Learn to Fly: Sara Cueva's Love of Inversions
If you know Sara Cueva, you know that she loves being upside down, or balancing on her hands. This love of inversions has been there ever since the beginning of her yoga journey and has developed with her dedication, continuous practice, and attendance at workshops with master instructors. Sara's love and experience has culminated into a workshop that she'd like to share with you (yes you!) on Saturday, September 7 and Yogalife Studios North!
"I think that I love arm balances so much because, not only are they challenging physically, but they also challenge our fears" -Sara Cueva
For Sara, teaching arm balances is more than just making students stronger physically. It's about generating the willpower to conquer our fears. Being upside down isn't a comfortable state of being for most people, as we live our lives upright. Being able to go upside down (even if you fall out) is a testament to a person's will to overcome their fears and to venture outside their comfort zone.
Check out our latest video of Sara demoing some of her favourite arm balances, while also talking about why she loves them so much!
To register for Sara's upcoming workshop please click here. Where: Yogalife North When: Saturday September 7, from 1PM-4PM
Cost: $35 Open to all levels!
Beware of the Decoy Habit(s)!!!
Adapted from Gretchen Ruben of the "Happiness Project."
Lately, I’ve been thinking about “decoy habits” (still pondering whether this is a good name). A decoy habit is a habit that a person claims to want to adopt—but really doesn’t intend to do. Often, decoy habits reflect other people’s values or priorities. “I want to cook dinner every night.” “I want to finish my Ph.D. thesis by the end of the year.” “I want to give up coffee.”
The decoy provides cover—we don’t have to acknowledge the habits that we actually follow, because there’s this other, better habit that we intend to adopt.
I first noticed this type of decoy when I sat next to a man at a dinner party. “I really should exercise,” he said in an unconvincing tone. He certainly looked like a person who should exercise. He was at least forty pounds overweight, and he looked puffy and uncomfortable.
I said, “Why don’t you exercise?”
“I don’t have time, and I travel so much. It’s really not feasible for me. Also my knee bothers me.”
“It sounds like you actually don’t want to exercise,” I pointed out.
“Oh, I do,” he answered. “I need to do it. Periodically my wife and kids sit me down. I’m going to get started.”
But he didn’t sound as though he meant it.
Decoy habits are harmful, I think, because they allow us to pretend to have certain aims or values that we don’t really have.
Maybe we don’t want to admit what we really want to do, or maybe two values are in conflict. Ironically, I suspect that if my dinner partner had said, “I don’t intend to exercise,” and accepted the consequences of that habit, he might help convince himself that he should exercise. But by voicing the decoy, by saying, “I plan to start exercising,” he avoided acknowledging his true intentions. As I said, I’m still pondering this idea. Does it strike a chord with you?
Have you recognized this in yourself, or someone else? Is there a way you can let this "decoy" go and REALLY move forward? You CAN move forward with intent, but the COMMITMENT has to be there. Not simply the words." - Brandon
Melissa Talks About Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga Yoga is a lineage of Vinyasa Yoga developed by Pattabhi Jois and is a methodology to cleanse our body of impurities. Through the use of Tristana, we hope to cleanse 3 areas of our body.
1. Asana - the physical postures to clean our body.
2. Pranayama - breathwork to clean the energy channels in the body.
3. Drishtana - the idea of focus, used to cleanse the brain and nervous system.
Ashtanga yoga follows the lunar cycle; as our bodies are composed of 70% water, and the moon governs the tide, by practicing according to the lunar cycle, Ashtanga hopes to reset the body to a more natural state before we implemented artificial lighting in our society.
"The point behind Ashtanga, is that if you practice every day, your practice will eventually change." - Melissa Perret
Ashtanga yoga is accessible to everyone, but be aware it is challenging! It's a humbling experience, as the postures initially seem impossible, but with time, patience, and the ability to let go of the exterior, the postures will find themselves into your practice, and your ego will begin to dissipate. For Melissa's registered yoga class, beginners are welcome, but we ask that all participants come already comfortable with the basic postures of a vinyasa - upward facing dog, downward facing dog, chaturanga etc. We do not recommend attending this registered class if you have no yoga background at all.
