The Flow Artists Podcast - Yoga, activism and more

We are delighted to welcome back Ann Swanson, a certified yoga therapist, speaker, and author, to the Flow Artist Podcast. Ann has previously graced our show in 2019 to discuss her book "The Science of Yoga," which has being translated into over 15 languages. As a unique blend of a heart-based healer and a self-professed science nerd, Ann has dedicated her life's work to making yoga and wellness accessible and non-intimidating, especially for those who might feel intimidated by these practices. With a Master of Science in yoga therapy and roots studying yoga in India and qi gong in China, Ann brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her teachings. She seamlessly integrates cutting-edge research with the heart of ancient mind-body traditions, creating a powerful synthesis that resonates with a wide audience. Ann's ability to make complex scientific concepts relatable and actionable is truly remarkable. Ann's journey is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of personal growth. After embarking on a worldwide book tour following the success of her first book, "The Science of Yoga," she found herself unexpectedly confined during the COVID-19 pandemic, nestled in the familiar confines of her mother's basement. This time created space for the writing of "Meditation for the Real World," a poignant exploration of meditation's accessibility and applicability to our daily lives. With a keen understanding of the human condition, Ann acknowledges the diverse emotional landscapes we traverse. Her approach transcends the one-size-fits-all paradigm, offering a cornucopia of meditation techniques meticulously tailored to address specific emotional and mental states. From panic attacks and trauma to the pull of "doom scrolling," Swanson's guidance empowers us to harness the transformative power of meditation, cultivating resilience and inner calm amidst life's turbulences. Swanson illuminates the neurological underpinnings of meditation, unveiling its profound impact on brain structure, telomeres, and the aging process. Groundbreaking research reveals meditation's ability to slow or even reverse the effects of aging on the brain and body, a testament to the profound synergy between mind and matter. Swanson's discourse also explores the notion of co-regulation, where the nervous systems of individuals in close proximity can become aligned through practices such as chanting, singing, and meditation. This concept holds wonderful implications for yoga teachers and their students, as the ripple effects of collective mindfulness can have a positive effect within shared spaces. We really appreciate this book and enjoyed the conversation - we hope you do to! Links Order Meditation for the Real World and get exclusive bonuses: https://meditationfortherealworld.com/ Order SCIENCE OF YOGA book: https://geni.us/cpr0p7 Ann’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnnSwansonWellness Ann’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scienceof.yoga/

We're thrilled to welcome back beloved teacher and accessibility advocate Jivana Heyman to discuss his latest book, The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga. As one of the early pioneers of making yoga welcoming and accessible for all types of bodies through his non-profit Accessible Yoga, Jivana has inspired countless teachers to rethink their approach. His new book offers practical guidance on best practices for making classes trauma-informed and tailored to each student's needs. Jivana stresses that rather than focusing on perfect alignment or achieving advanced poses, a good teacher uplifts students to find their own inner wisdom. We discuss simple techniques like giving options, avoiding assumptions, and letting go of judgement that make yoga spaces safer and more empowering. Other topics include: Balancing discipline and self-compassion in practice Integrating meditation and pranayama into asana classes Teaching in a way that serves both introverts and extroverts Fostering student agency and community Jivana also shares personal stories from his 30 years of teaching experience to illustrate how yoga can be transformative when focused on creating connection rather judging ourselves or others. His humility and kindness shine through as always! We're giving away a copy of Jivana's illuminating book The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga. Listen to the end of the episode to learn more! Thank you for listening and for helping to spread the message of inclusive and compassionate yoga spaces! Links: The Teacher's guide to Accessible Yoga Book Launch: https://www.accessibleyogaschool.com/teachers-guide-to-accessible-yoga-launch Accessible Yoga School: https://www.accessibleyogaschool.com/jivana-home-landing Accessible Yoga Association: https://accessibleyoga.org/ Jivana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jivanaheyman/

