Catching up with the Yogalife Crew: SUP Yoga and BBQ Carnival
This past Sunday, the Yogalife crew got together for a little fun in the sun to wrap up this amazing summer we've had in YEG. We started off the afternoon with SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) Yoga on Lake Summerside with Waterman5. We learned a little about the background of SUP, practiced on land, and then it was off on our boards to play! The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, warming our backs and the water. We posed and flowed and found out you can do quite a lot on a SUP board—so long as you're not afraid to fall... we even discovered that some of our yogis just may have been surfers in their past lives as they took to the water like fish!
(If you want to give SUP Yoga a try, Waterman5 runs classes at Lake Summerside with Yogalife Instructor Kasandra Bracken and Karma Instructor Chris Shewchuk. This season ends soon—call 780-497-7558 or email programs-ssra@shaw.ca for more info!)
After drying off, our Studio Director Lindsey Park hosted us for a BBQ and mini-Carnival. We uncovered some of our yogis' more competitive sides with games like Plinko, the Potty Toss, and Ladder Ball.
With pay-a-play action, we raised $357.50 for the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation.
Nice work, Yogalife crew!
All bets were off when it came time to eat, as we shared burgers (veggie too, of course!), and tasty contributions from our creative crew.
A big thanks to Lindsey (and family!) for hosting, to Sara for organizing, to Dean for taking photos, and to our team for being all-around awesome and up for anything. Big love to you, crew <3
Featured Yogi: Jana Renee Roemer
Featured Yogi: Jana Renee Roemer
Jana is no stranger to the Edmonton Yoga community, or the yoga community in general. Since moving to LA last year, she's been back for workshops, events, and to run the recent Gaiatri teacher training alongside Sarah Zandbeek and Emily McNicoll. Jana is an important teacher and mentor to a lot of us in the city and beyond... enjoy getting to know her and definitely catch her when she's back in YEG!
How did you get your yogic start?
If I'm really honest, my mom is a yogini in disguise, so much that she didn't even know that yoga is a thing until I started digging into the practice. The yogic lifestyle and many of the philosophies are just the way she is, as was her mother and probably the reason I chose her as my mom! So my start down this path was embedded into the way that I was raised. If I look back, I see I meditated Krishnamurti-style, open-eyed presence from a super young age, although, I definitely didn't label it as such and no one taught it to me. It's something I naturally did growing up on an acreage, in nature, with a LOT of time alone.
I was first introduced to yoga philosophy while attending the University of Saskatchewan in 2001. That started a deep dive into the Spiritual realms & contemplative philosophy. It took me another three years before ever stepping on my mat.
Who brought you to your first class, what was that like, and where was it?
I was fresh out of University and super poor. My mom bought me a gym membership at the Talisman centre in Calgary, but I didn't have running shoes. My roommate at the time suggested that I come to a yoga class with her that was included in the membership. The teacher was Trevor Yelich, we did handstands that first class & I've been hooked ever since!
Tell us about your first teacher training.
My first teacher training was with Gaiatri Yoga. My teachers were Trevor Yelich (my first teacher) & Ally Bogard, who has also served as a powerful mentor in my life. I had recently moved to Edmonton, broken my back in a snow boarding accident and was craving an alignment based practice in order to help me heal. The teachers I had found in Edmonton were great, but not addressing alignment with the refined details I had grown accustomed to while practicing in Calgary with Ally & Trev. I actually didn't start the course to be a teacher, I enrolled in the course hoping to understand alignment within the practice so I could take charge of my own healing process. As the course went on, it became so obvious that this is my calling. Not only to teach yoga, but to work at the same depth that we traversed through the teacher training. It literally completely transformed my life. I actually started my second teacher training before even finishing my first! I wanted to learn everything I could from as many different perspectives I could find!!
Where's your favourite vacation spot?
That's a tough one. There are so many magical places on this planet. I'm currently living 100 steps away from the sand of Venice Beach, California and am feeling quite spoiled as I type this from my home & can hear the ocean crashing. Now that I live in Venice, I crave Canada in a big way, so heading home is an appealing vacation destination. I'm only days away from heading back to Black Rock City, Nevada which is a temporary city that is completely built & taken apart, all within a month. It's quite simply one if the most magical places I've ever visited.
When I was 21, backpacking through Australia with one of my best friends, we decided that since we get to choose where we live, why wouldn't we live in a place were people go on vacation? If we can choose how we live our lives, why wouldn't we choose to live life like we were on vacation? Wouldn't that make for a good life?!?! I feel like I've done a fairly decent job of making that my reality. Since stepping away from my 'real' job and committing to this path, I've never felt like I have a job. I live fully and embody my passion and any time I am 'working' its truly just an extension of my life and an experience of 'following my bliss.' Because of that, I don't feel like I even need vacations anymore. Life just is one!
