Outreach Yoga Challenge - Day 30 Gratitude

‘’It is better to travel well than to arrive." ~Buddha

So my 30 day challenge for Outreach is over, and time for me to reflect on my experience so far. Instantly I know that this isn’t over for me, I love to share ideas and information, I love to know I’ve helped a few budding yogi’s along the way. Or maybe you just took the body brush tips, or the hot lemon water. If you took anything from the challenge so far, then thank you, I’m truly honoured you took time to read this and even try out the advice.  Blogging my raw experiences along the way has also helped me study at school, think more clearly about my yoga practice, and look at how I really think about certain issues. I would highly recommend keeping a blog, a diary, a journal and get your thoughts out on paper, or just share them with a friend, talk things over. Don't have thoughts swirling around like leaves in your head, there is too much living to be done to be raking them up all of the time. It really helps too, so thanks for listening :)

My intention for the challenge in practicing yoga for 30 days consistently, was to blog my experience, explain some yoga asanas, share my thoughts and advise on everything from nutrition to love. My ego gets in the way sometimes, I feel it brewing and I still post the LOOK AT ME photographs anyway, but the intention was to grasp your attention in the hope you would find the blog more enjoyable and fun. Funny how ‘sex sells’ the blogs containing arse, boobs and body all definitely had the highest hits, and on reflection I was manipulating my readers with captions like ‘Are you looking at my tits’. All in good spirits of course!

My longer term intention is to keep sharing yoga with everyone who is interested, keep sharing nutrition advice for everyone who needs it, and mainly keep sharing love for anyone you wants it. Thanks so much to everyone who sponsored me and donated some pennies, now the challenge is over and I’ve successfully completed it would be great if you could spare a couple bucks/pounds/euros and help Outreach Charity continue their fine work in helping the vulnerable through Yoga. I’ll be continuing to work with them during my stay in Vancouver teaching yoga to those suffering with trauma, depression and abuse. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE spare some cash for the charity if you can.

http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=14769

I’ll be continuing my blog, with some new interesting angles, its my aim to continue sharing yoga and holistic nutrition forever and it will be with you coming to staying in my holistic yoga homestay retreat in the mountains somewhere with the ocean. If you have anything to share please send me an email with some suggestions for the blog, would love to research anything nutrition, holistic, yoga, and the world related! Thanks for all your sweet messages, thanks to GOD AND MY MOM AND I ACCEPT THIS OSCAR...oh...wrong gig.

What a lovely bunch of coconuts!

Once mistakenly thought to be bad because of its saturated fat content, coconut oil is now known to contain a unique form of saturated fat that actually helps prevent heart disease, stroke, and hardening of arteries. The saturated fat in coconut oil is unlike the fat found in meat or other vegetable fats. It is identical to a special group of fats found in human breast milk, which have been shown to improve digestion, strengthen the immune system, and protect against bacterial, viral and fungal infections. These fats derived from coconut oil, are now routinely used in hospital IV formulations and commercial baby formulas. They’re also used in sports drinks to boost energy and enhance athletic performance. However, there is nothing better than drinking pure coconut juice straight from the tree...in costa rica... Coconut Oil Miracle benefits;


Reduces risk of atherosclerosis and related illness

Reduces risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions

Helps prevent bacterial, viral and fungal (yeast) infections

Promotes weight loss...healthy!

Keeps skin soft and smooth (get your partner to rub on, lick off?)

Supports immune system function

Helps prevent osteoporosis

Helps control diabetes

Supports healthy metabolic function

Provides immediate source of energy

Supplies fewer calories than other fats

Supplies important nutrients necessary for good health

Can make great bikini top with coconut shells and move to Hawaii

Improves digestion and nutrient absorption

Is highly resistant to spoilage (long shelf life)

Is heat resistant (THE HEALTHIEST OIL FOR COOKING)

Helps prevent premature aging and wrinking of skin....ditch botox

Helps prevent against skin cancer and other blemishes

Makes you always feel on HOLIDAY!!!

 

 

For the last Yoga session as part of the Outreach challenge, Mark and I opted out of Occupying Vancouver again, and took a Hatha Meditative class, with some yin and really restored and reflected. The class was just what I needed, deep long spinal twists with a cheeky revolved triangle to remind me, to practice!!! Does practice really make perfect?

