Yogalife Summer Photo Challenge!
This summer we're launching our first ever Summer Photo Challenge! Whether you're in an exotic location, or just practicing somewhere close to home, send us a picture of yourself doing fun yoga poses in interesting places! Submission deadline to the contest is August 14, 2013. We will post the pictures on August 15, and they will have until September 1 to get as many likes as possible. Those with the most likes will receive some fantastic prizes! So once your picture is posted, show it off! Get friends and family to "like" the original picture on the page. Prizes are as follows:
1st Place: A 25 Class Pass. ($275 value) 2nd Place: A Manduka Prolite Mat in the colour of your choosing! ($85.00 value) 3rd Place: A yogitoes mat towel in the colour of your choosing! ($58.00 value)
We will only allow one submission per person. If you submit multiple photos, you MUST let us know which one you'd like to be displayed on our Facebook page; if you do not inform us, we will post the first photo you submitted. If there are multiple yogis in the picture, the prize will remain the same (e.g. if there are 5 of you posing in the winning picture, the group will receive the 25 class pass, not each individual in the photo). Which members get to use the prize will be determined amongst yourselves. By submitting a photo you grant Yogalife Studios permission to post it on our PUBLIC Facebook page, and use in promotional media for the studio. Prizes cannot be returned for cash value.
Forgiveness - 4 Ways to Let Go of Resentment
Adapted from Ashley Turner from wanderlustfestival.com
Thank you to my lovely wife for providing this article!
For many of us, the emotions that hold the tightest grip on our hearts are disappointment, resentment, blame and anger. They place a stranglehold on our happiness and the only person who can release them is YOU! Although forgiving someone (or ourselves) can happen in an instant, my experience is that it is usually a much more lengthy process requiring great patience, trust, persistence and prayer.
How do you know if you still need to forgive someone?
If you still feel a 'charge' or get 'triggered' when you talk or think about a person or incident, if you feel constricted, tight, feel a flush of anger (even subtly) or a surge of energy physically - it probably means there is some unresolved emotional material for you to continue processing and letting go of. Forgiveness and compassion are associated with the heart chakra; it's quite possible that you will feel a tightness in the upper back, between the shoulders, have a sunken chest, have difficulty taking a deep breath and feel deflated or low energy.
Here are 4 steps to help you forgive:
1. Understand why someone acts the way they do.
Perhaps, the most important tool and first step in forgiveness is to understand "WHY" someone acted the way they did. What are they trying to protect? What are they afraid of? Reframe by building a new cognitive framework as to WHY someone might act the way they do. We are all doing the best we can with the skills and awareness we have. Beginning to ask different questions and understand WHY breeds compassion and helps loosen the ties that bind us to blame.
2. Feel. Express your emotions.
This may mean digging up long held or buried emotions from the past, your childhood or right now. Until we fully release the emotions held in our bodies, they will continue to affect our current mindset - creating tension in the body-mind and even leading to illness.Do Anger Work. Find ways to primally release anger, rage and blame. Go into nature to yell or scream, cry, weep, hit something (pillow, tennis racket on couch cushions, boxing class) – let it out! Ask yourself: - How does this feel in my body? - What does it feel like to be abandoned/betrayed/rageful? - What are the sensations? Write the person (or yourself) a letter. You don't have to send it, but getting our emotions out on paper gives them a place to live outside of yourself and your body. Talk to the person (if possible). This is only helpful if it is safe for you to speak with the person AND if you are in a calm, centered state of mind. It is not usually effective to speak with the other person when you are angry or until you have processed your emotions significantly on your own. You can also do this even if the person is not physically present or has died. Sit quietly. Close your eyes and call in the other person, their spirit and energy. Imagine them sitting across from you, how they look, how you feel. Tell them out loud what you are feeling, imagine a dialogue between you. When you are finished, thank them for listening and release them in gratitude.
3. Rebuild safety.
Once you have adequately expressed your emotions, create new boundaries for yourself within the relationship. This may mean that you no longer see the person, end the relationship or establish new guidelines. In the future, you may be able to reestablish a friendship but your psyche and emotions need time to heal.
4. Let go.
Fully letting go of a past transgression and completely forgiving may take many months or years. You may have a phase of feeling better and then realize that you are still grieving or angry. This is natural. The soul does not heal on linear time. Give yourself space and time, ask for help, get quiet, mindful + pray. In order to fully release, you have to change your version of the story and how you identify with it. This is the meaning of the myth of reincarnation. You are born anew.
Here's a sample forgiveness prayer: "I ask help in releasing this.... (person, event, etc). I feel..... God/Universe/Spirit/Higher Self, please help me release and let go. Help me forgive. I cannot do this alone and need your support, guidance, strength and love. I ask you to enter my heart now and help me let go. Guide my actions and thoughts today. Thank you."
If you are looking for an incredible book, try and grab "The Aladdin Factor."
- Brandon
Brittany Discusses Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: Chapters 3 & 4
The third and final video in our three-part introduction to the yoga sutras brings us to Chapter 3, Vibhuti Pada and Chapter 4, Kaivalya Pada. Brittany gives us a background as to how she found herself "scratching the surface" of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Chapter 3, describes the psychic powers a yogi obtains through practice. These are an advanced level of practice, and provide an interesting read. Chapter 4, is described the chapter of Freedom. Patanjali goes into detail about how those who have achieved high levels of practice can share their gifts to benefit the world.
“It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity.” -B.K.S.Iyengar
8 Ways You're Driving Yourself CRAZY! Part II
A continuation and conclusion of our the previous post 8 ways you're driving yourself CRAZY! Part I.
5. The maintenance of lies.
What’s the best part of telling the truth? You don’t have to keep track of everything you’ve said. Quite simply, the truth doesn’t cease to exist just because you ignore it. It takes constant care and maintenance to hide reality behind a lie. The truth may be hard to deal with, it may irritate you, but it will always set you free. In the end someone is going to tell the truth anyway. The only question is: Who do you want to tell it, you or them?
