Festival City: A Short Guide to Edmonton’s Summer Celebrations

All images featured are from the festival websites and/or blogs.

Let’s take a short trip down memory lane to 2015, when, along with cities like Singapore, Athens, and even Machu Picchu in Peru, Edmonton was ranked one of National Geographic’s top 10 summer destinations. Though to some it may seem that Edmonton being on this list is like playing a geographical themed game of “which of these doesn’t belong”, to us at Yogalife, we love our “Festival City”. Being natives to this beautiful patch of Albertan soil, we might take for granted how many interesting summer activities and festivals are right in our backyards. For this weeks post, we compiled a short list of just a handful of our favorite festivals to check out, but also link you to a helpful guide to all the wonderful things offered in Edmonton in 2017!

Edmonton International Street Performer’s Festival
July 7 to July 16

Attracting more than 250,000 people to Sir Winston Churchill Square, this festival brings fine street entertainers from all over the world to perform. You can watch anything from stand up, slapstick comedy, to fire stunts, to professional grade acrobatics and stunts.

Interstellar Rodeo
July 21 to July 23

Set in Hawrelak Park’s Heritage Amphitheatre, line up for this years festival includesBroken Social Scene, Aloe Blacc, Serena Ryder and Dan Mangan. Be prepared to indulge in some tasty food trucks as well that include Fantasia Gelateria, Filistix and Little Village.

Latitude 53 Urban Garden Party
July 22

This is the second celebration amongst a unique set of Latitude 53’s summer events. The urban garden party will close down the street in front of Latitude 53 and fill it with plants and greenery sculptures. Come dressed in your finest yellow attire (that’s the colour theme for this party) and enjoy what we expect to be stunning botanical visuals.

Edmonton Folk Music Festival
August 10 to August 13

Our summer Folk Music Festival is one of Edmonton’s most celebrated events, set in Gallagher Park, whose stunning view of the city’s downtown core at sunset provides the perfect backdrop to an assortment of world-renowned as well as local musical talent. Enjoy a day of exploring the park, where you’ll find smaller stages filled with both local artists and headliners jamming together creating a unique musical experience, followed by an evening of enjoying the heavy hitters on the main stage. This year we’re lucky to have artists like City and Colour, Jose Gonzales, Brandy Carlile and The Decemberists stop by our city.

Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival
August 17 to August 27

Theatre lovers are treated to 10 days of 1600 performances spread over 42 venues and 3 outdoor stages. Venue locations are spread amongst locations along Whyte Avenue as well as within Edmonton’s Downtown core. Explore performances at the outdoor spaces, akin to the street performers festival, or visit one of the indoor venues to get a more traditional theatre experience. There is definitely something for everybody!

---

Our city is beautiful all year round, but truly comes alive during the summer with the amount of events we’re treated to. There’s much more beyond this list of our own personal favorites. To see a full list of summer events here in Edmonton check out Taproot Edmonton’s website with listed links to all events going on. Link below!

Essential Oil Talk with Tiffany Sparrow

"The art of healing comes from nature and not from the physician. Therefore, the physician must start from nature with an open mind." - Paracelsus

In today’s society the term “medicine” has evolved to encapsulate more than just our traditional view of pharmaceuticals and people in white coats. As outlined in previous posts around yoga or physiotherapy, some professionals are referring to movement as “medicine”. Nutritionists and dieticians may consider food as “medicine”. Musicians and artists may consider music or creating things with our hands as “medicine for the mind”. Allowing the term “medicine” to be used in such a flexible way may be indicative of the public’s desire for a holistic approach to healthy living that appeals to all the senses rather than just treating internally through the consumption of manufactured drugs.

Recently, a considerable percentage of our population has turned to what’s considered “alternative medicine” practices to aid in the management of their ailments. One of those practices that have gained considerable popularity within the last decade is the use of aromatherapy and essential oils. You may have noticed within our city, the wide expanse of aromatherapy associated businesses within shopping malls and yoga studios, as well as spaces using diffusers to fill rooms with the scent of soothing lavender or invigorating mint. An essential oil, by definition, is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid, which has aromatic compounds from plants. The term “essential” refers to the idea that the oil contains the “essence” of the plants fragrance – the characteristic scent of the plant from which it is extracted (Oxford English Dictionary for “essential oil”, 2014).

---

Sparrow, Wellness Advocate for doTERRA Canada

Tiffany Sparrow, an Edmonton presence in the yoga and music communities, is also a Wellness Advocate for doTERRA Canada. She explains that doTERRA’s philosophy is rooted in science and educating individuals. Part of the science behind the effectiveness of essential oils relates to neurology and the olfactory receptors in the brain. These receptors which are responsible for receiving and interpreting smell signals from our nose, are also close to the hippocampus and amygdala which are regions that are actively involved in memory and emotion. Research suggests that sense of smell has one of the strongest ties to memory and can stimulate brain activity by eliciting associated emotions may have been linked to that particular scent. Imagine the types of memories that are conjured up when you’re in your family’s kitchen while a family member is cooking a signature dish that you loved as a child. Though scents are known to elicit cognitive or emotional responses in the brain, could it be possible that scents and oils could be used for physical ailments. The research and science behind aromatherapy suggests so.

"People are realizing that natural and holistic methods are important for full embodied health and happiness".

Research indicates that the practice of using essential oils for healing has been around for thousands of years, and is referenced by ancient scientists such as Hippocrates, can be found in Chinese medicine texts and even the bible. To Sparrow, because of its ancient roots, essential oils and other holistic practices like yoga and meditation, are now making a resurgence and “people are realizing that natural and holistic methods are important for full embodied health and happiness”.

Through doTERRA’s ongoing and rigorous scientific studies, Essential Oils have been proven to work at a cellular level, providing support to the body’s natural healing ability to address root causes rather than simply masking symptoms. Because of their molecular structure, essential oils are believed to be able to cross cell membranes, as well as the blood-brain barrier. As a result they’re proposed to work within cells as opposed to residing on the surface of cells. It’s also important to note that the olfactory systems ties to emotion and memory can have an impact on physical ailments that we know to have a cognitive-emotional element tied to them. As an example, chronic pain has an intimate connection to cognitive-emotional conditions such as depression. To act on one system, such as the emotional component of the brain through essential oils and aromatherapy, may in turn have an effect on the physical symptoms such as pain. The evidence for this effect is more researched in areas of cognitive behavioural therapy, and less so in essential oils, but the mechanism by which they are proposed to work fall into the same lines.

