Inspiration! This is just simply beautiful…….
Archive for the Category » Spirit «
Nov
18
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Lest I overstate how I feel about my first four days, I have to stress that my ADHD, crack addicted orangutan- I mean monkey- of a mind still prevails. My early morning thirty minutes is a virtual cluster f*# of to-do’s, did-do’s, oh sh*t’s, oh-god-i-forgot-to-do’s, WTF’s, and so many more wonderful distractions.
And I indulge.
But I still sit. I redirect. I bring my attention to my breath.
Over and over and over again.
While it sounds tedious, it has been a most pleasant space early in the quiet of the morning. Before the emails, the work, the kids, the noise… the chaos.
And somehow I’m energized first thing, better preparing me for the day.
And the nagging headache I’ve been waking up with? Blissfully diminished at the end of the half hour… despite the orangutan.
Category: 365 day meditation, gratitude, health, maybe, Meditation, Practice, Spirit, strength, surrender
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Nov
15
101 days since mommy’s last tweet… 101 days since mommy’s last post. Hmmmm…..
OK… so things have kinda been falling apart. Just a lil’ bit.
But inspired anew, with a tidy place to transform my butt-ugly-early mornings from groggily logging on to facebook- I mean, my email and other work related stuff- to something truly transformative. I’m turning to meditation to aid in persistent headaches, a pesky snacking habit and even more pesky weight gain… and really just an over-all case of the blah’s- physically and mentally.
I’ll let you know how it goes. Consider this a 365 Day Project of a different shade.
Forget New Years. Meditation. Everyday. Now.
Tell it, Senor Kabat-Zinn….
Category: 365 day meditation, Good Intentions, gratitude, health, Meditation, Spirit, strength, surrender, weight loss
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Aug
04
It wasn’t too long ago that I wrote about another trend in yoga that involved smoking pot… and I sort of thought that was a little out there.
But there’s another trend making its way through the yogic ranks and, as someone who lives near a lake, while I love the idea of it, I’m really not sure how, at $2000 bucks a pop just in equipment alone, it could really even catch on.
Yoga atop a paddle board on the water. Everything about it sounds wonderfully peaceful with the additional benefit of really targeting the core, as you work to keep yourself steady and not flipped over into the water.
Again, the heat of the sun on your body… sitting only centimetres above the cool water… the gentle lapping of the waves… seagulls…. It really sounds idyllic. 
According to the instructor in the video below as well as others who are leading the trend, while balancing on the board helps you achieve a much more thorough workout for the core, it is really the connection to nature that is the biggest draw. As you quietly practice, there is a whole other world of aquatic flora and fauna just beneath you.
Currently, I think it has grown popular in places like Florida, though more and more they seem to be cropping up all around the U.S. It’s definitely made my list to try… though, given the outlay for a paddle board, I only have an old windsurfer at my disposal.
I’ll let you know how it goes…..
Category: Blog, green, health, instruction, Just Crazy... In A Good Way, Practice, Spirit, Trends, WTF, yoga
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Jul
29
Than have I got an idea for you!
I know it’s only the end of July, but winter will be here before you know it… and you’ll be dreaming of frolicking with the kids on white sand and in azure waters.
So, plan ahead and consider combining yoga with your snorkelling this winter. Sivananda Ashram, near Nassau in the Bahamas, offers family options, that keep everybody busy and relaxed, while still having plenty of time to enjoy the usual tropical vacation stuff.
From February 19-25, you and your family can enjoy games, activities, outings and more, along with regular yoga practice for the whole family. Only a half-mile down the shore is the famed Atlantis Resort, where you can grab a snack and enjoy a splash down the 60-foot Mayan-temple slide to boot!
The real beauty of Sivananda Ashram as a family vacation, is that you can enjoy the best in beach vacations, with all you would expect from an island paradise with crystal clear water and pure white sands, for a fraction of what it might cost you to do otherwise. It’s remarkably reasonable, particularly if you choose the tent option, though you can choose from a variety of accommodations, whether you’re into tenting or a beachfront private room with A/C and a view.
Make your plans now! (242/363-2902; www.sivanandabahamas.org; from $79 per adult, including meals, yoga classes, and meditation sessions; children under 12 half-price; children under three free.)
Category: Destinations, family, health, instruction, Kids, Meditation, Spirit, yoga
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May
09
It is festival time folks, and here’s one to kick off the season that is bound to inspire and enlighten while getting you movin’, groovin’ all at the same time. In amongst the music and vendors, yoga, speakers and workshops will be in abundance at the fast approaching and much anticipated 6th annual Lightning in a Bottle Music and Arts Festival 2011, presented by The Do Lab.
Yoga plays an integral role in Lightning In A Bottle, lead by the likes of Shiva Rea and Micheline Berry, but what sets this festival apart are the unique series of workshops to satisfy any number of interests. Want a cool way to make use your old clothes? Check out the Revolutionary Remix Upcycled Fashion and Costuming with artist Sara Rodriguez. Interested in a new way of looking at your connections to yourself, your relationships and your community? You’re bound to find a new perspective with Jessica Viola and The Life Garden. Wanna eat algae? Learn what spirulina can do for you and how to grow it at home.