In this episode we speak with Claire Holloway, the founder of the Center for Bright Beginnings and co creator of the Practical Yoga Philosophy for Parenthood course, alongside Ana Davis and Nadine O’Mara of Bliss Baby Yoga. Claire is passionate about integrating Yoga Philosophy into our experience of life and especially parenthood. Now as you probably know, Jo and I don’t have kids ourselves, but we had so much to talk about with Claire, especially around the intersection of yoga and social justice. We talk about honouring yoga’s South Asian roots and considerations of cultural appropriation and Claire’s work to form a Reconciliation Action Plan for Yoga Australia, as well as how we are all feeling about the Voice referendum. One question we also asked Claire was about how to talk to your children about war and genocide, so we do want to give that content advisement. Although we talk about some serious topics, we found this to be a very inspiring and uplifting conversation, and we really value and appreciate the chance to dig into and discuss yogic philosophy as a path of understanding and towards living ethically in our world today. Claire wanted to note that it was actually Dana Raphael who coined the term matrescence, rather than Aurelie Athan. Links The Centre of Bright Beginnings Website: https://www.yourbrightbeginning.com.au Socials: @yourbrightbeginning (instagram and facebook) Course (hosted by Bliss Baby Yoga): https://blissbabyyoga.com/yogaphilosophyforparenthood/ Use coupon code: 30offclaire for $30 off the course Reciprocity Page: Reciprocity — The Centre of Bright Beginnings (yourbrightbeginning.com.au) Yoga Against Apartheid pledge: https://www.solahabibi.com/yoga-against-apartheid

Today we are speaking with Durga Leela. Durga is a pioneer in the field of holistic recovery, an Ayurveda and Yoga Therapist and the author of Yoga of Recovery. Her book offers an integration of yoga and Ayurveda, combining the philosophy, psychology, and physical practices of these ancient traditions, along with modern recovery tools. It goes beyond the traditional pathways and challenges the common diet and exercise dogma promoted by mainstream media. Yoga of Recovery is for people looking to overcome any of their addictive or self-destructive behaviours or for people with a family or personal history of addiction. It’s also a great resource for yoga teachers, yoga therapists or anyone working within the recovery field. Durga is so knowledgeable, and has such a gift for explaining yogic physiology and philosophy and we think this is a great conversation for anyone wanting to learn more about this traditional wisdom and how it can be applied today. In the time since we recorded this episode we have seen the disappointing No result of Australia’s voice referendum, as well as horrific and heartbreaking violence unfolding in Gaza. While these are separate events, we see and support the global solidarity of first nations peoples and oppose the rise of racially motivated violence in any form. It can be hard to know what to do to help in times like these, and we encourage you to show support in whatever capacity you have, whether it is supporting local blak owned businesses, uplifting first nations voices online, attending a rally, emailing your government representative to call for a cease fire or making a financial aid donation. To our First Nations listeners - our hearts go out to you - you deserve so much better. Links Website: https://yogaofrecovery.com/ Donation classes: https://yogaofrecovery.com/events/yor-second-saturdays-by-donation/ Yoga for Recovery book on amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZuLjIE

Chloe Prendergast is a Coach and Creative who is passionate about everyone having access to the practical tools of personal empowerment and authentic professional success. She sees her work as an art form, and people as her medium, and is ultimately driven by the goal of helping everyone live a life of embodied magic and wonder. Chloe has been working in the positive change industry for 20 years, and over this time has observed many changes, and realities below the surface. This is one aspect we were excited to speak with her about as there are a lot of parallels with the yoga ‘industry’. Chloe also works in events, and runs many herself - which we’ll get into, as well as providing some insights into planning and promoting a successful event or workshop. We also cover how to stay inspired and manage your energy as a small business owner. Links: Website: https://msha.ke/chloeprendergast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloemakesmagic/ Love club: https://events.humanitix.com/love-club-a-sober-singles-event

