The first time I attended a Kundalini yoga class, I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

Being relatively new to my yoga practice, I had been experimenting with different disciplines and classes – mostly Hatha yoga with the odd Vinyasa class thrown in.

By chance, a friend led me to an outdoor class held at Jericho Beach on a picturesque warm summer morning where 400 people were setting up for practice. Everyone seemed happy to be there. There was a palpable energy flowing through the large crowd: lots of chatting, laughing, and hugging. I couldn’t help but let this energy begin to invigorate my senses.

My friend assured me that this would not be like any class I had attended previously, and warned me that there would be “lots of dancing.” Dancing on a beach with 400 people, while morning joggers and dog walkers strolled by? I figured that I liked to bust a move now and again, so why not keep an open mind.

As the sun began rising higher under the clear sky, the crowd was guided through postures at a steady pace. We started with some warm up breath work and exercises. I was overcome with a sense of well-being as I moved, especially when I was told to take notice of my breath.

Slowly, I became more aware of my body and also my surroundings. Everything seemed to feel more…vivid.

We gradually moved into faster paced poses – my legs began to burn from all the squats – and by the time we paired up for partner exercises, everyone was laughing. Next thing you know, Enrique Eglesias’ “I Like It” boomed through the speaker system and everyone started screaming and dancing.

I look around in a panic, but my friend is no longer next to me – she’s sprinted off to dance with some friends across the field. The laughing and dancing was infectious, and before I knew it, I was dancing as well!

By the expressions on everyone’s faces after the class, I knew that his had been a great morning. The morning’s practice really opened my mind, and I wanted to experience the feeling again when it was all over.

Kundalini yoga is a great fit for me or for anyone regardless of fitness level or yoga experience. It’s a chance to let go and shake off the stresses of the day and dance to great music. I’ve been back to several Kundalini classes and always have a great time.

Thanks Semperviva.

Though February is considered “Heart Health” month across Canada – which is suitable for the month in which we celebrate Valentine’s Day – the team at Semperviva Yoga have instead deemed February 2012 to be “Mental Health” month.

We’re in the thick of Vancouver winter, which means many days of grey miserable skies, and cold wet feet. Sunshine is hard to come by, and moods are low. Finding the bright side of life is challenging at best.

Here are a few ways to cope naturally with the February winter blues:

• Yoga! I might be a bit biased, but a yoga class can do wonders for your state of mind. Moving your body increases the production of serotonin, which reduces symptoms of depression. Include some deep breathing and meditation to stimulate the para-sympathetic nervous system, which calms us down while naturally lifting our mood.

• Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin because our skin needs sunlight to produce it. There are also a few foods that contain vitamin D, which include fish and egg yolk. In the cold season, when exposed to sunlight less, many people lack Vitamin D which makes them more prone to infections. A quality vitamin D supplement is a good idea during the winter months to boost our immune system and keep our mood at a high. Try Liquid Vitamin D by Thorne available at Semperviva Sun Studio and Lifestyle Store for $13.99.

• Get outside anyway! Bundle up warmly with layers, a waterproof jacket, rubber boots, and an umbrella – a walk in the rain can be an adventure. Go into the local woods and listen to the trees catch the rain, take a walk on the beach and remind yourself why you live in this beautiful city. Splash in the puddles, get wet, get curious and have FUN!

• A Kundalini class with Gloria Latham will definitely lift your mood, not only because it’s so active, but also because it’s a chance to connect to community – and connecting to community gives us an understanding of a bigger purpose, a sense that we are not alone. No previous yoga experience necessary, just be ready to dance, laugh and sweat! Check out our schedule for class times and locations.

So take your liquid sunshine, walk in the rain, and get to your mat regularly to beat the Vancouver winter blues!

Jana Roy
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
Nature Does It Best
www.naturedoesitbest.com

A new year offers a new opportunity for change.

Thanks BKR for helping us kick-start our New Year!

By Angie Inglis

Regardless of the traditions you celebrate, this holiday season you undoubtedly found yourself exercising less, eating more and… shopping.

Sure, you’ve been mobile, but in a rather frenetic way – and most of that activity probably occurred inside your head (unless you’re a commuter cyclist).

Add holiday overeating to the formula – all those heavy holiday meals of carbs, meats, and sweets that we’re not used to – and most of us will finish off the holiday season feeling weighed down.

And even if you’re feeling rather serene yourself, you’re sure to run into a stranger or friend who doesn’t feel quite so calm around the holidays, so you’ll need to take extra care to remain relaxed.

So, what to do?