What is your favourite meal to make and share with friends?
Anything crazy awesome healthy in my vitamix. Chaga & reishi tea. Fresh organic veggies & fruit.
What's the coolest experience you've ever had with a student?
Too many to choose just one. I fall so deeply in love with everyone in the teacher trainings & retreats that I run. It's such precious work. I adore Humans, especially the ones that allow themselves to get vulnerable with me. To witness the unfolding that happens in the framework of yoga teacher training is a Divine gift. It brings me to my knees! Talk about Sacred space. Woah!
Who inspires you?
YOU!!
What is your favourite festival to attend?
Burningman. Obviously.
If you could study with one person who would it be and why?
God. I much prefer going straight to Source.
Share your favourite self-healing practice.
Loving myself through nourishment of ALL kinds. Whole organic foods, Kangen or spring water, meditation, breathing, movement, inspiring relationships, true romantic love, spending time alone, kind & loving thoughts toward myself, forgiveness, gratitude.
Share one of your life goals.
My biggest life goal is to lead as many Humans as possible to the unlimited supply of Self Love that lives deep inside themselves. The more people we have in this world truly, madly, deeply in love with themSelves, the better place this will be. When I'm 100, I want to look back & know I made a difference in this world.
Where's the next place you want to travel?
I've actually been traveling non-stop since 2004. Right now, I just want to be still. Stay home, love my husband and prepare my home for this little baby we're about to welcome earthside. First, Black Rock City, then Joshua Tree for a 10-day silent meditation retreat, then stillness. We're planning a retreat in Mexico in February 2015... Stay tuned for details!
I LOVE YOU!!
To find more of Jana, check out:
JanaRoemer.com Jana's Blog Instagram - @jana_roemer Facebook - Jana Roemer Twitter - @jana_roemer
Foundation Friday: Anjaneyasana
This post is an instalment in a series that delves into the basics of yoga—looking at its postures (asana), breath (pranayama), philosophy, and all the other essentials—giving you the foundations upon which to build a solid practice. Today's focus will be on Anjaneyasana, or Crescent Lunge Pose.
Foundation Friday: Anjaneyasana
Pose, or Asana "Crescent Lunge Pose" ahn-jahn-eh-yass-a-nah
Anjaneyasana, or Crescent Lunge Pose is a posture you'll find in nearly every yoga class. You might find yourself in an Anjaneyasana variation with your back knee lifted or lowered, toes tucked under or not, perhaps in a slight back bend, or with your arms reaching back like you're a runner about to leap off your starting block. Lunges strengthen and stretch the feet, legs, hips, core, back, and even the shoulders and arms—this posture gets your whole body involved!
Anjaneyasana may help…
- Relieve symptoms of sciatica
- Build stabilizing muscles in your legs
- Open through your hips, shoulders, groin, armpits, and neck
- Strengthen your thighs, calves, arches, back, shoulders, and arms
So, how do I get there?
- From Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog), step your right foot up in between your hands. Or, from Tadasana (Mountain Pose), bend your knees and take a long step back with your left leg. Ensure your legs are hip-distance apart.
- Lunge into your front leg—bend your front knee to a 90-degree angle, while ensuring your stance is long enough that your front ankle lines up directly underneath your knee.
- Choose to lower your back knee (low lunge), or keep it lifted (high lunge). *If lowering your back knee bothers your knee joint, you can place a foam composite block underneath that knee, or fold your mat over to offer the joint extra padding.
- Press your front foot down strongly to lift your torso so that it's vertical, stacking your shoulders over your hips.
- Squeeze your inner thighs towards each other to press your right hip back and your left hip forward, so your hips are square.
- Root your tailbone, but lengthen up throughout your spine to the crown of your head.
- Reach your arms skyward, slide your shoulders back and down your spine, and fan your fingers out wide.
We hope this helps you better anjaneyasana, or crescent lunge pose. Please feel free to comment on our Facebook with any further questions. And let us know if you have something you would like to see featured in Foundation Friday!
Love and Light for BKS Iyengar
Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, better known by his initials BKS, has left his Earthly body. Perhaps one of the best-known gurus in the world and accredited for helping bring yoga to the west, Iyengar was still teaching and practicing at the age of 95! (Note: there is some confusion around Iyengar's age at his time of passing. Some sources share that he was indeed 96).
Iyengar was one of the earliest students of Krishnamacharya, who is often referred to as "the father of modern yoga". Iyengar's book 'Light On Yoga' has been called the "bible of yoga" and his teachings will remain influential for eternity. In 2004, Iyengar was recognized for his global influence by Time and was named one of the world's most influential people. We agree.
Love and light to you, BKS Iyengar. Immense gratitude for your teachings and influence.
Namaste.
