Finding Harmony Podcast

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• How Hypnotherapy Helped Me Heal When Doctors Couldn’t | with Peter McLaughlin [VIDEO] 30.06.2026 1sa 3dk

  What if the diagnosis meant to end your life became the very thing that taught you how to live? In this episode of the Finding Harmony Podcast, Harmony Slater and Russell Case sit down with Peter McLaughlin, a certified hypnotherapist, life coach, and founder of Blue Sky Hypnosis. After a rare leukemia diagnosis (alongside Lyme disease) in his 40s, Peter was told there was no known cause and no known cure. That moment sent him on a decades-long exploration of the relationship between the mind, the body, and the spirit — and eventually into training as a hypnotist. Today his Blue Sky Hypnosis YouTube channel has reached millions of viewers, with guided tracks spanning past-life regression, inner-child healing, sleep, and more. Together they explore why hypnosis and meditation may produce the same brain states — and what makes hypnotherapy different; how the subconscious mind has no sense of time, so old trauma registers as a present-moment threat; the “invisible arrows” model of carrying unresolved wounds; and how shifting your relationship to the past (from victim to creator) can change the body’s baseline. Peter also shares how his work draws on naturopathy, shamanic journeying, and a deepening Christian faith. Whether you’re curious about the science of the subconscious or looking for a new lens on what healing can look like, this conversation invites you to consider that the doorway to transformation may not be trying harder — but softening, and learning to access the wisdom that’s been within you all along. Content note: This episode includes personal healing claims and discussion of serious illness. It is shared as one person’s lived experience and is not medical advice. In this episode Why hypnosis and meditation can look identical on a brain scan — and the one thing that makes hypnotherapy different The two “wings” of hypnosis: stage entertainment vs. therapeutic work Peter’s story: a leukemia + Lyme diagnosis, a “spiritual two-by-four,” and the decision to heal himself How “The Secret,” synchronicity, and a naturopath shaped his path Why the subconscious mind has no sense of time — and why that matters for trauma The “invisible arrows” model: carrying old wounds in the body Western shamanism, inner-child work, and rescuing lost parts of the self Fight-or-flight vs. rest-and-digest — and resetting the nervous system’s baseline A live demo: how two short phrases shift your physiology in seconds Subliminal media, marketing, and “we’re being hypnotized all the time” From victim to creator: “What if the cloud is a mirror?” Guest bio Peter McLaughlin  is a certified hypnotherapist, life coach, and the founder of Blue Sky Hypnosis. After a leukemia diagnosis forced him to confront his own mortality, he immersed himself in the connection between mind, body, and spirit, ultimately training as a hypnotist with a focus on the medical and therapeutic applications of hypnosis. Over more than two decades he has helped thousands of people uncover and heal the root causes of emotional suffering through hypnotherapy, trauma resolution, regression work, and subconscious reprogramming. His Blue Sky Hypnosis YouTube channel has reached millions of viewers worldwide. Connect with Peter Website: blueskyhypnosis.com  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlueSkyHypnosis The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• How Hypnotherapy Helped Me Heal When Doctors Couldn’t | with Peter McLaughlin 30.06.2026 1sa 3dk

  What if the diagnosis meant to end your life became the very thing that taught you how to live? In this episode of the Finding Harmony Podcast, Harmony Slater and Russell Case sit down with Peter McLaughlin, a certified hypnotherapist, life coach, and founder of Blue Sky Hypnosis. After a rare leukemia diagnosis (alongside Lyme disease) in his 40s, Peter was told there was no known cause and no known cure. That moment sent him on a decades-long exploration of the relationship between the mind, the body, and the spirit — and eventually into training as a hypnotist. Today his Blue Sky Hypnosis YouTube channel has reached millions of viewers, with guided tracks spanning past-life regression, inner-child healing, sleep, and more. Together they explore why hypnosis and meditation may produce the same brain states — and what makes hypnotherapy different; how the subconscious mind has no sense of time, so old trauma registers as a present-moment threat; the “invisible arrows” model of carrying unresolved wounds; and how shifting your relationship to the past (from victim to creator) can change the body’s baseline. Peter also shares how his work draws on naturopathy, shamanic journeying, and a deepening Christian faith. Whether you’re curious about the science of the subconscious or looking for a new lens on what healing can look like, this conversation invites you to consider that the doorway to transformation may not be trying harder — but softening, and learning to access the wisdom that’s been within you all along. Content note: This episode includes personal healing claims and discussion of serious illness. It is shared as one person’s lived experience and is not medical advice. In this episode Why hypnosis and meditation can look identical on a brain scan — and the one thing that makes hypnotherapy different The two “wings” of hypnosis: stage entertainment vs. therapeutic work Peter’s story: a leukemia + Lyme diagnosis, a “spiritual two-by-four,” and the decision to heal himself How “The Secret,” synchronicity, and a naturopath shaped his path Why the subconscious mind has no sense of time — and why that matters for trauma The “invisible arrows” model: carrying old wounds in the body Western shamanism, inner-child work, and rescuing lost parts of the self Fight-or-flight vs. rest-and-digest — and resetting the nervous system’s baseline A live demo: how two short phrases shift your physiology in seconds Subliminal media, marketing, and “we’re being hypnotized all the time” From victim to creator: “What if the cloud is a mirror?” Guest bio Peter McLaughlin  is a certified hypnotherapist, life coach, and the founder of Blue Sky Hypnosis. After a leukemia diagnosis forced him to confront his own mortality, he immersed himself in the connection between mind, body, and spirit, ultimately training as a hypnotist with a focus on the medical and therapeutic applications of hypnosis. Over more than two decades he has helped thousands of people uncover and heal the root causes of emotional suffering through hypnotherapy, trauma resolution, regression work, and subconscious reprogramming. His Blue Sky Hypnosis YouTube channel has reached millions of viewers worldwide. Connect with Peter Website: blueskyhypnosis.com  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlueSkyHypnosis The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• The Psychedelic Renaissance: What to Know Before You Journey | with Zappy Zapolin 23.06.2026 1sa 19dk

