This practice will have you connecting to your breathing and to your sankalpa, or intention, which manifests as a single-sentence affirmation. In addition to bringing awareness to your body and its sensations, we will also be exploring emotional opposites. So find a safe space to listen as I walk you through, step-by-step, the instructions of this 20-minute R&R Sleep Meditation. And stay tuned for more practices in the weeks to come. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www...
Jul 23, 2024•22 min
Today’s episode is the next in our mini-series on bone health and osteoporosis, and it’s a special one because returning to the podcast is our good friend Ruth Ann Penny, the veteran educator and teacher of therapeutic and functional yoga for older adults. Listen in as we discuss the health professional-client relationship, how that relationship impacts the healing process, and ways in which professionals can treat such patients without relying on a script. Get full show notes and more informati...
Jul 18, 2024•31 min
This is a short yoga nidra practice designed to fit into those times when you really want to focus on your listening, feeling, or sense of self. It’s also perfect for settling your nervous system, quieting your brain, and becoming more alert—all when you don’t have a lot of time. So, get yourself into a comfortable position, in a safe place, and listen in as I walk you through this short 10-minute practice step-by-step. Be sure to save this episode for whenever you need to clear and quiet your m...
Jul 16, 2024•13 min
Welcome to the next episode in the mini-series on bone health and osteoporosis. Today I’m very excited for the return of Mona Warner, Ayurvedic practitioner, Ayurvedic yoga therapist, and yoga teacher trainer, who joins me to offer her perspective on osteoporosis. Tune in as Mona shares why the digestive system is so essential in Ayurveda, how patients can support their digestion to promote tissue development, and how Ayurvedic medicine seeks to address an individual holistically through three d...
Jul 11, 2024•32 min
As we continue our mini-series on bone health, and especially on osteoporosis, I’m speaking with a very special guest today: Melanie Metrow, a physical therapist and trainee in my IAYT program. In this conversation we’re talking about the role fear can play when trying to live with osteoporosis and how that fear impacts our autonomic nervous system (ANS). Listen in as we discuss, in detail, how the ANS responds to our environment, the power of receiving an osteoporosis diagnosis in a compassiona...
Jul 04, 2024•29 min
As a special treat, today I’m sharing an extended body scan practice designed to help you settle into your body and create an embodied space with intentional breathing. It is just the trick for getting over a little post-trip jet lag, for times when you’re feeling like you're not quite in your body, or if you're feeling a little fried or wired. In those cases, a practice like this can really help you reconnect. Find a safe, comfortable position where you can truly be with yourself—whether that’s...
Jul 02, 2024•29 min•Ep. 263
Welcome to an all-new mini-series about bone health. In this episode, I will be introducing this topic with a very special guest, Laurie-Anne Lamothe, a yoga teacher and soon-to-be graduate of my yoga therapy accredited IAYT program. Listen in as Laurie-Anne discusses why there’s so much fear present around osteoporosis and the current care gap that exists between treatment and information provided to patients. She’ll also be providing several client case studies to illustrate her experience hel...
Jun 27, 2024•31 min
Welcome back to another episode of the podcast in which I’m sharing a breath and body scan—a technique inside of yoga nidra where we can really tune in and heighten the perception of our body while also enabling a level of relaxation. Find a safe and comfortable place to sit or lay down and tune in as I walk you through, step-by-step, this 20-minute body scan and be sure to keep an eye out for more practices on future episodes. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functiona...
Jun 25, 2024•21 min
Today’s episode of the podcast is special because it was recorded out of some real-life inspiration. It involves me exploring the magic of the healing process and how to achieve that with your clients on a consistent basis. Listen in as I explain why, if we want to make a difference in healing, we need to move from technique and in the direction of transformation. Because there are no binary answers in healing—we must step back, utilize anatomy, use our knowledge, and allow for the magic to aris...
Jun 20, 2024•22 min
It’s that time again—time to achieve rest, recuperation, and better breathing with another body scan practice. Only this exercise is meant to be performed while in a side bend as it can be a lovely place to settle through the body. All you need to do is grab a yoga mat, a couple pillows, or even a blanket, and I’ll walk you through, step-by-step, the instructions of this side bend body scan. And, if you benefited from this practice, be sure to explore previous episodes to find similar meditation...
