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Wisdom and Inspiration

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Heart Space Yoga – Gratitude and Joy

Friday, October 21st, 2011

In the spirit of giving thanks, feeling blessed and offering up heartfelt gratitude and joy – here is a beautiful peice of writing from Aadil Palkhivala that I like to read each Thanksgiving to remind myself of how much I have to be thankful for! I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

Gratitude and Joy ~ Aadil Palkhivala

When joy – the precursor to bliss – arrives unexpectedly and
we are not grateful, it quickly turns away. On the other hand, when we feel
gratitude toward this generous visitor, joy becomes a part of our psyche, our nature,
our memory, and therefore expands and becomes our constant companion.

Gratitude is the most important element needed for
developing inner happiness and joy. One of the practices for cultivating
gratitude is to make a list of all you are grateful for – for the sight of the
starry sky, for the majesty of the mountains, for the nurturing comfort of a
hot shower, for the magic of music, for the kind words from a friend, for the
lilting fragrance of jasmine, for the taste of fresh baked bread, for the mystery
of life, for the agony that builds compassion, for the pain that helps us grow.
Add ten new things to the list each day and, by doing so, become aware of how
much there is to be thankful for. Anger and bitterness, jealousy and greed,
fear and hatred, all fade away as we focus on the gratitude for the bounteous
feast of life!

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Experience the true meaning of yoga: UNION!

Join me at Balanced Life Yoga Ajax for 2UNITE Partner Yoga Teacher Training on Saturday Oct. 29th from 10:00 – 5:00 or for a 2UNITE Partner Yoga Workshop on Friday Nov. 18th from 7:30 – 9:00

 

 

 

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Krista Bromfield

Krista Bromfield is a senior teacher at Balanced Life Yoga, a RYT, Can-Fit-Pro PRO Trainer, Mom and Auntie.  She has an Honors Degree in Kinesiology and Education,  and is the lead Anatomy Instructor for the Balanced Life Yoga Teacher Training Programs.  Krista teaches a variety of  classes including Power Yoga, Partner Yoga, Kids Yoga, Yog-ahhh, Prenatal Yoga, Stroller Fitness and Mom and Baby Yoga Bootcamp.

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Heart Space Yoga – Prenatal Partner Yoga Squat

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Practicing yoga during pregnancy is an amazing way to help you prepare for labor, birth and caring for your new baby. *Always consult with your doctor or midwife before beginning any exercise program while pregnant.  Squatting is recommended to relax and tone the pelvic floor muscles, improve circulation to the entire pelvic area and bring openness to the hips and pelvis. But, this pose can be difficult for a ‘western body’ – many of us do not have the openness in the hips or the range of motion at the ankle joints to do this pose without strain. That’s why it is great to practice squatting with a partner! By counter balancing and using the support of a partner, we can get into a deep squat without straining the ankle joints and Achilles tendons. It is also less strain on the knees to squat with the support of another person. So partner up and practice this natural birthing position!

Prenatal Partner Squat - Stand face to face with your partner, feet positioned flat on the floor and hip width apart.  Reach forward to grip your partners forearms firmly and let your elbows and arms be relaxed and loose. On an inhale, both partners lengthen through the spine and create space for baby between the ribs and pelvis. On an exhale, both partners lean back with a long body and spine to counter balance – arms will straighten out (keep holding each others forearms firmly). Make sure neither of you bends at the hips to hinge forward or backward. Once you both feel grounded and balanced, one of you can lower into a squat with the help and support of the other. The squatter should keep feet flat on the floor (especially heels) and keep spine long (maintaining space between ribs and pelvis for baby). Spend up to ten breaths in the squat and then return to standing with the support of your partner and switch rolls.

 It is important to note that deep squatting is not recommended for those who are experiencing symphysis pubis discomfort (pain at the front of the pelvis where the two pubis bones come together), sacroiliac joint pain (pain in the low back where the two iliac bones join the spine) or bothersome hemorrhoids. If a Prenatal Partner Squat feels uncomfortable or you don’t have a partner, try this supported squat instead and reap the same benefits!

