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:
Music is the Space between Sound
If you’ve had the pleasure of tasting Andrew Hillam’s idlis then you know he has a special talent for cooking Indian food. However, that is not his only interested. Andrew is fascinated with all kinds of aspects of Indian culture. Besides being a Certified Advanced A Ashtanga Yoga teacher in the Mysore stye, he was a classical guitarist, who had previously pursued a PhD in immunology. We had a “quiet is the new loud” type of conversation with him on topics such as raising children in India, cooking in the flow state, and the comparison of playing music and chanting the Vedas. Something that Andrew says creates a peculiar vibration in his skull.
Développés with Shelley Washington
In Ballet, the term développé means to "unfold," or open outwards in a “developing movement.” In this episode of the Finding Harmony Podcast, we sit down with Shelley Washington, where she gracefully unfolds different aspects of her journey. At the age of 45, after a stunning career as a world class modern dancer, where she would train for 8-10 hours a day, Shelley accidentally ends up in a yoga class, and has to find an entirely new way to relate to her body and approach this new physical discipline. How her practice has evolved over the past 20 years will surprise you!
The Only Way Out Is In
Whether it’s politics, pandemics, protests, or Ashtanga yoga, we’re all unavoidably immersed within a world of duality, or maya, meaning illusion, and it’s a game we cannot truly escape. Yoga however, teaches us to move through our lives as gracefully as possible, accepting the positive and negative, the accolades and losses, while rebalancing and reclaiming our sense of inner equanimity.
We speak to Prem and Radha Carlisi, who speak to us about their personal history and how they’ve grown into the people they are today, and some of the events and circumstances that shaped their positions within our global Ashtanga yoga community.
The Art of Yoga
A decade after the death of Pattabhi Jois, the bubble exploded in the wake of #metoo. The chintzy shine was tarnished. The “now” big boss was humbled and, controversially, avoiding the proverbial elephant in the room. And, it was at this point that Timothy felt propelled to sacrifice his place within the lineage, walking away from the official “authorized list” of recognized teachers. A very sincere, and conscious choice, a stance taken as a personal protest to authoritarianism. We talk about this and so much more like the the ephemeral quality of the asana practice and how it can be seen as making art with your body, and like dance or music, it appears and then it’s gone… in this juicy episode of Finding Harmony.
A Round Table on The Advanced Practice
When we’re at home, most of us practice with a different intensity than we do in Mysore, whether it turns out to be more or less postures is another story. We spent an afternoon discussing what this looks like and why we do what we do with power couple Kate O’Donnell and Rich Ray from Ashtanga Yoga Portland Maine. We talked about Advanced Asanas and our relationship to them both personally, as well as collectively… Listen Now!
On The Other Side Of Darkness
We were blessed today to catch up with our dear friend Todd Boman. Todd and Russell were both born in the Pontiac Memorial Hospital in the 70’s. Probably right along side Madonna Ciccone, a neighbor. Todd has a unique story to share. Growing up in Michigan as a young gay male is its own peculiar hellscape. He understood immediately (and by that I mean junior high school) that being gay in the 80’s and 90’s likely meant death from HIV/AIDS. Surviving the darker side of this AIDS crisis in America was fraught with escapist behavior and that became yet another damned issue to try and survive.
Grass Roots with Robert Moses
We were absolutely blown away when Robert Moses related the current pandemic of the Coronavirus to a powerful transformative goddess: Ma Corona Devi.
In this way, we most certainly felt like it was a blessing of the Mother Goddess Corona Devi, that this esteemed teacher of yoga, Robert Moses, came on our podcast to share with us personal stories from his incredible lifetime on the spiritual path.
Can't Cheat Karma
Lisa was a 17 year old human gazelle and modern dancer in Chicago. She received a scholarship to dance with the Alvin Ailey dance company, so she left Chicago and took off to the East Village Alphabet city (Needle Village), finding odd jobs, like working as a bartender, to help pay the bills. She didn’t take any shit and partied hard — living the way she wanted. Eventually, she found her way to a 10 AM yoga class, (although 10 AM was a little early for her) and found herself practicing next a couple of sincere seekers: David Life and Sharon Gannon… and the rest is HerStory.
Ashtangorexia Nervosa
Bibi Lorenzetti is a new mother and an intensely dedicated Ashtanga yoga practitioner. What most people don’t realize is, like Russell and Harmony, Bibi shares body dysmorphia and has suffered with Anorexia Nervosa. In this episode we talk about how the urgency to “progress” at the physical side of the yoga practice, often comes at the expense of one’s health, which is traced more deeply to old feelings of insecurity. And how Bibi’s mindful and conscious approach helped to prepare her for pregnancy and becoming a mother.
Yoga and the Art of Porsche Maintenance
“We are cultivating all the time, bringing things into being.” - Thimo Wittich
What strikes people about Thimo is his wonderful kindness and good humor. He is very much a sadhaka, like Rolf Naujokat and Swami Agehananda—all Good Germans. Ultimately, just good people that seek to heal the world through mindfulness practice… Listen Now.
