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!
From Pharma to Ayurveda: Balancing Modern Life with Ancient Wisdom
Hormonal imbalances, caused by autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's thyroiditis and PCOS, can manifest in various skin issues, including acne, eczema, and dryness. Most doctors simply treat the symptoms, but don't get to the root of the problem. This is where Ayurveda can offer a different perspective.
After years of working in the pharmaceutical industry, Brandy Searcy decided to use all her scientific knowledge to create her own organic skincare line, Rain Organica, which would incorporate both Ayurvedic principles and modern science!
Balancing Flavors and Life: The Intersection of Gourmet Cooking and Yoga with Tom Norrington Davis
Seasonal cooking is more than just a trend; it's a return to the rhythms of nature, a practice that not only enhances the flavor of our food but also reconnects us with the world around us.
And isn’t this exactly what YOGA is also supposed to help us do?
In a recent conversation with Tom Norrington Davies on the Finding Harmony podcast, we tap his expertise of reaching the top of his field in the culinary world to understand the significance of seasonal cooking and how his time in India, changed the way he approached not only his life, but food as well!
Transformative Power of Yoga: From Ashtanga to Anusara and Beyond
This episode offers deep insights into the interplay of yoga disciplines, meditation practices, and personal growth. Cindy Lusk shares her unique experiences transitioning from Ashtanga to Anusara yoga, her profound meditative practices, and the life lessons learned along her spiritual journey.
The New Wave of Yoga: A Fresh Voice in Ashtanga's Evolving Journey
Ashtanga Yoga, with its rigorous sequences and disciplined practice, traces its roots back to the lineage of Krishnamacharya and the Mysore Palace. Deeply embedded in the spiritual soil of India, many great teachers and key figures in our current yoga culture have origins that root back to the Ashtanga Yoga tradition. Our guest today, Sam Silversides, has enjoyed the benefit of eating the fruit from these great trees, and is now growing his own roots as he passes along the knowledge of yoga to students in different parts of the world.
The Body Remembers: How Yoga Can Release Stored Trauma
We sat down to speak with Anouk Prop, who's a trauma therapist and yoga teacher. And we're talking about how best we can approach yoga in a way that promotes healing.
For those who've experienced trauma, learning pranayama in a gentle, consistent, and sustainable way can be a profoundly transformative tool, working directly with the nervous system, allowing you to find greater sense of calm and ease within your life.
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.
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.
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.
Anita Cunha Vegan Chef Extraordinaire!
Anita Cunha, our dear friend and beautiful Vegan Chef joins us today. She specializes in creating perfectly balanced Ayurvedic cuisine. We’re learning about her journey down the path of self-discovery through her love for spice and food. She has a beautiful book called, “VEGAN INDIA: My Love Affair With The Land Of Spice” in which she shares much of her story along with incredibly delicious recipes.
Anita believes it’s possible to gain esoteric knowledge of our body and mind through changing our eating habits. Flavors and smells have the power to bring transformation and change our consciousness
Life and Death with Ty Landrum
It’s with great pleasure we sit down to speak with Ty Landrum to talk about his passion for Philosophy and the interplay of Eros and Thanatos. What creates the desire to thrive?
We examine the existential pointlessness of enduring our own suffering… And how to end it? A question that’s plagued humanity since the dawn of time, birthing the disciplines of Yoga and Buddhism.
Rachel White’s Tapestry Of Creation
Rachel White is an Australian author, speaker, coach, gene keys guide, and artist of life.
Rachel is what you might call a “witchy women” who is sharing some profound insights regarding our unique gifts and essence, and she’s here to help guide you too! You’re going to hear us enthusiastically jump head first into this hilarious and insightful discussion. We can’t hold back today, spontaneously asking what each line and number means.
Erik Jacobsen: Yoga, Philosophy, and Art
Erik became passionate about art making from a very early age. A place of refuge and contemplation, that encouraged him to turn over ideas in visual ways allowing for intuitive integration and learning. A mix of meditation and exploration, his work is infused with spiritual and philosophical inquiry. Asking deep questions has always been a primary driver in his life, and various contemplative traditions have been parallel and complementary to his artistic process.
Turning It All Upside Down with Lotta Sebzda
We have such a joyous person to share with you today! We have the Handstanding Grandma!! Surprised to find out she’s almost the same age as us tho. Weird.
Lotta Sebzda has been practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa since 1999 and is a 56 year old grandmother as well an inspiring teacher both in person as well as on her online platforms!
The secret to Lotta’s continued love for the physical and spiritual practice… CURIOSITY!
Honouring The Wisdom of The Divine Feminine with Mariela Cruz
It is with great pleasure that I got to sit down and connect with my dear friend Mariela Cruz. Mariela is one of those phenomenal human who’s devotion and dedication is palpable. We’re diving into the power of the feminine energy, how the different Ashtanga yoga series embody different types of energy, and calling upon the goddess archetypes as a guide during different phases of life.
With International Women’s Day approaching on March 8th, this is the perfect way to reflect on the powerful experience of being born as female and what it means to embody this energy.
Connect & Protect with Marque Garaux
Halfway through this episode Russell exclaims, “Goodness, you are just a really nice, wholesome person, Marque!” And, our guest today well and truly is! You’ll find him somewhere in the woods, far away from the hustle of city life, enjoying a solitary life near lake Erie in Ohio.
Marque discovered Ashtanga Yoga while seeking different ways to alleviate his lower back pain. After noticing an almost immediate physical change, Marque then slowly began to see other positive changes happening in his life as well…
How To Become Trauma Informed with Lara Land
Lara Land speaks today about some of her personal experiences that brought her to this chosen path…
How she started off teaching yoga in Rwanda to survivors of genocide, and then after opening her yoga school in Harlem, NY, she recognized that her yoga space required a different kind of awareness and presence.
This guided her to create Trauma-Informed teacher trainings as well as write her new book: The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga
Learn why we need to be trauma informed in our teaching and as we facilitate wellness spaces, now more than ever.
A Helluva Lotta Fun with Ellie Smith
Ellie Smith: A recovering academic, now yoga teacher, entrepreneur, and writer with a persistent curiosity about the world, both natural and human, Ellie Smith is an absolute delightful human to spend time with.
Born and raised in Cornwall, U.K, after completing University in 2005, Ellie took a “gap year” and has ended up spending the last 17 years living in Japan becoming an Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies, teaching at a university in Nagoya.
Ellie is passionate about helping yoga beginners and the yoga curious navigate their way into the often confusing realm of yoga…