"You will immediately see that you have to let go of your ego, as you initially face some very challenging postures, and take a more inward focus to your practice - a moving meditation." -Melissa Perret
Ashtanga Melissa from Yogalife Studios on Vimeo.
5 Things You MUST Become An Expert At
An excerpt from www.marcandangel.com.
1. Being unapologetically YOU.
To imitate others is to never truly live. It’s like YOU never existed. From now on, forget about what everyone else is doing. Forget about what kind of person you think they want you to be and just be the most authentic version of the person you are. Let who you are and what you believe shine through in every word you speak and every move you make. Figure out which people you genuinely like, instead of which ones you want to like you. Hang out with people you think are cool, instead of those you’d like to be considered cool by. Get to know people by telling your own true stories and listening to theirs. Do things because they interest you, not because you think they make you look interesting to someone else.
2. Living through love.
Every human thought, word and deed is based on fear or love. Fear is an inner energy that contracts, closes down, draws in, hides, hoards and harms. When you live through fear, you pull back from life. Love is an inner energy that expands, opens up, sends out, reveals, shares and heals. When you live through love, you open to all that life has to offer with passion and acceptance. Love is risky. Love is unsafe. Love isn’t for the faint of heart. Love takes courage. And most importantly, love and fear can’t coexist. Love means giving life the opportunity to break your heart, but knowing that there are far better things ahead than anything you’ve left behind.
3. Learning from mistakes.
Mistakes are part of life’s natural course. Everyone makes mistakes; you are not immune. The only question is: Do you want them to help you or hurt you? This decision is one of primary factors that defines your character. If you lie about having made a mistake, then it can’t be corrected and it festers. On the other hand, if you give up just because you made a mistake, even a big one, you will never get anywhere worth going in life. Successful people learn from their mistakes. By doing so, an error becomes the raw material out of which all future successes are invented. Failure is not a crime. The failure to learn from failure is. Ultimately, mistakes are the price you pay for a full, rewarding life.
4. Forgiving your past.
The practice of forgiveness is your most important contribution to the healing of YOUR world. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened. It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life. You have to forgive. You don’t have to like what happened, you don’t have to cherish the memories, you don’t have to hold on to the people and circumstances involved, but you do have to forgive them, let go, make peace with your past and move on with your present. Because if you don’t, you are strapping all the weight from your past to your back, which is far too heavy to comfortably carry.
5. Creating your own happiness.
As Abraham Lincoln so profoundly said, “We are just about as happy as we make up our minds to be.” Happiness is the result of personal choice and effort. You fight for happiness, strive for it, switch careers, build relationships, and sometimes even reinvent your lifestyle entirely as you uncover it. Why? Because you have to actively participate in the manifestations of your own joys and good fortunes – they are not ready-made for the taking; they are available for the making. Ironically, a big part of this is simply doing your very best and then letting go and trusting that things will work out the way they’re supposed to, without trying to control every little detail of the outcome. Instead of expecting to always get what you want, you appreciate the journey enough to want what you get. The joy of the freedom this brings gradually becomes more pleasurable than the outcome itself.
The floor is yours... Have a comment, thought, insight, disagreement, something to add? You can reach us on Facebook, Twitter, check out our website, or email us at info@yogalifestudios.ca.
Lindsey Park Talks About Her Favourite Class to Teach: Power Upside Down (PUD)!
You already saw her bio video, and learned about her journey. Now we introduce to you one of Lindsey's favourite classes to teach, and one of our most popular practices, Power Upside Down! In Power Upside Down or "PUD" as it is known to its attendees, we explore inversions, arm balances, and transitions between these poses. It's by no means an advanced class, and we welcome all levels to attend; be forewarned, however, that you will be pushed to your limit, and will be challenged to explore an area of practice you may not be comfortable entering, or familiar with.
"Power upside down is a safe place for anybody to come in and explore that side of their practice." -Lindsey Park
We have seen our students, who attend the class regularly evolve and be capable of doing amazing things. We've also seen some of our new clients within in one class, achieve postures they initially thought impossible. We encourage everyone to give this class a try, and really explore the world upside down!
