More Than Wellness Podcast

You may or may not have heard of Kieser. Kieser are specialist physiotherapy clinics which are equipped with highly specialised equipment that are designed to aid recovery and rehabilitation from illness and injury and the restoration of optimum wellness. A Kieser gym is very different to any other kind of gym. There's no thumping music and you're unlikely to see anyone posing in the mirror. The gym/clinic is staffed by physiotherapists, exercise physiologists and exercise scientists. In fact, pretty much every employee in kieser gym is at least degree certified.  Angela, our guest in this podcast is a kieser physio with a passion for strength training and emphasises it's increasing importance as we age. Angela is based at Kieser in Essendon and there are Kieser gym's throughout Melbourne, Sydney and around the world   https://www.kieser.com.au/

Dr John McDonald is one of the great elder statesmen of acupuncture in Australia, and indeed worldwide, and has been practicing acupuncture and Chinese Medicine since 1971. He has been a Dean, Department Head, Senior Lecturer and course co-ordinator for a number of universities in Australia. He has worked with the WHO, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific articles, peer reviewed journal papers and recently co-authored a comparative literature review, The Acupuncture Evidence Project, sponsored and published by the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association of Australia Ltd (AACMA) with Stephen Jantz. He has also completed a research PHD on research into the immunological mechanisms underpinning the effects of acupuncture in allergic rhinitis. John is at the forefront of the movement to understand the science of acupuncture and its relevance in modern medicine.   https://southportacupuncture.com.au/about/   https://www.acunow.org/john-mcdonald.html   https://www.healthyseminars.com/bio/john-mcdonald  

Jacqui Olliver is not a sex therapist. She is the innovator of both the psychosexual alignment method and the emotional reset technique and she specialises in solving and preventing sexual challenges without drugs. Talking with Jacqui was certainly eye opening and I really learned things I didn't know about sexual functioning and the nature of sexual relationships. I hope you find this episode as eye opening as I did. WARNING: don't listen to this episode with the kids around, strictly adults only!   Jacqui can be found at:   https://www.endtheproblem.com/

Dr Olivia Ong's story is inspiring. A brilliant doctor, facing burnout, Olivia had to overcome her own health crisis when she suffered a severe spinal cord injury in 2008. Dr Olivia worked hard for 2 years to recover from her spinal cord injury and threw herself back into work again, however, this time she suffered burnout and thought there must be another way. Which is when she established her coaching practice as "The Heart Centred Doctor". Dr Olivia coaches other GP's and doctors in how to care for themselves while caring for others and avoid burnout drawing on her own experience.  Dr Olivia is available for coaching and speaking engagements and can be found at:   https://drolivialeeong.com/

Gaby Villa is a nutritionist and triathlete based in Perth, Western Australia but hailing from Mexico. As you'd expect of someone from Mexico, food is a passion of Gaby's and it's obvious through the interview that while Gaby discusses the value of a health balanced diet, she's all about the importance of enjoying the food we eat and gaining pleasure from our meals. Gaby is an accomplished triathlete in her own right and knows the optimum nutrition requirements for, not just athletes, but everyday people like you and me. Although based in WA, Gaby is also available for online consults and can be reached via Facebook and her website intenseeatfit  

Lana is a Psychologist based in Brisbane who has recently written a book called the Slow Life Project based on the most effective strategies from her psychology practice. The Slow Life Project is about finding your authentic self, your highest values and living according to them.  Lana's book is available from Amazon, Booktopia and all good online retailers and can also be purchased via her website: The Slow Life Project The Slow life project is also available as a program and course via the website

Welcome back to Rose Migliorisi who has been a guest on the show before discussing Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology. Rose is the Vice President of the Australian Chapter of the International Feng Shui Association and has great knowledge and passion for both Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology. Rose shares her insights into both and Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology and dispels some of the myths we may have around them.   Rose can be contacted via her website Feng Shui Living Now and her Facebook Page  

