Today we’d like to introduce you to Madhavi Rao.
Hi Madhavi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve spent @30 years as a Board-Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist, specializing in cardiac care. My career placed me right beside patients facing life-changing diagnoses; heart attacks, advanced coronary artery disease, and high-risk cardiac conditions. In those rooms, I wasn’t just putting in IVs, conducting exercise and drug induced stress tests, and scanning images of my patients’ hearts, I was holding space for fear, uncertainty, courage, and hope every single day. I believe I helped hold space and gain trust from my patients who came in so very sick and scared of what is to come. After all anyone who gets a diagnosis for heart disease is not only at risk of sudden death but also full of fear itself.
And over the years, I began to witness a powerful truth:
Stress, emotional strain, and the way we live our daily lives can impact the heart just as much as any clinical risk factor.
Patients who lived in constant pressure, who felt overwhelmed, unsupported, or disconnected from themselves often struggled more with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, chronic pain, and even cancer. Each day I showed up to work I saw it again and again and I began to recognize that I wasn’t separate from that story.
At the same time, I was a wife of an amazing and supportive husband, growing a family raising two incredible sons, balancing motherhood and my clinical job, I was trying to show up fully for everyone who needed me. Like so many women in healthcare, I was holding so much, giving endlessly, pouring from a cup I rarely refilled.
Yoga and breathwork became my sanctuary. It was my way to pause and give me permission to return to myself. As I continued my clinical work, I trained as a yoga teacher and later as a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, teaching and coaching part-time, gently weaving the worlds of science, breath and energy together without even realizing it.
And then in the midst of planning my eldest son’s incredible wedding October of 2023 I was given a punch in the stomach as I call it by the “Universe.” I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
All the stress, the holding, the pushing, the emotional labor, the quiet burnout showed up in my body. In that moment, everything I had seen in my cardiac patients came into sharp, personal focus.
Rather than allowing myself to throw in the towel and cry “why me?” I chose to make my healing journey to be my greatest teacher.
I turned toward rest, breath, meditation, nourishment, gentle movement, and nervous system repair. I learned to soften. I learned to trust my body again. And through that journey, I discovered a truth that now guides every part of my work:
Lifestyle isn’t just prevention it is medicine. Healing is not only physical it is emotional, energetic, and spiritual.
With cancer behind me and clarity in front of me, I made a decision that felt both brave and perfectly aligned:
I retired from clinical practice and stepped fully into my calling as a yoga teacher, meditation guide, and wellness coach.
Today, I help people navigate stress, chronic pain, midlife transitions, and lifestyle-related illness. I help them rebuild trust in their bodies, reset their nervous systems, breathe again, and create sustainable habits that support healing one tiny and easy step at a time.
My work blends ancient yogic practices with modern lifestyle medicine — grounded in compassion, science, and energy awareness.
Because healing isn’t just something I teach. It’s something I have lived deeply and personally.
And at the heart of everything I do is my mission:
H.O.P.E. — Help One Person Everyday™
Healing begins with one moment, one breath, one choice, one act of self-kindness.
If I can help even one person feel seen, feel supported, feel empowered to heal then I am living my purpose.
Today, my passion is to remind others that healing is possible, that your body is wise, that your spirit is resilient, and that you are never alone. I support people in reclaiming their peace, their vitality, and their inner strength one breath, one habit, and one moment at a time.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it definitely hasn’t been an easy road. But it has been a meaningful one, and I am grateful for every step.
While working full-time in a busy cardiac clinic, I was also raising two wonderful boys. I was caring for patients all day and then coming home to care for my family. I loved both roles deeply, but I often put myself last and pushed through stress without realizing the impact it was having on me.
During that time, I felt called to yoga in a deeper way. I completed two 200-hour yoga teacher trainings. Each one taking close to a year. These programs were intense. There were long days of training, hours of homework, and weekends spent studying, all while working, being a wife and a mom.