6. Procrastinating until there’s an emergency.
To resist at the beginning is always the easiest choice to make, and it’s also the only choice that guarantees you will never reach the end result you desire. The thing we all do best to drive ourselves crazy is to do nothing when something needs to get done. The way to counteract this is simple: engage deeply in work that needs to be completed. Your time is now. There’s no price too great for feeling accomplished. There’s no price too great for feeling alive. And if you don’t do it now, you probably never will. You know the thing you’ve been putting off the longest? That thing you’ve been procrastinating on for the last several weeks? That’s the thing you need to start doing today. That’s the thing you need to start before going to bed tonight. The time to start is not when the crap hits the fan. The time to start is now. Period.
7. Focusing on what you don’t like.
What you focus on grows stronger in your life. When you focus on a person’s wonderful qualities, you have a wonderful relationship with them. When you focus on a person’s not so wonderful qualities, you have a not so wonderful relationship with them. When you focus on benefits of a situation, you get to take advantage of them. When you focus on the drawbacks, you gain nothing but a frown.
The bottom line is that you see only what you want to see, and what you see determines where you wander in life. Your attitude is a little thing that makes a massive difference. Don’t be one of the crazy ones who makes it a point not to smile.
8. Your expectations.
Life will never live up to your expectations, unless your expectations are simply to embrace life as it unfolds and make the very best of it. You have to lower your expectations and increase your appreciation to improve your happiness. Know that everything is in impeccable order whether you understand it or not. How you react determines how good it turns out for you.
Something that is really difficult, but totally worth it, is giving up on how you thought it was ‘supposed to be.’ The most beautiful part of this practice is simply returning to the peaceful feeling of being and working with what’s available to you in the moment. This peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you had expected.
So embrace life’s surprises. Smile and realize that it’s far better to be pleasantly surprised than hopelessly disappointed.
Brittany Discusses Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: Chapter 1 & 2
The second video in our three-part introduction to the yoga sutras brings us to Chapter 1, Samadhi Pada and Chapter 2, Sadhana Pada. The first chapter goes right into an advanced practice, and can be applicable to people who have retained their practice from previous lives. Brittany also goes through the connection between the second chapter to the 8-limb path, and its connections to Ashtanga yoga. Brittany also discusses the origin of Patanjali, and the deeper meaning of his name. It's a great little video!
“It is only when the correct practice is followed for a long time, without interruptions and with a quality of positive attitude and eagerness, that it can succeed.” -Patanjali, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
If you are interested in learning more about The Yoga Sutras visit Brittany's website here. Brittany will also be hosting a workshop at our studio titled "Exploring the Yoga Sutras: A Satsang" at Yogalife Studios Edmonton South. Register here today!
8 Ways You're Driving Yourself CRAZY! Part I
Adapted from www.marcandangel.com
I sat there in her living room staring at her through teary eyes. “I feel crazy,” I said. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“Why do you feel crazy?” she asked.
“Because I’m neurotic and self-conscious and regretful, and so much more all at once,” I said.
“And you don’t think everyone feels like this at times?” she asked.
“Not like this,” I replied under my breath.
“Well you’re wrong,” she said. “If you think you know someone who never feels a bit crazy and off-center, you just don’t know enough about them."
Every one of us contains a measure of ‘crazy’ that moves us in strange, often perplexing ways.
"This side of us is necessary; it’s part of our human ability to think, adapt and grow. It’s part of being intelligent,” she said.
I sat silently for a moment. My eyes gazed from her eyes to the ground and back to her eyes again. “So you’re saying I should want to feel like this?”
“To an extent,” she said. “Let me put it this way: Taking all your feelings seriously all the time is a waste of your spirit. You have to know that sometimes what you feel simply won’t align with what you want; it’s just your subconscious mind’s way of helping you look at things from a different perspective. These feelings will come and go quickly as long as you let them go… as long as you consciously push past them.”
We shared another moment of silence, then my lips curled up slightly and I cracked a smile, “Thank you, Grandma,” I said.
Over the course of the next few hours we discussed the following – some ways we unnecessarily drive ourselves crazy:
1. Should haves, would haves and could haves…
As Thich Nhat Hanh so perfectly said, “People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.” In many cases you stay stuck in your old routines for no other reason than that they are familiar to you. In other words, you’re afraid of change and the unknown. You continually put your dreams and goals off until tomorrow, and you pass on great opportunities simply because they have the potential to lead you out of your comfort zone.
You start using excuses to justify your lack of backbone: “Someday when I have more money,” or “when I’m older,” or the over-abused “I’ll get to it as soon as I have more time.” This is a vicious cycle that leads to a deeply unsatisfying life – a way of thinking that eventually sends you to your grave with immense regret. Regret that you didn’t follow your heart. Regret that you always put everyone else’s needs before your own. Regret that you didn’t do what you could have done when you had the chance.
So how do you prevent regretting all the potential should haves, would haves and could haves? Simple. Forget the past. Forget what you can’t change. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. From this point on, let there be no excuses, no explanations and no regrets. Start from where you are right now, break free from your cage of comfort and take a bold step forward.
2. Love driven addictions.
It happens to all of us at some point – suffering from the consequences of love-driven obsession and addiction. Your desire for someone bestows upon you an intoxicating, mind-altering dose of feelings you never dared to admit you wanted. It’s an emotional bender, perhaps, of reckless love and roaring excitement.
When the subject of your desire is even slightly withheld from you, you promptly spiral out of control, feeling crazy and depleted, as if a drug you rely on is being dangled in front of you just out of your reach. And then you become resentful of your dealer – the subject of your desire – who you believe encouraged your addiction in the first place, but now refuses to tender the good stuff you have come to rely on… even though you’re certain they have it, darn it, because they used to give it to you all the time free of charge.
