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

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

Welcome to the next episode in the mini-series on bone health and osteoporosis. Today I'm very excited for the return of Mona Warner, Ayurvedic practitioner, Ayurvedic yoga therapist, and yoga teacher trainer, who joins me to offer her perspective on osteoporosis.



Tune in as Mona shares why the digestive system is so essential in Ayurveda, how patients can support their digestion to promote tissue development, and how Ayurvedic medicine seeks to address an individual holistically through three distinct pillars.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/265

Amy Yapp is a yoga teacher and a client of mine. She has Hypermobility Disorder and an acute understanding of building skills to connect with her form. In this conversation, we discuss the difference between reactivity and responsiveness, and how to take action by knowing your body well. We dive into finding language for reconnecting with the body and honoring sensations through somatic and yoga therapies. Learn more about advocating for yourself, uncovering sensory language, and feeling more expansive.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/175

Join me in learning about alternative movement techniques when working with hypermobile folks. Jeannie Di Bon is an advocate for those with hypermobility, a movement therapist, and she has hypermobile EDS, POTS, and MCAS. After struggling most of her life without a diagnosis, she shares how she was filled with relief when she identified her diagnosis at 48 and the possibility for change. In this conversation, Jeannie shares her experience and expertise as a therapist with an acute understanding of hypermobility.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/174

Regardless of hypermobility, anyone can cultivate their interoceptive and proprioceptive abilities. This week, I share the basics of these sensing skills along with a breathing exercise to expand your practice. By actively noticing and acknowledging our sensations, we embark on a transformative journey. I invite you to explore your unique sensory experiences today.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/hypermobility-interoception-proprioception/

This episode is part one of my Rethinking Hypermobility mini-series where I'll be exploring effective ways to support individuals facing the challenges of pain and hypermobility. I'll be unpacking the techniques I employ to guide my clients on a journey of self-discovery and body awareness.

It's important to recognize that people with hypermobility have distinct tissue functioning, which requires a tailored approach for their care. Discover how to help others move in a range that does not increase their pain. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/hypermobility-reducing-pain/

This week, I share two stories of clients with structural limitations. Whether it's pain, strain, or something more ambiguous, both clients were able to make changes by learning how to identify patterns of movement while looking deeper. The anatomical location of your pain is not the problem. Tune in to find out what healing is all about.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/171

I am pleased to invite OBGYN and a breast cancer survivor, Dr. Corinne Menn, to the show to educate us about the possibility of hormone therapy for cancer survivors. Dr. Menn shares the struggles of survivorship, some basic information on hormones, and how the whole body is impacted by cancer and cancer treatment. Join us as we unpack misinformation, traversing the medical field, and re-claiming trust in our bodies.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/170

Breast cancer can be extremely overwhelming. The initial shock, scheduling, and procedures are traumatic and they can cause us to step away from our body. Helen Pomeroy is a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and breast cancer survivor. She is here to share how reaching out to work with me has helped her connect back to her body, find feeling in her form, and encourage healing. Helen now has better movement than before her diagnosis, and more tools for understanding her body and implementing movements when signals of tension appear.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/169

I have a lot of experience helping clients go from "now what" to redefining their relationship with movement so they can quickly get back to moving with ease, comfort, and connection with their body, especially when they are recovering and recuperating from breast cancer and breast cancer treatments.

I break down load and how to improve structural integrity to move with less pain and more ease, and I dig into specific examples of how to make adjustments for the greatest comfort and relief of tension in the body.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/168

This week, I am pleased to sit down with my private 1:1 client, Trudy Johnson, who has experienced various forms of pain over the years, from knee pain and pain from injury to pelvic floor surgery and Morton's neuroma. Initially, when I introduced the idea that "the pain is not the problem" to Trudy, she did not believe me. Today, Trudy shares how learning to listen to her body changed everything, empowered her to work with her body, and begin to eradicate her pain.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/167

Our relation to our body changes from day to day, from experience to experience. When using the 8 Principles of Movement that I share this week, we can tune in to our present experience, understanding that our ability can shift from one moment to the next. Listen in as I unveil the importance of integrating this work into any practice, along with deep details of each principle. I dig into how the principles work as a group, building one atop the other.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/166

As we continue our mini-series on bone health, and especially on osteoporosis, I'm speaking with a very special guest today: Melanie Metrow, a physical therapist and trainee in my IAYT program.

