Why Refining your Alignment Matters in Yoga

I still feel kind of like a newbie in the world of yoga, only 10 years in, but the amount of yoga and my total devotion to this path has allowed me to witness so much in that short time.  When I first started I had no clue about alignment at all, in fact my first Yoga Teacher Training had very little in terms of alignment in the postures but blessed me in other ways.  Since I was hooked after the very first yoga class I took and I was totally inspired and fired up to go to the next level, and then something interesting happened.  YOGI BEWARE!   I got hurt, a lot! 

I remember this class I had done early into my yoga life at a gym and the sound I heard and the intense pain I felt when my hamstring attachment tore!  I could hardly walk out of the class and every time I bent over to put my shoes on I was in agony, for about a year and a half!!!  After that first incident several others followed, like a shoulder injury, neck issues (from headstand), wrist strains, tweaking my back so I couldn't walk, and of course a couple more hamstring pulls. 

All of these things mostly happened because I was practicing in my bedroom using books as guides or videos without a teacher to guide me or look out for me.  In most of these cases it was indeed my own fault for not listening to my body and pushing too far too fast but in some cases it was the instruction or lack of in the books I was using or the teacher! 

To me this feels like ages ago now but I am happy to report I have not experienced any major injuries from my yoga practice since I discovered Anusara's brillant Universal Principals of Alignment.  The bottom line, ALIGNMENT MATTERS in a yoga asasna practice!  To line up takes a lot of work, discipline and consistency.  The good news, our bodies, minds and hearts are letting us know how our yoga is going. 

If your in pain when you do a backbend every time (like I was) and you believe that you'll eventually get it, I can confidently tell you that it's NOT going to happen.  Pain is a sure fire sign that something within the body is in a misalignment and since you have over 200 bones and 600 muscles good, clear technical instructions are necessary to move into life affirming alignment.  

Even with the most amazing instructions, coming from the most experienced and skilled teachers sometimes we just aren't getting it!  Creatures of habit I suppose.  I can't tell you how many times in my teaching journey I have heard a student out right refuse to try doing a pose a different way because "that is what my teacher taught me" or "I've been doing it like this for 30 years", well things have changed from the way yoga was taught 30 years, 500 years or 3,000 years ago.  Some of the older ideas have simply been replaced with solid bio mechanical principals. 

Here's a good example.  In many of my first yoga books I had in 2002 it looked like people had their hands turned in for crow pose.  So of course I did it like that too and holy crap did it ever hurt my wrist after about 20 seconds or 5 attempts.  In my head I just wasn't strong enough to do these crazy arm balances.  About 1 year ago I was at a class in our city with my girlfriend and the woman beside I was clearly showing signs of wrist pain from doing crow.  My jaw dropped as I watched the teacher tell her to turn her hands in!!!  IN????  REALLY IN????  OUCH!!!!  It took everything I had to not say something to help her but it wasn't my place to do that. 

There are basics to setting foundations that are so clearly and consistently taught in Anusara that you start to really understand how even the tiniest little refinement in your alignment allows you to go deeper and deeper into your poses and more importantly into your heart so you can work on the old itty-bitty-shitty-committee (thank you Todd Norian) and start to line up in your practice in ways that free you not hurt you! 

This is a lifelong practice because the amount of refinement you can do in any yoga pose is infinite.  Some of these refinements are injurious and some will take us to places in our body-mind-heart that we had no idea we could tap.  So if you are experiences pain in your practice and you LOVE yoga than search out a teacher that knows alignment and more importantly listen to the teacher in your own heart that is always there, guiding you and your body and you'll start to experience ecstasy in your yoga practice, each and every time you step on your mat.

So blessed to be on this journey and huge thanks to my teachers along that way who have taught me how to align my body-mind-heart in such a beautiful and skillful way.

Pranams to John Friend, Todd Norian, Ann Greene, and so many other wonderful yoga teachers

Why you should Never Block anyone on Facebook!

Energy will always flow, you can't stop it but what you can do is channel it in ways that are life affirming.  Facebook is an energy!  It's good, it's bad and sometimes it's downright ugly!  Some days it makes you feel special, loved, blessed and other days you feel left out, misunderstood, hurt.  In fact, if it wasn't for FB, I doubt I would have any communication or access to communication with my ex-bf's or people I went to grade 2 with! 

So FB is good and bad.  I have access and made connections with some of those most inspiring people in the world, including some of the most skilled yoga teachers to have walked this earth.  I have sent them messages and they have responded to me, that is special, that is a big deal, that's where facebook shines!!! 

Of course there is another side to this.  I also had some strange dude from BC add me and of course I added him before I really checked him out.  His messages were a bit creepy so I thought, I better investigate this dude.  Turns out he's a "collector", yep, all women, no male friends.  So I took him off, no big deal.  Then he tried to add me several times after that, even with different names so I went the next step and I BLOCKED him! Take that wacko stranger! 

In addition to crazy dudes I have also blocked a few friends that I no longer wanted to be associated with, but of course it's facebook so if your friends are friends with that friend then there is no escape.  Your going to see their shit and they're going to see your shit.

 The thing is you can't block energy from flowing, you don't have that kind of power, it's nature but what you can do is be aware of your reactions to FB, to the people on it and remove people off your block list!  In fact crazy dude is that last person on that list of mine and as an experiment I am going to take him off and see if I will get any response.  If I do, then I will address him and ask him not to try to connect with me anymore.