Jun 18, 2024•17 min
In the next part of my “Exploring Your Feet” mini-series, I’m talking with two trainees of my recent Yoga Intensive, Lisa Neukomm and Angelique Canonico. Both are here sharing their stories about feet-related issues and how they’ve benefited from my course to begin healing. Listen in to our conversations as we open your eyes, your heart, and your mind to the healing possibilities in your own feet and body, and that of your clients. That includes becoming more aware of your movements, using your ...
Jun 13, 2024•30 min
When experiencing pain or discomfort, it’s easy to fixate on finding out the next exercise you need to do for your rehabilitation process. That logical processing is necessary but in order to support a transformative healing process, we must also use a different part of our brain. This practice will allow you to enjoy the benefits of the relaxation response, which slows down brain wave frequency and provides optimal healing opportunities. So, whether it’s outside or on a treadmill, tune in for t...
Jun 11, 2024•14 min
In part three of my mini-series, Exploring Your Feet, we’re taking a holistic view of healing the feet—a perspective that incorporates both the body and mind. To do so, we’ll be looking at our feet as our body’s foundation but also as a link in a connected chain. So tune in as I explore kinetic changes and several exercises that can be used to support your clients as they improve the function of their feet. I’ll also be examining how to better understand body mechanics and why it’s possible to m...
Jun 06, 2024•19 min
In the next part of my “Exploring Your Feet” mini-series, I’m providing you detailed instructions for a body scan practice—one designed to bring your attention to your feet. By doing so, you’ll be more equipped to listen to your body and address pain associated with your feet. So find a safe, comfortable place to sit or lay down as I guide you, step-by-step, through this 15-minute body scan practice to put you more in touch with your feet, your movements, and what it is your body is communicatin...
Jun 04, 2024•15 min
On today’s episode—the second in my new mini-series, Exploring Your Feet—I’m investigating how our feet respond to flip flops as well as sharing my own experiences in managing this stimulus while also elevating my function. Listen in to learn the compensation patterns most associated with wearing flip flops, the ways to support foot function while doing so, and how my time bike riding has allowed me to become more connected to my movements—both my feet and up the chain. Get full show notes and m...
May 30, 2024•25 min
It’s a very special episode today as I’m beginning a brand new mini-series, “Exploring Your Feet,” where we will dive deep into our feet, the pain and soreness that can occur in our feet, and ways to use our feet to better understand our movements. Listen in as I help you understand the feet as the foundation of your movements (while also sharing how that interpretation can be limiting) as well as ways to tune into your feet such as by using a golf ball to relieve tension in various parts of you...
May 23, 2024•25 min
On today’s episode I'll be guiding you through another Rest & Revitalization Sleep Meditation—a practice created by Ann Douglas, a teacher and trainer of yoga, yoga nidra, and meditation. So find a safe space to listen as I walk you through, step-by-step, the instructions of this R&R Sleep Meditation. And, if you benefited from this practice, you can check out previous episodes to find similar meditations. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/2...
May 21, 2024•27 min
On today’s episode we’re exploring the concept of core stability from the lens of being an anatomy architect. More specifically, I’m discussing better ways to strengthen your core in a way that can effectively reduce or eradicate your pain. Tune in as I share the keys to strengthening your core and how that requires reducing the layers of tension over it, as well as the anatomy architect state of mind that allows patients and professionals alike to identify compensation patterns and improve neur...
May 16, 2024•20 min
Suffering from a lack of sleep? Or maybe you’re getting the recommended amount of sleep but you still don’t feel well rested. Well, in today's episode, I’ll be guiding you through a 30-minute Rest & Revitalization Sleep Meditation, which is sure to help you recharge. Find a safe and comfortable place to sit or lay down and tune in as I walk you step-by-step through this meditation, and be sure to keep an eye out for more meditations on future episodes. Get full show notes and more informatio...
May 14, 2024•31 min•Ep. 250
For many healing professionals, the old method of “one-size-fits-all solutions” simply isn’t working anymore. Instead, nowadays, clients (and teachers too) must tap into their own awareness to understand pain and the anatomy, biomechanics, and kinesiological principles associated with it. Tune in this week to hear me the steps to strengthen the mind-body connection, how to teach from a place of confidence in your practice, as well as ways to have honest conversation about pain. Finally, I’ll als...
