We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel Krentzman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.

Rachel, appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

From Pain to Purpose

A defining moment in my career came when I injured myself in a yoga class. At the time, I was already a physical therapist and a yoga teacher, but my practice was driven by ambition, intensity, and a competitive attitude. During one class, a teacher pushed me deeper into a forward bend, and I herniated a disc.

The physical pain was significant, but the deeper impact was the realization that even with all my training, I hadn’t yet learned how to truly listen to my body. That injury forced me to slow down, soften, and approach movement with curiosity rather than force. Through my own rehabilitation, I discovered a different kind of yoga—one rooted in presence, alignment, breath, and compassion.

As I practiced this way, something unexpected happened: I began to notice that healing wasn’t just physical. Old emotions surfaced during certain postures, familiar patterns of tension revealed deeper beliefs, and I could feel how my body had been carrying the weight of unresolved experiences. My spine was not only injured—it was speaking.

This insight opened an entirely new doorway for me. I became fascinated by the intersection between physical pain and emotional holding. This curiosity led me to study Hakomi, a mindfulness-based somatic psychotherapy that explores how the body expresses our inner worlds. Becoming a Hakomi practitioner expanded my understanding of healing far beyond muscles and joints—it taught me how trauma, beliefs, and emotional patterns shape posture, movement, and pain.

My herniated disc became the teacher I didn’t know I needed. It transformed how I practice, how I teach, and how I understand the human experience. Today, my work integrates yoga therapy, physical therapy, and Hakomi to support people in healing not just physically, but emotionally and holistically. And it all began with the moment I stopped pushing and started listening.

Rachel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a physical therapist, yoga therapist, Hakomi practitioner, author, and the founder of **Happy Back Yoga Academy**, an educational platform dedicated to bringing therapeutic yoga into mainstream wellness and healthcare. My career has been shaped by decades of clinical practice and by a personal injury early in my journey—an experience that quietly but powerfully redirected my path and deepened my understanding of what true healing requires.

Through both professional training and lived experience, I came to see that healing is not only physical. The body holds emotion, memory, and belief, and these internal landscapes influence how we move, how we breathe, and how we experience pain. This realization led me to study **Hakomi**, a mindfulness-based somatic psychotherapy method that explores the connection between body and psyche. Integrating Hakomi with yoga therapy and physical therapy has allowed me to develop a multidimensional approach that addresses injury, trauma, and chronic tension at their roots.

Today, much of my work is carried out through **Happy Back Yoga Academy**, where I offer online trainings for yoga teachers, healthcare professionals, and individuals seeking a more therapeutic, evidence-informed approach to yoga. The Academy provides courses in spinal health, scoliosis, alignment-based yoga therapy, and the emotional components of pain—bridging anatomy with mindfulness and compassionate inquiry.

In addition to teaching, I lead international retreats designed to facilitate deep personal transformation. This summer, I will be hosting a retreat in Pelion, Greece, a setting that naturally supports healing and introspection. Guiding people through restorative, embodied experiences in beautiful environments has become one of the most meaningful aspects of my work.

My written work is another central pillar of my contribution to the field. My books—*Yoga for a Happy Back*, *Scoliosis, Yoga Therapy & the Art of Letting Go*, and my memoir *As Is: A Memoir on Healing the Past Through Yoga*—reflect both my clinical expertise and my belief that healing is an integrative, deeply human process. Through writing, I have been able to connect with readers worldwide, offering tools, insight, and hope to those navigating pain or personal transformation.

What sets my work apart is the union of clinical rigor with emotional depth. I approach the body not only as a biomechanical structure, but as a living narrative—one shaped by life events, resilience, patterns, and inner wisdom. My mission is to provide accessible pathways to healing, whether through education, retreats, or writing, and to help people reconnect with their bodies in a way that is intelligent, compassionate, and empowering.

Ultimately, what I want readers and potential clients to know is that healing is possible. With the right tools and a supportive approach, the body can become not just a site of pain, but a source of insight, strength, and profound transformation.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

If I could go back, I would absolutely choose the same profession. I feel genuinely lucky that I found my way into physical therapy. At the time, I wasn’t particularly athletic, but something about working with people in a medical setting and being part of their rehabilitation deeply appealed to me. I always knew I wasn’t meant to sit at a desk all day—I thrive on being engaged, connected, and in motion.

I began my career in the traditional way, working in hospitals and rehabilitation centers. But then I discovered yoga, and everything shifted. It felt as if an entirely new dimension of the body—and its innate wisdom—opened before me. Suddenly, my physical therapy background became not only relevant, but invaluable. It gave me a unique edge as a yoga therapist: I could merge the science and structure of physical therapy with the art and depth of yoga.

That integration became my calling. I started weaving yoga into my treatment sessions and witnessed how much more complete and transformative the work became. Eventually, I opened my own clinic so I could treat patients in a way that felt aligned, holistic, and rooted in integrity. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing—the path I chose allowed me to create the work I love today.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

A pivotal moment in my career—and in my life—came when I herniated a disc in my lower back and temporarily lost the ability to lift my right foot. Everything I thought I knew about movement, strength, and even identity was suddenly shaken. I had to completely rethink how I used my body. I had to learn to move again—slowly, with stability, without competition, and with a new sense of respect for the balance between strength and flexibility.

It wasn’t an easy time, but it became the catalyst for my greatest professional transformation. My injury pushed me to seek out the best teachers in the world and to study relentlessly. I became immersed in understanding yoga for back pain and spinal conditions, and that deep exploration eventually set me on my true path. The knowledge and insight I gained inspired me to write my books *Yoga for a Happy Back* and *Scoliosis, Yoga Therapy & the Art of Letting Go*.

This journey also opened the door to my study of psychotherapy, as I became increasingly interested in the emotional roots of back pain. That work helped me heal my own family trauma and ultimately led me to write my memoir, *As Is: A Memoir on Healing the Past Through Yoga*—a project I feel incredibly proud of.

So yes, my career pivoted in a direction I never expected. But that injury, as challenging as it was, became my greatest teacher and my greatest gift. It guided me toward a more integrated, meaningful, and purpose-driven path.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://happybackyoga.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelkrentzman/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.krentzman.1
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-krentzman/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@happybackyoga

Image Credits

photosbyhardy