DONE!  So now my job is to channel energy in ways that will enhance my life and make it more beautiful.  Don't take this so seriously because if you really have a stalker, (I have, I understand it's scary) your safety is paramount but living in fear isn't very fun and I think they more we try to block or fear life we attract exactly more of that same kind of energy. 

On this day, Dia de los Muertos, I thank all those souls and teachers that have come before me and have taught me how to better manage my life, FB, relationships and crazy people. 

Blessings to all,
Mindy

Fall in Love with Change

I love this time of year!  Today I turned the heat on in our home on account of the icicles forming from my dripping nose. I'm not a huge fan of the cold but I do love this time of the year. In Canada, the beautiful display of brilliantly coloured fall leaves signifies the end of the summer and a time of change, where the dark begins to overpower the light, the warm weather is replaced by crisp Autumn air.  What's going on with Mother Nature is going on inside of me and you!

Fall is a time of change and transitions, this is often a difficult time for many people too.  When things change we feel uncomfortable, maybe even scared.  As many great thinkers have declared the only thing we can really bank on is that everything will change.  It's our attitude toward change that we have some control over.

One of the biggest changes in my life has been in my relationships with people.  I have cut ties to old friends, made new friends and I'm constantly working on the most important relationship of all, the one I have with myself!

Being open to the flow of life and change is part of Anusara's first principle, called Open to Grace.  Grace is the revelatory power of the universe that shows us our true nature, consciousness and bliss.  This can be a challenge for me and many other people.  Our ability to be open and remain open when things are hard is not something we're born with, it's something we practice over and over again.

Changes in my life are still happening all the time and accepting that it's part of life and more importantly it will inevitably help me grow and expand is something I've picked up from Anusara Yoga.  Just last week I was able to witness and assist the Anusara Immersion in London with Todd Norian and Ann Greene.  These 5 days we full of beautiful and precious moments of grace, love, light, and transformation.

I went through the same process in 2007, when I did my immersion with these skillful and loving teachers.  I changed as a person and I haven't looked back since.  In fact I was so empowered during the immersion I was able to cultivate enough strength to end a long term relationship with someone I was supposed to marry.  Phew!

Fall is a perfect time to end or begin something.  How can you align yourself with nature today to better allow grace into your life? 

Your Heart has the Answer

Certain decisions are easy to make, like do you want to smoke, get high, jump off a bridge, some are harder, do you want end a relationship with a friend, or partner, quit your job? (maybe that is easy sometimes).  Once we make a decision then we have to learn to let go of our attachments and move on.  Sometimes the strings to those attachments are attached directly into your heart and so when you cut them there is heartache and discomfort. 

So how do we welcome the end of good things or great things? 

I'm closing my business down after almost 7 years and it will be hard to let it go since there is a strong attachment to it.  In fact ,I teetered in the beginning whether or not I should continue or close.  Was it the right time to make that decision, what will happen to my students, so many questions and things to contemplate, so not an easy decision to make. 

Then, like a smack in the face, I hear my yoga teacher saying "Open to Grace, soften, feel..."  And, instantly the fear dissolves and I receive a clear message that yes indeed this is a good thing.  Confirmation from my higher Self.  An overwhelming sense of gratitude fills my heart and soul.  Wow, I'm so thankful to be awake, so that I don't feel alone and I trust myself.  I'm so grateful to have found a yoga practice that has taught and prepared to make good decisions, welcome endings, step into the flow and be embraced by grace.

I want to share a technique that I learned many years ago that has worked for me every time I have to make a decision.  I guess you could call think of it as having an important conversation with your higher Self.  The first time I used it, it actually scared the crap out of myself because it was so clear and powerful.  There was no question in my mind whether or not I was getting the answer to my question.  Let me warn you before you attempt this technique you will get the truth, if you like it or not.

The first time I used this technique was because I meet this really great guy and only 2 days after we hit it off something crappy, stupid and self induced happened, he got a DUI charge.  As soon as he told me I broke it off right away, I didn't want to go there with him, however, some friends convinced me to give him a chance, that he just made a mistake, so I did.  The foreshadowing of what was to follow should be no surprise here. 

I gave him another chance and shortly after the chaos began!  I just left a 7 year long relationship and now I'm thinking what the hell, how did I get myself involved in all this chaos again.  The craziness went on for a few months as I was trying to sort through the love-at-first sight feelings and I was so pissed at the DUI, I wanted to ream this guy out!  But still I wasn't willing to welcome the ending so I hung on and duked it out, like a tough girl. 

One morning, I slipped into the bathtub, closed my eyes and took some deep breaths.  I got very still, quiet and I turned inside.  Once I was as relaxed as I could be, I imagined a tiny door on my heart.  I visualized myself knocking on this door that looked like the door Snow White knocked on when she meet the 7 dwarfs.  When the door opens I was welcomed by this warm, soft pink light into this magical space.  I could see a table and two chairs from the top of this tiny little spiral staircase.  I made my way down and sat at the table.  It felt like I was about to meet someone really important and I was.

There wasn't a figure or person that actually appeared to sit across from me but I knew it was time to present my question to my heart.  Get ready, this is deep friends!  "Should I stay with this guy?"  Then silence, the walls of this space, beating, alive....... still nothing...... then ...  a very clear, loud  NO, echoed through the cambers of my own heart!!! I nearly fall off the tiny chair, holy crap I thought I wasn't expecting that to happen.

  That's it!  That was the conversation I had with my higher Self, it was the truth, it was what I needed to do, it was the right thing to do and I knew it all along, I just wanted to make sure.

"Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first.  Ask questions, then feel the answer.  Learn to trust your heart."
    
