As we move through this weekend of gratitude, I have been thinking a lot about what I am grateful for. Living at the foot of the mountains, having the ability to breathe in clean, fresh air every day and being surrounded by magical forests and rivers are some of the first that come to mind. I have also been thinking …
The Healing Power of Colour
Colour Therapy can be traced back to ancient civilizations in India, Greece, Egypt and China. It is based on a theory that each hue of colour can be used to heal emotional and physical traumas. Each colour has a particular wavelength on the light spectrum and affects different parts of your brain. Violet and blue have faster frequencies and shorter …
The Brightest Rainbows come after the Darkest Storms…
As we prepare to meet back in studio, I’ve been reflecting on the past few months and the journey we’ve all been on. When Shala first decided to close it’s doors to protect the community against the spreading threat of COVID-19, I felt a lot of pressure to move our classes online to fill the gap the community was experiencing. …
The Back of the Heart – Our Shadow
The term “heart openers” and “backbends” are frequently heard in the yoga community. Another popular epitaph revolves around how the practice of yoga will help to “open your heart” – emotionally, as well as, physically. Physically through postures like Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose), Setu Bandhasana Sarvanghasana (Bridge Pose), Ustrasana (Camel Pose), Shalambhasana (Locust Pose) (I could go on and on) …
The Importance of Morning Practice
“It’s important to practice in the morning. Not because in the morning practice is better. Actually many times in the evening we are more awake and the body is more flexible. But its crucial to practice in the morning, because the morning creates the day. It’s not good to go out in the world without being a bit with ourselves. …
What does Yoga Mean to you?
The practice of yoga offers many different gifts to many different people. Traditionally the word yoga is defined as “to yoke” or to create “a union.” The union or the yoking that this definition speaks to is the creation of a union between the heart and the mind. Once this union is created one experiences an inner calm and quiet, …
What is Iyengar Yoga?
“If you learn a lot of little things, one day you may end up knowing a big thing.” BKS Iyengar Ballet starts at the barre. Many musicians learn the scales 1st. Karate pieces the Katas together over and over again before the sequence flows from beginning to end. Iyengar Yoga is like this. First things first – learn the scales, then …
Revolutionize your Resolutions
I remember taking a teacher training with Shiva Rea in 2013 that went over New Years Eve and Day and it revolutionized my view of the new year and resolutions. Prior to that training I had never really been a fan of New Years. I always felt that the parties, celebrations and resolutions around self-improvement seemed so false and manufactured. Not to …
3 Simple Ways to Stay Grounded This Holiday Season
December is here and with it, comes the holiday season. The holidays can be a complex roller-coaster of emotion, with lots of excitement, social events and time spent with family. Although this time of year can be joyful and energizing, it can also leave us feeling depleted, with little or no time to recharge, sleep, or practice our self-care …
What is Beautycounter and why it matters?
Warning, this is not really a post about yoga. Well at least it is not a post about yoga asana (the poses), pranayama (breath) or meditation, however, this is a post about the choices we make around the products we use, and spend our money on. That to me is part of living yoga. Yoga is not only about the …