Warriors of Change
Brandon Jacobs Introduces Warriors of Change from Yogalife Studios on Vimeo.
Yogalifer Brandon Jacobs shares his vision and inspiration around his upcoming workshops, Warriors of Change. His goal is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for our yoga community to come together and bring love and acceptance to issues that may be holding us back or affecting our lives negatively.
Warriors of Change will explore the link between asana, journaling and meditation, with many societal issues.
Brandon, will lead you from the heart in authenticity, to show you the power of vulnerability, and how it can assist you in opening to the possibility of moving towards a higher version of yourself. Through the POWER of asana, and deep self-awareness, we can become raw and unmasked. We can truly see ourselves, forgive ourselves, and learn to love ourselves.
Through acceptance, transformation becomes possible.
Pre-register for this amazing workshop soon, space is limited!
January 25/2:30-5:30pm/Yogalife Studios South
200 Hour Vinyasa Flow Foundational Teacher Training
Teacher Training Information Session from Yogalife Studios on Vimeo.
Yogalifers Brandon and Brittany talk about our upcoming teacher training offered in May and the two info sessions leading up to the training. Whether you aspire to teach yoga, or are simply looking to deepen your practice, a yoga teacher training is an incredible learning experience that will change the way you look at yoga and yourself.
January 25, 6-8pm at Yogalife Studios South February 1, 6-8pm at Yogalife Studios North
How to Actually Change
Adapted from Dr. Frank Lipman and Laurie Gerber
Why is it that people find it so hard to make change? Well, the physical aspect of changing a habit of course, but most of us have proven we can break a bad habit when the stakes are high enough. The problem, we’ve found, is mostly in our heads!
You’ve got to believe it to see it!
It has been found that people often don’t believe that change is possible. And that’s because they are stuck in the same actions-thoughts-feelings-actions loop, but they don’t know it. For example, you have a bad conversation with someone, then you feel sorry for yourself and disappointed and you pick up a cookie and eat it (thinking it will make you feel better). Soon after that, you have another thought like “I have no self-control” and that is followed by another feeling, regret. Here comes the next action: “Might as well have some ice cream.” From there, the thoughts and feelings get even worse.
The problem is that nobody is tracing their actions back to their thoughts. Everyone is waiting to “feel like” eating healthy, in order to start taking the right actions. That could take a very long time.
How to Catch Your Thoughts
Thoughts are mighty elusive but they aren’t uncatchable if you are on a mission. Remember, if you can separate yourself from your thoughts, you’ll gain an amazing power in your life. We do a very specific exercise with clients to help them log and analyze their thought patterns. There is no substitute for writing things down. The awareness causes startling results.
Most people find they only have a handful of really negative thought themes, and once they are clearly nailed, better logic is easier to apply.
You can make a game of catching your most common patterns in action - becoming a warrior for inner peace!
Is Thought Tracking Enough?
No. And that’s because even if we can see the mechanism, it’s still hard to stop it. However, like I said above, when the stakes are high enough , we can often change. Unfortunately, we don’t feel the true consequences of many of our poor health choices until it’s way too late.
We actually get used to feeling physically and emotionally uncomfortable, or even numb, and so we stop connecting the choices we make to the feelings we feel. But yet, we want to feel better. It doesn’t have to go on this way.
Think about what would happen if the natural consequences of poor choices were bigger and more immediate, if you gained 10lbs every time you, say, ate sugar, or got a severe migraine every time you stayed up past 11pm. You’d be way more careful than you are now. But the consequences for most of your poor choices are much more subtle and build up over time, so you don’t notice the harm, except for maybe how crappy you generally feel about yourself, but you don’t connect that to the individual choices. Remember that a little plus a little plus a little equals A LOT!!!
Choices and Self-Esteem
There is actually a hit on your self-esteem every time you make a choice that is not in alignment with your ideals for yourself. That’s what we do feel. But instead of connecting that to the choice we just made, we blame “something wrong with us,” or think someone else should have loved us more or done better with us, or we blame something wrong with the circumstances of life. We end up “feeling bad” but powerless at the same time. We never connect the self-doubt or icky feeling back to the simple action we took or didn’t take.
Making this connection helps inspire change and causes a great increase in self-confidence, if you do something about it.
What to Do About It?
Because the actual consequences of our choices are not so obvious to us, we recommend that our people design artificial ones. Devise the right actions to take for your health (we call them promises) and then the appropriate consequence to “owe” if you don’t fulfill the promise. For example, you could promise to get in 30 minutes of cardio every day or else no television that day. Or you could promise only two desserts a week or else you have to do your partner/kid/roommate’s chores for the next week. One client had to tell her parents every time she drank more alcohol than she planned. That handled that!
It sounds simple but it’s remarkably powerful.
Suddenly, with an annoying, imminent consequence looming, your brain becomes so much more intelligent about how to get your promises done. You start directing your thinking and your actions towards your dream, and of course, the yummy feelings follow.
