BLOOM LISTEN: A curation of the talent at Bloom 2017.

Here's the list of Bloom's amazing artists that will be sharing their musical talents at the festival, in all ways: from Daniela Andrade's concert, to Garth Stevenson's mellow Cello accompaniments in class, to MC Yogi and his soulful lyrical yoga classes. 

You're in for a treat when you come to this class. 

Balance Desk Stress With These 3 Poses

It's that time again! September marks the "new year" for desk-related activities: school, work, or just hunkering down into projects as the season starts to change. As humans we spend a significant amount of time rounded forward or hunched into our front body, closing off the anterior cuff of the shoulder and rounding into the upper spine. Even taking a few minutes to stretch and restore can do wonders when you're in go mode. 

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Check in with your posture this very moment as you read this and notice how your body sits naturally. 

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Posture and general alignment of the body is a conscious effort, and often that gentle check-in or reminder helps us get back in form. This is an amazing habit to get into as you clack away at your desk, along with taking breaks and throwing in some stretches. Here's our top 3 favourite postures to make those long work sessions and study marathons a little more comfortable. 

Balasana | Childs Pose

Anahatasana | Melting Heart Pose

Tried and true, these two postures give you front body space and release from the ankles up through the belly, heart, shoulders and out the fingers. Balasana offers a gentle compression in the hips, providing release and restoration from prolonged sitting, and by rooting our forehead and softening the face and throat you are invited to relax deeper. Anahatasana is a more active variation to open the front and side channels of the body, offering release through the intercostal muscles surrounding the ribs up through the sidelines of the shoulders as well as the heart and belly. Try the side variation for added space, holding an equal(ish) amount on either side!

Parivrtta Anjaneyasana | Revolved Lunge Pose

Parivrtta Anjaneyasana is a beautiful compression or wring-out for the spine, organs and digestive system. After sitting, rounding and/or slouching, this is a reset button. Traditionally, this posture has been believed to stimulate the third chakra - the body's centre of energy and vitality. At any modification - back knee down, hands at heart, with a full bind, etc - it is a source of internal strength, confidence and courage.

Uttanasana | Standing Forward Fold

I've often said a forward fold can change your life. The intention behind this posture can vary, so set it before you begin. Generally, this shape lengthens your entire back line, creating space in the spine and hamstrings especially. Perhaps you need a charge, moving into the posture with engagement and activity throughout the arms, legs and heart. Inversely, you may bask in the restorative side, rounding through the natural curves of the spine and softening the knees. Send clear, clean breath up and down the spinal column with gentle awareness through your crown. Mmm. 

Take the time to stretch, nourish yourself and not look at a screen or pour over a textbook as you return back to the grind of life. A regular yoga practice will ensure you can sit even longer, whether that's in silence or in hustle. Check in with your spine often and don't work too hard! 

Finding Stillness: Meditation for Beginners

Photos in this blog courtesy of Caitlin Varrin of Yogalife Studios, featuring Dayna Der

Those unfamiliar with the practice of meditation may look at it as something for the New Age individuals. You know, those who are avid yoga practitioners, who create crystal grids, spend time balancing their chakras and read Rumi or Osho when they have a free moment. However, meditation is by no means a new ritual (with earliest documented practices dating back before the 5th century) nor is it confined to any group or religion. Meditation can (and should be) a purely individual practice, focused on being introspective, and finding a moment to be still amidst an often chaotic existence.

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The term meditation is derived from the Latin word “meditatio”, from the verb “meditari” which simply means “to think, contemplate, devise, or ponder”.

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Sounds simple enough. All you really have to do is sit and ponder things, or try not to think too much. Coming from a person who is consistently on the go, and always thinking about the next project, or item on a make-believe to-do list, I can say it’s harder than it sounds. You might ask yourself how you should be sitting? Or should you be sitting? Can I do this lying down? Should I have music? Silence?

For those new to meditation, much like myself, first attempts at the practice may involve a lot of fidgeting, twiddling ones thumbs, changing positions, and eventually giving up when one realizes that they still have to prepare their lunch for tomorrow and schedule their appointments before going to bed.

