The Centered Heart Book

A transformational book about healing, stress relief, and heart wellness.

“This book is the culmination of what I have compiled through my suffering, my studies, and ultimately my own triumph in my journey back to health. It is what I have learned through the authenticity and openness that others have shared with me during their own sojourn to healing. May this be an inspiration and a blessing. May we all stress less and uncover the calm within us.”

Susi Amendola, Internationally Certified Yoga Therapist, Author of “The Centered Heart”

What You’ll Discover in This Book

7 Evidence-based keys to health:

These interconnected practices help you embody awareness, calm your nervous system, and support overall well-being — all without needing hours of time every day.

Ancient Wisdom + Modern Science

For thousands of years Yogis have known the power of the breath, the medicine of meditation, the vitality giving possibilities of relaxation. Now with modern sciences and advancements in technology, we can measure those things.

“The Centered Heart” offers hope and help. By using seven evidence-based mind-body practices, you can begin to embody your awareness, change your mindset, calm your nervous system, and center your heart.  

You can create a different way of being with just a few simple practices. A way of being that, in time, changes the course of your life and health.

  • "Highly recommended! I have worked with Susi Amendola for 30 years. Her dedication, skill, and love have mentored hundreds of participants as well as many teams of health professionals in our lifestyle medicine program. This inspiring book guides the reader through their healing process with empathy, warmth and wisdom and will be of service whether you are at the beginning of your healing journey or if you have a seasoned yoga practice."

    — Dean Ornish, MD

    Founder & President, Preventive Medicine Research Institute; Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco; Bestselling Author: Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases!

  • "A very informative book! Susi Amendola, a renowned yoga therapist, combines her wealth of expertise with a compassionate understanding of the human condition in this book to deliver an innovative guide to heart health. I believe this book serves as a beacon of knowledge for anyone seeking a holistic approach to heart wellness. This book is a vital resource, providing insights on healing, improving heart health, and achieving a better quality of life."

    — Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha

    Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Ayush, Former Vice Chancellor, Gujarat Ayurved University, "Padmashri" Awardee from the President of India.

  • "An invaluable resource! From her own compelling journey of self-healing through the ancient tools of yoga and Ayurveda, to her incomparable experience working directly with heart patients for many decades, this book will be an invaluable resource for the practical and useful application of these research- proven tools for improving heart health and over-all well-being. As both a physician and yoga therapist, I am so excited that Susi Amendola has blessed us with her wisdom, and I’m grateful for her generous heart!"

    — Baxter Bell, MD

    Author “Yoga for Healthy Aging”

  • "It feels like an act of grace! Susi Amendola is a rare Teacher and writer—one who can meet you wherever you are, with the honesty, compassion and wisdom that come from being deeply rooted in the Yoga tradition, lived experience and current science. This beautiful, luminous book can change your life and heal your heart."

    – Michele Marie Desmarais, PhD

    Author: “Changing Minds: Mind, Consciousness and Identity in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and Cognitive Neuroscience”; Associate Professor Religious Studies, Native American Studies, Faculty, Medical Humanities Faculty, University of Nebraska at Omaha

  • "Beautifully written! and filled with actionable information, this book is required reading for anyone with a family or personal history of heart disease. This book leaves you both empowered and inspired to make changes essential for both quality of life and better health outcomes."

    — Amy Rothenberg, ND

    Author: You Finished Treatment, Now What? A Field Guide for Cancer Survivors

Who This Book is For

  • Anyone experiencing stress or burnout

  • Individuals seeking a gentle yet powerful wellness routine

  • People interested in holistic heart health

  • First-time meditation and yoga practitioners

  • Health-focused readers looking for evidence-based tools

  • Anyone interested in calming their nervous system

This book supports:

Where to Find Your Copy

Industry Publication Reviews

“When Amendola suffered from depression as a teen, her mother brought her to an ashram where they studied yoga and meditation. Amendola joined the community and became immersed in the food, practices, and natural settings, eventually leaving to start her own yoga center. When she was contacted by Dr. Dean Ornish, a leader in lifestyle medicine, she agreed to join his study on healthy life practices, working with medical and mental health professionals to fight disease and stress with mind and body lifestyle changes.

Here she chronicles the study’s findings and her own experiences. Each chapter opens with a “centering moment” in which Amendola offers a step-by-step relaxation session (free recorded versions appear on the book’s website) and then focuses on an aspect of yoga training. Beginning with gentle movements, relaxation, and breathing, the author goes on to offer instructions on meditation, imagery, compassion, nature consciousness, and unity.

She gently leads readers through the movements (seated and standing), providing ample illustrations and medical evidence of the power of these actions in taming tension and heart disease. Instead of trying to find time in your day for self-care, yoga-therapist Amendola suggests scheduling your life around your practices, aiming for a stress-free, healing existence.

Under her expert guidance, this not only seems enticing but possible.”

— Booklist, Starred Review

“Yoga therapist and stress-management expert Amendola applies decades of experience to this yoga book for people unable to access heart-health resources or seeking to supplement their existing care. Its holistic approach focuses on mindset, physical and spiritual exercises, meditation, and personalized weekly routines.

It is inclusive in sections on yoga poses and physical exercises by showing both the unaltered pose and a seated variation. Some of the exercises are easy to do even at work to reset stress levels without coworkers noticing. Those new to yoga will appreciate the detailed explanations and pictures; none of the poses are past beginner level.

Recordings of Amendola’s guided exercises for things like meditation are also available online for those easing into new practices. The suggestions in each chapter are great not only for improving heart health but also for increasing mindfulness in anyone. The book does push a plant-based diet, but it provides evidence for how it can elevate physical and spiritual life.

An excellent starting point for those of all abilities and in all walks of life looking to create habits that support their cardiac and spiritual health.”

―Library Journal