So that day, I ended that relationship and stuck to my guns about that decision.  Matters of the heart are never easy for me but I know that I can tune into my heart for loving, truthful guidance at any time.  I have used that same technique so many times and I always know that whatever I am asking I will get a solid, clear answer.  Your heart never lies to you, ever!  But you need to be willing to go deep inside to get the answer, even if it's going to hurt. 

"Only do what your heart tells you to" Princess Diana

Again, I'm so full of gratitude for my yoga teachers, John Friend, Todd and Ann and spiritual guides I get goosebumps and my eyes well up with tears because they have all taught me that I don't need to go outside of myself to get to the truth, that my heart is the center of my being and it's from there that I have the strength to let go and move forward. 



"The human heart feels things the eyes can not see, and knows what the mind can't understand"  T.E Kalem

I'm used to people thinking my head is screwed on the wrong way :D

I taught a lovely class today in the park to some young yogis and saw a very familiar facial expression aimed at me while I lead them into some postures.  It's not easy to describe this particular look but since I started teaching yoga I have seen it many times.  This look is sort of half roll your eyes at me combined with what the hell is this crazy woman talking about. I wouldn't say it's a nice look, in fact it's a bit like you disgust me and your a total weirdo. Not to worry I can take it, I'm used to it and I think it's awesome that I can get people's brains thinking out of the norm.

I taught an advanced class this morning that lead toward eka pada viparita dandasana and there it was again, that look!  Love it!  Funny thing is that I was used to this look from other people long before I started doing yoga.  The same look at 16 years old when I told people I was a vegetarian, or that I spent my free time climbing up the face of cliffs or entering big air competitions on my snowboard.  You see in my life adventure and being unique and kinda freaky in a healthy way is the norm. 

It is by no mistake that I can comfortably tuck both of my feet behind my head while balancing on my arms, it was through years of dedicated yoga practice that I am at all able to do that.  When people show talent make no mistake that they have likely spent hundreds of hours honing their skills and the looks that we shoot them should be more like wow, that's totally amazing, rather than geeze what a total nut case!

Good thing yoga has taught me not to care so much about what other people think of me but instead to live my life fully every day.  As my lovely friend Pangea puts it, "fly your freak flag", so I do that and I like it.  On the other side of this sometimes when people are showing their talents to the world and it's out of the ordinary I have also seen a different vibe coming from them.  This look is more like "What haven't you ever seen someone swallow a flaming sword before while hoola hooping with a fire hoop?" 

I'm never rude back, anyone that is!  Ah the journey is so amazing, I wouldn't change it for the world.



Today, I fully identified with this look and now I can see it just like I see someone else smiling at me.

That's not very Yogic of you!

I cringe whenever I hear this statement being barked at me our others - "That's not very yogic of you now is it!"  My initial knee jerk response is quelled by all the work I do on my mat, very yogic of me indeed.  Little do these folks know what a huge difference yoga has made in my life and if I was the person I used to be pre-yoga the words my response to statements like this one would be far less kind and often include the F-word! 

So what does it mean when someone says, that's not very yogic of you?  Does it imply that I must be a perfect person, incapable of making mistakes, cutting someone up, making fun of someone, or using swear words?  The yoga in me teaches me to go to the source, my heart to respond. From my heart I can contemplate further, what does this person understand about yoga in the first place.  If I think they may believe that all we do is throw on some spandex and stretch then I have to base a response on that.

If they are "yogis" themselves saying this to me it drives me more insane!  I believe it's a great opportunity to look closely at your own life/behaviour first before questioning mine. Might I quote Mr. Iyengar from his book Light on Life, "You must purge yourself before finding faults in others." Perhaps your own behaviours, actions or words are not "yogic" and that is the source of this silly statement. 

Go back to the source, inspire, elevate the community, all these concepts moving through my mind while I carefully and consciously am choosing my response.  If you do yoga you are aware the word itself  means to yoke, taken from the root yuj or to unite. It can also refer someone who practices yoga or follows a certain yoga philosophy with a high level of commitment. 

My issue when someone says this is more so about people speaking with ignorance.  They know you do yoga so that is something you can call them on if there out of alignment in some way.  I'm not saying yogis or yoginis should be going around shooting the bird at someone who cuts you off, or getting angry and punching someone out or other various precarious situations, but just because you do yoga, does not mean you're a pushover. 

My teachers have taught me to look for the good in all situations, to respond rather than react, to live with high standards and even morals but they have never ever taught me to be a pushover, to let other people treat me poorly while I keep my mouth shut in fear of responding in a non-yogic way. 

Consider this before yoga I would have been the one cutting you off in my car!  I would have given you the finger just because the wind was blowing west, my reactions where usually selfish and harsh.  After all these years of yoga no matter what, I am almost always (well, the fact that I'm a human being means I still make mistakes) responding in a yogic way regardless. 

30 Day Vegan/Yoga Challenge

   This May, The Mindful Body is presenting a challenge to our community to go Vegan and practice yoga 4 times a week for 30 days.  Why?  Why would this matter?  What you do, has a global and local impact on this planet!  For some this is a serious challenge for others they are already mostly living this way.

  What does it take to make this change for 30 days?  DISCIPLINE!  Yep, scary word I know but it may be what some of you lack or fear and just what you need to shift the direction of your life and this planet.

   I have been a vegetarian for over half my life, that's 18 years and I don't miss meat at all.  In fact as a kid I used to spit it out and cringe when diner was served if there was meat on my plate.  Well actually, I hated the veggies too, I was super fussy. 

