journeys on the mat

journeys on and off the mat

A Journey to Self and Soul – Yoga 10 Studio

Yoga Meditation Workshop Courtenay

For more information and to register, please email journeysonthemat@gmail.com

A Journey Of Love (2 Hours)

What would it mean to fall madly, deeply, fully in love with yourself? What would you do differently? Would your inner voice change?

Heather takes participants on a Journey of Love through movement, breath work, energetics, and stillness. With slow flow, we tap into our deeper truths – discovering our strength, joy, and truth. Taking time to tune in and feel into each posture, participants will shift their perspective of themselves from the inside out.

Heather guides participants to meet what is calling to them and awakening the peaceful warrior within.

All levels welcome. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a journal and something to write with.

CAD $40

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Softening Into Self and Soul (2 or 3 Hours)

Many of us play multiple roles in our lives…parent, children, sibling, friend, career-driver.

In the midst of our to-dos and should-dos, we can lose touch with our inner landscape. Utilizing dialogue, breath work, energetics, meditation, and a restorative practice, we will (re)learn the importance of and honour our truths.

Through restorative yoga, a guided meditation, and gentle energetic adjustments, Heather brings participants into a state of awareness that speaks to the soul. A dynamically soft and gentle practice enables the system to relax and release, allowing the practitioner to “listen” and tune in to what the body, mind, and soul need…in each moment.

All levels welcome. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a journal and something to write with.

CAD $40

REGISTER FOR BOTH WORKSHOPS AT CAD $65!
SPACE IS LIMITED!

For more information and to register, please email journeysonthemat@gmail.com

The Yoga in Uncertainty

2016 has begun.  I’m finding there are two different starts to the year out there as I talk to family and friends…

There is the “Oh-my-goodness-this-is-going-to-be-the-greatest-year-ever!” camp.  January was inspired, creative, fired up, connected, and full of goals accomplished and intentions set.  That is awesome and I am giving you all virtual hugs and high-fives for rocking it out and being a source of inspiration to me (no joke, you all are the ones that keep me going)!

There is also the “Oh-my-goodness-I-can’t-believe-January-took-that-long-why-do-I-feel-so-unsure-and-unsteady-and-what-direction-do-I-turn?” camp.  January for this group was filled with sadness, anxiety, confusion, shakiness, and, most of all, uncertainty for what this year will hold.

To those in the second camp…I HEAR YOU.  You are not alone.

Uncertainty can be one of the hardest places to sit.  When I looked at the words associated with uncertainty, this is what came back: doubt, qualm, misgiving, apprehension, quandary, reservation, scruple, second thought, query, question, question mark, and suspicion.  For those of you feeling uncertain out there – myself included – these words might ring true…in fact, you might have some additional words of your own you’d like to add to the list.  No wonder we don’t like being in this space.

I mean…really. don’t. like. it.

Uncertainty is exhausting and when it feels chronic, it can be hard to push through and see the silver lining.  From what I’ve seen and experienced, uncertainty can be felt in the root of our energetic system.  That place where we feel grounded, stable, and secure.  I’ve noticed when that sense of stability is missing (especially when it pertains to our basic needs – food, shelter, etc.), the rest of our energetic system can be affected, thus impacting our ability to be creative, feel empowered, give love and attention, voice our fears and opinions, and see what options are ahead of us.  When uncertainty is present, our entire body can feel out of alignment – physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.

There are some methods to deal with this uncertainty and I thought I would share two of my favourites with you.

The first is a simple grounding meditation that gets us connected to our Root Chakra (Muladhara).  Our Root Chakra is located in the very base of the reproductive organs and, when properly engaged and aligned, can enable us to feel strong, stable, and connected.  When we are disconnected from our Root Chakra, it can cause alignment issues through the rest of the main seven Chakras as they travel up the mid-line of the body.  This in turn can affect our emotional, physical, and mental states.  To tap into your Root and feel more grounded, I invite you to practice this short and sweet meditation…

The second is to identify, name, and write down those feelings you want to invite into your being.  By mindfully thinking about this and writing a list of what you want to feel, it can help ground you in your desired feeling state.  Do you want to feel Joy? Empowered?  Secure?  Loved?  Heard?  Visible?  Whatever feeling you desire, put it on paper and take some time to think of ways you can invite that feeling into your life.  I recommend doing this practice at least once at the start of the week and then revisiting your feelings as often as you wish (I tend to look at mine in the morning and the evening each day).