Supported Squat – Sit down on a bolster(s), cushion(s) or stack of blankets.  Bring feet flat on the floor and turn  knees out to the sides. You can place elbows along inner thighs to gently open the groins and bring hands to prayer in front of your heart. Stay here for ten breaths and gradually increase up to two minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on Balanced Life Yoga’s Award Winning Pre and Post Natal Yoga Programs, please visit our Pre and Post Natal Yoga Offerings page on our website. 

Join us for Prenatal Yoga, Partner Prenatal Yoga, Post Natal Mom and Baby Yoga or Stroller Fitness!

 

 

 

 

 

Krista Bromfield

Krista Bromfield is a senior teacher at Balanced Life Yoga, a RYT, Can-Fit-Pro PRO Trainer, Mom and Auntie.  She has an Honors Degree in Kinesiology and Education,  and is the lead Anatomy Instructor for the Balanced Life Yoga Teacher Training Programs.  Krista teaches a variety of  classes including Power Yoga, Partner Yoga, Kids Yoga, Yog-ahhh, Prenatal Yoga, Stroller Fitness and Mom and Baby Yoga Bootcamp.

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Too Blessed to Be Stressed – Magical Monday by Shasta Townsend

Monday, June 13th, 2011

So I was having this conversation with my husband, Ian about something that was just not making him happy. I mean he was not just a little unhappy but he was really annoyed well maybe ranting would be a better word.

Now Ian is by nature a very positive person and has for years said the secret to life is to decide to be happy anyway but he has a bee in his bonnet as the pioneers use to say. And what was annoying him even more was my refusal to get upset about it too.  He was totally right and justified and all that stuff that makes us feel entitled to our nasty moods. I could totally see his view and agreed with him that the situation was not cool and certain action by other parties were not so cool either but I decided to take his advice and be happy anyway. And as you know when you are annoyed a happy person is just totally annoying so I left him to rant for a while and write.

The blessing of a handsome date and a great red dress!

We all have moments when we feel annoyed, angry or frustrated and sometimes we need to rant to release these emotions but we can also decide to be happy anyway.   Sometimes things don’t go the way you expected or some people let you down but there is so much to celebrate that I have decided that I am too blessed to be stressed.  There will always be solutions to find, opportunities for growth and even people you may need to say so long to but the quality of the life you are living really begins in your mind.  Are you offering curses or blessings?

My intention is that anytime I feel that voice of cursing, complaining or whining I think of something to feel blessed about. I also watch the perfectionist mentality that focuses on the one thing that is not going right rather than the abundance of amazing things going really well. If we tried we could find something amazing about this moment and something to really bitch about. So it sounds trite but it’s true – count your blessings and you will find something to truly rant about: how amazing your life can be.

So join me and be too blessed to be stressed…Simple things I am blessed with right now:

  • a great husband who is always true to himself  (love you!)
  • a sense of humor
  • a functioning computer
  • a functioning brain (most of the time)
  • vibrant neighborhood children who are still playing at 10 pm
  • a 15-year-old cat who sleeps in my lap
  • Decaf
  • You!

Wishing you a day of good rants and many blessings.

Namaste,

Shasta

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View from Yoga Shala at Blue Osa Retreat Centre.

Get Prana-liscious – Save $500 on Costa Rica Retreat with Shasta

Hear that…It’s Costa Rica calling.

Join Shasta for an experience of delicious renewal and bliss at the Prana-liscious Yoga and Nature Retreat December 4-10, 2011 at the Blue Osa Retreat Centre in beautiful Osa Peninsula Costa Rica.  Enjoy lush jungle, first rate accommodations and inspiring practice that will enliven every cell and leave your heart singing.

Reduced rates til July 31, 2011. Limited capacity. LEARN MORE


And remember to tune into Shasta’s Vivid Life Radio Show Possibility 101 every Wednesday at 4:00 pm eastern standard time on www.vividlife.me.
____________________________________________
Shasta Townsend: E-RYT 500, Reiki Master, Cultivator, Creator Balanced Life Yoga & Host of Vivid Life Radio show Possibility 101!