So where does one start when they’re so new to meditation?

For myself, it started with yoga. The cues in yoga to focus on my breathing, as opposed to the aesthetic of the posture, is what really first took my mind beyond the physical practice and into the meditative. At the end of the practice, laying supine in savasana, is where the real magic happened for me. The guidance by the instructor to acknowledge passing thought, and then allow it to flow out like the tide going into and pulling away from the shore was what was truly changed my view of meditation. I thought the goal of meditation was the pure absence of thought, but when it turned into an acknowledge-and-release style of practice, that’s when things changed, and it became something I could do on my own. 

Loving the feeling that I got from that last 5 minutes of yoga class, I sought more information on the practice of meditation, and found a wealth of knowledge in books. For a digestible read, and something to get you started, check out “Unplug: a Simple Guide to Meditation for Busy Skeptics and Modern Soul Seekers”. It starts simply, highlighting the common misconceptions about meditation, and then offers a practical approach to integrating the practice into your lifestyle regardless of how busy you believe you are. It's a no-excuses, easy read to help get you started on incorporating stillness into your daily ritual. 

Another resource to get me started on meditation was a meditation app called Relax Meditation. The first week of meditating using this app was more akin to guided lessons that focused on preparing oneself to meditate, focused attention, practicing awareness, and living in the present moment. The audio on this app, as well as the options to add ambient noise, and even low frequency noises geared at stimulating brainwaves was great. It’s also handy to use as a basic app, where you can choose your “nature sounds”, music (or no music) and just set a timer that will chime once your meditation is complete.

Finally, many studios (including our very own!) offer guided meditation classes. Apps are great, and an individual practice is a healthy habit to get into, but sometimes, an in-person, guided meditation in a space that is away from home (which can sometimes subconsciously remind us of those to-do lists) is what we need to reset, and unwind from our fast-paced life. If you’re interested in attending one of our guided meditation classes check out our schedule here.

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What are my basic tips for starting a meditation practice?

Like any physical exercise you do (yoga, running, cycling, weight lifting) make meditation a priority.

Set aside time in your day for a meditation practice and try to make it consistent. It’s as important as anything else on your to-do list.

Start small.

Maybe your practice starts at 10 minutes a day, where you sit, and just focus on your breathing before bed. Again, your mind is allowed to be chaotic at the beginning. At this stage, try and just acknowledge each passing thought from a third-person perspective, and release it when your mind feels satisfied.

Seek guidance.

Guided meditation was a good place for me to start, as I needed some verbal cuing to tell me how to refocus my mind and release extraneous thoughts. Whether it’s in one of our classes or via an app, some direction is good when you’re first starting out.

Make it a ritual. Make it feel special.

Probably my most important tip. For me I make my meditation practice time feel special. If I have the time to go to a class at the studio, that already is innately special time in a special setting. If I’m restricted to doing a home practice, then I make it as atmospheric as possible. I meditate in silence, but I take this opportunity to light my favourite candle, lay out my soft yoga mat, and wrap a soft blanket I once splurged on at a yoga festival around my head and shoulders. For me there’s something comforting about being wrapped in something during a meditation practice.

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Looking to start your meditation practice? Check out our class schedule here for more information on our guided meditation classes!

BLOOM READ: A Book Review of Danielle Laporte’s White Hot Truth

As part of our lead up to Bloom 2017, Yogalife Studios' blog will be featuring posts about all things Bloom. Bloom reads (books), Bloom listen (music), and Bloom yoga. Keep an eye for these posts as they will be coming up right away!

Danielle Laporte: Raw, real, spiritual and best of all, Canadian.

Danielle is a celebrated author, inspirational speaker, successful blogger and entrepreneur with a voice that is palatable for those actively seeking a base in spirituality, and spiritual skeptics like myself. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t totally un-spiritual; White Hot Truth wasn’t my first delve into the world of spiritual self-help. My mother was an avid follower of the Oprah book club after all. But I always approached these types of books with a bit of trepidation – how can I relate to people who spend significant portions of their lives talking to shamans, monks, spiritual leaders both famous and unheard of. A few chapters into Danielle’s latest installment eased those paranoia’s almost instantly. It also gets me excited for her visit to our city when Bloom rolls around!