  What if the most important part of a psychedelic experience isn't the journey at all — but what you do when you come home? In this episode, Harmony Slater and co-host Russell Case sit down with Zappy Zapolin, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and founder of Psychedelic Concierge, an educational platform for training facilitators in preparation, holding space, and integration. Zappy directed the documentary The Reality of Truth, which features voices from across the consciousness and wellness world. Together they explore the “psychedelic renaissance” unfolding alongside AI: the difference between substances like ayahuasca, ibogaine, San Pedro, and medically supervised ketamine; why set, setting, and belief shape everything; and why integration may matter more than the experience itself. Harmony and Russell also share, honestly, their own recent first ayahuasca ceremony and what surfaced. This is a frank, adult conversation about consciousness, trauma, addiction recovery, and the ethics of guiding others through altered states. It's offered for reflection and education — not as medical advice, and not as encouragement to use substances that remain illegal in many places. In this episode Why Zappy calls this “the greatest moment in human history” Set, setting, and the role of your worldview in shaping an experience Why integration — not the journey — is where the real work happens The distinct “personalities” of different plant medicines Medically supervised ketamine vs. recreational misuse — and why the distinction matters Holding space ethically: the case for trained facilitators over the “garage shaman” How yoga and meditation relate to (and differ from) plant-medicine work Harmony and Russell's reflections on their own ceremony and the value of preparation Connect & support Guest: Zappy Zapolin — Psychedelic Concierge Support resources: U.S. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline · SAMHSA National Helpline 1-800-662-4357 The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• The Psychedelic Renaissance: What to Know Before You Journey | with Zappy Zapolin [Video] 23.06.2026 1sa 19dk

  What if the most important part of a psychedelic experience isn't the journey at all — but what you do when you come home? In this episode, Harmony Slater and co-host Russell Case sit down with Zappy Zapolin, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and founder of Psychedelic Concierge, an educational platform for training facilitators in preparation, holding space, and integration. Zappy directed the documentary The Reality of Truth, which features voices from across the consciousness and wellness world. Together they explore the “psychedelic renaissance” unfolding alongside AI: the difference between substances like ayahuasca, ibogaine, San Pedro, and medically supervised ketamine; why set, setting, and belief shape everything; and why integration may matter more than the experience itself. Harmony and Russell also share, honestly, their own recent first ayahuasca ceremony and what surfaced. This is a frank, adult conversation about consciousness, trauma, addiction recovery, and the ethics of guiding others through altered states. It's offered for reflection and education — not as medical advice, and not as encouragement to use substances that remain illegal in many places. In this episode Why Zappy calls this “the greatest moment in human history” Set, setting, and the role of your worldview in shaping an experience Why integration — not the journey — is where the real work happens The distinct “personalities” of different plant medicines Medically supervised ketamine vs. recreational misuse — and why the distinction matters Holding space ethically: the case for trained facilitators over the “garage shaman” How yoga and meditation relate to (and differ from) plant-medicine work Harmony and Russell's reflections on their own ceremony and the value of preparation Connect & support Guest: Zappy Zapolin — Psychedelic Concierge Support resources: U.S. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline · SAMHSA National Helpline 1-800-662-4357 The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• When Your Guru Is Gone: Grief, Practice, and the Tradition That Remains (Audio) 16.06.2026 1sa 3dk

  What does it mean to keep practicing after the loss of the teacher who gave you the practice?   In this deeply personal episode, Harmony Slater speaks with Bianca Oliviera — a Brazilian-born Ashtanga teacher now living in Katowice, Poland — about the sudden passing of Sharath Jois, the grief that followed, and how she continues to carry the teachings forward. Bianca was present at the Active Series training in Virginia when Sharath passed, and she shares her firsthand account of that day with honesty, grief, and deep reverence.   This conversation explores what happens to devotion when its outer form disappears — and why the essence of the practice, once received, can never truly be lost.   IN THIS EPISODE: How Bianca discovered yoga in Rio de Janeiro through her grandmother Moving to the U.S., a teaching training scholarship, and the DVD that changed everything First encountering Sharath on the 2013 U.S. tour — and knowing she'd found her teacher Six trips to Mysore, practicing with both Saraswati and Sharath Navigating practice with a young child — and a supportive Polish artist husband Injuries, catching debates, and learning to listen to the body Teaching evening Mysore in Katowice, organizing family-friendly retreats Being present in Virginia for the Active Series launch — and the hike that ended everything The shock, the circle of prayer, the blanket, and the nights no one could sleep Life since Sharath's passing: mixed feelings, shifted priorities, community bonds Impermanence as the ultimate teacher — in practice, in family, and in loss   KEY QUOTES: "Each time I finish, I feel good. Something inside feels better." "He sacrificed so much so I could practice with Sharaji because he knew it was super special and important for me." "Nothing is forever. Not our bodies, not our communities, not our guru, not our practices."   GUEST BIO: BIANCA RAPOSO DE OLIVEIRA is a Brazilian-born Ashtanga yoga teacher based in Katowice, Poland. She discovered yoga in Rio de Janeiro and found Ashtanga after watching the Ashtanga New York DVD during a 200-hour teacher training in North Carolina. She traveled to Mysore approximately six times to practice with Saraswati Jois and Sharath Jois. She now runs an evening Mysore program and teaches online, and organizes yoga retreats with her husband and son Surya.   CONNECT WITH BIANCA: Instagram: @biancayoga Website: ashtangayogakatowice.com   HARMONY IS TEACHING IN PORTUGAL: Agora Lisboa (Lisbon) — June 25–28 Ashtanga House Faro — Five-day immersion in Faro, Portugal – DM Harmony on Instagram @harmonyslaterofficial   SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: Find Finding Harmony on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Podbean. The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• When Your Guru Is Gone: Grief, Practice, and the Tradition That Remains [VIDEO] 16.06.2026 1sa 3dk

