FINDING HARMONY PODCAST
What is a spiritual practice? How does it work? How will it improve my life? How will deepening my self-care transform me? What strategies can I use to improve my life, increase my health, and create wellness? How can craft a life that I love?
The Finding Harmony Podcast gets to the root of all these questions. Each episode is full of inspiration, humour, honest observations, and actionable steps that you can integrate to enhance your experience of self-love, develop a connection to Spirit, and create a life you truly love.
Show Notes Below:
Prison Cells to Nordic Retreats: An Unconventional Path of Yoga
We associate aggression and harm with boxing. When we think of yoga we associate peace and harmony. So it might seem counterintuitive that boxing shares some profound similarities with the more popular practice of yoga asana.
Alex's extraordinary journey from boxer to Sanskrit scholar, ballet dancer to Certified Ashtanga yoga teacher, to becoming a lifeline for inmates and addicts, and founder of Nøsen Yoga Retreat in Norway, will leave you in awe of yoga's power to heal and transform.
The Evolving Yoga Practice of a Mother: Surrender, Growth, and Transformation
We’re talking about the ever evolving definition of yoga as it relates to motherhood. We going deep into the journey of learning to let go of perfect to find your true practice, both on and off the mat.
As a dedicated yoga practitioner, I always thought my practice would get "better" with time. More advanced postures, smoother transitions, deeper states of meditation. I had this ideal vision of what my yoga journey should look like. But then came motherhood. Today, we’re talking to Bibi about her journey both on and off the mat, especially when it comes to being a mom.
Introducing Pranayama: A Journey to Inner Peace and Well-Being
When I first started yoga I recall several teachers warning me about the “dangers of pranayama.” The term “breathwork” was non-existent in popular culture. There were barely any books published on pranayama (let alone something called breathwork) and there was little research on the power of breathing, or studies on how the breath is intimately connected to the stress response in both our body and mind!
Boy… Things have sure changed!
JC, Our Own Personal Jesus?
John brings a depth of knowledge and insight that illuminates our discussion on modern yoga, the cult of personality, and the essence of being present in the moment.
In the realm of modern yoga, the boundaries between what's considered “traditional” and what's labeled “contemporary” are often blurred, and we're left to navigate (without much guidance) a complex construct of spirituality, personal wellness, and self-discovery.
The Ashtanga Shift: How to Adapt Your Practice for Life's Transitions
I think we can all agree… Ashtanga Yoga is a beautiful and powerful practice. The structure of the traditional system offers a strong path for making epic possibilities become a reality and increasing positive outcomes for both mind and body.
These benefits are easily felt by everyone while on retreat, but what happens when students go back home? How can we, as teachers, offer students the kind of support and continued learning even after the retreat ends?
This is what I'm talking about today with my guest Elizabeth Ball on the Finding Harmony Podcast!
From Conflict to Harmony: How to Improve Focus with Mindfulness with Paula Vital
In the latest episode of the Finding Harmony Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Paula Vital, a fascinating individual whose life story epitomizes the transformative power of mindfulness and yoga. Paula, once a high-achieving lawyer, turned to mindfulness and yoga therapy during a period of profound personal upheaval. Her journey from the stressful corridors of legal practice to the tranquil realms of mindfulness coaching offers invaluable insights into the universal quest for inner peace and balance.
From Turkish Delights to Yoga Heights: A Unique Finding Harmony Retreat
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Sevket (Recep), whose life story reads like an adventure novel! Sevket’s transition from the high-stakes world of professional tennis to the introspective practice of yoga is a powerful reminder of the transformative potential within all of us.
His story challenges us to rethink our definitions of success and to consider how shifting our focus from external achievements to inner awareness can lead to a more fulfilling life.
Transforming Trauma: How to Embrace Healing and Self-Love After Loss
In the ever-evolving narrative of our lives, we often find ourselves at the crossroads of challenge and change, seeking pathways of healing, understanding, and ultimately, transformation.
The journey towards healing is not linear. It ebbs and flows. We challenged with lessons to build resilience, self-love, and greater awareness. I invite you to join me and my dear friend, Lara Land, on the Finding Harmony Podcast, where we delve deeper into these themes, sharing stories, insights, and practices that illuminate the path towards a more vibrant, fulfilling life.
Reflections and Revelations: Celebrating 200 Episodes of Finding Harmony
Join me and my ever-entertaining husband, Russell, on a delightful and reflective journey through the last 4 years and past 200 episodes of the Finding Harmony Podcast!
In this special episode we're diving into some of the heartfelt and humorous stories that made the last 4 years of gathering together so meaningful!
