Episodes
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This episode is short and simple, designed to connect you to your body and breath. Tune in to bring awareness to nearly every part of your body while simultaneously embracing a simple intention, or sankalpa. Even more than that, you’ll see how that intention resonates within you before enjoying the rest of your day feeling renewed and refreshed.
Find a safe and quiet place where you can sit or lie down as I guide you, step by step, through this 20-minute body scan and breath awareness practice to down-regulate your nervous system.
Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/287
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Today’s episode is the second and final part of my Neck Relief Toolkit, where I share the two key compensatory patterns I most often see in clients with neck pain. Even if you’re not a health professional, I guarantee that understanding these will improve your rehab journey.
Listen in to hear how simply bringing awareness of these two patterns to your clients can help them change how their tissue functions, regardless of age. I’ll also provide detailed examples of how to do just that (even over video calls), along with ways to calmly and compassionately help clients cultivate their own curiosity.
Get full show notes, transcript and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/286
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Missing episodes?
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Welcome to part one of my two-part series on reducing and eradicating neck pain. In today’s episode, I explore two essential tools to add to your toolkit when treating clients with neck issues.
Listen in as I break these tools down to their foundational core so you can immediately implement them in your practice. I’ll also share why I don’t name muscles when asking a patient to display movement patterns and why I often start with leg movements when treating a patient’s neck pain.
Get full show notes, transcript and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/285
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Today’s episode is extra special because I’m sharing yet another one of my trademark tools, which is especially effective in helping people reduce and eradicate physical pain. This tool is called the Success Matrix, and it’s essential for bringing awareness to your clients and treating the root cause of pain—rather than just the surface-level symptoms.
Tune in to learn how the Success Matrix helps patients understand their own anatomy and biomechanics so they can become active participants in their rehab while also empowering them to make incremental gains. It’s a nurturing process that will help you build a healing relationship with clients.
Get full show notes, transcript and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/284
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Do you ever stop and really feel what's going on inside your body? Developing a deep, intimate connection with your inner physical experience is the essence of interoception, and it holds immense power for reducing and even eradicating pain.
Tune in this week as I dive deep into the concept of interoception and share practical examples of how I help my clients develop this crucial skill. You'll learn why interoception is the foundation for becoming your own body whisperer, and how it can lead to breakthroughs in pain relief and physical performance.
Get full show notes, transcript and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/283
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Today, I’m excited to dig into three key questions I ask when working with clients and observing their movements. These questions are fundamental to how I help people reconnect with their bodies, reduce compensatory patterns, and embody the feeling of well-being.
Tune in to discover the power behind these simple yet effective questions, along with specific examples of how to use them to help clients enhance neuromuscular patterning and achieve significant progress.
Get full show notes, transcript and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/282
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Today, I’m excited to address something that many teachers and health professionals tell me they struggle with: getting their clients to follow their rehabilitation programs. Since I haven’t had a noncompliant patient in more than 20 years, I’m proud to share my insights.
Tune in to this episode as I offer my keys to helping clients engage in their programs, including cultivating a "power with" relationship (as opposed to "power over") that empowers them to pursue their rehabilitation goals while making significant progress.
Get full show notes, transcript and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/281
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Today, I’m joined by two inspiring soon-to-be graduates from my IAYT-accredited yoga therapy program: Lynda Spalding and Diane Stanton. Both chose to pursue their certifications later in life and are now successfully connecting with like-minded, similarly aged clients.
Join us for their uplifting stories, as they share the key elements they’re currently focused on in their practice—from the vocabulary of movement to healing dialogue, and even adding playful elements to keep sessions youthful. Their message is clear: it’s never too late to pursue what you love.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/280
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Do you or someone you know struggle with migraines? Have you tried countless remedies, yet still find no lasting relief? Imagine being able to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines without relying entirely on medication.
In this episode, I'm joined by Maria Hykin, a yoga therapist trainee with firsthand experience in battling migraines. Maria shares her transformative journey, discovering a unique approach rooted in therapeutic yoga that goes beyond simply addressing the pain.
Tune in as Maria provides practical tips and powerful insights for anyone seeking migraine relief and a better quality of life.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/279
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Today, I’m excited to be joined by Lesley Ann Wernsdorfer, who graduated from my IAYT-accredited yoga therapy program in October 2022. Lesley Ann is sharing her incredible story, including the crossroads she faced during the pandemic and how my teachings resonated with her deeply from the beginning.