Consequences are not punishments, and they should not be harmful or detrimental.
In fact, you can see how the examples above could actually be very helpful to relationships and other goals. Consequences can be creative and even funny (one client had to wear bunny ears the next day if she ate things that were not on her food plan) but they have to annoy you enough that you want to avoid them - they also do not need to be so extreme or demeaning. They are simply examples!
What if I know I won’t follow through?
Like any game, it has no integrity if you don’t follow the rules. But since most of us are capable of cheating, it really helps to have accountability. Left to our own devices or in a community of people who have the same negative thinking as we do, we don’t get very far with our dreams.
Find the people who want what you want for your health and hang with them.
If you don’t have a coach make promises to someone in your community and ask them to hold you to them for real. The accountability to change the cycle of thoughts, feelings and actions and bring forth your dream for your health rests with you, but having people to answer to makes it much more likely that you will succeed.
One of my favorite quotes on change...
Sometimes it's not enough to simply say, "I'm sorry." Sometimes you actually have to change.
3 Reasons Why You Need a Restorative Yoga Practice
Adapted from Mind Body Green
Restorative yoga has a wonderful way of allowing our entire physical body to relax. This practice is an “active relaxation” class where we purposely support the body in yoga postures with props so we can stimulate and relax the body towards balance. Muscle and joint tension melts away, the endocrine (governor of hormones) system will be restored and any residual stress in the nervous system washes away. We are left with better digestion, energy levels and a good overall sense of well being.
I asked the class to set an intention to focus on ahimsa during their practice that evening. I asked them to imagine, with every inhale, filling up with a bright light, or an energy, that represented non-violence and loving kindess. With every exhale I encouraged the class to release everything else that wasn’t serving them right then in that moment, to allow for focus and attention on ahimsa.
Yogalifer Emily McNicoll shares her personal insight on this nurturing practice:
"My passion around restorative yoga lies not only in helping people heal their body and mind but to provide a sacred experience in which they can shine a light on the shadowy sides of the self and ultimately feel more comfortable in their own skin."
Our upcoming "Rest & Restore" workshop, hosted by Emily, is full to the brim! If you would like to stay in the loop for the next workshop please email us at info@yogalifestudios.ca
How To: Modified Vinyasa Flow
Step 1: From downward facing dog, bring yourself forward into a plank position on an inhale breath. Shoulders over the wrists, legs strong and straight, core engaged. (*be sure not to collapse through your low back)
Step 2: On the exhale, lower your knees to the floor and un-tuck your toes. Keeping your elbows hugging into your side ribs, lower your chest, and then your hips to your mat.
Step 3: Using your core, inhale to lift your chest away from the floor hugging your shoulder blades together.
Step 4: Root down through your palms, and on the exhale, lift up onto your hands and knees, tuck your toes under and lift your hips back to downward facing dog.
Modified Vinyasa Flow from Yogalife Studios on Vimeo.
Cleanse You
As the seasons change, the days pass, and the moon waxes and wanes our bodies are continuously shifting along with these rhythms. Fall turns to winter and the transition period from Yang to Yin energy is complete; as we move into the utmost Yin time of year (winter), the body yearns for introspection and digestion of summer’s blossoming’s.
Winter is a time to move slowly and sink deep into the truth of what we really are.
Yogalifer Sarah Zanbeek believes in cleansing from a holistic sense: mind, body and soul. A typical cleanse may call for a week of refined habits but to really reach long-lasting goals this shift requires permanence. Cleansing is an everyday commitment, a shift in lifestyle. It is choosing to love yourself more than all of the temptations.
Join us January 12 at Yogalife Studios North from 1:30-4:30 to dive into this new path of health and awareness.
This is not your typical Cleanse workshop. The focus is upon cleansing the entire self; mind, body and spirit through the artful wisdom of Chinese Medicine Organ flow and knowledge of Yoga. To cleanse fully, we must focus on the body as a unit, each part affecting the whole. This workshop will include pranayama (breath techniques), dynamic asana (yoga postures), meditation, and journaling with the intention deeply rooted in cleansing and removing all obstacles that are blocking the body’s natural energetic flow. As some of you may know, the body’s energetic organs have an elegant rhythm to which they flow, as life happens around us, this energetic system can be left in disarray leading to a number of different pathologies.
Come move your body and breath to a yoga sequence designed to re-remind the body of its natural energetic circadian rhythm, ironing out all the kinks this life may have caused.
Cleanse You Workshop
Where. Yogalife Studios North
When. Sun, Jan 12 @ 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Recipes by Sarah Gardner: Granola
Granola
This nutrient and good-stuff-packed granola is great to have for breakfast or as a snack any time of day. I like to eat mine for breakfast with some plain Greek yogurt and honey, or as with almond milk in place of cereal.This recipe is extremely versatile as almost anything can be swapped out. The nuts, seeds, and dried fruits are what I just happened to pick up when creating my granola but you can change out any of them for something else, leave it out completely or change quantities. Other than the oats and bonding agents (oil, honey, and egg) this recipe is completely open to your own interpretation. Even the oil you use can be changed. Sometimes I use olive oil, sometimes I use coconut; any oil works! The possibilities are endless! Make sure that any unused wheat germ is stored in the refrigerator as it will quickly go rancid if left at room temperature.
