Wayward Bodies

Today, in the final conversation of this season, I'm speaking with Ava Riby-Williams.We talked about living life as a creative act, going slow to go fast, liminal spaces and grey areas that allow us to express our wholeness, and the slow, messy work of liberating ourselves.ABOUT AVA Ava is a queer, British Ghanaian/Indian visionary, living in London. She acts out life purpose as a Creative Facilitator, Artist and Wellbeing guide who celebrates diversity and finds divinity in all of life. She uses arts and healing based practises to guide groups into deeper contemplation of issues concerning identity, oppression and liberation- on personal and collective levels.Ava calls us into deeper self inquiry about our lives and participation in our society, planet and cosmos. She prompts us to get curious and ask...Why are we here? In what way is our liberation all entangled?Find more of her workavazarah.com @avazarahMENTIONED THIS EPISODECatalogue of Unabashed GratitudeEmergent StrategyWORK WITH MEBe the first to hear about trial breathwork sessionsDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Today I'm bringing you a conversation with Tamu Thomas.Our conversation wandered through her own explorations of embodiment and her practice of Non-Linear Movement, the role of pleasure, sensuality and joy in women's wellbeing, reclaiming power and sovereignty, and channelling our energy in a generative way, even as we live in oppressive systems.ABOUT TAMUTamu Thomas is an emotional well-being coach, writer, workshop facilitator, podcaster and Non-Linear Movement practitioner who helps over-functioning, overworking, high achieving women fall in love with themselves so they can make powerful choices about how they live, love and work.Tamu’s work combines somatics, social work and spirituality with science and soulful systems. She is person-centred, evidence-based, trauma-informed, human-paced, nurturing, intuitive, loving and playful. Tamu’s holistic approach to supporting the bodies, minds and experience of her clients makes her work nurturing, deep and unique – just like her.Tamu’s work is informed by her background of sixteen years in social work, somatic coach training, her love of behavioural neuroscience and polyvagal theory, positive psychology, spirituality and joy. Tamu combines these modalities to create a multifaceted body of work that helps her clients stop using anxiety as a productivity tool and stop normalising burnout. Tamu’s work helps her clients understand who they are so they may begin to tend to their needs, feel safe in their bodies, befriend themselves and begin to enjoy who they are.Tamu supports her clients and workshop attendees understand themselves as valuable and worthy of caring for themselves. This enables them to prioritise their own well-being and life satisfaction alongside success and achievement.Her mission is to help women enhance how they live, love and work by recovering from their addiction to toxic productivity.Find more of her work:Website InstagramWORK WITH MEBe the first to hear about trial breathwork sessionsDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Today's episode is a conversation with the breathworker and herbalist Jennifer Patterson.I’m a huge fan of Jennye’s work and it was a joy to get to chat with her. We covered all sorts of ground and you’ll hear us get into the wavy space between medicine and poison, how we can be in our bodies when they’re places of pain or challenge, being in relationship with the land even as city dwellers, and how she’s practicing turning towards aliveness in what she calls ‘dying times’.ABOUT JENNIFERJennifer Patterson is a grief worker who uses plants, breath, and words to explore survivorhood, body(ies) and healing. A queer and trans affirming and centering, trauma-experienced herbalist and breathwork facilitator, Jennifer offers sliding scale care as a practitioner through her private practice Corpus Ritual and is a member of The Breathe Network.She has facilitated workshops at healing centers, LGBTQ centers, a needle exchange and harm reduction clinic, online with the Transformative Language Arts Network, sexual violence resource centers, at colleges and universities, veterans hospitals, the collective What Would an HIV Doula Do? and a Hasidic and Orthodox Jewish healing center. She is also a teacher in training programs with The Breathe Network and Breath Liberation Society.She is the author of The Power of Breathwork: Simple Practices to Promote Wellbeing (Quarto) and editor of the anthology Queering Sexual Violence: Radical Voices from Within the Anti- Violence Movement (2016). A graduate of Goddard College’s MA program, Jennifer is finishing a book project focused on translating embodied traumatic experience through somatic practices and critical and creative nonfiction.Find more of her work:corpusritual.com @corpusritualWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, love letters and monthly live practicesLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

