Rest Is Medicine: The Power of Restorative Yoga with Gail Grossman

At her core, Gail Grossman is a guide, someone who helps others remember who they are through the lens of yoga, Taoist philosophy, and deep embodied presence. She’s not just teaching yoga, she’s living it.

In this conversation, we explore how restorative practice, Katonah principles, and seasonal wisdom (Ayurveda + Taoist theory) help us reset the nervous system, heal from injury, and reclaim our capacity for rest. Gail also shares her non-negotiables for self-care, what she’s excited about in her teaching right now, and how she sees food as both medicine and energy.

We also preview her upcoming October retreat in the Berkshires (which I’ll be cooking for!).

✨ If you’ve ever wondered whether slowing down could actually be more productive than pushing harder, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Gail

• Instagram: @yogamom
  

• Website: gailgrossman.yoga
  

• Book: Restorative Yoga for Life
  

Work with Veronica

• Join the Metabolic Reset Community: veronicawolffcasey.com/mrc
  

• Instagram: @theveronicawolffcasey
  

• Website: veronicawolffcasey.com
  

Chapters

00:00 Injuries as teachers: “There’s a reason”

00:43 Intro: who Gail is & what we’ll cover

02:16 Seasonal vibes & fall energy

02:57 Why Gail calls herself an “educator and guide”

05:07 From Pilates to yoga: Gail’s first class

06:03 Childhood TM meditation & flexibility lessons

07:29 Teaching kids yoga in the early 2000s

08:44 Herniated disc & sciatica that shifted her practice

10:29 “Don’t pig out on the prana” (Scott Blossom wisdom)

11:23 Restorative becomes her niche (with a little push)

12:40 Studying with Judith Hanson Lasater & writing her book

14:22 What restorative really does for the nervous system

16:24 Katonah restorative: re-formation & chemical shifts

18:04 Seasonal alchemy: Ayurveda & TCM woven together

19:43 Why people underestimate restorative yoga

21:09 The antidote for Pitta/type-A personalities

23:15 Gail’s self-care non-negotiables (yoga, journaling, sauna, cold)

25:50 Acupuncture, massage & food as medicine

26:12 Advice for beginners: start small, drop perfectionism

28:11 Bed yoga, airport yoga, and adapting practice anywhere

29:08 What’s lighting Gail up right now (new studio, retreat, festival)

31:36 Retreat preview: taking the experience home

33:27 Delve Deck Q: “What does everyone love that you don’t?” (Halva!)

34:44 Signature question: what food has taught Gail

35:13 Where to find Gail online

36:23 Outro + invitation to the Metabolic Reset Community