Yoga For Trauma Podcast My 2025 Personal Yoga Journey Back to Canberra - Happy New Year

 Happy New Year! How was 2025 for you? Did you get a chance to reflect on it?

This blog is more than a podcast update and 2025 wrap-up. It’s a story of coming home. To a place. To a practice, and to myself.

This past year has been one of new beginnings.

• In March 2025, I launched my passion project. Yoga for Trauma: The Inner Fire of Yoga Podcast. Something I never thought I would have the confidence or capability to do. Yoga changed that self-limiting belief. Season 1 wrapped at episode 20, with a highlight compilation of all the wonderful guests who had conversations with me. A bit of a highlight reel of season one. It's a chance to reflect, laugh. Even a few jokes in there..
  Each of them brought their own wisdom, vulnerability, and passion to the conversation. Whether we explored yoga, yoga therapy, trauma, personal transformation, nervous system regulation, sustainable self-care, meditation, mental health in general, this season helped create a richer understanding of what it means to live well and show up in our lives better.
  And remember the many truths shared to every guest who's had a chat with me. Thank you. Your stories and teachings have left an imprint, and I'm so grateful to your time and trust to every listener.
  More details of each guest and their location in the video above
• I’m taking a longer break that initially intended while I complete my studies that will certify me to become a qualified yoga therapist. A mammoth 650+ hours of study. That doesn’t include the books read, the scientific case studies analysed and the clients I’ve had the honour of working with. This and another few exciting project and time with my daughter while she is on her summer school holidays.
  but Season 2 applications are open.
• The first episode of Season 2 will air on Monday 6th of April 2026. I’d love your input.
  Do you have a story to share that is about yoga and trauma? Fill out the guest application on the podcast page: https://www.lizalbaniswellness.com.au/podcast/yoga-for-trauma
• Have a topic suggestion? Fill out the feedback form on the podcast page: https://www.lizalbaniswellness.com.au/podcast/yoga-for-trauma
• Another new beginning was being a guest speaker. I was a speaker at Yoga Australia’s Mental Health Summit. Guest speaker on three podcasts, all based in the USA. Thanks to Kristin Klipp from the Get Loud Podcast. Todd McLaughlin from the Native Yoga Toddcast. And Jerry Schneider from Confidence Through Health Podcast. I’m looking forward to being a guest again in 2026. Links to all of these podcasts on my media page here:
  https://www.lizalbaniswellness.com.au/media-press
• Moving Interstate: My gut instinct in late 2024 was that I couldn't live in that block of land again. There was negative energy in the area of the suburb, I had never experienced before in a space. Given the amount of house fires within the vicinity of our house. In such a short space of time. The increasing crime didn't help either. Including our fire damaged house getting burgled, scoped, and many people trespassing. No amount of sage or chanting the gayatri mantra could change that for me! After selling up our soon to be demolished house as a fresh block of land, we decided to move back my home town. Canberra, also known as 'the bush capital". I never thought this would ever happen, when we left in 2017. But life is full of change. The more we resist that change, the more it impacts us to our own detriment. 

3 days after the 1 year anniversary, the demolition began. It took 5 days in total, believe it or not. I felt the need to watch. It was part of the trauma recovery. I didn’t watch every second, or even every day but it was part of the journey for me. Confronting yes. It brought grief. It brought about more trauma awareness.
It felt like my house's funeral and cremation. Yeh, I know it's a house. Not a person or another living being. But it's something I don't expect many to understand. In essence it was the closure I needed.
Someone else came to watch. To support his recovery after saving his neighbours from dying in a house fire. He was anticipating the long drawn out demolishment of this dwelling. What a hero this guy is. I hope he is continuing to recover.
Interestingly, it didn't trigger me the way that selling the block at auction did. I draw the linkage with why the auction triggered me. As, again there was a crowd of people staring at my damaged house.

Canberra brought more new beginnings.

• My daughter started school. We found our dream home.Our daughter started at a school where at least three of the faculty had worked with my late mother. A passionate primary and music teacher who received the Order of Australia Medal just before she passed.
• We found and bought our dream home.
• My father is here and it feels like my mother’s spirit guided us back. Perhaps she had a plan? Who really knows…
  
  Towards the end of the year, I had the chance to:
• Return to Ho Chi Minh City over 20 years later
• Revisit Bali (trip number four!)
• Finally explore Darwin the last of Australia’s major cities for me

Each place offered reflection. On change, culture, and the privilege of being able to move and breathe freely. As always, I brought my yoga practice with me. Because yoga practices for everyday life don’t need a mat or a set routine. Just breath, presence, and choice.

Wishing you the best for 2026!

Liz