Festival City: Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival
Festival City: Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival
FRINGE: not part of the mainstream; unconventional, peripheral, or extreme (aka something you want to check out!!!)
This year marks the 33rd Edmonton International Fringe Festival, an 11-day event anchored in Edmonton’s Old Strathcona district. The Fringe showcases a variety of independent theatre performances from more than 1,200 local, national and international artists. Purchase a program guide from these retailers to plan out your Fringe experience. Many shows sell out, so buy your tickets in advance!
Along with the Festival’s diverse theatre offerings, the festival features an abundance of outdoor fun. The offerings are comprised of theatre performances, indoor and outdoor shows, street performers and buskers, vendors and beer gardens. Check out the full line-up of festival events here!
A street performer entertaining Edmontonians gathered in Old Strathcona.
Bring your little ones to Kidsfringe, a fun and FREE area for ‘little fringers’ ages 0 – 12 and their caregivers found on the North end of the Fringe site. Experience plays, music, storytelling and more on the KidStage, hear a story at the Book Nook or get creative at the Craft Corner!
Let us know your Fringe highlights! Know someone performing? Favourite venue? We'd love to hear from you! Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!
Happy Fringing!
Brandon's Final Words
Brandon's final classes were today, Saturday, August 16, 2014. He felt compelled to write one last thank-you to the Yogalife community.
Gratitude.
I am thankful that Yogalife was the very first studio that I was able to teach at. It’s actually the only studio I have taught at so far. I am thankful that a chance was taken on me, even though I was very early in my teaching career. I am thankful for you, all of the students, who have generously allowed me to guide you, share with you, and grow with you. Even share a quote or two. I am thankful for all of the knowledge I have gained over the past two years.
I am thankful for all of your support.
For attending my classes so diligently. For following me to the North Studio when I would teach there. For coming to my Warriors of Change and Art of Massage Workshops. For joining my wife and I in Nicaragua.
I am thankful for your trust.
Thank you for trusting me enough to feel as though I had something to offer you. My hope is that I have helped even one of you in your journey through yoga and life. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be even a small part in all of it.
I poured my heart and soul into this studio and everything I was involved in, and I promise to continue to do that for the yoga community.
If you want to connect with me, or find out where I end up and what I am up to, please follow me on Facebook at Brandon Jacobs Yoga.
“Letting go and moving on means to come to the realization that some people and some places are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.”
Highest Regards,
Brandon
Foundation Friday: Pada Bandha
This post is an instalment in a series that delves into the basics of yoga—looking at its postures (asana), breath (pranayama), philosophy, and all the other essentials—giving you the foundations upon which to build a solid practice. This post focuses on one of the "bandhas", or "locks"—in what might be our most literal "Foundation" Friday yet!
Foundation Friday: Pada Bandha
Lock, or Seal ("Bandha") Foot Lock, or “Pada Bandha” pah-dah bahn-dah
First off—what is a bandha?
The sanskrit word "bandha" translates to lock, seal, or closure. During asana (postural) or pranayama (breath work) practice, bandhas help to energetically "lock" in energy and prana (life force), consciously sealing it inside of our bodies so that it can aid us in our practice. There are three main internal bandhas, one "mother" bandha, and two stabilizing, grounding bandhas—pada bandha, as we'll look at today, is of the stabilizing, foundational variety.
What then, is pada bandha?
Pada, in sanskrit, means "foot"—so pada bandha, is then a "foot lock," or "foot seal." It is a sealing of your connection—or a rooting—with the earth beneath you. It is a solid foundation upon which you can balance. It's a way to get acquainted with all the tiny, underused muscles in your feet (all twenty of them!).
Pada bandha may help…
- You to feel more energized by "locking" your energy in
- Give a sensation of "grounding" while simultaneously lifting (may aid in anxiety or depression)
- Protect your knees
- Support your balance
- Alleviate problems with fallen arches
- Strengthen your legs
- Activate mula bandha (more on that to come!)
So, how do I get there?
- Take a good look at the bottom of your foot.... get really up close and personal! Notice its curvatures, and its raised and recessed areas. Thank them for all the work they do—these feet are what support you, day in and day out!
- Find the four corners of the sole of one foot—the mound of your big toe and pinky toe, and your inner and outer heel. From standing, place your foot down on an even surface and press each of those four corners down evenly.
- Pick up all five of your toes and spread them away from your foot and as far apart from each other as you can.
- While still pressing down through your "four corners," and with your toes lifted, draw, or squeeze the ball of your big toe mound towards your inner heel, and your inner heel towards the mound of your big toe in a way that lifts your arch. Without releasing through the inner edge, do the same with the mound of your pinky toe, and your outer heel. Perhaps you might notice your ankle lift slightly, or feel like you can draw the strength of your feet up your whole leg.