A celebrated transformational leader and a leading pioneer in embodied spirituality and Yoga, Shasta has inspired hundreds of people through her breakthrough methods for awakening and empowering your inner voice and divine power. Director, founder and senior teacher with Balanced Life Yoga, she delivers public talks, seminars and trainings on evolution and empowerment. She draws on a wide variety of techniques including Yoga, Shamanism, meditation, energy healing, coaching and the Law of Attraction. She is especially appreciated for her passionate way of allowing individuals to make sense of their world and embodied, holistic means to become the change they wish to see.

As early as in her teenage years, Shasta embarked on her journey as a spiritual explorer which led her to India, where she studied yoga, meditation and energy healing. She has studied with many remarkable mentors and she has undergone thousands of hour’s intense practice of meditation and spiritual studies. Shasta has taken every opportunity to become adept in her field through her own practice as well as through extensive training in Yoga, group dynamics, meditation and spiritual counseling.
www.balancedlifeyoga.ca

shasta@balancedlifeyoga.ca

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Heart Space Yoga – A Tale of Enlightenment

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

I attended an asana class recently and was touched by a traditional yoga story that my teacher shared with us at the end of practice.
It went something like this:
There was once a woman searching for enlightenment. She sought the advice of many spiritual teachers and went through the proper channels but had no success. Finally, she came upon a wise teacher who asked her an all important question: “Who in your life do you love with all your heart and envision as the embodiment of the divine?” The woman thought about it for a moment and knew her answer – it was her nephew. The wise teacher advised her to worship her nephew as she would a deity (god or goddess) – as if he was the purest embodiment of the divine in human form. She was to present him with nice goodies, dedicate her yoga practice to him and love him unconditionally with all her heart and soul. The woman did as she was instructed (how nice it would be to be her nephew!) and of course, became enlightened!

This story touched me on a day I was feeling quite conflicted. As I left my house, husband and one year old behind to head to yoga, I felt guilty. It didn’t help that my son was watching me pull out of  the driveway from the door. I felt that maybe I should stay home, go for a walk with my family (the sun was just coming out!) and not leave them to go practice yoga by myself.
As soon as I arrived at class I reaffirmed to myself that I need this time. I need it to nourish my body and soul –  and to get clarity. My focus on the mat makes me a better mom, wife and friend off the mat – after all, it’s all about balance!

I also realized that my own little deity – my son, is a major part of my own path to enlightenment. I truly envision him as the purest form of light and love on earth and it made me smile to think that he is actually part of my path to bliss.

Ask yourself the question of the wise spiritual teacher – “Who in your life do you love with all your heart and envision as the embodiment of the divine?”  Once you have your answer you can follow her advice – present them with goodies, dedicate your yoga practice to them and love them unconditionally with all your heart and soul!
If we all did this just imagine how wonderfully we would all be treating each other! And if the wise teacher’s advice holds true – we would all be one step closer to divinity!

Celebrate Mom this Mother’s Day Weekend! Join me for:

 Mother’s Day Kids Yoga and a Story Craft Party on Sat. May 7th  from 3 – 4:15 (REGISTER HERE)

or

Mother’s Day Partner Yoga (ages 10 – 99) on Sun. May 8th from 3 – 4:15 (REGISTER HERE)

at Balanced Life Yoga Ajax.

 

 

Krista Bromfield

Krista Bromfield is a senior teacher at Balancd Life Yoga, a RYT, Can-Fit-Pro PRO Trainer, Mom and Auntie.  She has an Honors Degree in Kinesiology and Education,  and is the lead Anatomy Instructor for the Balanced Life Yoga Teacher Training Programs.  Krista teaches a variety of  classes including Power Yoga, Partner Yoga, Kids Yoga, Yog-ahhh, Prenatal Yoga, Stroller Fitness and Mom and Baby Yoga Bootcamp.

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The Cookie Thief – Magical Monday by Shasta

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Happy Easter Monday!

Easter always seems to be the hallmark of Spring and spring is all about new possibilities…

The Easter Bunny Cookie Thief - at least leave chocolate!

