Finding Harmony Podcast

As we step into 2026, many of us feel the pull to create meaningful change—to eat better, move more, and build habits that truly support our wellbeing. Yet so often, these intentions don't stick. Why do most New Year's resolutions fail by mid-January? In this timely replay episode, host Harmony Slater reconnects with health and nutrition coach Layne Stowell for an honest, practical conversation about sustainable habit change. Together, they explore why the all-or-nothing approach sets us up for failure, what actually creates lasting transformation, and how to build realistic habits that you can maintain throughout the entire year. This episode is packed with actionable insights on mindful eating, movement, stress management, and creating small changes that lead to big, lasting results—without extremes and without burnout. What You'll Learn Understanding Why Resolutions Fail The psychology behind "Quitter's Day" in January Why doing too much too fast guarantees failure How our childhood food habits shape adult eating patterns The biochemistry of food cravings and comfort eating The Science of Sustainable Change "Act the way you want to feel": Why waiting for motivation keeps you stuck The power of "consistently good" over "inconsistently perfect" How pride and dopamine create lasting habit loops Why starting small actually gets you further than grand gestures Practical Habit-Building Tools The Ripple Effect Habit: Identifying the one habit that makes everything else easier The Pause Technique: Creating mindful awareness before reaching for food How to use your calendar to prioritize yourself (not give yourself the "scraps" of your day) Celebrating without food: Finding new ways to reward yourself Nutrition & Movement Wisdom The importance of protein-rich breakfasts (20-30g by 10am) Why movement after meals stabilizes blood sugar and boosts metabolism The truth about intermittent fasting for different bodies How to fight afternoon fatigue without caffeine or sugar Key Quotes "We change best by feeling good. We're going to change by feeling good, not by feeling bad." — Layne Stowell "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Doing something will always be better than doing nothing." — Layne Stowell "We're very good at giving ourselves the scraps of our day. There's no such thing as having leftover time in this day and age." — Layne Stowell "Act the way you want to feel instead of waiting for the feelings to show up and then take the action." — Layne Stowell "Every choice we make is a vote for the person we want to become." — Layne Stowell "You are the type of person who follows through, not the type of person that you can't trust your own word to." — Layne Stowell Guest Bio Layne Stowell is a health and nutrition coach specializing in weight loss through sustainable habit and behavior change. Based in Denver, Colorado, Layne is a mother of three and passionate advocate for simplifying healthy living in our busy modern world. She helps her clients break free from all-or-nothing thinking and yo-yo dieting patterns to create lasting transformation through small, consistent changes. Connect with Layne: Website:https://www.laynestowell.com/workshop Instagram: @layne_stowell EVALUATE & EVOLVE  https://harmonyslater.kit.com/evaluate-evolve Upcoming events: https://harmonyslater.com/events 21 Day Money Magic Manifestation Challenge: https://community-harmonyslater.com/landing/plans/1542444 Use PROMO CODE for additional $20 Savings: MANIFESTATIONMAGIC FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation FIND Harmony: https://harmonyslater.com/ JOIN the Finding Harmony Community: https://community-harmonyslater.com/ Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/ Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/ FREE 2 min breathwork practice: https://harmonyslater.com/morning-breathwork-optin Find your Spiritual Entrepreneur Archetype! Take the Quiz! https://harmonyslater.com/spiritual-entrepreneur-archetype-quiz BOOK Your Spinal Energetics Session: https://harmonyslater.as.me/

This Christmas, we did something completely different. Instead of planning our usual year-end reflection, we handed control to AI—specifically ChatGPT—and asked it to curate 15 topics based on who we are, what we've experienced this year, and what needs to be said. The result? Well, you’re just gonna have to give it a listen! Join Harmony Slater and Russell Case as they explore the intersection of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge technology through discussions that span quantum consciousness, psychedelic healing, the Ashtanga yoga world's reckoning, and the art of finding beauty in life's broken moments. This isn't your typical year-in-review episode—it's a deep dive into what happens when you let "Gaia Earth Consciousness" (as Russell calls AI) guide a conversation about transformation. What We Explore: 🌌 Consciousness as Fundamental Reality We dive into physicist Maria Rom's theory that consciousness isn't emergent—it's the foundational fabric of the universe itself. From the double-slit experiment to quantum entanglement, we explore why this changes everything about healing, relationships, and daily practice. 