   I made an educated decision to stop eating animals after my boyfriend gave me a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) brochure.  I still remember the pictures of downed cows, bunny rabbits with crap being injected into their eye balls, chickens squished together in tiny cages. 

   My reasons may have started off for the rights of the animals and of course they still do but living my life in ways that uplift the entire planet happened when I started to do yoga and give a damn about other people and this planet that we share, not just myself.  This is just my own view and I would not judge or criticize someone else's view or try to change them.

   Being a vegetarian at 16 made for some interesting Christmas dinner conversations in my Italian family.  They made fun of me, challenged me, made me cry on several occasions about the choice I had made about what I would and would not eat and why.  But, at the time none of them would so much as look at any information or pictures showing the reality of how meat is raised, treated and killed.

   "Going veg is one of the best decisions you can make for your health and the planet. Period.  Your organs, blood, bones, teeth and private parts will thank you!"  This is a quote from Kris Carr, who was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer and then from there totally changed her life around.  I highly recommend you pick up her book My Crazy Sexy Diet, to use as a source of knowledge and inspiration for the challenge.

   A lot of people have been mislead that veggies don't eat enough protein and that's bull!  In fact the USDA recommends, depending on your body weight but around 47 grams per day.  There are many experts that believe that number is too high and we require only about 20 to 35 grams per day.  Most people are eating around 100 to 120 grams per day which is far too much.  There are exceptions to this like pregnant people and athletes. 

   In some circles this is common knowledge, EATING ANIMAL PRODUCTS MAKES YOU SICK, in case you had no clue I hope you are at least interested now.  If you don't believe me, totally cool but try it out for 30 days and see how you feel for yourself!   Add 4 yoga classes a week in there and we are talking major body renovations toward a more blissful and healthy state of mind and body.

 Here are some more juicy highlights from Kris.  You can get all the protein and calcium you need from a varied plant based diet.  This plant based diet is your best defense against cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.  Dairy causes mucus buildup and is linked to many diseases, like asthma, arthritis and Crohn's.  ANY processed meats are full of gross stuff like fat, body parts, salt and carcinogens.  When you buy meat know that there is a hidden cost to your health, the economy and the planet. 

   Yoga is a powerful tool for living a balanced and happy life so roll out a mat and do it!  Many of you already practice yoga but the challenge is to practice it in a deeper way then just a workout.  Yoga is first a spiritual practice, meaning that it connects you to your heart where you can see your divine nature shining as brightly as it did they day you were born. 

   A yoga practice takes...... ready.... wait for it........ DISCIPLINE!  There's that scary word again.  Why do you need discipline for yoga?  Well deep changes take time and consistency of practice.  Once a week is great but your body, mind and heart need and deserve so much  more than that.  Yoga will help your organs cleanse themselves, regulate hormones, improve blood, lymph flow and circulation, improve your sleep, digestion, increase muscle tone and flexibility, strengthen your bones, increase fluid to your joints, relieve that chronic back pain or other issues ( with good alignment of course, poor alignment can make it worse), help you feel connected to the world and your community.  This list just goes on and on and again try it and see what happens.

We welcome you to participate in this 30 day challenge.  We will meet on Sunday, May 1st for a brief orientation and sign up for a discounted yoga pass ($75 plus HST) for the 30 days.  Do the best that you can but remember you will  need some discipline to pass on BBQ's, fast food joints, and mainstream restaurants.  Go to vegan or veggie restaurants instead of steak houses, have friends come over to your place and blow them away with a delicious vegan meal.  Look for inspiration in your yoga community and new recipes to try.  This is the perfect time of the year to do this, don't wait, go with the flow and start feeling better. 

All of my support to you!
Mindy



  

  

Safety and the Root Chakra

Yesterday went for care free, happy go lucky, to yukky and scared within a few moments.  I left to teach yoga in the morning and I came home to find that my neighbours apartment had been broken into.  I froze on the spot and just stared at the broken glass right beside the lock.  I didn't know if someone is still inside so it was scary! 

After reporting it, I waited around for the police to arrive and several neighbours appeared as broken glass was being swept up, wondering what happened.  It's crazy how much this happens, so yes my bubble of love was burst.  Being from up north we barely lock the door, a habit I have brought with me to London and one that got a "slap in the face perspective change', thanks to this incident.

I found that every little noise made me jumpy yesterday.  I knock on the door from my neighbour wearing a big black jacket made me wonder if I should have a weapon.  WHAT?  I'm thinking how did I go from happy go lucky this morning to paranoid and on edge!

Enter YOGA!  You guessed it right if that is what you were thinking.  Yoga has answers to so many of life's questions.  The answer for why this happened, wait for it..... LILA!  Just because, no reason, no karmic debt from a past life, just because!  Lila is the Sanskrit word for divine play and it's place in the Tantric teachings, that is not just a world of causality but one of lila as well and in this world bad things happen for no other reason than just cuz.

When we don't feel safe, several things can happen.  On a physical level, it's hard to breathe, breath gets more shallow and rapid, adrenal glands blast the body with adrenaline to deal with the stress of the situation, difficult to relax and settle, aversion to eating or some people go directly to food for comfort, insomnia to name a few.  According to Dr. Anodea Judith, these types of events can "trigger our first chakra into working overtime."  She also mentions that when we are threatened what ever has been pre-programmed into the first chakra will take over and mind gets taken over by the needs of the body to survive.