When it comes to spiritual wellbeing, meditation is a practice that has also re-gained popularity in the last decade. Sparrow indicates that several essential oils can also assist with this practice, frankincense and myrrh being two of her favourite in her own personal practice. Oils and scent, according to the research can be a powerful tool to move through difficult emotions and find a more desirable state of mind.

Though modern medicine and alternative medicine in both literature and online debate have a tendency to clash, Sparrow believes that the practice of using essential oils and scent can only compliment our current medical system. Using oils as a method of preventative medicine or as a way to deal with bugs without turning immediately to western medicine may alleviate the stress on an already stressed healthcare system, by creating a population that only turns to traditional medication when needed. To Sparrow, essential oils may be effective in preventing “drug stacking”, a practice in which the use of one medication spurs the use of another to combat the side effects of the initial medication used.

---

For more information on upcoming workshops with Sparrow on essential oils and their use, as well as their application to Meditation and balance Chakras, you can follow her on Facebook at the link below:

To visit Sparrows doTERRA page please go to: 

Run Collective: Finding Your Stride

All images in this blog courtesy of Jody Bailey. 

“Running is alone time that lets my brain unspool the tangles that build up over days.”
- Rob Haneisen

Running. For some it elicits a feeling of freedom, of letting go, a sort of moving meditation akin to yoga that allows us to clear the clutter that we sometimes allow to build up throughout the day. For others, it brings back horrible memories of gym class 4km races, cramps, wheezing breaths, and struggles just to finish. For me, it’s a little bit of both, but in the last three years, it’s definitely inched its way towards the former, giving me another physical outlet to help not only strengthen my body physically, but release my mental stresses as well.

About 3 years ago, I decided to sign up for my first half marathon in Vancouver, Lululemon’s annual Seawheeze run in August. At the time, I barely ran over 3km in one go, once per week (if that), and to be completely honest, that pattern didn’t change even in the days leading up to the race. To put it bluntly, I attempted a half marathon without training, and honestly, it sucked. It was probably the most painful 2 hours and 45 minutes I had to endure, just constantly looking for those markers to tell me how far along I was. I took a rest break at the 13km mark, and everything in my body seized. For the last 8km I had to jog/walk painfully to the finish, until I stumbled across the finish line with legs that were so tight I could barely stand. All in all, it was a heavy deterrent to ever attempting something like that again. But I did.

The following year, I decided to sign up for the Edmonton Half Marathon. It was around the same time as the Seawheeze so it gave me a full year to try and get together some sort of training regimen. The problem was, I still didn’t really enjoy running. In my mind, for an activity to feel relaxing, and to reach that level of moving meditation, one has to feel in some way, competent at that activity. There’s an important distinction here. One has to feel competent at that activity, and not necessarily be competent at that activity. At that time I still didn’t have that sense of competency, and would have never referred to myself as a “runner”. Bringing myself to do even a weekly run was a struggle. So for the first half of the year, I started introducing more activity in general into my lifestyle, which included running stairs at work, weight lifting, and much to my chagrin, a single short run per week. It was around April when my friend and Yogalife alumni, Taylor Nystad introduced me to a training group at Lululemon Whyte Avenue that she helped coach called Run Collective.

Now I’ve heard of run groups before, but have always had a bit of hesitancy to signing up for them because, A) I wasn’t sure if I could keep up, and B) I typically am an individual exerciser, rarely doing too many group activities outside of yoga. But because Taylor at the time was a coach for the program, I thought I’d trust her when she said that I could definitely keep up. At first, I was a bit skeptical. The group of 30 plus people, all decked out in colourful running gear, the peppy coaches smiling and yelling out pace commands while I was panting and in pain was all a bit much at first.

However, I started to notice something. There were lots of people at my level of running, lots of people just looking to finish a half marathon, and lots of people just looking to improve their competency when they run.

I enjoyed being around like-minded people, but also, really enjoyed the push to challenge myself.

Run Collective’s focus during training season (the three months prior to the influx of half/full marathons in August) are on increasing speed and improving recovery time. In essence, Run Collective pushes you to do hills, all out sprints, intervals, and any combination of those three after doing a warm up and ending with a cool down jog. These are things that I would have never done myself. No matter the challenge, we always had each other for support, and motivation from the coaches.

Dominic Rankel (Left): One of Run Collective's coaches

As a bit of background, Run Collective was established by a small group of runners looking to help people along their run journey no matter their ability level. Dominic Rankel, a Run Collective coach and Boston Marathoner described Run Collective “as a way to gather runners of all ability levels in our city for a run workout once a week. What's really unique about Run Collective is that any runner can show up on Wednesday nights and get a great workout. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned distance runner, you are guaranteed to meet other people of your ability level who will both encourage you and push you.”

Heather McIntyre (front left), Run Collective coach, and myself (front right) trying to keep up!

Heather McIntyre, now Run Collective coach, but initial run novice much like myself described her first time at Run Collective:

“It was a smaller group then and I was just starting to run. I vividly remember my first run - 4km was the furthest I had run up to that point and pushing for 5km was both difficult, exhilarating and meaningful. I remember Andrea Rice (now fellow coach and one of the driving forces behind Run Collective) turning back to see how my run was going. I also recall LuLu employees greeting me with high fives, encouraging words and a "thanks for showing up and giving it your all" tank top. All it took was that one run to keep me coming back. I've been running with the collective ever since and have made countless friends, along with countless strides in my running. The collective is where I met many of the people I run with today, as well as many of the people who have helped me train for and run half marathons and even a marathon.”

