Finding Harmony Podcast

Are you feeling like you're standing on the edge of something new as we enter 2026? Maybe you're uncertain about what's ahead or how to step forward with confidence. This episode is your cosmic guide to the year ahead.   Join host Harmony Slater and spiritual astrologer Monica Lorraine for a deep dive into the major astrological shifts happening in 2026 and what they mean for your emotional healing, relationships, and personal growth. Unlike predictive astrology that focuses on fear and fate, Monica uses astrology as a tool for emotional insight, self-trust, and aligned decision-making.   In this episode, you'll discover:   The three major planetary shifts happening in 2026 and how they'll impact your life Why the first half of the year is all about emotional healing and inner safety (Jupiter in Cancer) How the summer brings a powerful shift toward confidence and self-expression (Jupiter moving into Leo) What it means to release perfectionism and control (North Node in Pisces) and move toward trust The transition from external validation to authentic self-acceptance (South Node moving into Leo) How Saturn in Pisces has been teaching you emotional boundaries since 2023 Why Saturn moving into Aries in February 2026 is calling you to take brave action The difference between spiritual astrology and traditional astrology How to work with your personal birth chart to understand where these shifts are happening in YOUR life Practical ways to prepare for the fiery, action-oriented energy coming in summer 2026   Whether you're new to astrology or a seasoned student of the stars, Monica breaks down complex concepts into grounded, practical wisdom you can use immediately. This conversation will help you move through 2026 with more clarity, confidence, and alignment.   Resources mentioned: Monica is offering exclusive free online astrology gatherings for Finding Harmony listeners in January, February, and March 2026.  Visit: https://www.soulaligned.net/harmony-2026.html FIND 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

Welcome to 2026! In this solo episode, Harmony Slater guides you through the powerful liminal space between the yin energy of the Wood Snake year and the dynamic yang energy of the Fire Horse year beginning February 17th. In This Episode, You'll Discover: Why January through mid-February is a crucial threshold period for spiritual and energetic preparation How to avoid burnout by working with your nervous system instead of against it The difference between false urgency and true intuitive guidance Why hustle culture won't serve you in the Fire Horse year and what to do instead Practical yin practices to balance the intense yang energy coming in 2026 How to identify your top values and create alignment in every area of your life The importance of capacity over desire when setting goals and making commitments Key Themes: Chinese astrology and energetic cycles, nervous system regulation, embodiment practices, spiritual alignment, sustainable growth, burnout prevention, yin and yang balance Join the Finding Harmony Community: Access complimentary Moon Day meditations, group spinal energetics sessions, and energy embodiment practices. Visit the Finding Harmony community to connect with like-minded spiritual practitioners on the path. FIND 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

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 FIND 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

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. FIND 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 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 FIND 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