First, let’s establish the facts. Danielle says it herself in this book, that she is not necessarily giving advice on what you (the reader) should do to fix your life – she is merely documenting her experiences with spiritual practices and self-help culture, and her journey through the messier times in her life with the hope that we can relate and apply whatever we can to our own circumstances.

 

One of the most relatable themes in this book was the idea of spiritual selectivity both within ourselves and within others.

Simply, is what we’re doing to ourselves, and what we’re adopting from others truly serving us or are we being sucked into a New Age vortex of spiritual trends, or as Danielle puts it “spiritual glamour”? Do we help others by truly listening to their issues and provide real support, or do we simply judge those individuals and throw new age jargon their way thinking it’s helping, when actually it’s seizing an opportunity to demonstrate spiritual superiority?

Much like Danielle says in “White Hot Truth” sometimes when we’re going through the rough stuff in our life, we would rather someone say “that really does suck. I’m here if you need” as opposed to throwing a cliché statement like “hardship is but a creation of our mind, so just change the way you think”.

 

At what point are we using our self-help knowledge to empower others, and when are we actually just being a “New Age Douche” (Danielle’s words, not mine).

This is just one of the themes explored in the books, but one that resonated with me personally. Other stand out chapters are understanding how to set boundaries, knowing when we are losing our power, working towards true self love, and knowing when self criticism is productive versus destructive.

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As part of our Bloom prep, give Danielle Laporte’s latest book a read. It’s an engaging, raw and real take on the culture around spiritual self help, and how to navigate through our world and find what works to empower us.

For more information on Danielle Laporte and to perhaps join the White Hot Truth Book Club visit:

For more information on her talk at Bloom 2017 and tickets to Bloom visit:

Festival Essentials

Summer for me generally means gallivanting and getting out there.

There are so many incredible offerings around the city and into our extended backyard to experience through the summer months. Also, as you venture further it really starts getting interesting! It can be draining to spend life out of a bag, but there's a few things I have come to call my festival essentials that make life a little more perfect out in the wild.

From Burning Man to Bass Coast, this is what's in my bag. 

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*Note: Always have the sometimes-not-so-common-sense commonalities like WATER, ear plugs, sunscreen and a flashlight. Trust me. A buddy is usually a good idea too! 

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Stay Cool With This Mist

A spray bottle is a godsend on those 35+ days, and even more wonderful with essential oils added in. Pro tip? Leave it in your cooler until you're ready to spritz. Hello. 

I love Liquid Sunshine from Saje. Grapefruit, Bergamot, Lime.

This also makes a really nice (and easy/inexpensive) gift to bring along and share. Find small spritz bottles and create your own blends to gift people you meet along your adventures. I remember being given a little blue spritz bottle with water and lavender oil at Burning Man one year - it made me so happy! 

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Sunnies Rock

Bring extra sunglasses! Chances are you are probably bringing a few pairs if you're travelling around, but these things seem to always be on an adventure of their own when you need them the most.

Heart-shaped rocks (like the one shown here) are not essential but will always find their way into my bag at some point. I once collected enough heart rocks at Shambhala Music Festival to bring to my entire yoga retreat the following week. Good vibes, man. 

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Pura & Pages

In an ideal world I would bring Pura Botanicals everything along with me, but it's nice to have a little slice of home in the form of this petite sample oil blend. This particular one has peppermint - a beauty for the occasional aches and pains that come along with excessive music, dancing and gallivanting! 

Another essential is a little journal. You will meet so many new friends, encounter new teachers and workshops, hear tons of new music and just generally want to document some of the magic. If you're camping, it's a really fun thing to pass around or just leave out for people to contribute to. Future self will thank you. 

You may also find yourself drawn to hang by the river or up on a hillside somewhere and reflect on these new experiences.

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Home Base Blanket

A good blanket to romp around with is key. Depending where you're festivalling, you might be posted up and taking it in for awhile! Having a home base for your crew to ditch their stuff and come back to for rests and reconnects is the way to do it. I love this cotton woven one from Halfmoon - it's pretty and does the job. 