- Keeping all of the engagement you found in Step 4, place your toes back down—one at a time if you can—still spread widely, almost as if you had webbed feet, or spacers in between your toes (this is what we like to call "yogi toes!").
- Do the same with your other foot.
We hope this helps you better understand the concept of pada bandha. Please feel free to comment on our Facebook with any further questions. And let us know if you have something you would like to see featured in Foundation Friday!
Brittany's Final Words
Brittany's final classes at Yogalife Studios Edmonton were on Sunday August 10, 2014. She wished to say a few words as her parting gift to the Yogalife community.
Yogalife was one of the first studios that welcomed me in my infancy as a yoga teacher. I was so willing and excited to play a role in the growing community and taught a lot that first summer. So much has shifted since I began teaching at the studio over 3 years ago. Not only have I witnessed the growth of the community and studentship at Yogalife, but within our city as a whole.
We are truly so lucky to have such committed students and teachers of this practice just within our beloved Edmonton.
I’ve been lucky enough to have had such fun, inspired and lively people in my classes at Yogalife. It would not have been such a memorable and enriching experience if not for the students. From putting holes in the walls in Power Upside Down to bringing us chocolate covered bacon, or even giving me (the yogi on the bus) a lift to the train after class. I’ve laughed so hard, felt so loved, so appreciated and so very inspired by everyone I’ve had the privilege of meeting in my time here.
Teaching the Tuesday night hot flow class has become one of my favourite teaching memories.
That class was truly unique from week to week, and I always loved showing up to that class knowing you would be making wild animal sounds, dancing in the dark, doing ridiculous amounts of core and purely delighting in your practices. I always felt uplifted after teaching that class, and for that, I am forever grateful.
Thank you for allowing me to be but a small piece of your practice these last few years. Words are not even close to being able to express the love I feel for this community. If you would like to reconnect, please follow my Facebook page, Yogi on the Bus.
I whole heartedly welcome the notion of crossing paths with each of you again one day.
In Love and High Spirit,
Brittany
Sean and Keia's Upcoming Retreat: Video
Have you met these two? After getting to know these loving goofballs throughout this video, it's pretty tough to pass up on an opportunity to go on their upcoming retreat this September in Golden, B.C. Yes, there will be plenty of silliness, but time for serious stuff and stillness, too.
Check out their video, enjoy all of the bloopers (there are many!), and if these two speak to you, head on over to our Retreats page to learn more or sign up for some sweet time away!
Embrace the Spirit from Within with Sean and Keia on Vimeo
Embrace the Spirit from Within runs Wednesday Sept. 24th-Sunday Sept. 29th at the Quantum Leaps retreat centre in Golden, B.C. Visit our Retreats page for more details, or send us an email with your questions.
Foundation Friday: Downward Facing Dog
This post is an instalment in a series that delves into the basics of yoga—looking at its postures (asana), breath (pranayama), philosophy, and all the other essentials—giving you the foundations upon which to build a solid practice. This post focuses on the ubiquitous downward facing dog.
Foundation Friday: Downward Facing Dog
Pose, or "Asana" Downward Facing Dog, or “Adho Mukha Svanasana” odd-oh mook-ah shvah-nass-ah-nah (not to be confused with savasana)
Why do we practice downward facing dog?
Downward dog is probably one of the most prevalent of all yoga postures. Though it may not feel like one when you first begin practicing, downward facing dog is actually a resting pose, and is often offered as a break between sequences, or as a starting and finishing point in a flow, or vinyasa. This pose will likely be taught in your first-ever beginner's class, and will carry you through as you advance your practice—downward dog is a quintessential pose, so it's important to get your alignment, er... down!
Downward dog may help…
- Calm the mind, relieving stress and mild depression
- Energize your body
- Stretch your shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands
- Strengthen your arms and legs, which acclimatizing you to weight-bearing in your arms
- Improve digestion
- Offer relief for sinus pain, headaches, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue
- Ease conditions of menopause, high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, and sciatica, and prevent osteoporosis
Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture tend to favour Downward Facing Dog for its activation and extension of the Bladder Channel, the longest channel in the body. According to their perspective, elongating the spine throughout this posture aids in strengthening immunity, among a host of other benefits.
How do I get there?
- Start from a table top position, on your hands and knees. Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder distance apart and spread your fingers wide.
- Turn your hands so that the space between your pointer finger and your middle finger points to the top of your mat.
- Press down through the four corners of your hands, especially the mound of your thumb and pointer finger, while gripping your mat with your fingertips.
- Tuck your toes under, and press your hips up so that your body looks like an inverted pyramid from the side.
- Squeeze your forearms towards each other, and roll your upper arms away from each other.
- Ensuring your feet are hip-distance apart, take a soft bend into your knees and press your heart back towards your thighs.
- Roll your inner thighs back and wide behind you.