We’re up to almost six years of the Flow Artists Podcast and we have NEWS! Rane shares SoundMadeSeen his new app which will be launching soon. It’s a tool to create beautiful videos using your audio and it will save podcasters (or any online creators) time and hassle when sharing their work. Jo had news too - she’s writing a book! The working title is ‘Eight Limbs of Aerial Yoga: Adapting practice for neurodiversity, accessibility and physical support’ and it will be published by Singing Dragon in 2026. It will integrate yoga philosophy back into the teaching and practice of aerial yoga and features many past podcast guests as well as members of our studio community. We’ve also got some great questions from past podcast guests: Deanne Love asks us about flow, Dave and Ranju ask us about inspiration, imposter syndrome and advice for our younger selves. Cyrille Caille asks about our initial inspiration and future podcast plans. Freya Bennett Overstall asks about inversions and May Yuen asks about our plans for 2024 and how people can support the podcast. We even have a future guest Chloe Prendergast asking us about finding balance and exploring the polarity between yoga, meditation and technology. Past episodes mentioned: Donna Sparx Carla Mullins Alex from Offering tree Kirrah Stewart Donna Noble Jivana Heyman Chris Cheers Richard Liddicut Links SoundMadeSeen website: https://soundmadeseen.com/ SoundMadeSeen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundmadeseen/ Garden of Yoga website: https://www.gardenofyoga.com.au/ Lifetime Library access: https://gardenofyoga.com.au/shop/online-library-lifetime-access/ Garden of Yoga Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gardenofyoga/ Rane on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranelovesyoga/ Makarlu: Use our discount code MAKFLOW to save 10% at https://www.makarlu.com/ Offering Tree: Go to to https://www.offeringtree.com/flowartists 15% off an annual plan or 50% off the first three months of OfferingTree! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/flowartistspodcast Find Ghostsoul’s music at: https://ghostsoul.bandcamp.com/ Cover photo by: https://www.instagram.com/this.wild.soul/

We are very excited to share our conversation with Deanne Love of hooplovers - a true icon of flow! Deanne has long been a source of inspiration to Jo - starting from her in person classes at Irene Warehouse, to observing how she has continually evolved her offerings, always leading with creativity and integrity. Deanne has been a full time hoop teacher since 2009. She was previously a primary school teacher and also holds a business degree. We hear about how she combines knowledge from all of these fields with her passion and excitement for life itself. Deanne was also an early adapter to teaching online, and has lots of insights to share about how to connect and communicate, as well as how to sustainably manage your own energy. Listeners in Narm/Melbourne - Deanne is running a live all levels hooping workshop on September 1st in Brunswick (bookings link below). EMBODY is an immersive experience guided by music (Frizzy McGuire will be djing) to activate your connection and body intelligence. Inspiring, ecstatic and rhythmic movements that make space for full expression. A journey towards dialling down an overactive mind and turning up your body voice. Sooth your nervous system, smooth out your hooping and feel the ripple effect of this connection. Links workshop link: https://learn.hooplovers.tv/ youtube: https://youtube.com/@DeanneLove Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannelovexo/

In today's episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Paul Archer. Based right here in Melbourne, Paul is a beloved meditation and yoga teacher, and trainer of teachers. With a focus on yin and restorative yoga, he imparts his wisdom through his teachings at the Australian Yoga Academy and at his own studio, Yogacita, in Carnegie Melbourne. He is the proud author of the award-winning book, "The Esoteric Science of Restorative Yoga." We were excited to catch up with Paul, and learn about his rich and varied life experiences, including how his mother lived in a community in Northern California based around the philosophies of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, or how his parents enrolled him into the Dublin School of Philosophy and Economic science at the age of 3! Paul has an upcoming restorative yoga teacher training - find the link below! Links Yogacita: http://www.yogaciita.com.au/ The Esoteric Science of Restorative Yoga: https://www.amazon.com.au/Esoteric-Science-Restorative-Yoga-Consciousness/dp/B09X1FXV72 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paularcher_yoga/ Restorative yoga teacher training: https://momence.com/Paul-Archer/25-Hr-Restorative-Yoga-Teacher-Training/87171995

Our guest this episode is May Yuen, the founder of Rooftop Yoga in Brisbane. May was born in Hong Kong and came to Australia in 2012 to study Media and Communication at QUT. This time away from her family really highlighted the importance of community connection for May, and as she shares in the episode she also had to spend a lot of time living apart from her fiancé for visa reasons. This is how she discovered yoga - as a way of supporting her own mental health during this lonely time, which then led to her training as a teacher to help others. May was inspired to start Brisbane rooftop yoga looking back into Hong Kong history, where back in the 50s and 60s Kung Fu masters started teaching their students on the rooftops of urban apartment buildings to cultivate individual wellbeing and community connection, and as a chance to experience nature while living in the city. We also talk about the logistics of setting a program like this up, as well as the benefits that May has noticed so far. Links: Amazing Aerial Intro Pass: https://gardenofyoga.com.au/pass-purchase/amazing-aerial-intro May's website: www.brisbanerooftopyoga.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brisbanerooftopyoga Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brisbanerooftopyoga/