Lightning In A Bottle is also family friendly where, in addition to the music, food and fun there is also MagiKids Village and Mystic Family Circus. There they’ll find a fun, magical place to experience the festival. From exciting activities and little shows geared towards children, to arts & crafts tables, the Kidz Village is the place for parents to go with their kids. It also provides a safer zone for children to play and roam more freely and playful educational activities to engage in. With arts and crafts, a play area with fun circus props, face painting and more along with entertainment suprises, your kids are sure to have a great time of their own at the festival.
Click HERE to see the multitude of interesting and inspiring workshops available at Lightning In A Bottle in only a couple of weeks!
Get educated, enlightened and inspired this Memorial Day weekend (May 27-30) and will be returning for the 2nd straight year to the beautiful Oak Canyon Ranch in Irvine, Ca.
This is a definite must see! Head over to Lightning In A Bottle for more info!
Category: Destinations, Events, green, health, instruction, news, people, Spirit, yoga
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Category: Blog, gratitude, green, Spirit
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Feb
05
Compassion. Integrity. Cooperation. Hygiene. All important principles to living a full, happy life. However, in this age of technology, over-scheduling and increasingly interactive, realistic and solitary-bordering-on-anti-social pursuits such as computer games, XBox and facebook, increasingly difficult principles to nurture in our young ones.
And, if unplugging isn’t an option, maybe reconnecting our kids, and ourselves, to these human truths can be as simple as a story. These important messages have been conveyed through story-telling for a millennia. In regions of Buddhist faith, messages of Empathy, Consideration, Wisdom and Modesty have been passed on through the Jataka tales to help guide and govern human behaviour and develop the character of the people.
I found this interesting resource at BuddhaNet, a great resource for all information Buddhist… if you’re looking for a good way to introduce your kids to Buddhist – heck, healthy human!- principles, complete with easy to digest morals, HERE is a wonderful collection of translated Jataka tales to read aloud to your kids.
They are as simple as can be, some of them a little hokey to be sure- they’re fables after all!- but perfect for getting conversations started and kids (and us- ahem!) thinking!
Category: Good Intentions, gratitude, health, Kids, Meditation, reading, Spirit, strength, surrender
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Jan
26
With New Years resolutions already falling by the wayside, yoga studios all over are capitalizing on the lack of resolve by offering another chance for instituting change.
To get your sorry butt off the sofa stir the embers of motivation, perhaps a little challenge might be in order. The 30 Day Yoga Challenge might be what you- and I, Buddha knows!- need to be finding our way to the mat more regularly.
Beginning February 1st, we shall all commit to practicing every day. Every day. If you miss a day, it’s to be made up on the following.
Remember, it’s a Challenge.
Perhaps you find it easier participating with a class, such as that at Vancouver’s Yogapod, as many studios are offering such programs. The beauty of this is, of course, you can always do it on your own.
Choose your venue. Choose your style… and for heaven’s sake, feel free to choose the time of day and the length of practice that works best for your schedule. Keep in mind that this has less to do with the 30 days you’ve committed than to instituting real change in your life and health.
As I consider my own commitment, I know that here in the sticks I don’t have the benefit of a studio that can provide me with such a program. I’m on my own. With no one but my lone reader many readers to keep me honest.
30 days? Dare I say… I’m in?!
Category: 10 minutes to glory!, Events, Good Intentions, health, Practice, Spirit, strength, Trends, yoga
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Jan
18
Time spent in meditation is, by far, one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.
Many of us as parents, even those of us who appreciate meditation in our own lives, are hesitant to introduce it to our children.
We are intimidated by the prospect, knowing how difficult it is ourselves to find that often illusive place of quiet. ’If I struggle in quieting my own monkey mind, how can I possibly help my child do it?’
In truth, it can actually be easier. Consider how rapt your child is during story time. In that spirit, children are remarkably receptive to sitting in quiet and in peaceful attention. The perfect beginning.
Through guided meditation to start with, the child is better able to connect with that peaceful place within, losing themselves in the comfort of your voice or that of a recording, and the urgings of gentle instruction.
The benefits of meditation are immeasurable. As with adults, meditation is shown to reduce stress while enhancing self-esteem. It also offers a healthy means of relaxation during doctor’s visits, exams and in preparation for various sports events and performances.
According to Sarah Wood, a facilitator in child meditation, and author of the book Sensational Meditation for Children, teachers who build meditation into lesson plans report their classroom environments being more peaceful and attribute this to their students’ ability to express compassion to each other.
To help you get started with your own child, have a listen: childrengettingstarted
While it may take several sessions, any practitioner of meditation will agree that there can be no down-side to offering a child such an experience and the knowledge of how to acheive it themselves. Any time, any where. There is such valuable power in that.
For more ideas and resources, please visit Children’s Meditation.
For more information, read more at Suite101: The Benefits of Child Meditation: Giving Children Tools to Nurture Their Bodies, Minds and Spirits http://www.suite101.com/content/the-benefits-of-child-meditation-a22687#ixzz1BOorGkMd
Category: gratitude, health, instruction, Kids, Meditation, Spirit, strength, surrender
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