Namaste

Outreach Yoga Challenge - Day 29 ZZzzzzzzz!

Sleep is so essential to our bodies, and I got an extra hour this morning without even knowing it YYIIPPPEEEEEEE! We repair and rebuild, rejuvinate and restore whilst we enter dreamland. Eating a small amount of protein in the evening is best for rebuilding. Dreaming is only for sleeping, not for awakening. Here are some points from Harvard on why sleep is so important for us;

Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.

Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

Whats your sleep hygiene like? If you are struggling with sleeping, there are some really easy ways to take a look at what the problem is. Whats happening in your life at the moment, stress, work, family, poor nutrition, not enough exercise, too much TV, too much coffee, too much chatter in the monkey mind, and many more things that all of us have each day adding to our toxic load. Yoga and meditation can help with stress and clearing the mind, you can reward your body with simple movements with breath, focus and relax. Cut down on coffee or cut it out, or stop drinking it in the afternoon. Try some hot lemon water, or some Matcha green tea. THINK about what you eat, if you are eating on the go, its probably not going to nourish you. Plan what you are going to eat for the week, do your shopping on a day off and do some prep for your food. Have a portable lunchbox to take with you with snacks, my last boyfriend used to take his everywhere, it would be filled with a hard boiled, egg, an apple, carrots, some nuts and seeds, tomatoes. I would laugh at him filling it each day, now I'm just the same except my lunchbox is pink, oh hang on, so was his. Seriously, when we are hungry we always grab the naughty but nice things, or crave sugar. Its better to plan ahead, cut up your veggies and store them in containers in the fridge, freeze up some homemade soups, have your snack box, be prepared, drink lots of water.

The TV is a LIAR. It will lie to you, scare you, make you feel miserable, and waste your life away. TURN OFF THE TV. Watching the shite thats aired will stimulate your brain in the wrong way, do you really care about some reality D star blowing off pigs, or a soap shows endless amounts of funerals and murders and deaths. Its all so negative and draining to your soul, if you do watch TV then watch things that have purpose. Research who owns the news channels you watch, and research some more and find out what the real news is. None of this rant applies to anything by David Attenborough and True Blood of course.

Have a look at your bedroom, de-busy it and remove any visable clutter, paint your walls nice calm colours, have nice bed linen thats always fresh and clean that makes you want to star jump into the middle and do some bed karate. Do you share your bed with a snorer? BOOT THEM OUT! After sleeping in hostels with many snoring nightmares I understand how painful it is to bear the snores, when really the repsonsibility should be on the person snoring. There are plenty of products out there to aid snoring and showing some compassion on both sides will definately reduce the need to stuff a pillow in their mouth shouting BEEEE QQQUUIIIETTTTTT OR DIEEE! Kidding. Kind of. Don't have anything electrical at all in your bedroom, think about the electrical magnetical waves roaming about your eyelids as you try to peacefully sleep, don't have your phone glued to your pillow, its unhealthy, you are sleeping! Phone off and in another room, buy a cheap wind up alarm clock, our bodies our clever and if we get up at the same time each day, it will naturally awaken you.

After school this morning, I treated myself to a Thai massage on Broadway offering a special deal. No not seeding Bangkok style, although the lovely ladies there were both from Bangkok. The massage was traditional Thai done on a bed that the massuse could walk around you, over you, up and down you and on you :) I opted clothes off style (Warrior memories...) and enjoyed the extreme stretching, cracking and pressing these little powerhouse ladies are capable of using their hands, elbows, arms, feet, knees, legs, bum??
'you have velly velly nice skin, you look after it well, you velly flexible too'
'Really, thanks!!' I gush all proud...
'but why you full of all these bruises and cuts, what you do to yourself??'
'Errrr I went over my handlebars on my bike' (and played bed karate)....feels silly...and slutty.

After the amazing massage, I spent the afternoon watching the rain and listening to music writing blogs, and happy with my own company. I did some wind down yoga, concentrating mostly on my breathing. 


Add this to your sleep hygiene, and you will be sleeping like a baby as they say. Take a leaf from my sisters other gorgeous baby Dylan.


