Yoga Therapy Hour with Amy Wheeler Grounded in Chaos, Growing in Joy: Rebuilding a Life, One Mindful Step at a Time with Dr. Lisa Nezneski
Episode summary
After losing her home, savings, and a 34-year marriage, pharmacist and integrative medicine leader Dr. Lisa Nezneski chose a different path: put herself first, grieve fully, and cultivate joy deliberately. In this candid conversation, we trace the arc from rupture to renewal—restorative yoga twice a week, twice-daily meditation, beach “walking meditations,” and the seven mindful questions that helped her rewire patterns. We also talk relationships after loss, somatic signs of awe, and how to make the “next right step” when you don’t know what’s next. This is a clear-eyed look at resilience, seen through yoga’s lens of abhyāsa (steadfast practice) and vairāgya (non-attachment): effort rooted in discernment, without clinging to outcomes.
Dr. Lisa Nezneski — Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher; board-certified pharmacotherapist; Reiki Master; poet and author of Grounded in Chaos: Leaning into Adversity, Learning Joy (2020; updated edition forthcoming). Former clinical pharmacist and hospital administrator; taught at Duquesne University; past Chief Clinical Officer at Schatz Clinical Services; founder of Healthy Mindful Self.
Website: lisanezneski.com
Key takeaways
- Choose self-priority without apology. Midlife caretakers often land last on their own list; reclaiming agency is the hinge of recovery.
- Practice over prediction. Twice-daily meditation + consistent restorative yoga created the conditions for healing—abhyāsa in action.
- Non-attachment reduces reactivity. “This is this day.” Meet what is, breathe three times, then respond—classic vairāgya.
- Somatic joy is real data. Tingling, goosebumps, softening—felt sense can signal alignment more reliably than analysis.
- The “next right step” is enough. Use simple inner tests (Lisa’s “speedometer” method) and adjust course—no catastrophizing.
- Relational healing is possible. Mutuality, gratitude, and playfulness can re-pattern partnership after grief.
- Hands calm the nervous system. Repetitive handcrafts (e.g., finger-crochet) function like mudrā/nyāsa—bottom-up regulation.
Resources
- Dr. Lisa Nezneski — lisanezneski.com
- Book — Grounded in Chaos: Leaning into Adversity, Learning Joy (1st ed., 2020; updated edition forthcoming)
Listener reflection (journal prompts)
- Where in my week do I practice abhyāsa without clinging to a result?
- What does my body feel like when a choice is a genuine “yes”?
- What micro-ritual will I use as my three-breath reset cue?
Call to action
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Plans of Study for NDMU Yoga Therapy
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Explore NDMU’s Post-Master’s Certificate in Therapeutic Yoga Practices, designed specifically for licensed healthcare professionals. https://www.ndm.edu/academics/integrative-health/yoga-therapy/post-masters-certificate-in-therapeutic-yoga-practices
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