The Long Road Home Podcast

What if coming home isn’t about discovering something new, but remembering something we’ve forgotten?In this episode of The Long Road Home, I speak with musician, voice doula, weaver, song carrier and founder of Weaving Remembrance, Hanna Leigh, about the ancient threads that still connect us to land, ancestry and one another.Hanna’s work began with a longing: to remember ways of living that are less consumptive, less hurried and more deeply woven with the earth. We talk about ancestral songs, pilgrimage, the Scottish landscapes of her maternal lineage, and what happens when we begin to recover old ways of relating to place.At the heart of our conversation is the wisdom of the hands.Hanna shares how learning to weave, spin and work with natural materials awakened a feeling that her body already knew these things. We talk about the strange familiarity of ancestral crafts, the nourishment of making things alongside other people, and what we lose when so much of modern life moves us away from our hands and into our screens.We explore what it means to create a sense of home while moving through the world, the simple practice of making offerings to the lands we visit, eating locally, listening for the songs of a place, and cultivating belonging wherever we find ourselves.And we talk about singing—about the voices we were once told were too loud, too quiet, too imperfect, and Hanna’s invitation to all of us to become a singing people again.This is also Episode 10 and the Season One finale of The Long Road Home. It feels fitting to close this first season with a conversation about remembrance: about what we carry, what we’ve inherited, and what might still be waiting inside us to be remembered.Before we return for Season Two, I hope this conversation leaves you with a question:What is something your body already knows that your mind has forgotten?In this episode, we explore: * Ancestral songs and the art of songkeeping* The call to Scotland and pilgrimage* Remembering through the hands* Weaving, making and the Home Shawl* Finding home while moving through the world* Our relationship with land and place* Eating locally and reconnecting with the earth* The importance of making and community* Hanna’s album Wishing Well* Finding and reclaiming your singing voiceChapters04:11 — What are we remembering?07:21 — Ancestral songs, song carriers and songkeeping11:03 — The longing that became Weaving Remembrance15:30 — Threads of the old ways and the call to Scotland18:42 — When the hands remember: weaving and ancestral craft26:09 — The Home Shawl and finding home through making29:30 — Making offerings and arriving in a new place34:53 — Home, belonging and our relationship with the earth43:19 — What changes when we reconnect with the land?46:56 — Technology, community and remembering how to be human52:37 — Wishing Well, creativity and feeding the music56:31 — Finding your singing voice1:00:48 — What do you most want people to remember?About Hanna LeighHanna Leigh is a musician, voice doula, weaver, song carrier and founder of Weaving Remembrance, an organization devoted to helping people rekindle their relationships with the earth, ancestral wisdom and one another through song, craft, pilgrimage, retreats and community.She is also the creator of Wishing Well, a new album of songs gathered over more than a decade—some written, some received through dreams and ceremony, and others carried from the lineages of song.Connect with HannaWeaving Remembranceweavingremembrance.orgHanna Leighhannaleigh.orgHanna Leigh Instagraminstagram.com/hannaleighsong/Hanna’s MusicSpotifyWishing WellHanna’s new album, available on digital streaming platforms.Upcoming gathering: November 8–14, 2026A week of spinning, weaving, singing and land connection with fifty women at Embercombe in the south of England. Link here.Subscribe to The Long Road HomeThe Long Road Home is a podcast about home, belonging, ancestry and the stories that make us who we are.Season One is now complete. I will take a short break before beginning to record season two, so stay tuned.Thank you for walking this road with me. xOriginal theme music composed by Diego Tenorio.In gratitude,Yamuna Thanks for listening to The Long Road Home Podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, and would like to support ancestral remembrance work, consider becoming a subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yamunaflaherty.