Fast forward to my second major run, the Edmonton Half Marathon in 2016. Firstly, the run was much less painful, I was able to maintain my pace the entire time, and though it was still a challenging race, it was much more comfortable. My time ended up being 1:56:38, with my initial goal being under 2 hours, down almost 50 minutes from my first half marathon. I was ecstatic. I owe so much of my success with my second run to coaching and motivation from the Run Collective group, and now recognize the importance of committing to some sort of training program when prepping for any major race. Now, I run regularly each week, and use running as an outlet for stress relief. It’s still sometimes a struggle, but I enjoy it much more now than I used to.

Taylor (left) and myself (middle) running through the river valley.

If you’re interested in starting a run practice, improving race times, or have a major run in mind that you’d like to train for, I strongly encourage you join Run Collective, or any other run groups in the city. They’re a great way to keep you motivated and accountable to your training, and also, they’re free!

Dominic’s hopes for Run Collective is to watch it “continue to grow and grow both in number and in the strength of the community. When our humble run get together started 5 years ago, I ran with 3 or 4 regulars. Now we can consistently expect 30 runners with the group getting as big as 60 runners some nights. In terms of the community growth I really look forward to the integration of our new runners.”

Meet us at Lululemon on Whyte Avenue at 6:30 Wednesday nights. You might see your fellow Yogalifer, and blogger there lacing up!

For more information on Run Collective please visit their twitter: @Run_Collective or their instagram @runcollective.

---

All photos for this blog post courtesy of Jody Bailey. You can find him on instagram at @3oh6 and @run_photographs. Follow his blog and online portfolio at:

Featured Playlist of the Month: by Sol Rising

Got a hit on a really excellent artist, making some magic for your yoga practice. 

Sol Rising

Sol Rising's original soundscapes evoke feelings of bliss throughout an eclectic mix of electronic music and hip-hop.

Born in Vancouver BC, Brandon began meditating at age four with a walking mantra technique. His mother took him to visit numerous spiritual teachers, who inspired him on the spiritual path he walks today. As a teenager, he became a hip hop fanatic.

His rooted interest in hip hop led him to learning the art of scratching — using turntables as musical instruments. Sol Rising soon became one of America’s top scratch DJs, winning second place at the DMC, the world’s most prestigious DJ competition.

After graduating in the top 5% of his accounting class at University of Iowa, he realized accounting was not his path. A journey to India illuminated his true calling — to light up people’s awareness of their true nature through music. This lead him to study audio engineering and production at Pyramind Studios in San Francisco and produce his first album, "I AM Soul."

Now a successful Producer/DJ, with over 4 albums released, Sol Rising plays major events across the United States, including Wanderlust Yoga Festival, Burning Man, Symbiosis and Lightning in a Bottle. He has opened for major acts such as Steel Pulse, and produced official remixes for artists including Jai Uttal, Mochipet, David Starfire, Delhi 2 Dublin, Kirtaniyas, and more. He has also joined forces with Yoga powerhouse MC Yogi and has a fervent following in the global Ecstatic Dance scene. Sol Rising has been featured in major media outlets including the Yoga Journal, Washington Post, and his music has been enjoyed by over one million viewers in a viral YouTube video.

Challenging Yourself to Change

All images featured in this post are courtesy of Des Iles photography.

It’s not what we do once in awhile that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.
-Anthony Robbins

The month of May, by many, is looked at as a month of change. The classic adage, “April showers brings May flowers” alludes to the notion that May is often viewed as a month of metaphorical and literal growth. This can be in reference to the literal changing of the seasons, where the snow finally begins to be replaced by greenery (hopefully!), as well as to our own physical, personal and spiritual development. As we move past April, which can sometimes be regarded as a tumultuous month, where we’re beginning our transition into spring – and thus, a change in routine – we venture into a month of greater stability where we’re more settled. This provides an ideal environment to take on a challenge that could change us for the better. For some it may be a physical challenge, such as taking up a running group. Others may commit to an intellectual challenge such as journaling daily. For a spiritual challenge, one may look into a daily practice of meditation.

The world's favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.
-  Edwin Way Teale

Yoga, in many ways stands at an intersection between all these paths. The physical aspect comes from the asana portion of the practice, the spiritual practice derived from the attempt at a sole focus on the breath (and of course the savasana at the end!), and the intellectual practice from the tendency towards self-reflection and constant internal evaluation.  To take on a challenge that helps to kick start what we hope would turn into a long term commitment to the practice of yoga is to adopt an activity that offers growth in those three domains. Many of these challenges are 21 to 30 days in length.

The idea that it takes 21 to 30 days for a habit to form is derived largely from anecdotal evidence gathered by Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon in the 1950s who noticed it took about 21 days for people to acclimate to their new physical features, and in amputees, 21 to 30 days for phantom limb pain (the sensation that a limb exists in the place where it once was following amputation) to dissipate. His subsequent book, published on the aforementioned topic, called Psycho-Cybernetics went on to perpetuate this idea after selling 30-million copies. This then became the influence of many self help books that would follow in the decades after its publication. However, does it really take 30 days to adopt a new habit?

The answer is: not likely.

This is not to say that people cannot adopt a practice as a habit in 30 days, but we have learned, through more formalized research that most people take longer than the suggested 21 to 30 day mark. Based on a study by Phillippa Lally, which was published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, on average, it takes closer to 66 days, or roughly two months to adopt a new habit. Within her data was housed a huge range in information with a small number in her study taking as little as 18 days, to many subjects taking as long as 254 days to adopt a practice as a habit. This was dependent largely on the difficulty of the habit subjects were trying to adopt, ranging from easier goals such as “drinking a glass of water with every meal” to more lofty pursuits like “running 15 minutes every day before dinner”. As a concluding statement in her study, Lally indicated it takes anywhere from 2 to 8 months before an activity is ingrained as a regular part of your lifestyle.

Though the challenge we’re offering at the studio is 30 days long, participants should aim to keep a regular practice going even after the challenge has completed to hopefully ingrain it as part of a healthier lifestyle based on the research around human behaviour.

To help yourself along the way, make sure to cut yourself some slack when attempting a challenge. There will be days where you just cannot commit to a practice, and you are going to fall off the wagon every once in awhile. However, it is sometimes the absence of an activity that we value, which helps to highlight how important it is as a practice in our daily lives.

