This week’s episode is Joanne's response to a request – to talk about Geometry and what it means in understanding the body. It’s a fascinating exploration. Joanne's response includes a reading from her book Yoga Fascia Anatomy and Movement. She talks about how important Geometry is to our form – and how the ancient wisdom behind Yoga and the Sanskrit language (among other languages) is much incredibly sophisticated. It is really an invitation to appreciate how complex and brilliant the body i...

Join us for an informal discussion between Paul and Joanne about the art and wonder of dissection. It can be so valuable – and practitioners can learn so much – yet there are some distinctions to understand about it.“Both of us have had the privilege of working with – indeed – learning with, John Sharkey – and we are better practitioners for having been in the Lab with him on so many occasions...”You will hear all about that in this podcast, as well as learning about many of the eye-opening, ...

Competitive versus Collective – this is such an important theme in the personal and the professional field – especially in bodywork and movement therapy. Exploring these ideas can be so helpful in expanding our awareness of other modalities, and enhancing the actual work we do!In this episode Joanne Avison considers how we can sometimes be in competition with ourselves – and how it can work to give ourselves the opportunity to “collect” a broader base of information and grow with it... This t...

The Dalai Lama is reported to have said: “the world will be saved by the Western Woman.” Cynthia Allen is the kind of woman I think of when I remember that. So in this episode, it really is my pleasure to talk to her, to share ideas with her and to listen to her speak from her vast experience and relentless focus on making a difference in the world.Cynthia has been working in wellness, healthcare management, and organizational consulting for over 35 years. In 2001, she became a Certifie...

Paul and Joanne share their experience and stories about pelvic issues, how they affect so many of us, and... how misunderstood they might be! How can we “rephrase” our understanding of the mythical “Pelvic Floor” and discover the magic of releasing the Pelvic Foot?   This is not a made up idea, by movement instructors who didn’t like learning anatomy! Paul talks about the key science behind this structural understanding of the human body. Effectively, you have a pelvic foot – not a pelvic...

Paul and Joanne share their experience and stories about pelvic issues, how they affect so many of us, and... how misunderstood they might be! How can we “rephrase” our understanding of the mythical “Pelvic Floor” and discover the magic of releasing the Pelvic Foot?   This is not a made up idea, by movement instructors who didn’t like learning anatomy! Paul talks about the key science behind this structural understanding of the human body. Effectively, you have a pelvic foot – not a pelvic...

In this episode Joanne interviews the brilliant Neil Theise. Joanne believes that his book “Notes on Complexity” should be on every curriculum in the world. There is something in it for every age and every living, animated being! If you love this conversation with Neil as much as we do, you can get more of him  at the Feldenkrais Move Better Feel Better Summit in May 2024, where he'll be the Keynote Speaker. The Summit is live online around the world and you can click here to join the summit...

Shoulders are such an expressive part of us! A shrug can replace a thousand words, right? Do you, or any of your clients, experience shoulder impingement, frozen shoulder, aching, stiffness or just limited range of motion in this amazing, if complex, “joint”? In this episode Paul and Joanne share some delightful stories about shoulders. What do you gain from training them? How can you avoid straining them? What are the many elements in Myofascial Magic that we can bring to the table (or mat...

This episode covers the importance of fascia and how John Sharkey regards it as a process, rather than an object. It explains why some of us have difficulty defining fascia, or describing its paradigm-shifting significance to our colleagues and clients, friends and family. John is such a fabulous story teller and so well informed that you can literally collect the gems as we romp through this discussion covering a number of topics from surgery and dissection to crystal healing and...

Welcome to the second episode of our Myofascial Magic strand! I recently co-founded Myofascial Magic In Action with the esteemed Paul Thornley, with the mission of providing practitioners with client-centred micro-movement keys.  And now we're bringing you our shared passion - and the answer to some of your burning questions - in the form of this special joint podcast series, releasing every couple of weeks. In this episode we talk about one of the most fundamental movements of most of our...

It's just been Mother's Day here in the UK, which inspired me to take a deep dive into "the in-between" which is a rich source of magic in my life.  As a mother and a daughter, I live in the in-between of those two roles. This podcast is a bit about my personal journey with that, the in-between tissue  of the fascia, and how this incredible matrix forms the in-between of us... We are all, after all, seeking the magic balance between understanding the science and spirit of this living...

To all fascia-focused movement and manual practitioners, it’s a delight to announce the new Myofascial Magic Podcast! I recently co-founded Myofascial Magic In Action with the esteemed Paul Thornley, with the mission of providing practitioners with client-centred micro-movement keys, to optimise individual ability and make a transformative difference. And now, we want to bring you some of this game-changing information in the form of a podcast! In this first episode, Paul and I talk about...

Welcome to the second episode of this new season, in which I interview the wonderful Dr Karen Kirkness! Karen is a yoga practitioner and recovering academic. Her book, Spiral Bound: Integrated Anatomy for Yoga, provides a rationale for curating movement practices that are led by the rotational constraints of the body. In this podcast (recorded in 2023 before Karen was rightfully awarded her PhD) we share our admiration for each other’s work and our fascination with spiral anatomy.  If you...