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when you spend your life creating spaces where other people can belong, and finally realize that you get to belong there too?In this deeply personal conversation, I sit down with Aditi Loveridge to talk about identity, authenticity, community, and the long journey toward becoming fully ourselves.Born in New Delhi and raised in Calgary, Aditi grew up immersed in a rich Indian culture at home while navigating a very different world outside of it. As a young brown girl in conservative Alberta, she learned early how complicated belonging could be: feeling too brown in some spaces, not brown enough in others, and eventually learning to leave parts of herself at the door in order to fit in.We talk about the invisible expectations we inherit around culture, family, womanhood, and being a “good Indian daughter,” and what happens when we begin to recognize that we may have been living a story shaped by other people’s expectations rather than our own.Aditi also shares the deeply personal story of embracing her queerness after years of keeping that part of herself hidden. From exploring her sexuality while living in Toronto, to leaving her marriage during the upheaval of the pandemic, to eventually finding a relationship in which she could show up as her fullest self, her story is one of slowly reclaiming the parts of herself she had learned to shrink.Along the way, Aditi founded the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Centre after experiencing pregnancy loss, systemic racism within the healthcare system, and profound postpartum anxiety. What began as a response to her own grief became a nationally recognized organization built around creating spaces where people whose stories didn’t fit the expected narrative could feel seen, supported, and held.Together, we explore the beautiful paradox at the centre of Aditi’s life: she was building spaces of belonging for others while still learning how to create that belonging within herself.We talk about the quiet “whisperings” that tell us when something in our lives is no longer aligned, the wisdom of listening to our bodies, the power of chosen family and queer community, and the possibility that home isn’t necessarily somewhere we find, but something we experience when we are able to be our truest selves.In this episode, we explore:* Belonging as something we co-create rather than somewhere we eventually arrive* Growing up Indian in Calgary and navigating two cultural worlds* The shame of feeling different and learning to leave parts of ourselves at the door* The invisible expectations of being a “good Indian daughter”* What it means to recognize that we may be living someone else’s story* Moving to Toronto and beginning to embrace her queerness* The long process of accepting an identity she had known was there all along* Pregnancy loss, postpartum anxiety, and the experiences that changed the course of Aditi’s life* The origins of the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Centre* Creating spaces for people whose stories don’t fit neatly into existing categories* The intersection of grief, race, gender, sexuality, and identity* Building belonging for others while still denying parts of yourself* The turning point that allowed Aditi to leave her marriage and choose herself* “Maybe I get to belong too”* Coming out as an act of letting people in* Motherhood, queerness, and chosen family* Experiencing love without having to shrink or edit yourself* The possibility of finding home in another person* Listening to the quiet whispers of the body and spirit* How to know when you are living a life that belongs to you* Creating affirming spaces by listening to what people actually need* Queer joy, community, and the people who give us hope* Coming home to yourselfChapters02:02 — Belonging is something we co-create05:53 — Growing up Indian in Calgary08:52 — The invisible expectations of being a “good Indian daughter”11:17 — Living someone else’s story12:51 — Moving to Toronto and embracing her queerness15:11 — The parts of ourselves we learn to hide16:59 — Pregnancy loss and the experience that changed everything21:00 — From personal grief to creating community23:13 — Building a space where every story belongs27:10 — Creating belonging for others while denying parts of yourself30:01 — The turning point: leaving a marriage and choosing authenticity32:00 — “Maybe I get to belong too”33:22 — Coming out as letting people in36:12 — Motherhood, queerness, and chosen family39:05 — Experiencing love as your fullest self40:07 — When home becomes a person41:07 — Creating new spaces for community and connection42:32 — What her younger self would say to her now43:33 — How do you know when you're living a life that belongs to you?45:01 — Creating affirming spaces for others46:59 — Queer joy, community, and what gives us hope48:25 — Coming home to yourselfAbout Aditi LoveridgeAditi Loveridge is a charity founder, nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, and advocate whose work is shaped by a deep commitment to care, equity, and more inclusive communities.With more than 15 years of nonprofit experience, Aditi has led initiatives addressing systemic barriers, access to care, and community-based support. She founded and served as CEO of the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Centre, growing it from a grassroots initiative into a nationally recognized organization supporting families through pregnancy and infant loss.Aditi is a queer, brown woman who was born in New Delhi and raised in Calgary. She became a mother and later came to embrace her queer identity more fully, eventually leaving her marriage and building a life in which she no longer feels the need to hide or shrink parts of herself.Today, Aditi remains deeply engaged in the work of creating belonging. She