Ayurveda Dietary Recommendations for Holiday Recovery

First, remember to take care of your digestive health before and after dinner:

• Load up on ginger over the holidays, as it’s the best cure for over-consumption.
• Drink plain water or ginger-lemon-honey tea for a light detoxifying effect that will help you weather the heavy foods and alcohol with greater ease.
• Kindle your digestive fire by eating a tablespoon of raw grated ginger, a squeeze of lime, and a dash of salt 20-30 minutes before your meal. This will reduce indigestion and heaviness (Don’t forget to share your “secret” with dinner-guests).
• Perhaps it’s obvious, but I’ll say it anyway: try not to eat too much or too often. Snacking constantly between meals is exhausting for the body; it’s like running a car non-stop. If the body is always digesting, it has no time to work on detoxification or simply rest.

Ayurveda Exercise Recommendations for Holiday Maintenance

Second, tune into your body and keep moving:

• When the yoga studio is out of the question, take 5-45 minutes (whatever you can manage, every little bit helps) to do a combination of home-based yogic practices that suit your needs.
• For a heavy body and cloudy head, cycle through some Sun Salutations to stimulate blood flow for a more limber body and mind. Don’t forget to take a 2-5 minute Savasana afterward!
• Feeling anxious and overwhelmed? Sink into a few of your favourite Yin Yoga postures, meditate or put your legs up the wall for 10-20 minutes.
• Don’t forget that even a brief, momentary pause to observe your breath as you stand or sit in stillness can go a long way to restoring a sense of inner quiet and presence. Remember the power of breath awareness!

These two Ayurvedic suggestions – maintaining healthy digestion and consistent exercise – can help you manage any rough patches during the holidays.

However, the best piece of advice is to connect with your community this season – the yoga studio is not only a place to exercise and relax, but it can also be a wondrous experience of magical togetherness and serene flow.

Let’s remember that the greatest gift we can give anyone, is the gift of our undivided attention; the more we practice giving it to ourselves (ie awareness of body, mind and breath), the more we will have it to offer others.

But don’t take my word for it – give it a try.

Awareness is the first step to optimal health, one breath at a time.

Namaste,
Angie

www.rediscovervitality.com

Angie attended Gujarat Ayurved University in India and has also studied Ayurveda with her cherished teacher, Dr. Vasant Lad, in both Pune, India and at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM. She is a yoga teacher and shares her passion for Ayurveda with others through group workshops and one-on-one consultations.

New Year’s resolutions are a recommitment to personal growth that add to your value as a friend, lover, and parent.

Why not start a 2012 New Year’s reading list to help your resolutions along?

The following two yoga books promise to evoke and inspire both the heart and the mind.

Tantric Quest: An Encounter with Absolute Love

by Daniel Odier

If you’re curious about one person’s experiences with Tantric Shivaism (and it’s much more than many folk assume it to be), you will enjoy Daniel

Odier’s Tantric Quest – a magical account of his Himalayan journey in 1968 where he met his teacher Lalita Devi.

We are taken through Daniel’s extreme physical and emotional undertakings as he learns from Lalita how to embrace the creative goddess element prevalent in nature. The tales are grim and astoundingly majestic all at once, which is a succinct portrayal of Tantra.

The Tantric idea (that Odier follows) recognizes that we are all pure beings in this universe and getting back to our original source through this path will be a spontaneous occurrence. It embraces all that is good and all that is bad, right here in your life on earth.

“What does the worshiper do? He cleans the temple. How? By asking all who have been sitting there forever to leave so he can sweep, throw fresh water drawn from the river on the stones, scatter rose petals. Very quickly, the worshiper takes count of those sitting in his consciousness who refuse to leave the temple. Why? Because, like us, they are afraid. It is because of fear that the consciousness remains cluttered. Not the little fears, easy to define, not the fear of this or that, but the great fundamental fear, which is the fragile terrain on which we construct all our dreams, and which, one days or another, paralyzes us and destroys what we have constructed with so much care.

“..the temple is empty and resplendent, so that the light shimmers in it, the songs of the birds fill it, fragrances scent it, and moonbeams make it even more spacious, we congratulate ourselves for our wisdom and clear-sightedness, and we say to ourselves, ‘Now this place is absolutely pure. It’s the perfect spot for storing the sublime teachings I’ve had access to. In this temple, I’m going to store the most profound products of wisdom to nourish my consciousness.’”

- Daniel Odier

The Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory and Practice

by Georg Feuerstein

Academics at heart who are looking for concise explanations of the philosophical, physical, ethical and historical aspects of yoga will enjoy Georg Feuerstein’s essays compiled in “The Deeper Dimension of Yoga.”