Welcoming in the new sometimes means acknowledging our views of the world that are just not working for us anymore…I love this poem by Valerie Cox. It reminds me to always be in the place of gratitude and openness and to watch those limiting thoughts – and to have a sense of humor.

 

The Cookie Thief
A woman was waiting at an airport one night
With several long hours before her flight
She hunted for a book in the airport shop
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop
She was engrossed in her book but happened to see
That the man beside her as bold as could be
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene
She munched cookies and watched the clock
As this gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by
Thinking “If I wasn’t so nice I’d blacken his eye”
With each cookie she took he took one too
And when only one was left she wondered what he’d do
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh
He took the last cookie and broke it in half
He offered her half as he ate the other
She snatched it from him and thought “Oh brother
This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude
Why he didn’t even show any gratitude”
She had never known when she had been so galled
And sighed with relief when her flight was called
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate
She boarded the plane and sank in her seat
Then sought her book which was almost complete
As she reached in her baggage she gasped with surprise
There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes
“If mine are here” she moaned with despair
“Then the others were his and he tried to share”
“Too late to apologize she realized with grief”
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief

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Join me for an experience of delicious renewal and bliss at the Prana-liscious Yoga and Nature Retreat December 4-10, 2011 in beautiful Osa Peninsula Costa Rica.

Reduced rates are on until July 31, 2011.

LEARN MORE

 

And remember to tune into my Vivid Life Radio Show Possibility 101 every Wednesday at 4:00 pm eastern standard time on www.vividlife.me.

____________________________________________

Shasta Townsend: E-RYT 500, Reiki Master, Cultivator, Creator Balanced Life Yoga and Host of Vivid Life Radio show Possibility 101!

A celebrated transformational leader and a leading pioneer in embodied spirituality and Yoga, Shasta has inspired hundreds of people through her breakthrough methods for awakening and empowering your inner voice and divine power. Director, founder and senior teacher with Balanced Life Yoga, she delivers public talks, seminars and trainings on evolution and empowerment. She draws on a wide variety of techniques including Yoga, Shamanism, meditation, energy healing, coaching and the Law of Attraction. She is especially appreciated for her passionate way of allowing individuals to make sense of their world and embodied, holistic means to become the change they wish to see.

As early as in her teenage years, Shasta embarked on her journey as a spiritual explorer which led her to India, where she studied yoga, meditation and energy healing. She has studied with many remarkable mentors and she has undergone thousands of hour’s intense practice of meditation and spiritual studies. Shasta has taken every opportunity to become adept in her field through her own practice as well as through extensive training in Yoga, group dynamics, meditation and spiritual counseling.
www.balancedlifeyoga.ca

shasta@balancedlifeyoga.ca


 

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Did You Miss Caroline Myss – Listen Now

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

You can choose fear or you can choose love…find out what else Caroline Myss had to say about healing, life purpose and getting aligned to your truth.

If you missed hearing the inspiring and original Caroline Myss on Possibility 101 with Shasta on April 20 you can listen anytime from our webspage.

Listen now

And remember to tune into Shasta’s Vivid Life Radio Show Possibility 101 every Wednesday at 4:00 pm eastern standard time on www.vividlife.me.
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Join Shasta for an experience of delicious renewal and bliss at the Prana-liscious Yoga and Nature Retreat December 4-10, 2011 in beautiful Osa Peninsula Costa Rica.

Reduced rates are on until July 31, 2011.

LEARN MORE

 
____________________________________________

Shasta Townsend: E-RYT 500, Reiki Master, Cultivator, Creator Balanced Life Yoga and Host of Vivid Life Radio show Possibility 101!

A celebrated transformational leader and a leading pioneer in embodied spirituality and Yoga, Shasta has inspired hundreds of people through her breakthrough methods for awakening and empowering your inner voice and divine power. Director, founder and senior teacher with Balanced Life Yoga, she delivers public talks, seminars and trainings on evolution and empowerment. She draws on a wide variety of techniques including Yoga, Shamanism, meditation, energy healing, coaching and the Law of Attraction. She is especially appreciated for her passionate way of allowing individuals to make sense of their world and embodied, holistic means to become the change they wish to see.