As the initial threat disperses and I go back to my more normal state, my heartbeat speeds up when I walk past the door.  Even that will shift with time and with proof that I'm not in danger.  It is important to have a place that you call home, where you feel safe, protected from weather and intruders.  Home is where the heart as!  For me OM is where my heart is, which means that no matter where I find myself, I'm a breath away from coming back to my true nature, which is unaffected by the external complications of the world.

Does Your Yoga Mat Measure Up?

It has only been in the last few years that the yoga community has fully embraced the concept making eco-friendly mats more important. Many mats are made from toxic materials, the implications of this our quite large considering the rapid growth of new students into the practice. In face, it is estimated that about 15 million people are doing yoga that is a lot of yoga mats!



Yoga is not only about practices poses, in Tantra the teachings awaken us to how everything has a ripple effect, so yes choosing an eco-conscious mat is important. I still have my very first PVC yoga mat, that my sister gave me years ago and I do love it but I would not by a mat that wasn’t created with the highest intention to honour the planet and not to mention I prefer not to have plastic chemicals right under my nose while taking a breath in child’s pose.



One of the main materials used in many yoga mats, especially the really inexpensive ones, is polyvinyl chloride (or “PVC,” also known as “vinyl”), an environmental toxin. As if that isn’t gross enough add lead, cadmium, and a class of chemicals called of phthalates, which aggravate your endocrine system among many other health problems. These additives are added to make your mat soft and sticky but release gases over time and use.



The material used in yoga mats isn’t always listed so it makes it difficult for the consumer to make an informed purchase. Many companies have even added a print of a flower, an ocean or some image that makes us feel more connected to nature.



Several reputable companies have rises to the challenge of creating mats aren’t toxic and have been made with materials that will biodegrade and will not leach toxins into your body or the groundwater. prAna is a forward thinking eco-conscious company producing an alternative to the old PVC mats.



John Friend, founder of Anusara Yoga, worked closely with PrAna to develop a mat that would be safe, sticky and the greenest mat on the market. The mat is called the Revolution and it is unlike any other yoga mat. This mat takes up a lot of space; it is 78 inches long and 30 inches wide, noticeably wider and longer than most standard yoga mats. “This mat supports you as you stretch the boundaries of your practice on an ecologically sustainable surface. Three layers of biodegradable rubber, heat laminated without glue, offer your hands and feet a comfortable and sturdy platform. Instead of nylon or plastic, the interior scrim is a dual layer of cotton, which keeps the mat from stretching or bunching underneath you as you move.”



Having a mat that isn’t harming you or the environment is an important aspect reflecting your rising consciousness to make decisions that make our planet a better and healthier place to live. It is very difficult to find a use for old PVC mats and if you through them out they will not likely breakdown anytime soon.

Acceptance

Nature doesn't always give you a choice.  You have an event planned and it pours or in the case of where I live, snows.  I woke up yesterday to a world of white and all I could do was accept it.  Yoga has given me many things but not the ability to melt the snow.  One thing that yoga has taught me is to recognize that I am not in control, grace is leading the way.  Grace is the revelatory power of the universe that affirms life. 

Sometimes things just are what they are, for no reason.  This is not just a world of causality but a world where lila, diving play, operates.  Because of lila, plans can change, people can pass away, natural disasters strike.  It's what we do with the lila that we can change.  Attitude is everything!  My whole life I have been accused of having a 'attitude.'  It wasn't uncommon for my mom to get calls from the school to discuss that very topic.  Where did my bad attitude come from?  Partly the environment I was brought up in, partly my nature, who cares at this point.  When we shift our attitudes out of the 'i'm a victim in all this" to, a victorious one this aligns us with grace.

When you do that magic happens!!!!

Happiness Right Now!

I thought of a spiritual path in the past like it was leading me somewhere very special.  Sort of like Dorothy going to Oz.  But more and more I realize what the phrase "it's a journey not a destination" really means.  Part of Dorthy's journey was meeting new friends along the way, spending time with Toto, and fighting off evil flying monkeys and a real witch. What about the actual path, granted hers was bright yellow, easy to see, mine seems a bit confusing sometimes, many forks, many options and sometimes I find it hard to know which way to go.  Who do I want to bring with me on my trip to Oz?

The path I have chosen in life, isn't the easy way, my old way was to numb myself, fill my life with drama and stress so after I numbed myself I could feel 'something.'  My new way is with a yoga practice, teachers and like minded friends.  The yoga way, much harder, but so much more fun.  Last weekend, my yellow brick road led me and my hubby to John Friends Detroit workshop.  John is one of the most skilled yoga teachers on the planet and you are bound to have a shift when you practice with him.  Something in my heart shifts every time I get an opportunity to do yoga with him or listen to his Dharma talks. 

John came into my life like a Kansas hurricane and when the dust settled, the winds died down and I dusted off the film from my heart, I could see myself clearly.  Happy in this moment,  right now, not after I get this, buy this, read this, watch this or do this, just right now!  Yoga has taught me so many things, simple but incredibly profound but one of the things it has really taught me, is this is my path and I make the choice to align with the highest, friends, teachers, food, partners, communities.  Whenever I choose from the highest I stay connected to myself and my true nature, which is that I am a good girl! 

Today I might encounter a angry witch, a tree that throws apples at me,  or someone trying to put a spell on me, but today I will also find happiness all around me simply because I am embodied bliss.  Yoga is a journey, Oz is here, now!

