Harmony sits down with Siobhan Fitzgerald, a dedicated yoga teacher and breathwork practitioner whose work explores the ancient wisdom of Pranayama and its profound relevance to modern life—especially for women in midlife.

Siobhan shares how traditional Pranayama practices and kriyas can support women’s health through perimenopause and beyond, helping to regulate digestion, balance hormones, calm the nervous system, and heal emotional trauma.

She and Harmony dive into how breath becomes a pathway for energy management and how subtle energetic shifts through practice can lead to increased stability, vitality, and inner resilience.

With warmth and clarity, Siobhan discusses the importance of working with a teacher, understanding energetic imprints, and reclaiming embodied practice as a form of sacred remembrance and healing.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why Pranayama is so effective for emotional regulation and hormonal health
• How specific breathing practices support digestion and nervous system function
• The difference between general breathwork and prescriptive yogic Pranayama
• Why perimenopause is a powerful time for spiritual practice and transformation
• The energetic imprints that live in our tissues—and how breath can help release them
• How kriyas and subtle energetics offer tools for trauma healing and vitality

Disclaimer:

This episode contains discussion of eating disorders, which may be sensitive or triggering for some listeners. Please take care while listening. The information shared on this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplements, or wellness routine.

Learn more about Siobhan Fitzgerald: @yogawithsiobhan

Buy Siobhan’s Book Today!

Connect with Harmony:

Join the Pranayama Masterclass: https://harmonyslater.com/free-90-minute-pranayama-masterclass

Book a Clarity Call with Harmony: https://harmonyslater.as.me/Clarity-Session

Discover your Spiritual Entrepreneur Archetype! Take the Quiz!

Connect with Us (We love to hear from you!)

• Harmony Slater's Website: http://harmonyslater.com
• Finding Harmony Community
• https://harmonyslater.com/harmony-slater-coaching
• Find Harmony on Instagram⁠
• Follow the Finding Harmony Podcast on IG
• ⁠Two Minute Breathwork Session⁠

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This week, Harmony and Russell sit down with the dynamic and deeply grounded Amy Kokoszka—a Polish-Canadian Ashtanga Yoga teacher living in Ireland—whose journey weaves through Sivananda, Hatha, and eventually, Ashtanga yoga. But this conversation isn’t just about yoga.

Amy shares how the raw power of “Women Who Run with the Wolves” inspired her to create healing spaces for women through story, circles, and breathwork. She speaks candidly about the physical and emotional upheaval of perimenopause, the loss of her business during the pandemic, and how weight training helped her reconnect to her strength—literally and spiritually.

We dive into what it means to be a “deviant” in a tradition-bound practice, how yoga becomes a ritual of remembering, and why sometimes the soul doesn’t guide the body—the body guides the soul.

This episode is a heartfelt reminder that our bodies, our stories, and our strength are sacred. Whether you’re navigating hormonal shifts, looking to reclaim your power, or seeking community, Amy’s voice is a balm and a rallying cry.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Amy’s multicultural upbringing and how it shaped her identity
• The journey from Hatha and Sivananda yoga to Ashtanga
• Reclaiming personal power during perimenopause
• How lifting weights revitalized Amy’s yoga practice
• The sacredness of women’s circles and storytelling
• Navigating injury, spondylolisthesis, and adapting the practice
• Breathwork as a tool for release, resilience, and self-connection
• Challenging orthodoxy in yoga traditions
• The influence of Women Who Run with the Wolves on Amy’s path
• Balancing discipline with wild intuition
• Why rest, ritual, and reclaiming strength matter as we age

Learn more about Amy:

Amy Kokoska leads immersive women’s retreats that integrate yoga, breathwork, and ritual. A seasoned yoga educator, retreat leader, and storyteller, she has over 20 years of experience in Ashtanga, Yin, and trauma-informed practices.

Rooted in the wisdom of Women Who Run with the Wolves, Amy weaves movement, mythology, and deep soul work to guide women on a journey of self-reclamation. She explores the vast space of Chitta Akasha (the inner sky of consciousness) where wild imagination, ancestral wisdom, and embodied movement meet. She previously owned a yoga studio and now devotes her work to leading retreats and deep-dive workshops that bridge ancient wisdom with modern embodiment practices. She is the founder of Women & Wolves, a workshop series exploring the Wounded Healer and Wild Woman archetypes through movement, storytelling, and ritual.

Ashtanga yoga was Amy’s first love and remains the practice she continues to turn to for strength, discipline, and self-discovery. It deepened her relationship with self-practice, fostering resilience, devotion, and inner transformation. She also offers a monthly Primary Led Ashtanga class in Cork, sharing the profound power of the practice with her community.

Discover her work at hayokayoga.org.

Connect with Harmony:

Book a Clarity Call with Harmony: https://harmonyslater.as.me/Clarity-Session

Find your Spiritual Archetype! What is your Spiritual Entrepreneur Archetype? Take the Quiz!

Connect with Us (We love to hear from you!)

• Harmony Slater's Website: http://harmonyslater.com
• Finding Harmony Community
• https://harmonyslater.com/harmony-slater-coaching
• Find Harmony on Instagram⁠
• Follow the Finding Harmony Podcast on IG
• ⁠Two Minute Breathwork Session⁠

Harmony Slater and Russell Case sit down with Tonya Ridings, a trauma therapist and Kundalini yoga teacher, to explore the often-overlooked dynamics of high-control groups, cult-like communities, and spiritual bypassing. Tonya shares her deep knowledge of somatic psychotherapy, religious trauma, and the subtle ways manipulation can creep into even well-meaning spiritual spaces.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How trauma leads people into high-control environments

✅ The subtle manipulation tactics used in spiritual communities

✅ The fine line between dedication and coercion

✅ Red flags that indicate a group may be controlling or cult-adjacent

✅ How to reclaim personal autonomy after leaving a high-control environment

✅ The role of somatic healing in processing trauma

About Our Guest:

Tonya Ridings is a therapist specializing in trauma healing, particularly in the context of high-control religious and spiritual environments. With over 35 years of experience, she integrates somatic therapy, psychology, and yoga to help individuals reclaim their autonomy and inner wisdom.

Connect with Tonya:

🌍 Website: TonyaRidings.com

📸 Instagram: @TonyaRidings

Connect with Harmony:

Book a Clarity Call with Harmony: https://harmonyslater.as.me/Clarity-Session

Find your Spiritual Archetype! What is your Spiritual Entrepreneur Archetype? Take the Quiz!

Connect with Us (We love to hear from you!)

• Harmony Slater's Website: http://harmonyslater.com
• Finding Harmony Community
• https://harmonyslater.com/harmony-slater-coaching
• Find Harmony on Instagram⁠
• Follow the Finding Harmony Podcast on IG
• ⁠Two Minute Breathwork Session⁠