is a people-centred leader, advocate, mother, and community builder whose personal and professional lives are connected by a belief that everyone deserves to be seen, affirmed, and given space to become fully themselves.Connect with AditiSubstackInstagramWebsiteSubscribe to The Long Road HomeIf this conversation resonated with you, I’d love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who is learning to take up more room in their own life.You can also join me on Substack for essays, memoir, poetry, and conversations exploring ancestral storytelling, remembrance, belonging, and the lifelong search for home.Until next time, may you continue walking your own long road home.Original theme music composed by Diego Tenorio.In gratitude,Yamuna xThanks for listening to The Long Road Home Podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, and would like to support ancestral remembrance work, consider becoming a subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yamunaflaherty.substack.com/subscribe

What does it mean to spend a lifetime witnessing the light of one place?In this deeply personal conversation, I sit down with documentary photographer George Webber to talk about five decades spent photographing the people, landscapes, small towns, and quiet corners of Alberta and the Canadian Prairies.George’s work has always been driven by an insatiable appetite for story. From his childhood in Drumheller, hunting for dinosaur bones with his grandfather, to his decades-long relationships with Hutterite communities, farmers, immigrants, and people living on the margins, his photographs reveal a profound tenderness toward the ordinary lives unfolding around him.Together, we explore what happens when photography becomes more than documentation: when it becomes an act of listening, witnessing, and service. We talk about the intimacy required to photograph another person, the responsibility of preserving stories and changing landscapes, and how a lifetime of affection for one’s “little postage stamp of native soil” can become an archive for generations to come.In this episode, we explore:* What it means to spend a lifetime photographing one place* Why the stories of the past have always fascinated him* The Prairies as a landscape of immense beauty, space, and human presence* Why George believes story is essential to how we understand one another* The intimacy and trust between photographer and subject* Photography as an act of service rather than self-promotion* The ethics and responsibility of documenting other people’s lives* George’s decades-long relationship with Alberta’s Hutterite communities* The story behind his photographs of Little Bow Colony before it was flooded* How photography can preserve places and communities that no longer exist* The unexpected relationships that emerge through documentary work* The Drumheller Badlands, memory, childhood, and the magic of place* What it means to create an archive without necessarily setting out to make history* What it means to leave a visual legacy for future generationsChapters00:00 — A lifetime of witnessing light02:00 — Growing up in Drumheller and discovering photography05:00 — Why the Prairies have held George’s attention for five decades09:00 — Story as oxygen: the power of narrative13:00 — The intimacy and trust between photographer and subject18:00 — Entering the world of the Hutterites23:00 — Photographing a community before it disappeared beneath the water29:00 — When a photographer becomes part of the family34:00 — The relationships that outlast the photographs38:00 — The Badlands, childhood, and the places that mark us42:00 — When photographs become an archive46:00 — “Facts become art through love”49:00 — Photographing the changing landscape of Alberta53:00 — What we preserve, what we overlook, and what remainsAbout George WebberGeorge Webber is a documentary photographer whose work springs from a deep affection for the people, culture, architecture, and landscapes of the Canadian West.Over the course of a career spanning five decades, George has photographed Alberta and Saskatchewan with a particular attention to the lives and communities that can so easily be overlooked. His books include Borrowed Time, Alberta Book, Saskatchewan Book, Badlands, Prairie Gothic, In This Place, Last Call, People of The Blood, A World Within, and Requiem.His photographs are held in Canadian and international collections including Library and Archives Canada, the Glenbow Museum, the Art Gallery of Alberta, the Australian National Gallery, Museum Ludwig in Germany, and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.George was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1999 in recognition of his contribution to the visual arts in Canada and has twice received the National Magazine Gold Award for Photojournalism.But perhaps the best way to understand George’s work is through his own relationship to story. He describes an “insatiable appetite” for stories and speaks about the way storytelling invites us into compassion, inspiration, and an honouring of the challenges of other people’s lives.Connect with