Yoga Glow

Yoga Glo. 

Have any of you readers out there tried it?

I haven't, but it looks like fun.

I really like going to classes, but I find that on any given day, I can find an excuse not to go.

For the gym - it's different. I have a gym downstairs in my building, PLUS the massive GoodLife location on Yonge St. just north of Sheppard. (Gotta love Toronto for all of the GoodLife locations!) There's literally NO excuse to skip workouts (even when I do, sigh... Lazy Nikki).

But with going to a Yoga Studio, or any types of classes with a set schedule, I find that it's easier for me to make excuses. I got lucky with Yoga Tree in that they have classes I can take right before or right after work, but that then extends my work-day by a couple of hours. It just doesn't work for me on a regular basis. Once in a while is fine, but not every day.

And then there's today. It's 2pm, and I want a nice relaxing Yoga Class. I don't want to leave home and rush to a studio, and I'm in the type of mood where I don't want to be around groups of people because I don't feel comfortable in my mind, body or practice today. So that's where this online streaming of classes comes in.

So I'm going to give it a try, and see how it goes! It's $18 per month which isn't steep at all, and the first 15 days are free to use. You can cancel at any time in those 15 days to not get charged for a first month. (No, I'm not advertising this hahaha...)

Yoga Lessons - Life Impacts Your Practice

Well, it's Tuesday July 1st. Happy Canada Day! :)

I've done Yoga once since my last post - and it was really difficult for me.
It was a Hatha class at Yoga Tree, and with a same teacher who I've taken a class with before. (Previously the Restorative Yoga class.)

I really like her teaching style, but for some reason the class wasn't working with me. It's nothing to do with her, she's great! It's not even Hatha - because I've always preferred Hatha classes among others (except Hot Yoga. All time fave!). I actually left the class feeling pretty bad, because I was struggling and stumbling, and couldn't wipe the frustrated look and emotion off of my face no matter what I tried.

It's because of my own mind.

I came to the mat feeling very frustrated and imbalanced in every aspect of my life.

Your practice is influenced by your day, your mood, and your state of mind. 

This couldn't be any more true.  I was in such a horrible mood, and even though I wanted to focus on the postures, and flow through them - I couldn't stand up straight; my shoulders were hunched, my eyebrows were tense, my legs were wobbly, light twists hurt my stomach and spine, chair pose made my legs feel like they were going to collapse, even corpse pose and child's pose wasn't working for me! (How can I screw up those last two?! Really...)

I was just completely off in all respects. I layer there in corpse pose and I almost started crying. Actually, full disclosure: I did cry a little bit. Everything felt so off balance, and I hate when I feel like that. I understand that there's an ebb and flow to life, and the worst times are there to make us appreciate the better times - but this was too much for me.

I've been feeling really drained in all aspects of my fitness regime. This is why I was getting back into Yoga - I felt that I needed to focus my mind and body, and get a good stretch and workout in the process. It's a win-win really.

This class taught me that I need to really re-evaluate the aspects of my life that are bothering me. I've become a push-over in some situations that I won't go into detail of on my blog... But I'm learning that instead of sitting and bottling it all up for the sake of saving face, I need to stand up for myself. I'm a person. I'm not a pushover. I'm not someone who can take shovels and shovels of garbage from people, nor is anyone else. We're all just people. No one is any better than anyone else, so for someone to have the misconception that they can treat me a certain way due to their status or whatever beliefs they have in their head is a sad thing. Sad for me - because I have allowed myself to have it impact my health (dear stress levels and anxiety - go away!), and I have allowed it to impact my sense of self. I've put myself down so many times in the past year or so - just when I was starting to build myself up, too. I've allowed myself to be treated as though I'm lower than others just because I was making a change and "starting at the bottom" again. Well, when you start at the bottom and are pushed to stay down at the bottom - something magical happens. You realize that the only place you can go is UP, and you realize that you're worth more than all of the negative that suffocates you.

This class helped me focus on a lot. Maybe I really did need this bad experience to open my eyes to what's around me. I am very grateful right now for what I've learned. That teacher will never know that she played such a pivotal role in my being right now.

Yoga Lessons - Never Enough Time

Well, yesterday I was supposed to go to the gym - but I didn't. 
Then, I thought I'd do some Yoga at home - but I didn't. I just felt overwhelmed... There's not enough time in my evenings... And somehow, no matter how thin I spread my time, it's just not enough. Somehow, this is my fault.