In this conversation we're talking about the role fear can play when trying to live with osteoporosis and how that fear impacts our autonomic nervous system (ANS). Listen in as we discuss, in detail, how the ANS responds to our environment, the power of receiving an osteoporosis diagnosis in a compassionate manner, as well as some safety tips applicable for clients.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/264

When the pain goes down, what is there now? Arriving at a new state within your body is a learning experience. To discuss this with me I invited my private 1:1 client, Ros Tobe, onto the podcast. Ros is training for runDisney, and to run her race, structural integrity is essential.

In this episode, we discuss tuning in to the body and how when we have found some relief from pain, there is more ability to notice, read, and address compensatory patterns. We also look at Ros's experience with pain and how she has changed since working with me.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/165

Have you worked with a client that is numb or cannot feel? How do we work with those who have difficulty expressing themselves? 

This week, I'm joined by two educators and therapists, Ruth Ann Penney and Kim Marion, to talk about openness, trust, and relationship building. This enlightening conversation touches on the nuance of sensory perception, the essential nature of trust in our ability to communicate, and so much more.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/164

Are you getting lost in the numbers, the repetitions, or the specifics of a technique? The desire to complete a practice "correctly" or as a "to-do" sometimes distracts my clients from the actual work wanting to take place within their bodies.

This week, I discuss the four most common questions I receive when beginning to work with a client. I unveil how I encourage my clients to tune in to their inner knowing and feel into a healing process that works for them.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/163

Bracing patterns are a key factor in a person's recovery process. You can make many gains related to your movement, but if your bracing patterns don't resolve or reduce significantly, the pain won't stay away or go away sustainably. This week I dig into the role bracing patterns play in recovery, some of my clients' comments about their bracing patterns, and how I help my clients resolve them. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/162

This week, I share the key difference maker for my clients getting out of pain and how, without this, there won't be the significant, lasting change that people are seeking. I show you how to acknowledge how you are feeling regarding your symptoms, why this can be so revealing, and the true fuel you need for recovery and the healing process. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/161

There are some key phases of recovery that I have seen over time when working with clientele. There is the initial helping them get out of pain, then there's a transition, and then a period of strengthening.

Join me this week as I dive deeper into each of these phases to show you how I teach clients to hear the whispers and recognize the yellow lights. Discover what I find gets in the way of these phases for people and how to be successful in each one.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/160

When it comes to reducing and eradicating persistent symptoms of pain, managing symptoms of an autoimmune condition, or recovering from surgery of any kind, there are three concepts that I think about from a bigger picture.

Hear what these concepts are and how they help my clients with their recovery. Find out why they are the opposite of what is often taught in the rehabilitative world, and the quiet power of these concepts.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/159

Those sexy boots you have in your closet were made for walking, and you do not have to put them away. Our joints enable us to move in a variety of different positions, so why not allow for it? That's exactly what I'm talking about in the last episode of the Exploring Your Feet miniseries this week. I share 5 key things I think about when helping people get into sexy boots, and the considerations I utilize when working with people who want to wear them.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/158

The idea of this miniseries is to highlight something that I find tends to be missing out there in the world of rehabilitation, corrective exercise, and yoga therapy. There is a lot of great information on the foot itself and the lower part of the limb, but this starts to fizzle off when we look at the whole kinetic chain. So in this episode, I'm digging deeper into the tibia and fibula relationship and their relationship with the foot before walking you through a practice to bring this to life.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/157

Just because overpronation is present doesn't mean it's a bad thing. The body and mind are consistently seeking balance, and the foot does need to pronate when you walk or there is a weight shift. So this week, learn what overpronation is, how to look at it from a structural standpoint, and how to understand what that exploration reveals to you.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/156

As a special treat, today I'm sharing an extended body scan practice designed to help you settle into your body and create an embodied space with intentional breathing. It is just the trick for getting over a little post-trip jet lag, for times when you're feeling like you're not quite in your body, or if you're feeling a little fried or wired. In those cases, a practice like this can really help you reconnect. 

