Category Archives: yoga

you show off

You Show Off!

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Has anybody ever been called this before?

I have a few times in my life and each time I get confused about it.  What does showing off look like?  Is it someone doing what they do well in front of you and you can’t do it?  I’m sure that it comes from a place of lack of self-love and self-worth but I want to shine some light on this.

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Learning how to slack line, means falling off it at least 100 times

Are the Olympic athletes out there “showing off” to the world?

Yes, I guess they are.  They are “showing off” what dedication, a high level of practice and skill looks like.  Any time you see someone with skillz or talents let me tell you they often are not naturals.  It takes years of works, thousands of hours to master anything.  I find most people give up after 5 minutes and start talking about how they can’t do it, it’s too hard.  Geesh, give yourself some credit!  Learning new things, take time, your body needs to create muscle memory, strength and endurance.

I attended a yoga class a few years ago and choose to do full Natarjasana Pose instead of the one handed version.  Why did I choose to do that?  Well, it wasn’t to show off!  I actually find the full pose easier to hold now, more tension, and well, it just just feels incredible so why not, I was a student in the class and it was my practice.  Should I hold back in case someone sees me as a “show-off.”  That is just plain unhealthy on all levels.Image

What was sad about that was the teacher, called me a show-off in the class, before she asked me to demo the full pose to the rest of the group.  Hmmmm, interesting!

In my life I have a few things, okay many things, that I LOVE to do and over the course of 20 years, I have some skill.  My Dharma is to be a teacher, to show others how to do it.  I started with snowboarding, rock climbing, hacky sack, pool, foosball,and then yoga, hooping, slacklining, I spend time doing things that make me happy and once you log some hours doing it, it shows.

I spent more time on yoga than anything else and I’ve been practicing yoga without taking any breaks for over 10 years now!  I have yoga skills, but honestly it’s not about showing them off to the world but rather inspiring something inside of others.  Yoga was not natural for me, AT ALL!  I liked fast, moving, adrenaline pumping activities but yoga touched my heart in a very deep way and I was hooked.

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Twinkie 5.12d, Kentucky

So next time you think about calling someone a “show off” hold back and instead become curious about their path in life and how they got there.  Most often it was all because of countless hours of hard work and dedication.  Our talents are to be shared with the world, if you keep them secret then our communal level of skill and ability likely won’t every progress.

m

Move and Be Moved

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This past weekend I moved and I was moved.  My husband, a friend of ours and myself were a team for the MS ride that starts in Grand Bend and goes to London, Ontario.  It’s 88 km’s the first day and 75 the second.  I was able to participate last year and I remember how moved I was to see all these people coming together for a mutual cause, MS.  There are even riders wearing red jersey’s that say “I ride because I have MS.” This year there were a few people over 70 years old riding and one man was 84!  Each time I saw these people over the weekend I was deeply moved.

 
At the starting line for the MS Bike Tour

What does it mean to be moved?

For me being moved means that something, an event, a person, a statement, brought me deep into my heart.  To be moved in this life is precious and for some of us a rare occurence.  I am moved all the time by the most simple things, someone performing a random act of kindness, getting a sweet email from a long-lost friend, having my dog snuggle up next to me.  Honestly, I’m a bit of a suck but I feel like that enables me to be moved in my life more often.

What does being moved feel like?

We all know what this feels like, but it’s a unique experience.  For me the start of being moved is when I feel energy funneling into my heart, like someone opened a dam and all the water starts to flow.  I also get goosebumps all over my whole body, followed by a bit of discomfort. Then of course my eyes begin to water, I try to hold back until the tears burst out when I can’t contain them any more.  The whole experience is rather uncomfortable really, but there is a definite shift in the aftermath.  It’s like you know what touches your heart the most.  For my family MS touches us instantly since we have watched our Mom struggle with it for over 10 years now.  Sometimes just the word MS, moves me to tears.

