Crafty Time! Coffee Filter Wreath...

There is something about a craft, even as an adult, that is so much fun!  I don't really get the time but I want to find more time as I get a lot of satisfaction out of doing them.

So I wont take this idea as my own but I was inspired to make a wreath out of coffee filters from another blog I found on the Internet.  I don't remember the name of the blog though...I think that is bad blogging etiquette as I should give her a shout out. Sorry!

She used brown filters which looked awesome but all I could find was white at the time.  The effect is still pretty as I added a touch of colour  to it.  I am still on the hunt for brown ones though.

Step #1: Gather the supplies! 
 

Styrofoam wreath, paperclips, coffee filters, berries and twine to hang. I also used glue which is not pictured.

Step #2: Break all the paperclips in half so you get a U-shaped pin.

Step #3: Folder coffee filter in half and pierce the paperclip though.  Then push the pin through the Styrofoam.

Step #4: Keep going until the entire wreath is filled. I used exactly 200 filters.  It was the perfect amount.

Step #5: Break off the artificial berries from the vine and glue in between the filters. I tried to pierce the Styrofoam but they wouldn't stay in so I settled on glue. I used Wood Glue as it was what I found while rummaging through the cupboards. I think any glue would suffice.

Step #6: Hang on the door.  I have a glass/screen door that can protect from the elements but if you do not I recommend this as an indoor wreath.

Aston! So Curious and Cute!

So what do you think? It took a lot longer than I thought it would. I also, accidentally, rammed a couple paperclips under my fingernail in the process!  I am pretty happy with the result though. I think this will be my after Christmas, "Winter Time" Wreath.  Happy Crafting!

Namaste xo.

Chakra Class: Third Eye Chakra...

Third Eye Chakra
Sanskrit Name: Ajna
Location: Brow, In Between Eyes
Colour: Indigo 
Element: Light 

The sixth chakra is that of the brow, third eye, or place of "shamanic seeing." This energy centre is closely associated with imagination, inner vision, and intuition. Our mental calculations and thinking processes are functions of the third eye chakra. We are able to evaluate our past experiences and life patterns and put them into perspective through the wisdom of the third chakra's actions.  It is also related to the Pituitary Gland. It functions as a link between the inner world and the outer world.

Tonight's class was to be a silent class. We were not going to use any music but just have the sound of our own breath and her instructions.  Trish is usually a pretty energetic teacher, trying to get us to smile and act silly and not take things so seriously but today she wanted us to be serious. She wanted focus from all of us.  She didn't mean just focusing on the pose, it was focusing on being completely present in the moment. We were instructed to see things but not react to them. I always get the urge to fix my shirt, brush my hair away, drink some water, look in the mirror, wipe sweat from my eye but she just wanted us to observe these disturbances and not react to them. Be aware of them but just leave them. These disturbances aren't just things that are irritating you, they are distractions to take you out of the present moment, which in her class can sometimes be a little uncomfortable...she teaches a really powerful class. 

She was also going to have us keep our gaze or Drishti steady for the entire class. Drishti is a form of concentration. For me it is one of the things I need to balance in a pose. It allows me to zone in on one spot and just be WITH that spot. We were doing sun salutations while keeping a steady gaze along the mid-line of our body, outward. It was like someone drew a line from the ceiling, wall in front of us, floor and wall behind us while we flowed through the poses. This constant flow of my gaze, in a strait line upward, in front, downward and back, kept me really focused.  Seeing as I had just come from a full training weekend, I also spent all class really focusing on the muscular engagement of my body. Needless to say it was a new kind of yoga tonight. Very engaged, very strong, very focused and extremely powerful.

She also had us do sun salutations with our eyes closed. I usually find this really hard and end up peeking. Tonight, because I was so aware of my body, I was able to follow this imaginary strait line in front of me even with my eyes closed. I was even able to keep my eyes closed in Tree Pose with my gaze lifted.  Just try it...it takes crazy focus.  I usually can never do it.

She was really trying to get us to see with our eyes closed. Open up the Third Eye and SEE with out seeing. Observe without reacting.  It was really neat. Being this focused with the eyes, open and closed, really helped me stay focused on my body engagement. Sometimes I do check out and just go though the motions. I find those classes, I don't really walk away with anything extra to think about. Tonight I was plugged in and my body is defiantly going to feel it tomorrow.

This chakra also intrigued me because it mentioned something about the Pituitary Gland.  I had no idea what it is so I looked it up. This is one part of it I read:

"The pituitary gland secretes nine hormones that regulate homeostasis"

  

Then I looked up Homeostasis.  It read:

  "Homeostasis, in simple terms,  is basically a process in which the body's internal environment is kept stable."

Now I am no science nerd but I think that's cool. I may be interpreting this wrong but what I take from this is that this process is creating balance and harmony on the inside of the body.  Maybe I was able to keep my eyes closed in tree pose this time because my Third Eye was open.  The third eye is connected to the pituitary gland, (insert Dem Bones song here lol ) which regulates homeostasis, which is a process which keeps the body's insides balanced. Well eyes and glands must really have been working tonight! The whole beauty of Tree Pose and one of my favourite features is the ability to stay so balanced. Tree pose always bring me inner calm. To do it with my eyes closed...incredible!

I really am not sure what happened in class tonight with any Eyes or glands or balancing processes but class tonight was aces! Next week will be the last one. I will be sad to see this series end. My eyes have really been opened :)

Namaste xo.

Transformation...

I made it through the last day of training for the weekend. Brain is on overload! I can't seem to even walk now without analyzing my posture or alignment. It's kind of cool though because I am hyper aware of my body right now. We have talked about so many different muscles and joints and ligaments this weekend that I feel like I can isolate each one in my body moving separately even though I don't know all the names of them yet.

It was a bit of a weird day on Sunday. There were a few things that I was thinking about Saturday night or things that I said that were actually revealed in some way or another Sunday. I was writing another post last night that I haven't published yet. I will publish it soon. It is more something that I mentioned in the post though. I said I was HULKing my way through a pose as I found it so muscularly challenging. On Sunday my teacher was wearing an Incredible Hulk shirt?? Interesting...

Another thing on Saturday night, I was talking to Chris about some things in our relationship. Oddly enough, on Sunday, my teacher told us a story about his first date with his wife. He was saying how he had the exact same conversation with his wife, on their first date, which I had with Chris last night. I for sure didn’t tell my teacher about Chris and mine conversation either! The Hulk shirt was coincidental but this story about his conversation with his wife being so similar to my conversation with Chris was getting a little weird.

The other training teacher brought these cards into class Sunday. You reach in a bag and pull out a card with one word on it. You then go to a book and read the little blurb about the word. I guess they could be like a horoscope. I think she called them Angel Cards. The card I pulled on Sunday was Transformation. What I wrote about yesterday in my post, Sitting on the Edge, was basically about transformation and growth. NOW it was weird. I have never experienced a day like that before. It seems many things I was thinking about Saturday came up Sunday. I wonder what that means? I also wonder how often that happens and we are just not in the present moment enough to notice it.

In regards to transformation, I do feel like this is a transforming time in my life. For the past few years I got to a point where things felt really good, almost settled. I have spent the last few years being really comfortable, learning to accept who I am and be happy with it. If I look back I can see that things seemed really chaotic and crazy and then everything kind of fell into place. It felt really good and I really enjoyed the time I had to sit and just absorb it all in and enjoy it. Not that this is a bad thing but life has been starting to feel a little stagnant though. Almost stuck. It's still comfortable but I think I am ready to want more out of who I am at this moment. It’s been building slowly but I felt I was changing inside. I knew something would awaken it soon, and I knew I would look forward to it. I don’t want other people around me to have to change to accomidate me, I want to change. Maybe change is the wrong word. I think grow is a better word. It just seems time for some personal growth. 

I am starting to realize that life isn't just one journey, its many little journeys placed inside. Life ebbs and flows, wan and wanes. I can feel that right now is a time for me to transform and have another journey. I am kind of excited. I could never be in a part of the world where the seasons don’t change. Each season brings new discoveries. I love that feeling....why wouldn’t I want that change to happen inside me?

Sitting at the Edge...

So I originally said that my training weekend posts would be short but I just have to get some of this stuff off my chest! These weekends tend to be a bit of a mind blow that I come home and am completely frazzled.  Something that I loved and was so natural to me is now flipped completely upside down, inside out, round and round and back upside down again. It feels like it never goes back right side up again.

I have never thought about each pose with such depth and I just knew I was enjoying what I was doing.  Now, when I am being studied in a pose, I am being told to do too many things at once. I thought it felt good before but I am being told it can feel even better. I am also being told that although my pose isnt' wrong, it's just not optimal. It could lead to the pose causing me more harm then good if I try to expand to the full expression of the pose. It's like thinking you know something, then being told to go back to its original foundation as maybe your foundation was initially laid wrong. 

Now when I go to public classes I don't think I am actually doing my practice to my optimal or how I am being taught in my training. I get angry with myself but I am so fresh to learning about all these new areas of the bodies that I tend to get over whelmed in a public class and go back to my old tenancies. I go back to my good, comfortable familiar.  I know, in a forward fold, I should inner rotate thighs, hug shins, anterior tilt the pelvis, tuck the tail bone, micro bend the knees, keep spine long and elongated...but it just so fresh and so raw and so new, I  just fold. When I just fold, I now know I hyper extend my knees, I don't tuck my tail. I reach for the floor when maybe I should be reaching for a block instead. Before I didn't know this but now I do and I have to make a choice to choose the fullest potential of a pose or choose what's familiar.

Its really frustrating. I feel like I am sitting at the edge of a cliff.  I am not ready to jump off and go right into the future.  The past is so easy, comforting and mostly just familiar. The thing about sitting on the edge of a cliff though is that its uncomfortable. If you have gotten to the edge, you now know that either way you fall there is going to be an asset and a peril.  Go back to who you were before and not have to deal with the unfamiliar. In the same regard, you go back to the safety of the familiar and you never grow. If you jump off the cliff you are defiantly going to have to face new roadblocks and challenges. But if you jump, you may soar.

When it comes to the teacher training, the poses are one thing. Deep inside, I know that that is just going to take time to practice what I am learning so it becomes second nature. I will choose optimal because optimal will be my new familiar.  I also am beginning to understand that optimal is always changing.

What  I am really finding is how much this relates with my life outside of yoga. I am really embracing this training as an opportunity to see the pose as more than just the pose.  Yoga means to 'yoke' the body and the mind together.  I really want to find out who I am and who I am to become. Who will I allow myself to be? I don't want to stay in the past if I am being given these wonderful tools to fully embrace the most optimal person I can be. At the same time, do I have the energy to venture in the new and unfamiliar when things have been so comforting back here? Was there anything wrong with back here? Could there be more I can do and things I can unlock about myself if I can get past the discomfort of being uncomfortable? I think that answer may be in the next chapter...

Namaste xo.

New Fav Song...

This weekend is a training weekend so the posts may be a little short and sweet.
So I finally loaded up my iPod as my new car has the Mp3 player hookup in the glove box. Now I know iPods are not new to the scene but I'm pretty faithful to my CD's. I would have to say I am loving this fancy new fan-dangled technology! I have so many songs at the touch of my finger tips in a teeny tiny little package in my glove box in my car! My CD visor holder is getting a little old so the pockets are a little loose. It is nice to not have CD's flying out of those loose pockets and smacking me in the face at random times while I am driving now!

Chris downloaded the top indie tracks of 2012 for me. I tend to be slightly OCD when it comes to a new song I like. I have listened to it about 5 times just writing this post alone...not to mention my 30 minute commute twice a day. 

I heard this song after a Monday Chakra class and it totally matched my mood after that class!! 

Go on, take a listen! I would bet it will brighten your mood even if you don't like this style of music.

Namaste xo.

Chakra Class: Throat Chakra...

Sorry folks but I didn't go to my Monday Chakra class. I have come down with something have wanted to do nothing but sleep lately.  I think it may be the flu. Funny my throat hurts so much and it's the throat Chakra week. I'll give you the info on the throat chakra anyways. I wish I could have made it. I am so disappointed.

Throat Chakra
Sanskrit Name: Vishuddha
Location: Throat
Color: Sky Blue 
Element: Sound

The Throat chakra is our voice center. It represents self-expression, communication, and talking. When it is open, you have no problems expressing yourself.  The healthfulness of this chakra is signified by how openly and honestly a person expresses themselves. Lies and half-truths energetically pollute our throat chakra. 

Namaste xo.

MY First Time...

As I mentioned before, Groupon is an amazing way to try out new studios and different styles of yoga for cheap. There is a new studio in my neighborhood called Clay Canada. They were offering a Groupon last week so I bought it and I went last Wednesday. The studio is just so relaxing and gorgeous, it ended up being a great class.

Love this studio at night with candles!

I spoke to the owner of the studio before I left and just said how much I loved her studio. I hoped business would pick up for her and I would do my best to promote her studio because I feel like the atmosphere is the only one of its kind in Mississauga. I told her I would tell my fellow yoga teacher trainers she was running a promotion. She was interested that I was a yoga teacher in training and was really grateful for my support.

So to carry on, I was at work on Thursday and I get a call from Clay Canada and its the other owner of the studio. I was curious as to why they were calling me. She mentioned their regular teacher was sick and they needed someone to sub. She wanted to know if I want to sub and teach a class that night!! The owner mentioned how wonderful a person I seemed to be and how I had a good heart to spread the word about her studio and really cared about the health of her business. She wanted to extended the favour and help me get some early experience in my teaching. She knew I was still in training but as the studio is still very new, the class sizes are very small. It would be OK for me to teach one or two people if they came. She could also tell I had a serious passion for yoga and knew I would do just fine.

I was completely stunned by the offer and YES I did hear her correctly.  ME!? Teach my very first yoga class!?!?! Honestly my first reaction was no. I told her not to worry I would call around and find her a teacher. I called two of my favorite teachers to offer them the class. A small part of me was hoping they were not free to teach. I wanted to actually take this opportunity. Fear kept on telling me not to do it though. Neither of them could make it.  I called Clay back to tell them I couldn't find someone to sub and what came out of my mouth was  "I would teach it for them"...yes...it just came tumbling out!!! I was going to teach my first public class!
 
I made a commitment to them and now my nerves started to run rampant. I realized I didn't have a practice that would last an hour, I didn't have music, I didn't know how to describe the poses with out doing them myself, I didn't know if I could talk while performing the poses or was I going to get winded and just look like an out of shape wannabe yoga teacher. What on earth was I thinking?! I couldn't teach a class!! This was madness!

The universe dropped a huge opportunity in my lap, how could I refuse it? I wanted to cancel so bad, but how could I accept the universes gift and then say 'nah, I don't really want it now'. The owner of Clay extended a good will gesture to me because I was just being myself and showing compassion to her business.  I made a commitment now, I HAD to do it. My awesome co-workers and Suzie both called and said I had to do it.  I mean if not my first class now, when? This was guaranteed to be a small class. Would I rather my first time be in front of 2 people or 20? Yoga teachers are a dime a dozen, you usually have to beg to teach a class. If I had to ask for an opportunity to teach and I screwed it up how much worse would it be than a studio wanting my help.  They were all right...I was going to do this. It really was a golden egg opportunity.

I am NOT an on the fly kinda gal.  I am a serious planner and a "this has to be perfect" kind of person. I realized this was not going to be a perfect time in my life and I was going to have to settle for last minute planning. I dashed home and had an hour and a half to say hello to my husband (who I haven't seen in three weeks...thank you sweet Christopher for your understanding and complete support), make an hour practice and get some music loaded up on the iPod, then get to the studio early to tinker around with the lights and stereo system. Nerves and fear were crushing me at this point. There was just no way I could do this.  Luckily I had already started to write out practices so that didn't take me as long as I thought it would. I had also started to download some music for yoga classes earlier in the week.  Oddly, it seemed I was already preparing for this opportunity to show up.

I was ready to go with time to spare. I got one last supportive hug from Chris with a "you totally look like a yoga teacher right now" and I left the house. In the car was a constant mantra of you can do this. You will not fail, you will not let fear dictate anything, you were given this opportunity because your a good person and because your a good person  you will follow through on your commitments. I didn't want to get out of the car. I hadn't been this nervous since grade seven. I won the 100meter dash at my school and then was to go off to compete in the regional track meet. I was so nervous that day and that race was to last a mere 45 seconds!  And guess what?  I came in last place that day :(  That thought was not helpful so I pushed it out of my mind and pushed myself out of the car at the same time.

As soon I stepped into the studio I felt better. This place was truly stunning and I realized that now was the time to enjoy the moment. I felt lucky to have been chosen, for whatever reason, to be given this opportunity.  I lit some candles and got my mat set up at the FRONT of the room.  What a weird feeling! I set up my music on the stero system and was excited that I got to use my own music for the very time. I was confident in my music choices for sure. I wandered around the room, tinkering with the lights.  I had my practice written up, great music, I knew how to use the stereo, dim the lights and I had the mood set.

What else could I possibly be afraid of? The answer to that was still clear...students. 6:45, 6:48, 6:52, 6:55. No one was showing up.  I was settling into the fact that no one was going to come but I rememebered that my good friend Diane was going to come for moral support...to be a friendly face in class. So either way I was teaching someone tonight.

Unfortunately there is not a huge climactic end to this story.  Ten people didn't show up and I didn't lead an incredible class and now am set for future teachings. It ended up just being Diane. I was so grateful to her for coming so I could at least test out my practice and music so I would be better prepared for the next opportunity. I totally messed up at least 5 times. I didn't talk loud enough to be heard over the heating system. I didn't have balance in poses I can normally hold for days. I tried to instruct the poses while not performing then but ended up having to run back to my mat to do them myself in order to articulate them.  On the other hand, I didn't get winded, I did feel I could describe the poses well enough while doing them, my routine was challenging but calming, it filled an entire hour and I really started to enjoy myself halfway through the class. It felt real to be sharing something I love and believe in so much with other people. I felt like a teacher not because I could do the pose perfect or explain it perfect, I felt like a teacher because I truly believed in what I was teaching. That was the most important part.

She gave me some valuable tips from the students point of view. I will feel less nervous for the next time but I have a long way to go.  Diane, an incredible friend she is, said I did a wonderful job and couldn't wait for her next class with me. Shes a pal.

I think the biggest thing I took from this is how much I have grown. I would normally have let fear dictate what I would do.  Is that growth and maturity or is it my yoga that is helping me be a more confident person. Or both? I don't know but I am grateful for it. I am humbled by how far I have to come to be like my favorite and inspiring yoga teachers.  While I am still in training and learning about the human form, muscles, ligaments and body alignment, I think I have been so lucky to also know what are the next steps to become an effective teacher.  To be inspiring isn't something you will learn overnight but I am grateful because I was given the opportunity to start learning that lesson a lot earlier than most yoga teachers in training probably do.

Namaste xo.

Teach Your Dog to do Yoga...

If any of you know us, you know Aston, our dog, is like family to Chris and I. I think I spend more time with Aston than I do with my own husband. Sad thought...but she is good company!  I have loved dogs my whole life and Aston is my very first dog on my own without the help of my parents.  Man, Chris and I lucked out! Aston is a Border Collie/Aussie Cattle Dog mix. She was just a mutt that we bought off Kijiji one random weekend. Best purchase ever!

If you have met Aston you know she is the sweetest, most patient and accommodating dog EVER! (I am a little biased though) She is naturally well behaved. That is not saying we didn't train her like mad as a pup but she was easier to train that most dogs I know. She just aims to please!

One of the funkiest things I love about Aston is her desire to learn tricks!  She does the usual sit, stay, come but she does some fun ones too like speak, jump, dance, paws up, pick the right toy, shake a paw then the other, then the other, crawl and roll-over.  When she was a puppy, I realized how easy it was for her to learn these simple tricks, so I went out and bought a book of 101 dog tricks.  One of the only things she ever did bad was EAT the book of 101 dog tricks.  We came home to paper scraps everywhere!  I guess that's a 102 tricks she was planning on learning ;)

My favourite of all the ticks she does is Yoga!  As downward dog is a natural movement your dog makes every single day you can teach them to do it on your command!

Every time you dog gets up to stretch and does the usual Down Dog, say their name followed by a really loud and excited YOGA...as excited as you can muster!! Once they do the pose tell them they are good dog and give them lots of pets and maybe a treat. You may get some funny looks at first!!

So for the next two weeks make sure to exclaim how proud you are of your dog when they do Yoga. You can even incorporate a hand motion if you want. I keep my arms parallel to each other and point to the ground while saying YOGA!

The next step is to catch your dog, BEFORE they go into the stretch. Therefore, you can 'command' them to do Down Dog even before they were naturally going to do it. This makes them feel like you are telling them to so something. Do this for another week or so.

If all goes to plan and your dog responds well to praise you should be able to tell your dog to do Yoga on command!  They don't have to be stretching, they could just be standing waiting for their dinner.   
 

Aston....YOGA!!!

As far as tricks go this one is my favorite! I think she knows it and maybe I am a little overkill on it. She tends to do it once, then if I want her to do it again, she just gives me frustrated look before begrudgingly doing it again. Like I said, accommodating!

Namste xo.

Half Moon Nails...

After my last post being so intense and emotional I figure I would lighten things up with another post on funky nail polish! I chose a gold and blood red combo for the season. In the summer the gold and a pale blue would look gorgeous also!

So paint the nails the gold colour and allow to dry. Once dry, apply the stickers. I used paper hole re-enforcements. They give a nice shape...and 600 of them cost me a $1.  That's going to be a LOT of Half Moon Manicures!

 Add the red to the tips and allow to dry completely. I did two coats.

Once dry remove the stickers and apply clear coat.

 

Here are some other ones I really like and will be trying soon!

Happy Polishing!

Namaste xo.

Chakra Class: Heart Chakra...

Tonight was the Heart Chakra. What a class...I am still awestruck by it. I never know how she is going to represent each Chakra but somehow she manages to blow my mind each week. So here goes...

Heart Chakra
Sanskrit Name: Anahata
Location: Heart, Upper Chest
Color: Green 
Element: Air

The heart chakra,rests in the center of the chakra system, at the core of our spirit. The Heart Chakra connects the bottom three chakras, representing balance and grounding, with the upper three chakras representing love, intuition and spirituality. Anahata, in Sanskrit means “unhurt.” Its name implies that deep beneath our personal stories of brokenness and the pain in our heart, wholeness, boundless love, and a wellspring of compassion reside. 

Tonight the music was more calming and seemed almost romantic. I knew tonight was going to be all about the heart and how much love we allow into our lives. She asked us to remember when our heart had been broken, when we felt defeated. She then asked us to remember the opposite of a broken heart and when we felt utter joy and when our heart was bursting.  She reminded us that the hearts search for bliss is never ending.  Its not something you just find, its something you enjoy while you travel on your life journey. The more times your heart is broken, the better the opportunity to mend, absorb the lessons and allow yourself to fill your heart back up again with the bliss we constantly seek.

The class was to be all back bends though. Hearing this immediately shut my heart down and I felt nothing but fear. My back injury, the one that left MY heart feeling defeated, happened in a back bend. I avoid them as they carry physical limitations as well as emotional ones. I usually don't even attempt them out of fear. I always leave class disappointed in myself but I never want to return to where I was in the past two years. The feeling of constant anger and helplessness is something I never want again. If you have ever had an injury for longer than six months, you can fully understand. 

I didn't think I could do the class and I was actually, for the very first time, thinking of leaving.  Realizing that I would actually leave a yoga class before it even began made me realize I needed to do this. I would trust my body and go back to my roots and listen to my limitations and be OK with them.

The reason she chose back bends to represent the Heart Chakra, is because a proper back bend is about opening you heart high to the sky and not actually compressing your spine. By truly opening your heart, you bring a lightness into your body with allows more room and growth through your spine. I tried to remember this all class.

As class progressed, I felt nothing but frustration. I was afraid to try anything. We were also doing another pose I deeply struggle with due to everyday computer work and that is clasping our hands behind our backs and extending the arms overhead. This pose opens up all those tight, shortened muscles in the chest area. The class was just this  pose and back bends. I was hating it.

I was losing the point of the class and was closing myself off to any possibilities of an open heart.  I realized my heart was not only closed, it was also scarred.  I needed this class and what it represented to allow me to break the emotions and start learning from my experience of pain.  I stopped thinking about what I thought I could and couldn't do and just allowed myself to do it. I allowed myself to bend backwards and express my heart to the sky. I took care to use the right muscles to stay safe in the pose but mainly I trusted my body and my heart and I let go. I let go of my fear and really finally opened my heart and to new possibilities.

I didn't rationalize any of these thoughts or what was really represented until Savasana. I went into to final resting pose still frustrated but once I settled in and fully released, I began to cry. I mistook the tears as sweat at first but then I realized what was happening. I have heard this happening to people but it has never happened to me before. It was a little overwhelming, as I didn't even see it coming.  I realized what I finally allowed myself to do. Yes, I did back bends for an entire class, but mainly I let go. I let go of fear and emotional memories of what it was like to be in constant pain. I let go of compression and allowed length and space instead. I let go of a feeling of being defeated in a part of my life to make room for new possibilities and experiences. I feel amazing.

What I like about these Chakra classes, is not the practice itself but what each one represents.  Each class represents something different to each person in it. I go into each class with an open mind and try to find deeper meaning each time. There always seems to be a different meaning and every time I learn something new. Sometimes they surprise me as I don't know what I am going find when I am in there.

This is why I love yoga.
 Namaste xo.

Your First Time...

So I have heard that I have inspired a few of my readers to try yoga!! That makes me happier than you can imagine. So this post is for you and what to expect on your first time to the studio and what to expect in a class.

All studios are going to be different. If you are going to a yoga class at a gym, expect a more fitness based yoga. There will be less emphasis on spirituality, breath and mind work and more on strength, power, cardio and a good butt kicking. This isn’t always the case at all gyms but in my experience it has been. Sometimes that is exactly what I need. Some of these classes will be called Flow, Power or Vinyasa.

If you go to a yoga studio, I think you are going to have more variety to test out what suits you best. There

Public Humiliation Returns...

Many of you have probably already heard of this but I read about and it and just had to share just in case you hadn't. 

Read this Article! "I'm an idiot: Women who drove on sidewalk to avoid school bus is ordered to stand at intersection wearing shaming sign reading 'Only an idiot drives on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus'

Check out the pics!

I personally would like to shake this judge’s hand! Public Shaming? Now this is how I think people will learn lessons! Paying a small fine without anyone knowing isn't going to leave a lasting impression of your stupidity. It also isn't going to teach others valuable lessons from your mistakes. Imagine her phone call into work when she is ordered to go wear her 'idiot' sign?? "ummmm ya I'm not coming into the office today. Why? Um...well...well basically because I am an idiot" Do you think she was late for work in the first place?

Think about the police officer who pulled her over! He is sitting in his cruiser, drinking his coffee, thinking it may be a quiet day on the job when he sees a silver Jeep launch itself over the curb to avoid the school bus! Jackpot! I would pull her over just to see who would be that crazy. The thought just makes me laugh...the things they must see on a daily basis.

I am notoriously 5 minutes late to work everyday and let me tell you, next time I come across some 'pesky' kids loading onto the safety of a school bus to go get their education, I will now think twice about using the sidewalk as a more efficient/convenient way to get around them. I really don't think wearing a public shaming sign next weekend would help my personal image.

From the article: She will have to stand at the intersection of E.38th Street and Payne Avenue sporting the embarrassing sign next Tuesday and Wednesday from 7.45 a.m. to 8.45. A.m. on both days. I personally cannot wait to see those pictures!

Now some of you may think this isn't very Yogi of me. I don't care...this is probably the best punishment for one of the dumbest crimes I have heard of! I bet that judge does yoga...he definitely seems like he has his head on straight!

Namaste xo. lol

Happy Anniversary!

Three years ago today, the most wonderful thing happened to me...I married my best friend. So this post is a dedication to my wonderful husband Chris!

 For the last three years Chris has been traveling for work. The schedule is that he is usually gone for
two weeks to Alberta and back for one week in Ontario to have a rest.  The new schedule, now up North, is three weeks working and one week off. He works 12 hour days, 21 days in a row.  I get to only see my husband for one week out of every month for the next four months.

I know how hard him being gone is on me. I work full time, practice yoga as often as I can, blog, walk and play with the dog morning and night. I look after the house and anything that needs to be fixed or taken care of while he's gone. I manage all the banking, shopping and cleaning. You would think, when he isn't home, I would be a little more relaxed and less busy but I always find myself wiped out at the end of each day. I don't even get to see my friends much either. Then when he comes  home, I put my life on hold to accommodate him being home. I clear my entire schedule (except for work) so I can enjoy every nano second of him being home.  Then, when he leaves again, I have such a sense of loss, plus a routine I have to manage to put myself back into the moment he leaves.

All the hardship I may have to deal with, is no where near compared to what Chris has to deal with. He lugs thee, 50lbs bags through the airport on a regular basis. He deals with people at the airport who clearly have been let out of their house for the very first time in their lives (from the stories he tells me, that has to be explanation for the stupidity of humanity at the airport...he watched some women try to bring a meat clever though security?!!?!?) He sleeps in a cruddy bed in camps in the middle of nowhere, eats garbage food that is horrifically unhealthy. There are no other choices available to him in the cafeteria.  He spends many nights alone in his white square box room with nothing to do.  Sometimes there isn't even an internet connection or phone signal. The most amazing thing is he rarely complains. I dont know how he does it.

When this opportunity came up at work, he was offered a decent amount of cash to do these projects.  Seeing as we have no kids and a small house I can maintain by myself, we decided as long as it didn't take any toll on our relationship, we would sacrifice our time together to get ahead in life..."reap hay while the sun shines" as my Mom always says.

Many of our friends & family cannot fathom this kind of relationship. They don't understand why or how we can do it. Sometimes I wonder the same thing? We miss birthdays, concerts, anniversaries, date nights, holidays, special moments and many Saturday nights just snuggling on the couch.  But I think with great sacrifice comes great rewards. The financial aspect aside, I think this has solidified our relationship further. We truly are each others soul mates and best friends. When he is home, I am the first person he wants to see and vice-verse.  For the 7 days he is home it is like a mini honeymoon. We enjoy every minute of each others company and we realize our time is limited. We don't watch TV that often, we cook dinner together almost every night and we do the chores together with smiles. I also find that we are a little more accommodating of each other. Why spend the limited time nagging at each other when you could instead just appreciate each others company, faults included. Sometimes it feels all brand new, just like when we first started dating.

That doesn't mean when he comes home its all roses EVERY time. Sometimes he comes home on a bad week. I can be in a bad mood or him be so exhausted he doesn't want to do anything.  That is where the strength of our relationship is really tested.  As we only have 7 days to be with each other, it forces us to talk about anything that is bothering us. There is no such thing as the silent treatment in our house....we dont have time for it. We talk about any problems we have and we come up with mutual solutions as soon as possible. The key to our marriage is our communication. Everything is on the table. There is no secrets. He knows what pushes my buttons and I know what pushes his.  After the communication, our next biggest strength is our respect and love for who the individual person is. I am a complete neat freak and him not so much. Even though he spends three weeks leaving his junk all over his room up north, he picks up after himself when he is home.  That is pure respect to who I am in my opinion. He knows it bothers me and he does his best to accomidate. I know he likes leaving his junk around so I don't nag him as often to clean anything up.  If it really is bugging me, I clean it up myself.  We also take the time to notice these little things each other does for the other person. It's not all about the fancy dinners and monetary gifts. It's these little things that make all the difference.

Marriages don't have a quide book.  What works for one couple, wont work for another. Some couples look like they have all their stuff together, when they are falling apart on the inside. Some couples look like the worst match in the world and they are so in love it's incredible. What is right for your relationship, at that time in your life is decided by the couple and not by the norm or the rules. Breaking old traditions, can lead to new discoveries. Besides we got married in Vegas...tradition went out the window a long time ago :)

 I always get Chris a card on our anniversary and write something really nice in it. Since he doesn't have a mailing address to mail him a card, I will write it here. Emailing him would probably be more private but thats not what the blogging world is about! I know he reads my blog everyday, so I will just pour my guts out here!
 
So Chris, the most incredibly talented human I know, you are the pure definition of what a MAN should be. The things you do for our little family and the sacrifices you make are always appreciated. I always knew I would marry a nice guy but I didn't ever imagine that he would be ALL that you are. Your support for me is unquestionably unfaltering. My dreams are yours, my hardships are yours, my ambitions are yours, my shitty days are your personal mission to make better. How do you do it? How do you work so hard and take on my life with the same passion you take on your own?? Your calm & gentle nature, as I said in my wedding vows, is something I admire the most about you.  That part of you is such a mystery to me and I think you are incredible for it.

You laugh at all my jokes, when they are clearly not funny. It's not a pity laugh either, you really think they are funny. You make me feel like the smartest, prettiest, funniest, most amazing girl in the world.  I love you for all your amazing qualities and I still love you for your not so amazing ones.  Although I hate them, your joy at the weekly flyer delivery secretly makes me love you even more every Wednesday.

You have a lot of integrity in how you approach life. You say you are terrible with words and always say the wrong thing but I think actions speak louder than words. Everything you do, specially when solving problems, is done with such respect and care to not compromise who you are or who others are. That takes a lot of talent that most people don't have. I see so much in you of who I want to be myself.

Your my role model, my best friend, my lover and the person I want to grow old and die with. I cherish who you are and wouldn't change anything about you, even for all the shopping sprees in the world and that says a LOT! I miss you and can't wait to have our anniversary day celebration when you get home. I will be thinking about you ALL day! Happy Anniversary!

Namaste to Chris xo.

Lulu Loyalty...

I boycotted Lululemon clothing for a LONG time. I couldn't stand how people who didn't do yoga, or anything athletic for that matter, bought Lulu pants to do nothing but watch TV and loaf about the couch.  It was the price of "loafing" pants that really bugged me to do nothing but...well...loaf.  Lets be real, $100 to eat chips on the couch??? I don't think so. Lulu became more of a status symbol...like"Hey, I'm eating my  Haagen Dazs on the couch in my designer yoga pants...what are you wearing?? Walmart?? Phhft". The real question is, do Lulu pants make eating ice cream healthy?

When I started to do yoga four or five times a week, I will admit I did find it difficult to find pants that didn't ride up, roll down at the waist, get baggy after one wear, emphasize unflattering thighs and not be see thru in Uttanasana (fear of see thru pants is the reason I am usually at the back of the class)

After years of boycotting, I decided to sneak off to my local Lulu store to try on a pair of these coveted pants. I figured hey, if I DO yoga then I can justify buying a pair right? I felt like I was cheating on my prior opinions.  I had to see what everyone was talking about.

Slipping on these pants, was like slipping into a second skin. Except it's your BEST skin ever!! My usual size 12 made me feel like a size 8 and the pants are so comfy! They don't pinch or ride or slip or slide. They stay perfectly in place and look fantastic even after a few wears. After my first test drive in class, I was officially converted!

Still, I don't like being someone who buys something just because its cool. The quality and performance of Lululemon is incredible but I still like to stand out and create my own style.

I love the new modern stirrup pant that has been surfacing lately.  It's a far cry from the stirrup pants were all used to from the 80'...


Sexy *sarcasm font*

I came across this website called Wellicious. It's a yoga and lifestyle company based out of the UK. The prices are similar to Lulu's but the downside is you have to pay for shipping.  With the VAT tax taken off though, it comes to the same price.

I fell in love with these yoga tights

I got them in the mail last week and unfortunately, they are just not up to snuff.  They slip down when you bend over and don't return to their original shape after one wear. The waist is huge and I can't figure out if they are supposed to sit high or you should fold them over to create a folded waist band?  The worst part is, they are INCREDIBLY see thru. Thank goodness I checked before trotting off to class in them!

I think Wellicious is a new company and I hope they figure out some of their quality issues. The look and style is gorgeous but the execution is lacking.

I try not to wear my Lulu's for lounging...it goes against my moral code but these pants from Wellicious will sadly become loafing pants.  I wonder if they make eating ice cream healthy too? Maybe when I start teaching I could wear them to a class.  Even if I do have to bend over, at least I would be at the front of the class facing forward...I would only flash the wall my polka dot undies!

I am converted to a believer in Lululemon pants. They truly are magical.  My opinion is that the tank tops and shirts are give or take.  I mean they are nice but I don't think the shirts need as much performance as the pants do and they are a little over priced.  Lately I have been buying my yoga tops from another online retailer called Garnet Hill. They have a house brand called Zinni that makes really great tops. I wait for them to go on sale because the price is usually slashed by 70%. 

I love the colors of this top. It also wears amazing and stays snug and firmly in place while still being soft and comfy.


Garnet Hill, Zinni Collection

As much as I tried to make the yoga world a better place by breaking the norm and not wearing Lululemon yoga pants, I failed. They really are worth every penny and I have started a mini collection of my own. So congrats to Lulu for making an amazing product! 

I still try my best to only wear my Lulu's to yoga class but I will admit, I have slipped on an occasion or two and found myself loafing on the couch in them on a Saturday night. OH how things change....

Namaste xo.