Listen in to our conversation as we discuss the distinction between pain management and eradication, guiding clients on their movements, uncovering their limitations, and coping mechanisms. We also talk about the relationship between skin and pure movement—a topic you won’t want to miss.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/278
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Today is a very special episode as I welcome Laurie-Anne Lemothe back to the podcast. A current trainee and soon-to-be graduate of my yoga therapy accredited by IAYT program, she is here to share her experiences working with neurodivergent clientele.
Listen in to hear Laurie-Anne describe the role of environmental stimuli—including the health professional—when treating a neurodivergent client, the success she’s had with her most recent patient, and how she’s used teachings from the IAYT program in her practice.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/277
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Continuing my mini-series on reducing and eradicating physical pain, today I’m talking about core stability. It’s a topic I’ve addressed in previous episodes, but I think you’ll be surprised to hear how I’m discussing it here.
In this episode, I’m sharing how, whether in your own healing journey or when helping clients, that wired alertness may be impeding rehabilitation. Find out why hypervigilance has this impact and how core stabilization can ease your mental and emotional state so you can heal.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/276
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As I continue my mini-series on reducing and eradicating pain, today I’m exploring how stillness and quiet can be highly effective in our healing journeys. These quiet moments are deliberately restful pauses that we can strategically incorporate into our day or week, allowing us to connect with our bodies.
Tune in as I discuss the many benefits of these still moments, including reduced cortisol levels, improved brain function, lower blood pressure, and more. I’ll also share how to achieve these quiet states so you can access them whenever you need.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/275
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A key component of Western medicine is standardization, and when trying to standardize the intangible—like a patient’s pain—it becomes much harder to navigate. That’s why I’ve developed the gradient scale, which bridges left- and right-brain function with body experience.
Listen in to learn why this tool is so successful at reducing and eradicating pain, as it allows people to make embodied connections. In this calm, connected state, clients are more able to recognize novel insights, which are important and significant for the healing process.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/274
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In today's episode, we delve into the art of becoming comfortable with the intangible aspects of pain, which often lacks obvious physical causes. I'll be sharing my proven process for treating clients and guiding them on their journey to pain relief.
Tune in to learn about these four key concepts, including throwing out the traditional pain scale and instead honoring a person’s subjective experience through active listening. I’ll also be exploring the actual work of rehab, which isn’t about increasing sets and reps.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/273
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Continuing my conversations with trainees and graduates from my Therapeutic Yoga Intensive, today I'm speaking with Lisa Workman, a kinesiologist and yoga therapist who, in just one year, has built a thriving business.
Listen in as Lisa discusses in-depth her pursuit of professional autonomy, including what is required to overcome the fear of “jumping ship,” how to build self-confidence, as well as the technical side of building a successful yoga therapy business.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/272
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Today, I’m talking about a concept that is key to reducing and eradicating pain. It’s so powerful that it’s often one of the first ideas I teach health professionals who attend my programs and workshops. However, it truly needs to be experienced to understand how powerful it can be.
Listen in as I explain why this is so integral to the rehabilitation process, including how these movements address any gripping or bracing patterns that have become part of a client’s stabilizing force. I also share how mastering such movements improves results—both physically and mentally.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/271
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Despite feeling productive, you may notice a sense of depletion creeping in. This is the perfect time to come back to your body and relax, which is exactly what this practice will do: bring you back into yourself and help reboot, reconnect, and re-inspire you by settling into a more nourished state.
Take a moment to settle into a safe and comfortable space as I walk you, step by step, through this 20-minute Yoga Nidra practice to settle your overworked brain.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/270
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It’s such a privilege to bring Susan Morrison back to the podcast for another conversation about her experience in the recent Therapeutic Yoga Intensive, specifically how she has applied the concepts learned in that program to her own practice and clientele since graduating.
Listen to hear about concepts such as the healing helix, a client’s compelling reason, and meeting patients where they are. We’re also addressing a patient’s range of motion and how to expand that range to reduce tension and compensation patterns to promote healing.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/269
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This practice will have you connecting to your breathing and to your sankalpa, or intention, which manifests as a single-sentence affirmation. In addition to bringing awareness to your body and its sensations, we will also be exploring emotional opposites.
So find a safe space to listen as I walk you through, step-by-step, the instructions of this 20-minute R&R Sleep Meditation. And stay tuned for more practices in the weeks to come.Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/268
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