Lazy Days of Summer

How is your summer going? 

Are you enjoying the lazy days of summer?

Are these lazy days a thing of the past?

Our high-tech life with its accelerated pace has fostered a culture that seems to be always working, always rushed, always connected, always on. 

With cellphones interrupting dinner with friends, laptops and tablets at the beach or on the deck at the cottage, and home offices that beckon us all hours of the night and day, it’s hard to separate play from work.

Does this sound familiar? It sure resonates with me. This summer has been incredibly busy.

I’m two months into a kitchen renovation, which many say is the most stressful home renovation project that you can undertake. It’s costly, lengthy, with delays and complications popping up here and there. And of course, things aren’t perfect.

But thankfully, this is where the less obvious side of my practice of yoga comes in.

In spite of my eye for symmetry and balance, I’m learning more and more to accept and appreciate imperfection.

In spite of my need to be in control, I’m letting things unfold and be as they may.

In spite of my wish to get things done quickly, I’m once again appreciating how breathing in and breathing out slowly, with awareness, helps to downregulate my over-active nervous system.

This week our kitchen countertops are being installed, which means that we’ll have a kitchen sink with a faucet and running water.

How exciting!  As they say, it’s the small things that truly bring us pleasure.

It may be hard to fathom, but I’m absolutely looking forward to doing the dishes in the kitchen once again, because I’ve been washing and drying them in the second-floor bathroom sink—effective but tricky, especially with fine glassware and glass plates.

I’ve also been spending a lot of time on homework for yet another course that I decided would be helpful.

And while blessed with many wonderful opportunities to spend time with family and long-time friends, I’ve also made some new, very generous and hospitable, friends.

Socializing this summer has felt quite normal in spite of the fact that covid is still on my mind.

The fall yoga schedule is now posted on my website, and the latter has been ‘refreshed’ so it’s easier to navigate and more visually appealing. 

On this last note, you’ll see that my group classes remain livestreamed on Zoom (private classes are in person), but this could change depending on what the covid situation looks like in September.

I’m making time for a few lazy days at the end of August.

Maybe you will too.

Planting a Flag for NSDR

Ever notice how someone on a particular day plants a “seed”, which sparks a trend, which then becomes a movement that takes off, capturing and sustaining attention around the world?

A case in point relevant to my yogic lens and worldview is that of a meditation practice called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, typically referred to as MBSR.

This all began in 1979 when Jon Kabat-Zinn started a Centre for Mindfulness (originally called the Stress Reduction and Relaxation Clinic) for hospital patients and staff at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Since then MBSR has spread rapidly around the world and into mainstream Western culture, in particular due to numerous scientific and medical studies into the health benefits of this practice.

According to Kabat-Zinn mindfulness is about paying attention with “openhearted, moment-to-moment, non-judgemental awareness, best cultivated through meditation”. This practice has its origins in Buddhism dating back over twenty-five thousand years. Many students of Buddhist meditation find the practice to be profound, healing, and universally applicable. The same can be said of MBSR because of its inherent relationship to Buddhism.

So where am I going with all of this, you might ask.

Several months ago I watched a YouTube video called, “Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake” (Huberman Lab Podcast #2). I found it incredibly interesting, and even more so about an hour into the podcast when professor and neuroscientist Andrew Huberman began talking about something he called non-sleep deep rest, referring to it thereafter as ‘NSDR’, mentioning that he had never heard of this term before and was “planting a flag for NSDR, non-sleep deep rest”.

Huberman explained what he meant by non-sleep deep rest (it includes things like meditation, yoga nidra, and hypnosis — I would also add restorative yoga) and stated that NSDR, backed by neuro-scientific evidence, was likely going to begin to play a more prominent role in health and wellness, both mental and physical.

With all of the above in mind, lo and behold, a couple of weeks ago an email from the iRest Institute arrived in my inbox.

It highlighted the fact that Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, recently shared that he relied daily on a yoga nidra-based practice called non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) to “unwind and rest”.

Sound familiar?

And of course people have taken notice. Business leaders are adopting the practice of yoga nidra —whose origins can be traced to ancient Eastern spiritual teachings such as the Upanishads and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali — welcoming the practice as a “superpower” in the workplace. You can read the full iRest article here, which I encourage you to do.

Like MBSR the term NSDR has landed in popular culture. It’s now cool and trendy. Who knew? And to think that I recently started teaching yoga nidra, just ahead of the pack you might say.

If you happen to be interested, or perhaps curious, you can join me for FREE on Tuesday, June 7th from 10-11 a.m. for my last iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation class of spring 2022. Contact me and I’ll gladly send you the Zoom link.

I’ll soon be taking my usual summer break beginning on June 10th.

Classes will resume in September and I’ll be in touch with you again well before then.

With joy and gratitude,

Jeannine

Mother's Day

It’s Friday, May 6th, the sun is shining and, incredibly, it’s 21°C (almost 70°F).

Oops… The doorbell just rang. Had to leave my desk but I’m back.