Meanwhile, of course, this person has become more and more appalled by your junkie ways. They look at you no longer as an equal, but as a dependent who relies on them. They don’t see the person they cared for; they see the mess you’ve become. But if you stop and think about it, how can you blame them? Your addictive obsession has devalued your own self-esteem and self-worth; and it’s hard to love and respect those who don’t love and respect themselves.
3. Competing with everyone else.
If you compete with others, you will become bitter. If you compete with a previous version of yourself, you will become better. It’s as simple as that. You are not in competition with anybody except yourself; plan to outdo your past not other people.
Rather than compete against others, work with them on a common goal. Use your combined insights and talents to achieve what none of you can alone. Real personal growth and learning occurs through relationships, when the competitive spirit is replaced with a collaborative one.
4. Complaints backed by lack of action.
Complaining is a draining waste of time. We all have a finite amount of time and energy. Any amount of it you spend whining and complaining is a total loss; do something useful instead.
Take the next 24 hours and every time you start to complain, realize it, admit it and stop it. How often do you complain and harp on negative thoughts? It may be more often than you think. Know that bringing awareness to this unproductive habit is the first step to overcoming it.
Bottom line: You are not allowed to complain about something unless you’re going to do something about it.
Brittany Introduces The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Watch Brittany's first video introducing the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali! The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are an ancient body of work used to govern our practice of yoga to help us attain a state of enlightenment through our practice. Within the yoga sutras are 4 chapters describing how we take our practice beyond just the physical movements, and go deeper to discover ourselves and how to be bringers of light to our world. Check out Brittany's dialogue on the sutras below!
“Yoga is the cessation of the movements of the mind. Then there is abiding in the Seer's own form.”
-Patanjali, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
If you are interested in learning more about The Yoga Sutras visit Brittany's website here. Brittany will also be hosting a workshop at our studio titled "Exploring the Yoga Sutras: A Satsang" at Yogalife Studios Edmonton South. Register here today!
Overcoming Mental Blocks for the Upcoming Running Season
- "Focus on the true satisfaction of running the way you want to run"
From www.runnersworld.com
With the upcoming running season ahead, here is some really great information on how to overcome some of those mental blocks! At Yogalife we definitely promote balance, and while running may not be the best balance for yoga, yoga is a wonderful way to balance out your running! Runners often gravitate to our Hot Yin classes, or even our yoga for athletes/runners that usually runs in the summer. And if you haven't trained properly, your concerns are valid. But other worries–especially those triggered by outside influences–can create a self-defeating sense of intimidation. These doubts go deeper and are rooted in negative emotions, says Windee Weiss, Ph.D., a sports psychologist who is an associate professor at the University of Northern Iowa School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services.
"Realism accepts that a demand may be tough but doesn't place a judgment on it," she says. "Intimidation assumes you won't have the goods to meet the demand."
Failure-oriented stress can cause a host of problems. It can tighten muscles so that they fatigue faster, hamper coordination so you can't find your stride, distract you from your goals, and undermine mental toughness. Here's how to get past common sources of intimidation and run your best, without doubt.
Faster runners
They're everywhere–at the starting line, on the road, among your running buddies. Don't just stew over others' times–tap their achievements for inspiration. Catherine Andrews of Washington, D.C., felt fast among friends but recently joined a running group of six-minute-milers knowing she'd be a laggard. "I joined to be more motivated," she says. Andrews soon stepped up to tempo work and speed running. "It made a difference within weeks," she says. If you can't embrace a faster group, at least quit comparing. "Focus on the true satisfaction of running the way you want to run," Weiss says.
A tough course
When Beth Strickland of Brooklyn completed her first marathon at Walt Disney World in 6:33, friends prodded her toward the San Francisco Marathon. "It has a six-hour time limit and many hills," she says. "If I tried and didn't make it, I'm not sure I'd attempt another." While Strickland decided to tackle one or two flatter courses first, sports psychologist Cindra Kamphoff, Ph.D., cautions against getting derailed by general impressions. Instead, prepare. Use online street-view maps to review a course's geography. If hills are the issue, make them part of your weekly training. Practice mantras to keep your inner dialogue positive.
People who train more
Banish guilt over your presumed lack of dedication by acknowledging that your training reflects your life, not someone else's. What's more, training needs are different depending on one's goals. If you're truly not satisfied with your results, you'll have to change your training. "No amount of confidence-building will improve your performance above what you've trained to do," says Doug Hankes, Ph.D., a sports psychologist for the athletic department at Auburn University.
The idea of a first race
"A first-time 5-K can be more daunting for a beginner than a marquee marathon is for an experienced runner," Hankes says. "There are many more unknowns." So take comfort in your courage to sign up in the first place. Talk to seasoned runners about their experiences. "Ask what they think would have been helpful, looking back," Hankes says. But keep the stakes low and focus on having fun. On race day, try running with a friend. "Tying your pace to someone else's takes pressure off," Weiss says.
Entering a mega-race
TV cameras, elite athletes, mobs of people, online tracking, mythic features (think Boston's Heartbreak Hill)–they're all distractions. "The essence of mental training is getting your head out of the way and letting your body do what it's trained for," Hankes says. Build a routine that makes every race feel familiar, honing elements like the amount of socializing before the race, your music playlist, and mantras geared to different sections of the course. Defuse pressure to perform by imagining life a week later. "Don't make the race more than it is," he says.