I got to talk with my friend Lisa James about creativity, embodied truth, spiritual trust falls and what it’s really like to be a normal, everyday human living in deep connection to spirit.It was such a treat to get to sit down and chat with Lisa, I’m sure you’ll feel her steadying grounded energy coming through as we discuss being in relationship with life and the divine. Our conversation wandered through the feeling of an ‘in your bones’ kind of truth in comparison to cognitive knowledge, the friction we can feel where the mystical unknowns of spiritual practice bump up against our logic-obsessed society, and becoming a clear channel for creativity. And the messy realities of spiritual work in a human life (ie: sometimes it’s just really annoying and we don’t want to!)ABOUT LISALisa is a heart-led human and lover of the sea. She creates spaces within which people might remember their way home.Find more of her work:Website InstagramWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, love letters on embodiment magic in the real worldLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Today's episode is a conversation with the magical Leila Sadeghee. We spoke about the divine feminine, her journey from the art world to mysticism and how we can make our lives the temple in which we connect with the divine.I loved the places we wandered in this conversation. Wandering seems like a fitting word, since we talked about the nonlinear nature of spiritual awakening, and the deep devotion we need to be able to trust that spiralling path. stopping along the way to look at pilgrimage and ritual practices, going inwards to find the medicine that will save you, and dismantling oppression as a spiritual endeavour.ABOUT LEILASkilled at creating powerful healing spaces wherever her voice is heard, Leila is a practical mystic and a channel for beautiful healing energies. Known for her talent in bringing the depth of the esoteric spiritual traditions into salient and accessible focus, she is a master ritualist and caller of community centered in collective care and spiritual awakening.Leila is dedicated to dissolving systemic oppression as a spiritual practice, and she is a devotee of the Divine Mother in all Their forms; she is also pilgrimage enthusiast for whom walking on sacred ground brings ecstatic satisfaction.Based in the UK, Leila leads ritual healing events, sacred pilgrimages, immersions in spiritual practices, yoga teacher training, and utterly magical retreats online and around the globe.Find more of her work:Revel in Worth retreatwww.leilasadeghee.comwww.vesselofworth.com

Today I'm bringing you a conversation that I got to have with Marika Heinrichs all about embodiment and whiteness, rediscovering ancestors and doing what we don’t know how to do.I’m so pleased that I can finally share this conversation with you. Marika and I wandered through our birthright to being in connection with the world and the cultural disconnection we have to clear to return to that. We spoke about having consent and finding lineages that are ours (especially as two white practitioners), learning to listen through more than just our cognitive capacities, and the inherent queerness of embodiment.ABOUT MARIKAMarika Heinrichs (she/her) is a cis queer femme of (Soviet) German, British, and Irish ancestry who believes that reconnecting with the wisdom of our bodies is vital to ending systems of domination and supremacy.She has practiced as a somatic therapist and educator within social movement spaces for over a decade. Marika has trained in the lineages of generative somatics, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST), Focusing, and NeuroAffective Touch and is currently a PhD candidate at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Marika holds a commitment to pushing back against the appropriation of BIPOC cultural wisdom that happens so often in mainstream somatics, as well as to cultivate spaces for people of European ancestry to connect with something in ourselves older than whiteness, through embodied practice.She lives in Guelph, Canada on the lands of the Attawandaron/Chonnonton/Neutral Peoples, also the treaty land of the Mississaugas of the New Credit and part of the Dish with One Spoon Covenant.Find more of her work:wildbody.ca@wildbodysomaticsWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, letters on embodiment magic in the real worldLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

In this first conversation of Season 2, I had the pleasure of talking with Theo Wildcroft.We spoke about about being in relationship with wildness, neurodiversity, disability justice, the way story creates space for us to exist in wholeness, and the power of embracing your brokenness.ABOUT THEOTheo Wildcroft, PhD is a teacher, writer and scholar working for a more sustainable relationship between our many selves, the communities that hold us, and the world that nourishes us. Her research considers the democratization of yoga post-lineage, and the many different ways yoga communities are responding to concerns about safety in practice. She is at the forefront of the movement for trauma sensitivity, diversity and inclusion.She blogs and writes articles on yoga, on social justice, on hope, and on untold stories. She’s a lover of vulnerable people, of wild things and wild places, and of the simple miracle of life itself. An accomplished writer with two decades of experience in group facilitation, she not only delivers compelling lectures and inspiring writing, but holds careful and thoughtful spaces for groups and individuals to deepen their knowledge, share experiences and acquire new skills.Find more of her work:wildyoga.co.uk Nourish Yoga TrainingsBarefoot Body TrainingWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, letters on embodiment magic in the real worldLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Slow down! You’re doing too much! So easy to say but a little trickier to put into practice in a capitalist world.In this episode we talk about the conscious effort to create slowness in your life. Our ego’s love of busyness, rooting into our values, and creating loving boundaries with ourselves and others.WORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, love letters and monthly live practicesLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