Although Feuerstein has written comprehensive texts about the study of yoga, tantra and history, this survey book is a great way to get a little piece of everything!

“Love, then, is not merely a temporary high, a feeling of elation. It must be cultivated as a continuous spiritual disposition. We must love even when we feel slighted, hurt, angered, bored, or depressed – especially in those moments. Bhakti-Yoga is the steady application of our feeling capacity in all life situations. Even in our worst moments, we must extend our love, or fundamental respect, to all others. Even though life consists of peaks and valleys, our overall commitment must be to what is revealed in our brief spells on the peaks….Genuine love asks for nothing in return, though it always works toward duplicating itself in others. Thus, the greatest reward for a person who practices the discipline of love is that another being has become illuminated by that love and is now carrying the gift to others.”

“Yoga is a gradual process of replacing our unconscious patterns of thought and behavior with new, more benign patterns that are expressive of the higher powers and virtues of enlightenment. It takes time to accomplish this far-reaching work of self-transformation, and therefore practitioners of Yoga must first and foremost practice patience. Enlightenment, or liberation, is not realized in a matter of days, weeks, or months. We must be willing to commit to an entire lifetime of yogic practice. There must be a basic impulse to grow, regardless of whether or not we will achieve liberation in this lifetime. It is one of Yoga’s fundamental tenets that no effort is ever wasted; even the slightest attempt at transforming ourselves makes a difference. It is our patient cumulative effort that flowers into enlightenment sooner or later.”

- Georg Feuerstein

Carolyn Anne Budgell

BA, RYT, Yoga Alliance

www.opentoyoga.wordpress.com

Vegan turducken. Gluten-free Pumpkin pie. Yoga mats unrolled beneath an environmentally friendly Yule Log burning bright on your T.V.

The only thing missing from this west-coast holiday scene is a personalized X-mas soundtrack from Semperviva teacher Wesley Salter.

So spice up your Chaturanga Dandasana and sweeten your Urdhva Mukha Svanasana with a selection of hand-picked holiday grooves.

Wesley’s Funky X-mas Playlist

• Enya – Silent Night
• Zigo – Sleigh Ride
• Glee Cast - Do You Hear What I Hear?
• A Charlie Brown Christmas – Skating
• Boyz II Men & Justin Bieber – Fa La La
• Bing Crosby & David Bowie – Little Drummer Boy
• Band Aid - Do They Know It’s Christmas
• Jackson 5 - Up On The House Top
• Run D.M.C -Christmas in Hollis
• Nina Simone – Chilly Winds Don’t Blow (Fink Remix)
• Ananda Project – Christmas Lights
• Lionel Richie – All Night Long
• Coldplay – Paradise (IanBorg remix)
• Florence & The Machine – Cosmic Love
• The Album Leaf – Eastern Glow
• SubLab – We Are A Family (feat. Umal)
• Uma…Jai Ma! – Sophia
• Brian Eno & Harold Budd – Lost In The Humming Air

Merry X-Mas from Wesley!

www.igniteandunite.com

Naad Yoga is the Yoga of Sound. Naad means sound, and Yoga means union, so we can think of this as the Union with Sound.

Sound is all around us. It is a form of energy, just like electricity and light. Sound is produced when air molecules vibrate and move in a pattern of waves. Think of dropping a pebble in a still pond and imagine the ripples of water spreading out. Anything floating on the surface will be affected in some way by these waves.

All matter is vibrating at certain frequencies. Rocks and stones have a very slow and low frequency, colour and light have a very high frequency. We are all vibrating as well, but just as a musical instrument needs to be tuned regularly to resonate properly, our frequencies can fall out of tune and may sometimes need some adjustment. Blockages can occur, but different sounds can unblock vibrational energy.

Music can help restore our internal tuning – consider how certain songs or pieces of music can change your mood. Just like those ripples of water on the pond, waves of sound will affect what they interact with. We know this already, it’s even in the language we use. When you say, “I was moved by that piece of music”, it means that the sound quite literally interacted with you and caused you to vibrate in a slightly different way.

Certain musical notes will affect different areas of the body. The seven major chakras or energy centers in the body each have a particular note that they resonate with:

• 1st chakra (Root) note = C
• 2nd chakra (Sacral) note = D
• 3rd chakra (Solar Plexus) note = E
• 4th chakra (Heart) note = F
• 5th chakra (Throat) note = G
• 6th chakra (Third Eye) = A
• 7th chakra (Crown) = B

Sound can be heard within a certain range of frequencies, but can also be felt.