So... I sat on my butt, and read articles and reviews about the program I registered for (ISSA Specialist in Fitness Nutrition certification - I'll save that for another post!). Then I went to bed at a reasonable time, and slept in this morning.

I'm a little sad today. Or, maybe not sad... But pensive.
I don't want to get into specifics, but there never seems to be enough time for things.
I was taking on this 30-Day Yoga challenge for a personal growth exercise. I was feeling lost, unstable, unhappy, not sleeping properly, headaches and fatigue, depressed, and hopeless. I was having bouts of anxiety or panic attacks, and just felt crappy all around. I was even getting sick every other week, and started having issues with my stomach to the point where I couldn't keep food down on some days.

I took one of my lunch hours to consider why I was unhappy (I'm still not 100% sure...), and decided that I'd go to a place that I visited before when I felt this way: Yoga.
Not the same studios I've gone to in the past, but taking Yoga in general made me a happier person. It gave me "me time", and time to reflect on my thoughts. Then, it allowed me to push those thoughts aside and connect my body with my mind, and feel a sense of relief when I realized during each practice, that I'm more than just my problems. Life is more than the things we find to be unfortunate, and we need to find gratitude in all the good we experience. This helps us discover balance and a proper perspective of life. At least for me it does.

It's a happy place for me, my Yoga practice...

But when something negative comes into the situation, and pushes you from being able to do it when you need it most, the whole situation becomes a negative experience. I hope to turn it around, and make it positive again.

Yoga Lessons - Time Passes

Thursday June 19th ... Shhh...
Friday June 20th ... Leg day at the gym. I was in no shape for Yoga unfortunately, and wanted to make sure I was good for the morning of...
Saturday June 21st - OMTO 2014 at the Distillery District! I can't even express how amazing this event was. See below for more in-depth review of my experience!
Sunday June 22nd ... Recovering from leg day + yoga day... No Yoga.
Monday June 23rd ... Spent the day at home and then at the Toronto Islands... No Yoga.
Tuesday June 24th ... Back at work after the holiday weekend. No Yoga. :( Even though I probably needed it...
Wednesday June 25th - current day. Yoga has not been done YET, and I'm not sure if I'll get to do any today because it's Leg Day at the gym! I'll try to get in a solid 10-20 though.

So let me tell you about OMTO 2014!
What a stunningly beautiful way to bring in the Summer Solstice. 
It was a full day of yoga from 9am - 5pm. I had told myself I would at least go for the first class at 9am, which I did. I then stayed for the next two classes, and I'm so thankful I pushed myself to! The classes I took were:

• 9:15 - 9:55 - Hatha Flow with Amanda O'Malley from Yoga Tree
• 10:15 - 10:55 - Solar Flow Yoga with Jodi Fischtein from 889 Yoga
• 11:15 - 11:55 - Moksha Yoga with Megan Hoskins from Moksha Yoga 

Where to start... The teachers for these classes were nothing short of amazing. The one that I'm happy to have spoken to afterwards was Amanda from Yoga Tree. That's the studio I've been going to, so I knew I had to make it for that class. She was so nice, and her class had such a great flow! There isn't a single negative thing I can even say about this event, because it was filled with so many awesome people coming together to enjoy an awesome day.
I had wanted to stay for the whole day, but unfortunately this fair-skinned lady started to get sunburn and had too much sun... I had to head out shortly after the Moksha class finished, and went on a mini-adventure around the Distillery District (Soma Chocolate... goodness...), and then over to Tori's Bakeshop - just because. ;)
This day made me so happy.

Thoughts of Om
Class number 2 had a special moment for me. We did three Oms at the end - and the second one was "Om number 2 for those who you love".
As I was laying there, I felt myself starting to cry during that Om. It made me think about the people I have had in my life, and how a high majority of the people I love have passed away. I don't normally think about this stuff when doing Yoga, but this forced me to. I don't take it as a negative thing though, but it did give me a chance to reflect on a few things and on the people who are in my life today.

It also made me think about how short life is. Don't get me wrong, I've always known how short life is. The biggest lesson for me in how fragile life is was when my mum passed away. I was only 14, and she was 44.

