Ep 17; Joanna's Story - Healing Through Yoga, Ayurveda & Ancestral Wisdom

In this heartfelt episode of Thriving Not Surviving, Helen Valentino reconnects with the wise and wonderful Joanna Webber, Ayurvedic practitioner, yoga teacher, forager, and co-founder of The Ayurveda Academy. Joanna shares her deeply personal journey of healing—moving from a difficult childhood shaped by a narcissistic parent and a decade of eating disorders to embracing a life of balance, forgiveness, and connection.

Together, they explore the profound effects of intergenerational trauma and how Ayurveda and yoga provided Joanna with the tools to break free from self-sabotage and find peace within her body. They delve into the doshas, gut health, the emotional impact of menopause, and the incredible capacity of the body to heal when supported holistically.

Joanna shares how understanding her Ayurvedic constitution helped her reclaim her health, how food truly is medicine, and why emotional processing and nature connection are essential to long-term wellbeing.

This episode is rich with insights and offers a compassionate perspective on what it means to walk the healing path—not just for ourselves, but for the generations that come after us.

Takeaways

• Yoga and Ayurveda can be powerful tools for healing and transformation.
• Intergenerational trauma can silently shape our behaviours and health.
• Knowing your dosha helps guide your lifestyle, diet, and emotional care.
• Gut health is central to mental and physical wellness.
• Emotional healing involves forgiveness—especially of the self.
• Menopause can be an awakening, not a decline.
• Nature is a potent and often overlooked ally in the healing journey.
• Western and traditional medicine can work beautifully in harmony.
• Diet and lifestyle shifts can change everything.
• Healing is possible, no matter where you begin.

Resources Mentioned

• Dosha Quiz – The Ayurveda Academy
• Joanna Webber’s Website – Ayurveda clinic & foraging workshops
• Ayurveda Courses https://www.joannawebber.com/learn-ayurveda/
• TEDx Talk – Dr. Manpreet Dhuffar-Pottiwal on Intergenerational Trauma
• The Red School – Wise Power
• Family Constellations :The CSC | The Centre for Systemic Constellations - www.thecsc.net
• https://www.sussexconstellations.co.uk/

Connect with Joanna Webber

📍 BSc Hons Ayurveda (Manipal, India) | MA Oxon | APA Member

📞 Book a session: 07753 678 582

🌐 www.joannawebber.com

Contact & More from Helen

📩 [email protected]

🌐 www.inspiredhealing.co.uk

📸 Instagram: @helens_inspired_healing

🎵 Music: “Upbeat Acoustic” by Stockaudios (Pixabay)

🎨 Cover art: Dave Champagne

📄 For a full transcript, email [email protected]

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