Deirdre Brandner is a wonderful psychologist based in Melbourne. Deirdre has a special interest in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and many of her clients are children and teens on the spectrum. In this episode Deirdre gives practical and insightful advice, based on her extensive experience and training, for parents with an emphasis on parenting kids with ASD during the unique challenges presented by the Covid pandemic. Deirdre's advice is valuable, however, for all parents and not just those of kids on the spectrum.    Deirdre's practice is essentially closed to new clients but she is available as a guest speaker in both hospital and education settings and she has made numerous appearances on ABC News Breakfast.   She can be contacted at deirdrebrandner.com.au

In my constant quest for more information I felt a gap in my understanding of the science of mindfulness, what does it really do and how does it effect the brain. Searching online I found this awesome book called the neuroscience of mindfulness. Bingo! This was it, exactly what I was looking for. It turns out that the author, Dr Stan Rodski, is a fellow Melburnian. After buying the audio and hard copy versions i decided to get in touch with Dr Rodski to see if he would be willing to be a guest on the podcast and I was delighted that he agreed. Dr Rodski is a cognitive neuroscientist and in addition to writing the neuroscience of mindfulness he only invented mindful colouring books (Colourtation) and more recently Soundscience plus.  Both Colourtation colouring books and soundscience can be found on the website colourtation.com and Dr Rodski recommends combining both for an amazinginly immersive creative meditative experience.

This is Richmond's second appearance on the More Than Wellness Podcast. Today our focus is very much about the theory and practice of Trauma/ Tension Release Exercises and how it can help us to manage the effects of stress, anxiety and depression which many of us are experiencing through the Covid pandemic and the associated lockdowns, particularly here in Melbourne where we have achieved the dubious honour of being the worlds most locked down city. The key to TRE is it's accessibility and the absence of rules. It really is a matter of surrendering to your body and just letting go (I know, easier said than done for many of us). The effects are incredibly liberating. Richmond can be contacted via TREAustralia.com where you can find a listing of local TRE providers (including yours truly!) and has very kindly created a free TRE course (no, there's no assignments!!!) as an introduction to TRE for anyone who wants to experience it at www.TREcourse.com Head on over and check it out

an Introduction to the 12 laws of Karma with my co-host Verena White from Enso Kinesiology. There are a lot of misconceptions about karma and while looking online we realised there was a serious lack of podcasts specifically about the 12 laws of Karma. So hopefully you find this helpful and informative and brings a little more clarity to the concept of Karma and how it effects us all.

This is a follow on to the meditation podcast and is intended as a simple meditation practice to establish some of the basic principles of mindfulness meditation while also engaging our own capacity for self healing through conscious intention.

I've been holding onto this one for a while because I felt I could add much more valuable information to the podcast itself but in the end I decided to publish it as it is. I've been encouraged to apply Pareto's law to my output and stop striving for perfection. Having listened to my podcast you're probably thinking there's no fear of that, don't be so cheeky!There's a little bit of science and some of the practical skills to engage meditation. If you're new to meditation I hope this helps to give you a nice simple introduction and makes it a little more accessible while demystifying it a little. Not to say that meditation can't be enhanced by a little mysticism but it's nice to have a simple introduction.I'll also follow this up by publishing a meditation combining the principles of breathing, listening, awareness of thought and visualising light as a way of engaging our self healing capacity through intention. I hope you enjoy it.

Zoe Baranowski is the director of the Reflexology Studio in Elsternwick and has been practicing Reflexology for over 8 years having been an avid recipient of the treatment for many years. For those who don't know reflexology is the application of pressure to specific energy and pressure points primarily on the feet but also on the hands. It is so much more than a foot massage!To get in touch with zoe you can find her atthereflexologystudio.comor by phoneon 0402 103 811and the facebook page ishttps://www.facebook.com/TheReflexologyStudioMelbourne/

Anthony is my colleague at North Western Osteopathic Clinic and by all accounts is a bit of a gun when it comes to osteopathy. What makes a great practitioner in any modality is a great attitude and a passion for learning and helping people and Anthony has this in spades. As for osteopathy there is still a lot of misconceptions around what it is and what it does so Anthony really helps to clarify the role of the osteopath in health aswell as dysfunction.Anthony is available at North Western Osteopathic clinic in Avondale HeightsNWOC.com.auand Competitive Sports Clinichttps://competitivesportsclinic.com.au/our-doctors/dr-anthony-liberatore-osteopath/

