lmentsyoga

Food for Thought, Nov/December 2018

About this series: Inspired by opinion pieces, news articles, famous quotes, or books I’m reading, this monthly blog series contains my musings on ways we can live mindfully, authentically, and generously. You might hear some of the same themes woven into the opening and closing meditations in my classes!

I’m gonna come out and say it: the holiday season is not merry for everyone. Whether someone has experienced trauma or loss in the month of December, or whether they simply come from a culture or religion that does not actively celebrate any of the December holidays, there are many reasons that someone may not want to join in the festivities of this season.

We all honour different holidays, mark occasions differently, and have our own unique traditions throughout the year. For some, there is a strong need to find quiet and calm amidst the chaos and rush of the holidays, which also happen to be a great time for self-care, as we reflect on the year past and gear up for the new year ahead. We truly never know what someone might be facing now or carrying with them from the past. So while the holidays can be about coming together and celebrating, we must respect other people’s need for time and space to recharge.

Wishing you all exactly the holiday season that you need for yourself this year, and wishing you a 2019 full of joy, fulfillment, and gratitude.

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What do the holidays and the start of a new year mean to you? Share with me on the LMents Yoga Facebook page!

Things I Love, Nov/December 2018

About this series: A symptom of being a student of both critical development theory AND yoga is that I’ve become painfully aware of the importance of making conscious choices at the checkout, since we are ‘voting’ with our dollars, after all! Total abandonment of consumerism simply isn’t practical, so this monthly blog series highlights a few things – maybe ethical purchases or healthy noshes – that I’ve discovered each month, and why I love them!

This edition will be a little bit different, as I committed to a ‘no-spend November’, where I restricted my purchases to only the necessities. Let me tell you, this is no easy task in the lead up to the holiday season! So these new faves below are all without a price tag…well, kind of.

Music with a Message

Now I know that music often has a meaningful message, but there seems to be a new wave of it coming from some of my fave artists, right in time for what can be a challenging time of year for many folks. If your faith in humanity needs some renewal, watch the videos for Youth by Shawn Mendes and Khalid, and Us by James Bay. The kids are definitely alright.

Smart & Easy Food Bank Donations

Many Loblaws / Zehr’s locations now have these handy signs in front of items that food banks are in greatest need of. Not only does this serve as a reminder to us while we’re shopping that we have the power to share the wealth, but it also helps ensure that food banks receive the right items at the right time! While you shop, keep your eyes peeled for these signs, and then drop your donations in the food bank bin on your way out of the store. Kudos to everyone involved in this collaboration!

Allllllll Things Lavender

Its probably no surprise that a yoga teacher loves lavender. This is not a new discovery for me, but I’ve been relying on lavender a bit more lately as a mild sleep aid. I’m using some lavender from Terre Bleu under my pillow and a lavender essential oil roll-on from Neob Niagara as a one-two punch to help knock me out at bedtime.

The Gift of Time, Words…or Blood?
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Throughout this year, I’ve been trying to shift to less material gifts to mark special occasions – whether its giving an ‘experience’ like concert tickets or setting a date for a girls’ night out, or showing appreciation through a well-thought-out letter. The holiday season is the perfect time to refine this and to pay it forward beyond your immediate family and friend group. The need for blood is quite high over the holidays, so if you have some time off, book an appointment to donate today at blood.ca. Almost half of Canadians are eligible to donate, but only 1 in 60 do so. Now’s the time!

What music are you finding meaningful these days? What non-material gifts did you give your loved ones this year? Share your thoughts with me on the LMents Yoga Facebook page!

Things I Love, October 2018

Wow, what a Fall! With so few sunny, autumn days, and a far too many rainy, overcast ones, many of us started hibernating early this year. Here are a few things that kept me chipper through a dreary season.

Ginger Gummy Bears

Yes, you read that right. The little bears pack a spicy punch! What a tasty way to help boost your immune system through flu season. These Aussie bears by Buderim Ginger are only recently available in Canada – get some now at a Shoppers Drug Mart near you, you won’t regret it!