Whatever habit you hope to integrate into your daily activities during this month of change, we wish you the best of luck! If you wish to join our community in our May yoga challenge, below are the details listed. As well, a link to register is also available down below.

---

Free for anyone to join the challenge

(with a valid pass that gets you from May 1st to 30th)
The names board will be up a week before the start date. 

If you'd like to also enter into the prize draws, we have the option of you signing up if you want to for $20. 
Same challenge rules apply from our last if entering into the prize draw:
10 / 30 classes completed gives you 1 entry
20 / 30 classes completed gives you 2 entries
30 / 30 classes completed gives you 3 entries
31+ classes completed gives you 4 entries

---

5 Simple Ways To Take Action On Earth Day

Earth Day is on April 22, 2017

Since April 22, 1970 we've been celebrating Earth Day, a time to reflect on our relationship to Mama Gaia and a chance to take action within our commitment to this planet. As yogis, we strive to live our lives consciously and respectfully of all things, especially our planet. Earth Day presents the opportunity not only to act mindfully in our relations with our surroundings but to check-in, renewing goals or challenging current habits.

Earth Day is a time to spark conversation, educating our communities on ways to respect and nurture the planet; it is a time to honour and celebrate our beautiful home; it is a time to use less and give more. Here are 7 simple ways to take action this Earth Day!

---

1. Skip animal products. 

According to the Worldwatch Institute, animal agriculture accounts for 51% or more of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions. 

2. Ditch your car.

Walk, run, take the bus, cycle, skateboard, cartwheel... there are so many ways to get around that are greener than your vehicle!

3. Shave 5 minutes off your shower.

It adds up. Get down to business and conserve one of our most important, finite resources.

4. Unplug. 

Don't just put down your electronics, actually unplug them! This will serve as a reminder to get outside and enjoy your natural surroundings and you'll save electricity in the process.

5. Take your yoga practice outside.

Connecting with yourself while connecting with nature is a beautiful way to remind yourself to stay committed to a green lifestyle. 

We only have one planet. Pour your love and  creativity into sustaining her! 

MONTHLY BEATS • More Sunny Days Please

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”

— Plato

It's Edmonton. We get it. Snow comes yet again. Here's to some sunny days and hot weather soon. 

I've put together a little list of upbeat tunes to keep your mood up and get that booty shaking. Upbeat, meant for you to get up and dance, dance the snow away. 

Mindful Breathing: Practicing Pranayama

It’s as natural as breathing.

It’s that old adage that compares the things that require the least effort to the practice of breathing. If breathing is supposedly the easiest thing in the world then why complicate it by incorporating a practice such as pranayama into your daily ritual?

Pranayama, when broken down into it’s root components comes from the Sanskrit terms “prana” which means fundamental life force or breath, and “yama” which refers to exercising control. When put together, Pranayama literally translates to “breath control.” One might view the practice of controlled inhalations and exhalations, and extending that period over long counts as unhealthy or unnecessary. However, the practice of controlled breathing may not be as unnatural as it sounds.

How many times have you found yourself in a stressful situation that became so overwhelming, and suddenly found yourself trying to take deep breaths to calm down? How often do you find yourself taking a long inhale, and a forceful exhale during a frustrating altercation with another individual or task that has consumed more of your time than you’d like it to? While it’s easy to understand the idea that breathing changes depending on the situation, the reverse also appears to be true in that we change our breathing to alter other physiological reactions. It’s a common misconception that putting the term “controlled” in front of an action makes it unnatural, but controlled breathing is anything but – altering the rhythm of our breathing cycle has long been a natural coping mechanism to various stressful situations.

Anand Shetty, from the department of Physical Therapy at the University of St. Mary indicates that the practice of pranayama can be “beneficial to people with cancer, sleep disturbance, high blood pressure, anxiety and cardiovascular disorders”. Shetty states that pranayama has the potential to enhance the “function of [the] oxygen delivery system to the tissues by way of improving structural and functional changes in the nervous system, specifically the medulla oblongata.” The medulla oblongata is a structure found at the lowest part of the brainstem and contains control centers for the heart and the lungs. Whether this occurs as a permanent structural change to these centers, however, remains to be determined.

Pranayama can help with development of muscles involved in the inspiratory and expiratory phase of breathing which include the diaphragm and intercostal muscles (muscles found between the ribs).

By enhancing the function of these muscle groups, the work of breathing is reduced and requires less energy. Shetty also cites the role of controlled breathing in “enhancing the parasympathetic response”, also known as the system that is responsible for our “rest and digest” response. Acting as a counterbalance to the sympathetic nervous system, whose role in stimulating activities pushes for a “fight-or-flight” response, the parasympathetic response helps to achieve a state of restfulness.

As mentioned earlier, to state that pranayama breathing can alter the structure and function of the brain completely is still naïve, as the research in this area remains in its infancy. While we can experience the benefits of pranayama on calming our thoughts, and achieving a rested state, it has yet to be determined if this translates into permanent changes in the brain centres of the medulla oblongata. However, we know that controlled breathing can enhance oxygen uptake. It’s a practice used by elite athletes to maintain a steady state heart rate during high intensity events, and on the opposite spectrum, used by respiratory and physical therapists in populations with breathing disorders to decrease the work of breathing and improve the efficiency of oxygen uptake.

The beauty of pranayama as a practice is that it can be easily incorporated into our lifestyle.

It requires no equipment or specific time of day. As performed in a yoga class, begin by taking a deep inhalation through the nose for a consistent count (usually a count of 4 or 5), pausing when your lungs feel saturated, and then exhaling for an equal or longer count than you inhaled with. There’s no prescription for how many times you need to do this. Instead let your mind and body guide you. Continue the cycle until you feel the pranayama practice has achieved the goal you set for it, which may be decreased stress, improved mental clarity, or a regulated heart rate on a run. 

---

Give it a try the next time you find yourself in a high stress situation. See how effective controlled breathing can be in mitigating the side effects of living in a fast-paced environment, and allow yourself some time to slow things down using the breath.

