Archive for » September, 2010 «

Sep
14

September: National Yoga Month!

I’m afraid it’s been a busy month in the world of MommyOm… I was under the impression that, as Staples keeps reminding us, “It’s the most wonderful time of the yeeeeeear!” because September means Back to School and thus find myself way behind the 8-ball and totally slow on the uptake in this being National Yoga Month!

For those of you not completely lost in the bliss and sudden abundance of peace and quiet in your lives, perhaps this month might also mean taking advantage of the various specials held at studios around America and getting acquainted with yoga for the first time.  For others, such as myself, it means considering what yoga means in my day-to-day life and perhaps re-committing to a regular practice… or maybe I did that last month?!?!

Whatever.  Whether it’s Back to School or National Yoga Month, do yourself a favour and check out a local yoga class this month.  It might be just what you need to fill up all the time you’ve recently acquired!

Happy Yoga Month!

Category: Class-y, Events, Good Intentions, health, Spirit, yoga  Leave a Comment
Sep
11

Oh Those Canadians: Yoga… ‘Cannabis Enhanced’

Leave it to the Canadians and their legalized marijuana to find yet another excuse to get high:  yoga class!

I suppose to some, yoga and pot are synonymous anyhow.  But to those of us who practice regularly, the high we get from a practice, any practice, from more mellow Iyengar to balls out Bikram, is just so satisfying and remarkable on its own, it keeps us coming back to the magic of the mat as often as we can.

But, apparently there is another faction of yogis that feel there’s just that much more can be achieved through a practice enhanced by the ganja… the herb… the tea… by the cannabis that they’ve developed a series of classes incorporating the hallucinogen to maximize their yogic experience.

Dee Dussault, founder of Follow Your Bliss center and Ganja Yoga classes, told Relaxnews that she has “been smoking marijuana for four years, practicing yoga for 15 years” and “teaching cannabis-enhanced yoga for about one year.”

Classes range in participation from four to fifteen students, and along with mats, towels and water bottles, it’s a strict policy of  BYOP: Bring Your Own Pot.  There is no sharing or mooching and there is certainly no buying or selling.

Classes include “a vaporizer café and chat (approximately 30 minutes), followed by a profoundly trippy yoga class, set to mystical music (approximately 75 minutes). Light munchies served afterward” for about $15 CDN.

Most of us don’t live in the Toronto area to take advantage of this unique approach to yoga, but if you’re interesting in experimenting with your own ganja infused practice, Dee Dussault offers a few pointers:

-  Focus more on the sensations that one feels in the body than on trying to achieve more intermediate or advanced postures while high.
-  Really slow down, focus inwards, let go of your idea of what “yoga” is supposed to look like. Just “be” in different poses. Hang out there, let the ganja take you to new realms of experience. Notice your breath. Notice how the body moves and feels. Do some simple stretches, whatever your body calls for.
- Always listen to your body, and err on the side of doing less than you think you can.
- Stay away from balancing poses unless you are used to them, as marijuana can negatively impact balance for some people. Spend a lot of time in meditative poses.
- If your mind wanders, just come back to your breath. If thoughts interrupt or distract you, see if you can commit to focusing on the breath and the feeling of the body.
- Marijuana is great for making us super-interested in things for the short-term. Be super-interested in things you’ve never noticed about your body before. Continually commit to coming back to the breath, to the body.
- If you feel anxiety or cannabis-induced paranoia, try “Child’s Pose” – kneel on your knees and lower legs, with your hips reaching down towards your heels, and your forehead on the mat. You can have your arms extended over your head, or by your sides. Child’s pose reduces mental tension and anxiety.

Category: Articles, Class-y, health, Just Crazy... In A Good Way, news, Practice, yoga  One Comment
Sep
04

Me Likey… Ultima Replenisher: A Sports Drink With A Difference

… the biggest being, NO sugar!

My biggest victory as a parent so far (and as the second-guessing, guilt-ridden parent that I am, that’s sayin’ somethin’) is from the moment they started drinking from a sippy cup, they drank water.  No juice, NEVER soda and no sports drinks.  In fact, while when my two younger kids get the chance to swig orange pop they are like little junkies selling their precious Pollys and XBox games for a hit, my eldest rejects everything that isn’t water.

So, the interesting thing when I introduced Ultima Replenisher to the family was getting eldest to open his mind to the possibilities of flavour and getting my younger to open the mind that a “treat” drink doesn’t have to tickle your nose!

While I’ve been tempted to offer sports drinks to my kids during sickness and now with all of them so active in sports, but the amount of sugar was just not worth the compromise to get them anything other than simply hydrated.

Ultima offers a NATURALLY sweet alternative to everything else out there, so you and your child can get valuable electrolytes without also getting jacked up on endless tablespoons of sugar found in other brands.  It’s vegan friendly and gluten free with NO artificial ingredients.  It’s great for everyone, from athletes to pregnant moms and is even recommended by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for keeping cancer patients more effectively hydrated.

Ultima “contains a full complement of electrolytes, not just a ton of sodium. Ultima also contains complex carbs for energy, water-soluble vitamins and vitamin enhancers for day-to-day health maintenance, and antioxidants to protect body systems from free radicals (toxins).”

The flavours are wonderful.  Subtley sweet and just so… so drinkable. Try the assortment pack and get all of them: Kiwi-Strawberry (my fave!), Wild Raspberry, Grape and Lemonade (recommend adding a squirt of lemon juice to amp up the lemon) and then commit to a favourite and go for the 30 or 90 serving cannisters.

I love Ultima packed in my fanny to keep me fresh during long runs and have it closeby for my flow practices.  The younger kids, of course, love it and I feel good allowing a sweet drink occasionally, knowing they’re not over-doing the sugar.  And while eldest still chooses water as his first choice, he surprised me by requesting the Wild Raspberry for swim practice!

Category: Eating, health, Kids, Products, running, Tri training, weight loss, yoga  Leave a Comment