Sustainable Toothbrushes

After you eat an entire bag of those ginger gummy bears, you’ll need to brush your teeth. Why not use a brush that’s made from recycled yogurt cups?! These are still hard to find in Canada, but you can buy them online from the Preserve website or other retailers. They come in fun colours and various bristle types – I went with the ultra soft in aqua blue. When its time to replace your brush, you can send your old one to them to keep the recycling cycle going!

Glow-in-the-Dark Constellation Clothes

I’ve always loved the tentree business model but just haven’t fallen in love with their styles. Then came their constellation line. This purchase was a big of a spontaneous splurge, but I don’t regret it! Made with recycled polyester from plastic water bottles, pesticide-free organic cotton that uses less water, and water-based phosphorescent inks, the constellation line is every hipster’s dream! Don’t forget to select where your 10 trees get planted, cuz why not!

Themed Playlists

This might seem obvious, but part of the fun of teaching is crafting the perfect playlist! My personal fave recently has been a fallin’ for R&B mix, featuring Aaliyah, some old school Usher, some new Leon Bridges, and other tunes that’ll get your head bobbin’ while you’re forward foldin’. Craft your own or use any number of streaming services that have great curated lists for everything – from music without lyrics for working/studying, to Sunday morning top 40s songs to sing in the shower to.

What have you fallen in love with this month? Share your thoughts with me on the LMents Yoga Facebook page!

Food for Thought, October 2018

I took a ballet class recently, after being away from the barre for a couple of years. I had been craving moving in turn-out, spinning across the studio floor, and reaching into an arabesque. But as life moves so fast, it can be hard to fit everything in, even the things that we love, the things we grew up with, the things that remind us of who we are.

So what did I get out of this 90-minute ballet class, other than an ass-kicking workout, of course? I got to feel all the things. Not just the physical challenge of using those tiny stabilizer muscles that I haven’t used in a very long time, and the mental challenge of keeping up with the sequences; but also a sense of familiarity, of finding something that I had been missing, and of being exactly where I was supposed to be.

We all have hobbies we love like this, or places that feel like home, or people that remind us of who we are. Time flies when we’re having fun, but time also flies when we’re too busy to notice life passing us by. How can we make space in our lives for the lost hobbies, places, and people that help define our being? How can we revisit the parts of ourselves that sometimes get buried? I don’t have all of the answers but I think its safe to say that we have to start by listening, deeply, to what our hearts tell us that we want.

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What hobby, place, or person is critical to your identity but sometimes gets forgotten? Share with me on the LMents Yoga Facebook page!

Food for Thought, September 2018

Whether you’re strolling the sidewalks of Toronto or driving the highways of Muskoka, there’s something to be said for taking the back roads. You might have to trudge through a few alleys, the speed limit might be lower, but you’ll see a place you thought you were familiar with in a whole new light. Whether you stumble upon a new wall of graffiti or get to witness a magical moment in nature, intentionally choosing a different path can be so rewarding.

This does not just apply to your Sunday drive. Adopting this kind of mentality will be helpful on your mat. Sequencing is one of the best parts of teaching yoga – I get to constantly come up with different ways to prepare you for a peak pose. No matter the destination, or no matter the peak post, there’s more than one way to get there. My job is to help keep things fresh and exciting for you.

Whether its on your regular walk to work, on your mat, or in making big decision’s, be open to the detours. At worst, you’ll have added a few extra minutes to your commute; at best, you’ll be surprised and delighted by what life has in store for you.

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What detours have you taken that have been rewarding? Let me know on the LMents Yoga Facebook page!

Things I Love, September 2018

Where did September go? I think I blinked and missed it. With the back-to-school/back-to-work rush, we’re probably all feeling a bit run off our feet, at best, or under the weather, at worst. Check out a couple of things that kept me grounded and mostly healthy this past month.

