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!

Deepak Chopra shared this video with us on Friday night at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. For those of you who weren’t in attendance, it is a MUST see, for those that have seen it, now you can watch it, and it’s enormous message-again

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.

Last weekend, while browsing through the complimentary Vancouver magazine I found in my room at the Pan Pacific Hotel, I scanned a review of the fresh baked goods at Giovane in the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. Perfect, as I was directly across the street and craving just this sort of Sunday morning delight. It was actually my first time in the hotel, and I was impressed by the atmosphere on the whole. In Giovane, there was ample seating and a relaxed yet very modern,clean feel. The signature “sugar buns” were sold out (at 11am), so I took 2 chocolate ones to go, and sat down to a breakfast panini , a savory scone and roooibos tea. Absolutely hit the spot. The cake display was fantastic, I was especially taken with the peanut butter hedgehog globe which beckoned me to some altered state, but I resisted it’s siren song! Loaves of freshly baked bread, pizza, scones, almost a bit like Thomas Haas without all the chocolate, and bigger. We ate the chocolate buns at home, which were extremely decadent, (best to share) and returned the next day with my children (a treat on Victoria day for them, research for me). This time we got a creamy sugar bun and my 2 year old was in heaven, so was I. Go on, try it out, you deserve a break today……………..at Giovane’s.

“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

A friend of mine sent “Keep Calm and Carry on” to me in an email the other day. I found it really resonated with me, and it became my mantra for the rest of that day. The following morning, I was watching a program on the “Food Network” which recreated the menus and provisions of war-time England. This was when I learnt that “Keep Calm and Carry on” was actually created and printed by the British Government in 1939 to instill confidence and strength in it’s nation. Seems it was never actually printed en-mass and forgotten about until someone discovered it in 2000 . Now it has been popularized internationally and can be found printed on everything from tea towels to tee-shirts.

Since every positive has a negative, like sukha and dukha in yoga, this image has now been reversed (as in the one above) and revived as well. You pick the one that rolls off your tongue and into your brain the best. My guess, it’s the one in the red……………

Well, I have finally found a deodorant that comes in several amazing scents,  is  natural,  and WORKS! i discovered this product line on the “Healthy Bitch Daily Newsletter” that I subscribe to. I filed the deodorant under “Must- investigate-next-time-I-am-at-Sephora” .
Seeing as Sephora was open until 11pm during the Olympics here in January I combined a bit of theatre Robert Lepage’s “Blue Dragon”, and Sephora on the same evening. Shopping during the Olympic late-night madness was quite interesting, and I was thrilled to find the Lavanilla line available at our Sephora. I bought the Grapefruit one ( I am always partial to citrus especially grapefruit), Not cheap at $23, but totally worth it, in my opinion.

There’s hidden sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness.
We are lutes, no more, no less. If the soundbox
is stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and belly are burning clean
with fasting, every moment a new song comes out of the fire.
The fog clears, and new energy makes you
run up the steps in front of you.
Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry.
Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen.
When you’re full of food and drink, Satan sits
where your spirit should, an ugly metal statue
in place of the Kaaba. When you fast,
good habits gather like friends who want to help.
Fasting is Solomon’s ring. Don’t give it
to some illusion and lose your power,
but even if you have, if you’ve lost all will and control,
they come back when you fast, like soldiers appearing
out of the ground, pennants flying above them.
A table descends to your tents,
Jesus’ table.
Expect to see it, when you fast, this table
spread with other food, better than the broth of cabbages.

Rumi

This is a poem I refer to every now and then at 11pm, when my stomach is rumbling and a bowl of Mesa Flakes with rice milk seem quite tempting. The whole reason for the rumbling is the fasting process in action- we are meant to fast during the night. Hence the word Break-fast. First meal of the day, signaling the breaking of the nights fast. Here are some yogic tips that I find helpful for beginning the evenings fast and for breaking it in the morning.

Evening

Don’t eat anything 2 hours prior to sleeping.

If you need to have a spoon of plain yoghurt or some warm rice milk/organic milk just before bed to help settle the nerves.

Brush your teeth early in the evening (with an ayrurvedic toothpaste preferable) to avoid the temptation to snack.

Morning

Make sure you scrape your tongue upon waking to remove toxins that have risen to the surface of the tongue during the night. (Who wants to swallow that again?)

Gargle with salt water after brushing your teeth.

Drink a cup of hot water with fresh lime juice (don’t boil the lime, add it after) before  you eat anything.

Chew a spoon of sesame or hemp seeds to stimulate the digestive system. (I have heard that uncooked rice works well too)

What you eat in the morning sets the energetic tone for the day. Try cooked quinoia, millet, muesli, plain yoghurt with nuts and seeds, or oatmeal. Sprouted grains, whole grains, they are all excellent. Recently I like cooked quinoia with sunflower seeds on top. Combinations are endless!

So, put that chocolate Easter Bunny away and let the body cleanse tonight!

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.

email me for further info  dhana@dhana.ca