I read this poem by Aaron Hoopes, founder of Zen Yoga Breathe-Move-Relax at the beginning of this evenings yoga class. I love it, it reads a bit like Dr.Seuss for adults.

Too Busy to relax they say…………..complaints, excuses, everyday
They sound so weak, so stressed, so tired……..a mundane world in which they’re mired
No time to sit and just be quiet………their minds a rush of thoughts, a riot
No chance they have to hear the sound…….of nature’s wonder all around
Of birds and trees and clouds and air……….too much work, it’s just not fair
This really seems quite sad to me…….so much to do, no time to be

Breathe I say and move a bit
Then after that we can just sit
And watch the world at it’s own pace
There is no rush, it’s not a race
And if it were, what is the goal?
Where are you going mind, body,soul?

Too busy to relax I hear……….these words seem like they’re based in fear
Tired, weak, and too much stress………how did our lives turn such a mess?
We don’t need to look above…….to find a place that’s based in love
Turn instead and look within……….find your self, it is no sin.
Forgive,let go, and open your heart………..it’s the only place to start
Think on that and  you might find……..throughout your life you have been blind

Breathe I say and move some more
Run, walk, jump, stretch on the floor
Move your body, get up and go
Feel the energy, let it flow,
Don’t get caught in the negative
Habits that won’t let you live

Too busy to relax? Not true!……….this hoax must end, it starts with you
If all you do is just the same………you never will escape this game
Do something new, do something Zen……..begin right now, not “if”or “when”
Do one thing different, or two, or five………..change how you live, become alive
Do or do not, there is no try………..step off the cliff and start to fly

Begin with this, you won’t go wrong………..remember to  breathe, deep and long

It’s been 2 weeks now, that I have purposely not used the word “busy”. As I am a yoga instructor I am constantly observing the principals of pratyahara (withdrawl of the senses) and svadhyaya (self study). I decided to see if not using the word “busy” would actually cause me to be less busy, in turn, help me “find” more time in my days. Well, as it turns out, it worked beautifully. It seems alot of us find our identity in our work or in our accomplishments which equals “busy-ness”. Vritti in your citta (fluctuations in your consciousness) = a busy mind, and hence that is mirrored on the exterior walls of oneself. It took some time to get used to, and I noticed I was “select hearing” for the first few days. It seemed everywhere I went, in most every conversation I overheard or purposely evesdropped on (for the purpose of this experiment) the word busy came up.
It took a bit of readjusting to, and there were a moments of guilt, I too have many things to accomplish, lesson plans, laundry, administration, the breakfast dishes, but I prioritized, did what I could and then let go and let God! This is a picture I took yesterday morning. I took my little one down to Lonsdale key and we looked at the tugboats, they are her favorite thing. I cherish the time I have with her, and heck, I still made it to my staff meeting, happier and more relaxed. Try it for yourself and let me know how it goes!

This is the 2009 video of the Reiki and Yoga Retreat with Mari on Savary Island BC. We hope you can join us for our upcoming Reiki and Yoga retreat, Sept.2-6th, 2010.

Savary Island retreat

I am honored to be teaching the yoga portion of this amazing yoga retreat with Mari this Sept. 2-6th 2010. We will be lodging at Hemingway cottage on Savary Island , which is known as the “Hawaii of British Columbia” and we invite you to join us on this piece of paradise to immerse yourself in the healing arts of Jikiden reiki and Iyengar yoga.

“The state of  your bed is the state of your head” writes author Karen Maezen Miller in her recent Huffington Post article. I’ve been giving this alot of thought since I read it this afternoon. She writes that the simple act of making one’s bed in the morning is symbolic of the transition from sleep to wakefulness and an act of beginning one’s day with mindfulness. In my family I teach that no one should leave in the morning unless beds are made. It is such a simple act but one of moving from horizontal to veritcal, from rest to action.It shows respect for oneself and one’s surroundings. Just as a made bed gives clues to ones home and habits, as a yoga instructor there are certain “clues” I get about individuals through the way they inhabit their physical bodies. Are their hands curled into a fist or do they readily spread open in acceptance and trust? Do they stand evenly on their feet, grounding to the magnetic earth energy or do they tend to stand on the inner or outer edges of their feet, with hesitation? Can they lie still in savasana, or does fidgeting signal unease and a “busy” brain. Try it out, observe (svadhyaya)  yourself during the day, your habits, your yoga practice and see what you discover!