Goodnight, nameste :)


If you get some better sleep, then say thanks by leaving a donation for charity, or share this advice with someone else who could use a good nights sleep.
http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=14769

 

Outreach Yoga Challenge - Day 28 Beautiful Fall

After experimenting with organic red wine, I can safely say that I did not have the usual sledgehammer feeling when my eyes peeled open and I unstuck the crusty yogurt lid from my cheek. I hadn't lost my phone, my purse was still full of cash, and my heels were not covered in dirty chewing gum. I did however have a strange man in my apt, some things just don't change hey Laura? The small headache was eliminated within half an hour with some hot lemon water, a fresh papaya fruit salad, some stretching and groaning in the shower and a little more Francais. Not necessarily in that order :)

Something about the fresh cold air in Vancouver, the sky is blue, the sun shines, its cold and so colourful outside, autumn is simply divine. Walking around my neighbourhood looking up at the trees, feeling grateful to be here, looking out to the mountains and smiling at the snow that cups the tops and knowing that I'm part of this world, I'm part of that mountain, I'm part of you. You're part of me. What does Autumn make you feel like, share with me? I LOVE RED! Isn't it amazing the colours of this season?? Ever notice how the veggies are the same??

The waterfront is blissful, I live not too far from Jericho beach, and being able to wander down to the sands through the many small parks on the waterfront, kick some leaves, practice some Nature yoga, and just BE is heaven. Heaven is here on this earth for us to enjoy whilst we are alive folks, so don't waste time thinking about the place you think you're headed when you die. What matters is RIGHT NOW. Lao Tzu wise words tell us....

Heaven and earth last forever.
The reason why heaven and earth last forever
is that they do not live for themselves.
Hence, they last forever.
Therefore, the True Person leaves self behind
and thus is found in front,
is not guarded and thus is preserved,
is self-free and thus is able to find fulfilment.




Reverse Warrior:

From Warrior II pose (with the right knee bent), bring the left hand down to rest on the left leg. Inhale the right arm up towards the ceiling, and reach the fingers away from each other. Look straight ahead or up at the ceiling. Keep the right knee bent, pressing into the feet with the legs strong. Sink the hips down toward the floor and relax the shoulders.  Breathe and hold for 2-6 breaths. To release: inhale the arms parallel to the floor coming back into Warrior II. Repeat on other side. Benefits + Contraindications: Benefits: Reverse Warrior stretches the side of the torso and arm, opens the hips and builds lower body strength. Contraindications: Recent or chronic injury to the hips, back or shoulders.
Find the Warrior within you!

After a morning of LOVING this city. I spent the afternoon reading and relaxing some good R&R time. I gave Tamsin (my landlady) and her cute little girl Gabrielle who is 5 a private kids yoga lesson. I really enjoyed adapting the flow of the lesson and getting in touch with the kid inside us (not hard for me I LOVE SILLY!) We did some body shaking, rag dolls, downward dog tail wagging, butterfly wing flapping, table tops, snakes, tickle toes and giraffe heads. Its funny as Gabrielle was really really good and flexible and soooo fragile, but the pose she got into the most was savasana! She seemed to love the chill out and the foot and head rub, and she even helped me do mums. I really enjoyed it, and it helped me understand how kids work in Yoga, and how to keep their attention. Next time, I will have to insist on no eating cheese in 3 legged downward dog :) How did she do that anyway??? Hahahahaa! Get your kids into yoga, keep their bodies supple, its great bonding time for parents and its good for your soul. Its so great to watch your kids having fun doing something that is so good for their wellbeing without them even knowing, it means you get to practice to.

TURN OFF THE TV AND GET A YOGA MAT. I had a good chat with my sister back in the UK, absorbing the love and getting the best pose EVER from her gorgeous new baby Blossom.

HAPPY BABY pose has never been done so well in history, thanks Blossom you are a Yogini in the making! Love xxx

Thanks for following the challenge, if you'd like to make a donation for Outreach a charity who supports helping youth at risk by bringing Yoga into their lives, please make a donation here:
http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=14769

Outreach Yoga Challenge - Day 27 Something fishy?

