185.3K
Downloads
316
Episodes
Hi, my name is Ava and I’m delighted to offer you “Functional Spirituality”, a free resource of talks, trainings and guided meditations. I use an academic approach to invite critical thinking into energetic, mystical and heart-based practices. Spirituality has a history of disempowering the individual and worshiping the guru or priest, without question. In this podcast, I aim to reduce the dogma that has rendered so many schools and practices ineffective - (and strange AF) - and to elevate the conversation around spirituality. I want to EMPOWER the meditator and yogi, to place the power back in our hands, to live directly from our own experience. I hope you enjoy! For Q&A questions, topic suggestions email Ava at functionalspiritualityretreat@gmail.com Visit www.functionalspirituality.com Follow us @FunctionalSpirituality or @avairani_ and our Yoga Studio at @spandaschool
Episodes
4 days ago
4 days ago
As we get ready to begin our Therapeutic Embodiment training, Ava shares about what TE is, what happens inside a session and why this heartful approach involves a new paradigm for healing complex trauma.
Therapeutic Embodiment works with the stress that builds up in our nervous system, using somatic principles and interoceptive reflection to help us reconnect, restore capacity, and heal.
If you’re curious to go deeper, listen to this episode and follow this link to find all the details and join us in the training!
Course starts: 13th July 2025.
Relevant links:
Free workshop: The trauma healing breakthrough
Chapter markers:
00:00 Introduction to the topic, what is a TE session?
01:00 Complex trauma and the new paradigm of healing
03:00 TE practice vs yin yoga
04:48 Duration of this practice and how it can be woven into other modalities
5:43 What does a TE consist of?
7:52 Our society lives on the surface
11:20 Have you listened to our latest free online workshop?
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com
Free resources:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.
Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.
Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals
Monday Jun 30, 2025
Monday Jun 30, 2025
Today’s topic is applicable to everybody, not just mothers or parents.
We often find ourselves complaining about life and unconsciously hoping that complaining will help us get our needs met. In reality, complaining signals our bodies and the people around us stress and resistance. This is not sustainable for ourselves and our relationships.
Listen in to hear Ava share insights from her life and how reframing things positively has supported her recently.
The intention of this episode is to inspire you to cultivate optimism in a healthy way. We recommend you to listen back to this podcast in a month or two to track and observe your progress.
Chapter markers:
00:00 Introduction to the topic and update from Ava
02:20 How the silent retreats have supported Ava during an important transition in her life
4:09 What is positively benefiting Ava and her relationships?
5:52 How does complaining affect our body and relationships?
8:45 An example where we can reframe our reality in a positive way and still being truthful to ourselves
14:00 Complaining as a strategy to try to get your needs met
15:48 Ava’s super power
17:00 Thank you for listening, if you have any topic ideas for this podcast please let us know by sending us an email: functionalspiritualityretreat@gmail.com
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com
Free resources:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.
Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.
Monday Jun 23, 2025
Monday Jun 23, 2025
In this episode, Ava explores a question that’s been landing in her inbox more and more: Why are so many people turning to Christianity?
After hearing from at least five people in the last month alone, Ava takes a deeper look—sharing her own reflections, insights from recent conversations with those embracing Christianity, and stories from people who’ve stepped away from it.
She also unpacks why this topic can feel so charged and triggering, even in spiritual communities, and what this growing interest might reveal about our cultural and personal landscapes.
Relevant links:
Four stages of spiritual seeking
Chapter markers:
00:00 Introduction to the topic and disclaimer
02:43 Ava’s experience with religion
06:08 What are some of the things that feel 'disturbing’ for us when we talk about religion
11:00 Why Christianity?
16:14 Why are people turning towards it?
19:00 Conclusion
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com
Free resources:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.
Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.
Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals
Sunday Jun 15, 2025
Sunday Jun 15, 2025
In this episode, Ava shares a personal glimpse into her journey and how the 3-Part Method of Functional Spirituality was born. What makes this approach so unique and effective? Tune in to discover the foundations that set Functional Spirituality apart.
Relevant links:
Chapter markers:
00:00 Introduction to the topic
02:00 Ava’s story: Bikram yoga, Agama and Hridaya schools.
10:45 The origin story of the 3 part method.
