Functional Spirituality

By Ava Irani

Hi, my name is Ava and I’m delighted to offer you “Functional Spirituality”, a free resource of talks, trainings and guided meditations.

I use an academic approach to invite critical thinking into en... more

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FAQs about Functional Spirituality:

How many episodes does Functional Spirituality have?

The podcast currently has 349 episodes available.

Functional Spirituality episodes:

January 25, 2026 Guided Meditation: Revealing the Stillness Within
This is a gentle guided meditation to support grounding, softening, and inner clarity.
Through a slow body scan, breath, and loving inner attention, Ava guides you to empty accumulated tension and reconnect with your inner space. This practice supports nervous system regulation and integration, allowing presence and ease to arise naturally.
A guided meditation with music. Ideal for mornings or moments when you want to return to yourself.

If you enjoy this audio you can save the link somewhere in your phone, or make a playlist for it so you have access to this practice with one click.
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com

Free resources:
Newsletter sign-up:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Community meditation:
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.

Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.

Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals

...more
19min
January 18, 2026 Guided Meditation: Softening Resistance to Meet the Moment
Take some time today to replenish yourself.
Amidst the chaos on the surface of the planet, in our thoughts, emotions, and body, we often meet life with subtle resistance. Beneath this effort, there is a deep stillness that remains untouched.
This guided meditation invites you to soften inner resistance and gently meet the moment as it is. Ground yourself in the quiet space of the Heart, where presence, safety, and ease naturally reside.

If you enjoy this audio you can save the link somewhere in your phone, or make a playlist for it so you have access to this practice with one click.
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com

Free resources:
Newsletter sign-up:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Community meditation:
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.

Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.

Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals

...more
11min
January 11, 2026 Guided Meditation: Hridaya Meditation & Awakening
This guided awakening meditation draws on Hridaya meditation and the self enquiry teachings of Ramana Maharshi.
Through gentle heart based attention and simple enquiry, awareness is invited to turn back toward its source, allowing thoughts and identities to soften naturally.
This is an embodied, nervous system led approach to awakening that supports integration, safety, and lived clarity rather than striving or peak experiences.
An invitation to rest as what you already are, and to let awakening unfold in a grounded, sustainable way.

If you enjoy this audio you can save the link somewhere in your phone, or make a playlist for it so you have access to this practice with one click.
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com

Free resources:
Newsletter sign-up:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Community meditation:
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.

Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.

Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals
...more
18min
December 09, 2025 Is there a huge problem with Vinyasa?
So many people step into a yoga class expecting an ancient practice, yet most modern vinyasa is actually a recent aesthetic invention.
In this episode, Ava unpacks the toxic patterns shaping the modern yoga industry, why students often hand their authority over without realising it, and what a body led, trauma-informed practice looks and feels like in comparison.
If you love yoga, teach yoga, or care about spiritual integrity, this conversation offers clarity, context and a deeper understanding of what you are truly practicing.
Listen in and share how this information lands for you. Whether you agree or disagree, we welcome your reflections.

Relevant links:
Podcast episode: 4 stages of spiritual seeking
Functional Flow Yoga Teacher Training

Chapter markers:
00:00 Introduction to the topic
01:43 Setting the context for this conversation
07:00 Why Ava is positioned to speak on these topics
12:10 What modern vinyasa actually is and the goals behind it
15:44 The core issues within this style of practice
20:45 A body led, trauma-informed approach compared with the medicalised yoga model
26:16 The origins of Hatha Yoga and a summary of key points
30:50 Invitation to share your thoughts

Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com

Free resources:
Newsletter sign-up:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Community meditation:
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.

Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.

Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals

...more
32min
November 17, 2025 The Pyramid No One Wants to Admit Exists in Coaching
Have you ever felt something is “off” in the coaching or wellness industry? In this episode, Ava unpacks the invisible pyramid shaping these spaces and why so many of us feel uneasy inside them. We explore skill bypassing, surface culture, cognitive dissonance and what real integrity looks like in practice.
A grounded, necessary conversation for anyone devoted to integrity, embodiment and real service.

Chapter markers
00:00 Introduction
02:17 The invisible pyramid
03:37 Bypassing the skill
05:06 Marketing mechanisms
06:40 The surface culture
07:51 Responsibility at the top
11:20 Cognitive dissonance
14:25 A way forward
19:30 Slower businesses, bigger impact
22:00 Integrity

Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com

Free resources:
Newsletter sign-up:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Community meditation:
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.

Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.

Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals
...more
24min
October 19, 2025 Privilege vs. Advantage
In this episode, Ava explores the term privilege: how it’s been shaped, stretched, and sometimes misunderstood in today’s world.
With honesty and depth, she opens a compassionate conversation about how we can move toward greater understanding, healing, and collective repair.
A philosophical nonsense term is an expression or idea that sounds profound but lacks substantive meaning, coherence, or verifiable content.

We’d love to hear what this topic stirs or awakens in you!

Chapter markers:

00:00 – Introduction to the topic
02:42 – Why is privilege a non-sense term
03:50 - Privilege vs advantage
09:00 – Healing, repair, growth and dismantling unhealthy systems
12:09 - Functionality and intention
14:30 - Approaches that do not include you feeling shame, blame and guilt
16:55 - Recap

Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com

Free resources:
Newsletter sign-up:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Community meditation:
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.

Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.

Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals

...more
22min
October 08, 2025 Loosing a loved one - how to cope with death and loss
In this episode, Ava explores a listener’s question: “How do I deal with the terrifying fear of a loved one dying?”
Moments of birth and death often stir deep reflections about our own mortality. This conversation offers insight and comfort for anyone who is grieving a loss or living in fear of losing someone they love.

A gentle exploration of loss, death, and the path toward meeting them with greater awareness, compassion, and freedom from unnecessary fear and suffering.

Chapter markers:

00:00 – Introduction to the topic and update about Honey
04:30 – The power of death and how it pulls on fear and love
05:30 – What we need to accept: coming to terms with life and death
07:12 – How modern life distracts us from our mortality
08:42 – Grief as a reflection of love
09:58 – Key questions to ask yourself: grief vs. suffering
11:15 – Ava shares what she is learning to accept as Honey nears the end of her life
17:10 – What happens when we don’t fully allow ourselves to grieve
18:10 – Closing reflections and invitation to share your thoughts

Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com

Free resources:
Newsletter sign-up:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Community meditation:
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.

Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.

Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
...more
20min
September 28, 2025 Guided meditation: Coming home to yourself
Life constantly asks us to show up, give, and move forward. But to truly meet the world with fullness, we also need moments to return to ourselves. Without that inward pause, our energy scatters and we lose touch with balance, joy, and wellbeing.
This meditation is an invitation to slow down, hold yourself gently, and reconnect with your inner-strength.

If you enjoy this audio you can save the link somewhere in your phone, or make a playlist for it so you have access to this practice with one click.

Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com

Free resources:
Newsletter sign-up:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Community meditation:
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.

Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.

Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
...more
23min
September 14, 2025 I'm not good enough
In this episode, Ava opens up about some “real-life material” she’s currently moving through: a deep sadness rooted in an unmet childhood need. She shares her process honestly, in the hope that it may resonate with you and spark reflection on your own journey. We’d love to hear how this exploration touches you and the ways it shows up in your life.

Relevant links:
Guided meditations from Functional Spirituality

Chapter markers:

00:00 Introduction and update from Ava’s life
03:30 ‘I’m not good enough’
6:30 A deep need for connection that hasn’t been met
9:00 Achieving the sense of enoughness and worthiness
10:40 Integrating the sadness
11:30 Attuning to the unmet needs as adults
12:47 What to do now?

Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com

Free resources:
Newsletter sign-up:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Community meditation:
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.
Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.

Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals

...more
14min
August 17, 2025 What is an AWAKE teacher?
Living on the surface of language and concepts doesn’t truly serve us. To grow spiritually, we need to dive deeper — avoiding assumptions and quick conclusions. In this episode, Ava unpacks the confusion around what it really means to be an “awake teacher” and explores a functional approach to spirituality that invites thoughtful reflection.
Tune in to deepen your understanding and shift how you relate to spirituality.

Chapter markers:
00:30 Introduction
01:24 What is an awake teacher?
03:51 Why I avoid the term awake
07:06 My problem with these terms
09:31 The problem is not the explanations
10:09 The rationalisation of inappropriate behaviour
12:03 Can’t I just loosen up?
13:12 Healthy scepticism
14:38 Why are people doing this
15:42 Is it wrong to praise teachers?
18:09 Conclusion

Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com

Free resources:
Newsletter sign-up:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Community meditation:
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.

Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.

Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals

...more
21min

FAQs about Functional Spirituality:

How many episodes does Functional Spirituality have?

The podcast currently has 349 episodes available.

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