Evelyn Glennie, one of the world’s finest percussionists, has been profoundly deaf since the age of twelve. She plays barefoot to feel the musical vibrations and has trained herself to feel different pitches accurately in different parts of her body; low sounds are felt in her feet and legs, high sounds are felt in areas of her face and neck.

The following is a quote from Glennie’s Essay on Hearing:

”Hearing is basically a specialized form of touch. Sound is simply vibrating air which the ear picks up and converts to electrical signals, which are then interpreted by the brain. The sense of hearing is not the only sense that can do this, touch can do this too. If you are standing by the road and a large truck goes by, do you hear or feel the vibration? The answer is both. With very low frequency vibration the ear starts becoming inefficient and the rest of the body’s sense of touch starts to take over. For some reason we tend to make a distinction between hearing a sound and feeling a vibration, in reality they are the same thing. It is interesting to note that in the Italian language this distinction does not exist. The verb ‘sentire’ means to hear and the same verb in the reflexive form ‘sentirsi’ means to feel. Deafness does not mean that you can’t hear, only that there is something wrong with the ears. Even someone who is totally deaf can still hear and feel sounds.”

I think we can all tune in more closely to the sounds that surround us.

Just as we become more aware of our internal selves through our yoga practice, I suggest we listen not just with our ears, but with our bodies as well: hearing and feeling the vibrations around us.

by Trevor Grant, Drummer/Percussionist

Learn more about sound and yoga events at www.resonanceyogaandsound.com, or email: info@resonanceyogaandsound.com

As we barrel full speed ahead towards the holiday season, I can feel the stress and frantic energy mounting; not only in myself, but in my students. Too much to do, too little time.

Gift buying, holiday parties, baking, card-writing, the list goes on. On top of the stress from the extra activities, the food and drinks we typically indulge in this time of year can also make us feel sluggish, drained and certainly not on top of our game. If this is sounding all-too familiar, then rest assured you are not alone. Also rest assured: there are some simple steps we can take to counteract the stress and make this season the enjoyable holiday it is intended to be.

Here are 5 tools to help you along:

1. Breathe. Hands down, the simplest and most effective thing we can do to calm the nervous system is to breathe deeply with awareness. Sit tall or lie on your back. Close your eyes. Fill your belly with breath on your inhale and release all the air from your lungs on the exhale. Continue for 5-10 minutes resting your awareness solely on your breath and feel the tension melt away…
2. Practice gratitude. We have so many blessings in our lives, whether it’s the food on our plate, the roof over our head or sharing a laugh with a loved one, become aware of the abundance in your life by simply keeping your eyes open for it. We are surrounded by it.
3. Remain dedicated to your yoga practice. It is in times of stress that our yoga practice holds the most importance. By dedicating time to yourself through your practice, you will actually help slow the hands of time. Even a 15-minute home practice will help connect the body and mind, improving concentration and relieving stress. Your body, your mind, and your loved ones will thank you for it. Few simple yoga postures to relieve anxiety and stress: balasana (child’s pose), adho mukha svanasana (downward dog), viparita karani (legs up the wall), savasana (corpse pose). Spend as long as you like in each of these postures sinking into sensation and breath. When all else fails, step onto your mat and see where it takes you.
4. Play. Build a gingerbread house. Go to the mountains and make snow angels. Sing cheesy Christmas tunes at the top of your lungs. Try a laughter yoga class. Finding playfulness in daily activities helps us to not take ourselves too seriously. You can’t feel anxious, sad or angry when you are laughing, so even if it feels fake at first, crack a smile and see what appears.
5. Cultivate compassion, forgiveness and peace. Easier said than done, right? Not necessarily. I recently attended a workshop with world-renowned yogi and activist Seane Corn. The key to happiness in her opinion? Forgiveness. Forgiveness of others, forgiveness of self. Holding a grudge hurts only you in the end. Forgiveness is a choice. It requires a lot of compassion, but ultimately leads to peace.

The holidays often bring many welcome friends and relatives into our lives, but also many who may bring adverse reactions. See these people as opportunities to practice compassion. Change your reaction to them. Forgive, and start 2012 with a clean slate.

May this holiday season bring you happiness, peace and joy.

Namaste,
Jacci

www.jaccicollinsyoga.com

I took comfort in seeing the same friendly faces each morning at 9:30am on Granville Island, and didn’t stray from my routine for the first few months of practice.

Until I decided to sign up for Semperviva’s 40 Day Challenge.

A 40 day commitment to ANYTHING is a big deal – especially when it’s something entirely for you. So when day 40 of the challenge arrived, I felt pretty impressed with myself.

That feeling of accomplishment would have been enough for me, but I got a lovely email on day 41 informing me that I had won second prize in the challenge; a weekend with Shiva Rea.

