It seems this photo of John Gebhardt has been circulating since 2006, but I just received it today. The image of humanity and of hope. According to John Gebhardts wife, Mindy, this small girls whole family including the children was executed by the insurgents in Iraq. Miraculously she survived after being shot in the head and was cared for in a military hospital. John had the magic touch with her and was able to comfort her when she woke screaming and groaning. According to the article he spent 4 days and nights comforting her and sleeping in this chair with her on his chest, close to his heart. A tragic story tempered with promise and faith in mankind. It is an image that I won’t ever forget. Yet when I think about it, isn’t his action one we all would embrace? Wouldn’t you do the same?
Can our kids get any more inquisitive? They are natural born yogi’s, we learn from them!
No one asked little Talulah Belle to do this pose, she just mimicked and it turned out to be such a special moment.
I would like to create an abundance of “yoga moments” with you and your children, and am leading a class for you with your child ages 0-5 starting next Tuesday Jan.12th 2010.
Class will be held at the Alchemy Center #3-431 Mountain Hwy in North Vancouver on Tuesdays from 9.30-10.30 am. The aim is for parents of tiny ones to get a practice in while babes rest on blankets, mats , or in seats, while the older children participate with us.
I will run the class on a drop-in basis for the first 5 weeks, and as a signed up course after the Olympics.
Please see my schedule on my website for more information.
I subscribe to a newsletter put out by the authors of “Skinny Bitch” which despite the title, is actually and excellent book that should be mandatory reading. The newsletters are typically well researched and highly informative. One recent newsletter was about New Years Fitness options and Disco Yoga was one of them. I couldn’t believe it, yet I have to keep in mind they cater to a varied demographic. Have a read and see what you think. I apologize in advance if I offend anyone, but my training and studies just don’t allow me to accept this easily. To read the article click on the image below
The main concerns I have regarding these types of articles (ehow, more about their yoga how to later) are on safety and certification. Does taking a few yoga classes qualify one to teach these days? Walk into a gym and get hired just like that? I sure hope that gyms and fitness centers are thorough in their vetting process. I know the ones I teach at have incredibly high levels of integrity. I love to boogie and dance to a hard driving disco beat in the right setting but I am partial to chanting and quiet in a yoga class. I would rather enjoy the Bee Gee’s the way they are meant to be enjoyed
This is where I spent New Years Eve last night, up at Hollyburn Lodge on Cypress Mountain. After the initial humming and hawing on whether we should indeed go or not, due to the rain here in the city, we packed up the gear and arrived at the Nordic parking lot at 7pm in light drizzle.
There were more revelers there than I expected, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and inner tubing, the little bit of drizzle wasn’t dampening any spirits. We found it surprising that it wasn’t snowing as it felt cold enough for snow, and with the Olympics so close, we did a little “Snow Dance” for good measure. The darkness, the quiet and the eery glow of Petzl lights made for a very nervous toddler on my back, but once we ran into some familiar faces and stopped for poutine and hot chocolate in the warming hut, she relaxed. There were 2 bonfires burning in front of the Hollyburn Lodge, with plenty of children roasting marshmallows and wieners. Inside the beer was on tap, mits and feet were drying by the fire and spirits ran high.
We hiked in through the back of the parking lot on the unlit free trail where dogs are welcome. There were also a lot of little lights going straight up the left hand side of the ski track, towards the Peak, indicating more seasoned snowshoers heading higher up.
It was definately a family affair, and one I am going to make an annual event for my family.
I am getting ready to move at the end of January and I am bent on setting only attainable and realistic goals this upcoming year.My mantra will (for now) be
”Get rid of anything that isn’t positive, useful or beautiful in my life”.
New Years can be a time of unrealistic goal setting which leads to a terrible wave of global depression in February. I have heard that gym memberships are highest in January and drop right off in the next 2 months.
Keeping our bodies and our minds clean and clear by eating sattvic foods and drinking plenty of fresh spring water, creating sacred space and ritual in our homes (no matter how small, even the lighting of one candle can hold that energy), a regular yoga practice and loving ourselves and our loved ones unconditionally, lets make those our goals for 2010!
Yes, it’s true, I have found Shangri-la, and the most extraordinary venue for a wedding EVER!
Better yet, this glorious piece of paradise belongs to a friend of mine, so I can attest forth the outdoor chandeliers, the fragrance, the waterfall, the magic of it all! I was just visiting her at Haiku Mill last week! It’s an old sugar mill converted now into a setting exclusively for weddings and private functions. The chandeliers, marble, statues, pots, and other objects of desire have been imported from romantic destinations such as Paris, Venice, Vienna, and India to create a true heaven on earth. Located just above the ocean on the majestic Haiku road in Maui, if one’s taste is for decadence and lush outdoor fragrance, I suggest you give it a whirl! www.haikumill.com
This is a fantastic film made by a senior Iyengar Instructor, Lindsey Clennell. Well worth watching, for anyone, but the emphasis on yoga as a healing modality from addiction is excellent. I highly recommend it.
My friend Tamara told me about the Good Stuff Connection Clothing Program in North Vancouver and I shop/donate there whenever possible. I was in the other day, when this book “Prescription for Nutritional Healing” by James and Phyllis Balch jumped out at me. It is a classic, well researched book that should be a part of everyone’s library. The price tag on it was $1.50, unbelievable. Snatched that one right up, and will be making a New Years donation to Sage Transition house next week. Here is some further information.
The Good Stuff Connection Clothing Program ensures that clean, good quality clothing, shoes, personal items and small household goods donated by the public are provided free of charge to women and children staying at SAGE Transition House and to men, women and children referred by other community social service agencies. The Good Stuff Connection is funded by donations from the community as well as the sales revenue from the Thrift Shop portion of the program.
Donations currently being accepted include: gently worn men’s, women’s and children’s clothing items and accessories, books, toys, and essential household items (such as towels, linens, glassware, cutlery, dishes, pots and pans). Toiletry items for SAGE Transition House are also accepted, as well as bus tickets (two zone and concession), grocery gift certificates and entertainment gift certificates for the women and children who are staying at SAGE Transition House.
Donations are accepted Tuesday to Friday from 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm and Saturdays from 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the front door of The Good Stuff Connection, 154 West 3rd Street, North Vancouver, BC V7M 1E8 (North side of the street between Lonsdale Avenue and Chesterfield. For further information, please call our recorded message at 604.987.1773. The Good Stuff Connection is closed on all statutory holidays
I used to roam the grassy hills of Burnaby Mountain as a small child, but haven’t been up there in ages! On this glorious morning, free of fog and mist, my mum and I bundled up my little one, and it was glorious up there. Burnaby Mountain is such a treasure, yet definately isn’t fully appreciated or utilized. Of course it is home to the famed Horizons Restaurant which seemed extremely busy this morning, but I had no idea the North Slope of Burnaby Mountain is home to the “Playground of the Gods” a wooden sculpture of about 50 Totems donated by Japanese artist Nobuo Toku . He is from the Ainu people of Northern Japan who have a very strong connection to nature and ancestral roots . A whale, an owl, a bear, this is an unbelievable piece of art framed in the backdrop of Vancouvers Burrard Inlet and snowcapped mountains. The south facing totems were heated by the suns rays this morning, and leaning against the wood of that ancient tree, my mother and my daughter beside me, I truly felt I was in Gods Playground. Check it out. This picture is taken by Skot Nelson.