I'm turning 30 next month, and to think that my mum was only 14 years older than I am now when she passed away just makes me realize how young she really was... I also acknowledge how fast the last decade has passed... Time is precious and always fleeting, life is short, and that Om really made me think about that as well. It made me think that if we don't take a moment to think about (and appreciate) those who we love, they could be gone and we'll be thinking about them as a memory rather than someone we can show appreciation to in the present day.

Yoga Lessons - Strength

Today was a Hot Yoga class at Yoga Tree Midtown, and it was great!
There's nothing like a good sweat and stretch at 6:30 in the morning! ;)

It was a challenge to get up early enough, but I managed - and I'm thankful I did. The teacher of this class was great, and I didn't realize she was teaching this class - but it was none other than Jennifer Nicol, who's quite the inspirational woman in terms of health and fitness! So it was an honour to have been to one of her classes. :) There was a high energy, challenging poses, intense heat in the room (which after a long winter, I'm loving!), and I left feeling great.

The thought for this class was "Strength", and was very fitting. It took strength to get up early, strength to go through the poses, and it's always important to have strength and not give up when you feel like you can't do something the "right" way. I found the mental and emotional strength to not get discouraged, and to not push my body past what was feeling right at that moment in time.

I've had those times where I try to push myself past the point that I can handle, and I've injured myself because of that. So today, I put in a strong effort, but kept my mind strong as well.

Everything in life is a learning process, and staying strong and persisting, while being kind to yourself - is a very important thing.Strength isn't just about the physical, but it's about the mental and spiritual as well. All three are connected. You can start any physical activity you want, but if you don't have the mental strength to stick to it and work through weaknesses, you won't get very far.

Speaking of strength...
After the class, I had some time before work, so I went to the gym. I gave myself some time to do some work on my back (and a bit of biceps, triceps, and shoulders).
Then, after a quick shower, I was off to start my day feeling refreshed and energized! What a great way to start the day...

Yoga Lessons - It's Okay To Pause

One of the most important things with any elements of fitness is to listen to your body.
Yesterday, my body needed a rest from anything fitness related. I had a real case of "The Mondays" yesterday, and somehow managed to let my mood dictate my actions. I stayed home, I did a bit of reading, and went to bed early. It was needed...

Today, I woke up early (yay!) and went down to Yoga Tree for a 7am Core Yoga class. It was the same teacher as Sunday's Hot Yoga class, so it was a great intense and relaxing workout to start the day!

I felt a little guilty last night for not taking a class, because I know that having a bad day is a bad excuse. If anything, a workout or yoga class would've made me feel better, right? But this morning, we were reminded to "let it go". Let go of the thoughts that don't serve you, and of the things that don't matter in the current moment.

I'm so grateful for having woken up early enough to take that class today. I love that feeling of waking up and heading out before most alarm clocks have even gone off. There's something special about walking down the street as the sun is barely in the sky. It's so calm, barely any traffic, and you just feel so at peace.

I've been ignoring the gym a bit while starting back up with Yoga, but I don't want to get rusty! This evening, I'm going to hit the weights again, because I miss them... Then, early to bed! Early to rise...

Tomorrow morning, there's a Hot Yoga class from 6:30am - 7:30am, and my goal is to try to take that one! I'll have to leave shortly before 6, but I think that's doable. I just need to prepare my things for tomorrow, tonight.

It's a good day to have a good day.

Yoga Lessons - Just Let Go

Sunday June 15th was an intense Hot Yoga class.

Where to begin... There were dolphin planks, kicks/jumps while in downward dog, more planks, lots of twists, and a serious sweat! I loved this class - I'm a big fan of Hot Yoga, and I feel my muscles get an amazing workout in the hotter temperatures. And this teacher? Super high energy! She was like a Drill Sargent, but one that you actually like because she eats banana bread and is bubbly.

One of my happy-place moments was when we were breathing in corpse pose, and the teacher talked about letting go of thoughts. She said that it doesn't matter what you have to do later, or what happened yesterday, but just be here, right now.

I liked that. I know it's a simple thought, to be "in" the moment. But it's a golden thought to remember. My mind tends to wander a lot, and I often have a problem focusing on the task at hand, whatever it may be.

I spend many parts of my day thinking about what I have to do later, or things that have already happened. What does this accomplish though? I mean, really... Focusing on things that aren't happening right now is basically thinking about things that don't actually exist yet/anymore. They're no longer real.

