This morning was the first time I woke up confused about what to do and how to act on Canada Day. Municipalities contemplated “Do we celebrate Canada Day or not?” Although the debate was whether a celebration was acceptable, I asked myself “How can I honour Canada Day?” Today was a great day to reflect on everything facing us: pandemic, heat wave and climate change, horrific findings at residential schools, and racial intolerance—all within the bigger question of what does it mean to call Canada home. Today, I spent time (difficult time) reading They Came for the Children ..read more

It’s that time again: New Year’s resolutions. According to online resources, resolutionmeans “a firm decision to do or not do something” or “a formal expression of intention.” A New Year’s resolution is “a commitment that an individual makes to reform a habit and is set apart from other resolutions because it is made in anticipation of the New Year and new beginnings.” Our Julian calendar is linear, with a beginning and ending of each year; whereas the Mayans considered their time reference to be cyclical, with no specific beginning and end. Ironic then, isn’t it, that it was th ..read more

My Canadian Oxford Dictionary provides many nuances for the word choice, including by choice (because you have chosen: I am here by choice), of choice (preferred: our method of choice), and of one’s choice (that one has chosen: dine at the restaurant of your choice). Let’s take a look at the root of these and the first definition listed: an act or instance of choosing between alternatives. Now take a moment to think about this — when you have to make a choice, how do you determine which alternative to take? Is it the one that feels most gr ..read more

In Part 1, the question was In making a choice, how do you make the decision? Even though making choices can be simple, it may not be easy. But your yoga practice isn’t about making life easy, although that might just happen! Thanks so much to Debbie for sharing thoughts about her conflict. Sometimes the choice doesn’t leave us happy, but I believe that is completely acceptable. In making the choice, Debbie “listened to her heart” and knew it was the right decision in her “heart of hearts.” In her own words, Debbie identified how to make the simple choice. Ask yourself whet ..read more

A longer than usual winter and a three-week laryngitis virus provided me with ample opportunity for quiet reflection. I wondered about the differences between the silence that comes from choice and the silence imposed by an outside influence. When by choice (such as walking along the beach, attended a retreat, or meditating), there is calmness and a sense of moving inward. Stillness occurs that brings clarity and peace. When silence or apparent separation is due to an outside influence (such as inclement weather or a laryngitis virus), there can be a tightening and a sense of lack. It was easy ..read more

I returned home from a funeral to find a message telling me that Maya Margo Balog had passed away that morning. I didn’t expect my first post to be about death, but I suppose that represents how death is generally viewed in Western culture — known to occur but rarely discussed. So I draw on my yoga teachings. This is fitting since Margo was one of my first yoga teachers. In receiving the news, I became the observer of my own reaction. I dug deep into my memory to recall Margo’s classes that I attended in the local school gym, at the pool facilities, and finally in her own studio. I google Marg ..read more

“Often thought of as a hippy-dippy practice aimed at transcendence, meditation is coming into its own as a stress-reduction technique for even the most type-A kind of people.” According to WebMD.com, “Stress reduction could be the key to meditation’s beneficial effect on health. ‘We know stress is a contributor to all the major modern killers,’ Raison points out. More studies have shown improvement for fibromyalgia and even psoriasis in patients who meditate. ‘It’s hard to think of an illness in which stress and mood don’t figure,’ Raison says. “Most North Americans ar ..read more

Has your yoga mat lost its stickiness? It might be time for a cleaning. Using your yoga mat regularly is good for you. But practising leaves body oils and lotions behind, which makes the mat slippery. New mats can also be slippery due to the chemicals in the product or the packaging. In either case, a good cleaning can usually return your yoga mat to be your safe haven for downward-facing dog, warrior, and lunge poses. To clean your mat, wash it in your washing machine on the gentle cycle. Yup, that’s right: the washing machine!  I’ve been using and cleaning one of my yoga mats for 15 yea ..read more

Seasons continue to inspire us in poems, stories, and songs. The four phases of the year stir different emotions and feelings within each of us. Summer and winter are seasons of destinations, arriving at the hottest and coldest times of the year. Feelings of relaxation and ease are associated with the hot days of summers. Winter, depending on where you live, is associated with quiet seclusion peppered with gatherings for holiday feasts and parties. Spring and autumn are seasons of transition—spring with a tenet of increased activity and autumn with decreased activity. In poems and songs, sprin ..read more

Have you ever been asked whether you see the glass ashalf full or half empty? Underlying this question is the notion that you are an optimist or a pessimist. You know the “correct” answer, right? Half full. So if you can look at situations positively, why choose anything else? Perhaps people choose to see the glass as half empty so they don’t set themselves up for disappointment. If they don’t expect life to deliver, then there isn’t anything to regret and they won’t be let-down when their expectations aren’t met. However, this attitude has a low vibration and I see it as a downward spiral of ..read more