Ingredients:
3 Cups Rolled Oats (not quick cook) 1 Cup Shredded Coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) ¼ Cup Chopped Cashews ¼ Cup Chopped Pistachios 2 tbsp Sunflower Seeds 1 tbsp Chia Seeds ½ tbsp Wheat Germ ½ tbsp Ground Flax Seed ¼ Cup Greek Yogurt Baking Chips ¼ Cup Dried Strawberries (finely chopped) ¼ Cup Dried Gogi Berries ¼ Cup Dried Kiwi (chopped) 1 Egg (slightly beaten with a fork) ½ Cup of Your Favourite Oil ½ Cup Honey 2 tsp Cinnamon
Directions
- Mix oats, coconut, cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, wheat germ, and flax seed in a large boil.
- Combine egg, oil, cinnamon, and honey and pour over oat mixture.
- Stir so that the oil mixture coats everything evenly and then spread out in an even layer on a baking pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until granola is golden brown and appears dry. Make sure you stir the granola every 7 – 10 minutes so that it cooks evenly and nothing burns.
- Once the granola is done, remove it from the oven and let cool. Once it is cooled you can add your dried fruit and baking chips (don’t put the dried fruit in the oven, it will burn!!).
Store in an airtight container.
A Few Nutritional Notes:
Chia Seeds:
- Packed with fibre and therefore good for your digestive health.
- Full of omega-3s, calcium, manganese (good for your bones), phosphorus (for your bones and teeth), lots of protein, and antioxidants.
- Keeps blood sugar balanced and therefore you energy levels strong and steady.
Wheat Germ:
- Meant to nourish new plants as they are growing (it’s actually the embryo of the plant) so it’s full of nutrients.
- Full of b-vitamins which are important for brain chemistry and cardiovascular health.
- Lots of fibre and phystosterols which are good for your blood sugar levels and digestive health.
- Vitamin E which is good for your body’s cells, your brain, and preventing plaque build up in arteries.
- Lots of omega-3s and minerals your body needs to run properly.
Flax Seed:
- Ground flax seed is much easier for your body to digest than the whole seed which can pass through your digestive system in tact which means you won’t reap any of the benefits from the seed.
- Lots of omega-3s – the “good” fats that are good for your heart.
- Tons of antioxidants.
- Lots of fibre.
- The omega-3s and antioxidants have been linked to protecting against breast, prostate, and colon cancer.
Learn To Fly
New Years Quote
Today is the beginning of a new day. I have been given this day to use it as I will. I can waste it, or I can use it for good. What I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In its place will be something I have left behind. It will be something good.
This is a quote that I read on New Years Day. It was speaking in generalities, but I have completely personalized it, and have decided to use it as my mantra for the year. I hope that is is a quote that may resonate with many of our students, in the pursuit of become higher versions of ourselves and giving back to the community.
-Brandon
A letter from Yogalife's owner, Caren.
Dear Yogalife students, teachers & yogis,
Happy Happy New Year!!!
How should I start.... ;) If we haven’t had the chance to meet yet, let me introduce myself. My name is Caren. I was the very first Yogalifer pretty much ever. I have had the pleasure of seeing the growth of this little studio become what it is today. Thank you for all the love and support that you show our Yogalife family everyday just by showing up.
My resolution this year is to start 2014 with clarity, integrity and intention. For me, 2013 has been a full year of shifts and lessons, of opportunity and growth. I am so fortunate and blessed to be part of such a rich yoga community, to be able to find abundance in the relationships I have made and to love what I get to do everyday. Thank you for showing up and helping me see that.
It might get long… so thank you for continuing to read this.... : )
Gratitude to the teachers who pour their heart and soul out in every class they teach, gratitude to them for helping us inspire health, strength, vibrancy and more in our community.
Gratitude to the front desk yogis who keep up with the cleaning and the laundry with vigour so that we can practice comfortably in the studio. Gratitude to them for making our day a little brighter with their warm smile or when they offer tea as an alternative to when we show up late for class.
Gratitude to the social media yogis for crafting beautiful reads, photos and videos to keep us motivated, educated and excited.
And Gratitude to all the students who keep showing up for classes and workshops, ready to move, ready to breathe and ready to learn. Your determination and exuberance fills me with humility and pride.
It’s already 2014! It’s hard to imagine that life moves so quickly and that Yogalife has been open for almost 4 years now. No, it doesn’t feel like just yesterday that we opened our doors, but my body definitely still remembers that "night before open foot fracture", and the space boot that came with it. My foot still hurts when it’s cold out…
This year our intention is to craft classes, workshops, and blog content that will inspire you. So we are offering a January and February filled with workshops dedicated to motivating your resolutions and goals. Perhaps there’s a workshop that will move you, challenge you, and make you smile.