"Power upside down is about fun. It's about exploring your practice, being playful, and just having a good time." - Lindsey Park
Below is a video we made explaining what the class entails, and why you (yes you!) should make your way to class Tuesdays at 8:30PM.
Lindsey Park Talks About Her Favourite Class to Teach: Power Upside Down (PUD)! from Yogalife Studios on Vimeo.
15 Affirmations for Loving Your Body and Feeling Beautiful
- I believe in my ability to truly love myself for who I am.
- I accept my body shape and acknowledge the beauty it holds.
- I am the creator of my future and driver of my mind.
- I let go of unhelpful patterns of behaviour around food.
- I allow myself to make choices and decisions for my higher good.
- I bring the qualities of fulfillment, happiness and contentment into my life as I am now.
- I let go of any guilt I hold around food choices.
- I accept my body for the shape I have been blessed with.
- I let go of relationships that are no longer for my higher good.
- I believe in myself and acknowledge my greatness.
- I allow myself to feel good being me.
- I accept myself for who I am.
- I bring the qualities of love into my heart.
- I have hope and certainty about the future.
- I am grateful for the body I own and all it does for me.
You're welcome to use these or write your own. Give it a few weeks! After practicing them several times day, I guarantee you'll start to feel more wholesome and in control, seeing your body as your friend, rather than your enemy.
***BUT PLEASE remember and consider our previous blog regarding staying off the scale. A number does NOT define you!***
Maybe The Only Thing We Really Need Is More Gratitude
Adapted from Joshua Becker:
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” – Cicero
It is discontent that opens up our heart to many of the unhealthy habits in our lives. Materialism is, after all, the natural behavior born out of discontent with the possessions that we own. We live in a society that breeds discontent by defining dreams as owning bigger homes, nicer cars, and fuller closets. Advertisers foster this sense of dissatisfaction by promising greater happiness with their products. And too often, we foolishly fall into their trap without realizing it.
But there are other unhealthy habits in our lives born out of discontent. For example, dishonesty is born out of discontent with the truth. Greed is born out of discontent with our current supply. Substance abuse is born out of displeasure with the current state of our lives. Even many of the feuds in our families are born out of discontent with our closest relationships.
If discontent is the cause of many of our unhealthy habits, contentment is the cure.
And if contentment is the cure, gratitude is the pathway to it. Gratitude provides proper understanding of our place in the world. Gratitude is the feeling and expression of thankfulness for the actions of others that are costly to them and beneficial to us. By definition, gratitude requires humility. It requires us to admit we have been the recipient of something we did not deserve.
And it calls us to admit there are no entirely self-made men or women. Gratitude assigns worth to those who rightly deserve it. Whether I am thanking a parent, a spouse, a veteran, a teacher, a policeman, or a mentor who has invested into my life, my response of gratitude to their action gives the praise and worth to those who rightly deserve it.
Gratitude directs attention to what we already have. Gratitude always requires our attention to be focused on the good things we already possess.
It calls us to notice our blessings and take greater appreciation of them. As a result, our eyes are turned away from the things that are fostering the discontent in our hearts. Gratitude improves our overall well-being. Scientific studies over and over again confirm what we already know to be true: Grateful people are happier people. Grateful people routinely report increased well-being, better health, healthier lifestyles, increased optimism, and a more positive outlook on life. Additionally, those who display a high level of gratitude are much more likely to have below-average levels of materialism.
Gratitude is not a result of our circumstances. I have lived my entire life inside the United States, but have led numerous groups of people to third-world countries. I can attest first-hand that gratitude is not a result of circumstances. I have met grateful people in some of the poorest neighborhoods in our world and I have met grateful people in some of the richest neighborhoods in our country. I have also met ungrateful people in both. Gratitude is a decision and a discipline–not a response.
Gratitude opens the door to contentment. Gratitude helps us better understand our place in the world.
It pushes our praise to those who rightly deserve it. It causes us to focus on the good things we already have regardless of our present circumstances. It improves our well-being in almost every regard. As a result, it is the surest pathway to contentment. And that being the case, maybe more gratitude is the only thing we really need.
Namaste.
Spicing up Yogalife Studios - The Return of Meghan Currie!