Farmer’s Markets Galore

Don’t get me wrong, I love the farmer’s market at Brickworks like every other white girl in Toronto, but its been great to find other, smaller markets that take place throughout the week and across the city. Whether its the Tuesday market at SickKids Hospital, the Wednesday market on John Street near the Grange Park, or the Saturday market near Mimico put on by the Humber Bay Shores Condo Association, there are plenty to choose from! Stock up on local veggies or just grab your morning coffee – either way, its great to know where your food comes from and learn about the folks who produce it. Find a hidden treasure farmer’s market near you!

Liquid Flu Shots

Everyone and their mother got sick this September. I was no exception, but I do think I avoided the worst of it. I’m not claiming that fresh juices will keep the flu bug away, but when I felt something coming on, having one (or two!) of these juices helped me bounce back quicker. I’m a fan of the Daily Press Flu Shot, but if that’s not available in your area, just look for one that has orange juice or something with Vitamin C, ginger, and cayenne. It packs a punch, so if you’re not a fan of spice, sip and chase with water. Stay hydrated, y’all!

Natural Headache Remedies

I’m not sure if its the dramatic changes in weather or just all the busy-ness that comes with the start of Fall, but I’ve been getting a lot of headaches lately. Not wanting to overload my body with painkillers, I stumbled upon this roll-on essential oil blend by Scentuals that is supposed to relieve headaches. It might be the placebo effect, but I don’t care! I roll some onto my temples and the sides of my throat when I feel a headache coming on, and it works. Don’t count on it if you’re already into a full-blown headache or migraine – you’ll need something stronger for that!

Inbox Detox

We sign up for so many mailing lists, whether we know it or not, quickly cluttering our inboxes with things we don’t even read. Well, friends, the ‘unsubscribe’ button was created for a reason! I’m not quite done yet, but I’ve unsubscribed from a couple dozen lists, and its been such a relief. Take 10 minutes, get ruthless if you need to, and declutter your inbox – it’ll save you time and anxiety for years to come! For other tips on organizing your email account or taking a break from being e-connected, check out this Forbes post.

What have you fallen in love with this month? Share your thoughts with me on the LMents Yoga Facebook page!

Upcoming Partner Yoga Workshops

Fun workshop alert!

Join me at the beautiful Framewrk studio for a fun and playful afternoon of partner poses! Bring your spouse, sibling, or friend and expect to deepen your connection through communication, teamwork, and lots of laughter! Beginner yogis are welcome, especially for the Level 1 class. We’ll start with a short intention-setting exercise, breathwork, and some partner variations on classic yoga poses. We’ll work towards some more challenging poses, with options offered along the way.

These workshops are progressive, so we ask that you join for Level 1 before taking Level 2. One workshop is $50 per person / $100 per pair; or if you register for both workshops, enjoy a discount (in-studio only) and pay a total of $80 per person / $160 per pair for the series. Book a spot for you and your yogi partner now!

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Food for Thought, July/August 2018

If you’ve ever bought something from Lululemon, you’ll recognize their classic free-tote-bag slogan, “do one thing a day that scares you”. I’m pretty sure I rolled my eyes at that the first time I read it, because the frequency is just so absurd – I’m not going to do something scary EVERY day! But I do appreciate the sentiment behind it: to a certain extent, it is healthy to challenge yourself and push yourself outside of your comfort zone. After all, doing so can help you overcome your fears, learn about interests you may not have known you had, and ultimately grow as a human being.

If you know me personally, you’ll know that I’m a planner, both in terms of my personality and natural instincts, but also professionally in my 9-5 work life. So, co-facilitating a 4-day retreat that required me to learn the group’s needs on the first day, go with the flow, and lead classes in new environments (ie on a dock, an island, and SUP boards), was a serious challenge for me. Forget making lesson plans days ahead of time! Goodbye to feeling 100% confident in my sequencing before meeting everyone on the mat! Heading up to the retreat, I knew I was going to feel out of my element. I was scared.

But then I got incredibly lucky: my co-facilitator and our group of guests were all incredibly open, enthusiastic, and curious – any teacher’s dream! Bolstered by such support, I have never felt more in my element, drawing from our guests’ energy and their wishes, and of course from the beautiful backdrop that Mother Nature provided us.