Share your thoughts with us on how you felt about 2013. What do you want to see this year and what interests you?
These past 4 years have been a wild ride! I can’t wait to see what this upcoming year brings. Feels like it’s going to be… wait for it…. LEGENDARY.
Love,
Caren
Recipes by Sarah Gardner: Southwest Quinoa Salad
Southwest Quinoa Salad
This is a light salad is full of veggies and proteins to give us lots of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that our bodies need to function properly. Substitutions can always be made for many of the ingredients. For example, don’t like cucumber? Use zucchini! Use lime juice instead of lemon. Don’t like cumin? Leave it out, the salad still tastes great! Or, if you want to add a bit of heat add a chopped jalapeno pepper!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
1 Cup Quinoa 1 Cucumber ½ Red Onion 1 Large Tomato 1 Can Corn Kernels 1 Can Black Beans Handful of Chopped Cilantro (About 3 tbsp)
For the Dressing:
½ Cup Olive Oil ½ Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice 1 tsp Cumin
Directions
- Cook the quinoa in a medium sized pot - Bring 2 cups of water to a boil with 1 cup of quinoa. When the water begins to boil turn the heat down to low and cover the pot with a lid until the all of the water is gone.
- While your quinoa is cooking chop your vegetables. They should all be roughly the same size – I usually cut mine to about 1 cm cubes. Keep to the side until the quinoa is cooked.
- Just before the quinoa is cooked completely (so when there is a little bit of liquid still left in the pot) I like to throw my black beans and corn in so that they cook thoroughly.
- Once the quinoa is done, and corn and black beans cooked, add the other vegetables to the pot.
- Mix your salad dressing and pour into the pot.
- Stir everything so that all ingredients mix well and the dressing evenly coats the salad. Serve this salad chilled.
Salad can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for several days.
A Few Nutritional Notes:
Quinoa:
- Very high in protein (it contains all nine essential amino acids our bodies need) so it makes a great vegetarian substitute for meat – especially since it’s cholesterol-free and low-fat.
- It’s gluten free.
- It’s a good source of iron, fibre, riboflavin (a member of the B-vitamin family and has been recently shown to reduce migraines) and magnesium (which is good for your cardiovascular health as it helps to control blood sugar levels).
Black Beans:
- Another good source of protein for the vegetarians among us.
- Full of dietary fibre which helps to regulate blood sugar levels and is good for your digestive system.
- Studies have also shown that the darker a bean, the higher it’s antioxidant content. So, black beans are full of antioxidants!
- Lots of iron – low iron levels can make us feel sluggish, decrease school/work functioning and slow childhood cognitive development.
Weekend Relax Breakfast (Strawberry Kiwi Quinoa Delight)
Inspired by Roberto Martin’s Quinoa and Berry Breakfast Cereal
When Saturday and Sunday stroll right along, the snooze button becomes a friendly acquaintance. Students and the nine to five goers bask in caught up sleep and comfort that their morning routine can change. Cereal, toast and fruit can become the quickest forms of sustenance when we are on the go. The weekends tell another story. Time constraints can dwindle, allowing weekenders to commute to the farmers market or supermarket to pick up some ingredients for breakfast experimentation. It can be a tad exasperating not seeing the food items you need for a new recipe, but the circumstance challenges creativity to transpire-exactly how the Weekend Relax Breakfast emerged.
Ingredients
-Almond or Soy Milk (1/2 cup)
-Water (1/2 cup)
-Quinoa (1/2 cup)
-Pecans (1/3 cup crushed)
-Kiwis (2 sliced)
-Strawberries (10 medium sliced)
-Dried Cranberries or Raisins (1/3 cup)
-Ground Cinnamon (1/2-1 tablespoon)
-Agave Nectar (1/2-1 tablespoon)
Directions
In a medium saucepan add the almond or soy milk, water, pecans, dried cranberries or raisins and ground cinnamon. On medium heat, stir every few minutes until the blended mixture gradually begins to simmer.
In the meantime, you can slice the fruit into a bowl. Plastic wrap the bowl and store it in the fridge.
By this time the mixture should be simmering and you can add the quinoa to the blend. Give it a few stirs to disperse the quinoa. Reduce the heat to low and cover. In about 15-20 minutes, the quinoa should soak up the liquid. Add the agave nectar and give it a whirl. Take the fruit and add it to the confection. Voila, you have got yourself a Weekend Relax Breakfast.
Pertinent Facts
-Strawberries and kiwis offer a great source of vitamin C
-Quinoa can substitute oatmeal and cereal
-Quinoa contains a rich source of fiber and protein
Final Thoughts
Weekends: Doing Whatever You Need To Do To Unwind From The Week. Cooking is a tool I use to take a break from studying. It may not be everyone’s forte, exhibit A right here, but it promotes you to explore your inner child, the part that hides during the week and explores on the weekend.
