of the topic. Take the time and space needed to care for yourself while you listen.

Key Takeaways:

• The Power of Autonomy in Healing: Halli explains how creating trauma-informed spaces that prioritize choice and empowerment is foundational to the healing process for survivors of sexual violence.
• Personal Journey of Transformation: Halli recounts her own experiences with trauma, perfectionism as a coping mechanism, and how yoga and EMDR therapy became integral to her recovery.
• Trauma-Informed Yoga Practices: She outlines the importance of making all yoga practices optional and invitational, allowing participants to choose what feels right for their bodies.
• Kundalini Yoga's Role: Halli shares how specific Kundalini yoga practices helped her heal and how she continues to pass these tools on to others, even amidst the controversies surrounding Kundalini's founder.
• The Importance of Boundaries: Halli and Amy discuss the role of boundaries in personal and professional relationships, particularly as part of the healing process for trauma survivors.
• Community and Healing: Halli and Amy emphasize the significance of Sangha (community) in providing a sense of safety and belonging during recovery.

Halli’s work extends beyond yoga classes to include trauma-informed trainings for organizations, annual healing retreats, and individualized yoga therapy. Her approach is rooted in compassion, empowerment, and the belief that healing is a personal and non-linear journey.

Listeners are invited to explore Halli’s offerings, including her 40-hour trauma-informed yoga training and annual retreats in El Salvador, where participants can engage in healing practices amidst nature’s beauty. For more information, visit her website at www.hallifaulkner.com or connect with her on Instagram and Facebook @HalliFaulkner.

Whether you’re a yoga professional looking to deepen your trauma-informed practices or a survivor seeking support, this episode is a heartfelt exploration of resilience, healing, and the transformative power of yoga.

Visit Amy’s training section and free offerings:

Monday Night Yoga Therapy Clinic with Optimal State: www.TheOptimalState.com

Optimal State Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/yogatherapyhour

University of Minnesota Therapeutic Yoga Classes: https://csh.umn.edu/for-community/wellbeing-workshops/online-therapeutic-yoga-series

Polyvagal Institute App that Amy and Marlysa are the hosts: https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/pviapp

In this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour, we welcome Elizabeth Ralph, founder of The Spiritual Investor, a podcast and community dedicated to transforming our relationship with money through spiritual and energetic principles. Elizabeth shares her unique approach to managing finances with clarity, intention, and an elevated consciousness that aligns deeply with the values of yoga practitioners. Together, we explore the mindset shifts necessary to create financial flow without fear or grasping and how spiritual alignment can be the key to effortless wealth. Elizabeth's calm yet potent energy brings a fresh perspective on how we can all elevate our financial frequency and manifest abundance in our lives.

Key Points:

• Understanding Money as Energy: Elizabeth explains her view of money as a conduit of energy, akin to prana, that can flow effortlessly when we align ourselves with a higher frequency. By approaching finances from a place of inner stillness, she teaches how to avoid the common "grasping" mentality.
• The Effortless Path to Wealth: Rather than choosing difficult, exhausting paths, Elizabeth emphasizes finding ease and flow. She shares how maintaining high energy standards and avoiding resistance can accelerate financial growth and personal peace.
• The Role of Self-Identity in Financial Abundance: Elizabeth highlights the importance of self-identity in determining financial capacity. By stepping into a "higher version" of ourselves, we can shift our relationship with money and create new opportunities.
• Moving Beyond Traditional Beliefs: Addressing common money beliefs, Elizabeth guides listeners on bypassing outdated patterns around scarcity and worth. She stresses the importance of holding a vision that transcends the limitations of the "3D world."
• Empathy and Power in Financial Growth: Elizabeth discusses the need to balance empathy with inner power, especially for social justice advocates. True support, she suggests, comes from standing in one's own power rather than only dwelling in empathetic resonance.
• Living Without the Constraints of Time: Embracing a timeless, limitless view of life, Elizabeth encourages listeners to break free from the constraints of linear thinking, allowing space for unexpected blessings and growth.

Thank you to Elizabeth Ralph for her wisdom on this episode of The Yoga Therapy Hour. Elizabeth's approach to finances is a reminder that our beliefs and values shape the world we experience. Her insights offer a call to explore the higher dimensions of consciousness in our relationship with money. To connect with Elizabeth and learn more about her teachings, visit her website TheSpiritualInvestor.com, listen to The Spiritual Investor podcast, and follow her on Instagram @elizabethralph.

Additional Resources with Amy Wheeler:

• University of Minnesota Therapeutic Yoga Series - https://csh.umn.edu/for-community/wellbeing-workshops/online-therapeutic-yoga-series
• Polyvagal Institute Mighty App - https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/pviapp
• Optimal State Mobile App - https://www.optimalstate.com/
• Optimal State and Yoga Therapy Hour Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/yogatherapyhour

Monday Night Yoga Therapy Clinic on www.TheOpimtalState.com

Join us for our Monday night Yoga Therapy Clinics, specially designed to address specific health and wellness topics. The sessions are held every Monday from 4:00-5:15 PM PST and are led by Amy Wheeler, a seasoned expert in yoga therapy. This clinic provides a supportive environment where participants can explore therapeutic yoga techniques to aid in addiction recovery and overall well-being.

· For those seeking professional development, there is an option to stay longer after class and earn Continuing Education (CE) credits. This extended session offers in-depth training and valuable insights into integrating yoga therapy with addiction treatment.