Spring time Contemplation

My nose is still running and the kettle's on as I warm up from my walk.  All signs pointed me in the direction of outdoors today.  Syncing myself up with nature so I can live more harmoniously requires I actually leave my warm home.  After a mind-blowing weekend in Detroit with my beloved yoga teacher, John Friend and my amazing yoga friends, my body is sore, I mean I feel every muscle and I love it!  My hip is bruised not from yoga but from trying to run to the bathroom and not miss even a moment, alas I fell down the stairs.  Any physical pain ignored, pride in check, ran back in to wild applause for the Starne sisters doing Mandalasna with John. Interesting, I have never seen this pose down, I've been dying to try to learn it, then I miss it.  No coincidence but divine plan for sure.  Great news, my friend Erin can show me so I am going to try it out on Thursday.  Another "impossible pose" becomes possible! 

I'm not psychic like read your palm, talk to the dead kind, but I am super tuned into nature.  I use Doreen Virtue PH.D's magical unicorn oracle cards to give me diving guidance.  I'm a big fan of her goddess deck too.  Anyway I pick two cards today one from each deck.  I do realize how airy fairy it sounds to draw wisdom from a "unicorn deck" but hey I'm totally open so why the heck not, is what I say.  I  pick the Light card, it reads "see the light within yourself and everyone else."  Easy to do after spending 8 hours doing amazing yoga.  The next card, get out be some water.  Good thing the Thames River runs just behind my house.

The air has the Spring smell to it, crisp and earthy.  The ground is spongy, wet, and soft.  There are actually green shoots everywhere, waiting to bust out but holding back as if the sense another snow fall, no thanks nature.  This time of year is a time of revelation, there's my rake!  The river is amazing, fast flowing, overflowing the bank, drowning tree roots and making a heck of a swimming pool for the mallards and Canadian geese.  Spring even sounds different from the deep quiet of winter, welcome back noisy robins.  The symphony of birds has returned to break the silence, thank goodness, since it gets pretty eire during Canadian winters. 

Spring is a time of change, transition and new life. It's also a hell of a lot of work to clean things up again.  What have you been eating the last 4 months, where did you think it went?  Just to clean up my yard is a lot of work.  People ignorantly let their dogs poop on our yard without picking it up, there is garbage EVERYWHERE!  Boo!  You can only temporarily hide, the thaw reveals all! 

I'm excited about this Spring because I know it's bringing BIG changes to my world.  Scary and exciting go hand and hand.  I hope you get a chance to get your butt outside today, even a 10 minute walk will do.  Smile at the robins, be careful by the raging river and see the light within yourself and acknowledge it in others as the walk by.  Everyone's in a much better mood, maybe their horny but it's the time of year! 

Bountiful blessings to you all,
P.S. if anyone can help me expand my blog audience please let me know how to do that!

Married life and Vimarsha

Just over a week ago I was married in Punta Cana.  The setting was beautiful, white sand beach, turquoise ocean waters, picture perfect blue sky.  It was memorable and breathtaking.  The contrast of coming back to Canada is a bit tougher but I am slowly starting to settle in again.  We had planned the wedding for over a year and technically got married at city hall in November but we did not wear our wedding bands and there was no wedding dress or speeches or anything like that.  In fact it was a frigid day in London, Ontario.

All the prep, organizing and travel and it feels like that day went by so fast, because it did.  This is part of a strange time warp that occurs when your in love or having a great time.  Once I broke my leg snowboarding and it took 45 minutes for the ski patrol to get me down, well that was the longest 45 minutes of my life.  The Sanskrit word Kala, means that time is relative and the older I get the more I understand that.

When your a kid summers seem endless, now as a adult weeks whiz by one after another.  My teacher, John Friend talked about this in a workshop I took last November in Santa Fe.  He said that " when your consciousness knows itself, it is self aware, or when it looks back on itself (vimarsha),  it sees that there was a thought that occurred in time.  As you get older, we for me anyway, I know that my consciousness is expanding, through many modalities like yoga, meditation, pranayama and because of that my life is passing a faster speed.

I love to hear stories about couples that have been married for over 50 or 60 years, first of all I think that's madness and then I feel so blessed that my partner and I have the opportunity to grow closely and individually together for a very long time.  Since time is also related to breath, I love to remind myself to breath and be present with what is.  It seems to slow things down a little.  The more yoga I do, the better I feel, the more fun I have, the fun I have, the more I live fully.  It can explain the saying "time flies when your having fun."  Cuz, you betta I am having a blast consciously watching things unfold and get better and better in my life.

om, peace.

Yoga is a Group Effot!

Speaking from personal experience and from someone that tried to learn most yoga poses from a book or video, I will tell you firstly, it isn't that fun doing yoga in your living alone all the time and two you don't even know if you doing the pose correctly.  For example I had a really great book called 40 Days to Personal Revolution, by Baron Baptist and in one of his sequences he was doing Bakasana (crow pose).  I took a look at the picture, thought I could do it, gave it a try, landed on my face, skinned my chin, nose and thought I knocked my two front teeth out.  Not good!  In fact, I was so scared of that pose I didn't try it again for a very long time.

What's going on inside the poses is very important and not really obvious.  Example #2, one of my first or second yoga classes, it was at a gym and I don't think the teacher was a "yoga teacher" I think she took a weekend course on how to choreograph a yoga class.  I had no idea what I was doing, I was totally digging the blasting U2 song, bouncing and pulling my way down into a seated forward bend, when I heard a SNAP!  I heard a snap people, not good!  Then I couldn't walk, every time I bent over for a year and a half my hamstring attachment hurt.