  What does it mean to keep practicing after the loss of the teacher who gave you the practice?   In this deeply personal episode, Harmony Slater speaks with Bianca Oliviera — a Brazilian-born Ashtanga teacher now living in Katowice, Poland — about the sudden passing of Sharath Jois, the grief that followed, and how she continues to carry the teachings forward. Bianca was present at the Active Series training in Virginia when Sharath passed, and she shares her firsthand account of that day with honesty, grief, and deep reverence.   This conversation explores what happens to devotion when its outer form disappears — and why the essence of the practice, once received, can never truly be lost.   IN THIS EPISODE: How Bianca discovered yoga in Rio de Janeiro through her grandmother Moving to the U.S., a teaching training scholarship, and the DVD that changed everything First encountering Sharath on the 2013 U.S. tour — and knowing she'd found her teacher Six trips to Mysore, practicing with both Saraswati and Sharath Navigating practice with a young child — and a supportive Polish artist husband Injuries, catching debates, and learning to listen to the body Teaching evening Mysore in Katowice, organizing family-friendly retreats Being present in Virginia for the Active Series launch — and the hike that ended everything The shock, the circle of prayer, the blanket, and the nights no one could sleep Life since Sharath's passing: mixed feelings, shifted priorities, community bonds Impermanence as the ultimate teacher — in practice, in family, and in loss   KEY QUOTES: "Each time I finish, I feel good. Something inside feels better." "He sacrificed so much so I could practice with Sharaji because he knew it was super special and important for me." "Nothing is forever. Not our bodies, not our communities, not our guru, not our practices."   GUEST BIO: BIANCA RAPOSO DE OLIVEIRA is a Brazilian-born Ashtanga yoga teacher based in Katowice, Poland. She discovered yoga in Rio de Janeiro and found Ashtanga after watching the Ashtanga New York DVD during a 200-hour teacher training in North Carolina. She traveled to Mysore approximately six times to practice with Saraswati Jois and Sharath Jois. She now runs an evening Mysore program and teaches online, and organizes yoga retreats with her husband and son Surya.   CONNECT WITH BIANCA: Instagram: @biancayoga Website: ashtangayogakatowice.com   HARMONY IS TEACHING IN PORTUGAL: Agora Lisboa (Lisbon) — June 25–28 Ashtanga House Faro — Five-day immersion in Faro, Portugal – DM Harmony on Instagram @harmonyslaterofficial   SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: Find Finding Harmony on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Podbean. The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• Selling Without Selling Out: Why Healers Struggle to Share Their Gifts (and How to Change That) | with Mel Brandt 09.06.2026 54dk

  Harmony sits down with her fellow Canadian and spinal energetics colleague, Mel Brandt — chiropractor, coach, and founder of a new paradigm for healer-entrepreneurs. After 18 years building a multidisciplinary chiropractic clinic in Kelowna, BC, Mel recently sold her practice to step fully into the work she believes she was always meant to do: helping healers clear the energetic and subconscious blocks that keep them playing small in their businesses and their lives. What begins as a conversation about spinal energetics quickly opens into something much larger: the emotional roots of physical pain, the limiting scope of institutional medicine, the spiritual initiation of selling a business you built from scratch, and the deep identity work required to ask yourself, "Who am I without what I do?" Mel shares how a back injury she couldn't heal using conventional methods led her to German New Medicine — and the revelation that her pain was actually part of a healing phase, not a sign that something was broken. She traces her path from that awakening through subconscious coaching, spinal energetics training, and ultimately the decision to fully release her clinic identity and build something new. Together, Harmony and Mel explore why healers so often undervalue their services, what makes coaching categorically different from training, and why the discomfort of evolving is — for both of them — far less painful than the discomfort of staying put. This episode is for anyone navigating a calling that doesn't fit inside the box they've been living in. Key Topics Covered Spinal energetics as a bridge between physical anatomy and energetic healing German New Medicine and the emotional-conflict roots of chronic pain Why BC chiropractic scope limits prevented integration of energy work Identity dissolution: releasing 18 years as a clinic owner The healer's wound: compassion, undervaluing services, and the fear of being salesy Coaching vs. training — the mirror vs. the curriculum Insurance-covered care and the mindset it creates in clients Accountability, skin in the game, and 'jumping timelines' Outgrowing professional communities without making it mean something about you Spinal energetics as ritual: structure holding spontaneous transformation About Mel Brandt Mel Brandt is a chiropractor, certified spinal energetics practitioner, and business coach based in Kelowna, British Columbia. She founded and ran a multidisciplinary health clinic for 18 years, growing it to 16 practitioners before selling in early 2026 to focus entirely on her coaching work. Mel now helps healers, coaches, and practitioners expand their impact, clear subconscious blocks, and build businesses that are aligned with their deeper purpose. Her current signature programs blend spinal energetics, subconscious work, and business strategy for practitioners ready to move beyond the treatment room.   Guest Links & Resources Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melbrandtrewired/ https://melbrandt.com/beyond-the-table   Host Announcement: Portugal Sessions Harmony Slater will be offering in-person spinal energetics sessions in Portugal this summer:• Lisbon (Agora Lisboa): June 25–28• Faro: July 8–12DM @harmonyslaterofficial on Instagram to book. The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• Selling Without Selling Out: Why Healers Struggle to Share Their Gifts (and How to Change That) | with Mel Brandt (VIDEO) 09.06.2026 54dk