“Cooking is at once child’s play and adult joy” –Craig Claiborne
-Vlad
Pratyhara
Connecting the Mat to the Stage
Pratyhara deals with the present moment. Savasana, corpse pose, is a key asana that usually associates itself to Pratyhara. After an arduous routine our body craves a calming pose. Savasana allows the body to align with the mind to “take in” the practice. Specifically, the posture enables a Yogi to attune with their inner self so much that a rapid sensory adaptation envelopes the body where you can lose track of time. The relaxing (parasympathetic) nervous system calms the mind making sure to alleviate the effects of the flight or fight (sympathetic) nervous system.
A Yogi can feel so intertwined in the present moment that for an instant the five senses seem out of reach to the moment.
Personally, after transitioning to a group ohm from savasana I have experienced yoga bliss where you feed off the energy of others. There is an energy that stems from the core and shoots to the top of the head and tips of the toes. This phenomenon seems slightly neurotic and crazy right? Right? RIGHT?
Wrong. This same phenomenon has happened to me on multiple onstage occasions. From singing a high note in the last song at the end of the show, the core feeling does not seem to disseminate to thin air. There is an element that connects pratyhara to the stage: vulnerability. On the mat you can be surrounded by up to fifty sweaty bodies where physical contact is inevitable.
At first, it can be difficult to let go and trust a group of complete strangers. Strangers that can see you work through a supressed subconscious. But in a Yoga class you work as a team, feeding off of the communal energy.
Similarly, in acting you delve into bizarre circumstances you need to wrap your head around. You’re experimenting with your emotions and sharing it to a vast dark laughing or crying abyss. Although, there is something surprising about both disciplines.
They allow you to confront who you are at face value.
Vulnerability allows you to explore different spheres your mind and body can reach. There is no cost in being submissive to vulnerability because there is a reward. What is the reward? Basking in the ephemeral savasana and basking in the onstage chemistry with your cast mates, or connecting with strangers on a meta level.
-Vlad
5 Reasons to THINK Before You SPEAK
Adapted from Deborah Hawkins:
He stared at me and blinked. Yes, I was sarcastic. Yes, I was angry. I felt he was self-pre-occupied, inconsiderate and should be ashamed of himself. Then I ruminated about what I said and why? Basically, I scolded him. I spoke as if I was coming from some higher moral place and wanted him to feel bad. I had to ask myself some questions. Would the brief scolding improve the thoughtfulness? (I contemplated that he probably laughed with his friends later about the incident.) Did the brief scolding make me feel any better? That was an even more important question, and I had to admit it didn’t. Being sarcastic with him didn’t make me feel better. I didn’t let go of my perceived slight, my moral outrage, any sooner.
Thinking before you speak considerations do not fall under any sort of action tip category, but they can be very important to your image, to your relationships, and to your peace of mind.
Here are some of the thoughts I try to run through my head – before words run out my mouth.
1) Was intentionality involved?
If responding to something someone said or did, ask yourself if there was intentionality involved. Did the other person mean to be unkind?
Before reacting to words or actions I might not employ myself, I will still try to understand motive. I’ll try to ask myself if the other person meant to be mean or if he was simply being ignorant. If someone is simply being thoughtless, it’s usually not worth the energy required for a clever put-down. If a person is really ignorant, he might not even understand my barb, and not being understood has never made me feel good.
2) What (exactly) am I reacting to?
Before making a verbal response to something I don’t like, I will ask myself if my issue is with the person, with a comment or action, or with me.
If I just don’t like the person, I will remind myself that there’s probably nothing he could say that I’d agree with, so reacting to any specific comment is not going to help us get along, which is probably all I might hope for in the relationship. If I am reacting to a comment, I will try thinking about ways to disagree with the comment without making the person look stupid, feel defensive or wrong.
This doesn’t mean I will stay silent, but I will definitely spend time composing my words before firing them off.
I will also ask myself if I experienced anything recently that frustrated me. If I am really resentful or angry about getting a parking ticket or something else that happened to me that day, it’s unfair to be flippant to someone who just happens to be in front of me.
3) Who do I want to be?
Before making any kind of comment in reaction to something, I want to remember that to other people, what I say is who I am.
When I was a younger woman, I felt self-conscious that I didn’t have a traditional job. I wasn’t a teacher or accountant or lawyer. I often felt bad about this and when, in a social setting, I’d be asked, “What do you do?” I’d often announce “I’m a female impersonator.” I’d do this to be clever and to confuse people. When I’d say this, people would stare at me, often unsure how to respond.
I don’t talk this way anymore, especially with people I don’t know.
When I say “what I say is who I am,” I don’t mean I believe I can be whatever I tell people about myself. I mean that speaking truthfully is more important to me than being clever or disarming.
A person who speaks truthfully and considerately is who I want to be in the world, how I want to be perceived. My words are at least if not more important to my public image than clean clothes and combed hair. It’s good to think about the impression you want to make and the person you want to be before making the first pointed quip that comes to mind.
