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 the University of Vermont Medical Center’s Comprehensive Pain Program, treating patients with complex chronic conditions.
Together, they dive into why physical poses only scratch the surface of true healing, what happens when you bring bottom-up somatic tools into an allopathic hospital setting, and how the clinical application of yoga therapy can change the landscape of modern pain management.
In this conversation, we explore:
The Injury Pivot: How feeling isolated by Western studio culture redefined Jen's clinical framework of what a "successful" practice looks like.
Yoga in the Hospital System: The shifts that occur in patient outcomes when bottom-up tools like pranayama and gentle asana are woven into traditional medical pain management.
Moving Beyond the Physical Layer: A multi-dimensional look at why long-term healing is impossible if we only address the physical body (Annamaya Kosha).
The Intersect of Yoga & Ayurveda: How circadian medicine and lifestyle rhythms change the way we assess root causes like chronic insomnia, anxiety, and digestive unrest.
Advice for Emerging Therapists: The single most critical mindset shift a fitness-focused yoga teacher needs to make to transition into safe, therapeutic work with complex populations.
Guest Links
Connect with Jen Peterson: Explore her virtual practice library, register for asynchronous recordings, and book private yoga therapy or Ayurvedic consultations at YogaGraceVT.com.
Enjoyed this conversation? Please leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Share this episode with a healthcare provider, yoga teacher, or anyone navigating chronic pain who needs to hear that if they can breathe, they can practice.
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