- Tilt your sitting bones skyward, and draw your tummy in towards your spine.
- Hug your shins towards each other, and press your heels down towards your mat (but it's okay if they don't touch!)
- Look between your feet, shins, thighs, or upwards at your belly.
If this position is uncomfortable, you can:
- Place your hands on blocks if your shoulders are quite tight
- Prop a towel, rolled mat, or some small sort of padding underneath your palms to alleviate pressure on your wrists
- Take a bigger bend into your knees if your legs are tight
- Support your head with a bolster or a block
- Or, start from standing with a wall or chair in front of you, then bend at your waist and press your palms into a wall or chair instead of the floor. Progress by walking your hands lower towards the earth as the posture becomes more accessible.
We hope this helps you better understand the concept of downward facing dog. Please feel free to comment on our Facebook with any further questions. And let us know if you have something you would like to see featured in Foundation Friday!
Edmonton Folk Music Festival
Hundreds of festival-goers grace the Gallagher Park hillside, creating this iconic view that is EFMF. Image used from festivalseekers.com
Festival City: Edmonton Folk Music Festival
The Edmonton Folk Music Festival (EFMF or Folk Fest for the veterans) is a four-day outdoor music event held the second weekend of August annually since 1980. Though named a "folk music" festival, EFMF boasts a ton of different acts and genres. You can find Celtic, bluegrass, blues, gospel, roots, and worldbeat acts performing on the multiple stages, through the day and into the evening. Staged in Gallagher Park in the Cloverdale community, Folk Fest is truly one of the largest highlights of the Edmonton festival collection.
The 2014 line-up is looking stellar. Acts include Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, Blue Rodeo, and Michael Franti & Spearhead. Find the full performer roster here!
The festival gates open at 4:30 PM on Thursday & Friday and 9:30 AM Saturday & Sunday. During the daytime hours of the festival, there are six active stages hosting workshops and concerts with one stage devoted solely to children's entertainment. Face painting, street performers and roving acts are just some of the treats you'll find in between the stages. This festival is so kid-friendly they have put free entry in place for festival-goers 11 and under. There are dozens of food vendors, ranging from carnival fare to vegetarian and world cuisine. The green onion cakes and elephant ears are two EMFM classics! A large tent houses craftspeople and there is a CD tent where the performers' albums can be purchased.
"Like most festivals, the experience needs to be lived to understand why this festival continues to be one of the premier music events in Canada. The Folk Fest manages to create an atmosphere that goes beyond the music, into an experience in itself. The entire production—from the setting, of the stages, to the volunteer staff that keep it going, and even the festival goers themselves—generates a feeling we look forward to experiencing again and again." - festivalseekers.com
Are you going to the Edmonton Folk Music Festival this year? Send us your pictures and stories for a festival recap! info@yogalifestudios.ca
Foundation Friday: Drishti
Zoran's drishti aids in his balance and concentration.
Foundation Friday: Drishti or Gazing Point
Drishti (meaning: "full seeing", vision, point of view, intelligence or wisdom)
Pratyahara: sense withdrawal
Dharana: concentration
drish-tee
"The eyes play a predominant part in the practice of asanas." - BKS Iyengar
Drishti, or focused gaze, is a means for developing concentrated intention. It relates to the fifth limb of yoga concerning sense withdrawal, as well as the sixth limb dharana relating to concentration. There are a total of 9 drishtis and each yoga asana is associated with one. There are many yoga systems that use this practice and differences regarding which are used for specific asanas, but drishti is mainly part of the Ashtanga Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga traditions.
Why do we practice drishti?
Focusing your gaze as specific points allows your concentration and intention to flow in a circular manner. The gaze first comes from within and is then directed outward to a specific point. This intense focus creates an energy that is reflected back into your body to hold your concentration. This allows the 'looking' to reflect inward, creating a withdrawal of the outward senses and a connection to Self. The directed gaze also gives the mind a focused visual stimulus; wherever your eyes go your mind will follow. Drishti allows the mind to be singularly focussed and balances our internal and external practice. In a visually addictive world, our attention is like currency. Spend it wisely!
Drishti may help...
- concentration
- inner connection
- posture alignment
- meditation
- cleansing the mind
In Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog Pose), for instance, we gaze at the nose tip: Nasagrai Drishti. In meditation and in Matsyasana (Fish Pose), we gaze toward the Ajna Chakra, the third eye: Naitrayohmadya (also called Broomadhya) Drishti. In Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose), we use Nabi Chakra Drishti, gazing at the navel. We use Hastagrai Drishti, gazing at the hand, in Trikonasana (Triangle Pose). In most seated forward bends, we gaze at the big toes: Pahayoragrai Drishti. When we twist to the left or right in seated spinal twists, we gaze as far as we can in the direction of the twist, using Parsva Drishti. In Urdhva Hastasana, the first movement of the Sun Salutation, we gaze up at the thumbs, using Angusta Ma Dyai Drishti. In Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose I), we use Urdhva Drishti, gazing up to infinity. In every asana, the prescribed drishti assists concentration, aids movement, and helps orient the pranic (energetic) body.
