Hello everyone and welcome! Today I'm exploring moving from burnout to balance. Whether you're a busy parent, an entrepreneur, a team member, or you just balance a lot, this is for you. Burnout can manifest in many ways, from feeling constantly tired to losing passion for the things you once loved. Our bodies are incredibly intelligent, often giving us signals long before our minds catch up. Tuning in and recognising our own body’s language, can guide us toward tiny adjustments that make huge di...
Mar 07, 2025•21 min•Season 4Ep. 51
Join Joanne Avison and Paul Thornley as they unveil the secrets of MYOFASCIAL MAGIC in the new book. ‘Myofascial Magic In Action - A Movement Practitioner’s Guide to How the Body Really Moves’ is a comprehensive guide to injury prevention, bodywork practices, and holistic healing; and is full of practical ways to work with the human body, whatever your modality. Learning about this intricate and fascinating web of connective tissue we call fascia can upgrade your practice. It transforms how you ...
Feb 28, 2025•32 min•Season 4Ep. 50
In this episode of The Joanne Avison podcast, Joanne and her guest, Shane McDermott, engage in a deep conversation about the different qualities of listening... Can we listen from the heart? With our hands? As well as our ears? They discuss the four key levels of listening - download listening, factual listening, empathetic listening, and generative listening - and how they impact our perception of reality. It’s a must-hear for everyone - especially those who work with people in a therapeutic or...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 4Ep. 49
Join us to learn three great movements for healing Diastasis Recti. Your body is round and it needs to do what it does naturally, which is breathe, gently spiral and walk - while it heals. Some methods of working with this issue require you to compress and tighten an area that is already in trouble. That’s a bit like shouting at yourself when you fell over and grazed your knee! What you really want is a gentle hand to help you get up and clean the graze and give you a bit of loving kindness!! He...
Feb 12, 2025•49 min•Season 4Ep. 48
In this thought-provoking episode, we delve into the history of how the study of science in the West separated soma from soul. It has deep implications to our understanding of the intricate relationship between the body and the being that animates it. The notion of soul separation has sparked intense debate, with many seeking to reconcile the principles of science and spirituality. By understanding how the somatic approach was separated from the study of psychology, we can wonder if tapping into...
Feb 04, 2025•22 min•Season 4Ep. 47
In this episode, Joanne Avison and Paul Thornley are rethinking pelvic floor exercises and exploring a balanced approach to women’s wellness and rehabilitation. We discuss how traditional approaches often overlook the interconnectedness of the body and how a more holistic and subtle approach that honours the myofascial structures, can lead to more effective and sustainable results. Join us as we delve into the world of fascia wisdom, and discuss why subtle treatment and rehab strategies are so i...
Jan 28, 2025•20 min•Season 4Ep. 46
In this thought-provoking, actionable episode, we delve into the fascinating connection between fascia, emotions and simple things we can do to promote our own relaxation directly. We explore simply smiling or frowning; and observe how it changes the feelings (and our shape!) as a somatic experience. Drawing on her expertise, Joanne examines the integral role of fascia (with easy examples) in fostering a deeper sense of connection between body and mind. By embracing simple, embodied practices an...
Jan 21, 2025•18 min•Season 4Ep. 45
Join Joanne and Paul in this fascinating episode as they share insights - and debunk some common myths - around Plantar Fasciitis . There's often different reasons FOR the pain, and it can need a variety of different treatments depending on the root cause. Sometimes Plantar Fasciitis is blamed on high arches, sometimes on low arches (flat feet). Sometimes there’s shin splints (from overuse) and sometimes lack of motion is blamed. Often it’s hard to know what, where and why you, or a client, migh...
Jan 14, 2025•28 min•Season 4Ep. 44
Join us for this conversation with the brilliant Professor Darrell Evans, diving deep (in plain language) into the fascinating world of anatomy, embryology, biological development and the interconnectedness of connective tissues. What does that really mean? Professor Evans shares his brilliant and unconventional career journey, insights from his academic roles, his innovative teaching methods, and his perspectives on anatomical variability. (What makes us all the same is that we are all unique!!...
Jan 03, 2025•59 min•Season 4Ep. 43
For many it’s the season for gifting, and I want to share a very special gift with you, dear Listener! Last year John Sharkey and Mark Flannigan released a gold standard, peer-reviewed research paper which seeks to move us towards an interdisciplinary definition o f fascia , particularly for the benefit of all fascia-focused movement and manual practitioners. It’s an incredible and important piece of work, and so many of you loved hearing about it when I originally released this (in fact it quic...