FeelingsList

I hope these little practices help!

Sending you lots of love and light, Brave Souls!

A Quick Guide to the Chakras

When we work with our energetic alignment, oftentimes, we are working with the seven main chakras in the body.  Think of these as points of energy from which we can set intentions and bring our focus when working with movement, our breath, and meditation.

I created this quick guide for those who are interested in a reference for the chakras (just click on the image below for a PDF).  I’ve also blogged in the past around my experience with the chakras here, here, and here.

This little piece is in no way comprehensive, and gives just the very highest of overviews.  There are a variety of places to find out more and I encourage every practitioner to explore their energetic body!  It can deepen and enhance your practice – both on (and off!) the mat!

Chakras

Seasonal Transitions

Autumn-Leaves-Sunset-1680x1050

Crisp air feeding lungs, soul and heart with that smell that only autumn brings.

Grey clouds or crystal blue skies loom above, unfurling their colours as a backdrop against the garnets and rusts of nature’s confetti that still clings to trees.

Temperatures plummet and wind swirls picking up leaves already fallen from their home and turning them mini colourful tornadoes along sidewalks, paths and roads.

As nature turns down and lays itself bare in hibernation for the winter ahead, so do our bodies, minds and hearts.

Turning inward to observe our internal garnets and rusts of our emotional, physical, mental and spiritual confetti.

We seek warmth and comfort as we too are laid bare on our journeys through this amazing life we each possess.

We are reminded of the temporary nature of everything.  The constant movement that surrounds us and that which resides within.

And we breathe.  That crisp air.

 

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Transitions On and Off the Mat

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How many times during our yoga practice on the mat do we move from one posture to the next…not really paying attention to that space in between, just looking forward to the arrival at the next expression of Adho Muka Svanasana or Virabhadrasana II?  How many times in our lives do we move from one activity to the next, not thinking about how we got from here to there…driving from one location to the next and zoning out as we move along our designated path?

This week, I am being intentional about my transitions.  My yoga practice on the mat can teach me how to take more time in my practice of life off the mat – especially so in those periods of transition from one thing to the next.

I’ve always been a person who likes to be on the move.  I’ve moved over twenty times in my life, I love remaining active and busy, and enjoy being on the go.  It’s often hard for me to sit still for any period of time and I am addicted to completing one task and then finding another to focus my energy on.

Knowing this, I know it is equally important for me to take the time to slow down and focus on those spaces in between the activity.  Those spaces between the action that I, in the past, have dismissed and rushed through.  It is in those spaces and periods of time that I believe we can learn more about ourselves.  How we really move, how we truly react, how our bodies feel – emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.

In short, it gives us a moment to pause, reflect and listen.

One fantastic way to begin this practice on your mat is with our regular Cat/Cow Warmup.

  • Begin by coming into a tabletop position, wrists aligned under your shoulders and your knees under your hips (make sure you pad your knees up if you know you have sensitivities there!).
  • On your inhale, drop your belly to the floor, tilting your low back up to the ceiling and lifting up and through your heart centre.  You can lift your gaze to the ceiling.
  • On your exhale, pull your navel into your spine and round through your back (almost as though someone has tied a rope around your waist and is pulling you up by it).  Press through your hands and drop your chin to your chest, tucking your low back in toward your low ribs.
  • Inhale, extend back into Cow.
  • Exhale, round back into Cat.
  • Repeat between 5-10 times.

Continue this moving, allowing the breath to guide the movement, rather than the movement guiding your breath.  How smooth can you make your transition from one to the other?  Notice your natural inclination…is it to move quickly or slowly?  Are you rolling through your spine?  How is your breath in the transition from Cat into Cow?

By taking the time with this simple exercise, we can better understand our yoga practice on the mat.  Not only that, it provides insight into how we transition through things in our lives off the mat.  Take a moment to reflect on this practice and notice if you want to make any changes.  These small movements can be a window into the larger picture of our lives!

Be intentional in your transitions both on and off the mat…amazing things will follow!

Ujjayi Breath with Leslie Kaminoff

I am working through Leslie Kaminoff’s work on anatomy and yoga.  Came across this gem of a video and thought I would share.  Pretty awesome and thought-provoking.