Its the day Vancouver Yogi's have been waiting for, the Vancouver Yoga Conference and show
http://www.theyogaconference.com/vancouver2011/ and I'm meeting up with the lovely Michella whom I met at Teacher Training in Costa Rica ca ca ca ca. The show hosts loads of exhibits with the latest stuff out on the market for yogi's, but also loads of nutrition, free passes for new yoga studio's and teachers, opportunities to volunteer teaching, free tea, free cacoa, free coconut water, free yoga, free free free free free welcome to the FREE WORLD. Kind of :) I enjoyed chatting to everyone working on the exhibit stands and sharing their passions for each of their products. Some were able to answer, some were a little stuck, 'So what makes your yoga studio stand out more than others?'....'free shampoo with showers' SOLD! Its interesting what draws a person to a particular studio, I personally think that variety is great, and we should have a go at everything and keep our body guessing to whats next. Prana Yoga seemed to have some interesting music and ethnicity to it, Kundalini Yoga had amazing tea blends and a dangling carrot guaranteeing you to learn more in a week, than you could in a year about yourself and yoga...interesting. Just not diggin the white turban... especially since what you wear shouldn't be so important? Everyone was buzzing about Y yoga, seems to be the trendy place...Im not into trendy yoga, my armpits always need shaving, Im musty and have holes in my leggings from falling off bikes, not to mention Im not a lulu, BUT Ive have a free pass and Im told the teachers are amazing. New studio Chopra Yoga looks interesting, with Deepak coming in January to share some wisdom. So many studios, so many teachers, so much passion for Yoga everywhere you look, the vibrational energy was pounding off our bodies.

Michella and I gorged on Costa Rican memories, surfing, hot boys, yoga practice with a break out for crystal heated beds that drain heavy metals from your body, and a machine that jiggled everything from your bum to boobs that was meant to improve circulation and reduce fat. You can eat ginger and less cakes otherwise? :) It was great to spend some 'easy' time with a familiar friendly face, having the same passion for yoga (and hot boys) and life! Looking forward to getting to her next gig, look them up http://www.myspace.com/mouthfulofdaisy and check them out, she is a powerhouse! The best thing I learnt from todays show, was that its never the end with Yoga, there is no end, we are always discovering internally. I LOVE YOGA! I'm so happy and grateful for everyone who has let me know about their own yoga story, or have maybe started to learn yoga from reading the blog and feeling the cyber hip gyration, its great!!! :)

I spent the evening cooking up some delicious snapper, with some roasted beets, and butternut squash with some chopped up stripey tomatoes and garlic and olive oil, inspired from a recipe in Dels blog http://www.thedelicious.net/2011/11/autumn-salad-with-roasted-veg-cumin.html. I'm trying to stop eating salmon and tuna, and understand a little more about sustainable seafood and the amount of these types of fish we eat. Bottom line is, we have raped the oceans of food and the supplies are getting low, thinking about our food and where it comes from really helps with nutritional decisions. Having only introduced fish back into my diet in the last 6 years, I'm a little fussy with textures that can appear meaty, but I enjoy the variety it gives my diet and I understand how important Omega 3 is to our health.

In order to have a healthy diet you may need to add Omega 3 fats to your food plan. Adding fats? Yes adding fats but these are good fats and can reverse, prevent, or alleviate some health concerns. Omega 3 fats are important for the production of prostaglandins a hormone like substance that is needed for such things as control of smooth muscle contraction. It also helps to lower blood pressure and body temperature as well as reducing inflammation. Other physiological functions that are regulated by prostaglandins are blood clotting, nerve transmission, kidney function and inflammatory and allergic responses. The production of other hormones is also aided by prostaglandins. A diet rich in Omega 3 helps cell membranes to function properly. Other health issues such as cancer, heart disease, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, diabetes, and ADD/ADHD can be positively affected by consuming Omega 3 fats. Brain and retinal health is supported by Omega 3's. DHA in high amounts will benefit brain function. Alzheimer's and memory are also improved with adequate amounts of Omega 3 fats either in your diet or in supplement form. Although there is no recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Omega 3, it is recommended that approximately 2% to 4% of your daily caloric intake.

This can be achieved by adding flaxseeds and certain fish to your food plan. There are many other foods that are rich in Omega 3 fats. Spinach, Brussell sprouts, Collard Greens are dark green vegetables that have high amounts of Omega 3's. Walnuts, salmon, scallops, halibut and shrimp are also rich in Omega 3 fats. Omega 3 fat supplements are available in capsule form. They are also available in concentrates. The concentrated forms are available over the counter or by prescription. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to determine if Omega 3 fat supplements are something you should consider adding to your dietary regimen. It is extremely important to look at labels aswell as knowing where your fish came from, is it caught wild, and is the does the company practice sustainability. This means, they dont overfish and allow the fish stocks to reproduce and increase their volumes before fishing again, check out what it really means and some useful info here http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hughs-fish-fight/articles/hughs-fish-fight-the-app.