  Harmony sits down with her fellow Canadian and spinal energetics colleague, Mel Brandt — chiropractor, coach, and founder of a new paradigm for healer-entrepreneurs. After 18 years building a multidisciplinary chiropractic clinic in Kelowna, BC, Mel recently sold her practice to step fully into the work she believes she was always meant to do: helping healers clear the energetic and subconscious blocks that keep them playing small in their businesses and their lives. What begins as a conversation about spinal energetics quickly opens into something much larger: the emotional roots of physical pain, the limiting scope of institutional medicine, the spiritual initiation of selling a business you built from scratch, and the deep identity work required to ask yourself, "Who am I without what I do?" Mel shares how a back injury she couldn't heal using conventional methods led her to German New Medicine — and the revelation that her pain was actually part of a healing phase, not a sign that something was broken. She traces her path from that awakening through subconscious coaching, spinal energetics training, and ultimately the decision to fully release her clinic identity and build something new. Together, Harmony and Mel explore why healers so often undervalue their services, what makes coaching categorically different from training, and why the discomfort of evolving is — for both of them — far less painful than the discomfort of staying put. This episode is for anyone navigating a calling that doesn't fit inside the box they've been living in. Key Topics Covered Spinal energetics as a bridge between physical anatomy and energetic healing German New Medicine and the emotional-conflict roots of chronic pain Why BC chiropractic scope limits prevented integration of energy work Identity dissolution: releasing 18 years as a clinic owner The healer's wound: compassion, undervaluing services, and the fear of being salesy Coaching vs. training — the mirror vs. the curriculum Insurance-covered care and the mindset it creates in clients Accountability, skin in the game, and 'jumping timelines' Outgrowing professional communities without making it mean something about you Spinal energetics as ritual: structure holding spontaneous transformation About Mel Brandt Mel Brandt is a chiropractor, certified spinal energetics practitioner, and business coach based in Kelowna, British Columbia. She founded and ran a multidisciplinary health clinic for 18 years, growing it to 16 practitioners before selling in early 2026 to focus entirely on her coaching work. Mel now helps healers, coaches, and practitioners expand their impact, clear subconscious blocks, and build businesses that are aligned with their deeper purpose. Her current signature programs blend spinal energetics, subconscious work, and business strategy for practitioners ready to move beyond the treatment room.   Guest Links & Resources Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melbrandtrewired/ https://melbrandt.com/beyond-the-table   Host Announcement: Portugal Sessions Harmony Slater will be offering in-person spinal energetics sessions in Portugal this summer:• Lisbon (Agora Lisboa): June 25–28• Faro: July 8–12DM @harmonyslaterofficial on Instagram to book. The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• The Language of Yoga: Sanskrit, Ashtanga, and the Pursuit of True Meaning | with Zoë Slatoff 02.06.2026 57dk

  What does yoga actually mean? If you answered 'union,' Harmony and Russell have a fascinating surprise for you. In this deeply rich conversation with Sanskrit scholar and Ashtanga teacher Zoë Slatoff, the trio explores the ancient philosophical roots beneath the practices many of us do every day. Zoë is the author of Yogavataranam: The Translation of Yoga, A New Approach to Sanskrit, Associate Director of the Yoga Studies MA program at Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles), and a PhD candidate whose dissertation may permanently change the way you think about what yoga is for. The conversation moves from Zoë's early years in Brooklyn and a pivotal Rodney Yee VHS tape, to engineering studies at the elite Cooper Union, to teaching 16 yoga classes a week in New York City, to the magic of Lakshmi Puram in Mysore before the internet existed. It arrives, finally, at the big philosophical question at the heart of her dissertation: how did yoga go from meaning separation to meaning union? What You'll Learn in This Episode Why "yoga" in the Yoga Sutras means separation—not union—and how Advaita Vedanta changed everything The role of the Upadesha Sahasri (attributed to Shankaracharya) in bridging dualism and non-duality How Pattabhi Jois used to quote ancient Vedantic texts every single day in conference in Lakshmi Puram Why the neti neti practice ('not this, not that') is a powerful tool for modern meditators How Zoë began her Sanskrit journey in Mysore and transformed it into a published textbook and academic career What it means to teach Sanskrit in a way that actually serves yoga practitioners (not classical scholars) The magic—and the chaos—of traveling to India without the internet, using hand-drawn maps and STD phone boxes Why Zoë believes dualism and non-duality are ultimately describing the same thing, just from different angles Guest Bio: Zoë Slatoff Zoë Slatoff is a Sanskrit scholar, longtime Ashtanga yoga practitioner and teacher, and author of Yogavataranam: The Translation of Yoga—a groundbreaking Sanskrit grammar textbook designed specifically for yoga practitioners who want to read the texts that inform their practice. She holds a master's degree from Columbia University in Asian Languages and Cultures, is completing her PhD at Lancaster University, and currently serves as Associate Director (and incoming Director) of the Yoga Studies MA program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She also teaches Sanskrit online through the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. Resources & Links Mentioned Yogavataranam: The Translation of Yoga by Zoë Slatoff — available wherever books are sold (new edition coming soon) Yoga Studies MA Program at Loyola Marymount University — visit lmu.edu for admissions info Sanskrit classes online through the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies — check Zoë's website at ashtangayogasanskrit.com Yoga Gives Back — the charity whose fundraising gala reunited Zoë, Harmony, and Russell in LA Harmony Slater's Portugal intensives — Lisbon and Faro (end of June through mid-July); details in show links The Being Gathering festival, Portugal The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• The Language of Yoga: Sanskrit, Ashtanga, and the Pursuit of True Meaning | with Zoë Slatoff (VIDEO) 02.06.2026 57dk