May 09, 2024•29 min•Ep. 249
As we continue to explore more guided meditations on the podcast, today’s show is extra special because I’m walking you through a new kind of body scan practice—different from what we’ve done in previous episodes. While the typical body scan focuses your attention to a single point in your body (your hands, your shoulders, your feet, etc.) this practice I’m walking you through today will guide your attention to two points, allowing you to explore the space in between and around them. So find a s...
May 07, 2024•17 min•Ep. 248
On today’s episode we’re exploring back pain and, specifically, why I don’t use the Uttanasana yoga pose as a means of reducing that pain in my clients. In short, it’s because the results aren’t consistent enough. Join me in discussing back pain, how such pain is actually an expression of the actual problem, and the alternatives to Uttanasana—some of which aren’t mechanical and instead may be yoga nidra, breathing, and rest. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsy...
May 02, 2024•19 min•Ep. 247
Whether you’re a yoga therapist, a yoga teacher, or a client currently in the rehab process, the concept of cueing impacts everyone, which is why today I’m discussing how to engage in cueing in a way that is most beneficial for healing. Listen in as I explore the fundamentals of cueing, the relationship formed between health professionals and patients through cueing, as well as how to use cueing to prevent injuries and strengthen the connection to our bodies. Get full show notes and more informa...
Apr 25, 2024•20 min•Ep. 246
Get comfortable because today I’ll be walking you through a body scan and breath awareness meditation, a practice similar to the Rest & Revitalization Sleep Meditations covered in previous episodes. So find a safe and quiet place where you can sit or lay down as I guide you, step-by-step, through this 20-minute body scan and breath awareness practice in order to down-regulate your nervous system. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/245...
Apr 18, 2024•20 min•Ep. 245
As I continue my mini-series on Healing & Synergy, today we’re discussing what happens when a health professional or a client hits a wall during rehab and they decide to “retire this yoga pose”. Listen in to learn how a client’s embodied awareness can lead to better connection, less tension, and less gripping. And how, in those states, a patient can increase their capabilities and, as a result, progress their healing. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsyner...
Apr 16, 2024•16 min•Ep. 244
Welcome to another special episode in the Healing & Synergy mini-series where we are discussing the three biggest myths associated with yoga therapy and the business of practicing it. There are so many great training programs out there that neglect to give participants the education they need to grow a thriving practice without sacrificing their well-being. Tune in as I’m challenging the idea that you can’t actually make a living being a yoga therapist or that people are unwilling to pay you...
Apr 11, 2024•24 min•Ep. 243
In this next part of the Healing & Synergy mini-series, we’re discussing the concept of modifications and how, while they may be useful in yoga teaching, they can be counterproductive in yoga therapy. Tune in as I explain how such modifications limit the healing process during rehabilitation as well as the thinking required to move away from those workarounds to actually resolve a patient’s core movement issues. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com...
Apr 09, 2024•21 min•Ep. 242
Find a quiet, comfortable spot because today’s episode—the next part of my Healing & Synergy mini-series—is another Rest & Revitalization Sleep Meditation practice, this one focused on helping you navigate the highs and lows of the rehabilitation process. Listen in as I explain the power behind the practice of opposites in yoga nidra, especially as it relates to the “fix it” cycle, and then guide you through this 40-minute R&R Sleep Meditation, step-by-step. Get full show notes and m...
Apr 04, 2024•40 min•Ep. 241
Now and again as healing professionals, we encounter clients who simply want a fix for their pain and are uninterested in understanding the systems of healing. For many such clients, you may be the latest in a long line of health professionals they’ve sought out. Where you can differ though is in how you develop a healing relationship with these patients so they see rehab as an exploration. Tune in this week as I describe how to cultivate trust with a client by starting a dialogue with them abou...
Apr 02, 2024•19 min•Ep. 240
As part of the mini-series on Healing & Synergy, today we’re talking with Lisa Neukomm, personal trainer and current participant in the Yoga Therapy Certification, about integrating the concepts she’s learned in the program into her practice. Listen in as we discuss how to become an integrative personal trainer by abandoning a healing process that is just goal oriented—lifting heavier weighting, increasing reps, etc.—and, instead, advocating a mind-body connection to achieve true healing wit...
Mar 28, 2024•28 min•Ep. 239
