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:
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.
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.
¡Hala Madrid! ...y nada más
During the course of this interview a smile started to slowly etch itself into our very souls. Some people are built different. Some people hide themselves away, only revealing who they are little by little. Then, over the desert course, possibly after uncorking another bottle of wine, they mention the unmentionable and blow your fucking mind.
That’s our guest today, Carmen Yagüe.
Journey to Mysore Tenerife with Viviane Simon
When Ashtanga yoga found Viviane Simon she was going through a difficult period of depression, ending a seriously toxic relationship, and struggling with her weight, being 130kg (286 pounds). Viviane started to prioritize her practice as a way of prioritizing her self-care. This simple act changed everything. Her first teacher, Griselda, always encouraged her to practice, telling her it wasn’t necessary to change anything about her physicality, she never suggested that her body size, shape, or weight would be an impediment to any asana.
Sally Parkes Yoga School For Life
We start off this episode with a cautionary tale about what happens when you experience debilitating back pain and don’t listen to your body, but try to work through the pain. We dive deep into the troubling beginnings of what brought Sally to the this path of yoga in the first place. A path which she believes wholeheartedly saved her life.
Lady Lucinda on Solsbury Hill
We have to say that this wild episode is one of our personal favorites.
The drugs and name dropping is one thing… Twee references to the Royal family compound our glee!
But, what gets us the most is when someone has a sincere relationship to the healing power of practice. And Lucinda Leachman is the first to attest to how it’s helped her immensely. Using it as a somatic therapy, it’s helped her to process the past, let go of shame, and move confidently into an unknown future.
Kyra Weinberger: Burlesque Queen of Kansas City
Kyra Weinberger grew up with dance, music, and yoga filling her home. She took the path of musical theater and ballet performing with professional companies from the age of 8. It was her first love and career, but it was not a forever love.
Today we’re talking about identity, hidden wounds, and how sometimes, even with the best upbringing and family, we struggle with our own darkness. The good news is, there’s freedom when we compassionately embrace our shadows, find the courage to bring it into the light, and invite them to dance!
Life After Death with Nadia Stinga Rihani
Nadia Stinga Rihani is a mother of two, a yoga teacher (ashtanga level 2 authorised in 2014), a former gymnast, and a qualified strategic psychotherapist and clinical hypnotherapist.
In 2019 Nadia was hit by a car, which left her unable to walk for many months, and she had to learn to start again completely.
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.
Christmas with Kino Yoga
Enjoy this relaxed, informal, conversation between old friends chatting about old times, as if we were catching up at the local Coconut Stand in Gokulum after a challenging led class.
The real charm of Kino though, besides her effortless ability to be vulnerable, as well as her deep and critical intelligence (which might be a somewhat delightful and unexpected surprise for the average IG doomscroller) is her down to earth, straight-up honesty.
Tantra Flow with Jeanne Heileman
When Jeanne Heileman became a yoga teacher in 1996, there was no career for this field. She had the intention to teach once a week as a work supplement in the non-profit arts world to pay off her graduate school student debt.
In this episode, we’re talking about what makes a good yoga teacher and some of the insights Jeanne has gained through her years of practicing under the guidance of many different teachers. Experience bring wisdom and Jeanne has a depth of perspective that is rare in teachers today.
Gopi Kallayil: The Happy Human
Gopi Kallayil is the Chief Evangelist, head of Digital Transformation and Strategy at Google. What that exactly means… We’re going to unpack it inside this episode!
He is the author of two books, “The Happy Human” and “The Internet to the Inner-net,” published by Hay House.
He has released three music albums titled “Kirtan Lounge.”
Sunshine Nights with Amy Priya
Amy talks us through her childhood as an immigrant to this country from the Philippines to upstate NY, becoming found (or possibly losing herself) in the state of flow through her early years of dance. Becoming a yoga student in NY in the 90’s and then taking up music and forming a band.
She became a follower and a devotee of Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma), “the Hugging Saint.” There couldn’t be a better metaphor for how nice Amy Priya is… We’re sure you’ll feel her energetic hug over the airwaves.
Kintsugi with Mae Yoshikawa
We dive into a discussion of what feminine spirituality looks like. Just as her inspiration, the late guru Sri Anandamayi Ma, our guest today, Mae Yoshikawa, also embodies this eternal nature of divine joy. Late in today’s episode, Mae speaks about her status as a widow and what that means for her as well (be sure to listen all the way… so not to miss both the beautiful and tragic events that broke her heart wide open).
Kayoko Mitsumatsu: Yoga Gives Back
In the beginning it started off as simply an idea of offering one yoga class to help raise money to support women and children in India. At the time, Kayoko had no idea that this tiny calling of her heart would expand and grow into a global movement that is now called “Yoga Gives Back.”
Her passion to give voice to the voiceless has changed the lives of so many women and children, and birthed the mantra — “For the cost of one yoga class, you can change a life.”
Back To The Future with Krista Shirley
Krista is really is special. She is a voracious learner and she takes this infectious energy, AAA-type personality, to her whole life, business, motherhood, and Ashtanga yoga practice. If it can be said of anyone, it has never been more true when it comes to Krista: She embodies the energy of Wonder Woman… It’s always a shock for a lady like this to be confronted with a truly obliterating obstacle.
Sophia French: SanĀtana Yoga
Born in India, growing up in Dubai, and then returning to India for college, our guest today might have a name that sounds like she’s from Europe, but she deeply connected in mind, body, and spirit to her native roots as a Christian-Muslim Indian.
Un-Layering with Philippa Asher
In this episode you’ll hear Philippa Asher and I peel back the layers of the Ashtanga yoga practice. As two of twenty Certified women who teach this method, we’re talking about unique issues that relate to female practitioners. We explore what it takes to become a Certified teacher? And what are some of the pitfalls, obstacles, and challenges you may encounter along the way.