I knew very little of Shiva Rea at that time, except that she was considered a Master Teacher in the Vinyasa Power Flow style, and that the word fire was often bandied about in conjunction with her classes.

Now, the idea of a Vinyasa Power Flow class with any teacher, let alone a master teacher like Shiva Rea, was daunting to say the least. I toyed with the idea of turning the offer down, but where’s the fun in that?

I arrived that first day extremely nervous. There were so many people there, and a lot of them teachers. Now pardon my ignorance, but I (as I’m sure many of you do) love my teachers. And they often seem to know all there is to know when it comes to yoga. So the fact that they were there as well really hammered home that I was officially out of the shallow end of the pool.

I looked around for some of my “friends” from my morning classes, until I finally spotted a familiar face and parked myself behind her at the back of the class. A good spot to blend in…or escape if need be.

Suddenly Shiva was there. And I was participating! This was amazing to me, because while I had committed to attend the workshop, there was a part of me that said: “Helen, it’s great that you made it. So, if you want to do child’s pose the whole time, that’s your call.”

But I didn’t listen to that voice.

Instead I stuck with it – and while there were fantastic moments of complete harmony, I don’t mind saying that other moments were definitely….less than graceful.

One such moment came while attempting a backbend, and while dangling backwards said out loud: “My back!”

That was the moment Gloria appeared with a big smile on her face, and said: “That’s enough- time to take a break.” Not the classiest first impression I was hoping to make, but there it was.

As quickly as the weekend had begun, it was over. I, Helen Camisa had participated in 15 straight hours of Vinyasa Power Flow yoga with Shiva Rea! Okay, it was more like 3 hours here, 2 hours there. But it might as well have been one hundred hours for how proud I felt.

Despite all of my initial anxiety, by the end of the weekend I was hooked. Shiva brought so much more than the physical component to her classes; the suggestion that we have a spiritual connection to the earth and to other beings really captivated me. She emphasized the importance of union – and I really felt it that weekend.

It didn’t matter anymore who was a teacher, or who was brand new to yoga, everyone is the room had a connection and I felt like a welcome part of the group. And while you couldn’t have paid me to do one more plank pose that weekend, it was an experience I knew I would never forget.

I had no idea how vast my yoga practice could be before the weekend with Shiva Rea. Today, I’m excited to discover something new every time I hit the mat.

And yes, I take Vinyasa Power Flow classes now.

Challenge yourself to practice outside the lines this weekend with Shiva Rea’s Rasa Vinyasa: Embodying the Art of Yoga, Saturday and Sunday at Semperviva City Centre.

Take it from Helen. You you won’t regret it.

The first dozen times I practiced Yoga, I hated it.

I’d dragged myself to class based on my physio’s recommendation, after yet another over exercising-induced injury. I didn’t fit the profile of a “yogi”—I was a gym-rat, and proud of it. Like a doctor who smoked, I was a personal trainer who never stretched; and an aspiring psychotherapist who never addressed my anxiety.

My remedy for unpleasant feelings was running from them , literally—a habit that (I now see as fortuitously) landed me on the mat.

What I couldn’t stand most about yoga, wasn’t the fact that I felt like an imposter in a room of people who thought sitting cross-legged was comfortable – it was that for the first time in as long as I could remember, I had to listen to my thoughts.

I couldn’t blast music in my ears to distract myself. I couldn’t pick up the phone and call a friend. I couldn’t eat, drink, or turn on the T.V.

I had to listen, and I had to feel:

“That girl is in better shape than you.”

“Everyone else in the room is doing half-moon, and you’re falling over. You can’t do it. You’re a failure.”

“That guy fell out of tree pose and I’m still holding it! I WIN!”

“Arrgh, when is it going to be over?!!”

One day, during my regular self-deprecating, comparative, impatient, frustration-laden experience in yoga class, I realized that the yoga room was a microcosm of my world.

I lived in a constant comparison of myself to others; competitive, criticizing, and impatient when things didn’t go my way – frustrated when I didn’t feel in control.

And so my practice became more than just a physical one. I “practised” treating myself with compassion. I practised empathy, curiosity, patience, and love.

I learned how to sit in discomfort by reminding myself that emotions are transient, and that struggling against uncomfortable emotions only amplified the pain. When it became too much, and I wanted to run, I focused on my breath.

Lately, I’ve had experiences in yoga class that truly mark a change in my relationship to myself:

Instead of criticizing myself when I can’t do a pose, I encourage myself.

Instead of comparing myself to others, I appreciate their unique beauty.