To read Anaand Shetty's article in full, titled "Pranayama Breathing is Better for Brain Function" please follow the link below:

Monthly Beats • March Feels

music is life. that's why our hearts have beats. 

There are simply too many things in life that we feel connected to. And yet we also need to find some time to disconnect. Unplug. And just get inspired by our own damn self. 

Turn up the volume. And get on your mat. Just start saluting the sun with these beats and hopefully Spring will grace us with her presence early this year. 

Make Your Transition

"On March 20, 2017, at precisely 6:29 A.M. EDT, the Sun will cross directly over the Earth's equator. This moment is known as the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. For the Southern Hemisphere, this is the moment of the autumnal equinox." - Infoplease

A Time of Transition

As we near the end of "technical winter" and look forward to the spring equinox, it's easy to get a little antsy within the transition. Like every year, we've wintered for months, teased by the inkling of spring on those random days in the plusses. This transitional time can be the most challenging; ups and downs in the patterns can really throw us off internally. Luckily, the storm is external. In the spirit of being present, we become warriors of the transition and embrace the cycle with all its ups and downs. 

“It’s not gonna be easy. But it’s gonna be worth it.”

Our yoga practice offers a similar metaphor within the transitions of our flow. It can be daunting to start making the "leaps" between our poses, to remember to slow down and move with control. We must remember the balance between things we can and cannot control; moving with patience and clarity rather than being frustrated with how things aren't "moving".

We all want summer and we all want to jump through to our hands like a weightless gazelle, but isn't it nice to hang out in the muck of the process and learn not only why we even want it but the proper way to arrive?

 

On March 18th Ricky Brennan is offering "The Art of Transitions" at Yogalife Studios North.

In this 2 hour special class Ricky will give students the tools needed to begin this gradual process. Emphasis will be placed on using breath to strengthen the mind and body. Students will be given several yoga drills to assist in their own personal development. It will be through continued work after the class, in the coming weeks and months that will unlock the practitioners ability to effortlessly float in and out of poses.

Spring Cleaning: The Practice of Minimalism

Everything meaningful and nothing else.

All images featured in today's blog post are courtesy of Des Iles Photography

On basically every website, blog, or book devoted to the concept of minimalism you’ll find a discussion on the common misconceptions that follow those leading a lifestyle guided by a minimalist mindset. Does being a minimalist mean that you shed every piece of furniture in your house save for a single chair, because technically that’s all you “need”? Does being a minimalist mean you de-clutter everything in your closet but a t-shirt, underwear and a pair of pants? Is leading a monk-like lifestyle necessary to classify one as a minimalist?

The answer simply is: Maybe.

If you choose to lead a minimalist lifestyle to that extreme, then that definition of minimalism could potentially be your truth. It isn’t, however, a requirement to lead such a bare life to consider yourself a minimalist. Many minimalists own as much material posessions as the next person, but still place themselves under the minimalist heading. As Leo Babauta describes it, minimalism is a mindset, focused on clearing away

“all but the most essential things – to make room for that which gives us the most joy.”

The idea is to filter out the proverbial noise in our lives so that we may focus on what is important to us – when described this way, minimalism can be applied to more than just material possessions and cleaning out your clothes closet. It could be very well that we’re hoarding material possessions, but is it not possible that, without even being aware, we’re hoarding responsibilities, hoarding debt, or hoarding mental noise that’s preventing us from achieving inner peace or spiritual clarity?

Many of us have been there in one way or another. Perhaps you’re the yay-sayer, who agrees to take on every task that’s thrown on our table at work or within our social circles. Perhaps we crowd our schedule with a to-do list without leaving room to be quiet. Maybe we’re too busy satisfying the needs of those around us without giving enough consideration to our own necessities.

Maybe you’re the empath who takes on the emotional baggage of those individuals in your life who are struggling to cope leaving little to no room in your mind to express your own emotions surrounding difficult circumstances that inevitably find their way to your doorstep.  

Perhaps you’re the workaholic who clocks in more than 70 hours per week in lieu of having free time to devote to social endeavors.

At their core, none of these people described are doing anything wrong. However, when these individuals find that the excess they take on (be it work, emotional baggage or responsibilities) interferes with leading a happy, fulfilled life, that’s where minimalism identifies these habits as problematic.

So how does one pursue minimalism?

---

First: Identify

Minimalism starts with being reflective. You can analyze your work habits, your social circles, or your spiritual clutter even, and begin to identify what is and isn’t necessary for you to be happy. What pushes you forward in these areas? What holds you back?

Second: Start slow

It can be challenging, and even impractical to do a drastic purge of things that don’t serve you in your every day life. We develop a certain comfort level with the amount of figurative and literal clutter we house in our space, so it can be challenging to take those first few steps. To optimize the chances of being successful in cleansing, start slow. Be methodical.  Consider those things that don’t serve you, whether material, or mental that can be released with the most ease, and go from there.

Third: Be prepared to say “no”

As cliché as it may sound, sometimes the hardest part is letting go. In a lot of cases, the hardest word to say is “no”. It might simply mean saying “no” to that dinner party you’ve been dreading and instead treating yourself to an evening with your favourite book, or saying “no” to a piece of clothing that you know you already have in your closet, but in just a slightly different cut. It may seem hard at first, but those who are experienced minimalists say it gets easier with practice.

---

Whether you decide that minimalism as a mindset is worth trying, it’s guiding principle is something that we can all integrate into our lives in some capacity. To cleanse ourselves of those things that don’t elevate us, and to make time for serving ourselves as opposed to always putting our needs second is something that many of us can stand to do more of.  Consider this practice as something to kickstart your spring cleaning.

For more information on the practice of minimalism, free essays on the topic, and links to other minimalist websites check out:

The Great Canadian Fitfest

"Finding your fit in YEG."

On February 4 and 5, Edmonton was one of the host cities for the Great Canadian Fit Fest. Over 70 different fitness-related businesses were featured over the span of two days highlighting not only the growth in volume of the fitness industry within our city, but also the large diversity of activities available.  When the two masterminds behind the event, Steve Capp and Jackie Winther were in the early stages of developing Fit Fest, their vision was to “provide an unintimidating environment for adults of any age or fitness level to get out and try new types of physical activity available to them.” From seeing the event, and being present at Yogalife’s own exhibit on the Saturday, I can say that Steve and Jackie accomplished that, and then some.