Find a safe, comfortable position where you can truly be with yourself—whether that's on your back, lying on your side, or even sitting up—and tune in as I walk you through, step-by-step, this 30-minute extended body scan.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/263

In this episode, I'm sharing why it is so easy to assume that the foot is solely responsible for bearing our load and why this isn't truly the case. Discover the importance of learning how to adequately transfer load, the impact this has on the way your foot functions, and some ways to find stability to enable you to transfer and absorb load.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/155

The feet are incredible compensators and often key strategists for when we have hip instability or other functional limitations. If we don't absorb and dissipate load well throughout the body, the feet can take the brunt. So this week, I'm digging in to the feet and hip connection and why, as we resolve that patterning, the feet will start to shift. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/154

I work a lot with clients who have been given corrective exercise techniques as part of their rehabilitation program, and I train health professionals who have professional training in the application of these corrective exercises. So this week, I'm digging into corrective exercise techniques and how they can be amplified by adding yoga therapy. Discover what corrective exercises are and three things I see present when these techniques are not working.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/153

In this episode, I'm walking you through a multi-step practice to help you explore your ribcage and collarbones and their relationship with breathing. Learn the different impacts this practice can have for different people based on the way that their tissue is and the number one thing that influences my clients' healing process and the pace at which they get better.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/152

This week, I'm sharing a fascinating, nuanced view of the psoas. You'll learn some interesting facts about the psoas, and I'm walking you through a reflective practice to help you tune into your awareness and ability to feel.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/151

Join me this week as I talk about the anatomy of the QL, some of what the anatomists say about the relationship between the QL and breathing, and how there are some conflictual ideas about it. I'm also leading you through a somatic experience to help you tune in to your own QL and breath.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/150

This week I'm talking with my dentist, Dr. Larry Stanleigh, all about the benefits of retraining how you breathe and how breathing better can help you move better. Hear the relationship between sleep apnea, grinding, clenching, and issues with other parts of your body and why understanding how it all weaves together can help you assist yourself and your clientele more effectively.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/149

In this episode, I'm continuing on our biomechanical, anatomical exploration and mindful awareness journey and bringing you another guided practice to help you tune in to your breath and body. I'm taking you through two side bends to help you connect with your ribcage and feel what happens, and showing you how to breathe into it and acknowledge what occurs elsewhere in your body.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/148

Tune in this week for another gentle practice to help you explore movement and breath. With this practice, we're focusing on the feet, hips, and abdomen. I'm guiding you through this practice and showing you how to notice what your body does and how to tune in to the information your body gives you.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/147

In this episode, I'm taking you through a gentle practice to help you tune in to your ribcage, your breath, and how that breath moves the ribcage. I'm going over the connection to your neck, head, and feet and helping you tune in to awareness about your breath and what's going on within your body and mind.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/146

Welcome to an all-new mini-series about bone health. In this episode, I will be introducing this topic with a very special guest, Laurie-Anne Lamothe, a yoga teacher and soon-to-be graduate of my yoga therapy accredited IAYT program.