By taking on something that I didn’t think I was ready for, I spent almost an entire weekend ‘doing something that scared me’. Maybe now I understand more viscerally the benefit of doing so. Don’t worry, I’m not hooked on the feeling now, and I won’t become an adrenaline junkie! But this is also relevant to the physical practice of yoga, or for any workout. As a teacher, you’ll hear me tell you to find your edge, and to stay there even though its uncomfortable. Then, next time you try the same pose, your edge might just be a bit further than before.

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What have you done that’s scared you? Are you taking on any new challenges lately? Let me know on the LMents Yoga Facebook page!

Things I Love, July/August 2018

OK so I’ve been taking a little summer vacation-ing from this blog, so I’m cheating a little and doing a July/August summer edition. All the magazines do it, so I don’t feel too guilty! Check out some of the things that I’ve discovered this summer – you’ve still got a few more weeks left in the season to give them a try too!

The Taste of Summer in a Can

After sipping my first organic spritzer from BC-based company GoodDrink, my taste buds were in love! I’ve had their iced tea before, but these sparkling, fruity refreshers are truly delicious! My favourite is the blackberry, a rather unique flavour that is made with 13% real fruit juice. They come in the perfect portion size and are great on their own, but even better with a tiny splash of white rum in the mix!

Library Cards are for Adults Too

I’m trying to get a handle on this whole adulting thing, and part of that is keeping a handle on the finances. My book budget was getting a bit out of control, so I did the responsible thing a got a library card. I had forgotten how awesome the library is – its like being a kid in a candy store, except that the candy is free (well, covered by your taxes). I’ve read 3 books in the last month, and my list keeps getting longer. This might also be a small act of resistance against a provincial government that wants to cut library funding. Read on, tribe!

Walking on Water (Well, Almost…)

Have you ever tried something once, hated it, and been reluctant to try it again because of that first bad experience? That was me with stand-up paddleboarding. I rented one in Hawaii a few years ago and was given no instructions before venturing out into the choppy waves of the Pacific. So I’m incredibly grateful to Courtney Sinclair, my co-host for an August long weekend retreat at Northern Edge Algonquin, for teaching me the basics and helping me find joy while SUPing!

Day-Trippin’

You may remember from a previous post that I have been craving green space and slowly discovering the best spots to find it in Toronto. Well, the other option is to escape the city completely! There’s a lot to see outside of the city, sometimes only an hour to the west, north, or east. Pictured here, a day trip to Terre Bleu Lavender Farm, near Milton. This family-run farm hosts yoga classes on weekends in the summer, among other offerings, making for the perfect half-day adventure.

What have you fallen in love with this month? Share your thoughts with me on the LMents Yoga Facebook page!

Food for Thought, June 2018

I think I might be a ‘bad’ yogi: I didn’t do any yoga while on vacation in Costa Rica. The friendly tropical country has long been host to yoga retreats, and has no shortage of beautiful spots that I could’ve unrolled my mat, or beaches where I could’ve practiced totally mat-less. But I didn’t feel compelled to do any vinyasas or even recover from our long hikes with some restorative poses – oops!

In trying to rationalize this, the only explanation that makes sense to me is that I was on a very active vacation, so my mind and my body didn’t ‘need’ yoga. In my busy life here at home, I turn to yoga as a way to unwind after a tough project or to get my body moving after a sedentary day at the office. It turns out, yoga is a mini-vacation from my everyday that I can take any time I want. So if I’m already on vacation, what do I need to take vacation from?

Whether my explanation has been convincing or not, I think we can all agree that we would all be healthier and happier if we found ways to take mini-vacations every week, or even every day. You might share my love for yoga, but your escape might be something else – reading fantasy books, going for long walks, or expressing yourself through art. Whatever your escape may be, you owe it to yourself to make time in your schedule to escape. You will be more attentive to your loved ones, more productive at work, and better able to meet your health and fitness goals as a result.

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After chewing on this food for thought, let me know how you feel on my Contact page!