Functional Spirituality

Ava Irani

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

  1. HACE 3 DÍAS

    Interview with Ava by Emma Campbell

    In this conversational episode, Emma and Ava explore what it really means to “drop in” before any meaningful work, practice, or conversation. They unpack how embodiment shifts us from surface-level survival mode into deeper presence, clarity, and connection. Ava shares the moment she knew silent retreats would be her life’s work, and how her teaching evolved over time, from transcendence-focused awakening practices toward a more balanced approach that includes nervous system education, trauma awareness, and functional integration. Together, they speak candidly about burnout, the dangers of “spiritual perfection” promises, and why some tools help in one season of life but fall short in another. The episode also highlights the power of community and emotional safety, how being with others in a regulated, intentional space can create profound healing and belonging.   Chapter markers:  The “drop in” and why it changes everything [00:00] How Ava knew silent retreats were her path [00:10] Awakening practices vs nervous system healing [00:18] Burnout: what happened and what it taught her [00:27] The “spiritual perfection” trap and one-size-fits-all promises [00:38] Is Ava “channeling,” or is it skill + environment + group energy? [00:52] Community, emotional safety, and why “sangha” matters [01:03] Yin vs yang in business and living in regenerative mode [01:14] Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness: www.functionalspirituality.com   Free resources: Newsletter sign-up:  A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month.   Community meditation: 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

    1 h y 2 min

  2. HACE 6 DÍAS

    Guided Meditation: A Spacious Pause for Joy

    In this guided meditation, Ava invites you to slow down, feel into the body, and let effort soften. As the nervous system unwinds, space opens for a grounded sense of joy, appreciation and connection to emerge on its own.   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: Newsletter sign-up:  A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month. Community meditation: 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

    18 min

  3. 28 ENE

    How IFS changed my life

    Many people think healing means fixing themselves, but real change often begins when a “protector” part finally feels met.   In this episode, Ava shares a personal IFS (Internal Family Systems) breakthrough from a retreat in India: instead of feeling guilt about time away from family, an old survival pattern surfaced: pressure, urgency, and the fear of falling behind. Through the lens of IFS, she explores how protectors work to keep deeper pain out of awareness, and how healing happens through contact, attunement, and relationship rather than force or self-improvement.   If you’re navigating anxiety, overdoing, or inner pressure, this conversation offers a grounded way to understand what’s happening inside and a compassionate pathway toward more space, safety, and inner freedom.   Listen in and share how this lands for you. Whether it resonates or challenges you, reflections are welcome.   Chapter markers:  00:00 Introduction to healing and inner freedom 09:00 IFS overview: protector parts, exiles, and the shift from fixing to meeting 14:30 “Healing is contact” attunement, nervous system resourcing, and compassion 22:00 What changes when the protector softens Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness: www.functionalspirituality.com   Free resources: Newsletter sign-up:  A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month. Community meditation: 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

    37 min

  4. 25 ENE

    Guided Meditation: Revealing the Stillness Within

    This is a gentle guided meditation to support grounding, softening, and inner clarity. Through a slow body scan, breath, and loving inner attention, Ava guides you to empty accumulated tension and reconnect with your inner space. This practice supports nervous system regulation and integration, allowing presence and ease to arise naturally. A guided meditation with music. Ideal for mornings or moments when you want to return to yourself.   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: Newsletter sign-up:  A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month. Community meditation: 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

    19 min

  5. 18 ENE

    Guided Meditation: Softening Resistance to Meet the Moment

    Take some time today to replenish yourself. Amidst the chaos on the surface of the planet, in our thoughts, emotions, and body, we often meet life with subtle resistance. Beneath this effort, there is a deep stillness that remains untouched. This guided meditation invites you to soften inner resistance and gently meet the moment as it is. Ground yourself in the quiet space of the Heart, where presence, safety, and ease naturally reside.   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: Newsletter sign-up:  A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month. Community meditation: 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

    10 min

  6. 11 ENE

    Guided Meditation: Hridaya Meditation & Awakening

    This guided awakening meditation draws on Hridaya meditation and the self enquiry teachings of Ramana Maharshi. Through gentle heart based attention and simple enquiry, awareness is invited to turn back toward its source, allowing thoughts and identities to soften naturally. This is an embodied, nervous system led approach to awakening that supports integration, safety, and lived clarity rather than striving or peak experiences. An invitation to rest as what you already are, and to let awakening unfold in a grounded, sustainable way.   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: Newsletter sign-up:  A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month. Community meditation: 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

    18 min

  7. 09/12/2025

    Is there a huge problem with Vinyasa?

    So many people step into a yoga class expecting an ancient practice, yet most modern vinyasa is actually a recent aesthetic invention. In this episode, Ava unpacks the toxic patterns shaping the modern yoga industry, why students often hand their authority over without realising it, and what a body led, trauma-informed practice looks and feels like in comparison. If you love yoga, teach yoga, or care about spiritual integrity, this conversation offers clarity, context and a deeper understanding of what you are truly practicing. Listen in and share how this information lands for you. Whether you agree or disagree, we welcome your reflections.   Relevant links:  Podcast episode: 4 stages of spiritual seeking Functional Flow Yoga Teacher Training    Chapter markers:  00:00 Introduction to the topic 01:43 Setting the context for this conversation 07:00 Why Ava is positioned to speak on these topics 12:10 What modern vinyasa actually is and the goals behind it 15:44 The core issues within this style of practice 20:45 A body led, trauma-informed approach compared with the medicalised yoga model 26:16 The origins of Hatha Yoga and a summary of key points 30:50 Invitation to share your thoughts   Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness: www.functionalspirituality.com   Free resources: Newsletter sign-up:  A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month. Community meditation: 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

    32 min

  8. 17/11/2025

    The Pyramid No One Wants to Admit Exists in Coaching

    Have you ever felt something is “off” in the coaching or wellness industry? In this episode, Ava unpacks the invisible pyramid shaping these spaces and why so many of us feel uneasy inside them. We explore skill bypassing, surface culture, cognitive dissonance and what real integrity looks like in practice.  A grounded, necessary conversation for anyone devoted to integrity, embodiment and real service.   Chapter markers 00:00 Introduction 02:17 The invisible pyramid 03:37 Bypassing the skill 05:06 Marketing mechanisms 06:40 The surface culture 07:51 Responsibility at the top 11:20 Cognitive dissonance 14:25 A way forward 19:30 Slower businesses, bigger impact 22:00 Integrity   Increasing accessibility to functional healing + non-dual spiritual oneness: www.functionalspirituality.com   Free resources: Newsletter sign-up:  A monthly update for me on new offers and the energy of the month. Community meditation: 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

    24 min
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Acerca de

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

Información

  • Creador
    Ava Irani
  • Años de actividad
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodios
    328
  • Clasificación
    Apto
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Mostrar sitio web
    Functional Spirituality

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