  What does yoga actually mean? If you answered 'union,' Harmony and Russell have a fascinating surprise for you. In this deeply rich conversation with Sanskrit scholar and Ashtanga teacher Zoë  Slatoff, the trio explores the ancient philosophical roots beneath the practices many of us do every day. Zoë is the author of Yogavataranam: The Translation of Yoga, A New Approach to Sanskrit, Associate Director of the Yoga Studies MA program at Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles), and a PhD candidate whose dissertation may permanently change the way you think about what yoga is for. The conversation moves from Zoë 's early years in Brooklyn and a pivotal Rodney Yee VHS tape, to engineering studies at the elite Cooper Union, to teaching 16 yoga classes a week in New York City, to the magic of Lakshmi Puram in Mysore before the internet existed. It arrives, finally, at the big philosophical question at the heart of her dissertation: how did yoga go from meaning separation to meaning union? What You'll Learn in This Episode Why "yoga" in the Yoga Sutras means separation—not union—and how Advaita Vedanta changed everything The role of the Upadesha Sahasri (attributed to Shankaracharya) in bridging dualism and non-duality How Pattabhi Jois used to quote ancient Vedantic texts every single day in conference in Lakshmi Puram Why the neti neti practice ('not this, not that') is a powerful tool for modern meditators How Zoe began her Sanskrit journey in Mysore and transformed it into a published textbook and academic career What it means to teach Sanskrit in a way that actually serves yoga practitioners (not classical scholars) The magic—and the chaos—of traveling to India without the internet, using hand-drawn maps and STD phone boxes Why Zoe believes dualism and non-duality are ultimately describing the same thing, just from different angles Guest Bio: Zoë  Slatoff Zoë  Slatoff is a Sanskrit scholar, longtime Ashtanga yoga practitioner and teacher, and author of Yogavataranam: The Translation of Yoga—a groundbreaking Sanskrit grammar textbook designed specifically for yoga practitioners who want to read the texts that inform their practice. She holds a master's degree from Columbia University in Asian Languages and Cultures, is completing her PhD at Lancaster University, and currently serves as Associate Director (and incoming Director) of the Yoga Studies MA program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She also teaches Sanskrit online through the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. Resources & Links Mentioned Yogavataranam: The Translation of Yoga by Zoe Slatoff — available wherever books are sold (new edition coming soon) Yoga Studies MA Program at Loyola Marymount University — visit lmu.edu for admissions info Sanskrit classes online through the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies — check Zoe's website at ashtangayogasanskrit.com Yoga Gives Back — the charity whose fundraising gala reunited Zoe, Harmony, and Russell in LA Harmony Slater's Portugal intensives — Lisbon and Faro (end of June through mid-July); details in show links The Being Gathering festival, Portugal The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• Are You Actually Practicing Yoga? A Yoga Therapist's Honest Answer 26.05.2026 1sa 10dk

  What does it actually mean to practice yoga — and are any of us really doing it? In this rich and unhurried conversation, Harmony sits down with Tara Mitra: Ashtanga teacher, yoga therapist, and devoted Vedic chanting practitioner who has spent decades tracing the practice back to its roots. Tara's path moved from high-stress corporate life in Toronto to studying Ashtanga with dedicated teachers in Canada and California, then four years assisting in the Mysore shala, and finally into the Krishnamacharya lineage in Chennai — where yoga therapy, pranayama, Vedic chanting, and philosophy became her deepest studies. Today she works with everyone from cancer patients to hospice clients, with the simple premise: if you can breathe, she can teach you something. This conversation is a slow, deliberate unwinding of everything we think we know about yoga — and an invitation back to what it actually is.   In this episode you'll explore: Why 'nobody is really practicing yoga' — and what that actually means The journey from Ashtanga to yoga therapy: what made Tara go deeper How chanting and philosophy naturally shift the inner landscape Samasthiti as 'the pregnant pause' — and why skipping it misses the point The monkey mind: drunk, stung by a scorpion, and haunted — and what practice does to each layer Chitta vritti nirodha and what the Yoga Sutras actually say about the mind Spiritual bypassing: the 'good vibes only' trap and premature transcendence The radical practice of doing nothing — no phone, no tea, just thirty minutes at a window Ayurveda and the body's natural rhythms in the age of artificial light and screen time The pancha vayus and why pranayama is far subtler than it looks The breath as the great friend — and its connection to spirit in every tradition Redefining the guru: someone who isn't caught in your own distortions Sangha: why community isn't optional on the path How beginners should start: not by thinking The butterfly mind vs. the stability of genuine practice Boundaries as an expression of love, not a closing off Equanimity (upeksha) as a lifelong practice, not a destination   Connect with Tara Mitra: Website: taramitrayoga.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taramitrayoga/ Offerings: Yoga Sutras classes, Vedic chanting, Upanishad study, mentorship program   Resources mentioned: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali — chitta vritti nirodha (YS 1.2); the nine obstacles; YS 1.33 brahmaviharas Shanti mantra: Purnamadah Purnamidam (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad) Krishnamacharya lineage (Mysore & Chennai / Desikachar branch) Ashtanga trishthana — breath, drishti, bandha Ayurveda and the concept of natural daily rhythms (dinacharya) Harmony's upcoming Portugal workshops — harmonyslater.com/events The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• Are You Actually Practicing Yoga? A Yoga Therapist's Honest Answer (VIDEO) 26.05.2026 1sa 10dk

  What does it actually mean to practice yoga — and are any of us really doing it? In this rich and unhurried conversation, Harmony sits down with Tara Mitra: Ashtanga teacher, yoga therapist, and devoted Vedic chanting practitioner who has spent decades tracing the practice back to its roots. Tara's path moved from high-stress corporate life in Toronto to studying Ashtanga with dedicated teachers in Canada and California, then four years assisting in the Mysore shala, and finally into the Krishnamacharya lineage in Chennai — where yoga therapy, pranayama, Vedic chanting, and philosophy became her deepest studies. Today she works with everyone from cancer patients to hospice clients, with the simple premise: if you can breathe, she can teach you something. This conversation is a slow, deliberate unwinding of everything we think we know about yoga — and an invitation back to what it actually is.   In this episode you'll explore: Why 'nobody is really practicing yoga' — and what that actually means The journey from Ashtanga to yoga therapy: what made Tara go deeper How chanting and philosophy naturally shift the inner landscape Samasthiti as 'the pregnant pause' — and why skipping it misses the point The monkey mind: drunk, stung by a scorpion, and haunted — and what practice does to each layer Chitta vritti nirodha and what the Yoga Sutras actually say about the mind Spiritual bypassing: the 'good vibes only' trap and premature transcendence The radical practice of doing nothing — no phone, no tea, just thirty minutes at a window Ayurveda and the body's natural rhythms in the age of artificial light and screen time The pancha vayus and why pranayama is far subtler than it looks The breath as the great friend — and its connection to spirit in every tradition Redefining the guru: someone who isn't caught in your own distortions Sangha: why community isn't optional on the path How beginners should start: not by thinking The butterfly mind vs. the stability of genuine practice Boundaries as an expression of love, not a closing off Equanimity (upeksha) as a lifelong practice, not a destination   Connect with Tara Mitra: Website: taramitrayoga.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taramitrayoga/ Offerings: Yoga Sutras classes, Vedic chanting, Upanishad study, mentorship program   Resources mentioned: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali — chitta vritti nirodha (YS 1.2); the nine obstacles; YS 1.33 brahmaviharas Shanti mantra: Purnamadah Purnamidam (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad) Krishnamacharya lineage (Mysore & Chennai / Desikachar branch) Ashtanga trishthana — breath, drishti, bandha Ayurveda and the concept of natural daily rhythms (dinacharya) Harmony's upcoming Portugal workshops — harmonyslater.com/events The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• What 9 Trips to Mysore Teach You About Devotion, Discipline & Real Life | with Tina Bock 19.05.2026 57dk

