The Holiday Season & Imperfections

It’s almost the end of November, a soft blanket of snow covers the ground, and Christmas is around the corner. Or is it? Premier Brian Pallister last week announced emphatically that, right now, “there is no Christmas”.

Of course the holiday season will come and go, and with the new made-in-Manitoba STAY HOME orders, there’s no question, it’s going to look and feel very different. Which brings me to a quote that I came across the other day:

"Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections." Author Unknown

The “imperfections” of the upcoming holiday season will prompt us to find new ways to share and celebrate, perhaps through distance technology, as imperfect as this may be. This technology gives us the means to reach out and visit with family and friends, near and far. In this way we can still “see” each other and share the spirit of Christmas. For this I am grateful. Tears will likely be shed because things aren’t the way they’re supposed to be, adding to the many tears that have been shed since the start of the pandemic.

Lately, I’ve been inspired to share yoga ethics with you, specifically Patanjali’s yamas (external guiding principles), as part of our yoga classes. In my personal yoga practice of late I’ve revisited yoga philosophy that I’ve long forgotten, such as Patanjali’s yoga sutra I.33:

“By cultivating an attitude of friendship toward those who are happy, compassion toward those in distress, joy toward those who are virtuous, and equanimity toward those who are nonvirtuous, lucidity arises in the mind.” Translation, Edwin Bryant

For a bit of context and musings regarding the yoga sutra cited above, I invite you to read a recent post from Yoga for Health Aging - Letting Go, Part 2: Universal Kindness. In particular, it highlights the cultivation of compassion, joy, and equanimity in various ways. Click here to read more.

I’m already planning classes for the new year. During the 2021 winter 10-week session we’ll delve into Patanjali’s niyamas (internal signposts): self-purification (saucha), compassion (santosha), self-discipline (tapas), self-study (svadhyaya), surrender to a force higher than ourselves (isvara pranidhana), and more.

For those of you who might be interested, and I do hope you’ll join me, I’ve posted the Winter 2021 yoga schedule, which is very similar to Fall 2020 (live, virtual classes, of course) with one important change that I’m very pleased to announce. The Morning Glow class is accessible to everyone, and every body, regardless of ability or background. Chair yoga is integrated seamlessly into the class.

By the way, if you register for 2 or 3 weekly classes, my “gift” to you is wellness incentive pricing. Let me know if you’d like more information.

Yoga classes might be a nice holiday gift idea for that person who has everything. Gift certificates are available. Visit my website https://www.studio71yoga.com for class schedule information.

I’m also in the early stages of planning a yoga workshop for sleep recovery. Stay tuned!

Shifting gears here just a little, one of my favourite Canadian yoga suppliers, Halfmoon, has launched The Twelve Days of Mindfulness Event. I thought I’d share the link with you so you can benefit from the sale, while supplies last. For details visit their website.

Sending you warmth and light (and a virtual hug).

Be well. Stay safe.

Jeannine

Next Yoga Session Begins Oct 19, 2020

We did it! We pivoted to live online yoga classes through Zoom, and it worked! Although the road was a bit bumpy here and there, together we managed to make an impressively smooth transition. I’m incredibly grateful to each of the brave students for joining me on this virtual journey.

I look forward to seeing even more of you join our new, “technologically-informed” yoga community. If you’re still a bit afraid of the unknown, I get it. At the same time, I strongly encourage you to put a toe in the water. The worst that can happen is that your foot might get wet.

“Change is not something that we should fear. Rather, it is something that we should welcome. For without change, nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom and no one in this world would ever move forward to become the person they’re meant to be.” – B.K.S Iyengar

Speaking of our virtual classes, Session B (Fall 2020) classes begin Monday, October 19. Click here for details. I hope you can join us. If you have any questions or would like some help, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll do my best to assist you.

Sending you warmth and light (and a virtual hug).

Be well. Stay safe.

Jeannine

Props for Your Yoga Practice

September will be here before we know it so let’s get ready for your online yoga practice.

Many of you already know that during my in-person classes I provide a number of props and accessories for your ease and comfort. Props have a few main functions. They:

• Enable you to practice a pose with more comfort and ease

• Assist with functional alignment in a pose based on your body

• Provide a sense of grounding and anchoring

For your home practice you can often make do with items you already have on hand such as blankets, pillows, rolled towels, stacked books, etc. However, as we move to live online yoga classes for the foreseeable future you might like to invest in higher quality props and accessories. One thing for sure, a “sticky” yoga mat is essential. In addition, there are some non-essential items that I recommend:

Blocks: Two (2) blocks of the 4” size. The smaller 3” blocks can also come in handy for yin yoga classes. Cork and wood are natural options but are often expensive and quite heavy. Foam blocks are inexpensive and softer on the body. Stacked books of the same size and weight are another option.
Blankets: Two (2) firm blankets. High quality cotton, wool, or mexican blankets are ideal. Soft, fluffy, thermal blankets are okay but only to cover up with.
Belt: One (1) 8-foot-long, 2-inch wide, D-ring yoga belt. The 6-foot long belt is also okay but often too short for many of us. A housecoat belt or something similar can also work well in a pinch.
Bolster(s): One or two firm rectangular or round bolsters (they each have different advantages and sizes). If you google “Make your own yoga bolster” you’ll find several videos that you might find helpful.
Eye Pillow: One (1) lightweight silk- or cotton-covered eye pillow. A little bit of weight on the eyes and forehead allows for a deeper, fuller relaxation in savasana.

