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Guided Practices. Life Explorations. Expansive Conversations. A podcast for the open-minded spiritual seeker and mindful mover. Join Heather, founder of ALTAR movement studio, for guided instinctive meditation practices, life explorations in a variety of topics that will enhance your vitality and growth and expansive conversations with movers from across the globe.
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Beginning today’s morning meditation, Heather invites movement to release tension and soften the body. Transitioning into a space of rest, she encourages listeners to allow their mind to explore their to-do list in a meditative state, to say yes to all that they may need through breath, and to find a release of tension through vocal sighs. The podc…
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This week, Heather invites mothers (and all other nurturers) to join this guided morning meditation. She creates a space of loving intention, to mindfully bring awareness and support to those you love. You’ll also be invited to give yourself permission to rest and to allow your brain to wander in moments of purposeful awareness. Return to this medi…
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In this shortened meditative practice for difficult times, Heather invites listeners to explore the intensity of witnessing stress, to recall emotions that are uncomfortable and those that are peaceful, and to invite this duality into a safe space of practice. Heather encourages listeners to practice creating a union of intensity and peace, and inv…
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This week, Heather creates a safe space to explore a range of emotions through guided meditation. Encouraging the listener to envision intense, fear invoking moments in fictional scenarios, she actively works to acknowledge these emotions and evoke a sense of peace and comfort in the body. Join us in this space of flowing aliveness and return to th…
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For our last week of ‘Meditate in May’, Heather invites listeners to participate in a spacious meditative practice. Revisiting teachings from the previous practices for ‘Mediate in May’, Heather explores the use of mantras, physical movement, pauses, permission, freedom, and reflection to conclude this monthly journey in practice. Join the Virtual …
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In our fourth week of ‘Mediate in May’, Heather guides another morning meditation practice. Revisiting some of the key themes and foundational tools explored this month, Heather creates a space for listeners to tune into their bodies and soul, to channel energy through mantra, and to embrace and question all that has accompanied this month-long exp…
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It is Week 3 of ‘Meditate in May’ and Heather is back to lead a short guided morning practice. She invites listeners to begin the practice with a physical undulation - to roll the shoulders, shake out the body, and lean into the body’s desire of movement or stillness. Returning to the use of mantras as a tool for daily meditative practice, Heather …
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Heather leads a guided morning practice for Week 2 of Altar’s ‘Meditate in May’. She invites listeners to check in with their body and to embrace the use of mantras as a meditative tool. Use this episode as a daily guided meditation practice. We thank you for joining us this week and invite you to leave a review of the podcast on Apple Podcasts and…
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Heather invites listeners to join her morning meditative practice. Explaining her experience with this lifestyle shift, Heather describes how morning meditations have been extremely foundational to how she is able to show up in the world. Heather leads a guided practice, hoping to inspire listeners to begin exploring daily meditation throughout the…
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Kicking off Altar’s “Meditate in May” series, Heather leads a solo episode this week sharing her experience with a morning practice routine. Inspired to explore this topic in response to numerous questions from students, Heather encourages listeners to view their practice time as an experiment, tapping into the curiosity of that lifestyle: What is …
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Heather and Tania discuss the importance of finding uniqueness and individuality in life and in meditative practice. Returning to the theme of freedom and permission, they invite listeners to challenge their self-contained rule books, to find their unique voice, and to move away from the desire to fit into certain spaces. In essence, they proudly p…
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Inspired by Lorin Roche’s Sutra 47, Heather guides the listener through a meditative inquiry into the memory of love. She creates a space to explore the melting, yearning, and merging delight of a loving memory. Heather reminds listeners that this form of sense memory can be a deeply nourishing meditation. We thank you for joining us this week and …
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Building upon their exploration of Sutra 7 in the previous episode, Heather and Tania lead a guided practice on freedom and inner exploration. They invite you to tap into your instinctive relationship with freedom as it exists in the body and beyond, to wander within and between these spaces and understandings in meditative practice. We thank you f…
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Heather and Tania explore Lorin Roche’s Sutra 7, asking how we might invite a sense of freedom or liberation into a space of meditative practice. They discuss the possibility of freedom when letting attention glide and the inner self run wild, creating a space for liberation within practice. Tania invites listeners to consider the possibility that …
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In this week’s episode, Heather is solo and she invites you to join her on a guided meditative practice. You’ll be invited to practice a “do nothing” instinctive meditation technique in this 15 minute meditation. Use as a daily practice if it resonates and gifts you a sense of freedom, release and relaxation. We thank you for joining us this week a…