A seasoned and lightly seared body art maker from Vancouver, Canada. Meghan is charming, funny and sweet - with a little girls voice that is somehow naïve sounding and sage-like at the same time- like some sort of yoga-fairy, or better, a ninja-fairy. Rarely has one person embodied so much warmth and gentleness, yet pushed the students to the brink of collapse with more core work and hip openers than one dreamed possible.
"When you start to inquire about who you are, and why you do what you do, and you really inquire honestly, then the outcome must be transformation." - Meghan Currie
What can you expect: Come prepared to sweat, work hard, and be lovingly pushed and expanded just beyond what you may think is possible. Coaxed and encouraged to be comfortable and cozy in the raw, intense and real bits that . Classes are coated with intention, extraordinary attention to alignment, and super playful creative sequencing. Lots of focus on core strength and stability and building body intelligence so as to playfully and safely create exquisite architectural body art.
Meghan Currie will be here August 14 and 15 2013 to lead a series of practices titled "Life Exquisite": August 14: Exquisite Metamorphisis 7PM - 8:30PM August 15: Creative Genius - Master Practice 1:30Pm - 4PM & Intensely Elegant Purification 7PM - 8:30PM Register today here.
Break Up With The Scale: Forever!
Adapted from Rachel Chemerynski:
The scale and I had a pretty rocky relationship — or perhaps "toxic" is a better word to describe it. That being said, it was definitely my longest relationship. I still clearly remember when we met for the first time during my senior year of high school. I was intrigued by its mysterious demeanor, followed by my intense pain when we got too close. Soon I didn’t care so much about the pain, as every so often it made me feel skinny. I lived for those days.
“Get Off The Scale!
You are beautiful. Your beauty, just like your capacity for life, happiness, and success, is immeasurable. Day after day, countless people across the globe get on a scale in search of validation of beauty and social acceptance.
Get off the scale! I have yet to see a scale that can tell you how enchanting your eyes are. I have yet to see a scale that can show you how wonderful your hair looks when the sun shines its glorious rays on it. I have yet to see a scale that can thank you for your compassion, sense of humor, and contagious smile. Get off the scale because I have yet to see one that can admire you for your perseverance when challenged in life.
It’s true, the scale can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. That’s it. It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength, or love. Don’t give the scale more power than it has earned. Take note of the number, then get off the scale and live your life. You are beautiful!”
Brandon Jacobs' Yoga Journey
In just a short period of time, Brandon Jacobs has already garnered quite a following here at our studio. He is not only a yoga instructor, but a graduate of physical education, a massage therapist, and our official blogger for our website! After practicing different forms of yoga for a long time prior to finding Yogalife South, it just so happened that the stars lined up when we ran our first teacher training through Gaiatri Yoga. He was finally convinced by his wife to take on a teacher training, as it was obvious on the surface that this was his calling. Brandon is now known around the studio as a challenging instructor, with effective cues, notorious for his love of quotes to close a practice.
"Yoga can be really transformative. It can break you down. It can build you up. It can just strip you to very core."
-Brandon Jacobs
Being a yoga instructor has complimented his massage therapy practice allowing him to observe how physical ailments affect postures. At the same time, his knowledge of the physical body from his education has contributed to his ability to effectively cue his students, and provide them modifications for challenging postures. Brandon will soon be leading the anatomy portion of our teacher training, expanding our studentship and helping to cultivate a body of quality instructors to spread their love of yoga with the rest of the world!
If you would like to book a massage with Brandon at his massage therapy clinic, Pure Wellness Studio, you can visit their website here.
Do You Have an Unhealthy Relationship With Food?
An excerpt adapted by Pauline Hanuise:
I used to feel very confused about my relationship with food. I was never sure of what was good or not, and used to worry about the quality and nutritional value of everything I ate. Most of the time I felt guilty immediately after eating and used to overthink my choices. This was painful and totally useless! After recovering from 15 years of full-blown bulimia, I can tell you that your relation to food shouldn’t be so complicated. Now I'm able to choose easily without any concerns about what’s good for me or not. I feel perfectly comfortable around food and am not scared of eating something I'll regret. I'm not using food to fill something missing or to numb my emotions, either, and that’s the way it should be for everyone.