Welcome to our podcast! Today, we have a very special guest joining us from Switzerland: Cyrille Caille. Cyrille is not only an occupational therapist, but also an aerial yoga teacher who has developed a specialized course for people with Traumatic Brain Injury. We were fortunate enough to connect with her through the Making Aerial Yoga More Accessible Facebook group, which was created by Jo to share inspiration, insights and questions about the more accessible and therapeutic aspects of aerial yoga. During our conversation with Cyrille, we delve into the various effects of Traumatic Brain Injury and how she supports her clients in navigating their new way of life. We also discuss the emotional impacts of these life-changing injuries, and how they can be a source of grief for both the person affected and their loved ones. Cyrille and her team are incredibly dedicated to their physically and emotionally demanding work. We learn how her own personal journey with aerial yoga led to the installation of aerial yoga hammocks at the rehabilitation center where she works, and ultimately to the development of her specialized course for Traumatic Brain Injury survivors. Join us as we gain insight into the amazing work of Cyrille and her team, and discover how aerial yoga can offer unique benefits for those who have suffered from Traumatic Brain Injury. Links Cyrille's website: https://caillec.wixsite.com/wingsofyoga Cyrille's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caillec/ Centre Recontres: https://www.centre-rencontres.ch/ Fragile Suisse: https://www.fragile.ch/ Making Aerial Yoga More Accessible: https://www.facebook.com/groups/304198216906833

Jo was really excited to speak with Freya, since she loved her recent book Wonder Full Women. Attune & Bloom. Eat, Move and Meditate with the Seasons. Freya is trained as a Chiropractor, although as you’ll hear she had to stop practising in 2013 due to some serious health issues including MS. She shares how she grew up practicing yoga, dance, meditation and tai chi, and trained as a yoga and meditation teacher to help her clients but then found new depths of these practices as part of her rehabilitation and continuing self care. She also discovered Yin yoga around this time, and Traditional Chinese Medicine and working the meridian system forms the foundation of living within the rhythm of the seasons which she shares in her book, alongside wisdom traditions from many cultures - as well as a biomedical understanding of the body. She articulates these complex ideas really clearly - and that is one of Jo's favourite aspects of the book, as well as the thread of joyfully embracing life, nature and our own nature which weaves it all together. There’s so useful information in here for yoga teachers, and anyone looking to understand their nature better. While there is an in-depth section on women's health, the advice and practices could be helpful for all genders and it’s all shared in an informative, rather than prescriptive way. There was so much to talk about with Freya, including our mutual love of inversions, yin and chocolate, as well as ways to tap into joy and pleasure while living with chronic pain. Links https://gardenofyoga.com.au/workshops/celebrating-10-years-in-northcote/ More details on Freya's book and purchase links can be found here- https://www.freyabennettoverstall.com/bookavailable Freya's guided meditation recordings, including The White Light Healing Meditation (which we discussed) plus free live Yin Yoga & Meditation classes: https://insighttimer.com/freya The two ethical Chocolate brands we discussed, which Freya stocks at Maitri Studio Brighton, are- Loco Love Chocolate, with details on the delish Zingy Gingerbread Caramel we discussed https://locolove.com/collections Living Koko chocolate https://www.livingkoko.com/

Join Rane and Jo for another conversation with the latest updates from the Flow Artists podcast. It's been over 5 years since we started the podcast, so we thought it was time for a Rane and Jo episode! We answer questions from some friends of the podcast, including Donna Noble, Laura Wilson-McGinn, Beata Heyman, Jeanette Coleman, Nicole Blythe, Christa Fairbrother and Dr Kate Riegel Van West. We also share our upcoming 10 year celebrations at Garden of Yoga, and have some updates from past guests! Stay tuned to the end for an important kitty update. Please leave us a review on your favourite podcast app. Links: Garden of Yoga - Celebrating 10 years in Northcote: https://gardenofyoga.com.au/workshops/celebrating-10-years-in-northcote/ Article on TGA approving psychedelic treatments https://theconversation.com/the-tga-has-approved-certain-psychedelic-treatments-the-response-from-experts-is-mixed-199290 The New Rulebook by Chris Cheers: https://www.chrischeers.com/resources/the-new-rulebook Friends for Good Fundraiser: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/chair-yoga-and-mindfulness-tickets-545684004547 Help Supergrans support their community affected by the Cyclones in New Zealand: https://www.supergransaotearoa.org.nz/ use our link https://www.offeringtree.com/flowartists to get one month free or 15% off an annual plan

