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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
7 hours ago
7 hours ago
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
Monday Mar 24, 2025
Monday Mar 24, 2025
Welcome to this spacious guided meditation to relax your body and explore joy.
Take a deep breath, settle into stillness, and allow a sense of peacefulness and gratitude to gently flow through you.
This meditation invites you to soften, open your heart, and reconnect with the simple, radiant joy within.
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
Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Functional Spirituality & Personal account:@functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Monday Mar 17, 2025
Monday Mar 17, 2025
"Gratitude arises from paying attention, from being awake in the presence of everything that lives within and without and beside us." — David Whyte
Join Kate in this gentle guided meditation, where gratitude becomes a doorway to ease and presence. As you breathe in gratitude, feel it soften your mind, relax your body, and open your heart to peace.
Whether you're setting an intention for the day or unwinding in quiet reflection, this practice will help you cultivate deep appreciation and effortless presence.
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
Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Functional Spirituality & Personal account:@functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool
Monday Mar 10, 2025
Monday Mar 10, 2025
Join Ava in this soothing meditation. We begin with a grounding practice, softening the tissues and melting tension away. We then gently tune into the heart space—the middle. Using a light RAIN technique, inspired by Tara Brach, this meditation guides you to recognise, allow, investigate, and nurture what is alive within you.
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 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
Connect on Socials
Where you can hear from us in daily life
Functional Spirituality & Personal account:@functionalspirituality
Studio: @spandaschool