Then I found a yoga that invites you to join, if you want to.  Creates a deliberate atmosphere where you meet other yogis, like minded beings and you become part of a fun and supportive community.  I didn't get it at first.  After a few years of pr acting with Todd Norian and Ann Greene, I had a chance to study with John Friend in Florida.  I knew nobody, was sort of scared of John, and was nervous about what was going to happen.  I was greeted with a bunch of radiant smiles at the door, got my name tag and was very proud to represent Canada, and set up my mat.  Everyone seemed to know everyone, except me.  I wasn't even there for 5 minutes before total strangers were coming up to me and introducing themselves to me.  I was blown away at this idea of community.

My past idea of community included being forced to go to church for many years, going on road trips with other snowboarders or rock climbers, or raves!  All of these were a bit dry for my hungry mind.  Sure I meet really great people along the way but now I like to spend my time with those people in the community living what they believe in, teaching others how to grow, expand, let go, make money, eat food, and drink wine together.  And I value more than anything else the engaging conversation about the world.  My friend D-Rail, informed me the other night over another amazing meal by KB (ktotheb.com), that the entire world population of 7 billion peeps could fit into the state of Rhode Island with 6 meters of space per person.  That conversation lead to a discussion on collective consciousness.

 I've decided I want to hang out with the beings that care, love deeply, care for our planet and all the animals that we share this earth with.  I want to learn how to do harder poses by teachers that not only know how to do them themselves because they have practiced them, but they can teach me how to get there too!  In my classes I get really excited when everyone can do the best that they can in crow pose or a challenging posture, and they are smiling while they are doing it.  We don't leave anyone behind either!  But we can only grow and expand as the people in our community are growing and expanding. 

When we come together to practice yoga there exists an opportunity that goes so far beyond a simple hello at the front desk.  Deep inside the hearts of everyone we long to be part of something bigger, a community that welcomes us and supports us just as we are.  I have found this community with Anusara yoga, as well as 200,000 other students.  Yep that's how many Anusara students there are in this world and that isn't by mishap, it was completely intentional.  John Friend is helping the world connect on the level of the heart and looks to me like he is doing a pretty kick ass job of it too.  It's hard not to laugh, expand and meet new friends when you attend one of his workshops or trainings.

My good friend Erin once said to me "wouldn't it be awesome if EVERYONE in London did yoga!"  My response was hell ya, that would be amazing and London would be a much different place than it is now.  I hope to see your smiling face at yoga soon.  If your at all turned off by the talking and laughing at first, give it a chance it might grow on you and you might meet some new friends too.

Me with Gert, we first met in the Anusara Immersion, now she teaches at my studio, Me and my hubby and BF Erin doing drop-backs, may seen scary but it's fun and safe with friends and know-how!  Next pic, is Florida right before going in to meet John Friend!  Some of the totally amazing gang from me Yoga Teacher Training with Todd Norian and Ann Greene in Lenox.

Why Alignment Matters in Yoga?

I've been to a few yoga classes where I have heard the teacher suggest that we "do whatever feels good for our bodies," and I have to scratch my  head on that one.  What feels good is mostly savasana, mild to zero engagement, napping, eating chocolate, sleeping in, you get my point here!  What my body needs to do and what it wants to do are 2 separate things.  This leads me to what John Friend calls the two main reasons for doing yoga.  The first is to have a recognition of our divine nature and secondly to experience the highest forms of delight.  Is that going to happen to me if I roll around on the floor, while rounding my spine?  I think not and this is why alignment matters!

 Yoga is a science that teaches you how to align your body/mind with a higher intention.  The physical body has a very specific anatomical blueprint, John calls this the optimal blueprint, that is the most idea position for the body.  Who cares?  Well if you have any kind of injury yoga can really mess you up if your alignment is not precise and refined but yoga done with really good alignment is called "therapy" and that equals healing and happiness when things don't hurt anymore. 

Here's the kicker, this alignment is actually really tough to get and then maintain.  It is so much easier to collapse and let go then to hold asana with steadfast awareness and killer alignment.  Let your body be your guide!  If you are getting hurt from your yoga practice that should be sending a red flag high into the cosmic clouds and then it's time to consider perhaps a different style of yoga.

I've been practicing yoga for only 8 short but very intense years and I used to get hurt all the time on account of my disengaged muscles, collapsing armpits, internally rotating upper arm bones, hyper extended knees, and my finger pads continually lifting off the ground while fully weight bearing.  Since then I have been blessed to have found and fallen in love with Anusara yoga.  Since that day, those old habits, yes I found it very difficult to break my old collapsing ways, are long gone and what I get from this precise alignment is a practice that continues to expand, without injury and a tremendous amount of joy! 

I learned how to engage, expand and align every bone and muscle in my body through my amazing teachers!  My deepest gratitude to these very skilled, compassionate, loving and super supportive Anusara teachers!  John Friend, Todd Norian, Ann Greene, Sianna Sherman, Desiree Rumbaugh, Shraddha,  Noah Maze & Amy Ippoliti, all my love!

These teachers have taught me not only how to align my physical body but how to align my heart with a deep remembrance of what a gift life, embodiment and consciousness truly are!

Yoga is so much more than a streching class!

Yoga's popularity has increased world world. Even in my community many new studios have opened up, there are lots of options and styles available to anyone or any age or fitness level that wants to start. Let me set your mind straight before you head out, yoga is not just a stretching class, in fact according to John Friend, founder of the globally recognized style of Hatha Yoga, called Anusara, stretching comes after 4 other steps!