In some cases, an improper drishti can actually be harmful, like shoulderstand where the head should not turn to look left or right. Keep this in mind when working with drishti in your practice.
Let the drishti be your guide in to the unseen, to your source, your truth. Allow the flow of your gaze bring you into your true balance and nature.
Guest Post: Inner Glow Nutrition
We are ecstatic to have Inner Glow guru Kristine Fraser back on the blog with awesome information and a delicious new recipe. Read on!
A little bit about Kristine:
Kristine Fraser is a Professional Engineer turned Holistic Nutritionist. A corporate wellness speaker and consultant on natural health, she conducts 8 week "Get Your Glow" challenges in collaboration with corporations and yoga studios, offers one on one coaching, cooking classes, and retreats.
Inner Glow Nutrition
Your Life Changing Supplement!
Well it may not be what’s trending on twitter right now, but it is certainly coming to the forefront of more people’s nutritional conversations, as it should. Truly, a missing link for many of our current ailments, such as bloating, fatigue, a weakened immune system, ridding the body of excess belly fat and one major symptom in particular: brain fog... check out www.innerglownutrition.ca/something-to-chew-on to read more!
AND! The best way to get your coffee: Monkey Style! These freezer packs are great to premake in the freezer and make your grab and go morning “monkey coffee” Try with a few variations outlined below.
Chocolate Monkey Coffee
For your pre-made smoothie packs... 1 banana 4 ice cubes 2 Tbsp of almond butter 3/4 tsp each cinnamon and vanilla 4-5 dates 2 -3 Tbsp raw cacao.
Brew pot of coffee and leave in refrigerator in a glass mason jar with a cute white lid. When ready to make blend 1/2 cup cold coffee, 1/2 cup almond milk (or your own variation), contents of frozen smoothie pack and any extra cacao or sweetener to your liking. Coconut water, protein powders and greens would fit in nicely as well. ENJOY!
Make your version and hashtag #innerglownutrition to be featured on instagram!
Servus Heritage Festival
Festival City: Servus Heritage Festival
This year marks the 39th Servus Heritage Festival, known around YEG simply as "Heritage Days" or "the most amazing place to grab dinner". Featuring 60 pavilions and representing over 85 cultures, this festival is brimming with things to do and see. The action runs from August 2nd to 4th in beautiful Hawrelak Park. Enjoy cultural food (so much delicious food!!!), performances, crafts, clothing, artwork and more in Edmonton's largest park space.
Festival Hours:
Noon to 9 pm Saturday, August 2nd 10 am to 9 pm Sunday, August 3rd 10 am to 7 pm Monday August 4th
The Heritage Festival is an amazing place to connect and chat with people about their cultural roots and their present-day communities in Canada. Look for pavilions showcasing cultural displays with photos, paraphernalia, and stories about their culture or ethnic background in Edmonton. Check out the full pavilion listing here.
Admission is FREE but don't forget your donation for the Edmonton Food Bank!
What are your favourite YEG summer festivals? What have you been up to?
Connect with us on Facebook and share your summer stories.
*photos in the article used from www.heritage-festival.com
Foundation Friday: Trikonasana
These Yogalifers are feeling the length in Louise McKinney Park!
Foundation Friday: Trikonasana || Triangle Pose
Utthita Trikonasana (extended triangle pose)
trikona: triangle asana: posture or seat
Ooh-tee-ta Trih-koh-nah-sah-nah
Trikonasana is one of those foundational poses that gets extra juicy with technical alignment and a longer hold. With that said, there are many ways and cues to get you into this pose, and as we always say, the best version is the one that feels the best. Strength and length are at the heart of triangle pose; feel grounded in your lower limbs and lengthened in your torso out to your fingertips.
Why do we practice Trikonasana?
Like Pranayama and meditation, we can think of our physical postures as medicine. Here are some of the benefits of triangle pose:
- improves the flexibility of the spine
- corrects alignment of the shoulders
- relieves backache
- soothes intestinal issues including gastritis, indigestion, acidity and flatulence
- massages and tones the pelvic organs
- corrects the effects of faulty posture and a sedentary lifestyle
- assists stiffness in the neck, shoulders and knees
- strengthens the ankles and tones the ligaments of the arms and legs
- improve appetite, digestion and circulation
- tone the spinal nerves and abdominal organs
- tone the reproductive organs
- stimulate the nervous system
How do we get there?