Listen in as Laurie-Anne discusses why there's so much fear present around osteoporosis and the current care gap that exists between treatment and information provided to patients. She'll also be providing several client case studies to illustrate her experience helping others feel empowered in their movements.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/262

I have had great success working with people with migraines and I have seen some amazing results from my clients. So this week for the next installment of the Exploring Your Breath miniseries I'm diving into migraines. Learn how I teach people to tune in to their body, mind, and system to recognize correlations to the migraine and the power of becoming more aware of conditions and triggers that lead to migraines.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/145

In the second episode of the Exploring Your Breath series, I'm sharing my definition of the core, how I view it and what I see as the relationship between core and breathing. I'm also guiding you through a simple exercise to help you explore the relationship you currently have with your core and make it stronger.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/144

In the first episode of this series all about exploring your breath, I'm diving deeper into the phases of breath, the functional anatomy of the thorax and abdomen, and what I see as a pattern that can negatively impact exhalation. I'm sharing what I do specifically to help support people to improve the way they exhale and two exercises to try associated with your exhalation patterns.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/143

Many people believe that they have back pain because of their hamstrings. In this episode, I'm explaining why I don't necessarily agree with this, what I tend to do when working with people who complain about the hamstrings, and why I think what I do is so helpful. I'm digging deeper into the anatomy and function of the hamstrings and sharing some perspective on them to help you start thinking about them differently.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/142

There is a specific part of my private sessions that can, in many ways, change the trajectory of someone's healing process. In this episode, I'm digging deeper into this part of my private sessions and showing you why it is so significant for my clients. I'm sharing some key points that you can utilize for yourself if you are a client or professional working with clients, and some key things I am and am not doing with my clients in terms of their recovery.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/141

Join us this week to hear from Sue and Carolyn about their experiences of learning to listen to their bodies and tuning into the messages that arose from their pain. Hear what brought Sue and Carolyn to utilizing yoga to reduce and eradicate pain, and what they want you to know about what's possible in your 60s and 70s.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/140

Tune in this week as I'm explaining the anatomy of the rotator cuff and digging deeper into its relationship to the neck to help you think about it in terms of your own body. I'm walking you through an awareness exercise to ponder the rotator cuff relationship and giving you some suggestions to implement when you are doing rotator cuff exercises.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/139

In this episode, I'm sharing some biomechanical principles I utilize when I look at the relationship between the pelvis and the neck, and some ideas for you to explore in your own practice. Discover what contributes to your neck starting to settle out, the anatomy of the pelvis, and how to bring this awareness into your practice so you can establish whether you have a relationship with your pelvis that could be improved.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/138

I'm talking about the anatomy and function of the shoulder girdle, some downsides to knowing the anatomy, and what it can sometimes do to mess up the recovery process. I'm taking you through your own exploration of the shoulder girdle function, and showing you why tuning into this area can change so much in your neck.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/137

Utilizing the power of touch to explore the tissue around your neck will help you gain a deeper understanding of the areas that are contributing to what you're feeling in the neck itself, and I'm showing you how to get started understanding your sensations and symptoms in this episode. Tune in for my process of using your fingers to tune into the tissue of your body, and what everything you discover is there to tell you.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/136

Welcome back to another episode of the podcast in which I'm sharing a breath and body scan—a technique inside of yoga nidra where we can really tune in and heighten the perception of our body while also enabling a level of relaxation.



Find a safe and comfortable place to sit or lay down and tune in as I walk you through, step-by-step, this 20-minute body scan and be sure to keep an eye out for more practices on future episodes.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/261

Over the next few episodes, I'm going to be speaking about the neck: its anatomy, its function, the movement, and how different parts of the body relate and correlate to what is felt in the neck. This week, I'm taking you through some movements to help you experience your neck and learn how it impacts and influences other parts of the body.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/135

So often, the issues in the way of our getting better are not the issues we're actually aware of. We think where we feel pain is the problem, but it isn't. The problem is actually beneath it. So join me this week as I take you on a journey inward to yourself. I'm guiding you to a place of connection with yourself and helping you tune in to your body to see what's beneath the surface for you.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/134

This week, I'm sharing two versions of Nadi Shodana that you can use and continue to practice to reduce stress and develop a calm, clear, quiet mind. Hear how these two practices can help you reduce stress and anxiety, as well as improve your breathing. Learn how to utilize this practice to focus your mind and how to quiet and lengthen your breath for downregulation.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/133