Food shouldn’t be a source of worry and discomfort. If it is, this is not part of your personality; it's not your destiny. This is something that can be improved, like most things in life!
Can you improve your relationship with food? Here are five questions that will help you determine whether your relationship with food is unhealthy, or if it could be improved.
1. Do you feel uncomfortable around food?
Many people tend to feel uncomfortable at social events where lots of food is available. However, it’s not a normal reaction. If you have a peaceful relation to food this shouldn’t be the case.
2. Do you lack of self-confidence regarding your food or eating choices?
Do you feel uncertain about making the right choice and experience difficulties trying to decide what’s good for you? If that’s the case, your relationship with food is definitely not as good as it could be. Being able to listen to your body's signals is vital to having a healthy relationship with food.
3. Are you controlling and over-concerned about what you eat?
Do you follow extreme rules you’ve read in books and magazines? Even if you do that to be as healthy as you can, this type of behavior will often lead to binge eating. People who try to be as healthy as possible, at any cost, often aren’t the healthiest. Being healthy is a balance.
4. Are you afraid of a certain food or food group?
Don’t worry, the food you are afraid of isn't going to eat you or make you become obese if you touch it! I used to feel this way and have this type of phobia about putting on weight, but you shouldn’t avoid certain foods or food groups for fear of getting heavier.
5. Does your relationship with food impact your social life?
This is quite sad to experience, and you shouldn’t have to. If you experience this, know that you can fix it. I did it for myself and am now successfully helping women all over the world to do the same.
Issues in your relationship with food can be very painful and destructive. Unfortunately, people don’t always know it can be improved quickly and easily with the right help and support!
This is a small follow up blog post from our compulsive exercise and body image blog from April 15th. Remember that you are not alone and if you do need help, please reach out. If you need direction or just to talk, you can always email me at brandon@yogalifestudios.ca
We've gone mobile!
Rejoice, the days of pinching your screen and squinting your eyes on your phone is over. We have officially optimized the yogalifestudios.ca website for smart phone users.
we've gone mobile
As of July 26th, you can browse through our schedule, check your account balance and profile and more. We have also optimized our blog for your mobile device to read and share with your friends on the go.
get there faster
Did you know you can add yogalifestudios.ca right onto the homescreen of your iPhone? This makes navigating to our website fast and easy, and makes our website accessible just like an app.
Step 1: Visit yogalifestudios.ca on your iPhone Step 2: Click the “share” button in the bottom navigation bar
Step 3: Choose “add to homescreen”
Step 4: A yogalife icon will show up – and you choose what to name it!
There you go. An icon will show up on your homescreen! Now you can visit our site quickly and easily from your phone.
view the schedule
Now you can view the schedule on your mobile device without pinching and zooming! Get there by clicking on the schedule link from the home page or from the menu bar (top left corner icon)
A few tips:
- Choose your location
- Change the date to view the schedule for a particular day
- Check out the class types & times and see who's teaching.
Login | Reserve a spot
You can also login from your phone, reserve a spot for class, see your account balance and profile information.
optimized blog posts
Now you can read the blog from your phone with ease!
We’ve invited you along for the ride and would love your feedback and suggestions. We have launched our beta version of our mobile web app. If you have any issues, please click on the speech bubble at the bottom of the site to send in your feedback!
Looking forward to hearing from you about what you think!
Yogalife's First Sponsored Athlete - Joe Byram
We've always outlined the benefits of yoga in many activities, such as in our Yoga Anatomy workshops with Neil where he underlies the importance of yoga as an adjunct to cycling and summer sports. Recently, one of our students has shown how yoga can be an amazing adjunct to swimming at the elite level. University of Alberta Golden Bears swimmer, Joe Byram has been a student at
Yogalife for just over a year and has already seen the benefits in his swim practice. He was introduced to the practice of yoga by the assistant coach of the Golden Bears swim team, Richard Millns, who has been a dedicated yoga practitioner at our studio for almost two years.