Amazing Ashtanga: Eye-Opening Insights on Yoga, Teaching, and Life - with Ross Stambaugh
Today we’re chatting with Ross Stambaugh, a travelling yoga teacher, who came to the practice to help him find freedom from the daily stress of working as a fine arts teacher in public schools. The conversation delves into Ross Stambaugh's unique yoga journey, including his choice to practice with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois' daughter, Saraswathi Jois, over making a more conventional choice to practice under her son, R. Sharath Jois.
From Injuries to Insights: Navigating Healing in the Yoga World - with Dan Fanthorpe
Join us on an epic journey with our guest, Dan Fanthorpe, (an experienced Osteopath and Ashtanga yoga teacher) and we venture into the realms of yoga, healing, and the transformative power of community as we navigate the ups + downs of injuries in yoga.
This insightful conversation goes far beyond a discussion of physical injuries to explore the spiritual and emotional dimensions of the practice.
Body Autonomy Is Punk: Breaking Free From Disordered Eating
Aimee began her career not as a Yoga teacher but a punk rock singer, recording several albums and touring the world with her band theSTART and performing guest vocals for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Garbage, Teddybears and so many more. With complete candor, she shares how she has struggled with body image and disordered eating off and on throughout her life and the steps she’s taken to reframe her relationship with food and her body.
Unlocking the Mental Benefits of Yoga: A Scientific Perspective with Jean Bryne
Join us as we sit down with our dear friend and distinguished guest, Jean Bryne, to discuss the depths of yoga's impact on mental health. With her extensive background in both traditional practice and modern scientific research, Jean offers a rare and insightful perspective on the mental benefits of yoga, explored through a scientific lens.
Transforming Adversity: A Powerful Journey Through Injury and Recovery with Jen René
Russell and I are having an eye-opening chat today on the Finding Harmony Podcast, with Jen René.
Jen's story is something else – she talked us through her journey of healing from a knee injury, and how it reshaped her yoga practice. We got into the nitty-gritty of balancing strength and flexibility, especially important for us women in yoga.
Ashtanga Dispatch with Peg MulQueen
Today I’m speaking with the O.G of Ashtanga podcasting. The woman who started “Ashtanga Dispatch,” the first podcast dedicated to Ashtanga yoga teaching, (long before most of us even knew what a podcast was, let alone had a library of them stored on our phones).
That’s right. I’m sitting down with the lovely Peg Mulqueen to talk about the benefits of having a mentor and how it’s different than being in a student-teacher relationship.
The Only Time Is Now… with Luke Jordan
This conversation with our Irish friend, Luke Jordan, is delicious. It left us craving for more. There’s simply is no good place to stop when souls join and dance together out beyond the world of ideas and language. So, we simply hit record and sank deeply into Luke’s vibe… and let time slip away.
It’s such a treasured experience to connect with someone so self-aware, so thoughtful, and so ready to deconstruct every presumption, every belief, and even reality itself.
Helena Rosenthal: Mystic, Mama, Musician
Helena first stepped onto the Ashtanga mat when she was 19 years old. Coming out of her rebellious teen years, filled with drug abusing and running away from home.
She was instantly bewitched by the method and has been practicing asana along with self-inquiry, ever since. She’s now living in Palma de Mallorca, and has opened up EARTH YOGA in Santa Catalina.
Finding A Stillpoint with Scott Johnson
Scott is a sensitive soul. His gentle, compassionate, kind energy is transmitted not only through his teaching style, but you’ll feel it in the way he speaks.
The space we enter around him is saturated with loving kindness.
We hope you enjoy this episode and find your own sense of encouragement, hope, and healing through absorbing and also integrating a new approach to your breath and movement practice. Maybe you’ll even find a Stillpoint amidst the chaos of an ever changing world.
Eternally Youthful with David Garrigues
You might know David Garrigues as a Certified Ashtanga yoga teacher, but today you’ll hear all about what spurred him into the Seattle punk scene, and how music pulled him out of a very difficult time in his life, where he was homeless and starting to sink into a very dark place.
How did he go from a homeless young punk rocker to practicing yoga in Mysore, India, with Pattabhi Jois? You’ll find out in this episode.
Paloma: No Woman, No Cry
Youthfulness. What a beautiful blessing. Here we are met today by such openness to life, and all that her future has to offer, Palmoa Tamayo, graces us with her purity of spirit and sublime optimism.
From her early years, being introduced to the Ashtanga yoga practice, to studying in Mysore, and then being called upon as Eddie Stern’s assistant, Paloma has crossed a chasm to touch into the depth of her yoga practice.