About Dana Podell, PT, DPT, E-RYT

My Story & Approach to Care​

I’ve been curious about the body for as long as I can remember. Growing up as a dancer, I spent countless nights watching my body master beautiful new movements. After years of dance related injuries, I began exploring other ways of moving and eventually found yoga. I fell in love with yoga almost instantly—not with how I looked, but with how I felt: strong, calm, and whole. Yoga taught me to be kind to my body, helped me heal, and inspired me to complete my first yoga training so I could share that experience with others.

 

My yoga practice eventually led me back to graduate school for my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. During my final clinical rotation, I was introduced to pelvic health physical therapy — an area I realized I knew so little about, yet saw dramatically change women's quality of life. Witnessing this transformation drew me into this specialty. Since then, I’ve practiced as a physical therapist both in the US and abroad and have completed an 800-hour yoga therapy certification to deepen my clinical skill set. Today, I integrate physical therapy and yoga therapy to offer holistic, compassionate care to help women transform pelvic discomfort into lasting wellness.

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Education

Academic Degrees:

• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, The Ohio State University, 2016​​

• Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Northwestern University, 2021

  • Pelvic health clinical internship as a part of doctoral studies, 2021

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Continuing education:

• ​Yoga Teacher Training 200 hour, Shri Gai Institute, 2017

• Pelvic Floor Level 1 (didactic portion), ​Herman & Wallace, 2020​

• Manual Therapy for the Abdominal Wall, Herman & Wallace, 2021

• Pregnancy Rehabilitation, Herman & Wallace, 2021

• Happy Back Yoga Therapy Professional Training 25 hours, 2022

• Yoga Therapy 500 hour training, Yoga Therapy Greece, 2024

• Menopause Transitions and Pelvic Rehab, Herman & Wallace, 2024

• Yoga Therapy 800 hour training, Yoga Therapy Greece, July 2025

• Pessaries & Pelvic Rehab, Herman & Wallace, November 2025

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Licensure:

• Licensed Physical Therapist, Illinois

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Certifications:

• Certified 800-hour Yoga Therapist

• Yoga Alliance, Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher Specializing in Yoga Therapy 500-hr, 2024

• American Red Cross, CPR Certification, 2024