GeorgeWebsiteInstagramFacebookLinkedInBooksSubscribe to The Long Road HomeIf this conversation resonated with you, I’d love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who understands that photographs are more than images: they are fragments of memory, evidence of lives lived, and sometimes the only record we leave behind.You can also join me on Substack for essays, memoir, poetry, and conversations exploring ancestral storytelling, remembrance, and the lifelong search for home.Until next time, may you continue walking your own long road home.Original theme music composed by Diego Tenorio.In gratitude,Yamuna xThanks for listening to The Long Road Home Podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, and would like to support ancestral remembrance work, consider becoming a subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yamunaflaherty.substack.com/subscribe

What if the story you’ve been searching for has been waiting for you all along?In this deeply moving conversation, I sit down with Canadian writer, filmmaker, and podcaster Erika Hanchar, creator of the podcast Granddaughter of Immigrants. For more than twenty years, Erika has devoted herself to tracing her Ukrainian family’s immigration journey to Canada—following fragile paper trails, hiring private investigators, travelling to ancestral villages, and piecing together the lives of ordinary people whose stories might otherwise have been lost.Together, we explore the profound role that storytelling plays in shaping identity, why preserving family history matters, and how understanding the lives of our ancestors can become a pathway toward healing, belonging, and self-understanding.This episode is a love letter to the storytellers, the archivists, the genealogists, and the custodians of memory who refuse to let the voices of those who came before us disappear.In this episode, we explore:* Why every family needs a storykeeper* The lifelong search for identity and belonging* What it means to be the granddaughter of immigrants* The emotional journey of tracing family history* Returning to an ancestral homeland and discovering what “home” really means* Ancestral trauma, resilience, and intergenerational healing* Why preserving ordinary lives is one of the greatest gifts we can leave future generations* How storytelling transforms memory into legacyChapters00:00 — Introducing Erika Hanchar and Granddaughter of Immigrants02:00 — The twenty-year journey to uncover her family’s history06:30 — Becoming the modern-day “Kobzar” : preserving stories through storytelling09:20 — Why memory can be an act of defiance10:20 — “Punishment and my purpose” : carrying the responsibility of family history16:00 — Ancestral trauma, forgiveness, and breaking generational cycles21:30 — Journeying to Ukraine and standing where her ancestors once lived30:30 — Finding identity by giving the story away|33:00 — Donating her family’s archive to preserve Ukrainian-Canadian history38:00 — Feeling the presence of our ancestors40:30 — The surprising discoveries hidden inside old records46:30 — The future of archives in the digital age50:30 — What home, belonging, and legacy mean after twenty years of searching52:00 — What’s next: a television series and a bookAbout Erika HancharErika Hanchar is a Canadian writer, director, photographer, and podcaster whose work explores immigration, identity, family history, and the enduring power of storytelling. She began her career in the film industry as a stills photographer before attending the Humber School for Writers on a Kobzar Scholarship. Her manuscript, The Warsaw Servant, was named a finalist at the Palm Beach International Book Festival, and she recently wrote and directed a public service announcement in collaboration with Women in Film & Television in Florida.Her acclaimed podcast, Granddaughter of Immigrants, chronicles her twenty-year journey uncovering her Ukrainian family’s immigration story to Canada while exploring the ways our ancestors continue to shape who we become.Connect with ErikaWebsitePodcast: Granddaughter of ImmigrantsInstagramSubstackLinkedInFacebookSubscribe to The Long Road HomeIf this conversation resonated with you, I’d love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who has ever wondered where they come from—or who is becoming the storykeeper in their own family.You can also join me on Substack for essays, memoir, poetry, and conversations exploring ancestral storytelling, remembrance, and the lifelong search for home.Until next time, may you continue walking your own long road home.Original theme music composed by Diego Tenorio.In gratitude,Yamuna xIf you enjoyed this episode and love all things home, belonging, ancestry, and memoir, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to support this work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yamunaflaherty.substack.com/subscribe