Kids Yoga

Once again I am offering the Kids Yoga Camp for children aged 6-13. This year the camp will run July 12-16th, 10.30am-12.30pm at Corebody Studio, 3120 Highlands Blvd. North Vancouver. Cost for the week is $125.
Ten hours of yoga in which we will be exploring poses, philosophy, nutrition and anatomy and meditation. Registration deadline is June 31st. To register your child/children Please contact me at

dhana@dhana.ca

In our Tuesday Childrens yoga class we have been exploring Ayurveda, the science of life. Last week were talking about doshas, and here is a link to Dr.V.Lad’s Ayurveda.com and a “Discover your Constitution” quiz.
Try it out and take the first step to the further understanding of yourself! Dosha quiz.

This evening, as I was preparing to teach my Thursday night class, I had an interesting moment. I was writing out the Yamas and the Niyamas on one side of my whiteboard, with the “Tree of Yoga” or Ashta-Anga yoga on the other. I effortlessly wrote the sanskrit names with their English definitions, but for some reason, the Eight Limbed Tree of Yoga only had 7 limbs. I went over and over it in my mind while my students were in Viparita Karani preparing for asana class. Over and over again I chanted to myself “Yama-Niyama-Pranayama-Pratyahara-Dharana-Dhyana-Samadhi” yet I could not figure out the missing limb. I glanced through the studio, and there they were, my lovely students in an ASANA! Asana, the third limb, the one limb Western practitioners know so well! I could not see the forest for the trees. Or-was it selective knowledge? I walked to class today determined to emphasize the importance of all eight limbs, and not just getting stuck in asana practice, that I wore blinders into the studio. Funny how the human mind works isn’t it?

The second of the “Niyamas’, (the 7th of the 10 Yoga Commandments) is Santosha, or Contentment. I find this Niyama one of the most mysterious to behold, as it is constantly just within my reach, perhaps a breath or 2 away, but then elusive and fleeting.
To be content with whom we are, what we have , the present moment, our bodies, our clothes, our kids, our cars, our homes, our spaghetti sauce……………..in a world where we are constantly being bombarded with messages to have more, do more, be more, change more is almost impossible without an extremely strong yogic practice, don’t you think? Even then, we fall prey to wanting a longer hold in our headstand or a longer line in trikonasana, or a deeper backbend or forward bend instead of staying with and breathing in the place we are at this very moment in time.
I went for a bikeride on the Stanley Park seawall this evening, it was lovely. At one of the beaches there was a drumming circle going strong, people of all ages drumming the sunset beat. At first the messages in my mind were literally jumping,”Where can I learn to drum like that?”, ” I want to be in a drumming circle and do this EVERY night”, etc. until I stopped thinking, closed my eyes and actually listened. It was perfect.
I was at the beach at 8pm on a Tuesday evening, with my 12 year old daughter who “willingly” joined me on the ride. The sun was setting, the heat of the day was still upon us, it was a moment of “Santosha” pure and simple.
I used to call them “Aaaaahhhhhh” moments. Like when you slip into a natural hotspring after a day spent wet and damp trying to treck through the forest finding it, or that sweet moment just before a peaceful sleep.
Santosha- what do you call it and how do you find it?

Join me for Iyengar yoga classes at the very new Livefitstudio at the Pinnacle Hotel in North Vancouver. Classes are Wednesday mornings 6.15-7.15am and begin Wednesday May 26th.
What better way to start the day than with  a yoga class overlooking the Pacific Ocean?
www.studiolivefit.com