As early as in her teenage years, Shasta embarked on her journey as a spiritual explorer which led her to India, where she studied yoga, meditation and energy healing. She has studied with many remarkable mentors and she has undergone thousands of hour’s intense practice of meditation and spiritual studies. Shasta has taken every opportunity to become adept in her field through her own practice as well as through extensive training in Yoga, group dynamics, meditation and spiritual counseling.

www.balancedlifeyoga.ca

shasta@balancedlifeyoga.ca


 

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The Genius of Beauty – Magical Monday: Shasta Townsend

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

When was the last time you thought about creating beauty in your world?

In the spiritual community we talk frequently about love, peace, forgiveness and even prosperity but rarely about beauty.

Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder but we all seek to behold beauty.  We love to gaze on the face of someone we find seductive, we breathe in the majesty of clean open mountain vistas and we seek to be in the presence of attractive people. You arrange your desk, your home, your furnishings even all in a way you find appealing – this is all our search for beauty.

When I am at home and when I am away I try to seek out beauty. Beauty can be the smile of a blind man,it can be the most radiant red saree worn just so, it can be a child who reaches for your hand as you pass by, it can even be a mangy dog running free.  Beauty is all around us – we only need the eyes and heart to see it.

Recently on a stop over in London, my friend Michael took me to the Columbia Flower Market. I thought I was in heaven. I love flowers and so do a thousand other people clearly. It was amazing to see all the wonderful flowers for only a few pounds but even more wonderful to see the streets literally packed with people seeking to purchase these items of beauty.  This experience reminded me that we are all seeking beauty in our lives.  Flowers are an easy way to remember the power of creation and the joy of a beautiful world.   See the video from the market along with the comical flower seller who will make you smile http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3jNXwMAADk

I have a friend James who is one of those super creative people who naturally see and creates beauty. He is a designer of space and material. He can transform a department store into a theatre all by the trick of the eye. I so admire this skill – the ability to see and work so creatively. He has a genius in seeing the beauty of what is NOT yet created. My husband Ian has this skill too. He took a raw space and turned it into the Ajax studio. I saw a raw space and had heart palpitations.

In the meantime I seek to at least see the beauty of what is in the world.  I invite you to do the same.

Ask your self:

  • Did I seek to add beauty to the world today? It could be picking up a piece of garbage, adding flowers to your desk or offering your smile.
  • Did I seek to see beauty in the world? Open up your heart and close off the judgement. We often have very conditioned ideas of beauty – can you see beauty in the dirty, the destitute and even those you hate?
  • Can I see my own beauty? I once had to complete a list of all the things I found beautiful about myself. This was challenging at first but once completed I felt a new appreciation for myself. Give it a try. Gosh darn it we are beautiful!

Many blessings and namaste,

Shasta

Join me for an experience of pure beauty and bliss at the Prana-liscious Yoga and Nature Retreat this December in beautiful Costa Rica. LEARN MORE

And remember to tune into my first ever blog talk radio show Wednesday, April 6 at 4:00 pm eastern standard time. I interview the amazing Kausthub Desikachar…Find out what he says about the future of Yoga holds for us, how to become empowered and how to release judgement. Join me at www.vividlife.me

____________________________________________

Shasta Townsend: E-RYT 500, Reiki Master, Cultivator, Creator Balanced Life Yoga

Host of the new Vivid Life blog talk show Possibility 101!  Wednesdays 4:00-5:00 pm est.  www.vividlife.me

A celebrated transformational leader and a leading pioneer in embodied spirituality and Yoga, Shasta has inspired hundreds of people through her breakthrough methods for awakening and empowering your inner voice and divine power. Director, founder and senior teacher with Balanced Life Yoga, she delivers public talks, seminars and trainings on evolution and empowerment. She draws on a wide variety of techniques including Yoga, Shamanism, meditation, energy healing, coaching and the Law of Attraction. She is especially appreciated for her passionate way of allowing individuals to make sense of their world and embodied, holistic means to become the change they wish to see.