🍄 The Gen X Psychedelic Renaissance Russell shares his unexpected return to plant medicine in midlife as a tool for healing childhood trauma. We discuss the "fungal outbreak" of psychedelic healing spreading through society and what it means for the spiral of growth. 🧘 31 Years of Practice Revealed For the first time, Russell vulnerably shares what three decades of Ashtanga yoga practice actually felt like—and why he finally feels good after releasing the need to strive. ⚖️ Ashtanga Yoga's Year of Reckoning We address the women rising up to call out abuse in the Ashtanga community and why this moment matters for the future of teacher-student relationships. 💕 Relationship as Constant Friction The real gifts we give each other? Transparency, emotional holding, and healthy bickering that prevents resentment from festering. Plus: why we both like spicy food. 🌊 Tao Tourism & Missing Flights The philosophy of surrendering to flow, illustrated by our European food adventure, a missed flight in Amsterdam, and how mistakes become part of the beauty. ✨ Kintsugi: Painting Broken Things with Gold The Japanese art of repair as metaphor for life—weaving imperfection into the narrative instead of hiding it. 🎯 Identity as Fiction Existentialist perspective on personality as story, and the radical freedom to tell yourself different stories to become different people. 🙏 Love as the Only Reality Harmony's gift to listeners: experiencing at a cellular level that there is no separate "you"—only love, experiencing itself through infinite forms. Episode Highlights & Timestamps: [00:04:00] Introduction: The AI-curated episode concept [00:06:00] The problem of consciousness in philosophy [00:09:00] Gaia consciousness and AI as unified field [00:12:00] What Gen Xers are remembering this year [00:15:00] End-of-year ritual recommendations [00:19:00] Russell's 31-year practice journey [00:24:00] The gift of constant friction in relationships [00:27:00] Letting go while still gripping (the anabolic steroid story) [00:31:00] Harmony's mystical transformation [00:35:00] Tao Tourism philosophy [00:37:00] Finding awe in mundane objects (Chardin practice) [00:40:00] Identity as existential fiction [00:42:00] The Kintsugi moment: missed flights and beauty [00:45:00] Balance, yin-yang, and buying Canadian Resources Mentioned: Maria Ström's article on consciousness and quantum physics (Apple News) "Evaluate and Evolve" workbook - FREE download for year-end reflection: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/evaluate-evolve Finding Harmony Community - Join for December 28th complimentary event Live Group Energy Reset featuring breathwork and spinal energetic About Finding Harmony: Finding Harmony is a podcast exploring the intersection between ancient wisdom and modern everyday life, using mind-body practices to heal, awaken, and manifest dreams from the inside out. Hosted by yoga teacher and consciousness guide Harmony Slater, with co-host Russell Case. EVALUATE & EVOLVE  https://harmonyslater.kit.com/evaluate-evolve Upcoming events: https://harmonyslater.com/events 21 Day Money Magic Manifestation Challenge: https://community-harmonyslater.com/landing/plans/1542444 Use PROMO CODE for additional $20 Savings: MANIFESTATIONMAGIC FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation FIND Harmony: https://harmonyslater.com/ JOIN the Finding Harmony Community: https://community-harmonyslater.com/ Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/ Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/ FREE 2 min breathwork practice: https://harmonyslater.com/morning-breathwork-optin Find your Spiritual Entrepreneur Archetype! Take the Quiz! https://harmonyslater.com/spiritual-entrepreneur-archetype-quiz BOOK Your Spinal Energetics Session: https://harmonyslater.as.me/

What happens when you love a practice but recognize the harm within its structures? In this raw and revelatory conversation, Harmony sits down with Zoe Ward—long-time Ashtanga practitioner, authorized teacher, and the voice behind @unrulyascetic—to explore what it means to dismantle a tradition from within. Zoe spent years immersed in Mysore, studying with lineage teachers, and fully embodying the discipline that defines Ashtanga yoga. But somewhere along the way, she began to see the cracks: the privilege required to practice this way, the power dynamics that mutate devotion into dogma, the loss of autonomy when teachers dictate who you are and what's good for you. This conversation doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable truths—the hierarchy, the