Instead of competing with everyone in my life, I remain focused on my own journey.

Instead of responding to challenging yoga poses with anxiety, frustration, and impatience, I respond with curiosity.

So then next time you find yourself hating your yoga class, take the opportunity to check in with your inner dialogue. Your experiences on the mat might just be the first step to improving your experiences off the mat – and not just because they’ll keep you out of Physio.

Megan is a Yoga Advisor at Semperviva Yoga, and a Registered Clinical Counsellor at Elements Wellness Centre in Kitsilano.

Her inspiration? Nabruk.

When Claudia was in her teens, specifically around 14 years old, she had a good friend named Jenny. Jenny’s dad had a beautiful house in the Osa peninsula, and he would bring Jenny and her close friends down for vacations, weekends, etc. They went to the Osa many times all through their high school years.

The Osa Peninsula is one of the pristine treasures of Costa Rica, located on the southwestern coast, and is one of the last truly remote areas left. To the east of the Peninsula is the beautiful and deep Golfo Dulce, one of only 4 tropical fiords in the world and the only known central Pacific calving ground of the Humpback Whales. To the west lies the Pacific Ocean and in the northern corner is one of the largest pacific mangroves in all of Central America. Four species of sea turtles nest on the peninsula’s beaches and dolphins are seen regularly just off the shore line. The interior of the Peninsula contains the largest lowland rainforest and the only remaining Pacific lowland rainforest in Central America.

The Osa is considered one of the most bio-diverse places on earth. Due to its unusual, early geographic history, the Osa hosts an astounding number of endemic species. Here you can see the 4 different types of monkeys that inhabit Costa Rica. Scarlet macaws flock like seagulls from the forest to the beach, feeding on the almond trees and calling out with their loud rough voices. They say beautiful birds have ugly voices and ugly birds beautiful voices, but even the squawk of the scarlet macaw feels beautiful in the Osa.

It was here that Claudia met Nabruk for the first time. Nabruk is a woman that lives in the Costa Rican jungle. Her bones are made of wood, her skin of bark and her hair of leaves and twigs. She only lets herself be seen to people who love nature and possess creative genius. Years later in Madrid, Nabruk was constantly in Claudia’s thoughts. She was the inspiration for the Nabruk designs. Organic, comfortable, versatile and unpretentious. One piece of clothing can travel with you from the beach, to the mountains, to the city. No fuss with sizes, and prices which are accessible for everyone.

Claudia first started making the clothes herself, until the demand was too big to handle on her own. She then hired Giselle and her team of seamstresses to help her with the production in San Jose. Giselle’s at-home workshop is constantly piled with Nabruk’s earth tones and soft textures. Claudia still has her sewing machines at home to create new designs. And she is still friends with Jenny!

by Angie Miranda

Del Mar Surf Camp Director, Nosara

It’s been said that food has profound emotional influence.

We eat to celebrate an occasion, to satisfy a craving, to nourish the body, respond to hunger cues-just to skim the surface.

According to Ayurveda, the science of knowing, our bodies are comprised of seven tissue layers which in Sanskrit are called dhatus: Plasma (rasa); Blood tissue (rakta); Muscle (mamsa); Adipose (meda); Bone (asthi) & Bone marrow (majja); Reproductive tissue (shukra/artava)

The foods we consume influence each tissue layer at a cellular level (ahem, “you are what you eat”), which collectively make up you and I. As each layer assimilates and extracts nutrients, it can either enhance or deplete our nutrient reservoir depending on the quality of food we ingest.

Since our emotions can strongly influence our eating behaviour, a more balanced life may nurture a balanced diet. If we consciously choose healthy foods in their most whole form, our bodies flourish within at the deepest cellular layer.

When we’re present with our food and appreciative for its bountifulness, we digest gratitude and assimilate love. Therefore the aura we project is directly related to every morsel of food we ingest.

The Yoga of Diet and Nutrition

Why not compliment your yoga practise with a diet comprised of whole, organic, nutritious foods to help sustain not only your practise, but every single tissue layer that collectively nurtures your wellbeing?

If this poses a challenge try thinking about your diet as that which supports you. Ask yourself what is it that you love? What drives you? What are your passions? Let this inspire you to make nutritious choices that will serve and support your passion and practise!

Not sure where to start?

One optimal habit to adopt is water with lemon upon rising. Drinking two to three glasses of water with lemon will help alkalize the body, while supporting the liver through detoxification. Let the 40 Day Lemon Water Challenge begin!!

Food has the ability to alter the mind, much like our yoga practise can profoundly transform our lives in such a positive manner, both simultaneously enabling balance. The more we come to honour our mind, body, and spirit collectively, the more our senses inwardly direct and we begin to unveil our true selves layer by layer.

