Sunday, November 29, 2009

Workshops with Eoin Finn

Today I did two amazing workshops with Eoin Finn and his wife Insiya. They are currently touring Canada promoting their new DVD The Pursuit of Happy Hips, and came to Luna Yoga to pass on some "Blissology"... Finn style...

We spent the morning exploring the anatomy of our hips, and then followed by twisting, bending and contorting them until they felt like Silly Putty. It was a fun, sweaty, packed class, filled with smiles and sighs.

After a quick bite to eat at Veritas (amazing aubergine and hummus sandwich!), we headed back to the studio for Yoga and Ecology... two of my favorite subjects! We discussed the need for change and appreciation for the earth. How our disconnection with the earth is what is causing the most harm. We talked about ideas to help us reconnect with nature; each day taking a moment to appreciate the wonders and beauty of nature, and to share it with someone else, to remind ourselves, and each other, of this incredible ecosystem that we are a part of (not apart from). The discussion was followed by another amazing vinyasa practice (handstands and all!).

Yoga = union. When we remember our connection with all things, and can see other beings and nature for what they really are, instead of seeing them simply as food or resources, we can begin to change our destructive impact on the earth. It all starts with awareness...

Once again I am left feeling inspired and sleepy. Curled up next to me, my two zen masters Fonzi and Leo remind me once again, to close my laptop, and go to sleep.
Goodnight.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

NYC!


My first trip to New York City (I know... I can't believe it took me this long either). What an amazing city, so much energy buzzing around it's crazy!

Day 1: It was also my first time going to the Jivamukti Yoga Center - although they recently moved, this is the founding center of Jivamukti Yoga. I spent several years studying with Sharon Gannon & David Life (the founders of Jiva) with visits to Toronto, and then did the Jivamukti Teacher Training at the Omega Center (in New York State) in 2007, but I had never been to the 'mother' studio... It’s a great big space right downtown on Broadway. Surprisingly, it’s in the same building as a Bikram studio - it’s amazing there’s enough people to support 2 studios in the same building! Jason came with me to the first class with Matthew. The room was warm and packed (around 65 people). My first reaction to Matthew's teaching was that he was exactly like this city: fast and abrupt. His first words were “Stand Up.” From there we quickly started moving through salutations and sequences. I found myself loving it - the fast movements, all the people squeezed in together, the fun music, the heat, the sweating, and the quick commands coming from our teacher. We struggled, laughed and sweated our way through an amazing class.

Day 2: After another day of sight-seeing my body (especially my feet!) were sore and I was feeling tired. As Jason headed to the music shops, I headed back to the Jivamukti Center to take class with Ruth. Ruth is one of the senior teachers, who is now teaching part of the Jiva teacher training. I had heard about her, and was excited to take her class. She had a calm and compassionate presence, her class was very different from the one I had taken the day before. This time it was a slower pace, with Ruth counting us through each inhale and exhale (often ‘accidentally’ adding in a couple extra breaths). We worked hard and ended up just as sweaty as the day before. After class Jason and I stumbled over to Alphabet city for some yummy Indian food and live sitar & tabla.

Day 3: I happily put on my brand new boots and headed back to the Jivamukti center for a 12 o’clock class with Sangeeta. I think because it was midday on a Tuesday, class was a little smaller (we were now about 25 people)... this made it much easier/less scary to kick up into handstand! Sangeeta started us with a beautiful chant, led us through a perfectly sequenced class, and encouraged us through challenging asanas. Half way through class I realized Sangeeta and I had done our teacher training together (its been a couple years, and we were 100 people...). There was only one other Montrealer at our training, so it’s always fun to see someone who I went through this amazing experience with... and fun to see where life has taken her.

All three classes were quite different, but I loved them all! I’m happy to have had the full Jivamukti experience (Russell Simmons and all!). It’s amazing to be in a room packed with people all working together through their own individual struggles... sweating, laughing, struggling, pushing through, and finally collapsing in savasana. After arriving home to a cheerful customs agent, a helpful security guard, and a patient parking attendant (especially since I accidentally threw out our ticket) Jason said “somehow the world seems friendlier”. There’s something about traveling that forces you to open up to others, to ask for directions, or help with figuring out the subway system, that reminds you that we are the same... a little lost, but eventually find our way with the help of each other.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

First blog post...

My first blog post ever! After discovering a good book/recipe/yoga class, I'm excited to pass on the info to others, so I figured a blog was a good way to go about it... Plus we just had an amazing weekend with friend and yoga teacher Kimberly Wilson and beau Tim. Kimberly always leaves me feeling inspired, as she is one of the few people I know that accomplishes so much (studio owner/writer/designer/activist/podcaster) and yet she remains calm and happy (we even had time to get a reflexology foot massage while she was here!). So I am taking her advice and starting my first blog, with the intention to write notes, ideas and thoughts about life as a modern yogini in Montreal...