So every time my mind started to wander, I just told myself "let it go" and focused on my breath. It was challenging, and it happened a lot... But I just kept repeating "let it go" over and over, until the pointless thoughts were gone. The mental to-do list will still be there when you're done what you're doing now, so why focus on it? Thinking about things that aren't happening right now prevent you from truly being in the moment of whatever you're doing. And as I've expressed in other posts, life is short. It's too short to think about a time that isn't even here when you have something you're experiencing right now.

This, this exact moment, is the only moment you truly experience. Pretty soon, the future will be in this exact moment - so think about it when it becomes the present. Don't dispose of something you have right now for something that doesn't exist.

Yoga Lessons - Gratitude for the Overlooked

[Late Post - Couldn't post on Saturday!]

Saturday June 14th was Restorative Yoga at Yoga Tree Midtown. I'll be honest, I was a little reluctant to take a restorative class.
Something happened though... As I was getting dressed, I moved my legs to put my pants on, and I felt just how tense my hamstrings were. There was no way I was going to be able to even attempt a downward dog and not fall over.
So - restorative it was, and for that I am grateful.
And the teacher of the class? Nothing short of amazing. She gave variations to poses, her voice was soothing, and the class had a lovely format. I was able to get deep into relaxing stretches, and give my hips and hamstrings time to really release any tension that had built up from the previous week. I needed that class, and it was the perfect thing for my body. 

The lesson for this class was Gratitude. 

How fitting. :)

As I was laying there, breathing deeply into my whole body - I thought about all of the things I should be grateful for. I found myself getting caught up in some unpleasant emotions about family, because in my childhood when we had to list things we were thankful for - I would have put my family at the top of that list.
Unfortunately, my family is no longer with me. I lost my mum when I was 14, and both of my grandparents when I was 13 and 15. I'll be 30 in a month, so that's been half of my life that I've been without them, and it hurts now just as much as it did back then - only in a different way.
I started to feel negativity wash over my body, and I hated the feeling. So I tried my best to turn it around. I reminded myself how grateful I am for having known my mum and my grandparents for as long as I did. There are people who lose their parents at a much younger age - and there are people who have much less than me... No matter how hard things get in my life, there are people who would look at my situation and think I'm silly for being sad.

I am grateful I knew my mum. She was a wonderfully imperfect and random woman, and a strong woman. I'm proud to have had her as my mum, and I know she would be proud of me no matter what turns my life takes. She was that type of person who didn't judge anyone. She accepted people for who they were. She made me feel so loved and cared for in the years she was on this earth with me. I am grateful to have felt that love, even if only for half of my life.

I am grateful for those in my life who care about me now. I am grateful for my dog, Buddy. I am grateful for a functional and healthy body. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given in this life - even if I complain about them after the novelty wears off. I am grateful for every breath I take, because there are people who are breathing their last.

Life is so short... It is so fragile, and can slip away at any moment. This class gave me a gentle reminder to take a few moments each day, and count the blessings I should be grateful for.

Yoga Lessons - You Get What You Need

"You can't always get what you want, but you get what you need."

Today was another Hot Yoga class - but with a cooler temperature and more of a focus on stretches and twists rather than a continuous routine. It felt like an instructional class rather than "Yoga", but the teacher went into great detail about specific moves and how to get the most out of them.

Normally, I'd go into a Yoga class with the expectation that there will be some music, and then we go into a sequence of moves, and then it's done. The format is similar in all classes I've taken, even though each class has been different over the years. I've come to expect this as the norm for Yoga classes.

This class reminded me of what we want in life, and how sometimes we go into situations wanting specific things. Or, if not wanting, we come to expect them. But what happens when things don't turn out the way you expect? Well, that just means they turn out differently. And guess what - sometimes, it turns out to be something you needed more than that thing you wanted.

This class was exactly that for me. Today, I was really sore (and still am!) from the last two days of Yoga. It's movement that my body is unfamiliar with, so I'm feeling it now. Today as I sat at my desk and clicked "book" for the 5:45pm class, I got worried that I wouldn't make it through each sequence of the Yoga class. I knew I wanted to go, I was excited... But worried that it wouldn't be comfortable for me. I felt like I needed a day of break and stretching out tense muscles.
The funny thing is that this class gave me exactly that. It was a workout still, and I put effort into it, but it was also a great one for loosening up my body.

This element of trying things anyway, and not getting what you want or expect, can lead you to finding things that you really need.


Now here's a little happiness for your ears in light of this lesson... Have a beautiful day.