Hi, and welcome back to The Long Road Home Podcast.In this deeply reflective conversation, I sit down with mystic, birth and death doula, astrologer, and ancestral guide Ellenie Anastasia to explore how remembering our ancestors can become a path toward understanding ourselves.About this ConversationBorn and raised in Alberta to a Greek Arvanite father and a Greek Pontic Anatolian mother, Ellenie spent much of her life searching for a place where she truly belonged. That search carried her through spirituality, grief, shadow work, and profound personal transformation before leading her back to the forgotten stories of her own lineage.Together we explore hidden histories, cultural erasure, intergenerational trauma, ancestral memory, and the enduring question of how we honour those who came before us without becoming defined by their suffering.We also reflect on growing up between cultures, discovering forgotten identities, and the unexpected parallels Ellenie found between her own ancestral history and the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Throughout the conversation, we consider how remembrance can become an act of healing—one that invites truth without division, and belonging without forgetting.At the heart of this episode is a simple but profound question:How do we honour the stories we’ve inherited while choosing the legacy we want to leave behind?About Ellenie AnastasiaEllenie Anastasia is a mystic, birth and death doula, astrologer, dancer, ceremonial facilitator, and ancestral guide whose work weaves together astrology, shadow work, somatic practices, mysticism and ancestral remembrance.Her work was born through challenging life initiations. Years of navigating grief, loss, heartbreak, identity, and life’s deepest transitions led her to develop a ceremonial approach that helps people recognize unconscious patterns, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and return to wholeness.Born and raised in Alberta, Canada, to a father of Arvanite Greek heritage and a mother of Pontic Greek heritage from Anatolia, Ellenie grew up feeling as though she was living between worlds. Her own journey eventually led her back to her ancestral roots, where stories of displacement, hidden identities, genocide, cultural memory, and resilience transformed not only her understanding of herself, but the work she now shares with others.Today, she guides people through life’s deepest transitions, helping them remember who they are beneath inherited patterns and reconnect with the wisdom already within them.In this episode:* Greek Arvanite and Pontic Anatolian heritage* Growing up between cultures in Alberta* Feeling like an outsider and searching for belonging* Discovering hidden family histories* Ancestral memory and spiritual remembrance* Cultural erasure and preserving forgotten stories* Intergenerational trauma and inherited resilience* Honouring our ancestors without carrying their wounds* Blackfoot teachings and finding unexpected connections* What it truly means to come home to ourselvesChapters00:00 — Introducing Ellenie Anastasia01:45 — Growing up between worlds in Alberta06:20 — Discovering her Greek Arvanite and Pontic roots11:15 — Hidden histories and cultural memory17:40 — Feeling called by her ancestors23:00 — Intergenerational patterns and inherited stories29:10 — Grief, transformation, and spiritual awakening34:30 — Blackfoot teachings and belonging39:45 — Remembering without becoming defined by the past45:00 — Healing across generations50:30 — What it means to come homeConnect with EllenieInstagramYoutubeWebsite coming soon.Original theme music composed by Diego Tenorio.If you listen, I’d love to hear what resonates with you—or what stories from your own family this conversation inspires you to remember.In gratitude,Yamuna xThanks for listening to The Long Road Home Podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, and would like to support ancestral remembrance work, consider becoming a subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yamunaflaherty.substack.com/subscribe

Hi, and welcome back to The Long Road Home Podcast.In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with creator, community builder, and first-generation immigrant Narină Danielean to explore what it means to build a life between cultures while carrying the love, grief, and wisdom of the generations who came before us.About this ConversationBorn in Moldova to an Armenian father and Moldovan mother, Narină immigrated to New York City at seventeen, beginning the lifelong process of creating home across continents. Together we explore childhood, migration, identity, ancestral connection, and the women whose love continues to shape us long after they’re gone.From growing up in a close-knit Moldovan community to navigating life in Brooklyn, Narină reflects on the gifts and losses of leaving home, returning to her roots, and learning to hold both grief and gratitude at the same time.At the heart of this episode is a simple but profound question:What do we inherit from the people who loved us—and how do we carry that love into the lives we create for ourselves?About Narină DanieleanNarină Danielean is a creator, community builder, and lifelong student of human connection. Born in Moldova and raised within a close multigenerational family, she immigrated to New York City at the age of seventeen, where she has spent the past sixteen years building a life between