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 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.
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.
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.
Balancing Life and Health: Practical Tips for Sustainable Change with Layne Stowell
What’s one small, sustainable health habit you plan to introduce or continue in your daily routine this year?
Today I’m sitting down with Layne Stowell, who’s going to help us create sustainable habits well into 2024! We’re exploring the dynamics of habit formation, the power + effectiveness of starting small. This is not just a tactic but a transformative strategy for creating lasting change in our health and overall well-being.
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…
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.
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.
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.