gatekeeping, the ways we've normalized abuse while failing to normalize talking about it. But it also offers something essential: a path forward. Zoe shares how she's rebuilding her relationship with practice, helping others reclaim their agency, and creating space for people to trust themselves again. Whether you're a devoted practitioner, a disillusioned teacher, or someone who's quietly stepped away from the mat, this episode offers permission to question, evolve, and find your own unruly path to freedom. Topics Discussed: • The privilege required to practice traditional Ashtanga yoga • Power dynamics and hierarchy in yoga communities • When devotion becomes dogma and disconnection • Confronting harm and accountability in spiritual communities • Reclaiming autonomy and trusting yourself in practice • Finding the intelligence in the system without rigid adherence • Building community that doesn't gatekeep or sort practitioners Lightworker Alignment Call: https://harmonyslater.as.me/quick-clarity EVALUATE & EVOLVE  https://harmonyslater.kit.com/evaluate-evolve Upcoming events: https://harmonyslater.com/events 21 Day Money Magic Manifestation Challenge: https://community-harmonyslater.com/landing/plans/1542444 Use PROMO CODE for additional $20 Savings: MANIFESTATIONMAGIC FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation FIND Harmony: https://harmonyslater.com/ JOIN the Finding Harmony Community: https://community-harmonyslater.com/ Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/ Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/ FREE 2 min breathwork practice: https://harmonyslater.com/morning-breathwork-optin Find your Spiritual Entrepreneur Archetype! Take the Quiz! https://harmonyslater.com/spiritual-entrepreneur-archetype-quiz BOOK Your Spinal Energetics Session: https://harmonyslater.as.me/

After more than 25 years of practice and 20 years of teaching, Harmony has found herself in a very different relationship with yoga than the one she started with. In this conversation, she sits down with her friend and co-facilitator, Lindsay Johnson, to talk honestly about what happens when a highly structured, discipline heavy practice stops feeling like home to your body. They trace the arc from Ashtanga and power vinyasa into somatic yoga, nervous system literacy, trauma sensitivity, and embodied energetics, and how those worlds are coming together in their new 100 hour Somatic Yoga and Embodied Energy Teacher Training at Yoga Passage in Calgary.  Harmony shares how the dogma and dualism she experienced in traditional Ashtanga left her feeling traumatized and disconnected from her own body’s wisdom, even as she continued to teach. Lindsay talks about growing up with medical trauma, discovering yoga as her first physical practice, and how chasing discipline, shapes, and handstands eventually gave way to a longing for freedom, expression, and true safety in her body. Together, they explore somatics as “coming home”: feeling instead of performing, building safety before “doing the work,” honouring the nervous system, and allowing movement, sound, and emotion to express in ways that look far less linear and far more like nature. They also speak directly to yoga teachers and long-time practitioners whose bodies are now saying no to old patterns, and how this training is designed as an initiation and a supplement to existing trainings rather than “just another certification.” If your yoga practice has started to feel like a grind, if your nervous system is already at capacity, or if you are curious about weaving subtle energy work, trauma literacy, and somatic language into the way you teach, this episode is an invitation to reimagine what yoga can be. In This Episode, You’ll Hear About When a beloved practice stops working Harmony’s honest reflection on feeling traumatized by the dogma and indoctrination around Ashtanga. What it is like when your body keeps saying “no” every time you get on your mat. Why so many midlife practitioners walk away from yoga entirely when the old way stops feeling safe. Lindsay’s path through discipline into somatics First teacher training at Yoga Passage back in 2005 and years of teaching linear, disciplined styles like power vinyasa and Ashtanga. How a Saturday power class turned into a somatic class the moment she invited everyone to shake, and never went back. The realization that she had been hypervigilant and disconnected from her body for most of her life, and how somatics helped her come home. Discipline, structure and their limits Why highly structured systems can initially feel like safety for nervous systems shaped by trauma, chaos, or disorganized families. How discipline taught them to cue, hold space, and show up, yet eventually began to feel like a cage rather than support. The shift from “I need to fix myself and prove my worthiness” to “I am already whole, and the practice is about