4) What is my relationship with this other person?
If a relationship is important to you, building up a case to prove you’re right about something should be far less important than letting the other person know he or she is important to you. Not that you have to put yourself down or lie to make someone else feel good, but if your main reason for speaking is to build yourself up, you might re-think your contribution to the conversation.
Do you want to encourage trust? Demonstrate competence? Kindness? Understanding? Cooperation? What qualities would be important to the relationship?
Even if you want to show off your sense of humor and quick wit, think of who you are with and about how you can do this without going totally negative. Lots of friendships revolve around sharing wicked clever observations, but sometimes going too negative will just make you look lame.
5) Who are you judging?
The other week, my boyfriend commented to me on how he thought I was acting particularly spacey. I did a quick inventory of moods that probably visited me that day and I didn’t feel spacey applied. I probably could have admitted to being impatient or other less than angel perfect ways but didn’t feel I owned this category.
Then I realized he forgot to take his wallet when he left for work in the morning. He was projecting. I know I do this, too, at times. I think most people have done this; criticizing someone for reminding them of something they don’t like in themselves.
So, before responding to someone in a particularly critical way, I try to ask myself if there is any judgment about myself hidden in what I think I see in the other person.
I don’t think I’m espousing the Sunday School philosophy “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything,” but I recognize that in the heat of a conversation or as a reaction to a person or type of person I don’t especially like, I have wished I could take something I said back.
I have learned to save sarcasm for friends I know well and am grateful when I think before I speak. HOWEVER, the topic of sarcasm opens up an entirely different discussion. For another time...
Yogalife Pass Sale & Yoga Gifts!
Seasons Greeting and Happy Holidays! From our hearts to yours, we'd like to share the gift of yoga with you.
Session Pass Sale
Session Pass Sale. 20% OFF! December 10 - 20, 2013.
10 Session Pass | reg $140 | sale $112
25 Session Pass | reg $275 | sale $220
You can purchase online or in store. Use the Promo Code: yogaeveryday to receive your 20% discount.
Bundled Christmas Yoga Gifts
We've got you covered with Christmas Gifts too! 15% OFF on the following bundles. If you purchase a bundle and want to add something to it, you can receive 15% OFF on that extra item as well.
Yoga Mat & Towel
Yoga Mat & Mat Sling
Hand Towel, Yoga Strap & Block
Meditation Cushion & Mala Beads
New Gift Cards
We just got in some really sweet gift cards! So if you don't know what to get your Yogi, you can just offer them an amount to put towards their yoga.
Tips For Making a GREAT Relationship
Adapted from Michael McCarthy:
The opportunity for the Great Relationship is always in your path, you simply have to notice it, choose it….and …. WORK at it. That relationship that we are all looking for must be nourished and maintained like any beautiful flower.
What are the magical ingredients we need to culture this flower? In no special order but all necessary to its colour, bouquet and texture, here are a few of the necessary items you need in your love potion for that “Great Relationship”:
Expression of Gratitude
Give thanks everyday for that special person in your life and the wonder of the love you share.
Forgiveness
Always be willing to forgive, to let go of that which you may not approve of in your relationship. Do not cast the stone of disapproval.
Honesty
Always be transparent in your relationship. Do not judge one another.
Expression of Beauty and Excellence
Be sure to compliment and positively comment on what may seem at first glance small or insignificant.
Focus on what’s good, great and intoxicating
Always have at the centre of your relationship what is great.
Perspective
Keep in perspective what is happening in your relationship.
Teamwork
Be kind to one another. Neither person is there to be taken advantage of.
Humour
Keep your sense of humour. Do not take one another too seriously. Have fun.
Kindness
Be kind and considerate whenever you are interacting with each other.
Perseverance
Never give up on that special person.
Creativity
Look for new and fresh ways to bring new excitement and awarenesses into your relationship.
Love of learning to love
Each day look for something new and wonderful you can learn about your partner’s love.
WORK on these in your special relationship. Continue to notice and choose those items that make your relationship precious. Enjoy each moment so you never have to regret what you could have had.
In the words of the Prophet, Kahlil Gibran – “Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of love”. This in the flower that blossoms before your eyes.
21 Habits to Avoid if You're Truly Wanting Happiness
We all want to be happy. We often talk about how badly we want happiness, yet we keep repeating the same unhealthy habits over and over again.
The best way to achieve happiness is by eliminating things that aren't serving us anymore.
So read the following list of what you should stop doing, and make your life happier today:
1. Stop complaining about what’s missing. Instead, be grateful for what you already have.
2. Stop being a jerk to people you love. Instead, open up about what’s bothering you deep inside.
3. Stop comparing yourself to others, because you’ll never feel good enough. Instead, focus on your strengths and let them shine.