Returning to the weather… This is so amazing since spring has been delayed here in Winnipeg and surrounding areas due to an Alberta Clipper, followed by consecutive Colorado Lows, with resulting floodwater in many areas. Thankfully, the recent days of warm, dry weather are reported to be helping the fight against flooding here in Manitoba, which is welcome news for those of you who have been impacted by the rising water.

And now… getting back to the doorbell. Guess what?

I received a surprise delivery—a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons for Mother’s Day! They live in Jasper, Alberta, so Mother’s Day is often bittersweet for me since I don’t get to see them on this special day. I do, however, get to spend time with my 85-year-old mother who is a social butterfly, healthy and active, and keeps me on my toes. I’m so grateful for her presence, her love, and support. We talk on the phone every day at 9 a.m. to check in and say hello. This Sunday, my husband and I will enjoy brunch with her. We’ll do the “cemetery tour” to visit with departed loved ones. Then we’ll spend time with my siblings and their children which will be extra special since we haven’t gotten together for such a long time due to covid. And of course, my mother will be thrilled to see everyone too.

Our relationship with our mother is often a defining aspect of our life, of who we are, of how we see the world. Whether your relationship has been positive or negative, smooth or rocky, close or distant, supportive or lacking, it’s all part of the emotional journey that affects us day-to-day. This Mother’s Day, I invite you to approach your relationship with your mother in a new light, perhaps by creating or leaning into a foundation of self-care.

If you’re a mother yourself, you know all too well that in order to look after others, you need to look after yourself. Once again, lean into that foundation of self-care. The time taken is well worth it.

Best wishes for a lovely Mother’s Day. I’m going outside now to enjoy the beautiful, sunny day.

With deep gratitude,

Jeannine

There's Still Time to Register

If the topics of destiny and life purpose are of interest to you, please join me for my next Seek, Reflect, Restore workshop on Sunday, April 24th from 1:00 - 3:30 pm.

This workshop, brought to you livestream via Zoom, will include breathing practice, meditation, reflection, journaling, somatic yoga, and restorative yoga.

Together we’ll explore how to elicit stillness and contentment within as you begin to uncover your heart’s deepest desire, your personal life mission, what’s truly important to you, and more.

Your investment is $40.

To register e-mail studio71yoga@gmail.com before Tuesday, April 19, 2022.

It is my heartfelt desire to be of service to you.

I hope you’ll join me. If you’d like more information click here.

With joy and gratitude,

Jeannine

Workshop: Seek, Reflect, Restore

Have you ever wondered why you are here? What is life all about? What is your purpose? Do you wonder if your life has meaning? Do you ever ask, “Who am I?” Do you know what your purpose is, but you have lost your way?

Our lives are full of queries. Endless soul-searching questions are not unusual. They have been asked throughout history by philosophers, theologians, spiritualists, psychologists, monks, renunciates, countless others, and ordinary people like you and me.

Fear of the unknown, not knowing the answers to life’s most difficult questions, can be disturbing and unsettling.

In his attempt to deal with existential angst, which is a sense of feeling lost, that your existence is without purpose and that life has abandoned you, French playwright, novelist, political activist, and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre devoted much of his life to the achievement of a meaningful existence through the development of inner resources, the creative exercise of freedom, and overcoming denial and self-deception.

Some consider Sartre one of the first ‘self-help’ authorities based partly on his assertion that we cannot avoid responsibility for our destiny.

“What is not possible is not to choose.
I can always choose, but I must know that if I do not choose, that is still a choice.”

— Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism and Human Emotions

It is said that beating within your heart, the forces of destiny are ever present.

Have you ever wondered how you can shape your destiny?

Actualizing your destiny typically begins with formulating your personal life mission, your innermost heartfelt desire, finding your purpose, your reason for being.

“You are what your deep, driving desire is.
As your desire is, so is your will.
As your will is, so is your deed.
As your deed is, so is your destiny.”

— Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (IV.4.5)

If these topics of destiny and life purpose are of interest to you, please join me for a live, virtual workshop that will include breathing practice, meditation, reflection, journaling, somatic yoga, and restorative yoga.

Together we will explore how to elicit stillness and contentment within as you begin to uncover your heart’s deepest desire, your personal life mission, and more.

When: Sunday, April 24, 2022 @ 1:00-3:30 pm (Central Time)
Where: Live stream via Zoom
Cost: $40 CAD (e-transfer to studio71yoga.com)
Register: E-mail studio71yoga@gmail.com (by Monday, April 18, 2022)
Cancellation Policy: Full refunds up to 3 days prior to the event. No refunds will be given after that time.

What You’ll Need: Besides your yoga mat, a journal/notebook and a pen/pencil, below are the props and accessories you may want to have nearby to make this experience more enjoyable.

- Bolster or pillow
- Eye cover (facecloth or eye pillow)
- Warm, fuzzy socks
- Soft, warm blanket (plus 2-3 firm blankets)

It is my heartfelt desire to be of service to you. You can choose to join me. I hope you will.

With joy and gratitude,

Jeannine