The Flow Artists Podcast by Garden of Yoga

This episode is released in partnership with Yoga Australia.

Leanne Davis is the current president of Yoga Australia. She completed her first Yoga Teacher training with the Sivananda Yoga and Vedanta Forest Academy in South India in 1988, and in this conversation, we learn about how she discovered yoga, how she went on to learn Ayurveda and Chinese medicine and how she weaves these together in her work today.

We learn about how Leanne became involved in Yoga Australia - first working as a volunteer at the state level before joining the executive committee at the national level. We asked her questions about cultural appropriation and authenticity and how to make yoga more inclusive. Finally, we ask what are some of the biggest challenges for Yoga Teachers today, and what can Yoga Australia do to support them.

Links

Yoga Australia: https://www.yogaaustralia.org.au/yoga_user/leanne-davis/

Leanne's website: https://www.viniyogaaustralia.com/

Accessible Yoga Book Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/flowartistspodcast/photos/a.1599824873441010/2589033167853504/

Flow Artists Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/flowartistspodcast

Adrenal Healing with Gina Macauley: https://www.gardenofyoga.com.au/workshops/adrenal-healing/

Teruki Nakano works as a Geriatric Psychiatrist and Yoko Nakano is an anesthesiologist. They are both yoga teachers and the founders of Medcare Yoga. They translated Jivana Heyman’s Accessible Yoga course into Japanese, and it is their mission to bring accessible yoga to Japan. 25% of Japan’s population is over the age of 60, and that figure is growing, so bringing a form of yoga to an increasingly aging population is very important in my opinion!

In this episode we learn about Teruki and Yoko's backgrounds and how though skeptical at first, Teruki noticed that yoga was helping with Yoko's health issues. After doing his own research, Teruki realised the many benefits of yoga, and encouraged Yoko to become a Yoga teacher before doing so himself!

We hear how Teruki was becoming burnt out in his career as a surgeon, and how a life-changing event - the Fukushima earthquake made him realise that medicine was his calling.

Finally, we learn Teruki and Yoko's mission to bring Accessible Yoga to Japan, and some of the unique challenges that yoga teachers face in Japan.

Links

Medcare Yoga: https://medcareyoga.com/en/

Accessible Yoga: http://accessibleyoga.org/

Accessible Yoga Book Giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/flowartistspodcast/photos/a.1599824873441010/2589033167853504/

Fire Yoga Workshops with Tim Seutter: https://www.gardenofyoga.com.au/workshops/yoga-fire-workshops/

Buy the book Accessible Yoga!

Book Depository (free shipping): https://www.bookdepository.com/Accessible-Yoga/9781611807127

Waterstones (UK): https://www.waterstones.com/book/accessible-yoga/jivana-heyman/9781611807127

Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Accessible-Yoga-Poses-Practices-Every/dp/1611807123/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=accessible+yoga&qid=1571080722&s=books&sr=1-1

This episode is released in partnership with Yoga Australia.

Shyamala Benakovic is a Yoga teacher and the CEO of Yoga Australia.

If you heard our episode with Michael de Manincor, he stated that the hiring of Shyamala as General Manager was his greatest success, which really speaks to Shyamala's talent, passion and incredible work ethic.

In this episode, we learn how Shyamala grew up in Malaysia before moving to London and later relocating to Australia. She tells us about her early family life and how being raised in the Hindu tradition informs her practice and teaching today. We hear about her background as a Management Consultant, and how this, along with her passion for yoga lead to her being hired as General Manager of Yoga Australia.

We also hear about the challenges in running a national organisation that is largely made up of volunteers, and some of the systems she has put into place to help support the goals of Yoga Australia.

Finally, Shyamala shares her hopes and dreams for Yoga Australia moving into the future.

Links:

Yoga Australia: https://www.yogaaustralia.org.au/

Adrenal Healing Workshop with Gina Macauley: https://www.gardenofyoga.com.au/workshops/adrenal-healing/

Aerial Theraputics Training: http://www.creativebodyflow.com/aerial-therapeutics/

Manoj Dias is a yoga and meditation teacher, and the founder of A-Space meditation centre in Melbourne. In this conversation, we learn from Manoj what it was like growing up in the Theravada Buddhist tradition in Sri Lanka before relocating to Australia as a child. We learn about his struggles with anxiety in a high flying corporate career and how finding a very special and compassionate teacher brought him back to meditation. He also tells us how he began teaching yoga and meditation, founded A-Space and continues to teach in Australia and internationally.

We have a deep and far-ranging conversation that includes issues of accessibility, cultural appropriation, the potential abuse of spiritual practices in the corporate world and self-care.

Links

Manoj's Website: https://www.manojdias.com.au/

Manoj's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manojdias

A-SPACE meditation centre: https://a-space.com.au/

Last chance to book in to "Guiding Inner Journeys" with Amy Bell: https://www.gardenofyoga.com.au/workshops/guiding-inner-journeys/

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/flowartistspodcast

Swami Shantananda AKA Mataji (Mother) was the second president of Yoga Australia, back when it was known as the Yoga Teachers Association and she was known as Jani Baker.

This episode is the second of our collaboration with Yoga Australia, and it contains some great insight into the early days of the organisation and its grassroots nature.

In this episode, we learn how Jani Baker struggled with her catholic upbringing, and how she dealt with depression as a young adult. We learn how she discovered meditation and yoga and came to teach them. We also hear how she became involved in the Yoga Teacher's Association and her motivations for doing so.

We also discuss her writings on the yoga sutras, philosophy and her personal practice of Kashmiri Shaivism.