Yes I know, I've been away for a while but I'm back with another great episode. This week's guest is Mya Stevens from Prana Therapies, a remedial massage therapist with a special interest in oncology massage. Since graduating, Mya has gone all in as a massage therapist from teaching at the Australian College of Massage to establishing her own business, Prana Therapies. Mya has gone from strength to strength on the back of her awesome attitude and passion for massage.To get in touch with Mya, you can find her atpranatherapies.com.auhttps://www.facebook.com/PranaTherapiesHealthcare/and the ever memorable phone number:1300 prana 1

I met Richmond 5 years ago at a gathering for conscious manhood called menergy. What struck me about Richmond at the time was his integrity along with his awesomely uplifting spirit and I was intrigued when I heard about the Trauma Release Exercise (TRE) workshops he was facilitating. This episode, however, isn't simply an introduction to and explanation of TRE, Richmond takes it much further and deeper than that and outlines a blueprint for consciously embodied healing, a sense of somatic spirituality. This is a powerful and moving episode and it was an honour to hold space for Richmond's journey, albeit with little input required from me.To find out more about TRE the Australian website istreaustralia.com.auand the international site ishttps://traumaprevention.com/There is also a local facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/TREAustraliaNZ/

Paul is the affable manager of our local anytime fitness club in Doreen. Paul decided to quit his lucrative job as a geo spatial engineer with a local council to become a full time Personal Trainer and gym manager and hasn't looked back. His passion for health and fitness comes across clearly in this episode and he's fully committed to giving back to the local community with a host of great initiatives.To get in touch with Paul you can find him at Anytime Fitness DoreenorFacebook

Wellness and wellbeing programmes are becoming more and more common in workplaces as employers recognise the importance of truly caring for their employees through more than just a healthy remuneration package and a comfy chair. Dr Villar has been providing corporate wellness solutions initially in Sydney and now throughout Australia and New Zealand. These services range from health checks and consultations, yoga and fitness classes to juice bars and education sessions. Dr Villar places an emphasis on creating a culture of wellness in the workplace that extends into the home.To get in touch with Dr Villar and complete corporate wellness:completecorporatewellness.com.au#morethanwellness #completecorporatewellness #cultureofwellness #drdebravillar #mickryanwellness #wellness

Dr Shami is an awesome integrative GP at Nicholson Health and Wellness in Fitzroy. During this podcast what struck me most about Shami's advice was it's simplicity and yet this is what makes it so much more effective. If you want to get in touch with Shami you can find her at https://nicholsonhealthandwellness.com.au/dr-shamistra-barathan/and Nicholson Health and Wellness are also on facebook:https://www.facebook.com/nicholsonsthealth.com.au/and yes I am aware of the irony of directing you to facebook despite Shami recommending you get off it once in a while!!

This weeks guest is my neighbour from the next room Rachael Waddington who runs Podco podiatry. Rachael is an awesome podiatrist and has some really great but simple advice on how to look after your feet and not take them for granted. Our feet are often overlooked, crammed into ill fitting shoes or unsupported by flip flopping thongs so put them up, stick on the kettle and kick back for this week's episode. If you want to get in touch with Rachael you can find her atPodcopodiatry.comemail: info@podcopodiatry.comorPhone: 0393378737

Neal and I have been friends since we met during a Qi Gong workshop hosted by our teacher, Gary Collins, in 2002. Neal has trained in the Jade Sun syllabus and certified as a Tai Chi and Qi Gong instructor. He subsequently became a founder and director of the Jade Sun School of Tai Chi and Qi Gong based in Ireland and has many strings to his bow as you'll find out in this interview. Along with Gary, Neal continues to develop and evolve the syllabus for the Jade Sun School and offers an incredibly in depth and personally transformative training in Tai Chi and Qi Gong. if you want to get in touch or find out more about the Jade Sun School you can find Neal at:http://jadesunschool.com/https://www.facebook.com/JadeSunSchoolTC/https://thecentreofus.com/