I am so excited to be back this Spring with a new podcast season! We have all sorts of wonderful interviews and updates for you about fascia, myofascial magic and lots of news and events. In this week's episode I tell you all about my new book, Myofascial Magic In Action, and how it came into being. It’s quite a personal story of alchemy - turning the lead of a wound into a the gold of a gift - and it’s all true! Plus, this Spring is getting off to a great start as on 1st March 2024 I’m...

For many it’s the season for gifting, and I want to share a very special gift with you, dear Listener! John Sharkey and Mark Flannigan have just released a gold standard, peer-reviewed research paper which seeks to move us towards an interdisciplinary definition of fascia, particularly for the benefit of all fascia-focused movement and manual practitioners. It’s an incredible and important piece of work, so I couldn’t resist sharing it with you in this special episode. Every movement...

The Sound of Music and the Magic of Alexander Technique is the theme of this podcast with Tully Hall. I am so glad you wrote to me Tully - thank you. It's an honour to spend time with you and I loved our chat. This episode inspired me and gave me the confirmation that you talked about recieving! Thank you!! This lovely conversation explores Alexander Technique and the magic of the right body work for any musician.  Tully's Website: https://www.alexandertechtully.com

Michelle Nayali-Bouvier has been teaching yoga and movement for 23 years. Her work centers around the merging of ancient practices with modern science, with the intention to help educate people on ways to get more in touch with their bodies. We had a wonderful conversation about all the many aspects of being human this includes!! Michelle seeks relentlessly to build and invite greater resilience, joining the dots to connect many different modalities. We met because Michelle von Straaten...

In this episode we get to hear about the beautiful experience of birthing when there is reverence and preparation for gentle empowerment of the The Mother (which is somehow defined by the Newborn). Alison is so experienced as a midwife, yoga teacher and hypnobirthing facilitator that she naturally describes how different it can be in real life to the TV sensationalised version of birth as a stressful (or even distressing) procedure. It can also be very calm, with very little intervention and...

Permaculture is the fascinating world that Justin Robertshaw has made his home - along with a deep yoga practice and understanding, through experience, of Ayurveda as an applied Healing Art. This was a fascinating and fun dive into how all these elements form the mandala by which Justin makes such a difference in the world. It's really inspiring how he links so many teachings together, with YOU and your "why" as the key to joining the dots. His approach is so multidimensional, yet easy to...

Jill Miller is the author and creative practitioner behind Roll Model and her newest book Body By Breath. It's a remarkable achievement! Somehow, as Jill describes in this podcast, the book makes you feel safe in your fascination and enquiry into breathing better. Which means sleeping better. Which means feeling better....it's all in there in a very comprehensive deep dive for all types of people. If you are a practitioner you can feast on the first part - before you move into the practical...

"In the Museum" is a metaphor that Christine Wushke uses to teach anatomy to her yoga teachers, in the Myofascial Yoga Institute of Canada. It's a delightful way of honouring all that is classical and traditional and how it grows into the newest information on Fascia and Fasciategrity and moving the art and science of yoga forward! Christine is also a practitioner of Structural Integration so her deep appreciation of all aspects of being human, brings a special quality to her work. I hope you...

Tea and Treasure is about tea (and other) ceremonies that are such an essential part of our lives in so many ways. I've always had a passion for tea, for coffee and for chocolate. Not just consuming them, but having been a Chocolatier for twenty years of my life, I learned about it as a liquid crystal matrix (up to my wrists in it some days!!) which of course relates directly to fascia as a matrix. This episode isn't about that though. It's more about alchemy and the importance of tiny...

Angela and Victor have been teaching yoga for over 50 years. Their work is beautiful and in this podcast, I so enjoyed talking to them, so that you could get a sense of the magical alchemy between them. They are visiting the UK this March (18th) and I do so hope you get an opportunity to join them. Details at angela-victor.com or email [email protected]. (Go to JoanneAvison.com and "join our collective" to get our regular newsletter and full details of events and links in the...

Recently, the subject of dissection has come forward as a foundation to expanding learning, particularly about the fascia matrix. In this episode I interview someone who came to Fascia Dissection to explore the Sacred Feminine; the details of the female body and what makes it the way it is. Cryn Horn is an artisan craftwoman and a wonderful teacher of Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra. Her craft is weaving. As such, she has translated her way of seeing connectivity and inter-relating to an...

In this episode I talk with my dear friend Wibbs Coulson who is a nurse and a yoga teacher. Wibbs uses his long experience in cardiology and A&E, to make a difference to his patients in a few moments of breathing. He's not making it up either - the monitors tell their story. It becomes THEIR story of managing their own well-being - inspired by the most simple suggestion. It's a compelling listen and I doubt you will be able to completely ignore the invitation to make such an easy...