Let food be that which serves you, to support the journey that unfolds.

By Cameron Gilley

“The only thing for certain is that everything changes. The rate of change increases, and if you want to hang on you’d better speed up. That is the message of today. It could be useful to remind ourselves that our basic needs never change: the need to be seen and appreciated, the need for nearness and care, and for a little love. This is given only through slowness in human relations. In order to master changes we have to recover slowness, reflection, and togetherness. There we will find renewal.”

– Prof. Guttorn Floistad, Slow Movement Advocate

The average adult attention span is estimated to be around 7 seconds. In a world of quick-fixes and instant gratification, to encourage people to slow down canbe a tough sell. This is becoming especially true in the yoga world as well, particularly in the movement-based practices of Vinyasa. It seems we are continually speeding up, adding more and more momentum to our experience. It is easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of complex posture variations and constant transition from one posture to the next, rushing headlong in anticipation into an unknown future where we hope a positive resolution awaits us. A practice based on momentum promises us heat and sweat, and can be very exciting at times, but often culminates in an overwhelming experience that can leave us exhausted and bewildered by the complexity of it all, as well as greatly increasing the risk of injury. Not to say it doesn’t have its benefits, and not to say it can’t feel really good to move quickly, but if not built on a foundation of stability and deep awareness it runs the risk of remaining a relatively superficial experience; the deeper benefits and experiences being smothered by the vigour of the movement.

Enter the concept and practice that I describe as Slow Burn: the deliberate and delicate process of slowing down when we might normally rush. When we slow down our Yoga we can learn to actually notice and master the changes brought forth within us by this marvellous practice. Slowing down actually requires more work, a deeper attention to detail, and a stronger effort to maintain concentration. Because of this, slowing down fosters a much deeper sense of connection and nearness to the experience of Yoga, and allows for the emergence of an awareness of the more subtle aspects of each posture and each breath. Slowing down cultivates a very integrated quality of strength, and this strength generates its own quality of deep and radiant heat – the heat of purification and renewal – a heat that lingers long after the posture work is done, smouldering at the core of your being, bringing warmth and light to everything you do. Slowing down also helps us to uncover presence, rather than remaining lost in anticipation, bringing a freshness, immediacy and vitality to our practice. And from this foundation of slowness we are then free to naturally speed up into the quicker moments of our practice and our life without losing stability, calmness, and an intimate connection to the beauty and mystery of each passing instant.

I invite you to find out for yourself the inherent power and joyfulness that comes from the practice of slowing down, and to then take this skill with you into your life and your relationships (where it really matters most), because I believe, as Mae West so eloquently puts it…

“Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.”

Feel like slowing down?

Join Cameron & Wesley Salter as they enthusiastically share their SLOW BURN workshop this Sunday, November 13th, 1-4pm.

The following is an excerpt from Allison Citynski’s 40 Day Challenge yoga journal:

Yoga is the best thing ever, I am so committed to it, and it literally changed my life, it’s something I can turn to if I’m scared, lonely, depressed or just want to feel some love and peace.

Every time I practice I feel this amazing sensation inside of me. I’ve been practicing for 4 years now and it changed me so much, in the inside and outside. For example, I’m a really shy person, and it takes me time to warm up to a situation, place, or person. I really bring myself down about it – I hate it. I wish I could just jump into a place where I can talk to and be part of what’s happening with people. Even in high school, people thought I was mad at them because I never talked to anyone! This made me feel so sad.

Shyness is something I always struggled with, and I probably will always struggle with. This is why I love yoga. If I had to describe it, I would say that it feels like being a joint in a body, when you practice in a group like I do. Nobody has to talk, but we’re all enjoying the same thing and we all have the same idea of the practice.

Another thing I love is that there are so many different ways you can feel after a class. I had a couple of sessions where I actually cried, for reasons positive and negative, and although it felt really strange, it was also really good.

Yoga really makes you feel connected to your inner self (I’m telling you now, I would have never in my life thought I would be talking with words like this). It brings happiness inside, totally connectively to yourself.

Yin yoga especially made me understand how to listen to myself and my body, letting myself know how far I can go, not how far I think I can go. When I know what’s enough, I learn how to respect that, even if my mind says I can go further, I know I can stop.

When you learn how to respect your body, it learns to respect you back. Knowing this has changed everything in my life so much. Even if I don’t really feel like I want to go to yoga, I still go because at the end of my class, I feel like it was the right decision.