Saying "I'm a runner"
Even after running her first half-marathon last fall, Beth Probst of Iron River, Wisconsin, says she feels uncomfortable calling herself a runner. "I like to be good at what I do," she says. "If I'm not trying to be a runner, I don't have to justify being mediocre at it." Runners of all levels often equate the phrase with speed. But in reality the words represent a lifestyle. Probst should embrace her new identity, says Kamphoff, of The Runner's Edge in Mankato, Minnesota. Acknowledging one's effort has benefits: "You start eating better, boosting core strength, telling people about running," she says. "That's what makes you a 'real' runner."
Rewire your brain
Fears and doubts are natural. But dwelling on them–or ignoring them–can prevent you from improving, says sports psychologist Doug Hankes. Be on the lookout for the following warning signs that your fears are holding you back.
1. You're focused on potential race outcomes, and not the process of improving.
Sure, there's a chance you won't set a PR in a race. But your training time is better spent focusing on confidence-building workouts like tempo and long runs rather than worrying about "what if's."
2. You're ruminating about the source of your intimidation.
Performance anxieties need to be dealt with before race day. ID your trouble zone and practice ways to conquer doubts. For example, if in past events you've slowed down in the final stretch, finish the last mile or two of each workout fast.
3. You're questioning your commitment to your sport. Sounds like you've forgotten or misplaced the joy of running that once motivated you. Temporarily set aside any time goals and spend your next few workouts having fun. Do whatever you can to ditch the stress of "performing."
Use Your Heart as a Wall: Make It Stronger Instead of Shutting Down
We have all felt it - heartbreak. Ugh. What an ugly word. Maybe it was from a significant other, a spouse, a friend, a business partner, etc. Whatever and whoever it was, it likely wasn't easy. This article is just a story on some insight of an experience the author had. Ultimately, the purpose of all of the hurt ends up working the muscle of your heart, and making it stronger. But only if you're open to it. What I do want to share, is that perhaps you are reading this article, and there is someone you know going through this. If, so, PLEASE remember this...“Sometimes people put up walls not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.” - Brandon
Adapted from Stewart Snyder.
“The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow.” -Unknown
“I’m done here. It’s time for me to move on,” she spoke softly as if unsure herself. For a moment, I swore she said “I’m not done here,” but she didn’t. She was leaving me.
The poison in the words numbed my body and my soul. All of a sudden, there seemed to be a big hole where my heart used to be. Survival mode kicked in and I started protecting that “empty” space. For me, it was isolating myself from social situations, even work. I sunk myself into spiritual reading, grasping for any words that might fill the hole. This was the first time I had felt it. Heartbreak. This was my first experience feeling something so painful that I fell into the cycle we all do.
In Your Own Defense
That sense of an empty heart is something all of us are familiar with. When we are hurt, we immediately want to protect ourselves. We change some behavior to act as a defense mechanism for the “next time.” These mechanisms compound to build a thicker and thicker wall “protecting” our heart. For me, it took forever. The pain began to have breaks, yet came back with the same intensity. After more forever, the breaks became longer until the pain began to be only spikes during memories. Finally, the pain began to slowly subside in intensity. Leaving only emptiness...
What About the Emptiness?
It turns out that emptiness is atrophy. When there is no love in the heart, it is like a precisely tuned machine with nothing to produce. It just sits there and begins to rust. So, I, as do many of us, waited for the pain to subside behind the walls built from heartbreak. All the while, my heart sat rusting. Hmmm. Now I’ve got a rusted heart and a bunch of walls to break through. There’s got to be a better way…and there is.
A Different Kind of Wall
It is said that there are two ways to deal with pain. One is to shut your heart off so it won’t be hurt; the other is to open it bigger to allow more love to find it. These are odd phrases, you know? Your heart is a muscle. It has inherent strength that can be made stronger, like every other muscle, by using it.
Choose to use your heart as the wall to protect you.
Even when hurt, continue to build the heart muscle from use. Yes, it’s weakened by the sting, but it’s still capable of all the strength it had before. A strong, loving heart is more prepared to absorb hurtful blows than weak attempts to hide it from the world. Even a broken heart continues to feed the body. Grow your heart by learning from the pain and continuing on. Continue on as before, loving as deeply as you can. The more you love, the more strength your heart retains and builds.
Love. Learn. Love more.
Imagine your heart as a castle. When something approaches, let it in just as a castle’s drawbridge lets in its guests. Let your still loving heart’s strength protect you from emotional attacks, catapulting letdowns, and poisonous relationships, like the stone walls of those castles. You see, walls are built stone by stone. Let your stones be loving acts both given and received, instead of compounding defense mechanisms. Give and be grateful for receiving each piece of strength to your wall, knowing there’s still a drawbridge.
Un-loving Is Impossible
I loved “her” dearly, you know? No matter how much it hurt, though, I couldn’t un-know that love. The pain subsided, but the love was just as strong—just still there. Those that I meet now that approach my castle are greeted and welcomed with the love I learned from her. Sure, some may aim to hurt, or do so unintentionally, but they have no idea the strength they’re up against. Love after love, my heart becomes stronger. With each loss, a new layer of muscle rebuilds over the last. With a stronger a heart, a stronger love, and a new, different, more beautiful cycle is born.
Of Nothing
So, what was the point of the defense mechanism walls? Nothing. They only served to contain, block, and otherwise stifle the beautiful strength the heart could build. The more you compound your defenses, the more you stifle your heart. The longer you wait to love, the more your heart rusts. Conversely, the more you simply love, the stronger your heart-wall becomes and the more able you are to absorb the hurt and build again.
Crazy In Love
The pain still comes, soft and far between. My eyes still tear. But now, it’s for the memory of that time we shared, the gratitude for the biggest lesson, for the little piece of my heart that tells her it’s okay when she’s staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night. Crazy, isn’t it? I left a piece of my heart with her. My heart shouldn’t be as strong as it was, let alone stronger. But it is, because the heart, like any other muscle, gets strong with use. Build your heart. Love with every opportunity. Be readily prepared to open that left ventricle when the charming knight or beautiful princess arrives.