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Snap Snap

Polaroids have gone from fun to essential in my books. I usually have another camera handy, but this one is instant gratification and requires zero turnaround time! These little silly snap shots make such a lovely gift or keepsake for people you meet along the way as well. Just remember to not leave your film out in the hot sun! 

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Proper Footwear (or something)

These are my go to "rave shoes" (situation depending!) that I've pranced around many festival grounds in. Yes, Burning Man too. If you're someone who loves to go barefoot but wants a little barrier of protection wrapped up in tenderness and charm, I highly recommend real dance slippers. These are not for the faint of feet though - you will hit rocks and mud and could even twist an ankle. I just love them and wear them out in the wild religiously. Proceed with care!  

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As you gear up for the rest of the summer, pack wisely! What makes you most comfortable when you're out and about? How can you feel the most prepared to have the best time of your life? August brings us the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Shambhala Music Festival and Oregon Eclipse, to name a few. Safety and comfort are the biggest festival essentials - what's in your bag?

Wishing you the best time out there! 

Zen Garden

Intentional Gardening is Meditation 

“And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling.” ― Shanti

The practice of yoga reaches far beyond your mat; breath and attention create the sense of union that occurs through the practice. The feeling of caring for something is so incredibly healing and the sanctuary of a garden is a powerful place to connect. Whether you have a full yard to mess about in or an assorted array of apartment plants, getting your hands in the dirt and caring for your own slice of nature is a wonderful source of meditation. Even the tiniest shrub reminds us of the cycles of the seasons and the magic and power of our planet.   

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"In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous."   ―  Aristotle

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Here's 5 simple ways to ground into your gardening practice, cultivate relaxation and connect to the craft:

• Get to know your plants. These living, breathing entities have so much to share. Get close.
• Sing to them, talk to them. It feels good for all parties! 
• Create your garden as an expression of yourself. Let this be a creative outlet to connect to your internal landscape.
• Infuse intention into the food you grow for yourself. Bottom line, you are what you eat. 
• Reflect your goals and desires into your work. Try assigning a mantra or intention to each piece of your garden and remind yourself each time you water. 

Featured Teacher: Sarah Zandbeek

If you've been around Yogalife Studios for a bit you've probably had an interaction with Sarah Zandbeek. From her thoughtful, informative classes and workshops to the teacher trainings facilitated each year, she is a staple member of the Yogalife family.  Today we're catching up with this beautiful human; enjoy her words!

Check out Sarah's Facebook page. Although since having a baby, she has taken a break from teaching publicly, she continues to develop and refine the teacher training each year. 

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“I am a woman with a curious heart and a fierce, graceful edge. I am a seeker, turning over every stone, searching the world and my Self for the truest of true. I am a Lighthouse, holding up a strong pillar, unwavering, bringing light to the depths until the light shines from below. I am a student of life, a deep lover, and a healer. At the same time, I am none of this. I am a girl trying to figure out how to exist in this world, a wanderer having forgotten my way, a student unwilling to see the teacher in front of me, and someone seeking to be healed; yet, I am always a lover and observer of life.

Every thing in its context, every thing with a lesson to be learned, everything in its place.

Om.”

— Sarah

Trainings Taken:

200 hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Training with Open Door Yoga in Vancouver 100 Hour Teacher Training with Ryan Leier, Troy Hadeed, and Dustin Fruson 200 hour Advanced Teacher Training in Bali with the brilliant and devoted Tara Judelle and the wildly, unfathomable Scott Lyons Time spent with Stephen Thomas in quiet seat studying breath and mantra University degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture at Macewan University

Share a favourite poem that inspires you:

Self Portrait

It doesn't interest me if there is one God or many gods. I want to know if you belong or feel abandoned. If you know despair or can see it in others. I want to know if you are prepared to live in the world with its harsh need to change you. If you can look back with firm eyes saying this is where I stand. I want to know if you know how to melt into that fierce heat of living falling toward the center of your longing. I want to know if you are willing to live, day by day, with the consequence of love and the bitter unwanted passion of your sure defeat. I have heard, in that fierce embrace, even the gods speak of God.