As early as in her teenage years, Shasta embarked on her journey as a spiritual explorer which led her to India, where she studied yoga, meditation and energy healing. She has studied with many remarkable mentors and she has undergone thousands of hour’s intense practice of meditation and spiritual studies. Shasta has taken every opportunity to become adept in her field through her own practice as well as through extensive training in Yoga, group dynamics, meditation and spiritual counseling.

www.balancedlifeyoga.ca

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Heart Space Yoga – A Mantra for Healing and Peace

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

I usually try to avoid the late night news. I see the devastation in Japan, the lack of humanity here in our own country, our own city. Even though I can see the beauty and wonder in each day through my own eyes and the eyes of my son, it is still easy to feel defeated. When I set my intention at the start of yoga practice – I am often overwhelmed. How can I dedicate love, peace, freedom and healing to everyone in my heart, and on the other side of the world? I believe strongly in the power of intention and the power of mantra. Whether you repeat the words in a mantra yourself, or simply listen to it – its meaning seeps into your very being at the cellular level – and makes its way into your heart.
Lately, I have been accessing the power of mantra to send out love, peace and healing energy to my family, friends and people all over the world who are suffering.

I recently completed a Prenatal Teacher Training with a lovely and wise teacher. I am so grateful for all she has taught me (and will continue to teach me I am sure!). She re-introduced me to a mantra that I keep coming back to in times of sadness, uncertainty and confusion. At first, it seems simple. Just eight syllables repeated: Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung. (Ra Ma Da Sa is the earth mantra – Sa Say So Hung is the ether mantra)

The English translation is as follows:

Ra = sun energy
Ma = moon energy
Da = earth energy
Sa = infinity/eternity
Say = the totally of infinity/eternity
So Hung = I am thou (or that)

It is a very powerful mantra for healing and peace. It is universal. It works on the mental, spiritual, emotional and physical levels.

This mantra is also said to help draw prana (the life force) into the central channel and align the chakras by vibrating each energy center. Try repeating it as follows:

Ra – focus on the base of the spine and imagine a red glowing light
Ma – focus on the sacrum/low belly and imagine an orange glowing light
Da – focus on the solar plexus (navel center) and imagine a yellow glowing light
Sa – focus on the heart and imagine a green glowing light
Pause
Sa – focus on the heart and imagine a green glowing light
Say – focus on the communication center in the throat and imagine a blue glowing light
So – focus on the third eye and imagine a purple glowing light
Hung – focus on the crown and imagine a glowing violet light

You can repeat this mantra or listen to it with the intention of sending peace and healing to someone who holds a special place in your heart. You can also intend to send peace and healing to everyone on earth!

For a beautiful version of this mantra sung by Snatam Kaur – you can download ‘Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung’ from her CD ‘Grace’ on itunes.

Happy Chanting :)

Krista Bromfield

Krista Bromfield is a senior teacher at Balancd Life Yoga, a RYT, Can-Fit-Pro PRO Trainer, Mom and Auntie.  She has an Honors Degree in Kinesiology and Education,  and is the lead Anatomy Instructor for the Balanced Life Yoga Teacher Training Programs.  Krista teaches a variety of  classes including Power Yoga, Partner Yoga, Kids Yoga, Yog-ahhh, Prenatal Yoga, Stroller Fitness and Mom and Baby Yoga Bootcamp.

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Yoga Rx-Blue Monday

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

Yesterday my husband came home from work talking about this radio show that he had been listening to about a British Psychologist  who has declared that Monday, January 17th 2011 is the saddest day of the year.

What is it about this particular day that has been deemed Blue Monday?

It is no secret that this time of year can be difficult for people.  The weather is cold, the lack of sunshine, road conditions can affect travel plans, experiencing debt of holiday shopping and all those new years resolutions that seem to get broken.

This is the way that many people think and feel at this time of year, but what if you could change all of that?  What if you I told you that your happiness lies in the palm of your hands?