Set at the Edmonton Expo Centre, upon entering GC Fit Fest, you’re hit with a high-energy blast of pump-up music coming from one of the hourly group classes held in the central square amongst the exhibits. Yogalife was privileged to host two classes over the weekend, with Cole Williston on Saturday guiding his group through an acro yoga session, followed by Amy Stuparyk who led a flow class on the Sunday. 

---

A short walk around the perimeter of the group class space exposes you to a number of different health and wellness initiatives.

Styles of exercise exhibits were diverse and included activities such as pole dance fitness, parkour, axe throwing, kick boxing and Crossfit.

Probably the most viral on Instagram was a high intensity obstacle course involving monkey bars, wall climbing and carrying a cement ball on to a pedestal. Wellness industries including various massage therapy schools, physiotherapy businesses, float businesses and fitness foods were also a feature at the event.

It was weekend that exposed the Edmonton community to a whole range of fitness activities. Increased awareness of what’s available, through festival events such as the Great Canadian Fit Fest will hopefully aid those looking to get started on a journey to better health find their niche, or help those who feel stuck in a routine find something that makes exercise fun again. Yogalife had a great time meeting other health and wellness initiatives, and exposing our wonderful community to those interested in starting a yoga practice! For more information, and for updates on future events, you can check out GC Fitfest on their website:

Physiotherapy and Yoga

Written by our resident physiotherapist and yogi, Dean Tumibay

“Movement is medicine.”

At first glance, physiotherapy and yoga appear to be a perfect match. Both harness principles of alignment to safely guide individuals through postures and use exercise to improve movement and prevent injury. Both emphasize a balance between stretching and strengthening as a means of improving posture. Parallels can even be drawn between very specific yogic and physiotherapy philosophies.

The notion that “movement is medicine” has spurred the growth of both practices in the western world with more and more people turning to either their local yoga instructor or physiotherapist to aid in recovery of specific musculoskeletal ailments. The yoga industry has boomed with a new studio popping up within our city limits almost yearly and dedicated practitioners flocking to studios in search of improved posture, better athletic performance, stress reduction and in some cases pain relief. Physiotherapy clinics have seen increased traffic with many turning to them as their primary care provider when confronted with a physical limitation. Though ties exist between the two practices, as movement specialists, it’s interesting to consider what the physiotherapy perspective is on individuals using yoga to remedy their aches and pains.

As a newly practicing physiotherapist, and a former Yogalife Studios employee, I’ve had the opportunity to have a foot in both worlds. The understanding of bodily movement and proper alignment that I gained from physiotherapy school has enriched my yoga practice, and my understanding of yoga principles has likewise complimented the tools I use with patients as a physiotherapist. From my conversations with my peers in the physiotherapy profession, I’ve found that many physiotherapists recommend patients to yoga, but it’s important to understand the considerations that they make before deciding on whether a regular practice would be appropriate for your particular condition.

---

To help inform this week’s blog post, I looked to my colleagues as well as my former instructors for their opinions on yoga as a rehabilitative practice as well as the advice they give their clients before sending them to a community yoga class.

First of all, why do physiotherapists refer their clients to yoga? Do physiotherapists ever advise patients to avoid yoga?

If you ask any physiotherapist what the primary challenge of their profession is, one answer that would come to the forefront is exercise adherence. It can be a challenge to convince clients that a lifestyle change is necessary and that the daily practice of prescribed exercises is essential for optimal rehab in a population that is often looking for a quick fix. Yoga often incorporates movements and exercises that are similar to those that we prescribe to our patients, but they have the added benefit of being practiced in a community. Community settings and group programs can be strong motivators for individuals to maintain a regular exercise regime.

Andrea Bui, an Edmonton physiotherapist with Qi Creative indicates that she has referred clients to yoga in the past, especially when the client inquires about the practice. She comments, “yoga has a social acceptability with less stigma than physiotherapy. It’s more realistic that patients will continue to go to an activity program in a group setting than do a set of the same exercises at home alone.”

Aside from the appealing nature of being in a community setting, the actual practice of yoga itself addresses a number of different issues that physiotherapists encounter with clients on a daily basis. There is a lot of value to an exercise regime that has such a heavy emphasis on postural alignment compared to other more aggressive activities that may put patients at risk of further injury. However, like any activity, the appropriateness of yoga is primarily dependent on the patient.

---

Stephany Luu, an Edmonton physiotherapist at Lifemark Millwoods indicates that she “refers patients to yoga if their issues could be addressed by improving posture.” She also highlights the benefits of improved balance in postures that require a single-leg stance or a narrow base. “The balance aspect of yoga is great for my patients who have trouble with proprioception, or poor body awareness” but she admits “I generally avoid referring patients to yoga if they are already hypermobile, especially in their spine, and lack proper control of that area of their body”.

Judy Chepeha, an experienced Edmonton physical therapist and professor at the University of Alberta’s physiotherapy program reports “recommending yoga to almost all of her patients”, but is cognizant of the style of class the client is interested in attending. Despite being a fan of yoga for most of her clients, Judy admits she is hesitant to refer patients who, surprisingly, are already avid yogis. “My main concern is with those individuals who take more advanced classes, so I make sure I’m careful to understand what yoga means to different people.”

Despite being aesthetically pleasing, advanced postures can put our joints into compromising positions. Physiotherapists should be aware that many advanced yoga practices involve extreme ranges of motion, unconventional strengthening postures that may be stressful on the joints and repetitive movements that could exacerbate pre-existing injuries instead of aid in them.

---

So what advice did our panel have for those transitioning from the rehabilitative practice of physiotherapy to the community practice of yoga?

1. Make sure your physiotherapist is aware of what is involved in the yoga practice you’re interested in.

Make sure your physiotherapist has an idea of what kinds of movements are involved in the yoga practice you want to attend. If they have a general understanding of the practice, they can help determine how appropriate it is for your body and your specific condition. In some cases, physiotherapists can help inform you if modifications are necessary for certain postures so that they can be practiced safely.