There's a lot going on in this pose: you are stretching your hamstrings and psoas, activating and lengthening the external and internal oblique muscles, and the aligning your shoulders as you engage and strengthen the rhomboids (those muscles between the scapulae). Not to mention all the internal medicine you're receiving simultaneously...!
So, from the ground up:
Turn your back toes to face the long edge of your mat, perhaps turning them in slightly depending on sensations in your knee.
The front foot is facing the short side of your mat.
You may use heel-to-arch alignment if it feels right or choose a wider stance based on what's right for your body.
Engage the inner thighs as if you're trying to bunch your mat in the middle.
Draw the pelvic floor up and simultaneously draw in and spin the bottom low belly toward the ceiling.
Spin the entire rib cage up as well.
Ideally, the hips are square to the long side of your mat, with the top hip point (the iliac crest) rolling up and open to the ceiling, the bottom hip rolling under. This will help to square the hips, but if the psoas is tight (and you may feel that tightness in the hamstrings, as the contraction of the psoas here draws on the hamstrings’ origin point), it may take time.
You can use a block under your hand and always remember to take a soft bend in your knees if that's what's feeling best. Never lock them out or hyper-extend!
Keep space in the lower-side oblique muscles so that you’re not collapsing through that lower side waist; keep it long and engaged. Think equal length in both sides of your waist, continuing with that length into your neck and right out your fingertips.
You may choose to gaze up to your top hand or simply look where it feels natural.
Keep your breath long and deep, pulling it in and expanding through the diaphragm to contract and tone your digestive organs and keep focus.
Be sure to come out of this pose on the inhale, engaging the abdominals to help you rise without stressing the lumbar spine. Choose muscle over momentum. Breathe. Switch sides!
Catching Up With Joe Byram
Catching Up With Joe Byram
Yogalife Studios Sponsored Athlete Joe Byram is having an awesome summer. After being named to Team Canada in April he has been training and prepping for the Pan Pacific Championships which run August 21 – 24, 2014 in Gold Coast, Australia.
Joe just got back from a trip to California a few weeks ago and here's what he passed along to us:
The trip to California was a great experience: I had the opportunity to race some of the best swimmers in the world (Michael Phelps, as one example) at the first of two meets, the Santa Clara Grand Prix, near San Jose. My times and placing in my 100m backstroke were okay, but my 200 backstroke was abysmal.
After Santa Clara we went to Mission Viejo, near Anaheim, to train for 3 days, then to race at another meet, the Fran Crippen Memorial Swim Meet of Champions. For the most part, my performances improved from Santa Clara, with the exception of the 200m back, which got even worse...I guess if I am going to swim slow, California is a pretty nice place to do so: we swam outdoors the whole time (without major sunburns!) and had the ability to bodysurf in the Pacific a few times. A rough life indeed.
These meets are what we call "in-season", when our training load is high, and our bodies and minds are tired.
I raced at Provincials here in Edmonton last weekend, but swam events I normally wouldn't. Next weekend I head to Saskatoon for Nationals as a final prep for Pan Pacifics with Team Canada in Gold Coast, Australia. Nationals will be interesting, as I will be "unshaved and untapered" while most of my competitors will be shaved and tapered, as it is their pinnacle meet of the summer. The goal is to push through any tough spots and swim the fastest I have all season.
Check out this video we made with Joe to learn more about his practice and his experience at Yogalife.
Yogalife Sponsored Athlete: Joe Byram from Yogalife Studios on Vimeo.
Thanks Joe!! Best of luck in August!
Welcome Back Meghan Currie!
We are SO pumped to welcome back Meghan to Yogalife Studios July 25 and 26. This time she is here to share her juiciness on LOVING.EVERY.MOMENT.
Every moment is a magical recipe of sorts. Even the most sour of flavours are important and serve purpose. We can collect and assimilate nutrients from every flickering moment if we chew slowly and stay present to the complex flavours of life. This weekend is an opportunity to indulge in all the flavours of You. To simmer in your own experience and let it take you to where you need to go. The classes weave together to create a complete transformational journey, taking your practice to another level of deliciousness!
Perfectly Imperfect
You are here. We begin here, as we are. This is where all the power lives. In truth, rather than in ideas of perfection. How is this all not perfect, as it is? Once the contraction of the idea of perfection relaxes, expansion can then occur. Prepare to sweat and have fun. We flow, opening up the corners of our bodies. Hips + upside down + gentle hearts
Surf School
Swim on air, surfing the breath in each moment. And whatever arises from each moment, we surf that too! This is where we discover the grace and power that comes to our practice from listening to each moment with sweetened ears. Arm balances + deep twists + hearts
A little bit about Miss Currie~
she loves...
handstands, motorcycles, smells, grafitti, safety pins, bicycles, pigeons, music, moss, languages, books, beets, mud, dancing, hydro lines, diagrams, sewing, teaching, surprises, shaking, yard sales, anatomy, instruments, sleeping outside, wisdom, nonsense, sprouts, spoons, body parts, seeds, insects, fears, rocks, giving, essential oils, foods that vibrate, photos, ocean, laughing, naps, spinach, crying, sewing machine parts, singing, love, wrinkles, long walks, good talks, all creatures, trees, apples, raspberries, learning, breathing....being...
