Therapy Chat Episode 478: "Yoga for Depression" with Amy Weintraub
Podcast Date: April 14, 2025
Host: Laura Reagan, LCSW-C
Guest: Amy Weintraub, Founder of Life Force Yoga

Episode Overview

In this rich and insightful episode, Laura Reagan interviews Amy Weintraub, acclaimed author and pioneer in integrating yoga practices into mental health treatment. Amy shares the personal and professional journey that inspired her to develop Life Force Yoga and describes how specific yoga techniques, including movement, breathwork, sound, and intention, can be effectively and safely incorporated into psychotherapy—particularly to support clients dealing with depression, anxiety, and trauma. The conversation blends clinical wisdom, practical demonstrations, and thoughtful reflections on the mind-body connection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Amy Weintraub’s Background and Mission (03:51–08:00)

• Amy shares how years of personal experience with depression and training in psychotherapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS) led her to yoga as a transformative, embodied healing modality.

  "After years of psychotherapy which really helped me understand family of origin issues, my own depression was not lifting...it was when I began an embodied practice of yoga in the mid-80s that my, my whole life transformed and I became passionate about sharing what had really saved my life with others." (Amy Weintraub, 03:53)

• She describes the early days of advocating for yoga in the mental health space, referencing her 1999 article "Yoga: The Natural Prozac" in Yoga Journal, and her ongoing work developing protocols, research, and trainings.

Making Yoga Accessible in Clinical Settings (09:00–13:45)

• Amy explains that Life Force Yoga adapts yogic concepts for psychotherapy, emphasizing safety, accessibility, and inclusivity. Techniques are stripped of religious language and tailored to meet clients “where they are.”
• She highlights the need for appropriate introductions of breathwork, cautioning that traditional practices (such as three-part breath) can be overwhelming or inaccessible to those with trauma or anxiety.

  "If you invite...the very first practice yogic three part breath...some people will either not be able to do it...or they're going to have emotional flooding. And if this is your first session, it could be scary, shameful." (Amy, 11:31)

• The importance of co-creating practices with clients, rather than prescribing, is underlined.

Integrating Life Force Yoga with Internal Family Systems (13:45–15:25)

• The compatibility of Life Force Yoga with IFS is explored—especially in helping clients build "self-energy" and compassion towards their internal "parts."
• Amy and Laura discuss the synergy found in combining these modalities for deeper healing.

  "It's really important to find self energy and then also...if a part has not yet been unburdened...it may be appropriate to check in with the client and say...would that part feel comfortable with a soothing practice that we can give it?" (Amy, 13:30)

• Amy mentions upcoming IFS-LFY trainings and ongoing collaborations.

Practical Demonstration: Stair Step Breath (15:45–18:46; 18:47–25:46)

• Amy introduces and leads Laura (and listeners) in the "Stair Step Breath," a gentle, accessible breathing practice ideal for clients with anxiety or difficulty connecting with the body.

• She explains why traditional breathwork can be distressing, and how “meeting the breath where it is” (e.g., with short, upper-chest inhales) supports safety and self-regulation.

  "Stair step breath is meeting that state of agitation. So it's taking little steps of breath...through the nostrils, as though you're climbing a mountain." (Amy, 18:47)

• The practice is described step-by-step, emphasizing grounding and gradual introduction of deeper breath. Amy shares adaptations for depressive states (adding “elevator” or “escalator” breath).

• Guidance on intention setting (Sankalpa) and the importance of grounding at the end of practices is included.

  "We want them to be present and grounded when they open their eyes." (Amy, 20:56)

• Amy cautions against inviting global body awareness too early, especially for trauma survivors, instead recommending cues to direct, specific sensations (e.g., fingers, palms, lips) as a bridge to embodiment.

  "To ask them to feel the sensations in their body can create even more distress. But if you direct them to specific, not global, sensation, they can find their way." (Amy, 25:56)

The Full Spectrum of Yoga in Therapy (27:01–32:20)

• Amy clarifies that yoga is more than movement; Life Force Yoga draws on:

  • Pranayama (breathwork, e.g., stair step breath)
  • Mantra and sound (using secular, universal tones)
  • Mudras (hand gestures that influence the nervous system and breath)
  • Meditation and Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation, exploration of opposites, and trauma resilience)

• She references powerful research supporting sound, mudra, and yoga nidra in clinical settings, sharing a personal example of pain management post-surgery.

  "The only thing that worked for me was yoga nidra practice." (Amy, 30:44)

• Movements used in therapy are accessible and not mat-based; can be integrated while seated or standing—a bridge for therapists not trained as yoga teachers.

• Amy describes the typical outcome of an energizing, grounding practice in therapy:

  "People tend to be...calmer, more centered, clearer and more focused. And they have greater access to emotions and more clarity around what would work in...that therapy session for them." (Amy, 32:01)

Resources & Training Opportunities (32:20–33:10)

• Laura encourages listeners to explore Amy's resources:
  • Books, including Yoga for Depression and Yoga Skills for Therapists
  • Free practices and information at yogafordepression.com
  • National and international trainings in Life Force Yoga

Notable Quotes & Highlights

• On adapting yoga for therapy:

  "Techniques are from the yogic tradition but are made extremely accessible so that people who may have a resistance to...chanting Sanskrit or doing a pranayama...are given tools that are not specific to any kind of religious tradition." (Amy, 10:37)

• On trauma-sensitive cues:

  "Cue to direct sensation, not global sensation...Sense into the palms, sense into the fingertips...that way you are grounding it. But you've also created a leap over...that mind's fear of being in the body." (Amy, 25:46)

• On the holistic health benefits of yoga in therapy:

  "Yoga nidra is very powerful for post traumatic stress disorder in helping people...see the memory without so much gripping, emotional gripping around it." (Amy, 29:55)

• On safety and clinical appropriateness:

  "Some of the more intense breathing...are not appropriate in a clinical setting...People can be overstimulated...whereas this one [stair step breath] is a little stimulating...but not over the top." (Amy, 21:41)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:51 – Amy's personal and professional path to yoga for depression
• 09:00 – Making yogic practices accessible and inclusive
• 11:30 – Precautions and trauma-sensitive breathwork approaches
• 13:45 – Integrating IFS with Life Force Yoga
• 15:45 – Trainings, collaborations, and applications
• 18:46 – Guided demonstration: Stair Step Breath
• 25:46 – Directing clients to specific body sensations
• 27:01 – Broadening yoga in therapy: sound, mudra, meditation, and movement
• 29:55 – Yoga nidra and pain/emotion management
• 32:20 – Resources, books, and further learning

Closing Tone

The conversation is marked by deep empathy, clinical rigor, and practical inspiration. Both speakers are passionate, collaborative, and grounded in a trauma-informed, client-centered approach to healing.

For more resources, visit yogafordepression.com and explore Amy Weintraub’s trainings, books, and free practices.