2. Talk to your yoga instructor before the class. Let your instructor know of your limitations.

This includes what movements cause you pain, what movements you were told to avoid by your physiotherapists, and the nature and location of your injuries. Your yoga instructor can provide insight into which postures you can perform, and alternates for those that may not be safe at the moment.

3. If you’re new to the practice, try and book a one-on-one consultation with a yoga instructor first before committing to a regular class.

One-on-one yoga classes provide a perfect opportunity to develop a healthy dialogue between you and your yoga instructor. This allows them a full session to understand your limitations and provide personalized modifications for postures that may not be appropriate for you in their full form.

4. Keep your physiotherapist and yoga instructor in the loop.  

Let them know what postures worked well for you, and those you found were too difficult. Let them know if there have been any changes in your pain levels, or if you’re experiencing unfamiliar sensations or movement restrictions after the practice.

Ultimately, when it comes to creating a smooth transition from physiotherapy to yoga, the responsibility lies with you, the client to keep both professionals informed. Your physiotherapist should be aware of what types of yoga you’re interested in practicing, and the nature of the practice. Your yoga instructor should be aware of your limitations. By keeping a constant dialogue with yourself, and those involved in your care, the more likely you will be successful in maintaining a safe, and beneficial yoga practice for your condition.

Monthly Beats: February Feels

here's a little moody soulful tune up for the balmy & cold days. the days you want to stay in the house and cozy up with slippers and house coats. 

Revisit, Reconnect, Renew: Checking In With Your Goals

The New Year is officially in full swing and although the calendar is advancing, we may be noticing the gung-ho flame we entered 2017 beginning to dim. It can feel so empowering to have a fresh, new year ahead of us - a clean slate to fill up with all the hopes and dreams we have for ourselves.

Goals are not meant to be stagnant; goals are dynamic, organic intentions for our lives that morph and change just as we do. Without making excuses for ourselves, can we realistically revisit our game plans and reevaluate what still resonates and what might have been a little lofty or unrealistic? Here's 3 ways to check in with your goals to ensure your path is still, in fact, yours!

Revisit

This is one of the simplest ways to check in with yourself - revisit the goals and intentions you have been working with. If you have abandoned goals or just haven't been "making nice" on the promises you set out for yourself, don't fret. It's time to reconnect. 

Reconnect

Notice the emotions that may come up when you check in; if guilt, shame or anger surface, ask yourself why you set these goals in the first place. Reconnect with the root of your intention and feel empowered to reframe why you originally set your goals. 

Renew

Be honest. If it isn't realistic to hit the gym or a yoga class 5 days a week, why are you setting yourself up for failure? By connecting with realistic and attainable goals, we can start to create sustainable habits that have more space to grow organically. Say you'll run twice a week, not twice a day. After two weeks, revisit, reconnect and renew that goal to what makes sense in the present moment. 

When it comes to matters of self, remember to tread gently yet firm, free of ego and full of truth.

Continuing Education With Sara Cueva at Yogalife Studios

Expand Your Knowledge With Our Continuing Education Yoga Workshops

Every time we step to our mats we deepen our practice. Whether this is in a yoga training, a regular public class, a home practice or a retreat, our yoga practice allows us to use our bodies as a laboratory to show up in new ways or refine old teachings. Yogalife Studios is incredibly excited to offer a new way to learn with our Continuing Education Program led by Sara Cueva. Starting in March, we will be offering 8 modules to come learn on a deeper level.

Learn On, Yogi!

The idea behind these workshops is to provide a place for students to continue their learning beyond their 200 hour training, or to start getting their feet a little more wet instead of or prior to a yoga teacher training. We are firm believers that yoga training does not necessarily have to garner you into a teaching position, but instead lead you deeper into your self - your health, spirit and body. 

This workshop series will also serve as an amazing refresher for those of you out there that have been sitting in the teacher's seat already. The door is truly open to anyone who is interested in learning!

What To Expect

These lecture based workshops are tailored for students, aspiring teachers, and current RYT’s, and are intended to deepen your knowledge (and practical application) of the practice of yoga asana (postures).

Inspired by the effectiveness of formalized yoga teacher training educational models, these workshops will enable students to learn through lecture, observation, and practice, ultimately learning the postures the way teachers do. Each session will focus on different components of a yoga practice, broken down into their different asana families. Participants may come for just one, or even all 8 workshops.

Upon completion of all 8 sessions, participants will be able to safely sequence an asana practice for themselves (or if they are current RYT’s, for their students), including understanding of safety concerns and modifications/efficient prop use for each posture studied.

Topics explored in each session will include:

What: Understanding the benefits of each posture

Why: The intention of the pose determines the necessary energetic cues, learn to modify poses to meet the intention for all body types.

Who: Safety concerns, contraindications, and modifications for injuries/varying experience levels.

When: The recommended pacing between, and duration of time held, for each pose, based on different class styles.

Where: Knowing where in the practice to sequence the pose, building the practice for yourself and/or your students.

How: to intelligently align your posture, focusing on structural integrity of the muscles and joints.

Discount applies for any participant registering in all 8 sessions. These workshops are eligible for CEU through YACEP Sara Cueva, E-RYT 500. Categories fulfilled include Anatomy & Physiology, Teaching Methodology, Techniques, Training & Practice.

Modern Gravity: Where We Go To Float

A World-Class Float Studio in Edmonton

This is Modern Gravity, a float studio in the 'rapidly growing in the best way possible' Holland Plaza, just north west of the downtown core. Neighbouring this special spot is an array of unique small business that seem to capture a common theme: health and happiness! The lineup includes Lifestyle Meditation, Barre Body Studio, The Local Omnivore and Cafe Linnea, amongst others ranging from a flower shop to a wine store. You could really spend an entire day (or two) taking in all the great things Holland Plaza has to offer. 

---

EDMONTON’S MOST TRUSTED SPACE TO GET NAKED AND REDUCE STRESS

---

Modern Gravity is a beautiful space with a clear mission: Create the best tools and environments to help reduce stress, enhance relationships and live happier. We recommend you...