So how do you rest? In today’s episode I wander through my list of 100 Ways to Rest, created for the Radical Rest Studio.We’ll talk about what rest actually is and the different forms of rest we need to thrive, and I gently invite you to become an advocate for your rest, following the unique threads of what brings you back to life.Join me this August for a Summer of Rest. Book your spot before July 6th for £20 off!Want that list of rest? Download the Radical Rest Studio and tune in to get inspired!WORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, love letters and monthly live practicesLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Oh hey! It’s been a while and in this episode I talk all about why.I go into burnout, and how we can move through it and back towards a life that feels vibrantly alive. We’ll go into three parts of that puzzle: completing the stress cycle, unlearning urgency, and learning to trust.Download the Radical Rest StudioWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, love letters and monthly live practicesLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Winter is calling and in this solo ep I talk about making space for integration, getting quiet, and the importance of going dark in a world that asks us to be 'on' all the timeThis is the final episode of season one, and the podcast will be in hibernation until 2022. Thank you so much for being here, your support and enthusiasm makes Wayward Bodies possible.Have a safe and joyful holiday season and I'll be back in your ears in the new year!WORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, love letters and monthly live practicesLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Today's episode is a conversation with Kylie Darling about erotic embodiment, the places spirituality and sexuality overlap, and using kink as a way to know yourself.We talked about all sorts of good stuff. The realities of kink (beyond the 50 Shades stereotypes), the interplay of kink and shadow work in accepting all the parts of you, both dark and the light, bringing an attitude of play to your life, both in and out of the bedroom, and the importance of stepping into your desires unapologetically.ABOUT KYLIEKylie Darling aka Jade Jeepster is a yoga and movement facilitator by day and professional pervert by night.A creator of poetic filth designed to stimulate the mind and personal concepts on sexuality. She has a strong belief that spirituality and sexuality aren’t mutually exclusive and a focus on helping others explore both through yogic philosophy, conscious kink and shadow workFind more of her work:The Iccha Project@_kyliedarling@jadejeepsterWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, letters on embodiment magic in the real worldLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Today's episode is a conversation with Kylie Darling about erotic embodiment, the places spirituality and sexuality overlap, and using kink as a way to know yourself.We talked about all sorts of good stuff. The realities of kink (beyond the 50 Shades stereotypes), the interplay of kink and shadow work in accepting all the parts of you, both dark and the light, bringing an attitude of play to your life, both in and out of the bedroom, and the importance of stepping into your desires unapologetically.ABOUT KYLIEKylie Darling aka Jade Jeepster is a yoga and movement facilitator by day and professional pervert by night.A creator of poetic filth designed to stimulate the mind and personal concepts on sexuality. She has a strong belief that spirituality and sexuality aren’t mutually exclusive and a focus on helping others explore both through yogic philosophy, conscious kink and shadow workFind more of her work:The Iccha Project@_kyliedarling@jadejeepsterWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, letters on embodiment magic in the real worldLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

In this solo episode I talk about praxis, imperfect action, and one of the biggest challenges I (and a lot of my clients) deal with in embodiment work - that you can't think your way in.What are you practicing?WORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, love letters and monthly live practicesLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Amelia Donkor and I had a potent conversation about the healing potential of story, imperfectly embodying our values, and finding liberation by being in process.Talking with Amelia was such a joy. We meandered through the multifaceted ways that storytelling shapes our lives and the world we live in, including self expression, unlearning stories that were never yours, and the vulnerability of using your voice.ABOUT AMELIAAmelia is an actor, writer and facilitator blending creative arts and community building.She trained at LAMDA and has worked across theatre & television, as well as leading corporate training, voice workshops and women's circles.Amelia is passionate about storytelling and discovering new ways to play and liberate. She's currently studying for an MA in gender, culture and media at Goldsmiths and is on an enlightening journey of decolonising the heart, body and mind.Find more of her work:Duende at Wilton's Music HallThe F Less Travelledameliadonkor.com@ameliadonkor

