Radical Responsibility, Yoga & Recovery
Reflections from Episode 20 of Do You Feel Heard? Podcast
Featuring Angelica Daniele
Summary
In this episode of Do You Feel Heard?, co-hosts Ian Mychal and Derrick Jones sit down with yogi, therapist, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate Angelica Daniele. Together, they explore the deep intersections of yoga, mindfulness, recovery, and radical responsibility—from confronting emotional discomfort to questioning diagnoses and healing beyond the label.
This is a wide-ranging and powerful conversation on what it means to live intentionally, teach from the heart, and sit with what is, even when it hurts.
Pull Quotes
“You are entirely responsible for the reality you create. Until you accept that, things will not change.” – Angelica Daniele
“We’re all recovering from something.” – Angelica Daniele
“There’s no shortcut—you walk five miles into the forest, it’s five miles out.” – Angelica Daniele
“Recovery is what you’re working on right now. That’s it.” – Angelica Daniele
“The longest relationship you’ll ever have is the one with yourself.” – Angelica Daniele
From Dance to Dharma: Angelica’s Journey
Angelica Daniele shares her transition from competitive dance to yoga teacher, business owner, and therapist. Her story is rooted in intentional growth. What began as a college cross-training requirement evolved into a lifelong spiritual and professional path.
“At first, teaching yoga felt like performing. But with time, it became something I knew deeply—something I lived.”
As a co-owner of multiple yoga schools, a director of Yoga Recovery Pittsburgh, and founder of Radiant Activewear, Angelica embodies how one practice can evolve into many callings when guided by purpose.
Teaching vs. Performing: Letting Go of Ego
Angelica’s shift from performer to teacher required internal work: letting go of perfectionism, building spiritual practices, and learning to trust herself.
She speaks to a universal truth for any guide or leader:
“If you’re teaching well, your students will surpass you. And that takes humility.”
This humility forms the bedrock of true service: not clinging to identity, but empowering others to rise.
Yoga Teacher Training: Trend or Transformation?
The discussion also dives into the booming popularity of yoga teacher training (YTT). Angelica acknowledges its positive aspects, but urges prospective students to go deep—not just wide.
“You can find a weekend program or do an immersive 30-day training. But if you want to teach for life, you must study with people you trust and dive into philosophy.”
The difference? Depth, embodiment, and integration.
Radical Responsibility & Inner Reflection
As a therapist, Angelica names one of the most transformative keys to healing: radical responsibility.
“I am not responsible for your healing. You are. Therapy doesn’t always feel good—it means facing your demons.”
She echoes teachings from Neville Goddard: everything is you, pushed out. What we react to in others often reflects what we haven’t faced in ourselves. Discomfort is not an enemy—it’s an invitation.
Integration > Inspiration
A major theme is how modern culture overvalues inspiration and undervalues integration.
You can go on 10 retreats or take psychedelics—but if you don’t do the slow work of alchemizing what you learned into daily life, transformation stalls.
“I could go on yoga retreats every weekend and still be an asshole. If I don’t integrate it and act on it, nothing gets solved.”
Recovery, Redefined
As founder of Yoga Recovery Pittsburgh, Angelica has rethought the word “recovery.” Initially tied to addiction, she’s since expanded it.
“We’re all recovering from something—a loss, trauma, illness, a relationship, a mindset.”
She stresses that recovery is not about brokenness. It’s about becoming whole again—sometimes for the first time. But she’s also transparent about the limitations of that term.
“If you’re ‘in recovery’ forever… when are you recovered?”
Diagnosis & Labels: Useful or Limiting?
The conversation turns to mental health diagnoses—especially ADHD. The hosts and Angelica agree: labels can inform, but they can also trap.
“A diagnosis can help you understand yourself. But eventually, you should outgrow it. It should be a stepping stone, not a life sentence.”
They critique a culture that encourages over-identification with diagnoses. Are we pathologizing natural human responses to an overstimulating world?
“We live in an ADHD society.”
Escape the Doom Spiral: Living Simply
Angelica shares her coping method: travel and simplicity.
“I go somewhere with sun, sand, and water—where life is simple. I sit with that simplicity. It refuels me.”
Though she runs five businesses, Angelica lives mindfully and minimally. For her, less stimulation equals more presence.
Mindfulness = Yoga
At its core, this episode argues one central truth:
“Mindfulness and yoga are the same. The yogic path is the present moment path.”
It’s not about poses or perfect postures. It’s about living with awareness, humility, and compassion—and extending that practice into everything you do.
Final Reflection
In a fix-it, label-heavy, dopamine-chasing world, Episode 20 is a bold invitation to slow down, look inward, and take ownership of your experience.
True healing, as Angelica reminds us, comes not from a teacher, therapist, or retreat—but from the work we choose to do within ourselves.