You are a yoga teacher or a health professional who wants to integrate yoga therapeutically. You want a more holistic, biopsychosocial approach to helping your clients heal. You want to empower them to listen and to learn about their bodies. In From Pain to Possibility, Susi Hately, B.Sc. Kinesiology blends modern understanding of anatomy and biomechanics with the ancient wisdom of yoga. This weekly show will share Susi's best ideas from over 25 years of helping her clients reduce and eradicate…
In this episode, I sit down with yoga therapist and program graduate Austin Chason to explore what life looks like post-certification and how core yoga therapy principles work in real-world clinical settings. We talk about how learning to truly trust what you see—and cultivating deep personal presence—can transform both physical pain and mental health. Austin shares how he uses body-based yoga…
In this episode, I share key insights from my conversations with trainees and graduates about what sets Functional Synergy Yoga Therapy apart from other C-IAYT accredited programs. I break down how focusing on clinical reasoning, assessment skills, and individualized movement patterns allows practitioners to move beyond rigid templates and general protocols to truly meet clients where they are. I…
In this episode, I explore a recent paper published in Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience titled "The Body Does Not Keep Score: Trauma, Predictive Coding, and the Restoration of Metastability." I break down how this research challenges Bessel van der Kolk's famous metaphor that the body "stores" trauma, offering instead a neuroscience lens focused on prediction error and brain flexibility. Rather…
In this episode, I explore a common challenge that movement teachers and practitioners face: what to do when a client lacks physical awareness or struggles to describe what they are feeling. I explain why body awareness is essential for creating lasting, transformational change rather than just temporary pain relief. By breaking down the difference between relief as an initial event and change as…
In this episode, I explore why searching for a single "problem muscle" or quick-fix diagnosis often leads to a dead end when dealing with persistent pain. Drawing on my early career at a chronic pain center—and over three decades of working with clients—I break down how our culture's "pain on, pain off" light-switch mentality prevents us from tuning into the body's subtle spectrum of signals. I…
In this episode, I explore the hidden role of the pinky toe and why this often-ignored appendage plays a crucial part in how we receive load, sense the ground, and maintain lateral stability. I break down the anatomy and biomechanics of the outer foot, explaining how muscles like the abductor digiti minimi, flexor digiti minimi brevis, and the peroneals work together as a coordinated collective to…
In this episode, I explore the hidden role of the pinky toe and why this often-ignored appendage plays a crucial part in how we receive load, sense the ground, and maintain lateral stability. I break down the anatomy and biomechanics of the outer foot, explaining how muscles like the abductor digiti minimi, flexor digiti minimi brevis, and the peroneals work together as a coordinated collective to…
In this episode, we dive into part two of our three-part miniseries on the foot, shifting our movement detective magnifying glass from the inner edge to its balancing partner: the outer edge of the foot and lower leg. I break down the anatomy and biomechanics of the peroneals (also known as the fibularis muscles) and explain their crucial role as the lateral reins that keep our movement system…
In this episode, I explore the hidden role of the big toe and why such a small part of the body can have a significant impact on the way we stand, walk, and move. I break down the anatomy and biomechanics of the big toe, explain its role during the gait cycle, and show how restrictions in its movement can influence the foot's ability to provide stability and efficient propulsion. I also connect…
In this final episode of the Movement Detective series, I explore why persistent pain and complex movement challenges often don't fit the traditional "magic bullet" model of finding one cause and one solution. Instead, I share why developing the skills of observation, curiosity, and pattern recognition can help us better understand what our bodies are communicating. I also reflect on the stories…
In this episode, I sit down with Barb Morin, who shares her journey from years of chronic shoulder, hip, and flexor pain to becoming 90–95% pain-free. After trying numerous treatments and practitioners without lasting success, Barb discovered a different approach—learning how to become a movement detective and understanding the compensatory patterns that were contributing to her pain. Together, we…
In this episode, I share a powerful conversation with one of my private clients, Marian Nevil, as she reflects on her journey through pain, recovery, and self-discovery. What stood out most in her story is how she began to shift from seeking external fixes to becoming her own movement detective, learning to interpret her body's signals with clarity and confidence. We explore how subtle changes in…