-- David Whyte

What's your favourite music to practice to (or do you prefer silence?):

Anything that takes me on a journey into the deep caverns of this body.

Your favourite books, yogi-inspired and fiction: Radiant Sutras by Lorin Roche Five Spirits by Loris Dechar The Gift - Poems of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky The Anatomy of the Spirit by Carolynn Myss ....I could go on for ever, I am a bit of a geek.

Where's your favourite vacation spot? I use to dream of being a traveller and when I became one, I used to dread coming home. Now, my favourite vacation spot is in my heart. Sounds cliche, but it is true. I like being home, I like being away...everything has its purpose and I mostly enjoy my life and the work I get to do.

What is your favourite meal to make and share with friends? Wine, cheese, crackers, olives, bread and butter and on the other hand, I love me a green smoothie. Kale is King.

What's the coolest experience you've ever had with a student? Any time a student discovers something new for the first time is pretty cool for me. Watching the growth, the mind-boggles, the ripples of awareness seeping in. It's all so cool.

What's your favourite pose/sequence/area of the body to work on? I don't know that I really think about the poses all too much, I am mostly "favouriting" the insides! Get inside, what is happening in there...something juicy surely, something a little ragged, some cob webs, a few intricate disguises, so many things.

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Who inspires you? Humans inspire me. It blows my mind often how we are all having a totally different experience and view of the exact same thing. It is all so curious to me.

I am inspired mostly by those seeking their truth through the depths of hell and choosing to keep going. The ones getting pummelled by Life's sweet lessons, but their heart continues to beg the question, "but who am I really." Taking only truth and laying everything else to dissolve. The ones that are curious about something more than what they already "know." The ones willing to give it all up for Love. Those are the ones who inspire me. The ones with fight in their heart and soul that denies nothing.

What is your favourite festival to attend?

Burning Man....yes, Burning man. Woa.

Photo: Trey Ratcliff

If you could study with one person who would it be and why? Lorie Dechar, I read her words and hear the refinement and depth of her wisdom.

What is the best concert you've ever been to? Ooo, hard one. Probably Radio Head, outside in Vancouver, pouring rain...total Bliss!

Where's the next place you want to travel? Switzerland :)

Share your favourite self-healing practice. Quiet Solitude steeped with rich conversation with those who have learned to listen

Share one of your life goals. To write a book.

May we share in this practice together.

xo

11 Insights on Taking a Yoga Training

Yoga teacher training can and will change your life, and here's why.

Our 200 hour Foundational Teacher Training is just around the corner.  Facilitated by Sarah Zandbeek, this course will guide you to transform your practice and deepen your understanding of philosophy and history of yoga.  Moreover, this course is an invitation to self: self love, self knowledge, self illumination.  The following post is from your teacher, Sarah.

For full details on this offering, head here!

Get in touch: trainings@yogalifestudios.ca

Here's 11 reasons to dive in deep with a yoga teacher training.

“Any yoga teacher or human I know that has taken a yoga training has said they believe that this should be a mandatory life program.”

1) Remoulding Reality: There is so much we don’t know about what we know. Having been raised in a culture that deeply values hierarchy and money, we have been secretly trained to hold rules that might be enslaving us instead of propelling us forward. Our idea of success is buried in things that don’t touch the Soul. Yoga trainings begin to ask more, begging the question again and again, “is that true for you, are these ways of existing true for you?” Some how in some way, something opens and all of a sudden the need to hustle and feel stressed about not having enough transforms into “holy shit, I am so taken care of.”

2) Space Holding: Ever feel like no one ever really quite listens to what you are saying? Their physical ear is there, but they’re not hearing the words or the frequency beneath the words? Well, Yoga Training, helps you to not be that friend. As Teachers, we become guiders in Life, whether we chose that or not. When we begin to look at our lives with a higher resolution microscope, we learn things about life and the way it works and in that, we gain empathy, understanding, and compassion. So, when friends and family come to you, you can actually listen with a tuned in ear to the pains they are speaking of without needing to try and push it away with statements like, “it’s going to be all good, he is a jerk any ways, or you’re going to be fine.” Being able to listen is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, your community and humanity.