Dec 27, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 42
Join Joanne and Paul in this engaging conversation, we delve into the crucial topic of RECOVERY for ‘weekend warriors’ - those of us who push the physical limits during our weekends off or find time for only short concentrated stints of activities, whether it’s marathon training, football, sports, HIIT or intense biking…whatever we do at high intensity. Full recovery is often overlooked as unnecessary. It can be under-appreciated - it’s actually ESSENTIAL. We discuss the science of myofascial re...
Dec 20, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 41
In this episode Joanne talks with the brilliant Alexander Technique practitioner Tully Hall. The conversation delves deep into the principles and benefits of the Alexander Technique, emphasizing its gentle approach to enhancing sensory awareness and self-regulation. We touch upon the importance of integrating body, mind, and spirit in healing practices and explore the benefits of using sound and vibration in therapeutic contexts. Tully shares a profound personal experience of healing from a trau...
Dec 13, 2024•55 min•Season 4Ep. 40
In this episode, Paul and Joanne explore 5 of the most prevalent myths about back pain that you may still believe. We provide you with valuable insights and wellness tips to help you manage chronic pain and discomfort, whilst ensuring you're not inadvertently making it worse!! There really are different options for effective prevention and recovery - when you understand how the myofascial matrix works. From fascia research to intelligent movement, join us as we discuss the importance of self-awa...
Dec 06, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 39
In this episode Joanne explores the profound and intriguing connection between your body’s fascia and your emotional, energetic, and spiritual well-being. We look at how we can tap into the self-organising power of our bodies, fostering a deeper understanding of our biomotional intelligence and internal somatic register - through the fascia - if we understand a little of how Spirit animates us. Join me on a journey of discovery, exploring the intricate relationships between fascia, energy, aware...
Nov 29, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 38
In this episode Joanne interviews Kelley McLaughlin, a highly qualified bodywork and movement practitioner (certified in John F. Barnes' Myofascial Release Therapy). The conversation delves into the concept of 'magic' in healing and fascia, highlighting the importance of intention, curiosity, and the intersection between science and mystery. They discuss their shared experiences in the scientific field, including a significant moment at Ohio State University, where interdisciplinary collaboratio...
Nov 22, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 37
What if there were simple tools that could improve your inner world immediately - without you folding yourself into a “pretzel” or meditating for hours? In this episode, Joanne Avison interviews Jyoti Manuel, of Special Yoga, who works every day with adults and children, making a profound difference to their well-being. We explore the question: can yoga really improve mental health? Are there super simple, easy things we can do to make a difference to our daily stress on every level - without do...
Nov 15, 2024•30 min•Season 4Ep. 36
In this episode, we're going beyond the gym to explore the transformative power of functional movement in enhancing our daily lives and the lives of those we care for. By incorporating specific features of holistic fascia training and movement optimisation, we can experience improved movement efficiency, dynamic stability, and optimal alignment. Join Joanne and Paul as we delve into the world of fascial performance, integrative health, and holistic self-care. SIGN UP TO THE JOANNE AVISON NEWSLET...
Nov 08, 2024•25 min•Season 4Ep. 35
Join Joanne in this brilliant chat with Dr. Karen Kirkness as they take a fascinating journey to unlock the secrets of the embryo, that remarkable human blueprint we all share! From the earliest stages of development, the embryo’s genetic code orchestrates a complex dance of tissue dynamics, fascia insights, and biological pathways - which Karen describes so beautifully so we can all understand it! Join us to explore the magic and the mystery, the science and the curiosity that inspires us all a...
Nov 01, 2024•41 min•Season 4Ep. 34
Discover the hidden language of your body, and how it makes SUCH a huge difference to your ability to enjoy moving and being in your body - if you learn to tune into it... Fascia, as you'll discover in this week’s episode, literally signals to itself and to you 24/7 - ALL the time! If you know what you’re listening to, you can discover this hidden language of your body and learn to read its messages. It’s much more than a complex network of connective tissue. It holds secrets to optimal wellness...
Oct 25, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 33
If you’ve ever experienced muscle trembling during or after a workout or a class - you may have heard the idea that it’s “good for you”. But, as Paul and Joanne discuss in this episode, it could actually be a sign that you’re overtraining, and it’s essential to recognize these warning signs to avoid injury. You can maintain optimal performance, if you understand when “more” is NOT NECESSARILY “better”. In this episode, we’ll delve into some research in exercise science and explore the connection...