Simply be love.
Avoiding Mental Blocks in Running
As cliché as it sounds, if you were to tell me one year ago that I would be running a marathon this august, I would have never believed you. I've never really been a runner before; I was big into soccer when I was younger but that was about it when it came to cardio. Going on a run outdoors was never something I would think to do or ever enjoy doing. It’s funny how things change like that.
I am still unable to recall why I made the decision to start running in the first place; all I recall is going online and searching for beginner running plans. From there I started with a whopping 6 minute walk and 1 minute jog, repeated 3 times, 3-4 days a week. Jogging for that full 60 seconds was, in all honesty, challenging, and all I remember saying to myself was "wow I am so out of shape." But, I kept up with the plan and by the end of week 8 I was jogging for a full 20 minutes without having to catch my breath.
A few weeks later, my dad informed me that the Ironman, which is originally in Penticton, BC, was cancelled and instead replaced by a German triathlon company called the Challenge. Originally the ironman is an event which can only be done by one individual, but the great thing about the Challenge triathlon is that it still has that feature, but also includes doing the ironman distance as a team. My dad and brother (who have both completed Ironman's before) asked if I wanted to sign up with them. Seeing that the Challenge was a year away, my response was almost an organic one, agreeing without hesitation. My dad will start us off with a 4.2km swim, then my brother doing a 180km bike ride, and myself finishing off the day with a 42.2km run this August.
I’m not going to sugar coat it: running is not always easy, nor is it always fun. Unless you are a person who absolutely loves running, you will encounter road blocks along the way. One of the most prevalent being mental blocks. Running is largely a mental game; you can be in the best shape of your life but if your head isn’t into it, you won’t make it very far. So, how does one win this mental game? Here are some of the strategies that have worked for me:
· Amp yourself up:
Before any of my long runs, I set a timer on my phone for 5 minutes, find a quiet space, sit comfortably on my yoga mat, and somewhat meditate for that time. I put a timer on my phone so that I don’t get distracted by how short, or how long a time I’ve been sitting. I just close my eyes and listen to the voice in my head. Most often I say things like “you can do this,” “I’m a runner,” “just breathe,” etc. It doesn’t really matter what you say, as long as it’s positive for you. Then when that timer ends, you can start your run in a really positive mindset.
· Make yourself accountable:
If you are running with a goal of weight loss for example, it can be really hard to keep yourself motivated. Find a few friends and sign up for a race. When you know you have a deadline, and have committed to something, it makes it a lot easier to get off your couch and be active.
· Understand the difference between ‘pain’ and ‘hurt:’
Hurt is that feeling where your body is trying to tell you to stop and not push yourself further, but you aren't in a situation injure yourself or cause permanent damage if you continue. Pain is when you have gone too far and are at risk for injury and/or permanent damage. The funny thing about the human body is that your mind will tell you to stop way before you really reach your breaking point. Your mind tries to stop you because it knows that if you keep pushing yourself; your body will start to change. This is one of the many things that I have learnt from yoga and am able to incorporate in running. When you are in class, and holding a pose that is challenging, your mind tries to tell you to ease out of it or stop completely. But then you hear your instructor tell you there are only a couple more breaths and then that’s it. And suddenly it's not that hard to hold that pose anymore; that even though it may hurt, your body is still supporting you and not letting go. It's the same with running; you always see these people who look like they cannot take anymore, but then with one hundred meters to go, they suddenly have this new found energy and find the strength within themselves to push forward. When you think you've got nothing left, there’s always a little bit more.
· Assign yourself a mantra:
One of my personal favorites is telling myself that the voice in my head telling me that I can’t do this, is a big fat liar. It sounds pretty cliché, but it works for me. And this is something that extends beyond running too into everyday life. Find a mantra that clicks with you, and repeat it to yourself when you find yourself wanting to stop.
· Change it up:
If you run the same course every time, after a while you start to remember where each km is on the course. If I know exactly where the 3km mark is on a 5km run, I start to gauge my energy and find it harder to keep my pace because I know exactly how much is left to go. Keep a general goal in mind of where you want to run, but don’t lock it down. Just run wherever you feel like going. When this happens, you aren’t aware of where each km is and it makes it way easier. Then when you get home, track where you went online if you don’t have a running watch with a GPS that records your route.
There will be days when you don’t feel motivated or find yourself making up excuses. And if you are stuck in that mindset, just remember that the moment right before you start is the scariest. Once that run is done, you will feel ten times better than when you started and you’ll be proud of what you just accomplished. The only workout you regret is the one you didn’t do. Simply put, through all this, what I'm really trying to tell you is that even though something may be challenging, and if you just don’t feel motivated, that if you stick with it, you will start to see a change. Nine months ago I could barely jog for a full minute, and now I find myself running for over two hours with very little breaks. I am still floored that this has become reality. Combining yoga with my training has kept me grounded and still continues to teach me things that can apply to running, and in everyday life.
There are times when I'm running, and I am reminded of how far I've come, and I cannot help but smile and laugh a little about the whole thing. I probably look a little silly, and maybe even seem a little strange, but it's what keeps me going, and it’s going to carry me all the way through to race day and beyond it.
- Taylor Nystad
Golf Workshop with Meaghan Mielnichuk
Improve your golf swing this year by learning stretches and techniques to enhance your game. We have designed a program combing both yoga and pilates for you to take home with you and do regularly so you can add more power and precision to your golf swing.
Location: South Edmonton
Date: Jun 29th, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Price: $45.00
Why Yoga Is Dangerous For Your Mind :)
An excerpt adapted from Lindsey Lewis:
The thing about yoga is this: it’s about your soul. It’s about clearing the blocks to your ultimate freedom, joy and purpose. It’s about getting to a state of total knowing and complete release. And when we get there we release our mind.