Jennifer is a local Reiki master, holistic counsellor and teacher in Avondale Heights in Melbourne. In this Episode Jennifer talks about just what Reiki is and how it can be of benefit aswell as the importance of investing in our overall health from an Holistic perspective. Jennifer can be found athawktherapies.com.auandFacebook.com/HawkTherapies

Jeff Phillips was raised in a martial arts household and has studied and practiced a wide variety of styles from Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Boxing to Krav Maga among others. Jeff has also trained with Safe International to provide training in Self Defence techniques and this is an interesting episode about the importance of self defence, avoiding confrontation and building resilience. To get in touch with Jeff you can find him at Kravwest.com.auhttps://www.facebook.com/kravwest/by phone on 0417402902and his training centre is located at the wonderfully titled Weapon X facility at Western Sydney University Campus in Werrington South

Ly De Angeles is a renowned psychic, tarot reader, storyteller and author of 14 books among other things. Ly is a riot, hugely knowledgeable as one would expect from such a prolific author, she shoots from the hip and is always entertaining. She's also hugely generous with her time and her wisdom and I'm grateful she took time out of her busy schedule to record this podcast. I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it. To get in touch with Ly you can fin her at https://www.lydeangeles.com/orhttps://www.facebook.com/ly.deangeles.3and for her author page:https://www.facebook.com/lydeangelesauthor/  

This is the second part of our double header with Rose Migliorisi where she goes into more detail about Feng Shui which roughly transaltes as wind water in relation to how the sacred elements interact with each other.Rose's website isfengshuilivingnow.com.auand she can be found on facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/Feng-Shui-Living-Now-699408743429340/

Rose Migliorisi is a local Feng Shui consultant and Chinese Astrologer. This episode is the first of a double header with Rose discussing each of these services. If you find it interesting and would like to know more you can find Rose atFengshuilivingnow.com.auhttps://www.facebook.com/Feng-Shui-Living-Now-699408743429340/tel:0421 300 850

Alida Deligeorges aka "The Gut Detective" is a pharmacist and naturopath based in Niddrie in Melbourne. If that seems like an unusual combination Alida certainly makes it work by combining her holistic philosophy and training with her knowledge of conventional pharmacology. Alida is also very passionate and entertaining and this certainly comes across in the interview. To get in touch with Alida go tohttps://gutdetective.com.au/orhttps://www.facebook.com/thegutdetective/andTHE GUT DETECTIVEUnit 1/6 Hotham RoadNiddrie VIC 3042alida@gutdetective.com.au1800 96 20 20

Denise is a vastly experienced osteopath and physiotherapist who has also provides training in Trauma Release Exercises. In addition to this Denise offers a therapy she calls "horse time" based on her training as an Equine Experiential Facilitator. In addition to her clinical practice in Eltham Denise combines Trauma Release Exercises with Horse time at her property in Hunevale north of Melbourne.To get in touch with Denise you can find her athttps://rebalancing.com.au/https://www.facebook.com/ReBalancing-with-Denise-Cornall-621764851678948/and her phone number is 0467 574 050

I met Mark while training in Trauma Release Exercises and was fascinated by his unique combination of therapies and perspective on health. Mark is a definitely a seeker and has combined training in lots of different therapies and modalities to find a common thread and bring that to his own system entitled free2flow.Mark is based in Springwood and Blaxland in the Blue Mountains and can be found at:free2flow.com.auhttps://www.facebook.com/Free2FlowStudio/ 

Verena White is a local Kinesiologist and Transformational Facilitator. In this episode Verena talks about her journey and philosophy and aswell as theory and practice of kinesiology.Verena can be contacted via:https://enso.net.au/https://www.facebook.com/ensokinesiology/tel:0403235919

Welcome to the first episode of The More Than Wellness Podcast. Apologies for the dodgy editing, it's my first time doing it and I'm trusting that it will get a lot better in the coming weeks, months and years.This is an introduction to who I am, what I do and how I became a wellbeing facilitator.Thanks for taking the time to check it out and please take the time to give me a review on itunes, a like and follow on facebook and I would be eternally grateful if you would share this podcast with anyone you think might be interested in the content or just wants to listen to my Irish brogue (despite not being able to understand a word I say! ).