cultures.Deeply curious about people and devoted to living with openness, authenticity, and joy, Narină shares reflections on migration, identity, ancestry, spirituality, friendship, and belonging. Through her writing and everyday life, she explores how small acts of kindness, meaningful conversations, and genuine community can become pathways toward a richer human experience.In this episode:* Growing up in Moldova and immigrating to New York at seventeen* Finding home between two cultures* Returning to ancestral roots and reconnecting with family* The enduring influence of grandparents* Living with grief after losing loved ones from afar* Armenian and Moldovan identity* Spiritual signs, dreams, and relationships with ancestors* Community, friendship, and the importance of human connection* Choosing curiosity over fear* Creating a meaningful life through openness and loveChapters00:00 — Introducing Narină Danielean01:30 — Growing up in Moldova and community life04:00 — Arriving in Brooklyn at seventeen07:30 — When New York becomes home09:30 — Returning to Moldova and reconnecting with her grandfather12:20 — Identity, Armenia, and carrying her father’s name16:30 — Being raised by her grandmother20:00 — Migration, grief, and missing life’s milestones22:00 — Dreams, ancestors, and spiritual connection24:00 — Moldovan traditions for honouring the dead26:20 — What her grandmother taught her about love33:30 — Human connection in New York City35:40 — Staying open-hearted in a complicated world38:00 — Feeling grief without becoming trapped by it40:30 — Letting go of certainty41:50 — Dreaming of mountains, forests, and community45:30 — Motherhood, freedom, and creating home for the next generation47:30 — Why authentic community matters now more than everConnect with Narină InstagramOriginal theme music composed by Diego TenorioIf you listen, I’d love to hear what resonates or what it brings up for you.In gratitude,Yamuna xThanks for listening to The Long Road Home Podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, consider becoming a subscriber to support this project. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yamunaflaherty.substack.com/subscribe

Hi, and welcome back to The Long Road Home Podcast.In this deeply personal conversation, I sit down with yoga teacher, Ayurvedic guide, writer, and global wanderer Andrea Pustilnik to explore what it means to build a life — and a sense of home — after a fractured beginning.About this ConversationBorn in Argentina to an Italian mother and Argentinian father, Andrea left home at nineteen and spent decades moving across continents in search of healing, belonging, and spiritual depth. From illegal years in New York City to quiet winters alone in Uruguay, from the forests of South America to the devotional rhythms of Mysore, India, this episode traces the path of a woman who learned to mother herself through ritual, discipline, embodiment, and devotion.At the heart of this episode is the ways women create home inside themselves when the world has not always felt safe.About Andrea PustilnikAndrea Pustilnik is a yoga teacher, Ayurvedic educator, writer, translator, and retreat host whose work bridges spirituality, embodiment, healing, and cultural exploration. Born in Argentina to an Italian mother and Argentinian father, she has spent more than two decades living, studying, and teaching across South America, North America, Europe, and India.A lifelong student of yoga and Ayurveda, Andrea has trained extensively in India, New York, and Buenos Aires, completing certifications in Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Prenatal Yoga. Her studies have also included trauma, addiction, and neuroscience through the teachings of Dr. Gabor Maté.In addition to her teaching, Andrea is the author of four books, including works on poetry, Ayurveda, and wellness. She is also a student of Bharatanatyam, the classical devotional dance of South India, and continues to return to India to study with her teachers and deepen her practice.Now based in Syracuse, Sicily, Andrea offers yoga classes, Ayurvedic consultations, retreats, and cooking classes, helping others cultivate greater health, resilience, and connection through daily ritual and embodied practice.In this episode:* Growing up in a toxic household and leaving home young* Self-mothering and survival* New York City, ambition, and reinvention* Uruguay, solitude, and healing in nature* Sicily, ancestry, and building new roots* India as initiation and spiritual home* Yoga, Ayurveda, Bharatanatyam, and devotional practice* Ritual as a path toward healing and belonging* Creating home through the body and daily practiceChapters00:00 —Returning to the podcast from Canada & introducing Andi02:40 — Growing up in Buenos Aires and leaving home at nineteen05:30 — “I became the mother of myself”06:40 — Estrangement, grief, and surviving a toxic family system10:00 — Losing her brother and choosing to fully live12:00 — Uruguay, freedom, and healing in nature19:30 — New York City, ambition, yoga, and reinvention23:50 — Sicily, ancestry, and unexpectedly finding love29:40 — What does home actually