4. Stop pushing people away with your criticism. Instead, accept your imperfections and acknowledge theirs as well.
5. Stop living in your past. Instead, forgive yourself and those who caused you pain and move on.
6. Stop seeking people’s approval, because you’ll always feel that something’s missing. Instead, believe in yourself and focus on what makes you happy.
7. Stop blaming others for your unhappiness, because you’re the author of your life. Instead, put a plan together to create the life that you want.
8. Stop beating yourself up when you make mistakes. Instead, use them as an opportunity to grow.
9. Stop falling into your bad habits. Instead, create new ones that will help you achieve your goals.
10. Stop wasting your life on Facebook and on TV. Instead, find new passions that will nurture you.
11. Stop living other people’s dreams. Instead, find your own and feel alive forever.
12. Stop being in a rush. Instead, focus on every moment because you have all your life to complete your tasks.
13. Stop worrying about everything. Instead, focus on every moment so you don’t miss out on miracles.
14. Stop whining. Instead, focus on what you want and take action to get it
15. Stop controlling others. Instead, appreciate who they are and what they are.
16. Stop thinking you’re the smartest. Instead, appreciate the best in others and work with them to create a more harmonious world.
17. Stop trying to impress other people. Instead, be yourself and let people love you for who you are.
18. Stop surrounding yourself with negative people, because they’ll only bring you down. Instead, be around like minded people who appreciate you and support your growth
19. Stop saying YES to everything. Instead, stand up for yourself and say NO lovingly, for everyone’s sake.
20. Stop competing for success. Instead, realize that the world has enough for everyone.
21. Stop being scared of taking your first step. Instead, gain your power back and trust the process of life. Everything happens for a “good” reason.
7 Ways to Stop Fearing What Everyone Thinks of You
Adapted by Marc Chernoff:
The unhappiest people in this world are the people who care the most about what everyone else thinks.
“What’s wrong with wanting to please others?”
That’s what several people asked me via email in response to one of my recent articles. Today, I want to discuss why it’s not healthy to try to please everyone, and how to stop yourself from doing so.
Seeking approval from others is perfectly fine up until the point where you are compromising your health and happiness in the process. It becomes a serious problem if you feel as though widespread positive approval from others is the very oxygen you need to breathe. There was a time in my life when I felt exactly this way.
I literally felt like I was short of breath – almost as if I’d die if my peers didn’t approve of me. This is a condition that developed in my mind when I was very young, after kids in grade school teased me for being a “nerd.” I did everything I could to win their approval. And although I grew out of my awkward stage pretty early in my teenage years, the damage was done – I was left feeling insecure. I was conditioned to seek and beg for outside approval at all times.
The big problem was that, as a twenty-something college graduate entering the work force, I felt that anything I did or even thought only had validity if it was the “right thing” to say and think. And by “right thing,” what I really mean is “what other people thought was right.” I was terrified to step outside the box of acceptability – which was especially harmful to my creativity as I tried to nurture my passion for writing and blogging.
Once I realized what I was doing, I read several books, spoke with a coach, and focused diligently on healing this broken part of myself.
The bottom line is that constant approval-seeking forces you to miss out on the beauty of simply being yourself, with your own unique ideas and desires. If you are led through life only doing and being what you’ve come to believe is expected of you, then, in a way, you cease to live.
So how can you stop fearing what everyone thinks of you? Let’s take a look:
1. Get comfortable with not knowing what other people think.
Some problems in life, such as not knowing what others think of you, are not really meant to be resolved. How people perceive you may have more to do with them than you anyway. They may even like or dislike you simply because you’ve triggered an association in their minds by reminding them of someone they liked or disliked from their past, which has absolutely nothing to do with you. So here’s a new mantra for you – say it, and then say it again: “This is my life, my choices, my mistakes and my lessons. As long as I’m not hurting people, I need not worry what they think of me.”
2. Know that most people are NOT thinking about you anyway.
Ethel Barrett once said, “We would worry less about what others think of us if we realized how seldom they do.” Nothing could be closer to the truth. Forget what everyone else thinks of you; chances are, they aren’t thinking about you anyway. If you feel like they always are, understand that this perception of them watching you and critiquing your every move is a complete figment of your imagination. It’s your own inner fears and insecurities that are creating this illusion. It’s you judging yourself that’s the problem.
3. Accept that someone else’s opinion is NOT your problem.
How many times have you looked at a person and initially misjudged their brilliance? Appearances are deceptive. How you seem to someone and how you actually are are rarely congruent. Even if they get the basic gist of who you are, they’re still missing a big piece of the puzzle. What someone thinks of you will rarely contain the whole truth, which is fine.
If someone forms an opinion of you based on superficialities, then it’s up to them, not you, to reform those opinions based on a more objective and rational viewpoint. Leave it to them to worry about – that is, if they even have an opinion at all. Bottom line: The opinions other people have about you is their problem, not yours. The less you worry about what they think of you, the less complicated your life becomes.