remembering that.” Somatic yoga as nervous system literacy What it means to teach from a felt sense instead of from performance or achievement. Using pendulation, “islands of safety,” and choice to guide students in and out of sensation. Why learning to relax and feel ease is a prerequisite for true regulation and resilience. Trauma sensitivity and language in class How somatic language differs from traditional cueing, especially around choice and autonomy. Giving students sovereignty instead of pushing them into “no pain, no gain” territory. Letting go of rigid bilateral rules and allowing asymmetry, ease, and curiosity to lead. Feminine energy, Kundalini and non-linear movement Reframing vinyasa and “flow” as something guided by breath and sensation, not just choreography. How Kundalini and Shakti express through spirals, oscillations, and organic movement rather than straight lines. The role of self-touch, oxytocin, and nurturing practices in regulating women’s nervous systems. Embodied energetics and the subtle body Seeing the body as the densest part of the energetic field, not just a physical object. Working with the chakras, nadis, fascia, and spinal energetics as an integrated map. How teachers can sense the field, notice shifts, and differentiate between “my energy” and “the room.” The 100 Hour Somatic Yoga & Embodied Energy Teacher Training Who it is for: yoga teachers, healers, and coaches with a foundational training who want to go deeper. What it includes: somatic practices, nervous system education, subtle body mapping, trauma sensitive space-holding, and embodied leadership. How the in-person format at Yoga Passage in Calgary supports community, co-regulation, and live practice. About Our Guest: Lindsay Johnson Lindsay Johnson is a yoga teacher, somatic healing practitioner, and trauma-informed facilitator based in Calgary, Alberta. She has been practicing yoga for nearly 20 years and began teaching after her first training at Yoga Passage in 2005. Over the years, she has studied with teachers such as Shiva Rea and Baron Baptiste, taught power vinyasa and Ashtanga, owned her own studio, and eventually returned to Yoga Passage after major life changes in 2020.  Lindsay now focuses on somatic yoga, movement-based therapy, and nervous system literacy, helping students and clients reconnect with their bodies after trauma, burnout, and years of living in their heads. At Yoga Passage, she is listed as a practitioner offering somatic healing in their wellness program and teaches classes, workshops, full moon events, and her signature Soma Movement sessions.  Her work centres on sovereignty, choice, and collective healing. Through shaking practices, floor-based somatic sequences, and careful, choice-based language, Lindsay creates spaces where people can safely feel, express, and integrate their full emotional spectrum. You can find her teaching in person at Yoga Passage and sharing her work online at @lj_heals on Instagram.  Links From This Episode Somatic Yoga & Embodied Energy 100 Hour Teacher Training Hosted at Yoga Passage in Calgary, Alberta Check Yoga Passage’s Teacher Training and Workshops pages for details and registration: https://yogapassage.ca Yoga Passage (studio) Website: https://yogapassage.ca Instagram: @yoga.passage Connect with Lindsay Instagram: @lj_heals  Somatic healing offerings at Yoga Passage: Somatic Healing listing on the Therapists page EVALUATE & EVOLVE  https://harmonyslater.kit.com/evaluate-evolve Upcoming events: https://harmonyslater.com/events 21 Day Money Magic Manifestation Challenge: https://community-harmonyslater.com/landing/plans/1542444 Use PROMO CODE for additional $20 Savings: MANIFESTATIONMAGIC FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation FIND Harmony: https://harmonyslater.com/ JOIN the Finding Harmony Community: https://community-harmonyslater.com/ Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/ Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/ FREE 2 min breathwork practice: https://harmonyslater.com/morning-breathwork-optin Find your Spiritual Entrepreneur Archetype! Take the Quiz! https://harmonyslater.com/spiritual-entrepreneur-archetype-quiz BOOK Your Spinal Energetics Session: https://harmonyslater.as.me/