3) To Live: Yoga training helps you to understand life. In this you gain the courage to really start living it – outside the bounds of who and what someone told you you were suppose to be/do. When we start to observe what the body is experiencing, it becomes a beautiful guide that moves you towards your authentic truth. When we are in line with truth, ease arises, and the dance of life begins underneath our feet.

4) Freedom: I bet you often hear a calling for something more and you have been ignoring it for a while. There is something deep within you that is getting louder and louder, asking you to listen; the Soul’s cry for freedom. Answer that call. The time for change is NOW.

5) Strength and SURRENDER: Learning the pulsation of life can help you move through the tough times with more grace. Unfortunately (fortunately), tough times are an essential part of life and learning; imagine learning from the rough patches in a much less stressful and tumultuous way. Not everything needs to be dealt with head on: yoga can teach us to surrender to that which we can not change and to look a little deeper in order to see the truth of the matter, which is always humbling and filled with powerful teachings.

6) Re-Inhabit Intuition: Living in a society that is mostly based on lies, we have grown to stop trusting our intuition – that which guides us to who we are and our highest purpose. This can lead us to wondering, “what am I doing, what is the point?” Not knowing your purpose can make it really hard to wake up each day, moving through the motions that aren’t moving you. Yoga training helps build Self-trust and confidence to stand up for what you are feeling. It offers a space for others to drop their lies and start moving toward speaking truth and having the strength to say the hardest of things. Moving lies out of the body makes space for deeper movements and more profound moments in life. Life becomes much more juicy!

7) Dissolve Suffering: Suffering exists due to undigested emotional experiences, which tend to inhabit the tissues of the body in the strangest ways. As we practice asana, engage in breath work, and meditate, these stagnancies begin to move. This brings emotions to the forefront, giving us a chance to dissolve past happenings and release them from there grip on our day to day perspective of life.

8) Threshold meets Change: Often, when we reach the edge of something, there is that friction has built and it’s hot, frustrating, and it feels like it might collapse us. We turn around and go back to what we already know and that courageous part of us turtles once again – the cycle ensues. What if we learned to meet these thresholds and had skills to yield through them? We may start to desire these times of great change instead of fear them. Grace may begin to exist as a consistency in our personality.

9) Authentic Self: Who are you? Be that. Scary? Maybe. Impelling? Most definitely. Yoga training can help you begin to move through life guided by what really serves you in all senses: food, relationships, work, and love life. Live in complete accordance to that which you were designed for.

10) Navigation: Yoga training teaches us how to begin chipping away all the built in patterns that we have created over time through our experience in this life. How does one begin to “listen” to the inner guide, to have courage to follow it no matter what, to speak truth even when the voice quivers and the truth is hard. Observing the journey of Yoga in the body-mind-spirit continuum teaches us so much, allowing us to start observing moments in a much more profound way.

11) Life becomes an Offering: Empathy. Through working on your Self, the vastness of what makes you begins to reveal itself. Within that, we start to see that we are all things: crazy, wild, kind, and free. It is only through allowing yourself to experience all of Life’s emotions, that you begin to make space for the uncalculated pathway of others. Each life, each soul is having a different experience than you and your way and learnings may not be their way. Once this is realized, there is space for you to not attach to their experience but rather joyously (and sometimes frustrating) observe them as they unfurl, at their own special pace, way, and time. Not to be corrected or fixed, only loved through the process. The Ultimate offering.

Asanas for the Cyclist

Feature photo by Kassandra Bracken, Asana photos by Caren Hui of Yogalife Studios

Many Edmonton locals are choosing to leave the car keys at home in favour of bike shoes and helmets as a means of commuting around our lovely city. As mentioned in a previous post, Edmonton’s warm summers have allowed for the development of a large density of summer festivals (see our festivals post here), and what better way to get to these festivals, and evade what is often a parking nightmare, then to hop on a bike and pedal to your destination.

Those who don’t use cycling as a way to commute may be found in local spin studios, which have grown in popularity within our city with the growth of studios like YEG cycle, Spinunity, Soul Cycle and Tru Ride. If you’re one of these two people, this post is catered to you, looking to provide yoga asanas that help to combat the common aches and pains that may follow heavy cycling.