In yoga we use mudra’s to help create new ways of being.  You could try sitting in a quiet space with your legs crossed, and your spine tall.  Bring your hands to your heart centre in prayer position and then allow the middle fingers to fold over leaving all the other fingers up.  This is called the happiness mudra!

Your happiness is like a seed that needs to be planted, one seed at a time.

Lets say for example this summer you wish to grow a vegetable garden.  No vegetables will grow unless you plant the seeds in your garden first.  Then you must take time to water them, make sure they are cared for and simply watch them grow.

The same can be done with your happiness by changing one negative thought at a time.  When the weather affects your travel plans look at it as a chance for you to reconnect with “you”.  Pick up a good book, take a bath and enjoy a pajama day!

We can’t just wake up one morning and change everything about ourselves but we can give ourselves the opportunity to take baby steps in creating a new thought process.

So the next time someone asks “How are you today?”, reply in a positive way by answering “Great and yourself?” regardless of how you feel inside and allow that first seed of happiness to be planted within you.

Susan Di Ilio is a 500 hour RYT.  She has worked as a Correctional Officer and brings her love of working with people to her therapeutic yoga teachings.  Susan teaches Gentle Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Therapeutic Yoga: Mind and Body Balance, Yoga for Fertility and Therapeutic Yoga: Better Backs.

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How I Became a Good Wife/Served with Love

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

I am not afraid to admit it –  I make my husband’s lunch. 

It took me a while to get to this point – of being ok admitting it nevermind actually doing it.  I use to make Ian promise to not tell anyway I was making sandwiches at midnight.  What would my womyn friends think?  I have every feminist book ever written, I bristle at the term “good wife” and I refuse to take my husband’s last name and yet I am madly in love with this man. There was just always something about marriage that sort of contrasted my view of myself as an independant and free person and yet I committed.  When we were first married I was very adamant that I would not be a good wife which to me meant cooking, cleaning and generally meeting his needs at the expense of my own.  I have matured or perhaps just began to create my own view of marriage as a means to connect to love. (Duh…sort of like the point of it I know.)

Gender stereotypes and projected roles are very much alive in our society. Many women do lose a sense of themselves as they feel they must throw themselves solely into the role of wife and mother only to feel angry, unheard and lost years later. And often it is women wo are the worst critics of other women. It is a time for true sisterhood for us all – those who make a great pie and those who do store bought but that is for another post.

To be honest I am not good at cooking or cleaning but I have come to realize that it is not what we do but why.  Being a good wife or a good friend or a good anything does not mean meeting up to some societal expectation or projection of who I should be or what I should doing. Rather being a good anything means being in service to another and to my Self with love. The act becomes Karma Yoga or Seva (service with love) and a way of honoring the Divine in myself and others. 

I don’t make sandwiches because it is my wifely duty. I do it because I love my husband and the light within him. I do it because it brings me joy to think of him eating well and I love making something just for him. I do it because I want his life to be easy and joyful. I do it because I don’t cook well but I do make a mean sandwich and I serve it with love.

How can you be in the service of love today?

Love and light,

Shasta


 

 

Shasta Townsend

A celebrated transformational leader and a leading pioneer in embodied spirituality and Yoga, Shasta has inspired hundreds of people through her breakthrough methods for awakening and empowering your inner voice and divine power. Director, founder and senior teacher with Balanced Life Yoga, she delivers public talks, seminars and trainings on evolution and empowerment. She draws on a wide variety of techniques including Yoga, Shamanis, meditation, energy healing, coaching and the Law of Attraction. She is especially appreciated for her passionate way of allowing individuals to make sense of their world and embodied, holistic means to become the change they wish to see.

As early as in her teenage years, Shasta embarked on her journey as a spiritual explorer which led her to India, where she studied yoga, meditation and energy healing. She has studied with many remarkable mentors and she has undergone thousands of hour’s intense practice of meditation and spiritual studies. Shasta has taken every opportunity to become adept in her field through her own practice as well as through extensive training in yoga, group dynamics, meditation and spiritual counselling.

www.balancedlifeyoga.ca

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