"Through his intelligent application of practice and his deep work ethic and commitment, [Joe] has been able to make some great improvements in his strength, technique and stamina. He's going to be someone to watch out for in the national and international scene for the next three years." - Richard Millns
Their favorite classes to attend are the most challenging, and one of the instructors that comes to mind is Sara Cueva's. Sara Cueva's Hot Flow was the first class that Joe could recall attending, and admitted to feeling destroyed following the session. However the difficulty of the practice did not deter Joe, but hardened his resolve to continue to do something that he knew internally was beneficial for him and his swim practice.
"What I did notice was Joe's dedication, commitment and strength of spirit. The first day is challenging for everybody, but he just brushed it off, and said 'it's okay' because he knew he was there for a good reason, and so he kept going." -Sara Cueva
Watch Joe compete in the 200m backstroke at the Canada Games August 2-17 in Sherbrooke Quebec. Check out the event's official website here. Above is a video we recorded of Joe introducing himself to the Yogalife community as its first sponsored athlete, along with the support of Richard and Sara.
The Fruits of Falling - Both ON and OFF the Mat
An excerpt adapted from Jennifer Radhika Lung
I remember the first time I fell out of the Feathered Peacock Pose, known to Sanskrit junkies as Pincha Mayurasana.
It was a calm and beautiful sunny morning and the dew on the grass in my protected and fenced backyard was starting to evaporate due to the brilliant rays of sunlight. On many different occasions, I had seen countless yogis effortlessly float their way into this forearm balance (or insert any other pose you have noticed someone move into, while you thought... wtf?). And on my own, with absolutely no one to witness the glory of me “striking the pose,” I went for it. I went for it bad. I kicked up one leg, the other followed, and the momentum—or perhaps it was the sudden gust of wind (yeah, right)—threw me flat on my back, like a pancake. I was stunned to say the least. The brunt of the fall was physically felt in my neck, but I think the most damage was felt in my mind. Fear. Failure. The fear of falling on my back again, perhaps leading to a neck injury, which would result in paralysis and confinement to a wheelchair, and then no one would love me anymore—so on and so forth.
That’s the funny thing about fears: I could keep feeding this or any other fear, and more fears—most of which were irrational—would develop.
Following this incident, I babied this pose against the wall for about two more years. My yogini sister kept telling me, “You’re ready to do Pincha without the wall.” “But…!” fear would say, so I listened and glued my mind and body to the wall. However, as I delved into the intermediate second series of Ashtanga Yoga, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I would need to face the pose head on. On a fateful day in a yoga studio, once again alone and without witness, I confronted fear and the possibility of failure. I very carefully set up the foundation of the pose as I always had, with one exception—no wall.
I tapped into the essence and core of my being, mustered inner strength while watching the ebb and flow of my breath, and then went for it. Ta-da! I felt so free and liberated, a certain level of giddiness welled up inside me!
Yes!
I fell, but did not fail. I fell with grace and control, landing softly on my feet.
I got up and tried again, not with the heaviness or fear of falling, but with lightness and liberation of knowing I could fall and get back up—over and over again. So the next time I have fear of falling, or perhaps even failing, both on off the mat, I know I have the inner strength to get back up and try and try again.
Repeat as necessary.
Lindsey Park's Yoga Journey
She's notorious around the studio for having a challenging practice as well as a powerful presence. Often described by students as an amazing instructor, and wise beyond her years of teaching, one of Yogalife's original instructors, as well as its studio director decided to share with us her yoga journey.
"When I first came into the practice, there was a lot of resistance at first... Then I finally gave it a go and loved it..."
After sustaining a life-changing injury from a skydiving accident, Lindsey was able to focus on other aspects outside of asana in her yoga practice, such as meditation and pranayama; this accident ended up being a blessing in disguise, as it allowed her to deepen her practice by focusing on other aspects of yoga.
"I knew that I had to be a teacher, and that was my calling. A teacher training was where I needed to go."
Yogalife Summer Photo Challenge!