Visit Meghan's site to get more acquainted!
Join Meghan at Yogalife Studios South || register here!
Perfectly Imperfect || Friday, July 25 || 7-9pm
Surf School || Saturday, July 26 || 2:30-4:30pm
Foundation Friday: Sama Vritti Breath
Yogalifer Amy Stuparyk shows us you can literally practice this breath anywhere!
Foundation Friday: Sama Vritti Breath
Pranayama (meaning: to restrain or control life force) Sama Vritti or Equal Breath (Sama = even, smooth, flat, equal or same, Vritti = fluctuations or modifications)
sa-ma vree-tee
Why do we practice Sama Vritti breathing?
As the saje Patanjali teaches, we practice yoga asanas and meditation to calm or smooth the fluctuations of the mind (yoga-chitta-vritti-nirodhah). This same principle can apply to sama vritti pranayama—smooth, equal breaths to inspire a calm mind. As the name suggests, the purpose of sama vritti is to create a steady, equal rhythm to create a quality of 'sameness' or balance in the flow of consciousness. Pranayama—or breathwork—is one of the eight Limbs of Yoga (more on those to come!) and can be practiced on its own, or alongside asana (postures).
Sama Vritti may help...
- distractions of the mind
- anxiety
- heart rate
- flow of consciousness
- general focus and attention
- achieving a meditative state
- steadiness in our seated and asana practice
How is it done?
Pranayama often fixes a ratio between the length of each inhale and exhale. In sama vritti pranayama, the ratio is equal. It is a good idea to begin the practice of sama vritti pranayama in the reclining position and then continue by moving on to a seated practice.
To engage sama vritti pranayama, try restricting your breath to an even count on both the inhale and exhale, for example: an inhale = 4 counts, and an exhale = 4 counts. Continue with this pattern.
You can increase the number of counts for each inhale and exhale as you feel comfortable, enjoying the longest pattern you can sustain! Remember to take your time and stay steady with the counts. Notice the way your body, mind, and spirit feels quiet and calm after a sama vritti pranayama practice.... and then carry this with you throughout your day!
Unify Festival
WHEN IS IT?
Sunday July 27th • 10am till late
WHAT IS IT?
A co-creation of local yoga studios and conscious people: yoga, lectures, acroyoga, breath work, kirtan, music, dance and conscious celebration.
WHO IS IT?
Meghan Currie, David Wolfe, the Luminaries, Kaminanda plus lots of local favourites.
Full Line Up —————— Jana (Derges) Roemer Sonic Sattva – Andrew Misle & DJ Robindrafari Meghan Currie Rameen Peyrow Acroyoga with Kelsey and Dawn Integrative Breathwork with Noorish Breathwork Team and music by Blair Francis Sparrow Grace and Friends David Wolfe – yoga and talk Luminaries – conscious hip hop Kaminanda
Noorish loves good food, yoga, conscious living and community.
This July they’re bringing together leading Author and Superfood Expert David Wolfe, renowned Yoga Instructor Meghan Currie, musical guests The Luminaries and Kaminanda, along with a myriad of our local favourites to throw a 1-day festival of yoga and conscious celebration in Edmonton at the Oasis Conference Centre.
Sunday July 27th, 10am till 1am At the Oasis Centre – 10930 177 St., Edmonton AB (see map)
Ticket Options
Full Festival Pass (includes yoga, David Wolfe Talk, and evening music) – $111 advance, $140 door Yoga Day Pass – $60 advance only David Wolfe Talk - $60 advance only Evening Music Only (Kaminanda + Luminaries) – $35 advance only
Visit the official site: http://noorish.ca/unifyfest
Taylor Nystad: Ironwoman!
Yogalife Studio South GSR (Guest Services Rep!) Taylor Nystad is taking off on July 23rd to complete her first Ironman Competition in Whistler, BC. We couldn't be more proud of this huge undertaking, and we want to share a bit of Taylor's story with you.
For those of you that aren't familiar with the parameters of the Ironman, it consists of the following:
Swimming 3.8 km
Biking 180 km
Running 42.2 km (a full marathon in itself!)
She has 17 hours to complete the three components. Taylor has been training on average 15 hours a week, and only started running 2 years ago. She is excited to see what she's capable of and we know she's going to ROCK it! Check out what Taylor has to say about this experience below:
Taylor talks about her journey towards the Ironman in Whistler! from Yogalife Studios on Vimeo.
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