There were moments I was exhausted. But I kept going because I wanted to show my children that when we commit to something important, we follow through. I wanted them to see dedication and strength in action.
After that, I completed my wellness coaching training and spent another year preparing for the National Board Certification exam. While I was studying, I lost my best friend and cousin during COVID. She was the one who encouraged me to become a coach and to go for the board exam. Her passing broke my heart and there were days I wanted to give up. But I could hear her voice cheering me on. So I kept going. And I passed.
Losing her inspired my mission today: H.O.P.E — Help One Person Everyday™.
That is how she lived her life, and now I carry that forward in her honor.
Around this time, I also faced my own breast cancer diagnosis. That experience changed everything. It made me slow down, listen to my body, and truly practice what I was teaching. Healing wasn’t easy. But it brought me clarity, purpose, and a deeper level of compassion.
Transitioning from a long medical career to building my yoga and coaching practice wasn’t easy either. There were doubts, learning curves, and moments where I wondered whether people would show up or believe in this path.
But I stayed committed because I know this work changes lives — it changed mine.
Helping people feel better in their bodies, reduce stress, move through pain, and build healthier habits is what I love. I want others to feel strong, calm, supported, and hopeful again.
So no, the road wasn’t smooth. It was full of challenges, losses, and growth. But every experience has shaped who I am today and how I support others. And I wouldn’t change any of it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I help people feel better in their bodies and calmer in their minds through yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound healing, and lifestyle coaching. My focus is on stress relief, nervous system support, chronic pain, and building habits that create long-term well-being.
I am known for a very gentle, compassionate, and grounded approach. I don’t force or push. I guide, encourage, and help people reconnect with themselves at their own pace. What people like most about me is that I offer plenty of options when moving into poses so that everyone feels safe and benefits from the practice.
What I’m most proud of is the way I teach yoga as a life practice, not just something we do on the mat. My students learn simple tools they can use in real moments when they feel stressed, overwhelmed, tired, or disconnected. I teach through personal stories, and real-life examples so the practice feels relatable and supportive.
What sets me apart is the blend of medical understanding and soulful teaching, and the way I connect the physical, emotional, and energetic aspects of healing. People tell me they feel safe, seen, and understood in my classes and coaching sessions. Some say they feel like they can breathe again.
My specialty is that I also serve both in-person students in my home studio and clients nationwide online, which allows people to practice however they feel most comfortable and supported.
Currently I am in the process of looking for a bigger space to accommodate more in person people.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I love resources that nourish the mind, calm the nervous system, and invite reflection. Some of my favorite books include The Body Keeps the Score, The Alchemist, and The Untethered Soul.
I also enjoy tools like Insight Timer and Calm for meditation and breathwork, and Streaks for gentle habit support.
And of course, I listen to inspiring conversations like Huberman Lab and Jay Shetty — but my first recommendation is always to listen to your own inner voice. Nature walks and journaling are some of my most powerful tools.
And I’m proud to share my own podcast, Living Healthy Living Well: The Chakra Connection, where I teach practical ways to bring yoga philosophy and mindful living into everyday life. Available on Apple Podcast, Spotify and YouTube
Also, I am excited to share that I will be launching a new podcast January 2026. The H.E.A.L. Method™ — Habits for a Pain-Free Life Available on Apple Podcast, Spotify or anywhere you access podcasts.
Follow me on Social Media to get bite sized tips on health and wellness and how to take yoga off the mat into life practice.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PranaHealth.Yoga
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pranahealth.yoga.withmadhavi/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LHKWChakraConnection
My website: https://www.pranahealthpc.com/
Pricing:
- 6 Class Pass $120 good for 2 months
- Monthly Unlimited Pass $99/month
- Drop in $25
- Private Session $120
- Small Group Private (up to 4) $200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pranahealthpc.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pranahealth.yoga.withmadhavi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PranaHealth.Yoga
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LHKWChakraConnection
- Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-healthy-living-well-the-chakra-connection/id1585557060
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xH7NzCHgwF5HR4Ji4OXHE