Our Team

Last year when I did the ride, something incredible and scary happened to me.  I found myself alone, in the middle of nowhere, heart rate pumping, legs burning, thinking about MS and how it’s affected so many people and then out of no where I burst into the most insane cry session, moved while I was moving, touched so deeply in a place that is so uncomfortable, I would rather not go there, but yet there I was, in my heart fully moved by my experience.

The goal that what we were all collectively participating in would help find a cure for MS helped me to find the inner and outer strength to finish the ride.  It’s not easy to ride that far but having a deep reason to do it is the fuel powering each pedal stroke.  At one point I was so fired up over MS I surged ahead passing about 10 riders with my husband following behind me.  What a great experience to have made even more powerful because it was done in community.

This weekend 1.237 Million dollars was raised to fund research and help people who have MS to have a better life.  That moves me.

M

Marty and I at the finish line

Getting More from your Mat

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Frankly I’m sick!  I’m sick of posers, yoga posers.  Sure you can be super skilled at asana but you can still be an ass the moment your off your mat!  After the massive shift in Anusara, I’m convinced that for many people yoga is simply an act.  After all yoga is a practice that helps you to live in this world in a skillful way and most importantly how to be truly happy.  Mastering a yoga pose can certainly make your ego happy but is it making an impact on your unhealthy habits, or your negative small talk?

If you want more from the time you spend on your mat than this is what I believe the key is ~ your intention, your devotion, your dedication, your courage, your steadfastness, your compassion, your higher Self, your connection to others, your ability to see how you affect the world around you and your willingness to let go, surrender, un-yoga (attach) yourself.

Walking the yoga talk is a big deal.  Once you awaken your sleepy consciousness you will start to see everything around you differently.  Yoga when practiced skillfully makes your more sensitive, more psyshic if you will.  You’ll notice when your words hurt someone immediately, or the vibration of a swear, how you feel if you eat like shit, lets be honest when you are a serious yogi you are aware of almost everything, to an annoyance I might add.

I’ve meet several people who are yoga teachers (some have taken a weekend course, geesh!) that smoke, cheat, lie, steal, eat animals, etc etc and I have to wonder what part of this ancient linage they are connecting to?  We yoke (yoga) ourselves to what we think we can handle, sometimes the bare minimum, like a version that has very little resemblance to Ahimsa- non-violence!  The very first step according to the great yoga masters, non-harming ourselves, other people or animals.

If you don’t want to give up your lifestyle than it’s easy enough to skip that first yama and maybe you will have more sucess at another one.  The point is yoga is an incredible way of living but sacrifices need to made, you may have to let go of some of the things that you so desperately cling to. you may have to change your diet or the people you hang out with.  Yoga takes a lot of effort!  It take more effort than showing up for a class 3 times a week, it take a good, long hard look in the mirror at yourself and the person you see staring back at you.

No offence but my Pitta is fired up :)

Blessings and transformation,

Mindy

Perspective from Up Here

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Last weekend I spent 4 days climbing rocks at the Red River Gorge in Kentucky.

Getting out of the city and into nature for the day has a way of putting what’s important and what’s not into perspective.  I’m not new to climbing, I’ve been hanging off rocks for over 20 years but every time I go climbing I have to face some form of fear to get to the bliss.

Climbing is certainly a high risk activity (thank you Outdoor Rec @ Lakehead University for teaching me that), but part of the risk can be controlled by having safe equipment, a solid climbing partner and double checking everything.  The risks that are out of your control are well….. her…. Mother Nature!

When someone leads up the climb, they can stay calm and relaxed even when they are falling or stuck or on the other hand they can freak, get super angry, kick/punch the rock (so silly cuz it will always hurt you more), or simply give up and come down.  It’s a powerful environment to bring out the worst or best in you.