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Considering the chakras through the lens of Lorin Roche’s Sutra 6, Heather and Tania discuss the energy of life that flows through the seven chakras. Particularly inspired by the notion of tension and release, they encourage listeners to stretch their capacity to pay attention, to allow tension to build, and give into the experience of release in m…
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This week, Heather and Tania explore the complex and fascinating topic of human sensory experiences. Tania recounts her love of scents as a mode to unlock memories, while Heather describes the value of sonic cues in helping to experience a sense of calm or peace. They introduce the term Sukshma, explore the ability to find significance in seemingly…
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Heather and Tania discuss the importance of cherishing and ‘holding’ breath. Inspired by Sutra 4 from ‘The Radiance Sutras’ by Lorin Roche, they consider the interwoven communication that occurs between breath and body. Throughout the episode they also consider the health benefits of deep breathing as it can be a tool for calming the nervous system…
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In this week’s episode, Heather and Tania consider Sutra 3 from ‘The Radiance Sutras’ by Lorin Roche. Through shared discussion, they invite listeners to be mindfully tuned to their rhythmic breathing, to cherish the moments when mind dissolves into heart, to sense life’s subtle vibrations, and adventure with breath. In essence, they consider the p…
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Heather and Tania read Sutra 2 from ‘The Radiance Sutras’ by Lorin Roche and consider the pulsation of life between the internal and external. They invite listeners to be at play with this idea of oscillation, to tune into the various dimensions of life. Interwoven short guided breathing and meditative exercises encourage listeners to identify any …
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This week, Heather and Tania read the first sutra from ‘The Radiance Sutras’ by Lorin Roche and invite listeners to step away from the boredom of breath centred meditations to a more expansive and playful approach. They consider the importance of being curious about this instinct and fostering an awareness of breath as nourishment in the body. Heat…
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Heather and Tania return to their discussion on instinctive meditation in this second episode of the season. Exploring a variety of techniques, Heather and Tania consider some of the ways in which meditation can alleviate the body from pain, calm the mind from stress and anxiety, and foster inner wisdom. They ask listeners to savor everyday moments…
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Heather returns to this season of the podcast, joined by seasonal co-host Tania Kazi. Tania is a 500 hour YA certified Yoga instructor as well as a 500 hour YA certified Instinctive Meditation coach. Highlighting instinctive meditation and “The Radiance Sutras: 112 Gateways to the Yoga of Wonder and Delight” by Lorin Roche, Heather and Tania introd…
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Introducing the first guest on the podcast, Caroline Smith! In this first collaborative episode, Heather and Caroline discuss a range of topics around the theme of winter. They consider how the body and movement practices shift during the winter months, how one could embrace this season, and how to lovingly winter-ize yourself. To introduce our gue…
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Expanding upon the inquiries of meditation that Heather offers in Episode 5, this episode invites the listener to spend a few moments in meditative practice. Reading one of the Radiance Sutras written by Lorin Roche, Heather opens one doorway into meditation. If you are interested in reading the Radiance Sutras that Heather references, she recommen…
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Returning to the Radiance Sutras as written by Lorin Roche, Heather considers the question, why meditate? Bringing emphasis to the individuality of this experience, while offering a series of questions and a description of several meditative doorways, Heather encourages a space of inquiry to question the who, what and why of your meditative practic…
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Heather continues to explore the topic of breath this week with a guided breath practice. She invites listeners to become aware of their sensory experiences while nose breathing, tuning in to their body and the variety of senses tied to embodied breathing. Heather also introduces resonant breathing, guiding the listener through cyclical rhythms of …
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This week, Heather explores the somewhat controversial topic of functional breathing, explaining some of the chemistry and biomechanics of the breathing process. Inspired by the work of Kathryn Bruni Young, Heather encourages listeners to find sovereignty in breathing practices. She explores the possibility of reducing breath and invites practition…
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Building upon the teachings of ‘RADIANCE’ explored in the first episode, Heather uses this episode to guide the listener through a meditative practice. Heather invites moments of inquiry asking, ‘What are these dancing particles of condensed radiance?’. She encourages the listener to drift into this mindful practice, to allow themselves to BE in th…
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Welcome to ALTAR: the Podcast with Heather Briann. Together we will explore guided practices and intimate conversations with mindful movers from across the globe in order to inspire more movement in your life. Here, you are invited to evolve the practices of yoga, meditation and mindful living with us. Heather will use the text known as the Radianc…
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Welcome to the first episode of Altar: The Podcast - a space that aims to evolve the practices of yoga, meditation and mindfulness! This is a space dedicated to asking great questions of ourselves and our guests in order to weave a variety of tools into our lives that support our vitality and overall health and wellbeing. In our first episode, Heat…
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