mean?34:00 — India as karma, devotion, and spiritual transformation37:00 — Bharatanatyam, gurus, and sacred movement39:00 — Creating joy after years of survival40:00 — Hosting retreats in India and sharing authentic practice42:00 — Dance, ancestry, and devotional art49:50 — Advice for people who feel rootless or between worlds50:20 — Ayurveda, ritual, and building home within the self54:40 — Final reflections and Andi’s upcoming India retreatConnect with AndreaWebsiteInstagramSecret Beauty: Rethinking Beauty from an Ayurvedic Lens Original theme music composed by Diego TenorioIf you listen, I’d love to hear what resonates or what it brings up for you.In gratitude,Yamuna xThe Long Road Home is a listener-supported podcast exploring identity, belonging, memory, migration, healing, and what it means to remain human in a rapidly changing world. If conversations like this one resonate with you, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber and sharing this episode. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yamunaflaherty.substack.com/subscribe

Hi, and welcome back to The Long Road Home Podcast.In this episode, I sit down with psychotherapist and rewilding advocate Bahar G. (name changed for privacy) to speak about growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, leaving her homeland in her twenties, and returning decades later during one of the country’s most politically tense periods while caring for her aging mother.About This ConversationWhat began as a conversation about Iran became something much larger: a meditation on identity, migration, family, language, grief, healing, indigenous wisdom, ecology, and the search for belonging in a fractured world.Bahar speaks candidly about witnessing political repression as a child, the emotional cost of exile, and the feeling of becoming a stranger in one’s own homeland. We also explore her work in psychotherapy, rewilding projects in Scotland, indigenous teachings from the Amazon rainforest, and the creation of inner stability amidst constant movement between countries and caregiving roles.At the heart of this episode is the question: What does it mean to build an inner home when the outer home has been lost, transformed, or left behind?About Bahar G.Bahar G. is an Iranian-born psychotherapist and rewilding advocate whose work explores healing, belonging, relationships, and the preservation of what makes us human. Born in Tehran during a time of immense political upheaval, Bahar grew up witnessing the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution before immigrating to Canada in her twenties.Her personal experiences of exile, migration, loss, and rebuilding shaped her path toward psychotherapy and deep inner work. Over the years, her journey has expanded beyond the therapy room into environmental and community-based initiatives focused on reconnection — to self, to land, to ancestry, and to one another.Bahar has been involved in rewilding and ecological projects connected to the Amazon rainforest, Scotland’s Atlantic rainforest, and the wider Fertile Crescent region. Her work draws inspiration from indigenous wisdom traditions, mythology, ritual, and the understanding that healing is both personal and collective.She is also the co-founder of Altar State, a project exploring altar-making and intentional living as practices for cultivating presence, reflection, and inner grounding in modern life.Today, Bahar moves between countries and cultures while caring for family across generations, continuing her work as a psychotherapist and guide for those navigating relationships, identity, grief, and transformation.What we talk aboutIn this conversation, we explore:* Growing up during the Iranian Revolution* Women, Life, Freedom and the realities of modern Iran* Immigration, exile, and cultural identity* Caring for aging parents across borders* Indigenous wisdom and the Amazon rainforest* Rewilding projects in Scotland and the Fertile Crescent* Creating an “inner home” through life’s instabilityKey Takeaways* Home is not only a place — it can also be a language, a memory, or a relationship to the self.* Political upheaval reshapes not just nations, but family systems, identities, and emotional lives across generations.* Healing often begins with reconnecting to nature, ritual, ancestry, and community.* Indigenous cultures hold profound wisdom about belonging, reciprocity, and remembering who we are.* In an era of fragmentation and distraction, preserving kindness, attention, and courage may be a radical act.Chapters00:00 Introducing Bahar and her story03:00 Childhood during the Iranian Revolution10:00 Mandatory hijab, repression, and life under the regime17:00 Immigration, exile, and leaving home22:00 War, identity, and belonging34:00 Psychotherapy, healing, and the Amazon rainforest38:00 Rewilding projects in Scotland and environmental activism44:00 Indigenous teachings, language, and preserving culture49:00 Caregiving, motherhood, and building an inner home53:00 Altars, intention, and preserving human qualities58:00 Hope for Iran and the future of humanityOriginal theme music composed by Diego TenorioIf you listen, I’d love to hear what resonates or what it brings up for you.In gratitude,Yamuna xThe Long Road Home is a listener-supported podcast exploring identity, belonging, memory, migration, healing, and what it means to remain human in a rapidly changing world. If conversations like this one resonate with you, consider subscribing to support these stories and the creation of future episodes. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yamunaflaherty.substack.com/subscribe