Kiki Says It All
From her early origins in a full Opus Dei Catholic school in England to landing the part of Ariel Sharon the Israeli stripper in the blockbuster movie Striptease to becoming a leading figure in the Ashtanga yoga community and now holding the Guinness World Record for the longest held downward facing dog, Kimberly “Kiki” Flynn has lived a fantastical life. This is one podcast interview you won’t want to miss!
Time For A Breathing Break
In this episode of Finding Harmony, we’ve decided to take a little Breathing Break. We wanted to share some funny stories and talk about our experience with the fourth limb of the eight-limb yoga path: Pranayama. During these especially stressful times, we felt it was important to share with you some of the many benefits that cultivating a regular breathing practice can have on your body and mind. If you want to learn more about practicing the 4th limb of yoga: Register for my online Pranayama Course that starts Sunday September 13.
Peel Back The Layers with our Autumn Retreat October 2-4. Join myself, Russell Case, Lara Land and Thimo Wittich for our AUTUMN YOGA RETREAT ONLINE. Registration is NOW OPEN!
Fracking Yoga
In this episode we catch up with dedicated Ashtangi, mother of two, and highly acclaimed jouranlist, Bethany McLean. She is also an author and contributing editor to Vanity Fair, who lives in Chicago. Many of you might remember her from the 2012 Vanity Fair article entitled: Who’s Yoga Is It Anyway? where she explored how the global Ashtanga yoga community grapples with the death of Guru, Pattabhi Jois, and the complicated response to Sonia Jones launching a chain of yoga studios under the “Jois” name. A name copyrighted and paid for, but a purchase that rankled the prickly egos of senior students who preferred their status just where it was: On Top…
Ashtanga Yoga Tiger Training
Larry Hobbs is an Italian American who grew up in North Carolina. He is an Army Veteran who considers himself a late bloomer, coming to the practice of yoga after turning 50… Now, in his 70s, Larry has learned about how to maintain his practice through a spinal surgery, a hip replacement, and has adjusted his practice to accommodate an aging body. You’ll love listening to Harmony, Russell and Larry colloquially reminisce their memories from Mysore and about some of the idiosyncratic Senior Ashtanga teachers they’ve met along the way.
Rediscovering Joy
In this episode we interview Russell’s mother, Michael Carol Case, an exquisite and passionate woman who has lived a fabulous life, in every sense of the word. Michael’s journey to founder and CEO of the largest Urology Niche Recruitment company in the States was a convoluted one. Frustrated by a lack of opportunity for women she entered nursing school in 1965, but quickly dropped out, promoted the Woodstock rock bands at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom, had a felony conviction expunged, and raised two children by herself moving from place to place across the midwest, working at first as a reporter and then an economic developer. However, we want to warn you… This particular episode explores the darkest chapter in her life…
The Only Way Out Is Through...
In this episode we interview Julie Choi Trepkau. We dig into what it was like growing up in a traditional Korean family transplanted in America when she was four years old, and how becoming a parent herself has given her a fresh perspective on generational karma, trauma, and a newfound compassion in understanding her own parents and their struggles… Find out how this high-powered high achieving business lady at the Wall St. Journal pivoted to teaching Ashtanga yoga, actively working as a doula, and now enrolled in midwifery school in Encinitas, California.
Ashtanga Yoga, The Human Reclamation Project
Aimee Echo began her career not as a Yoga teacher but a 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. Seeking refuge from the rock world, she took her first step into an Ashtanga Yoga class in 1999…
(As square as Russell is, he was very interested in Aimee’s career and asked a lot of inappropriate questions about what actually is punk. What is Authentic? Is Miley Cyrus Punk? Does she regret marrying Billy Ray Cyrus' drummer? What is Bad Religion? And, is Yoga the answer?)
LISTEN NOW!
From Dusk To Dawn
Welcome to our anniversary episode! We are looking back at 2020 and the year so far, now half over, and taking stock in what our Podcast Finding Harmony is all about. For us, Yoga is about bringing union and balance to the opposite forces within each moment of pleasure and pain. Many of our episodes seem to deal with examining the point of crises and the resolution in the lives of our yogi friends. Buried within these moments of crisis though is the seed of liberation and from the darkness we find the light.
Everyday Ayurveda with Kate O'Donnell
What exactly is the yogic diet? What should we eat to align ourselves with the principles of yoga? Learn the answers to these questions and so many more on this episode of Finding Harmony!
From her first trip to India, to living on Nancy Gilgoff’s front porch, to becoming a published author three times over and ending up on Fox News as an expert on Ayurveda, Kate O’Donnell has had a fascinating journey combining the Ashtanga yoga practice with a deep wisdom from the ancient science of Ayurveda.
Kate offers some simple and easy ways for you to integrate the ancient principles of Ayurveda into your diet and daily life, which can help to increase your energy and enrich your yoga practice!
What's it gonna take? From Addiction to Ashtanga
In this episode we interview the wild woman herself, Santina Giardina-Chard.
Santina shares with us with her incredible journey. She experienced extraordinary childhood wounds, had a tumultuous early adulthood struggling with an addiction to heroine, lawlessness and eating disorders. Love had a way of finding her though, and a transformation started to happen through the connection with her (now) husband, Shane, the practice of Ashtanga yoga, and digging deep with Gestalt therapy.
We’re lucky to know her and she's lucky to be alive!