In this episode we speak with Laura Wilson-McGinn and Ian McGinn. They both teach together through Move Like You Yoga, and have a special interest in working with police, army and first responders, particularly those experiencing severe PTSD. They deliver classes specifically for the Code 9 Foundation (a foundation established to support emergency services workers with PTSD), as well as sessions that everyone can attend. Laura is of Aboriginal, English and Scottish decent. She is an aboriginal woman, whose blood line comes from Yass, NSW. She was born and raised in Melbourne. She has worked extensively across the government, community legal, and university sectors as a policy writer, researcher, sessional academic, lecturer and advocate, and as a lawyer in the Victorian Supreme Court.. Ian is a Detective Senior Constable with Victoria Police and he has a PhD in Australian Indigenous Studies from Monash University. He also works as a sessional academic at Swinburne University, teaching and lecturing in Criminology and Police Studies. They both have a passion for movement - with Laura coming from an extensive dance background including ballet, calisthenics, pole dance and aerial arts. Ian has a passion and love for jiu jitsu, yoga, fishing and bushwalking. In this conversation we discuss how all of these interests and life experiences weave together to inform the way they teach and live their yoga. Please be advised we do cover some sensitive topics including the death of a parent, and the mental health challenges connected with working in emergency services and adversarial justice including PTSD. Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/movelikeyouyoga/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movelikeyouyoga/

In this episode we are excited to speak with Dr. Kate Riegle van West about her research on the health benefits of Poi. Kate is a scientist, artist, and entrepreneur with a passion for play and wellbeing. She completed her PhD in the health benefits of poi at the University of Auckland, where she conducted the first study to scientifically investigate the effects of poi on physical and cognitive function in older adults. She was awarded the Future Leader Award from the Royal Society of New Zealand and the Best Doctoral Thesis Award for her work in the poi/health field. Kate shares about how she discovered poi through circus - and her early life growing up in a town called Normal, a small American town with a circus history. She shares how a lack of published research was proving to be an obstacle in establishing programs in health settings, which along with the positive effects she noticed in her own brain and body, inspired her to move to Aotearoa New Zealand to conduct the first scientific study on the effects of poi on physical and cognitive function. We talk about the differences between International Poi and Maori Poi and some of the considerations and challenges when researching and sharing practices from another culture, as well as how joining a Kapa Haka group has helped Kate reconnect with the joy of poi. LINKS: Spin Poi website: https://spinpoi.com/ Melbourne training: https://spinpoi.com/services/australia Spinpoi on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spinpoi/ Garden of Yoga website: https://gardenofyoga.com.au/

In this episode we speak with Dr Kavitha Moahan, the author of Traditional Aerial Yoga, director of Aum Yoga Studio in Chennai Tamil Nadu India, a scientist, multiple world record holder and a recipient of the prestigious Yoga Kalaimamani award. While Kavitha has a strong physical practice, she sees yoga primarily as a path to self realisation and a way to achieve balance and peace within oneself, and focuses more on the therapeutic aspects of aerial yoga too. We were intrigued to learn more about how the Thottil, which is a traditional South Indian hammock used to soothe babies, to support deity statues in temples and even as part of funeral processions. This tool of emotional regulation and spiritual expression forms the basis of Kavitha’s approach to aerial yoga along with her research focus from her science background and deep respect for the traditions of Yoga. Finding the balance between innovation and honouring tradition is just one of the topics we cover - we also talk about her time studying in Australia, pain science, body image, woman's health and some of the unique benefits of the thottil/aerial hammock. LINKS https://www.instagram.com/aum_yogini/ https://www.aumyoga.studio/ https://www.amazon.in/TRADITIONAL-AERIAL-YOGA-Aerial-Yoga-ebook/dp/B08PZ7QPP7/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=traditional+aerial+yoga+by+kavitha+moahan&qid=1615564953&s=books&sr=1-1