On a physical level stretching your muscles are great, it's natural, just watch your dog in the morning when you say "wanna go for a walk" to see what happens. However, on a bio mechanical level just stretching or hanging can be dangerous for your body. In yoga, poses are an offering of your heart not just something where you organize your muscles and bones into a specific arrangement. What goes on in the inside of a pose is where the juicy stuff is and what separates some of the styles of yoga into purely physical or opportunities into a deeper understanding of your true nature.

Yoga will make your muscles strong so they can support your skeleton, with guidance this can lead to a feeling of safety and support in this world. When your muscles also get more flexible, you may find yourself becoming more open to new possibilities not just new poses. Yoga can bring people together in community and at the same time can honour what makes you special.

Beyond stretching yoga's reach is vast and deep, for me the grip of addiction in it's many forms strangling me for years, began to loose it's power as mine increased. Bad habits start dropping like the well formed icicles outside my kitchen window for months, solid, steadfast with some light, some heat they melt and then I can see clearly out my window again.

Contemplate deeply what yoga does for you! How it has impacted your life, your mind, your body and your heart. Get out to classes, regularly, that makes a big difference. Yoga once a week is fine but if you can get another class or 2 you this moments of clarity will expand.

Mindy Willis is an Anusara Inspired Yoga Teacher, living in London, Ontario.

Green Juice

Just over 3 weeks ago I gave my body and my cupboards a major clean-up! I started to make green juices, almost every day. I have been having 2 of these juices until noon then some yummy vegan eats. The juice is made from 1 cucumber, 5 leaves of romaine lettuce, 1 lemon, 2 green apples, 1 pear, 4 kale leaves, 1/2 bag of celery, ginger, then I add 2 ginseng and a hint of agave nectar. I have cut out almost 100% of the gluten from my diet and I can honestly say I haven't felt this good for many years, health wise.

I've been a vegetarian for over 17 years now but my diet needed a lot of help. This time the help came in the form of a book, by Kriss Carr, My Crazy Sexy Diet. I highly recommend this book, it is so informational and inspiring. For many years of my life I suffered from a horrible eating disorder that ruled my life and it all started to change when I began yoga. Yoga helped so much, I just stopped throwing up everything I ate and for the first time in my life genuinely cared about my bod!

Although, I think I ate healthier than most, I knew I could do better. My wee Starbucks addiction, an innocent Soy Chai Tea Latte and a molasses cookie 2 times a week was unhealthy and I knew it. That latte has as much sugar in it as a pop does, so don't kid yourself if you have fallen into the chai tea trap too. Other than that my busy lifestyle made it hard to prepare and I realize now that eating the best, freshest and healthiest food is expensive, a lot of work, both preparing and prepping but it 100% worth it in the end.

Make a change today whether it is cutting out those chai lattes, coffee, too much alcohol, gluten, soy, eggs, dairy or meat. I know that you will feel so much better in only a few weeks. Plus your bod will love you for it by dropping extra pounds around the belly, thighs, backs of the arms and rear end! Kriss Carr recommends doing this with a buddy for inspiration and motivation. Whatever floats your boat, just get it in the water first by cleaning out your cupboards and replacing what is in them with whole foods. Throw out anything that is white, refined or processed. Your doing yourself a favour in the end!

om peace

The Inner Warmth of Yoga

Every time I practice yoga I get a warm glow inside my heart. Anusara Yoga is a life-affirming heart centered yoga that allows students to awaken their hearts. I have had this experience over and over again. Sometimes it happens when I am on my mat, sometimes it happens when I am driving my car, sometimes it happens when I am in coversation with a friend. It is like getting bit by a yoga bug, it is hard to forget once you experience the warmth of self-knowing.

I want to be very clear on this, you don't need to heat the room to 100 degrees to feel the warmth of yoga instead the heat is created within as the mind blazes new trails through your consciousness. The resistance of old ways of thinking of yourself create friction, heat, tapas.

Yoga, unites me with mySelf! I am reminded to go in first, that all I need is there, now, waiting for me to remember. When I try to go out, I get lost, frustrated, my expectations let me down. In one conscious breath I can go down into my heart and be embraced with love. I can't wait till I can practice again.

Jungle Love in Costa Rica

Well I just got back from the jungle which was a highly expansive and powerful trip. I can finally say that I have seen some insects the size of my hand now! The trip was amazing from the moment the door to the plane opened up and we stepped out to feel a strong, warm wind. After a 2.5 hour drive, half of it a crazy dirt road, we arrived at our new home for the week, Casa Capatian.
The next morning we had a nice tour around, followed by an amazing breakie of fresh fruit, smoothies, the food was delicious all around. Off to the beach, wow, endless beach on both the right and left. The ocean was showing off with her beach break surf that I could not wait to get into to. My lifelong wish of surfing, finally! I surfed almost everyday we were there and I find I am already missing the ocean, the waves (some very scary and intimidating) and the feeling of freedom when you catch a wave and ride it out.
While in the jungle I saw, giant grasshoppers, we mistook them birds at first, scorpions, butterflies, tropical flowers, palm trees, bamboo, sugar cane, mangroves, buzzards, unfamiliar birds, sea shells, a dead tortoise, 2 dead armadillos, giant iguanas, dogs, cats, horses, ticos and ticas, gorgeous red sunsets and dark nights illuminated only by the light of the millions of visible stars. I am still savoring all the wonderful highlights of this trip.
I am thrilled to have been able to teach and introduce Anusara Yoga to yogis on the retreat, meet and reconnect with friends, share many meals with the new kula and celebrate the beginning of the new year (we were in way before the clock struck midnight) with amazing people in an amazing place. I am already putting out the vibe to go back and teach another retreat there.

Buenos dias!
Mindy