  What if the most devoted yoga practice isn't happening at 5am in a Mysore shala — but in stolen afternoon hours between school pickups, on the floor of a LifeTime gym, to whatever music felt right that morning? Harmony and Russell sit down with Tina Bock — Authorized Level 2 Ashtanga yoga teacher, mother of two, eight-year Abu Dhabi expat, and lifelong New Jersey girl — for exactly the kind of conversation Ashtangis have been having since the first Western students sat outside the shala gates with instant coffee and nowhere else to be. Warm, funny, philosophical, and completely real.Tina received her Level 2 authorization from the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India under the late R. Sharath Jois. She has been teaching since 2012, has taught workshops and teacher trainings in more than 14 countries, made nine trips to India for ongoing study, and is currently practicing what she calls the "Seventh" and final series: parenting. Her path was not a straight line. From a 200-hour training in Goa at 22 (chosen because it was a thousand dollars for the whole month), to years of private lessons in Abu Dhabi palaces, to nine Mysore pilgrimages, to learning Third Series after her first baby was born — this is a portrait of what it looks like when practice truly lives inside a life, rather than sitting apart from it The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• What 9 Trips to Mysore Teach You About Devotion, Discipline & Real Life | with Tina Bock (Video) 19.05.2026 53dk

  What if the most devoted yoga practice isn't happening at 5am in a Mysore shala — but in stolen afternoon hours between school pickups, on the floor of a LifeTime gym, to whatever music felt right that morning? Harmony and Russell sit down with Tina Bock — Authorized Level 2 Ashtanga yoga teacher, mother of two, eight-year Abu Dhabi expat, and lifelong New Jersey girl — for exactly the kind of conversation Ashtangis have been having since the first Western students sat outside the shala gates with instant coffee and nowhere else to be.  Warm, funny, philosophical, and completely real.Tina received her Level 2 authorization from the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India under the late R. Sharath Jois. She has been teaching since 2012, has taught workshops and teacher trainings in more than 14 countries, made nine trips to India for ongoing study, and is currently practicing what she calls the "Seventh" and final series: parenting. Her path was not a straight line. From a 200-hour training in Goa at 22 (chosen because it was a thousand dollars for the whole month), to years of private lessons in Abu Dhabi palaces, to nine Mysore pilgrimages, to learning Third Series after her first baby was born — this is a portrait of what it looks like when practice truly lives inside a life, rather than sitting apart from it.   IN THIS EPISODE: How Tina ended up in Abu Dhabi for eight years — and what that did for her self-practice• Teaching private yoga to Abu Dhabi royalty when there was no Mysore program nearby Learning Primary Series alone and what self-practice taught her that a shala could not• Going to Mysore for the first time having never done a proper Mysore-style class Nine India trips — including a motorbike accident, a ditch, and stitches she suspects are still in her knee Bringing her son to Mysore at three months old and twelve months old (he learned to walk there) Learning Third Series after becoming a mother — and what Sharath said about timing The "Seventh Series": how parenting is the deepest practice she has ever done Teaching "Ashtanga Light" at a gym — and why she does not apologize for it Ashtanga as punk rock: what gets lost when the shalas close and gentrification arrives CONNECT WITH TINA:Instagram: @tinabock Upcoming retreats and workshops: Follow Tina on Instagram for announcements The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• Beyond the Asana: Vedanta, Non-Duality & the Deeper Purpose of Practice 12.05.2026 45dk

  What if the practice isn't about becoming better at yoga — but about seeing more clearly who you are? In this rich and contemplative conversation, Harmony sits down with Ricardo Louro and Inês Brilhante — founders of Ashtanga House Faro in Portugal's stunning Algarve region — to explore how studying Vedanta philosophy in the lineage of Swami Dayananda Saraswati has completely transformed their relationship with Ashtanga yoga practice. This is not a conversation about perfecting postures. It's a conversation about what postures are actually for. IN THIS EPISODE: The core Vedanta teaching — 'jiva jagadishvara' : the essence of the individual self, the world, and the creator are one How Ricardo went from asana obsession and identity-building to genuine inner freedom Why Inês finds Vedanta's teaching on impermanence invaluable as a mother, teacher, and business partner The practice of shravanam (deep listening to teachings) as a form of yoga in itself Mantra japa as a daily foundation — and how it freed Ricardo from needing to complete a full series to feel 'done' The 'polishing the mirror' metaphor: what it truly means to use yoga as a tool for self-inquiry How to begin studying Vedanta (recommended: Swami Sarvapriyananda on YouTube) The Dayananda Saraswati lineage and why studying in your own language matters Ines and Ricardo's path to founding Ashtanga House Faro — from Coimbra and Portimão, to Mysore, to the Algarve   CONNECT WITH ASHTANGA HOUSE FARO: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashtangahousefaro/ Website: https://www.ashtangahousefaro.com/   HARMONY IS TEACHING: 🌿 Agorayoga Lisbon — June 25–28 | All details in show notes 🌿 Ashtanga House Faro, Faro, Portugal — July 7–11 | 5-Day Mysore Intensive (includes pranayama, chanting, embodiment practices, working with the elements, and energetic field exploration)   RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: Swami Sarvapriyananda on YouTube — accessible entry point into Vedanta philosophy   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Asana practice is a tool for purifying the mind — not the ultimate goal of yoga Vedanta provides the philosophical framework that gives physical practice its deeper purpose Mantra japa trains the quality of single-pointed attention required for genuine study and practice Shravanam — dedicated listening to teachings — is itself a form of yoga Understanding impermanence reduces suffering and creates practical lightness in daily life The practice of yoga is ultimately about seeing yourself more clearly — polishing the mirror   If this episode resonated, please leave a 5-star review and share it with a practitioner who's ready to go deeper than the mat. 🙏 The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• Beyond the Asana: Vedanta, Non-Duality & the Deeper Purpose of Practice (VIDEO) 12.05.2026 45dk