Founded and operated by Matthew "Matticus" Smith and Jamie "Phillipos" Phillips, Modern Gravity is striving to deliver 'happiness made simple'. 

"Escape the stress of modern day living in one of [their] world-class float tank rooms. The highest quality floatation therapy & sensory deprivation tank experience in Edmonton!

…with the best high fives in the business."

<<< We can attest to this fact.

The space theme is strong inside Modern Gravity. Matt is a wannabe astronaut and JP is actually a space wizard. Incredible. 

So what is a 'float studio' anyways?

Modern Gravity describes the float experience as "an environment specifically designed to reduce immense amounts of internal and external stimulus so the mind and body can go into a super-ultra-recovery-mode and rest quietly in homeostasis." The process is pretty simple but the healing effects are vast.

Floatation Therapy, commonly referred to as “floating”, “sensory deprivation” or “R.E.S.T”, is essentially the perfect bathtub for physiological relaxation and stress relief; void of all light, sound and gravity. All of this is achieved by using a large, enclosed basin filled with skin temperature water and over 450KG of Epsom salt. - www.moderngravity.ca

---

Book in, show up, get naked, let it all go, get un-naked, chill and reflect. 

---

There I am! JK, image borrowed from www.moderngravity.ca

Just one of the reasons I felt at home!

When I arrived at the studio for my first float, Matt took me through all the details. We had a good, genuine chat for about 20 minutes; these guys are so welcoming and easy to talk to so I felt at home right away. I have issues with anxiety and small spaces, so this was definitely a topic of interest to discuss BEFORE I was locked in (ps you're never actually locked in and can get out at any time). He explained I would be fully supported by around 1000 pounds of epsom salts (think a grand piano's worth), dissolved into water and kept at a constant temperature of approximately 34° Celsius (approximate skin temperature). Paired with the soundproof environment, your entire being is able to just let go. You aren't spending energy or attention on regulating your body heat or engaging any muscles so you can literally just relax down to the deepest fibre. 

---

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE LESS STRESSED?

---

Here's a photo of me in the float tank. 

In my past experiences with meditation, unless I'm moving I generally start to feel anxious or uneasy. In the float tank I sort of just felt like a mermaid, wiggling around at first but then really feeling the most comfortable in stillness, enjoying the soft bob that accompanies floating. I found that I was startled "awake" on more than one occasion, which Matt explained was normal. Think about it - when do we ever relax THIS deep to the point of your body not needing to even regulate it's own temperature? He said that our breathing can slow down to 3 breaths a minute! So, naturally there were points in the float where I felt like my body was just checking in on me. "Caitlin, are you alive? You haven't been this relaxed or supported in... ever! Ok, you're good? As you were". It was beautiful. 

---

If you have any questions about my experience, don't hesitate to reach out at caitlin@yogalifestudios.ca. For more information on the studio or floating in general, check out the Modern Gravity website or contact the float experts.

Happy Floating!

Give a Little, Give a Lot

The gift of yoga always delights

It's officially December and we're so excited to get into the full swing of the holidays. Colder days means warmer yoga - the best place to unwind as we settle into the chill of winter. Yoga is the perfect gift, for yourself or to share! Our holiday deals are just around the corner; the gift of yoga is an amazing way to encourage the special people in your life to discover their own practice or to treat an avid yogi who already knows the preciousness of this gift.

From December 10-12 you can purchase a 25 class pass at 20% off!

---

We've selected the best gifts for all the people in your life!

We're filling the studio shelves with our favourite treats to gift just about anyone, from aromatherapy candles from Woodlot to full gift baskets from Gather Sacred. Whether you're stuffing a stocking or splurging on a special one, we have a ton of delightful goodies to treat the people on your list. Enjoy 15% off all merchandise at Yogalife Studios from December 5-25. 

Stay tuned for more details on our holiday offerings and be sure to mark your calendars starting December 5th to take advantage of the studio specials! 

Wishing you a healthy and happy December!

Monthly Music Mix: December • Holidaze

Ready for the holidays... it's December. we can start putting those tunes on, do our little dance while we wrap up some Christmas gifts. 

Check out this holiday tune list. Not so traditional Christmas music. 

Sick? Stay home & rest. Why you shouldn't come practice at the studio when you're sick.

At Yogalife, to reap the full physical and mental benefits of practice, we encourage all our students to come on a regular basis. Yoga has been known to be paramount in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but in recent times, people have been practicing as a means of alleviating the symptoms of every day illnesses. This has been met with some mixed reviews. So the question remains, should you practice while sick?  

From the viewpoint of our studio, our immediate answer is “no”. Our goal is always to provide the best experience possible for our students, so coming to practice while sick compromises that aim. While hot yoga is beneficial for detoxification, the humidity and heat, along with the closeness of clients can accelerate the spread of illness in the room. Pathogens thrive in a hot yoga room, no matter how well we try to maintain the cleanliness of the studio.

Consider this: we spend a significant portion of our class forcefully exhaling, and if ill, any airborne pathogens can travel quickly to nearby practitioners who, at the same time, are inhaling deeply. Heat also has the physiological effect of opening up the skin’s pores, further exposing our bodies to the environment, so any physical contact with bacteria or other viruses can result in immediate illness.

Practicing hot yoga while sick may also aggravate any symptoms one may be experiencing. In the online article, “Yoga and Your Immune System”, Kreg Weiss explains:

“[In yoga] the energy highly needed for your immune system is instead being transferred to the muscles to create movement. This energy is depleted from the body either as mechanical energy (movement) or as heat. This transfer of energy strips the immune system of precious energy resources and begins to limit the immune system’s capacity to produce antibodies.”

So while practicing in the heat may temporarily alleviate symptoms, and provide that feel-good high that only Hot Flow can provide, it may be short-lived and, in the process of healing, make things worse.

So before practicing at the studio while feeling ill, consider your fellow students and whether it may compromise their yoga experience. Also consider whether the practice will benefit your body. For more information on practicing while sick, read the full article by Kreg Weiss: http://kregweiss.ca/2011/11/11/yoga-and-your-immune-system/.