One of the trippest parts of climbing for me is at the top of the climb, either clipping into the anchors at the top or cleaning off the gear at top and rapping down.  Your usually up there all alone and a mistake up there can be bad, really bad.  It does happen!  So, ya, yoga…. of course.  Breathing helps tremendously when you start loosing your shit up there.  It’s one of the few things to calm you down, a calm partner helps too but getting out of the head game is such a yoga thing.

It’s a great way to watch how the mind can sabotage you at any moment.  You can start off with confidence and then it’s eaten away by the fear/doubt/anger/ego monster.  This is where putting things into perspective is beneficial.  You can pause, breathe, look around at where you are, what you’re doing, what you’re freakin over, and then you move on.  I’d say that’s yoga in action and it has absolutely nothing to do with downward dog pose.

This past weekend I witnessed the incredible beauty of the Strawberry Full moon!  It lit up the campground with its milky bright light so much you didn’t even need a headlamp.  Staring up the moon and stars always teaches me that what I think is so huge, so insane, so profound is really a tiny speak in my life experience.  The passing clouds teach me that the light is there it just gets hidden sometimes but it’s never ever really gone.

Life lessons from the rock,

Mindy

For the Love of Hula Hooping Sakes!!!

yoga

 

Confession!  I’ve recently gotten hooked on hooping.  Yep, it didnt’ take long, well, the moment I was able to keep the hoop up then I was hooked.  So after my yoga practice, I started just adding about 20 minutes of hooping in my living room and I can’t even begin to explain how happy it’s made me.

I’m thinking that it has a lot to do with my sadness/anger over what’s happened with Anusara yoga (the scandal and all that).  For a while I was thinking that I might not even teach yoga anymore.  I like to learn new skills, try new things, even if they are risky but especially if they have to do with physics and body movement.

I bought a hula hoop over a year ago and basically it kicked the shit out of me, leaving me bruised and angry that I couldn’t do much else then keep it on my waist.  However, as I was told this past weekend in my Hoopdance teacher course, “the hoop chooses you!”  Indeed it does!

Over the last two months of hooping almost everyday, I have noticed a big change in my body.  I feel more connected to my legs and pelvis and I like the flow of the hoop moving around my body.  Having fun has helped me move on from the yoga drama, that has truly been heartbreaking.

I recognized pretty quickly that sure it’s fun to hoop in the private and safety of my living room, of course my pug wants nothing to do with this piece of plastic whizzing by her napping spot on the couch, but it’s far better to hoop with others.  So voila, I thought “why not me” and started to teach.  I like to have some knowledge about the way to teach hooping since its way different then yoga and luckily I was able to attend Hoopnotica’s Hoopdance Level 1 training this past weekend in Stoney Creek.

Hooping is not just for kids friends.  A study from A.C.E (American counsel on Exercise) “America’s leading authority on fitness and the largest nonprofit fitness certification, education and training organization in the world, today announced exclusive study findings that conclude hula hooping workouts offer substantial and positive results”

Further, “at the conclusion of the test, researchers found hooping burns an average of 210 calories during a 30-minute hooping workout (approximately 420 calories per hour), which is comparable to the exertion of boot camp-style classes, step aerobics and cardio kickboxing.”  For a further look into this study check out the link, http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/1094/

This is something that anybody, male, female, any body shape can do and the success stories of people transforming their lives are coming in!!!   If you are not attracted to a regular “workout” type class this is something you can try.  I’m really looking forward to creating a hoop community that is based on fun, clear instructions and inspiration to explore movement and the body!  I’ve created a page on facebook, called Pranahoops, and a site http://pranahoops@wordpress.com.

Hoop your way to happiness, it’s no joke,

Love and inspiration to you,

Mindy

Fall into Grace

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It’s hard to describe how my yoga has changed in the last few months with all the changes to my beloved Anusara but alas all things change so better to let go and let things flow than to cling with a death grip.  Here is what I know now, I miss Anusara! I miss John! I miss his teachings! I miss the kula! I miss planing my next training adventure!  I miss the certification process! There are things I don’t miss too but nothing worth mentioning at present.

