The Amazing Relationship Between Psoriasis and Pure Movement with Lesley Ann Wernsdorfer, C-IAYT Yoga Therapy Graduate

·36 min·3 clips

A sleeping dog pose during training freed Lesley-Ann from persistent hip pain she thought was permanent.

This episode of 'From Pain to Possibility' features an interview between host Susie Hately and guest Lesley-Ann Wernsdorfer, a certified yoga therapist who graduated about two years prior. Lesley-Ann explains she found Hately's program through a friend during the pandemic when she had to stop her in-person massage therapy practice due to health risks. She describes feeling an immediate connection to Hately's approach, calling it 'finding home.' The conversation delves into Lesley-Ann's motivation: wanting to help clients achieve longer-term relief between massage sessions and address her own persistent pain. A key narrative arc is Lesley-Ann's experience during her training where instructor Rihanna guided her into a sleeping dog pose, leading to a profound release from chronic hip pain she had associated with aging. Hately emphasizes this as an example of a 'novel experience' that creates real change, contrasting it with coping mechanisms or mindset work alone. The episode then shifts to discussing psoriasis, prompted by Lesley-Ann's interest. Hately references her husband Stu's case where pure movement helped manage his psoriasis. Lesley-Ann shares her personal story: her skin improved during private sessions with Hately, but after overdoing a hiking trip and neglecting her pure movement practice, she experienced a severe psoriasis flare. She realized through yoga nidra and body awareness that her heel pain and skin flare were signals of being 'off center.' The discussion highlights how pure movement—refining biomechanics to reduce compensation patterns—calms the nervous system and can manifest benefits in unexpected areas like skin health. Lesley-Ann explains her coined term 'bodyful,' meaning feeling pleasant and connected in one's moving body, which underpins her business 'Bebodyful.' The episode concludes with information on how to connect with Lesley-Ann and her upcoming programs.

As heard by us

A patient look at pain, bodily listening, and how movement can make hope feel possible.

From Pain to Possibility follows yoga therapy certification graduate Lesley-Ann Wernsdorfer as she looks back on training, business learning, and the body-based discoveries that shaped what came next.

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Why you'd press play

Press play when pain has become familiar and a different bodily experience might reopen the door to hope.

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