Image from YEG Cycle's blog

Though a fun way to get around, and an easy activity to get your heart rate up, cycling for long distances (or in the case of spin classes, long durations) comes with its fair share of ailments if not balanced with cross training and stretching activities like yoga. Like any repetitive activities, we need to pay attention to the position our body is in for the duration of the activity, and look at what stretches and movements get us out of those postures we hold for so long. We should choose positions that counteract the ensuing tightness that is inevitable when fixed in a certain posture for a long time.

In the case of cycling, first of all we are either seated, or up on the pedals. Both positions keep the lumbar spine in a flexed position forward, with our hands on the pedals. In this position we invite tightness into our hip flexors, and also immobility into our lumbar spine as we aren’t really doing any rotations at that point in our back throughout the activity. Second, the chest is typically bent forward over the bike handles, with our shoulders rolled forward on the trunk, resulting in tightness in our pectoral muscles, and decreased mobility into our shoulders into external rotation. Finally, and most obviously, cycling is a lower body heavy activity – our glutes, our hamstrings and our quads are constantly working in sequence for the duration of the activity, and after long sessions on the bike can result in global leg tightness.

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So how do we address these issues? Below are three categories of stretches as well as specific asana examples to work on the potential tight areas following an intense cycle session.

Lower Body Asanas:

Depending on the position of your body over your feet during cycling, you could work almost all major areas of the lower extremity – those who cycle with the upper body bent further forward work the glutes/hamstrings whereas those who cycle with the upper body more upright work the quads in a greater proportion. With the legs, it’s all about the feel of the postures. Whichever postures feel the most challenging and result in a higher intensity stretch are the ones to work on. For all cyclists, make sure you incorporate a hip flexor stretch that works into the iliacus/psoas complex as these are notoriously tight no matter how you cycle.

Low crescent lunge (Anjaneyasana)

This posture is great for addressing hip flexor tightness. Make sure, as you deepen into this posture that you are keeping the hips tucked in, and working towards elevating your chest towards the ceiling. By tucking your hips in and pushing them forward towards the front foot, you will feel a hip flexor stretch into the back leg.

Revolved triangle pose(Parivrtta Trikonasana)

Any forward fold, with the knees kept straight will address hamstring tightness. Revolved triangle is a great option for addressing both hamstring tightness and trunk immobility as it incorporates trunk rotation into the posture as well. If this is not accessible to you, a standing or seated forward fold is a great option to address both hamstrings simultaneously.

Reclined hero pose (Supta Virasana)

If you find that your quad muscles (the front of your thighs) are big problem makers after your cycle, reclined hero is a great posture lengthen out those areas. Go to a depth where a stretch is felt along the front of the thigh, either to your wrists, elbows, or fully on to your back.

Pigeon pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

An effective way to address the deeper gluteal muscles that get tight during cycling is through pigeon pose. For the greatest depth, keep the front leg parallel with the short end of your mat, and move slowly into sleeping pigeon. If this is not accessible, fire log pose, or the figure four position on your back is a suitable alternative.

Upper Body and Heart Opening Asanas

For the most part, while cycling our arms are fixed, grasping the handlebars of our bike. This keeps the shoulders and pectoral muscles in the same position for long periods of time. It’s important to counteract the resulting tightness through moving our upper body in the reverse direction through heart openers.

Upward facing dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

This posture has the dual benefit of not only opening up those hip flexors, but also reverses the posturing of cycling by moving into lower back extension, while simultaneously opening up the heart and addressing potential pectoral tightness as a result of being fixed over the bike handles.

Bow pose (Dhanurasana)

This posture allows for the chest to open, relieving those tight pectoral muscles, while also inviting more mobility into our shoulders. Make sure during this posture that the shoulder blades pulling towards each other is what guides the movement of the arms, not just the reach for the feet. If this is not in your repertoire of postures, modify by interlacing the hands behind the back, and again allowing the shoulder blades coming together to elevate the chest off of the floor.