Saturday evening was spent learning French with some private lessons and drinking wine, they go hand in hand really don't they? Michelle is a French name afterall, I like the way it sounds with a Parisian accent.
I'm hoping to see much more of Canada including the Frenchie parts too. Did you know they speak French in Morocco? Oooooo la la! Merci de lire mon défi, faire un don!

http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=14769

Outreach Yoga Challenge - Day 25 Comfortable in your own skin?

GOOD MORNING GROUSE MOUNTAIN VANCOUVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Similiar to waking up and shouting YEAAAHHHHHHHHH from your bedsheets, shout it to your neighbourhood! See how it makes you feel? :)

'Be yourself. Everyone else is taken'
Oscar Wilde.

How comfortable in your own skin are you? Being comfortable in your own skin and content with your own company is a magical gift you can give to yourself and everyone in your life.

Since when did it matter what clothes a person wore, does that make them who they are? Before I started travelling I decided to give most of my 'stuff' away to charity, or trade at car boot sales with the 'karma' pile inspired by Marcus, 'Take what you want, pay what you want, or don't pay anything, just smile.' Interesting experiment when most are heavily burdened with skeptism. I was ashamed at how many pairs of shoes, and endless bags and more and blah and URGH and things and and just meaningless 'stuff' I'd been brainwashed, bored, and tricked into purchasing, and I didn't really need any of it, I just wanted to be cool in Choos. Don't get me wrong, I still have an eye for glamour and a good set of heels when the time is right, but these days I've jumped out of the consumer rat race. Aside from a vintage old lady jacket I picked up in the salvation army for $5, come ooooooon I needed it to bring the Kate Moss Vintage glamour to lululemon world!!! It makes me cool!!! Doesn't it???

 A good spring clean of all that 'stuff' thats been collecting is a great way to spring clean your mind creating space, not just in your closet but inside yourself, making room for more of the real you.  Think about the environmental impact all that stuff does to the world http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8 A good challenge would be to test your consumer addiction, ask yourself what joy does the 'stuff' actually bring you, maybe cut down to just 1 new pair of shoes a year instead of a season/month! Or when you get holes in them :)) Donate your things to a nonprofit charity, or recycle them onto friends, car boot sales, kids, or recreate them into new. Point is, your 'stuff' especially your clothes does not make you, who you are.

Who said that skin meant naked anyhow Freeman?

I guess the weather is getting chiller, so old lady vintage jacket and some woolies from back home are definately needed to keep warm. Thats what purpose clothes have, but would I wear a tracksuit and matching headband to yoga, or frilly socks and stilletos and hotpants to the cinema, or maybe my Breakdance tshirt to an interview? I too have my limits, and Im programmed to know what I like to wear for comfort, and how I perceive myself. Guys, if you think this is all girl talk, then wear a t-shirt with your favourite sports team opponent. It would be like asking a Liverpool fan to wear a Man United shirt for the day, it just wouldn't happen. We like to send a message with the clothes that we wear, but at what point do we stop caring and judging the clothes, and take people for who they are, not what they wear.

'So how do we feel comfortable in our own skin, and have a sexy air of self-confidence that radiates an appeal to others around you? Some of us look in the mirror with disgust, and focus on the culturally-programmed-and-perceived 'bad' bits, rather than gazing at themselves with appreciation, embracing every part of their beautiful selves with a natural form of self-love. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! With the depth of awareness provided to an individual via dedication to a yoga practice, you teach yourself to look beyond the curvy hips and rounded belly - it takes you further into your true, loving, glorious self, where you are always feeling relaxed, sensual and cheekily sexy ... a place of peace and passionate awakening that brings a fire to your inner glow and empowers you to truly live life for the 'orgasmic' moment of existence itself.

But how does yoga help? The body shapes we create in yoga are a reflection of how your mind works; as you improve your postural alignment within these body shapes, this will, in turn, reflect back upon the workings of your mind - as you become more open and flexible, your everyday situations will become more adaptable to change and new opportunities. For example, with back bends - as you embrace and open deeper into the pose, your life will become noticeably freer, and you'll find yourself being more flexible in regards to helping yourself and others. Yoga is a tool that is used to channel stillness, to find love for yourself, and to embrace the positive - every moment of each and every day. And by nurturing this inner landscape of endless beauty, your yoga practice will shift your perspective of the outer world around you, and how your divine temple of the body is a fantastic instrument for connecting to this wondrous place we call 'home'.'