In this mind-bending, heart-opening conversation, Harmony and Russell welcome back author, former Benedictine monk, financial advisor, and Enneagram educator Doug Lynam. What begins as a discussion about money and spirituality quickly expands into psychedelics, ego structures, ancient Christian history, mystical experiences, and why our deepest personal wounds shape both our financial lives and our spiritual paths. Doug unpacks how his monastic vows, his monastery’s bankruptcy, and years of guiding others through financial distress led him to explore the emotional and psychological roots of money. He explains why money acts as “stored energy,” why it absorbs our intention, and why integrating spirituality with finance is essential for living a whole, aligned life. From there, the episode rolls into the psychedelic origins of the Enneagram, how different types experience altered states, and why Doug believes psychedelic journeys can reveal the deepest architecture of the ego. Harmony and Russell share their own recent experiences with 5-MeO-DMT, exploring consciousness, connection, lineage healing, and the dissolution of the self. This is one of the most surprising, expansive, and spiritually charged conversations ever recorded for the Finding Harmony podcast. In this episode: Setting the Stage: Who Is Doug Lynam Today? Harmony introduces Doug as a “monk, a money manager, and a mystic” wrapped into one. Doug’s backstory: 20 years as a Benedictine monk, vow of poverty, monastery bankruptcy. How reconciling money and spirituality became his life’s work. Money as Spiritual Energy Doug reframes money as “stored work energy.” Why separating spirituality and money leads to fragmentation. Russell shares his discomfort about mixing spirituality and money, prompting a rich dialogue about cultural conditioning and internal conflict. Psychedelics in Early Christianity Doug shares research from The Immortality Key. Evidence of psychedelic sacraments in early Christian rituals. Greek, Roman, and pagan traditions that shaped early Christianity. Understanding the Enneagram from a Psychological Lens Doug explains the Enneagram as nine ego-structures shaped by childhood stressors. The three emotional roots: anger, sadness, fear. Russell identifies strongly with Type Nine. How the Enneagram predicts emotional triggers and core wounds. Psychedelics and the Enneagram Doug’s theory: psychedelic experiences mirror your type’s greatest fear and greatest hope. Anger-triad types often benefit from dissociatives like ketamine. Shame-triad types often benefit from MDMA. Fear-triad types often resonate with psilocybin or LSD. The Untold Psychedelic History of the Enneagram The Enneagram’s modern lineage through Oscar Ichazo and Claudio Naranjo. Naranjo’s psychedelic clinic and collaborations with Alexander Shulgin. How psychedelic history was stripped out when the Enneagram entered Christian communities. Five-MeO-DMT, Ego Dissolution, and the Mystical Experience Doug outlines safe, trauma-informed approaches to 5-MeO facilitation. Why slow, intentional dosing may be safer than single “breakthrough” hits. How the Enneagram enriches psychedelic integration. Harmony and Russell share their own recent journeys, including lineage healing and somatic release. Trauma, Healing, and Union with the Divine Doug shares his own intense 5-MeO experience involving collective suffering and infinite love. Philosophical reflections on consciousness, non-duality, pain, and interconnectedness. A powerful closing on how expanded states reveal the architecture of the ego and the nature of reality. Guest Bio: Doug Lynam Doug Lynam is a former Benedictine monk turned financial advisor, author, and expert on the intersection of money, psychology, and spirituality. After spending two decades in monastic life, Doug unexpectedly became responsible for navigating his monastery through bankruptcy. This launched his mission to help others heal their relationship with money. He’s a partner at a New Mexico investment firm, an Enneagram specialist, and the author of From Monk to Money Manager and Taming Your Money Monster. Doug also integrates his deep interest in psychedelics, consciousness, and emotional transformation into his work. Relevant Links Taming Your Money Monster by Doug Lynam: https://www.thomasnelson.com/p/taming-your-money-monster/ Clarity Session with Harmony: https://harmonyslater.as.me/Clarity-Session Call to Action If this episode stretched your mind, cracked open your heart, or made you rethink your relationship with money and spirituality, share it with someone who loves exploring consciousness. And make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes where we keep expanding what’s possible. EVALUATE & EVOLVE  https://harmonyslater.kit.com/evaluate-evolve Upcoming events: https://harmonyslater.com/events 21 Day Money Magic Manifestation Challenge: https://community-harmonyslater.com/landing/plans/1542444 Use PROMO CODE for additional $20 Savings: MANIFESTATIONMAGIC FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation FIND Harmony: https://harmonyslater.com/ JOIN the Finding Harmony Community: https://community-harmonyslater.com/ Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/ Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/ FREE 2 min breathwork practice: https://harmonyslater.com/morning-breathwork-optin Find your Spiritual Entrepreneur Archetype! Take the Quiz! https://harmonyslater.com/spiritual-entrepreneur-archetype-quiz BOOK Your Spinal Energetics Session: https://harmonyslater.as.me/