When Amendola suffered from depression as a teen, her mother brought her to an ashram where they studied yoga and meditation. Amendola joined the community and became immersed in the food, practices, and natural settings, eventually leaving to start her own yoga center. When she was contacted by Dr. Dean Ornish, a leader in lifestyle medicine, she agreed to join his study on healthy life practices, working with medical and mental health professionals to fight disease and stress with mind and body lifestyle changes. Here she chronicles the study’s findings and her own experiences. Each chapter opens with a “centering moment” in which Amendola offers a step-by-step relaxation session (free recorded versions appear on the book’s website) and then focuses on an aspect of yoga training. Beginning with gentle movements, relaxation, and breathing, the author goes on to offer instructions on meditation, imagery, compassion, nature consciousness, and unity. She gently leads readers through the movements (seated and standing), providing ample illustrations and medical evidence of the power of these actions in taming tension and heart disease. Instead of trying to find time in your day for self-care, yoga-therapist Amendola suggests scheduling your life around your practices, aiming for a stress-free, healing existence. Under her expert guidance, this not only seems enticing but possible.

Booklist, Starred Review

Highly Recommended! I have worked with Susi Amendola for 30 years. Her dedication, skill, and love have mentored hundreds of participants as well as many teams of health professionals in our lifestyle medicine program. This inspiring book guides the reader through their healing process with empathy, warmth and wisdom and will be of service whether you are at the beginning of your healing journey or if you have a seasoned yoga practice.

Dean Ornish, MD, founder and president, Preventive Medicine Research Institute; Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco; author of Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease

Beautifully written and filled with actionable information, this book is required reading for anyone with a family or personal history of heart disease. This book leaves you both empowered and inspired to make changes essential for both quality of life and better health outcomes.

Amy Rothenberg, ND, author of You Finished Treatment, Now What?: A Field Guide for Cancer Survivors

An invaluable resource! From her own compelling journey of self-healing through the ancient tools of yoga and Ayurveda, to her incomparable experience working directly with heart patients for many decades,this book will be an invaluable resource for the practical and useful application of these research-proven tools for improving heart health and overall well-being.

Baxter Bell, MD, author of Yoga for Health Aging

This beautiful, luminous book can change your life and heal your heart. It feels like an act of grace.

Michele Marie Desmarais, PhD, PhD, associate professor of Religious Studies, Native American Studies, and Medical Humanities faculty at the University of Nebraska-Omaha

This book is a blessing for everyone. .Susi Amendola is a phenomenal human being who has lovingly empowered thousands of individuals in their journey from “disease” to “ease” for the past three decades. She is a living example of the wholesomeness of Yoga. In this book, she guides care-seekers through a holistic health-enhancing program that consists of postures, breathing, relaxation, meditation, imagery. At the same time, she reminds us of the power of compassion and the need for connection to Nature that is essential for healing to manifest. This book is a blessing for everyone who wants to move from distress and suffering to health, wellbeing, and joy.

Ananda Balayogi, DSc, author of Yoga Therapy as a Whole Person Approach to Health, director of the Center For Yoga Therapy Education and Research (CYTER), Professor of Yoga Therapy at Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth University