A Grateful Life

Join us for a deeply transformative conversation about yoga as a path of self-remembrance and coming home to ourselves.  In this episode, I sit down with Tracee Stanley (she/her) to explore the profound practice of yoga nidra and how it can guide us back to our true essence. In the episode, Tracee takes us on a journey into how she discovered yoga after a spontaneous experience on a balcony watchi...

We often talk about adolescence but what about matresence?  In today’s podcast episode, I sat down with Claire Holloway (she/her) to talk about all things pregnancy, birth and beyond. Claire is a yoga teacher, mother of two and the founder of the Centre of Bright Beginnings, where she holds space for women and parents to explore their own transformative journey, feeling supported and empowered tow...

In today’s episode, I sat down with Leslie Kaminoff, to talk about the evolution of yoga and the power of breath in emotion regulation. Leslie is a yoga educator inspired by the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar, and for five decades has been leading workshops and trainings in the fields of yoga, breath anatomy and bodywork. He also is the co-author of the book Yoga Anatomy which has sold over a mill...

As a new mum, Belinda Haan (she/her) knew all about the power of self-compassion as she’d been teaching other mums all about it in her work. But she had a little secret. She wasn’t being compassionate to herself, despite having all the knowledge and tools at her fingertips. In today’s podcast episode, you’ll hear about how Belinda overcame this barrier to self-compassion, both back then as a new m...

Jane Hardwicke Collings (she/her) works for the goddess and I’m delighted to introduce you to her in this latest podcast episode, as we talk about women’s mysteries and rites of passage. I have been following Jane’s work for many years and last year, had the pleasure of attending one of her workshops on perimenopause. I was blown away, not only by what she was sharing, but also by the commanding w...

Five years ago in meditation, Rachel Allan (she/her) was given a quest to start the 40 for Tea podcast.  She ignored this guidance for a couple of years, but after finding herself sobbing on the floor with a broken heart, she asked herself what she would most regret in her life if she died today. The answer was not what she expected…. the 40 for Tea podcast.  So as the world went into lockdown, Ra...

Did you know that yoga nidrā is not just an evidence-based relaxation practice, but she’s also the goddess of sleep and dreams in Indian mythology? In this podcast episode, I sat down with Uma Dinsmore-Tuli (she/her) to talk about all things yoga nidrā.  For those of you who know me, you’ll know this is a practice I’m very passionate about, and it truly was an honour to chat with Uma in this episo...

Aunty Jacqui Jarrett (she/her) is a proud Dharawal & Gumbaynggirr woman, elder & traditional owner of the Sydney Basin in Australia.  As soon as Aunty Jacqui joined the Mental Health Aware Yoga training last year, I knew that I wanted to invite her on the podcast to speak about her life and work. Aunty Jacqui's yoga practice is intrinsically tied to her cultural obligations and responsibil...

What if yoga was built on a system of caste apartheid? If the very philosophies and practices we engaged in for our personal and collective liberation were actually deeply unjust and harmful for many? Can we still practice and teach yoga? Where do we go from here? These are questions that we’re exploring today in this thoughtful, heartfelt and somewhat controversial interview on the podcast with R...

My friend Libbie Nelson (she/her) is over 80 years old and has been contemplating death. In our conversation on the podcast today, Libbie and I talk about the five stages of a person's life, from student to householder, forest-dweller, renunciate and death and how thinking about death can actually help us to wake up and really live our lives with intention. Libbie has been teaching and sharing yog...

Have you been diagnosed with Autism or ADHD recently? Or love or work with someone who has? You’re going to love today’s podcast episode! Monique Mitchelson (she/her) is an Autistic and ADHD’er Clinical Psychologist and the host of the very popular Neurodivergent Woman Podcast. We take a deep dive into her lived and professional experience of living a neurodivergent life and cover so much in today...

I hated anatomy when I studied it at uni (can anyone else relate?). So when Leila Stuart reached out about coming on the podcast again to chat about her work with embodied anatomy, I was a little unsure about whether it would be interesting! But this episode is anything but boring! Leila spoke about burnout on the podcast last year, and it was such a popular episode and resonated for so many peopl...

Om swastiastu, greetings from Bali! I first heard about Umā sitting in a women’s circle in Byron Bay, Australia, and the way my friends described her made me want to meet her immediately. You'll understand why when you listen in! Umā is the founding director of SATYA - the Synergistic Alignment of Tantra, Yoga & Ayurveda, and lives in Bali, Indonesia. Born in Kenya of Indian descent to a Hindu...

There’s been a lot of attention about the menstrual cycle and perimenopause in the media in the last few years, but what happens after we cross the threshold of menopause? Today’s episode with Ana Davis (she/her) is the final installment in this three-part series on the cycles of a woman's life. In the first episode, we spoke about menstruation, in the second episode we explored perimenopause and...

Ana Davis (she/her) wrote a ground-breaking book on yoga and menstruation, and she was one of the first women I ever heard talking and writing openly about perimenopause. Today’s episode is part two in a three-part series on living and practising yoga in tune with the different seasons of a woman's life, and in this episode, we’re looking at perimenopause. My guest, Ana Davis is a feminine yoga te...

Moving with the moon is a way of living and practising yoga in tune with our menstrual cycle. Today’s podcast episode is part one of a three-part series on living and practising yoga in tune with the different seasons of a woman's life, and in this episode, we’re looking at menstruation. My guest, Ana Davis (she/her) is a feminine yoga teacher and trainer from Bliss Baby Yoga, and the author of th...

If you’re a yoga teacher, or have ever thought about becoming one, this podcast episode with Shannon Crow (she/her) is for you! This episode is a full circle moment for me.  After I was interviewed on Shannon’s podcast, the Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast a few years ago, my publisher, Singing Dragon, reached out to ask me if I would be interested in writing a book on yoga and mental health. I had...

Delamay Devi (she/her) followed the sun and skipped out on winter for many years by travelling around the world teaching yoga. Born and raised in Australia’s yoga mecca, Byron Bay on Bundjalung Country in Australia, Delamay started her teaching journey in the late 90s as a dance teacher, which progressed over the years to teaching yoga and sharing embodied practices around the world, with Shiva Re...

How can understanding our doshas support our mental health? In today’s podcast episode, I’m delighted to introduce you to Jody Vassallo.  Jody has been a recipe writer and food stylist for over 20 years, working with some big names like Marie Claire, Donna Hay, Jamie Oliver and Vogue. She’s also a yoga teacher and ayurvedic practitioner. I love Jody’s cookbooks, and her book Beautiful Food is a st...

How do we bring polyvagal theory into our yoga practice and teaching to support healing and growth? In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr Arielle Schwartz (she/her), a fellow clinical psychologist and yoga teacher, and a leading voice in the healing of trauma, to dive into this fascinating topic. Arielle is an internationally sought-after teacher and author of seven books including The Complex PTSD...

Pull up a cushion, pour yourself a chai and join Dr Raj Balkaran and I around the virtual fire for storytime. Raj is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative literature, wisdom teacher and online educator. He's the founder of The Indian Wisdom School, author of the book The Stories Behind the Poses: The Indian Mythology that Inspired 50 Yoga Postures and runs a thriving one-on-one spiritual guidance practi...

Have you ever wanted to go to India to experience authentic yoga and Ayurveda, but not sure where to start? Let me introduce you to Amy Landry! Amy is a senior yoga teacher, Ayurvedic practitioner, mentor and podcast host, and takes people on pilgrimages to India to create meaningful memories of a lifetime. What a job! In this podcast episode, we’ll be hearing about Amy’s introduction to yoga, aft...

Have you ever heard people say that yoga helps them to navigate the ups and downs of life? I know this is something that I say all the time. But what does it actually mean? In today’s episode, I’m joined by beloved Brisbane yoga teacher, Julie Smerdon (she/her), where she shares some of the big health and financial challenges of life, and how movement and yoga helped her to navigate them, as well...

Danni Carr used to wake up some mornings with a feeling of dread, wondering if she’d remembered to put her kids to bed and what alcohol fuelled things she’d said or done the night before. After years of touring and partying with her husband Ash Grunwald, a much-loved Australian Blues Musician, the excessive binges started to take their toll and the two decided enough was enough, and they both deci...

I like to think I'm a feminist, but my guest on today's podcast episode really called me out on something important! Today’s episode is to celebrate our sponsor, Yoga Australia’s 25th year anniversary. And joining us is their Vice President, Merridy Woodroffe. Merridy is a wife, a dog mum, a lawyer, an ashtanga yoga practitioner and a yoga therapist, as well as being the vice president of Yoga Aus...