What happens next is not just illuminating, it’s revolutionary.
Because inside our minds live our doubts, fears, insecurities, stressors and our roadblocks to our true selves. Inside our minds live the limiting beliefs that we hold firm to, that keep us held down. Inside our minds lives the belief that we are smaller, less capable, and less brilliant than we really are.
Inside our minds lives…sometimes, loads of crap (SO TRUE).
Yoga is dangerous to those limiting beliefs that don’t serve us.
The mind is a beautiful thing. It’s an exquisite tool that empowers and powers our experience. It enables us to think rationally, to figure things out, and to find the solution.
But…our thoughts create our world. And if what we’re thinking isn’t serving us, or lifting us up, or showing us our truest, unlimited selves—the n we can change that.
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” ~Albert Einstein
Yoga gets us out of our head, and into our body.
It gets us feeling-thinking, not just thinking-thinking.
It taps us into the non-verbal part of our brain, which processes between eight to 11 million bits of information per second. Did you know the verbal part of our brain only processes about 40 bits of information per second? 40!
So all those fear-based thoughts…they’re not based on all the information. They’re not based on everything our non-verbal brain is processing. And, for most of us, they’re coming from an over-stimulated amygdala. These little almond-shaped parts of our brain are stimulated by stress hormones, and when they are, the kind of take over our show. Fear-, anger-, and negativity-based thinking become our m.o. And the part of us that knows how to operate from a different place takes a backseat.
Yoga brings that part of us into the driver’s seat again. It gets us out of fears and stress and into our peace and strength.
Yoga brings our ultimate knowing—not just thought-based thinking—on board.
Yoga brings us our self.
3 Ways to Go Beyond Fear-Based Thinking
- Move your body—consciously. Whether it’s yoga, dancing, swimming or walking, if you do it mindfully, it’ll help you amp up your physical awareness and tap you into the non-verbal part of your brain.
- Notice your thoughts. Do they lift you up, light you up, ignite and fuel your life? If not, question their veracity. Is it true?
- Turn doubt into fuel. When you spot an “I can’t do this” thought, turn it into a question. “Can I do this?” “Yes.” List at least three reasons why. Studies show that providing evidence for an affirmative response to a question like that has a much more powerful impact than empty affirmations.
Summer Solstice Meditation Workshop
Celebrate the coming summer solstice with a yoga and meditation practice! Slow the breath, calm your mind, relax and allow your body to stretch, heal and feel a sense of inner peace. Using ting-sha's and Tibetan singing bowls, Neil will guide you through a deep, healing practice.
We will gather in the Sun room for a meditation to prepare for the upcoming Solstice by joining breath, asana, and meditation to focus on one's self - Sadhana, a way to change a behavior, or add a daily practice, or focus on healing through making a choice, a commitment and aspire to create a different result in one's life. It becomes a self discipline process. It is a way to remove blockages and develop prosperity, internal strength and enjoy a deep and rewarding meditation.
Cycling Workshop
This workshop is to help people prepare their body for the cycling season. Most regular cyclists, whether recreational or competitive, will experience similar physical issues of tight hamstrings, low back issues and shoulder tightness. We will work on form on the bike, use yoga stretches to minimize these issues, engage in breath work, and head out for a short ride together, weather permitting (please bring your bike and helmet). The workshop will be fun, engaging, and informative. Riders of all abilities are welcome to come and learn how yoga can enhance your cycling experience!
Your Past Need Not Become Your Future
An excerpt adapted from Ed & Deb Shapiro:
No matter how hard we want to, there's one thing we can never do, and that's change the past. We can weep, beat our fists against the wall, eat bags of cookies to assuage our guilt, but it won't make the slightest bit of difference and won't make us feel any better. The past is gone, over, no more, finito.
So why do we continue to live in the past, either by longing for it to repeat itself, fearing it will happen again, or regretting what happened and wanting to do it all over anew? Continuing to wish that either the past would happen again or that it had been different means that we're really not here in the present. We're living in the land of what-was or what-might-have-been or if-only. And if the past was either too painful or too boring, then we switch to the future, that place of infinite potential we want to believe could be real or that place of fear of what might happen but hasn't happened yet; we live in what-could-be or what-we-hope-never-will-be.
Of course we can learn from the past. Often the most painful experience turns out to be our best teacher; we can even be grateful for what happened, as it taught us so much.
And memories can be like comfortable old shoes we are reluctant to part with. We can certainly put them on now and then, but we don't have to hang out in them on a permanent basis. Instead, we can look at what happened with present-moment eyes. This means looking without hope, longing, regret or fear. Fully accepting that the past is irreversible and the future doesn't exist means we can actually be in the present moment. What a relief! Finally, we can just be here and now. Wow! What a revelation!
One of the greatest wonders of taking quiet time out, as in meditation, is that we quickly see that nothing is fixed, solid, or permanent.
The experience of meditation is one of being completely and utterly present, which may sound simple but is actually quite rare: Normally, we're distracted by issues hanging over from the past or anxious about issues coming up in the future. We bounce back and forth like a monkey jumping from branch to branch. Anywhere seems better than being right here. The egoic mind always needs a drama or distraction to feed on. The more awake we become the less of a job the ego has until it becomes redundant. So, to preserve itself, it thrives on confusion and chaos, constantly distracting us from being really present.
When we are present then demanding thoughts do not disturb us; even anger, resentment, hurt, or other negative emotions have no power.
When present, we awake to the potential in every moment. In meditation we see what comes and goes -- our thoughts and feelings, longings and anxieties -- and what stays, which is who we truly are within ourselves. No matter if the past was wonderful or woeful, we are freed of left over hang-ups or unfulfilled desires, of future concerns or longings, and rest in awareness.
Today is a very special day. It has never happened before and it will never happen again.
And we have no idea what will come next. What a great day just to be here. To show up now. The perfect day to let the past rest where it is and let the future take care of itself. As is every day. To experience just this moment, to pay attention to the colors, sounds, smells, and sensations, to be compassionate to your feelings, and other people's feelings. And to make this day one of beauty and tenderness, a choice we are given in every moment.
Being Happy in the Present Moment
Adapted from Omer Khan:
We all want to be happy but we also have preconceived notions or beliefs about what needs to happen in our lives before we can be happy.
Maybe we need to get that dream job. Or we need to have a million dollars in the bank. Or maybe we need to have the body of our dreams. Or we need the perfect relationship in order to be happy. The list goes on. Yes, these things may indeed make us happy. Or then again, they may not. When we set goals, we also have the tendency, once we’ve achieved them, to replace them with new goals. So you may find that you still don’t feel happy after you’ve achieved that “big goal” because you’ve just replaced it with an even bigger goal that you now need to achieve before you can be “truly happy”. But by doing this, we stack the odds against ourselves.
If we play this game in order to find our happiness, then there’s a good chance that we’ll spend the rest of our lives chasing down the dreams that may ‘one day’ make us happy. What if I told you that you don’t need any of those things in order to be happy in your life and that you can be happy today? The key to happiness is learning how to be happy right now, while you work on achieving your goals, instead of waiting until you’ve achieved those goals to be happy.
Here are 6 simple tips that you can start applying today:
1. Practice Daily Gratitude
No matter how bad we think our problems are, you can almost guarantee that there’s someone out there with much bigger problems than us. You may have heard the saying “I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet”. We need to be grateful for everything we have in our lives and practicing daily gratitude is a great way to train our minds to have an attitude of gratitude. One technique for doing this is called “3 good things”, where every night, you simply write down three things that went well that day and casually reflect on why they happened.
2. Be Present Both Mentally & Physically
Whatever you’re doing, make sure that both your mind and body are present. Don’t eat dinner with your family while you’re thinking about work. Don’t do work, while you’re thinking about what you’ll do this weekend. Always be present and let your mind focus 100% on what you’re doing. Try to find at least one situation every day where you can practice being present.
3. Stop Resisting What You Can’t Control
Stop resisting the things in your life that you can’t control and aren’t the way that you want them to be. Stop worrying about what other people do or say. Start accepting things for how they are, regardless of whether you think it’s right or wrong. Accept it as a fact. You have a choice — you can keep resisting or you can accept the situation without judgement.
4. Avoid Negative People & Situations
Another cause of negative emotions and unhappiness are certain people or situations. You probably already know who those people are — they are the ones who seem to only see the negative side to every situation. They are often pessimistic, angry, critical and rarely have anything constructive to say. These people not only create unhappiness for themselves, but they also often drag down others around them by spreading this negative thinking ‘poison’. If you want to be happy, you have to avoid these people and situations as much as possible. Unfortunately, that’s not always so easy, since these people are often our friends or family members. So if you can’t completely avoid these people, then it’s worth planning ahead and deciding how you’ll deal with them in future situations.
5. Accept 100% Responsibility For Your Life
If we want to be happy, then we have to stop blaming others for what happens in our lives. We need to stop seeing ourselves as victims. In order to be happy, we have to take full responsibility for everything that happens in our life. When we take full responsibility, we take back control of our life and start to acknowledge that our thoughts and actions create the results in our life, not other people or situations. When we take back control of our life, we stop being victims. Instead we feel empowered to start creating a better life for ourselves. Be honest with yourself, are you accepting full responsibility for what happens in your life?
6. Be of Service To Others.
One really powerful way to increase your happiness is to focus on helping others. You can give money to charity — but there are more fulfilling ways of helping others. Instead of giving money, give your time. Get involved with a charity or donate a few hours to help with a local community project. Or just perform small random acts of kindness with no expectation of getting anything back.
So if you want to feel happier in the present moment, then start by choosing one of these 6 tips and take action today. At the same time, keep working on your goals, but don’t rely on them alone to make you happy. Choose to be happy right now.
Personal growth, change, transformation, and present moment awareness. These are all seemingly difficult things, but at the absolute very least, isn't being happy a much easier decision than holding on to anger? There's always something to contemplate :)
A Now Open Letter to My Daughters
An excerpt from Marc Middleton:
While I do not have any children myself, this letter needed to be shared. I hope parents and children alike will take the time to read a little about relationships and digital media.
This was never intended to be an open letter. I sent it as a personal note to my two college-age daughters, but with their permission and the encouragement of my co-workers at Growing Bolder, I have decided to publish it here in hopes that other parents will take the time to find the words to encourage their children.
Dear Kelsey and Quinn,
We live in a world in which communication has become easy, instantaneous and disposable. In the "old days" when long-distance phone calls were expensive and there was no such thing as Skype, emails or texts, we actually had to pull out a piece of paper and a pen and put some effort into expressing our thoughts and feelings. And because of that, we almost always wrote that which is too easily left out in a world filled with texts, 140-character tweets and 60-second phone calls.I'm afraid that I have enthusiastically embraced digital media for better and for worse.
Please forgive me for not communicating more deeply and more often, for not telling you both more frequently how much I love you and how proud I am of you.
You are both amazing young women -- very different in many ways, but very similar in ways that matter. You are able to chase different dreams while not, in any way, losing touch with who you are and what you believe in. That's not easy to do at any age. I can't begin to tell you how comforting it is to know that you have and will always have one another in your lives -- supporting, encouraging, listening and empowering. Of course, you will always have your mother and me in your corner as well. I realize that's not your ideal situation, but your worst-case scenario, your Plan B fallback option, is always a warm, loving, comfortable place to live, food to eat and two people who will do anything they can to help you. I hope that knowledge will always bring you comfort as you chase your dreams.