This summer we're launching our first ever Summer Photo Challenge! Whether you're in an exotic location, or just practicing somewhere close to home, send us a picture of yourself doing fun yoga poses in interesting places! Submission deadline to the contest is August 14, 2013. We will post the pictures on August 15, and they will have until September 1 to get as many likes as possible. Those with the most likes will receive some fantastic prizes! So once your picture is posted, show it off! Get friends and family to "like" the original picture on the page. Prizes are as follows:
1st Place: A 25 Class Pass. ($275 value) 2nd Place: A Manduka Prolite Mat in the colour of your choosing! ($85.00 value) 3rd Place: A yogitoes mat towel in the colour of your choosing! ($58.00 value)
We will only allow one submission per person. If you submit multiple photos, you MUST let us know which one you'd like to be displayed on our Facebook page; if you do not inform us, we will post the first photo you submitted. If there are multiple yogis in the picture, the prize will remain the same (e.g. if there are 5 of you posing in the winning picture, the group will receive the 25 class pass, not each individual in the photo). Which members get to use the prize will be determined amongst yourselves. By submitting a photo you grant Yogalife Studios permission to post it on our PUBLIC Facebook page, and use in promotional media for the studio. Prizes cannot be returned for cash value.
Forgiveness - 4 Ways to Let Go of Resentment
Adapted from Ashley Turner from wanderlustfestival.com
Thank you to my lovely wife for providing this article!
For many of us, the emotions that hold the tightest grip on our hearts are disappointment, resentment, blame and anger. They place a stranglehold on our happiness and the only person who can release them is YOU! Although forgiving someone (or ourselves) can happen in an instant, my experience is that it is usually a much more lengthy process requiring great patience, trust, persistence and prayer.
How do you know if you still need to forgive someone?
If you still feel a 'charge' or get 'triggered' when you talk or think about a person or incident, if you feel constricted, tight, feel a flush of anger (even subtly) or a surge of energy physically - it probably means there is some unresolved emotional material for you to continue processing and letting go of. Forgiveness and compassion are associated with the heart chakra; it's quite possible that you will feel a tightness in the upper back, between the shoulders, have a sunken chest, have difficulty taking a deep breath and feel deflated or low energy.
Here are 4 steps to help you forgive:
1. Understand why someone acts the way they do.
Perhaps, the most important tool and first step in forgiveness is to understand "WHY" someone acted the way they did. What are they trying to protect? What are they afraid of? Reframe by building a new cognitive framework as to WHY someone might act the way they do. We are all doing the best we can with the skills and awareness we have. Beginning to ask different questions and understand WHY breeds compassion and helps loosen the ties that bind us to blame.
2. Feel. Express your emotions.
This may mean digging up long held or buried emotions from the past, your childhood or right now. Until we fully release the emotions held in our bodies, they will continue to affect our current mindset - creating tension in the body-mind and even leading to illness.Do Anger Work. Find ways to primally release anger, rage and blame. Go into nature to yell or scream, cry, weep, hit something (pillow, tennis racket on couch cushions, boxing class) – let it out! Ask yourself: - How does this feel in my body? - What does it feel like to be abandoned/betrayed/rageful? - What are the sensations? Write the person (or yourself) a letter. You don't have to send it, but getting our emotions out on paper gives them a place to live outside of yourself and your body. Talk to the person (if possible). This is only helpful if it is safe for you to speak with the person AND if you are in a calm, centered state of mind. It is not usually effective to speak with the other person when you are angry or until you have processed your emotions significantly on your own. You can also do this even if the person is not physically present or has died. Sit quietly. Close your eyes and call in the other person, their spirit and energy. Imagine them sitting across from you, how they look, how you feel. Tell them out loud what you are feeling, imagine a dialogue between you. When you are finished, thank them for listening and release them in gratitude.
3. Rebuild safety.
Once you have adequately expressed your emotions, create new boundaries for yourself within the relationship. This may mean that you no longer see the person, end the relationship or establish new guidelines. In the future, you may be able to reestablish a friendship but your psyche and emotions need time to heal.
4. Let go.
Fully letting go of a past transgression and completely forgiving may take many months or years. You may have a phase of feeling better and then realize that you are still grieving or angry. This is natural. The soul does not heal on linear time. Give yourself space and time, ask for help, get quiet, mindful + pray. In order to fully release, you have to change your version of the story and how you identify with it. This is the meaning of the myth of reincarnation. You are born anew.