During my practice this morning I noticed that I don’t feel like I have the same support backing me up anymore.  Where did it go?  Is is gone or has it just changed?  To me it feels much more independent and unsure.  I was struggling and I really had to go back into my heart to figure out what I was feeling. Easier not to do this work is what came to the surface, and as quickly as it came a deeper knowing that this is my dharma wiped it out.

For a long time my intention was fueled to be a thriving and interconnected being in the Anusara community and since everything has changed that part seems to have gone missing from my practice for now.  I wanted to be certified for many reasons, a landmark I could be proud of in my life, an accomplishment, an accreditation, a recognition, for my ego, for my heart.  Every single thing I have done in the last 7 years has been in deep devotion to this certification.

My deepest gratitude goes out to the teachers on the battleground, doing the difficult work of resolving conflict and trying to repair a massive rupture in what seemed so solid and in the exact same moment perhaps mending their own broken hearts.  .  I’m a runner, always have been and it’s my go-to default when conflicts arises.  I choose to run, to find high ground so I can get a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield and only return when the bloodshed has stopped and I feel safe.

I don’t feel safe yet with Anusara and don’t know if that possibility is even real anymore.  Instead I  want to remember what Grace is! How she supports me, how she loves me, how she empowers me to step up and do the hard work, how to move beyond fear and how to respond to life in courageous ways.  The definition from John, rattles around my head “Grace is the power of the universe that reveals your true nature.”  Of course that’s what Grace is but it feels different now.

My first drop back in a while was filled with uncertainty, fear, aversion, and my breath was shallow and quick.  Bam, I come crashing down onto my wrists, unlike the drop back I am capable of.  The second one bam, even more fear, less breath. The third one I paused, took a deep breath and did it for the kula, from my heart, as a symbol of my connection to them and to my highest Self and I let myself fall back into Grace’s very sweet, strong and capable hands, I landed like a feather and tears came to my eyes.

My lesson this week is to allow myself to fall into Grace whenever I need to!  Not easy when so many things block her power out and my fear of the unknown pushes her far away.  From my heart I call her back into my life, into my practice, into my teaching, into my community so that I may serve in the best way that I can.  When I forget about the power of Grace, I am forgetting who I really am and I never want to forget that but when I do and then I remember again, I am filled with peace, love and bliss.

We can’t do this on our own!  I need to remind myself that I was never meant to do this all on my own.  I need the support of my beloved, my friends, my family and my community to live my life in a valuable, authentic and powerful way.  I am a warrior but I need my army!

May all beings everywhere feel the support of Grace always,

Mindy

For the Love of Hula Hooping Sakes!!!

yoga

Confession!  I’ve recently gotten hooked on hooping.  Yep, it didnt’ take long, well, the moment I was able to keep the hoop up then I was hooked.  So after my yoga practice, I started just adding about 20 minutes of hooping in my living room and I can’t even begin to explain how happy it’s made me.

I’m thinking that it has a lot to do with my sadness/anger over what’s happened with Anusara yoga (the scandal and all that).  For a while I was thinking that I might not even teach yoga anymore.  I like to learn new skills, try new things, even if they are risky but especially if they have to do with physics and body movement.

I bought a hula hoop over a year ago and basically it kicked the shit out of me, leaving me bruised and angry that I couldn’t do much else then keep it on my waist.  However, as I was told this past weekend in my Hoopdance teacher course, “the hoop chooses you!”  Indeed it does!

Over the last two months of hooping almost everyday, I have noticed a big change in my body.  I feel more connected to my legs and pelvis and I like the flow of the hoop moving around my body.  Having fun has helped me move on from the yoga drama, that has truly been heartbreaking.

