As the blossoms bloom and the days grow longer, it's the perfect time to explore new activities that promote wellness and togetherness within the family. One such activity gaining popularity is family yoga, a practice that not only cultivates physical health but also strengthens the bond between parents and children. We all know that yoga is a game changers for so many aspects of everyday life but the benefits of family yoga and why it's an excellent addition to your springtime routine can stand to be repeated :-) Physical Health: Family yoga offers numerous physical benefits for both childr ..read more

Winter Solstice is the moment when the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the Sun, therefore we are exposed to the least amount of sunlight and the biggest amount of darkness. Winter solstice 2022 occurs on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 4:48 p.m. EST for the Northern Hemisphere. This planetary situation has a direct impact on our body, mind, spirit, emotional and general wellbeing. Myriad of world cultures have found ways to bring joy, peace, contentment and a sense of good rhythm to this time of year. Life can draw us out of that groove of goodness. This article is about finding our ow ..read more

by Nicole Bosworth Trauma-informed yoga is on the rise, and for good reason. Trauma-informed yoga is a style of yoga that is adapted for those of us who have experienced traumatic events in our lives. In a recent study of vulnerable populations conducted by National Library of Medicine, they demonstrated that after a single trauma informed yoga class, people reported feeling fewer negative emotions, increased self-regulation, improved sleep, less feelings of shame, and decreased disassociation and flashbacks. The Global Collaboration on Traumatic Stress states that “approximately 70% of the wo ..read more

Last week we had an in-person yoga teacher training event here at the house. We have a lovely property here and the grounds are beautiful this time of year. We were all very excited to be together and as we often do, we all shared food. The teachers all posted what they were making or bringing and after looking at the list I decided that with little time to shop or cook that i would make one of my old standby vegetarian, gluten free dishes that never seems to disappoint for flavour and quantity to feed an army in a short amount of time. In 22 mins flat you have have 2 pots of food that will su ..read more

First of all, my heart breaks for everyone left behind after suicide. I’m so very sorry for your loss and your pain. Every night, I pray for you. I pray for everyone affected by depression, suicide, and other forms of mental illness. I pray for a cure, and that depression will continue to be healed and symptoms kept at bay. You see, my father, a previous boyfriend, several friends committed suicide and my mother and many other friends attempted and failed and many close family members have threatened and contemplated leaving. My prayers centre around helping others who live a reality very simi ..read more

Juneteenth is a chance to consider how we can use our practices–yoga, meditation, mindfulness, or the way we engage in the world around us–to be of service to the liberation of all beings and alleviate suffering in the wider world, not just for ourselves. This is day about all the days that justice, right and common decency have won out over racism, greed, hatred and ignorance. This day is about so many things, I support my friends of colour and bias in their direction so that a reconciliation might move us all in a higher direction. I have felt the bias of many including my own gender agains ..read more

Kitchari, pronounced kich-ah-ree, has long been used to nourish babies, the elderly, and the sick, along with healthy adults during times of detox, cleansing, and spiritual practice. The term kitchari is used to describe any mixture of rice and beans. Traditional cleansing kitchari consists of split yellow mung beans, long-grain white or basmati rice, and a blend of Indian spices. During a cleanse, metabolism slows and digestive strength weakens, so foods must be very easy to digest.  White rice is used for kitchari because the husk has been milled off. While brown rice may ..read more

People commonly report a distinct cultural theme to the visual aspect of their psychedelic experience. Based on the patterns and images seen (either with eyes open or closed), people may compare them to the art and style of many ancient cultures: Egyptian, Aztec, Indian, Native American, African and Islamic. Particular ancient cultural motifs may also characterize particular drugs – for magic mushrooms, it is the Mayan/Aztec culture and for mescaline, it is the Native American culture. That said, such patterns can occur with other psychedelics as well, such as LSD and many others. But are peop ..read more

Has life become too serious for you? Do you find yourself going days or weeks without laughing? I generally laugh easily and often. It is a great stress reliever and I have a few very funny stories about the times where I laughed my way into some very embarrassing situations – more about that if you decide to take our “Laughter Yoga Prescription: lifestyle medicine” course.   One memorable evening laughter cured, at least momentarily, the grief of a sad threesome as we shared time and a beloved friend’s terminal diagnosis. We had a new and profound appreciation for the old expression that ..read more

Is Kundalini Yoga Different from hatha or other forms of yoga? Kundalini yoga is a style of hatha yoga that originated in Northern India, in the Punjabi area and was brought to the West in the late 1960’s. Kundalini yoga is very much like other types of yoga in that there are yoga asanas or exercises, pranayama – breathing practices, mudras – hand and body gestures, mantras – the use of sound and traditional chants to activate mind, body and spirit and also has a goal of meditation as an ultimate state of consciousness to aspire to. Traditionally Kundalini yoga is focused on the spiritual life ..read more