Here's a sample forgiveness prayer: "I ask help in releasing this.... (person, event, etc). I feel..... God/Universe/Spirit/Higher Self, please help me release and let go. Help me forgive. I cannot do this alone and need your support, guidance, strength and love. I ask you to enter my heart now and help me let go. Guide my actions and thoughts today. Thank you."
If you are looking for an incredible book, try and grab "The Aladdin Factor."
- Brandon
Brittany Discusses Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: Chapters 3 & 4
The third and final video in our three-part introduction to the yoga sutras brings us to Chapter 3, Vibhuti Pada and Chapter 4, Kaivalya Pada. Brittany gives us a background as to how she found herself "scratching the surface" of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Chapter 3, describes the psychic powers a yogi obtains through practice. These are an advanced level of practice, and provide an interesting read. Chapter 4, is described the chapter of Freedom. Patanjali goes into detail about how those who have achieved high levels of practice can share their gifts to benefit the world.
“It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity.” -B.K.S.Iyengar
8 Ways You're Driving Yourself CRAZY! Part II
A continuation and conclusion of our the previous post 8 ways you're driving yourself CRAZY! Part I.
5. The maintenance of lies.
What’s the best part of telling the truth? You don’t have to keep track of everything you’ve said. Quite simply, the truth doesn’t cease to exist just because you ignore it. It takes constant care and maintenance to hide reality behind a lie. The truth may be hard to deal with, it may irritate you, but it will always set you free. In the end someone is going to tell the truth anyway. The only question is: Who do you want to tell it, you or them?
6. Procrastinating until there’s an emergency.
To resist at the beginning is always the easiest choice to make, and it’s also the only choice that guarantees you will never reach the end result you desire. The thing we all do best to drive ourselves crazy is to do nothing when something needs to get done. The way to counteract this is simple: engage deeply in work that needs to be completed. Your time is now. There’s no price too great for feeling accomplished. There’s no price too great for feeling alive. And if you don’t do it now, you probably never will. You know the thing you’ve been putting off the longest? That thing you’ve been procrastinating on for the last several weeks? That’s the thing you need to start doing today. That’s the thing you need to start before going to bed tonight. The time to start is not when the crap hits the fan. The time to start is now. Period.
7. Focusing on what you don’t like.
What you focus on grows stronger in your life. When you focus on a person’s wonderful qualities, you have a wonderful relationship with them. When you focus on a person’s not so wonderful qualities, you have a not so wonderful relationship with them. When you focus on benefits of a situation, you get to take advantage of them. When you focus on the drawbacks, you gain nothing but a frown.
The bottom line is that you see only what you want to see, and what you see determines where you wander in life. Your attitude is a little thing that makes a massive difference. Don’t be one of the crazy ones who makes it a point not to smile.
8. Your expectations.
Life will never live up to your expectations, unless your expectations are simply to embrace life as it unfolds and make the very best of it. You have to lower your expectations and increase your appreciation to improve your happiness. Know that everything is in impeccable order whether you understand it or not. How you react determines how good it turns out for you.
Something that is really difficult, but totally worth it, is giving up on how you thought it was ‘supposed to be.’ The most beautiful part of this practice is simply returning to the peaceful feeling of being and working with what’s available to you in the moment. This peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you had expected.
So embrace life’s surprises. Smile and realize that it’s far better to be pleasantly surprised than hopelessly disappointed.
Brittany Discusses Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: Chapter 1 & 2
The second video in our three-part introduction to the yoga sutras brings us to Chapter 1, Samadhi Pada and Chapter 2, Sadhana Pada. The first chapter goes right into an advanced practice, and can be applicable to people who have retained their practice from previous lives. Brittany also goes through the connection between the second chapter to the 8-limb path, and its connections to Ashtanga yoga. Brittany also discusses the origin of Patanjali, and the deeper meaning of his name. It's a great little video!
“It is only when the correct practice is followed for a long time, without interruptions and with a quality of positive attitude and eagerness, that it can succeed.” -Patanjali, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
If you are interested in learning more about The Yoga Sutras visit Brittany's website here. Brittany will also be hosting a workshop at our studio titled "Exploring the Yoga Sutras: A Satsang" at Yogalife Studios Edmonton South. Register here today!
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