Oct 17, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 32
In this enlightening episode, Joanne delves into the fascinating world of myofascial release, discussing various interpretations of this powerful bodywork technique and what it means to different people. Tune in to discover how myofascial release has become a well known complementary health technique - and... what does it really mean? It has very different interpretations for different bodywork modalities... So this episode will expand your understanding and provide a wider - and perhaps more he...
Oct 10, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 31
Join Dr. Karen Kirkness and Joanne Avison in this enlightening exploration of anatomy through the lens of spirals, where they delve into the fascinating intersection of holistic health and anatomical insights, as revealed in Karen’s book Spiral Bound. In this open-hearted deep dive, from 2021, Karen (now Dr. Kirkness) shared her expertise in fascia research and the principles of tensegrity medicine. It highlights the importance of body mapping, for structural integrity and deeper understanding a...
Oct 03, 2024•40 min•Season 4Ep. 31
Enjoy this story (behind the story!) of Joanne Avison’s groundbreaking new book, that explores the intricate connections between our body’s anatomy and holistic wellness through understanding fascia, spirit, and movement. In this episode Joanne tells the delightful story behind how it all happened. The new book, Myofascial Magic In Action , offers therapeutic micro-movement techniques that promote holistic health and wellness. In the book you'll discover how to incorporate anatomy awareness and ...
Sep 26, 2024•16 min•Season 4Ep. 30
Discover the transformative power of ancient wisdom in our modern lives through the harmonious practices of permaculture, Ayurveda, and yoga. In this enlightening conversation, Joanne and wellness consultant Justin Robertshaw explore how these holistic health systems foster balanced living, community empowerment, and environmental harmony. Joanne and Justin discuss the intersection of yoga, Ayurveda and permaculture, highlighting how these practices can support sustainable living in ways that ho...
Sep 19, 2024•48 min•Season 4Ep. 29
Joanne and Paul are back with another Myofascial Magic In Action episode! Listen in as they explain how fascia influences movement and adaptability - not just during intense exercise but also during our everyday activities. Fascia can thicken or soften and adapt to repeated stress - so whether it's weightlifting or long periods of sitting, it learns to meet the demand of “that performance”. It is constantly seeking a balance between performance and recovery . That really is key to long-term heal...
Sep 13, 2024•39 min•Season 4Ep. 28
Join us on an enlightening journey as we explore the future of medicine and how energy, fascia, and intuition are shaping the landscape of healing. In this episode, Emeritus Professor Carol Davis and Joanne delve into the exciting realm of integrative healing, highlighting the wellness revolution that emphasizes functional wellness and holistic health. Discover how intuitive healing and alternative medicine are becoming essential components in therapeutic and medical approaches, bridging the gap...
Sep 05, 2024•54 min•Season 4Ep. 27
We've discovered a long-lost never-heard-before interview with the brilliant Paul Thornley from 2021, and simply had to share it with you!! In it Paul shares the transformative power of combining martial arts with neuromuscular therapy, distinguishing how classical biomechanics and holistic, 21st century anatomy do - or don’t - make sense of our embodied existence. He does this in such a unique way that it inspires all of us to ask new questions to truly improve our overall wellness. Before Myof...
Aug 30, 2024•51 min•Season 4Ep. 26
In this delightful interview with John Sharkey, we cover what we need to know as movement and manual therapists about Stretching, Myofascial integrity and some key principles about Fascia. I had this chat with John last year but it was only released on my YouTube channel and not on the podcast - til now! John Sharkey is a Clinical Anatomist and an Exercise Physiologist with a gift of storytelling in a way that makes sense - in practical application - of the keys to good manual therapy and moveme...
Aug 09, 2024•38 min•Season 4Ep. 25
Dr. Jean-Claude Guimberteau delves into the incredible world of fascia, providing biological insights and anatomy clarity on why being alive matters. Explore fascia functions and gain a deeper understanding of the human body in this fascinating conversation. Dr Guimberteau is famous for his videos of the Fascia Matrix IN VIVO. In vivo means “in the living body”, and in this interview Dr. Guimberteau points out that we make different conclusions when we learn in these different ways - and it matt...
Aug 03, 2024•58 min•Season 4Ep. 24
In this episode Joanne addresses a fascinating question about micro movement, from a Myofascial Magic in Action course participant. She unpacks why daily micro movements can lead to such significant improvements in wellbeing, explaining this phenomenon through the key concepts of challenge, courage, and care. Could it be that these small, mindful movements can serve our wellbeing as much (if not more than) the grand physical achievements we might strive to achieve? Is this the missing link in un...
Jul 24, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 23