I got to chat with Cécile Dumont (one of my favourite humans) all about touch, connectivity, and fascia - the connective tissue that weaves us together.We also talked about self-care as community care, the challenges and joys of being an empath, and why softening is such an important practice in the world built for hardness. Plus a bonus cameo from the Totoro cat bus! Obvs.ABOUT CECILECécile is an advanced remedial and clinical massage therapist, based in London.Her practice covers a wide range of techniques with Myofascial Release (MFR) in its many forms standing at the very heart of it.She's fascinated by physiology in general and the mysteries and wonders of fascia in particular, her practice is rooted in a positive, responsive and intuitive approach combined with a precise understanding and use of body mechanics and movement.Find her and her magical hands at:fixlondon.co.uk/massage-cecileWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, letters on embodiment magic in the real worldLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Eliza Khinsoe and I spoke about the pleasure of food, what non-diet nutrition looks like, and reclaiming food as a place for connection, heritage and joy - so much more than calories and nutrientsWe got into all sorts of good stuff, from her lightbulb moment realising the implicit biases present in the traditional approach to nutrition, to the messy work of unpacking internalised health stigma. We talked about rediscovering your personal food culture, the pleasure of a shared brownie, and the way that food connects us to each other and the earth.Eliza is a font of knowledge and an all round babe and I know you're going to find so many gems in our chat.ABOUT ELIZAEliza is a registered dietitian, based in East London and working online.She specialises in disordered eating and body liberation from a radically feminist perspective. She helps people get back in touch with their bodies and themselves to find what feels goodFind more of her work:Chew The Fat | An 8-week Deep Dive into Your Relationship with Foodwww.lizakhins.com@lizakhinsWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, letters on embodiment magic in the real worldLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Aisha Nash and I got together to talk about diet culture, the unwellness of the wellness industry and the importance of being a troublemaker.This conversation was a whirlwind of big topics, and there are links to dive deeper in the notes below. We covered lots of ground, roaming from the insidious nature of diet culture, to the ways that cultural systems like capitalism and racism play out in the wellness industry. We touched on Aisha’s personal experiences as a south Asian woman in the Western yoga world, and caught a glimpse behind the curtain of the yoga industry, which is not always as love and light as it appears.ABOUT AISHAAisha is a yoga teacher who left a career working in Michelin starred restaurants after the stress of the job caught up with both her body and mind.She rediscovered yoga and wanted to share the practice that helped her be entirely content with exactly the person she is, but found that she didn't fit the mould of a yoga teacher that studios were looking for.Aisha now teaches classes that are focused on inclusivity, diversity and self love, with what she calls her Anti-Diet Yoga Approach.Find more of her work:www.aishanash.comPatreon@theaishanashMENTIONED & FURTHER RESOURCESBad Influencer. The documentary about Belle Gibson, the Instagram influencer who lied about having cancer (and curing it through healthy eating)Yoga Teacher's Union is working to make sure the industry reflects the values of liberation and healing at the heart of yogaJonelle Lewis and Kallie Schut in conversation about yoga's roots, colonialism & cultural appropriation. Jonelle has a whole series of conversations about racism in wellness in her IGTV, each a treasure trove of insight and wisdomYoga is Dead Podcast. Indian-American hosts Tejal and Jesal explore power, privilege, fair pay, harassment, race, cultural appropriation and capitalism in the yoga and wellness worldsOn this episode of Short Wave Sabrina Strings, author of the book Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fatphobia, explains the links between fatphobia and white supremacyWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, letters on embodiment magic in the real worldLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

I had the pleasure of talking with Jo Ottman of Liminal Moon about art, tattooing and owning your freaky magic.We got into all sorts of good stuff including finding the confidence to be weird, the embodied magic of tattooing, the importance of critical thinking in our spiritual practices, and how to embrace liminality and the unknown.ABOUT JOJo is a tattoo apprentice and professional Tarot reader based out of Missoula, Montana.She is an artist, writer, and a healer, and her empowerment-based practices encourage ownership of your authentic self. She also happens to create one of the most beautiful newsletters on the internet. Seriously, it's a work of art.Find more of her work:liminalmoon.com@liminalmoonWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, letters on embodiment magic in the real worldLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Today I'm talking with Rose Noir about the power of clothing. We got to chat about clothing and self expression, how we can make space in our wardrobes to embody all the different pieces of us, reclaiming agency around what is sexy, and the ways that the fashion industry screws us up.ABOUT ROSERose creates costumes and clothing for humans of all shapes and sizes. Her background is in designing scenery and costumes for theatre. She currently experiments with latex and faux leather with her brand Rose Noir Designs, working out of her studio in LondonAt the root of her designs is the desire to work towards a sex positive, body positive, colourful world, where everyone feels safe and confident enough to be themselves.Find more of her work:Rosenoirdesigns.com@rosenoirdesignsMENTIONEDRose’s Style Ally ChallengeThe US Airforce and the flaw of averagesWORK WITH MEDownload the Radical Rest StudioOne-to-One Embodiment GuidanceIn Practice, letters on embodiment magic in the real worldLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at ellebowerjohnston.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.

Okay, so what IS embodiment?Seems like it might be good to start a podcast about embodiment with a definition of terms. In this solo episode, I attempt to do just that. TUNE IN TO HEAR…An imperfect and ever evolving definition of what embodiment actually is, what it isn’t, and why it mattersAn exploration of the three facets of embodiment - body, relationship and the unknown - and how they weave together to a deeper sense of wholenessWhy logic and intellectual knowledge aren’t enough when it comes to connecting to ourselves on a deeper levelWORK WITH MEApply to work with me one-to-one in 2023Download the Radical Rest StudioJoin the mailing listLINKS & CREDITSDrop me an email - [email protected] more of my work at anotherpractice.comJoin the mailing list, my other favourite way to communicateThis episode is edited by the radiant Joeli Kelly, with eternal thanks and praises.DID YOU LOVE THIS EPISODE OF WAYWARD BODIES?Want to help other folks find it too? Click here to subscribe on iTunes, and leave a rating & review. Or go old school and just tell your mates. That works too!