As an experiment, after you've spring/autumn cleaned out your closet and got the bag ready for your favourite charity, GET NUDE. Make a cup of tea, look out of the window, notice the sky, walk around your living room, dance, do whatever you like, just for 5 minutes even. Forget what you are not wearing, it doesn't matter. You will look more beautiful in that little black dress, if you forget you are wearing it. Call your partner, but don't tell them about your birthday suit attire, laugh at yourself, love yourself, do some naked yoga!

Be comfortable in your own skin!
Send me a pic for the blog ;-)

If you've enjoyed todays blog, then make a donation to the Outreach team, or donate a bag of warm clothes to a homeless shelter, there are people out there who would value 'any' stuff right now. Winter is coming, and the homeless fight to stay warm and alive, spare some CHANGE.
http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=14769

Outreach Yoga Challenge - Day 24 All we need is Love

On or off your yoga mat, always try to find stillness in your breath and notice the moment. Let go of the past and trust the Universe when it comes to your future. All that is, is now. Nothing is permanent. Stay connected to others through community and love. John Lennon famously reminds us, 'All you need is love, love is all we need'.

Being from Liverpool, the Beatles are a part of my life, and its great to be from a part of the world that is known everywhere for beats of the scouse boys. I've been missing 'familiar' lately, my aura feels 'lacking' but I'm embracing change with an open heart, not just in the external world. Thanks for embracing me back Canada, I'm so grateful to be here, play me another Beatles tune?

Epigenetics reveal that our environment determines the growth and reproduction of each seed and cell. Rather than a pre-determined destiny, based on previous experiences, genetics or out-dated prophecies, we have  the power to program our reality simply by choosing our vibrational state. Pretty cool huh?

Choosing to see Beauty in all things fills our Hearts with Gratitude. Beauty inspires and delights our senses, and we remember all life is Sacred, perfect and profound. Attuning our senses to Beauty and the glorious nature of creation provides a nourishing environment for our cells to thrive!

Just for today ...
Be present to the Beauty all around. Open your gaze and let yourself be amazed at the infinite ways Love is expressed in the world, pat a puppy, smile at a stranger, open a door, let someone out in traffic, volunteer, have a voice, look at the colours of autumn, give your coat to a homeless guy. Know this is simply a reflection of the Beauty you are, and will always BE. Pay attention to when you find yourself repulsed by something you judge as ugly or imperfect. Give thanks and courageously seek to find the Beauty in the illusion of imperfection. As you do, you return to innocence, purify the Heart-Mind and raise your vibration into one of Love and Gratitude. This provides the optimum environment for our cells to thrive, programming them to deliver more and more to be grateful for!

This is how we Birth New Reality.  

"The new science of epigenetics recognizes that environmental signals are the primary regulators of gene activity. As described in book, The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles, cells read and respond to the conditions of their environment using membrane protein perception switches. Activated switches send signals to control behavior and regulate the activity of the genes.  This editing process can provide for normal or dysfunctional protein products from the same gene. You can be born with healthy genes and through epigenetic processes, express mutant behaviours, such as cancer. Similarly, you can be born with defective mutant genes, and through epigenetic mechanisms, create normal healthy proteins and functions. Perceptions shape biology and behaviour. The conventional belief that the genome represents the equivalent of a computer's 'read-only' program is now proven to be false. Epigenetic mechanisms modify the readout of genetic the code-- which means that genes actually represent 'read-write' programs, wherein life experiences actively redefine an individual's genetic expression. The 'new' biology is based upon the fact that perception controls behaviour and gene activity!

The control is with YOU."

A couple blogs ago I suggested researching your passion, your inspirations, finding a mentor you aspire to, some spiritual guidance. If you are new to Yoga, or a devotee, here is a head start to the Yogi's essential reading list (I'm still working my way through!) Read with a purpose, feed your intelligence you were born with! Every considered you were being numbed down by reality shows, junk food and constant advertising to brainwash us all into consumerism madness?

If you have any additional great books on Yoga to share, please leave a comment with the advice, would love to hear from you!