If you choose to invest in any of the items listed above, here are the main companies that I order from:

Halfmoon
This is my favourite supplier of yoga props and accessories.“We are inventors, makers and curators of the best yoga and meditation products available. We hand make yoga bolsters, meditation cushions, and other beautiful props in Burnaby, Canada where we fill them with natural materials and send them out the door to you.”
shophalfmoon.ca

Healthy Life Cycle
Yoga and Meditation Props and Home Decor. In particular I have ordered Yogavni products such as eye pillows, mexican blankets, standard/small round bolster, and inspirational banners.
healthylifecycle.ca

Amazon
There’s always the option of ordering items from Amazon but check the pricing and delivery dates then decide what’s best for you.
amazon.ca

Make your props or order them well ahead of when you need them to avoid disappointment. So many things are “out of stock” these days, as you have likely experienced.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me. I’m more than happy to help you.

Namaste,

Jeannine

Pivoting to Online Yoga Classes - Fall 2020

I’m taking the plunge. Getting out of my comfort zone. Letting go of what no longer serves me. Sound familiar?

During this unprecedented time of the coronavirus we all continue to push on through fears and obstacles as we slowly overcome new challenges in our lives. This so called “new normal” is what I like to refer to as the “new non normal”. Guidelines and strategies to live safely in this new non-normal world also extend to our yoga practice.

I’m challenging myself to let go of my attachment to how things were in my comfy little yoga studio, with you and others in the room, and to move forward into the uncharted realm of live virtual yoga classes.

Yes, I’m taking my classes on line for Fall 2020. I have to just do it, and I hope that you’ll join me on this journey! There will be a learning curve for all of us with this new class format but I’m confident the outcome will be worth the effort and the occasional frustrating moments.

My intention is to continue to cultivate and preserve our yoga community, for which I”m so very grateful. Things will look and feel different but I know the classes can be just as effective based on my experience of participating as a student in online classes with my yoga teachers.

If you haven’t practiced yoga for a while this will be a great opportunity for you to get started again, in the comfort of your own surroundings, with the personal guidance you’ve enjoyed in the past, and in the company of your fellow yogis! How great is that?

I’m in the process of finalizing class details but for now it looks like my schedule will be similar to what it was pre-covid. I’ll be posting the new schedule in the next few days, along with pricing details.

For now the registration process will be the same (by email, text, or phone) and payment can be made by e-transfer or snail mail (cheque).

As we pivot together to online yoga classes, at the very least it will be helpful for you to have a yoga mat. You’ll definitely need an electronic device (desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smart phone) and a Zoom account which you can download onto your device(s) for free. More details to follow…

As always, if you have questions or concerns I’m available to help you.

In the meantime, the following is a quote from one of my favourite teachers, Judith Hanson Lasater:

“I like to think of the borders of my mat as sacred. Once I step on my mat I take a certain form of refuge: in the lineage, in the practice, in the moment. I step away from all the roles I play and who I think I am.”

Shanti,

Jeannine

Yoga, COVID-19, and the Silver Lining

As we are all dealing with the rapidly evolving disruptions in our daily lives due to the coronavirus pandemic, I’ve been wondering about the silver lining. I received an email this morning about an upcoming course and thought I’d share some of the content:

“While we are currently mostly concerned about how we can prevent becoming infected with the COVID-19 virus, there is a silver lining: If we focus on preventive measures derived from lifestyle medicine to strengthen immunity and reduce risk of infection, these same measures can also help us prevent common long-term age-related health issues.”

“Yoga, we might say, is the first form of lifestyle medicine, i.e. the systematic application of simple daily measures to prevent disease, foster greater health, and even slow aging.”

“As you use yogic techniques to improve well-being, you also build greater strength and immunity against disease. As you build greater strength and immunity against illness, you also reduce your risk of age-related chronic diseases and slow the rate at which your body ages. It's all one package.”

The practice of social distancing and only leaving the house if it’s absolutely necessary (I’m decreasing my risk as much as possible) is making me slow down and think about what’s important in this time of stress and uncertainty. I’ve decided to treat this time as a staycation. I can stay in my pyjamas all day if I so choose. I can study, read, play games, watch movies, and listen to podcasts while still balancing the need to have a routine.

Having a daily routine is helpful in times of stress. With this in mind, I’ve decided to get out of bed at the same time every morning and prepare exactly as if I was heading to an early morning yoga class. I then head downstairs, prepare my mat and props, and bring my focus inward so I can enjoy and benefit from a full 90-minute practice.

This is the silver lining, as mentioned above. I’m committed to building strength, resilience and immunity through my yoga practice in spite of the challenges and disruptions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

With gratitude, compassion, joy and equanimity, I invite you to do the same.

Jeannine

P.S. - Spring Session yoga classes at Studio 71 Yoga scheduled to begin March 28, 2020 are postponed until further notice.