14:20 The three intentions that we may have in our spiritual practice.
20:00 The difference between Awakening and Deconditioning tools.
23:30 The importance of intention.
26:08 Conclusion
28:18 Thank you for listening, if you have any questions and comments please let us know.
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com
Free resources:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.
Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.
Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals
Monday Jun 02, 2025
Monday Jun 02, 2025
Gift yourself 15 minutes of your day and join Ava in this healing practice cultivating the energy of gratitude. Gratitude can be a healing tool as it helps us connect back to the feelings of joy, love, openness and presence.
If you enjoy this audio you can save the link somewhere in your phone, or make a playlist for it on your Spotify so you have access to this practice with one click"
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com
Free resources:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.
Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.
Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
Enjoy our most popular guided meditation on the Functional Spirituality podcast!
Allow this soothing deep sleep meditation to send a message of comfort and safety to your nervous system. Invite a deeper sense of calmness into every cell in your body as you settle your body into a deep state of relaxation.
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com
Free resources:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.
Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.
Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Friday May 16, 2025
Friday May 16, 2025
In this episode, Ava shares the powerful and raw story of her second daughter Leila’s birth on May 9th of this year.
While deeply beautiful and transformative, this birth story includes graphic details, so please listen with care.
Ava opens up about the intensity, the magic, and the awe of bringing Leila into this world, offering an intimate glimpse into one of the most profound moments of her life.
Relevant links and resources:
Chapter markers:
00:00 Introduction to the topic and warning
03:00 When labor began
07:55 When things started to escalate
17:50 When the baby is about to come out
25:00 Moments after birth
28:00 When things went ‘crazy’
37:00 How she is feeling now
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com
Free resources:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.
Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.
Monday May 12, 2025
Monday May 12, 2025
In this powerful and heartfelt conversation, Priya, Ava, and Anaid dive deep into the roots of our toxic culture. Together, they explore the roles that disconnection, collective trauma, and survival-driven conditioning play in shaping the way we live and relate.
Is our detachment from nature part of the problem? Could it be that our nervous systems — biologically wired for survival — are still operating in modes of protection, fueling cycles of fear and burnout? Or is there a missing piece we’ve yet to uncover?
Relevant links and resources:
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
The Molecule of More by Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com
Free resources:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.
Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.
Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Monday Apr 21, 2025
Monday Apr 21, 2025
In this episode, Ava answers a listener's question: "What is Kundalini?"
She takes you on a journey from the Sanskrit origins of the word to its cultural context in India and the modern science surrounding it. Ava also shares her personal experiences with Kundalini and explores why it fascinates so many people.
Relevant links and resources:
Roots of Yoga - James Mallinson & Mark Singleton
Chapter markers:
00:00 Introduction to Functional Spirituality Podcast
03:30 Introduction to Kundalini
8:55 Is there any science behind Kundalini?
13:44 What is Kundalini
18:25 Why are people obsessed with Kundalini?
22:20 What happens inside of our bodies when we experience Kundalini awakening?
26:00 Ava’s experience
29:44 Thank you for listening
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness:
www.functionalspirituality.com
Free resources:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.
Free training - 3 part method of Functional Spirituality:
Learn the clear, practical framework for deep healing, emotional regulation, and spiritual integration.
Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Personal account & Functional Spirituality: @functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Lavandula Botanicals: @lavandula.botanicals
Monday Apr 14, 2025
Monday Apr 14, 2025
Welcome back to our guided meditations. In this meditation, Anaid gently invites you to return to yourself with presence and care.
This is your sacred pause, a moment to simply be… and rest.
With curiosity, we explore the inner landscape, allowing tension to melt and awareness to ground fully in the present moment.
From this place of stillness, we journey inward to meet what lives at the core of your essence.
If you enjoy this audio you can save the link somewhere in your phone, or make a playlist for it so you have access to this practice with one click.
Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness.
www.functionalspirituality.com
Free resources:
A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.
Join the Functional Spirituality Group and enjoy a free resource for meditators and yogis to connect to and enjoy a like-minded community.
Free workshop: Holding Safer Spaces
A free workshop that replaces the old, dogmatic, unsustainable paradigm of healing that burns out our community. Explore how to deepen your presence in both personal and professional spheres. A new, simpler and functional approach to being trauma-informed