Lower back Asanas

Supine Twist (Supta Jaṭhara Parivartānāsana)

A quick and easy way to invite more mobility into the lumber spine is through any supine twist. Laying on your back, with your knees together, drop them to one side making sure to keep the shoulders fixed to the mat. This focuses the twist on the lower body. Choose a leg position that allows for the greatest tolerable depth in this position.

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If you are looking for more appropriate postures that can address the specific issues you experience from cycling, don’t hesitate to ask any one of our qualified instructors for advice following your class, or to book a one-on-one session to troubleshoot any issues you think need special attention. General guidelines: make sure the asanas produce a “stretch sensation” and not sharp pain. Muscle tension is good, but pain that is abrupt and cutting is not, and could be indicative of a more serious over use injury. In these cases, take these concerns to your local physiotherapist or physician to get a better diagnosis. Remember to keep all your health care providers and yoga instructors in the know! (see our previous article yoga and physiotherapy here).

Enjoy the ride this summer (and maybe even early Autumn too!) and make sure to keep yourself injury free by balancing out your cycling with a good yoga session!

Stay Connected: 3 Poses For the Wandering Yogi

With summer in full swing there is no doubt the YEG yoga community will be setting out into the world to enjoy some vacation time! Long hours in the car, sleeping in tents, crashing on couches and airplane rides are all wonderfully balanced out by staying connected to your practice. Here's 3 yoga poses you can do to restore the mind, body and soul of the wandering yogi. 

TWIST

No matter how you're travelling, your body is going to crave a nice wring-out when you arrive! Twisting comes in many forms: reclined, seated, of the lunging variety, worked into a standing sequence... there's many ways to scratch that itch! Benefits of twisting include relief of lower back pain, cleansing and detoxifying the body, stimulation of circulation and digestion and reduction of stress and anxiety. Bring your breath into the juicy spots along the spine, hips and shoulders. 

GET UPSIDE DOWN/PUT YOUR FEET UP!

Inverting is an amazing way to reset and restore the body, and there's so many ways to get there! You don't have to pop up into a handstand or headstand to achieve the wonderful benefits of inversions. A simple 'legs up the wall' will help reduce stress, improve circulation, ease back pain and generally assist in posture. 

SLOW DOWN AND BREATHE

Vacation time is excitement time! Yes, you may plan to relax, kick back and unplug, but you can also find yourself overrun with sights to see, plans and activities. It's always a great idea to remind yourself to take a few deep breaths and reconnect back inwards. The rest of your trip will thank you! 

Wishing you the most epic summer adventures coupled with health and happiness that will carry you into Fall. Don't forget to visit us when you're home! 

Sticking around YEG for the summer? Here's our must see and do events of Edmonton!

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

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

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

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

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

Interstellar Rodeo
July 21 to July 23

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

Latitude 53 Urban Garden Party
July 22

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

Edmonton Folk Music Festival
August 10 to August 13

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

Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival
August 17 to August 27

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

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

Essential Oil Talk with Tiffany Sparrow

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

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

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

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Sparrow, Wellness Advocate for doTERRA Canada

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To visit Sparrows doTERRA page please go to: 

Featured Playlist of the Month: by Sol Rising

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

Sol Rising

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

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

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

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

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

Challenging Yourself to Change

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

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

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

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

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

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

The answer is: not likely.

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

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

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

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

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Free for anyone to join the challenge

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

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

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5 Simple Ways To Take Action On Earth Day

Earth Day is on April 22, 2017

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

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

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1. Skip animal products. 

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

2. Ditch your car.

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

3. Shave 5 minutes off your shower.

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

4. Unplug. 

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

5. Take your yoga practice outside.

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

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

MONTHLY BEATS • More Sunny Days Please

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

— Plato

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

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

Mindful Breathing: Practicing Pranayama

It’s as natural as breathing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monthly Beats • March Feels

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

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

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

Make Your Transition

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

A Time of Transition

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

Spring Cleaning: The Practice of Minimalism

Everything meaningful and nothing else.

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

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

The answer simply is: Maybe.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So how does one pursue minimalism?

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First: Identify

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

Second: Start slow

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

Third: Be prepared to say “no”

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

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

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