I recognized pretty quickly that sure it’s fun to hoop in the private and safety of my living room, of course my pug wants nothing to do with this piece of plastic whizzing by her napping spot on the couch, but it’s far better to hoop with others.  So voila, I thought “why not me” and started to teach.  I like to have some knowledge about the way to teach hooping since its way different then yoga and luckily I was able to attend Hoopnotica’s Hoopdance Level 1 training this past weekend in Stoney Creek.

Hooping is not just for kids friends.  A study from A.C.E (American counsel on Exercise) “America’s leading authority on fitness and the largest nonprofit fitness certification, education and training organization in the world, today announced exclusive study findings that conclude hula hooping workouts offer substantial and positive results”

Further, “at the conclusion of the test, researchers found hooping burns an average of 210 calories during a 30-minute hooping workout (approximately 420 calories per hour), which is comparable to the exertion of boot camp-style classes, step aerobics and cardio kickboxing.”  For a further look into this study check out the link, http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/1094/

This is something that anybody, male, female, any body shape can do and the success stories of people transforming their lives are coming in!!!   If you are not attracted to a regular “workout” type class this is something you can try.  I’m really looking forward to creating a hoop community that is based on fun, clear instructions and inspiration to explore movement and the body!  I’ve created a page on facebook, called Pranahoops, and a site http://pranahoops@wordpress.com.

Hoop your way to happiness, it’s no joke,

Love and inspiration to you,

Mindy

Here’s what happens when you add Yoga!

yoga

Something I’ve noticed since starting yoga almost 10 years ago – it changes EVERYTHING!

Make no mistake your life would probably remain more simple if you did not awaken the “sleeping giant” of consciousness.  Once your awake you can look forward to things like these; when you mess up, you’ll  beat yourself up for days, you’re not everyone’s favorite yogi, ouch, not behaving in a yogic way, boo.  Once you are awake, well…. you’re freakin AWAKE.  It’s not a switch that you can shut off and go back to sleep.  If you’ve been bit by the yoga bug it’s infectious and the infection of awareness spreads to every part of your life.

Nothing you do is without a heightened sense of awareness.  Every hour you log on your mat increase your consciousness ten-fold. more so if you practice with your heart first. Pre yoga if you give someone the finger in your car you felt better and you’re proud of yourself for putting someone in their place, post yoga you recognize it’s your problem not their’s.  You eat crappy food and you feel like shit, oppsy!  You lie, it’s not the person you’re lying too because they might never find out, but you know!   Yep yoga will touch every part, even they ones your want to hide from the world.

How does it all work really?  How can time spend in downward dog create such a radial change in someone’s behaviour?  I believe it to be mostly a mystery to the body but truth to one’s soul.  You were born to expand!  If you find yourself a serious yoga student you will thrive in the environments where the teacher pushes you to and beyond your comfort zone.  The truth is once you go there, there’s no going back!

If you try to go back you will feel a sharp pain in your heart of disconnect, take that as a lovely little reminder that it’s pretty hard to go back to sleep and in fact your are not meant to!  The kula will draw you back.  The urge to merge will begin to get so loud you have no choice but to listen.

Once you add yoga, you are adding it to every single thing that you do during the day!  You want to do laundry, add yoga.  You want to go for a nice walk outside, add yoga.  You want to cook a delicious meal, add yoga.  You want to have awesome relationships with other people, add yoga.  You want to be smarter, add yoga.  You want to improve your memory, add yoga. You want to heal your body of illness and disease, add yoga.  You want this world to be a better place, add yoga!

REAL YOGA!  Hard core, shift your consciousness, blow your proverbial socks off because yogis go barefoot, I’m not talking about the kind where you make a comment after class like “that bitch took the shower in front of me”  I’m talking about the straight into the heart of who you are YOGA!!!!  This is where the magic of this incredible transformation occurs!

We don’t have much time to wait for people to wake up if they haven’t already.  I’m not saying we should lose hope but align yourself with beings that have a high vibration of consciousness.  Our planet’s hope lies in our ability to wake the “F” up!