  What if the practice isn't about becoming better at yoga — but about seeing more clearly who you are? In this rich and contemplative conversation, Harmony sits down with Ricardo Louro and Inês Brilhante — founders of Ashtanga House Faro in Portugal's stunning Algarve region — to explore how studying Vedanta philosophy in the lineage of Swami Dayananda Saraswati has completely transformed their relationship with Ashtanga yoga practice. This is not a conversation about perfecting postures. It's a conversation about what postures are actually for. IN THIS EPISODE: The core Vedanta teaching — 'jiva jagadishvara' [VERIFY TRANSLITERATION]: the essence of the individual self, the world, and the creator are one How Ricardo went from asana obsession and identity-building to genuine inner freedom Why Inês finds Vedanta's teaching on impermanence invaluable as a mother, teacher, and business partner The practice of shravanam (deep listening to teachings) as a form of yoga in itself Mantra japa as a daily foundation — and how it freed Ricardo from needing to complete a full series to feel 'done' The 'polishing the mirror' metaphor: what it truly means to use yoga as a tool for self-inquiry How to begin studying Vedanta (recommended: Swami Sarvapriyananda on YouTube) The Dayananda Saraswati lineage and why studying in your own language matters Ines and Ricardo's path to founding Ashtanga House Faro — from Coimbra and Portimão, to Mysore, to the Algarve   CONNECT WITH ASHTANGA HOUSE FARO: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashtangahousefaro/ Website: https://www.ashtangahousefaro.com/   HARMONY IS TEACHING: 🌿 Agorayoga Lisbon — June 25–28 | All details in show notes 🌿 Ashtanga House Faro, Faro, Portugal — July 7–11 | 5-Day Mysore Intensive (includes pranayama, chanting, embodiment practices, working with the elements, and energetic field exploration)   RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: Swami Sarvapriyananda on YouTube — accessible entry point into Vedanta philosophy   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Asana practice is a tool for purifying the mind — not the ultimate goal of yoga Vedanta provides the philosophical framework that gives physical practice its deeper purpose Mantra japa trains the quality of single-pointed attention required for genuine study and practice Shravanam — dedicated listening to teachings — is itself a form of yoga Understanding impermanence reduces suffering and creates practical lightness in daily life The practice of yoga is ultimately about seeing yourself more clearly — polishing the mirror   If this episode resonated, please leave a 5-star review and share it with a practitioner who's ready to go deeper than the mat. 🙏 The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• 50 Years on the Mat: Simon Borg-Olivier on Longevity, Ease, and the Gut Brain 05.05.2026 1sa 1dk

  Are you working out — or working in? In this deeply enriching conversation, Harmony Slater sits down with Simon Borg-Olivier — co-founder of Yoga Synergy, physiotherapist, researcher, and one of the most original minds in the world of movement. Simon has been exploring yoga, breath, and consciousness for over 50 years, and his answer to almost every question is the same: find the ease.   Simon's philosophy challenges the deeply held assumption that more effort equals more benefit. He makes a crucial distinction between the workout (which leaves you depleted, hungry, and stiff) and the work-in (which leaves you energized, calm, and clear). His approach blends biomechanics, nervous system science, and ancient wisdom traditions — and at age 66, his biological age tested at 48.   In this episode, you'll discover: Why strength without tension, and flexibility without strain, are the real goals of practice The 'work-in vs. workout' distinction — and how it changes everything The 12 hidden 'bridges' between the conscious and unconscious nervous system Why the diaphragm — not the breath — is the true link between mind and body Simon's concept of the gut brain and its connection to ancient traditions (Dan Tian, Tanden, Kanda) What 'airplane yoga' means — and why it's the philosophy behind his teaching His extraordinary life story: from a Tibetan lama in Sydney to machete wounds in Goa Why Iyengar told him 'most people need 90% bhoga' — and what that means for your practice How to become a chef in your practice, not just a student following recipes Where to find Simon's free membership site and global retreats   CONNECT WITH SIMON BORG-OLIVIER: Website: simonborgolivier.com  Membership & courses: healthhappinesslongevity.co   UPCOMING EVENTS: Harmony teaches at Agora Yoga, Lisbon (end of June) and Faro, Portugal (early July). Details in show notes at harmonyslater.com.   If this episode moved you, please leave a 5-star review and share it with a fellow practitioner. Your support helps this conversation reach more seekers. The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• 50 Years on the Mat: Simon Borg-Olivier on Longevity, Ease, and the Gut Brain (VIDEO) 05.05.2026 1sa 1dk