I can tell you that no matter how old you get, you will never stop learning, never stop dreaming and, unfortunately, never stop encountering hurdles and struggles and frustrations.
Happy people are those who recognize and appreciate the small blessings and tender mercies, but don't fret about or magnify the down days. They are part of every life and there will be many more of them but they can't steal your joy unless you let them. More than anything else, I wish you both happiness, and that can only come from within. Happiness is a choice. Learn to follow your heart. Be grateful. Be kind. Be bold. Have fun, have faith and be fearless. Take the right kind of chances. Chase your dreams, no matter how big or how small. Success isn't measured by the size of your check or by how many people know your name. It's measured by the joy in your heart and the impact you have upon others. Please don't pay too much attention to the garbage that our media and culture bombard you with. Most advertising is designed to make you feel inadequate in some way.
Be as kind to yourself as you are to others. You are both blindingly beautiful in the only way that really matters.
You are beautiful spirits and that is immediately obvious to anyone who takes even a moment to know you. I know you both already realize that you don't need a man to be happy or fulfilled. Of course, they can be nice to have around and I know you'll both find exactly what you're looking for when the time is right. Until then, remember that your worth is not determined in any way by a guy that you may or may not have.
I've learned more from both of you than I could ever hope to teach you. You are both amazing creatures and raising you has been the greatest blessing and honor of my life. I'll always treasure my role as your father but I'm equally excited about my role as your friend.
Love,
Dad
Fear - Understanding and Overcoming
Fear is about loss.
Fear is about the loss of familiar things.
We fear losing the jobs we don’t like and the people we don’t love.
This is what keeps us stuck in insanity.
We fear losing the comfort of a habit that gets in our way.
This is why we continue to numb ourselves.
We fear the loss of pleasures that we enjoy.
This is what causes us to lie, cheat or steal.
We fear losing our youth.
This is why we are deceitful about our age or try to stay forever young.
We fear losing our money or never having enough.
This is what causes us to ignore the people around us and to work an insane amount of hours.
We fear losing our status or recognition.
This is what causes us to pretend to be someone we’re not.
We fear death or losing our health.
This is what causes us to ignore and neglect the elderly population.
We fear losing our children.
This is why they can't talk to strangers or play in the front yard.
We fear losing our sense of identity.
This is why we worship our degrees, titles and live in cubicle prison.
We fear losing our sense of safety.
This is why have stuff packed in storage units and supplies stockpiled for doomsday.
We fear feeling unlovable and being unloved.
This is why we become people-pleasers and lose our souls in the process.
Fear sucks.
The only way to get around this nonsense is to understand that we really don’t have any of these things to begin with. Every thing is subject to change and alteration. Safety is an illusion.
The only thing that we can count on is the present moment. Notice that you are safe right now and get on with what you need to do!
Get rid of fear, love others and yourself, play, be authentic, take risks, show gratitude. You have today and this present moment. You are trading a piece of your time that you can never get back for this exact moment. Let that moment be something good.
Is Curiosity Proportional to Creativity on the Mat?
“Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple”
– Charles Mingus
Since childhood, we’ve been encouraged to ask questions using the five basic W’s and H (who, what, where, when, why and how). These questions can be simple in nature, but become complicated when impatience, discouragement and embarrassment constantly overwhelm the mind. Questions are tools for guidance not hindrance. Regardless of the question, the answer provided fosters a new learning experience. According to Amanda Lang in “The Power of Why,” curiosity inspires creativity. However, a creative blockage ensues when parameters and expectations cannot be questioned in a safe environment. Creative outlets and development thrive on the ability of self-discovery, thereby underscoring the need to try, question, and listen.
Now how does this relate to creativity on the mat?
In a yoga practice, whether it be a heated or a non-heated class, the possibility to creatively deepen your practice begins by listening to your body. Self-discovery in yoga coincides with body awareness. One aspect of body awareness considers the different muscle groups that are activated for different postures and sequences.
Curiosity plays an integral role in this particular aspect of body awareness.
How? For example, when the instructor says, "scissor your inner thighs together" in a lunging series, questioning and attempting the cue not only begins to create muscle memory, but acknowledges the muscle group. This can now be used in another posture. This acknowledgment enables the potential to ease into another unfamiliar or challenging posture in a safe learning environment that the mat can bring.
Here are some other suggestions to venture into creativity on the mat:
- try a yoga self-practice at home (this gives you the opportunity and time to explore the muscular engagement in different sequences, series and asanas)
- read some yoga articles and watch some yoga videos (inspiration can stem from new information and motivation by actions of others)
- Vlady Peychoff
Signs You're in a Toxic Relationship
Adapted from Victoria Kasunic:
Many of us have been there. It may be a spouse, an employer or employee, a trainer or mentor, or worse still, yourself. Sometimes it's hard to know whether you are in good, mutually supportive relationships with your partner, friends and family. Some of these ring extremely true for me, and I am thankful that I have removed all of them, grown, learned, moved on, and flourished.
If you're worried about what kind of relationship you're in, here are 12 telltale signs it could be toxic:
- It’s all about the other person — your needs, wants and desires don't rate.
- You feel tired, drained or exhausted being around this person.
- You're always in trouble or are “wrong.”
- You're afraid to express your opinions, thoughts or feelings.
- The person mocks your looks, occupation, activities, mannerisms, family and friends.
- You constantly feel unhappy or complain about the relationship to others.
- You often play the parent or therapist role — even if it's for your parents!
- You compromise yourself to maintain the relationship.
- The person attempts to control aspects of your life like activities, finances, schedule, social outlets and friends.
- You lack trust or you feel unsafe.
- The other person takes out his or her bad moods on you.
- Abuse, be it physical, emotional, sexual or financial (this is NEVER acceptable).
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