• Anatomy of Hatha Yoga : H. David Coulter

• Anatomy of Movement : Blandine Calais-Germain

• Bhagvad Gita for the Common Man : the Vedanta Kesari Vol 95, No 12, December 2008

• Hatha Yoga Pradipika : Yoga Swami Svatmarama

• Iyengar Illustrated Light on Yoga : BKS Iyengar

• Kundalini Yoga Physical Wisdom : as taught by Yogi Bhanjan, compiled and illustrated by Harijot Kaur Khalsa

• Sahaja Yoga : Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

• Surya Namaskar and Mantras : author unknown

• The Book of the Vedas : Virender Kumar Arya

• The Kundalini Yoga Experience : Guru Dharam S. Khalsa and Darryl O’Keeffe

• YinSights : Bernie Clark

• Yoga of Sound : Russill Paul

• Ayurveda Encyclopedia : Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha

• Bhagavad Gita,  A New Translation : Stephen Mitchell

• Bhagavad-gita As It Is : A. C.  Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

• Co Ex System as Systemic Phenomena : Stan Grof

• Deepak Chopra 7 Spiritual Laws : Deepak Chopra MD and David Simon MD

• Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light : Namkhai Norbu

• Ego, Hunger and Aggression, the Gestalt therapy of Sensory Awakening : F.S. Perls

• Family Secrets : John Bradshaw

• Family Soul : Burt Hillenger

• Love’ s Hidden Symmetry : Burt Hillenger

• Paramhansa Autobiography of a Yogi : Paramhansa Yogananda

• Pathways to Healing : Don Ollsin

• Phenomenological approach in Psychotherapy : Burt Hillenger

• Pranayama, beyond the fundamentals : Richard Rosen

• Raja Yoga : Patanjali

• Repetiton Compulsion : Freud

• Siddhartha : Hermann Hesse

• Taoism : Eva Wong

• The Essential Yoga Sutras : Geshe Michael Roach and Christie McNally

• The Mozart Effect : Don G. Campbell

• The Science of Flexibility : Michael Alter

• The Roar of Silence : Don G. Campbell

• The Web That Has No Weaver : Ted Kaptchuk

• Yoga for Wellness : Gary Kraftsow

• Yoga, the Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness : Erich Schiffmann

Thanks for following the challenge, sing me out Beattles, my mum used to sing this song to me... she still does... I've been wearing your  hippy jacket, from the 70's? It looks like autumn and feels like you mummy, guess you are cycling the streets of vancouver with me afterall... I miss familiar... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj8d6MD9NMY&feature=related

If you'd like to leave a donation for Outreach an amazing charity, for whom I'm writing this blog in support of, that would be tres formidable! http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=14769

Outreach Yoga Challenge - Day 23 Etiquette

Embrace your Yoga Etiquette with the help of some advice learned from Anamaya Yoga school!

Just a few useful tips to know to enhance your learning and practice of Yoga, for starters all teachers are glad you’re practicing! So well done, you achieved the first step J

Yoga is non-competitive, its not a workout class nor is it a replacement for relaxation and it is definitely not cross training. Unless of course you live in LA, and of course its Yoga on steroids! Yoga is a spiritual practice that makes the body stronger, more flexible, and generally much healthier. The purpose of yoga is to calm the mind and body, to open the heart, to refine our inner and outer awareness to get us in touch with our True Selves. By comparing ourselves to other participants, or the instructor, we are defeating the purpose of practicing. ITS ALL ABOUT YOU!

Be kind and loving to yourself by accepting where you are, its okay to come out of a pose before the instructor says or to breathe at a different rhythm, do what works for you. Yoga is definitely not about ‘no pain, no gain’ to the contrary the body will respond beautifully when you show it kindness, compassion acceptance and Vitamin L...Love. Rest sometimes, lose the ego, and relax into childs pose whenever your body tells you too. Do what you can, with what you have, with where you are.

Ask questions about anything that is not clear to you, either during class when appropriate or in the time allotted after class is over, teachers are always really generous with advice and their time. Before asking your question, internalise what it is, and trust your own process of inquiry, this will help you develop greater independence and confidence. If you are unable to answer your own question after reflection, then by all means still ask the instructor if it is relevant to the topic at hand, and not something your ego decided was important ;-)

No experience or flexibility is required to practice yoga, YOGA IS FOR EVERYONE!