Links:

Swami Shantananda's blog: http://www.swamishantananda.com.au/

Notes from Mataji: https://podcast.flowartists.com/news/notes-swami-shantananda/

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/flowartistspodcast

Emily May is a Melbourne based Yoga and Meditation teacher and Reiki Master. Emily does a lot of work around anxiety which is the topic of this episode - and anxiety is an issue that affects many of us day to day. We would like to point out that none of us in the recording are mental health professionals, so if you are struggling with anxiety or depression, please consider seeing someone who can help you - we added some links below.

In this episode we learn about Emily's background growing up in Melbourne and how she believes she discovered the effectiveness of healing yourself through chakras from an early age.

We learn about how Emily discovered yoga and how she came to teach it. We learn about anxiety, some of it's causes and symptoms and how yoga may help. Finally, we learn about how yoga teachers can sequence and use language to make things easier for people struggling with anxiety.

Links

Emily May's Website: https://www.mayyoga.com.au/

Emily on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayyogawellbeing/

RUOK Day: https://www.ruok.org.au/

Beyond Blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au

Books:

Lost Connections by Johann Hari: https://amzn.to/312ikwP

First, we make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson: https://amzn.to/2N047wT

My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel: https://amzn.to/2N03DXB

Gabrielle is a yoga teacher, a yoga therapist and director of the Bhava Yoga and dance centre in Warrendyke, Victoria, Australia. Gabrielle is also on the board of Yoga Australia. She is a highly respected teacher, and Rane got to know her a little better through satsangs he attended, hosted by Leigh Blashki and Janet Lowndes. She has a wealth of wisdom and knowledge, and always contributed with her many deep insights to the conversations, so we really wanted to speak with her for the podcast.

In this episode we learn about Gabrielle's background, growing up in Melbourne and how she developed an early interest in physical movement. We hear how she moved from a career in Insurance after finding joy in yoga and wanting to share that experience with the world. We learn about her philosophy of yoga and how she has recently developed a rich and deep regular meditation practice.

Finally, we learn about how yoga, meditation and even the process of teaching yoga have helped her traverse the ups and downs of life.

Gabrielle's calm and peaceful nature permeate the entire episode, so you'll definitely want to give it a listen.

Links

Bhava Yoga and Dance centre: http://thebhavacentre.com/

Buddhi Mind: https://buddhimind.com/

Buddhi Mind on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buddhi_mind/

Community Classes at Garden of Yoga: https://www.gardenofyoga.com.au/classes/community-classes/

This is the first of our episodes in collaboration with Yoga Australia, featuring many of Yoga Australia's past presidents.

Michael de Manicor is one of the most highly respected and experienced yoga teachers in Australia, with an extensive background in different approaches and styles of yoga and meditation, and over 30 years of teaching experience.

Michael holds a PhD in Health Science, in the area of Yoga and Mental Health in addition to his degrees in education and psychology. He is the Founder, Director and senior lecturer at The Yoga Institute in Sydney and is also the Founder and Director of The Yoga Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that provides yoga-based programs for people who experience disadvantage or hardship.

In this episode, we discuss Michael's involvement in Yoga Australia up to and including his tenure as President of the organisation. He shares with us his thoughts on the importance of having a peak body to represent yoga teachers in this country, as well as his dedication to raising training standards.

We were eager to discuss Michael's research on yoga and mental health - the topic of his PhD and the importance of a personal practice.

Links

The Yoga Institute: www.yogainstitute.com.au

The Yoga Foundation: www.theyogafoundation.org.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YogaInstituteSydney/

Yoga for Mental Health training for yoga teachers (co-presented with Janet Lowndes): https://yogainstitute.com.au/mental-health-syd/

Yoga Retreat in Italy: https://yogainstitute.com.au/savour-italy/

Heart of Yoga retreat weekend outside of Sydney: https://yogainstitute.com.au/heartofyoga_retreat-yanada/

Amy Bell's Guiding Inner Journey's workshop: https://www.gardenofyoga.com.au/workshops/guiding-inner-journeys/

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/flowartistspodcast

Donna Noble is a London based yoga teacher, writer, coach, body positive advocate and founder of CurveSomeYoga. Donna has been making waves in the accessible yoga space over in the UK, so we were really excited to catch up with her.

In this episode, we learn about Donna's childhood growing up in London, with a short stint in Jamaica.

We discover how a stressful job in IT brought about Bells Palsy, and how she discovered a more holistic way of living.

Donna's first Yoga teacher training was with Choudhury Bikram in LA, so we had a few questions to ask on this topic!

Finally, we also learn how CurveSomeYoga came about, the impact of diet culture on yoga and the importance of representation in media. Donna tells us about her approach to accessible yoga and we discuss why it's important that everyone in a yoga class feels included.

Links

Donna's Website: https://thenobleartofyoga.co.uk/

Donna's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnanobleyoga/

Curvesome Yoga: https://www.instagram.com/Curvesomeyoga/

Our Patreon Page

https://www.patreon.com/flowartistspodcast

Ruth Sowter is a love, intimacy and relationship coach with more than 15 years experience working in corporate and personal wellness. We had many questions about the world of coaching - including some of the positive and negative aspects of this industry.

We wanted to learn how Ruth's training as a Yoga teacher informs the work she does as a relationship and intimacy coach. We were curious about the differences and similarities between these two roles and how she navigates them. We also wanted to know - what does a coach do? How does it differ from a friend or a therapist? We also wanted to address the ethics of the industry which is unregulated (as is yoga teaching).

There is also an interesting exploration into abundance mentality, positivity washing and whether these concepts actually improve our lives.

Ruth has a compassionate and light-hearted approach. This is a laughter-filled and fun conversation!

Links

Website: http://www.ruthsowter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruthsowtercoach/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruth_sowter_tantra/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/flowartistspodcast

Community Classes at Garden of Yoga: https://www.gardenofyoga.com.au/classes/community-classes/