4. Ask yourself, “Does what they think even matter?”
People will think what they want to think. No matter how carefully you choose your words and mannerisms, there’s always a good chance they’ll be misinterpreted and twisted upside down by someone. Does this really matter in the grand scheme of things? No, it doesn’t.
How others see you is not important. How you see yourself means the world. When you’re making big decisions, remember, what you think of yourself and your life is more important than what people think of you. Stay true to YOU. Never be ashamed of doing what feels right. Decide what you think is right and stick to it.
5. See the benefit in being unique.
If you’re thinking like everyone else, you aren’t thinking. And if you aren’t thinking, you aren’t truly living. It’s human nature to attempt to mimic other humans we look up to – perhaps a parental figure or a celebrity – especially when we are feeling insecure in our own skin. But attempting to be someone else will always leave us feeling empty inside. Why? Because what we appreciate about the people we admire is their individuality – the qualities that make them unique. To really copy them, we need to develop our own individuality, and in that way, we would actually be less like them and more like our true selves.
We all have quirks and unique perspectives. The more relaxed you become with your own differences, the more comfortable you will start to feel just being YOU. Celebrate being different, off the beaten path, a little on the weird side… your own special creation. If you find yourself feeling like a fish out of water, by all means find a new river to swim in. But DO NOT change who you are; BE who you are.
6. Be fully present and aware of how you DO want to feel.
It’s OK to know how you do not want to feel, but that’s not all you should be thinking about. Imagine someone trying to learn to read by spending all their time focusing on how they do not want to not be able to read. It doesn’t really make any sense, does it?
Enough is enough! Forget what you do not want to feel for a moment. Work out how you DO want to feel right now in the present moment. Train yourself to live right here, right now without regretting how others once made you feel, or fearing the possibility of future judgment.
7. Speak and live your truth.
Speak your truth even if your voice shakes. Be cordial and reasonable, of course, but don’t tread carefully on every word you say. Push your concerns of what others might think aside. Let the consequences of doing so unravel naturally. What you’ll find is that most of the time no one will be offended or irritated at all. And if they do get upset, it’s likely only because you’ve started behaving in a way that makes them feel they have less power over you.
Think about it. Why be fake?
In the end, the truth usually comes out one way or the other, and when that happens, you’re standing alone if you’ve been living a lie. So live your whole truth starting now. If someone gives you a hard time and says, “You’ve changed,” it’s not a bad thing. It just means you stopped living your life their way. Don’t apologize for it. Instead, be open and sincere, explain how you feel, and keep doing what you know in your heart is right.
Afterthoughts
A life spent ceaselessly trying to please people who, perhaps, are incapable of ever being pleased, or trying too hard to always be seen as doing “the right thing,” is a sure road to a regretful existence.
Do more than just exist. We all exist. The question is: Do you live?
Please take this post to heart and start making changes today. Life is too short not to.
Amy Stuparyk's Yoga Journey
Introducing Amy Stuparyk.
Amy teaches Hot Flow, Core, and Hatha classes at Yogalife. You may have experience one of her shaking your assana classes in one of her classes.
Amy has been with Yogalife since the very beginning. She was one of the first students we had walking through our doors. She already had a strong and flexible practice as she had a dancing background. She was looking for an alternative to her dance and decided to try hot yoga initially for the physical practice. It has become so much more than the physical practice for her now.
And this past Sunday, she embarked on a 17 hour flight to the land of OZ to adventure, explore & experience the world down under. And with great excitement for her as well as sadness, she does not have a confirmed return date. So we all wish her the best adventures and safest ones too. We're going to miss her here at the studio.
“To me, yoga means so many different things but I can sum it all up with a single word, oneness. Oneness with yourself, your breath, your movement and the world around you.Creating peace, love and tranquility around. Om Mani Padme Hum”
Mindful Self Healing - Yoga and Massage
Brandon not only helps guide bodies as a yoga instructor, but he also works as a massage therapist and personal trainer. He has worked diligently to bridge all of them together to create The Art of Yoga and Massage series. With his knowledge of the human body and how it relates to your yoga practice, Brandon can help take you through a deeper awareness of what may be physically or emotionally holding you back.
Mindful Self-Healing – The Art of Yoga and Massage
Join Brandon Jacobs on December 7th from 3:30-6:30pm at the North Studio for a three-hour workshop based on many principles of Massage Therapy and Yoga! Throughout this workshop you will learn techniques to self heal, as well as to help heal another. Our body is extremely multifaceted and connected. Throughout this workshop, you will have the opportunity to experience the healing power of touch, and how it can relate to openness and freedom in your yoga practice. This workshop will involve a lot of hands on work, so come with a friend, partner, or spouse, OR ensure you are comfortable touching and being touched by someone you do not know (for the clinical palpation of partner trigger point techniques). The art of “touch” is incredibly impactful, but please be mindful that it takes time, and is such, an “art.”
***Please bring a golf ball and either a lacrosse or tennis ball to this workshop.
Please note that there are only 6-8 spots available for this workshop.
To register, please visit our website here
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