Always remove shoes on the yoga floor, turn off cell phones and computers during sessions and sadhana, this includes when you are at home practicing too. Arrive to class 5-10 minutes early to set up your space and to start breathing with intention and becoming focused. Leave the chatter and gossip outside the yoga room, and your mat, maintain a meditative state. Invest in your own mat for hygiene and commitment, if you use a public mat spray and wipe down after use, all studios provide an eco friendly cleaner for this, always put away any props you have borrowed. No consumption of coffee, alcohol, tobacco or drugs before class (well maybe just in Kundalini for the dancing part KIDDING!) If you partake in these substances usually, its your personal choice which is respected but choosing to practice Yoga under the influence of these stimulants is disruptive to your internal self, the integrity of the class and disrespectful. As you find new vitality in your body, enjoying the detoxifying benefits that yoga provides, an increased lung capacity and a clearer mind you will find you will crave these habit forming substances less and less.

Stay for an entire class, commit to your practice. You may lie in Savasana at any time, and always be supported by the instructor. If you need to leave a class early, then let your instructor know beforehand and exit quietly. Some classes will begin and end with the chanting AUM or a mantra, if you are comfortable with this please join along, but don’t feel like you have to. Chanting is a form of meditation and sound vibrations create heat and energy from within our body.  It is important when chanting to actively stay clear in our minds, and have faith that we can become better, and trust we are able to overcome obstacles in order to move forward not just in yoga practice, but in our lives. Feel a part of the Universe, get in touch with your inner teacher, and resonate in harmony with the pure all pervading sound vibration that the Universe was born from. Finish your class in Savasana of at least 10 minutes, some students feel a sign of respect is to lay your head facing the instructor, but most studios are liberal to this suggestion. When arising, keep your eyes closed, ending with three AUMs, saying Namaste.

Yoga isn’t strict rules to follow, but there is etiquette and respect for practice and the practice of others, and your personal commitment. Why is Yoga important in your life? Why do you practice? Ask yourself these questions, its a great connection to finding you again.

Today I listened to my body and took a restorative yoga class, my body needed some looking after, having had its ass kicked by karma. Restorative poses, really help with alignment and getting back to basics, restoring, rebuilding, repairing RRRRRRRRRRR! Restorative classes are usually very relaxing and are a good complement to more active practices. The teacher will arrange for the necessary props to be available to you. The lights may be dimmed and if it is chilly, you may be covered with a blanket since you will not be warming up the body the way you would be in a regular class. After you are set up in a pose with all your props, you will hold the pose for an extended period, often up to ten to twenty minutes. Although you are supported, you will definitely still feel the stretch. Restorative postures are usually adapted from supine or seated yoga poses with the addition of blocks, bolsters, and blankets to eliminate unnecessary straining. For instance, a seated forward bend (paschimottanasana) can be done as a restorative pose with a bolster or several folded blankets on top of the legs so that your forward bend is fully supported with the entire torso resting on your props. Legs up the wall (viparita karani) is a classic restorative, with the wall used as a prop to support the legs, if you want to take this pose into your everyday life you can lie on the couch with your legs up the back, my nan always used to balance her legs on top of my grandads head whilst she poked him in the nose with a toe asking for a top up on the gin and tonic, said it was good for varicose veins, the legs up the wall theory, not the gin and tonic, although everything in a balance right J

My day of study, karma kicking, and restorative was ended blissfully hanging out with a cool new chick I’ve embraced with a mutual love for surf and hot boys. Ms Edwards and I travelled to Asia http://www.eastiseast.ca/ and took the ‘Silk Route East’ feast which was a combination of heavenly spiced soups, fruity salads, mango butternut squash, peas and cheese, pickled garlic, Indian breads and mouth gasims washed down with chai tea and a dollop of sex and rock n roll. Spices are a great way to add flavor to foods and can be really warming for us. They add tons of flavor without calories! Sprinkle a pinch of crushed cloves in your coffee or tea to add a bright chai flavor. Great combo for a spicy night of great company, definitely good for the spirit and the soul! I just hope she doesn’t tell anyone I smell of fish....my ego would hate that ;-) A special kiwi friend of mine has just this second reminded me 'Some people come into your life for a reason, others a season and a few a lifetime.' Love you Trudles, in a totally non fig way, unless organic of course :)

Thanks for sharing and caring folks, exam tomorrow so send some good karma my way!

http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=14769

Namaste