  Are you working out — or working in?   In this deeply enriching conversation, Harmony Slater sits down with Simon Borg-Olivier — co-founder of Yoga Synergy, physiotherapist, researcher, and one of the most original minds in the world of movement. Simon has been exploring yoga, breath, and consciousness for over 50 years, and his answer to almost every question is the same: find the ease.   Simon's philosophy challenges the deeply held assumption that more effort equals more benefit. He makes a crucial distinction between the workout (which leaves you depleted, hungry, and stiff) and the work-in (which leaves you energized, calm, and clear). His approach blends biomechanics, nervous system science, and ancient wisdom traditions — and at age 66, his biological age tested at 48.   In this episode, you'll discover: Why strength without tension, and flexibility without strain, are the real goals of practice The 'work-in vs. workout' distinction — and how it changes everything The 12 hidden 'bridges' between the conscious and unconscious nervous system Why the diaphragm — not the breath — is the true link between mind and body Simon's concept of the gut brain and its connection to ancient traditions (Dan Tian, Tanden, Kanda) What 'airplane yoga' means — and why it's the philosophy behind his teaching His extraordinary life story: from a Tibetan lama in Sydney to machete wounds in Goa Why Iyengar told him 'most people need 90% bhoga' — and what that means for your practice How to become a chef in your practice, not just a student following recipes Where to find Simon's free membership site and global retreats   CONNECT WITH SIMON BORG-OLIVIER: Website: simonborgolivier.com  Membership & courses: healthhappinesslongevity.co   UPCOMING EVENTS: Harmony teaches at Agora Yoga, Lisbon (end of June) and Faro, Portugal (early July). Details in show notes at harmonyslater.com.   If this episode moved you, please leave a 5-star review and share it with a fellow practitioner. Your support helps this conversation reach more seekers. The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• Yoga and Buddhism: How to Build a Practice That Actually Frees You 28.04.2026 57dk

  What does it really mean to build a life around practice — not just on the mat, but in how you love, how you work, and how you show up for your community? In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, Harmony Slater welcomes Sonia and Luis, the founders of Agora Lisboa — a space in Portugal dedicated to yoga, meditation, and the deep study of Buddhist philosophy. This is a couple who left careers in international development and high finance, followed the thread of practice across continents, and landed in Lisbon to build something rare: a community where dharma and asana are not separate from how you live. In this episode, you'll discover: Why Sonia chose yoga over a prestigious French government contract — and what her teacher said that changed everything How Luis discovered Zen Buddhism through the beauty of Japanese temple gardens at age 20 — and then meditated alone for 12 years The humbling moment Luis realized community is non-negotiable on the path to freedom What the ancient Greek word 'agora' has in common with Sanskrit and Portuguese — and why it became the perfect name Why crises are turning points (not breakdowns) — and the etymology that proves it How Ashtanga yoga and Buddhist meditation aren't just compatible — they're sibling traditions The difference between practicing for self-improvement and practicing for freedom Why you can't build an island of happiness in an ocean of misery — and what that means for your community Sonia's beautiful story of finding her pranayama practice while rocking her twins to sleep Why Harmony is teaching at Agora Lisboa June 25–28 — and how you can join her Sonia was born in France to a Brazilian mother and French father, trained at Ashtanga Yoga Paris, and worked in international development across Africa before stepping fully into teaching. Luis grew up in Colombia, moved to France at 18, discovered Zen Buddhism in Japan, and spent a decade in finance before burnout and love conspired to change everything. Together, they created Agora Lisboa — a name that holds multitudes: the Greek marketplace, the Portuguese word for 'now,' and a Sanskrit term for light. Whether you're navigating your own crossroads, deepening a contemplative practice, or longing for community that holds your whole life — this episode is for you. CONNECT WITH SONIA & LUIS: Website: agora-lisboa.com Instagram: @agora_lisboa  JOIN HARMONY IN LISBON: Harmony teaches at Agora Lisboa, June 25–28. Register at agora-lisboa.com. SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If this episode moved you, please leave a 5-star review and share it with someone who is living their practice off the mat. Your reviews help more seekers find this show. The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation
• Yoga and Buddhism: How to Build a Practice That Actually Frees You (Video) 28.04.2026 57dk

  What does it really mean to build a life around practice — not just on the mat, but in how you love, how you work, and how you show up for your community? In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, Harmony Slater welcomes Sonia and Luis, the founders of Agora Lisboa — a space in Portugal dedicated to yoga, meditation, and the deep study of Buddhist philosophy. This is a couple who left careers in international development and high finance, followed the thread of practice across continents, and landed in Lisbon to build something rare: a community where dharma and asana are not separate from how you live. In this episode, you'll discover: Why Sonia chose yoga over a prestigious French government contract — and what her teacher said that changed everything How Luis discovered Zen Buddhism through the beauty of Japanese temple gardens at age 20 — and then meditated alone for 12 years The humbling moment Luis realized community is non-negotiable on the path to freedom What the ancient Greek word 'agora' has in common with Sanskrit and Portuguese — and why it became the perfect name Why crises are turning points (not breakdowns) — and the etymology that proves it How Ashtanga yoga and Buddhist meditation aren't just compatible — they're sibling traditions The difference between practicing for self-improvement and practicing for freedom Why you can't build an island of happiness in an ocean of misery — and what that means for your community Sonia's beautiful story of finding her pranayama practice while rocking her twins to sleep Why Harmony is teaching at Agora Lisboa June 25–28 — and how you can join her Sonia was born in France to a Brazilian mother and French father, trained at Ashtanga Yoga Paris, and worked in international development across Africa before stepping fully into teaching. Luis grew up in Colombia, moved to France at 18, discovered Zen Buddhism in Japan, and spent a decade in finance before burnout and love conspired to change everything. Together, they created Agora Lisboa — a name that holds multitudes: the Greek marketplace, the Portuguese word for 'now,' and a Sanskrit term for light. Whether you're navigating your own crossroads, deepening a contemplative practice, or longing for community that holds your whole life — this episode is for you. CONNECT WITH SONIA & LUIS: Website: agora-lisboa.com Instagram: @agora_lisboa  JOIN HARMONY IN LISBON: Harmony teaches at Agora Lisboa, June 25–28. Register at agora-lisboa.com. SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If this episode moved you, please leave a 5-star review and share it with someone who is living their practice off the mat. Your reviews help more seekers find this show. The Inner Rejuvenation Codes: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/inner-rejuvenation-codes-mc Join the Lightworker Mastermind:  https://harmonyslater.com/lightworker-mastermindFIND Harmony online: https://harmonyslater.com/Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation