THE HALF-SMILE to nurture more peace and joy within you. Periodically throughout the day,for 3-5 breaths, invite a barely there, half smile to your face (think Mona Lisa, subtle, tiny smile). Can you feel a change in your body? Enjoy this relaxed half smile just for you. Research has shown that doing this for 5-10 minutes can change your mood. Inspired by Tenzin Palmo, Tibetan Buddhist … [Read more...]
Getting the Most out of Your Retreat
So you are going on a Yoga Retreat, Congratulations! Here are some helpful tips on getting the most out of it. Drop expectations – you are (probably) not psychic, so you cannot predict what will happen or how you will feel. Drop expectations of your host. Drop expectations of the venue. Most importantly, drop expectations of yourself in order to allow yourself to come to the experience curious, open and new. Like taking off a heavy overcoat, shed it all. Shed all of your roles in … [Read more...]
O is for OM
In your yoga practice does OM (or AUM) hold a place for you? What does OM mean to you? A sacred spiritual symbol and sound (mantra) in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism, Om represents everything. It represents the soul, the world, the universe, all that was, all that is and all that ever will be. Om is often chanted at the beginning and end a of yoga practice, which for some is their first introduction to Om. The experience of OM is different things to different people, and their connection to … [Read more...]
The Journey
The journey of yoga is different for everyone. We all start from a different place and travel a different journey. I am going to share with you a little bit about my yoga journey. I started a physical yoga practice about 9 years ago. My yoga practice consisted of about 2 classes a week at my gym with a yoga teacher who I thought “was so into yoga” (my first introduction to a dedicated yogi). The yoga for me, was to compliment to my early morning weight lifting routine. My wife Dianne … [Read more...]
The Naughty Yogi ~ Message from a real life Yogi
Today I got a nickname, the Naughty Yogi… And I liked it! When you do a lot of ‘Om-ing’ if you're not careful it can make you feel far too serious. This so-called path to enlightenment or working towards awareness or self-improvement of any kind is our natural yearning towards greater happiness and bliss. Yet in this trying to be a better person, we sometimes pproach it as a project like we do our work and we make it so effortful and so focussed that we might lose sight of the ability to live … [Read more...]