Hi, and welcome back to The Long Road Home Podcast.In this episode, I’m in conversation with Abby Kneipp, joining us from the mountains of Peru—a place she now calls home after a profound and challenging period of transformation.About this conversationThis conversation is about what happens when life strips everything back.Over the last few years, Abby moved through what many would call a dark night of the soul—a period marked by deep physical illness, heartbreak, isolation, and the unravelling of almost every part of her life.It’s a story of loss, but also of listening.Of learning to trust the quieter voice beneath the noise.And of finding a way back—not to who you were, but to something deeper and more true.Because at the heart of this episode is a question I keep returning to:What does it mean to live in alignment with the soul?About Abby KneippAbby Kneipp is a mystic, healer, and guide who has spent over a decade working with indigenous communities and sitting in plant medicine ceremonies around the world.Her work centers on supporting women in healing trauma, reconnecting to their bodies, and reclaiming their power—particularly through womb work and feminine embodiment.She is also an advocate for children and indigenous rights, and brings a deeply lived understanding of trauma, resilience, and transformation into everything she shares.What we talk aboutIn this conversation, we explore:* the experience of a dark night of the soul and spiritual awakening* healing trauma through ceremony, embodiment, and deep inner work* learning to listen to the soul and trust your inner voice* the cost of speaking your truth—and how it can impact belonging* navigating illness, sensitivity, and environmental factors like EMFs* ancestry, identity, and Abby’s journey to Ireland* returning to Peru and finding a sense of home in the land* womb wisdom, feminine power, and reconnecting to the body* practical ways to come back into the body and feel more groundedKey Takeaways* Your soul often speaks quietly—but it is persistent and deeply guiding.* Telling the truth can sometimes cost you belonging, but it can also lead you to a deeper alignment.* Healing is not linear—it can involve collapse, isolation, and rebuilding from the ground up.* The body is not something to escape, but a place we return to.* The womb can be a powerful center of connection, intuition, and belonging for women.* Environment matters—where we live can deeply impact our well-being.* Belonging is not always found externally—it can be cultivated within.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Abby Kneipp’s Journey00:53 The Call to the Medicine Path04:01 Listening to the Soul07:00 Navigating Inner Voices08:52 The Near-Death Experience15:59 The Dark Night of the Soul22:52 Returning to Peru and Healing31:21 Finding Wisdom in the Journey32:46 The Depth of Healing Work33:30 Feminine Empowerment and Sexuality35:03 The Wisdom of the Womb37:53 Connecting with the Womb43:04 Ancestral Ties and Identity49:34 Finding Home in Peru51:57 Connecting to the Body and Soul58:48 The Search for BelongingConnect with AbbyWebsite LinkedIn Instagram FacebookOriginal theme music composed by Diego TenorioIf you listen, I’d love to hear what resonates or what it brings up for you.In gratitude,Yamuna xThe Long Road Home is a listener-supported podcast. Subscribe to receive new episodes and support the continuation of these conversations. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yamunaflaherty.substack.com/subscribe

Hi, and welcome to The Long Road Home Podcast!In this first episode, I’m recording from the Western Ghats of India, under the stars, sharing tea and conversation with Aje and Irie Akarsha—an intercultural couple raising their four children on a mountainside homestead in Kerala.What unfolds is a deeply honest conversation about what it means to step outside of expectation and into a life shaped by presence, nature, and inner truth.We talk about:* Leaving behind societal conditioning and choosing authenticity* The real cost—and quiet rewards—of living unconventionally* Parenting with freedom, boundaries, and trust* Building a life rooted in land, ritual, and simplicity* Grief, identity, and letting go of comfort* And ultimately, what it means to belong—not to a place, but within yourselfThis conversation is a return to the body, to the earth, and to the present moment as home.To find out more about our guests find them here:LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/rasakarsha/Instagram @iriemama.indiaYoutube https://www.youtube.com/@RasAkarsha/videos This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yamunaflaherty.substack.com/subscribe