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:
The Hidden Truths of Yoga: Beyond the Mat and Into the Mind
The popularity of yoga in the West has largely been driven by its focus on physical benefits. Classes promising a toned “yoga-body” equipped with increased strength and flexibility, with a side of nervous system regulation. But if we peel back the layers, we find that the true essence of yoga lies in its ability to transform the mind, and see beyond the illusion of physical form.
Our guest today, Daniel Simpson, is passionate about bridging ancient wisdom with contemporary life.
Transformative Yoga Practices: from Physical Healing to Spiritual Inspiration
Whether through injury, illness, or the death of a loved one… At some point in your life, it's pretty much guaranteed you'll start searching for the answer to the question: WHY?
This was the case for our guest today. After a hip injury cause him to question his habits and behaviours, Ganesh Balachandran found himself sitting in a meditation class, meditating on pain and suffering, which surprisingly, opened up a path of rediscovering his cultural roots!
And everything changed!
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.
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!
From Harmony, With Love: A Merry Romp Through 2023's Ups And Downs
Join me and my ever-entertaining husband, Russell, on a delightful and reflective journey through the past year.
In this special Christmas Eve episode of the Finding Harmony Podcast, we're diving into the heartfelt and sometimes humorous stories that made 2023 a year to remember…
A Spiritual Practice For the Holidays
With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas coming up around the corner, I wanted to share some helpful tips for how we can use spiritual practices to help us through the holidays. Practices like yoga and mindfulness not only alleviate stress but also contribute to a stronger immune system and overall better health. Scientific evidence suggests that a calm mind can positively impact our body's cellular function and immune response.
Why Asana Isn’t Enough…
Many of us come to the practice feeling broken and struggle with an underlying sense that we’re just not enough. We seek validation by looking outside ourselves. We seek to do things right, to learn the “correct method” and toe the party line.
But when we truly slow down to feel what’s underneath all our striving and the patterns of perfectionism, we begin to see that it’s the system that’s broken, not us.
Dancing In My Dreams with Ralph Craig III
When Tina Turner, often dubbed the “Queen of Rock ‘N’ Roll,” died at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, on May 24, 2023, what many did not know is that Ms. Turner had practiced Soka Gakkai International Nichiren Buddhism for the last 50 years.
What does this have to do with our guest today? We’re talking Ashtanga yoga, philosophy, and the importance of discipline in attaining true wisdom from your spiritual practice.
This is basically a class in history, philosophy, Sanskrit and culture all wrapped up into one delicious conversation that we know will enrich your lives!
Our guest, Dr. Ralph H. Craig III received his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Stanford University, where he specialized in Buddhist Studies and in American Religions. He’s also the author of “Dancing In My Dreams: A Spiritual Biography of Tina Turner,” which will be released in November 7, 2023!
Creating a Sustainable Spiritual Wellness Practice
If you've ever felt overwhelmed by a lack of time or physical fatigue, this episode is for you.
We're going to discuss a few practical strategies to help you overcome some of these obstacles and create a sustainable spiritual wellness practice.
Whether you're feeling pressed for time, exhausted, or over-committed, I'm giving you some helpful ways to slow down and create a practice that both nourishes your spirit and gives you energy!
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.
Jana Wilson: Wise Little One
“What I have come to know in my personal life and the lives of all the people I've worked with is that every trauma, challenge, and wound comes bearing a gift and some wisdom our soul needs. Once I opened up to finding the wisdom (and lesson) of my very traumatic childhood that made me the strong, loving, compassionate and capable woman, wife, and mother that I am today, I began to live the life of my dreams.” - Jana Wilson
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.
The Tao of Dreams with Kari Hohne
Kari Hohne’s talking with us today about Taoism, the I Ching, and dream interpretations. These are just a few of the areas she’s passionate about. It’s her mission to keep this ancient wisdom relevant during our modern times and we’re diving into not only her personal story but also asking her to share her skills with us!
Awaken with Susan Klein-Holman
Susan Klein-Holmen is a multi-passionate entrepreneur. The Founder and Creative Director STELLdesign, and Yoga Teacher and Mentor at her own school: Kosha Yoga Shala. Susan shares with us a very intense and terrifying experience that changed her life forever.
It happened to her while at a yoga retreat. Her story is one that maybe you can relate to?
A Stroke of Insight with Meghan Marshall
This conversation with Meghan had all of us laughing about something that's no laughing matter! In August of 2019, Meghan had a stroke, right in the middle of her Ashtanga yoga practice! This random event changed her perspective on life completely. She realized, time is short. And that the peripheral community drama wasn't important to her personal practice. She decided to boldly step forward on her path, recognizing she didn't have time to wait for permission to teach. Instead, she made the resolve that if she recovered, she would claim her own authority. And we're so glad she did.
When Love Beckons You with Delara Tiv
Delara Tiv grew up with Sufi traditions throughout her family. However, it wasn't until she turned 22 that she became drunk with love and fell headfirst into the Sufi Mystic path as a disciple of Sufi Master Javad Nurbakhsh. Her spiritual practice is graced by his guidance and this Mystic teaching is a parallel path to her practice of Yoga.
Waiting for Grace with Nina Rao
What Nina Rao enchants us with is an opportunity to reflect more deeply on what it means to cultivate a spiritual practice. For those of us not born into a specific lineage, we have the gift and freedom to resonate and choose different spiritual paths and practices.
However, there is something to be said about digging a single well and going deep. Discovering what insight lays buried within the repetition. True learning. And, in the end, we touch something beyond this behavioral reality — we begin to transcend our ego-selves