Hatha yoga is good for having you time, even if you’re in a big class, everyone is focusing on them self –no one notices that my downward dog is completely off! The yoga teachers are there to help you through and guide you when you need guidance, but the truth is that the best yoga teacher you can have is yourself.

It’s you who knows what you need. You can put your legs up the wall for a full hour of practice if that’s what you need, it’s all about what you need inside. I’ve never heard a teacher say, “um, excuse me but we are doing headstand, not downward dog!”

I love the magic I feel with the other yogis, we don’t say a word to each other (maybe an occasional sorry when they poke you in the face while you are doing your sun salutations!).

No one judges you – expert yogis and beginner yogis can come to the same class, and have different feelings about the practice. I feel like I am an experienced yogi, because I’ve been doing it for 4 years now. The practice came to me in stages, and I love it for so many different reasons. It was a huge growing part of my life.

My first reason to go to yoga was to get away from my family, I know it sounds awful but it’s true, I didn’t feel connected to them at all, it just wasn’t working out between us, I didn’t feel like being a part of things. I went to yoga to find another family that could understand me.

Then after that I had work stress in my shoulders and back and I needed yoga for my therapy. I worked as cashier and stood for 5 hours straight in the same position. I sometimes had to go to 2 classes a day, and I went everyday just to get one spot on my body released. It took a long time to release the tension. Then I began bonding with the girls who worked at Semperviva, and a few of the teachers. Sometimes I’d come to class 2 hours early just to get away from all the stress in my life, whenever I walked into the studio, I automatically felt calm and relaxed. It was wonderful!

After that time, yoga became a regular practice for me. I went to class because it felt like something that I needed daily – kind of like school. Learning is so amazing, even if we practice the same kind of poses every day, you learn a lot. I love that!

My yoga studio feels a lot like a best friend; we spend a lot of time together, and I see them every day. We have the same likes and yoga is an interest for everyone.

By Allison Citynski

Don’t miss out on the 40 Day Challenge Celebration Class and Party,

Wednesday November 9th @ 8:45pm.

Fall is officially upon us. The trees have turned brilliant burnt shades of orange, yellow and red, decorating the ground like

confetti. The days are getting shorter, and the weather cooler. Bring on the sweaters, soup, red wine and hot baths!

Often the body takes a minute to catch up with what our environment has to offer us. A balanced yoga practice can help our bodies transition through the seasons with ease and grace. Incorporating the following key elements into our practice will help ease the transition along: heat, energize, detox and restore.

Heat. As our climate cools off, our joints often stiffen due to lack of circulation to the extremities. Pain receptors in our bodies are often more sensitive in cold weather.  Our job is to keep the body warm and circulation flowing from the inside out. Sun salutations A & B and standing postures such as Warrior 2 and Utkatasana are excellent examples of heating postures. Even a gentle yoga practice will most certainly help with circulation, so on those cold mornings when you just want to stay in bed, your joints will thank you if you don’t!

Energize. Our natural inclination as we transition into darker days is to stay indoors and hibernate; to huddle in a shroud of blankets with tea and a good book. Although it is fine to indulge those tendencies from time to time, we do need to balance out with some uplifting, energizing postures to combat fatigue and sluggishness. The best way to do that? Backbending. Ustrasana, Dhanurasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana, even Locust pose, are all brilliant ways to lift energy, counteract depression and open the heart.

Detox with inversions and twists. As we spend more time indoors, cold and flu viruses get transferred much quicker and easier. A steady inversion practice can help us boost the immune system and flush the body of accumulated toxins. Shoulderstand and/or headstand are optimal. Twisting is also a brilliant way to massage out the toxins and flush the organs with fresh, oxygenated blood.

Restore. Yin energy is associated with cold weather and dampness, it’s energy is feminine and soft in nature. It is important that we embrace the yin nature of autumn with restorative, longer-held postures such as Supta Baddakonasana, Legs up the Wall, Savasana. This allows the body to clear out and for the nervous system to completely relax, making room for all that the new season has to bring.

As we balance out our bodies, we balance out our minds. Embrace this transition. Go play in the puddles and roll in the leaves…

Then meet me back on your mat.

By Jacci Collins

www.jaccicollinsyoga.com

Do you want to learn the basics of yoga before heading to a public class?

Try this free 20-minute Hatha class with Semperviva teacher Carolyn Anne Budgell and enjoy a deep release in your hamstrings and shoulders.

Watch the video below and find your yoga sanctuary in any space.

Class Title: Unravel the Tension: Hatha for Hamstrings and Shoulders

Class Length: 20 Minutes

Class Level: Gentle/Beginner’s with Advanced Options

Description: Relieve neck and shoulder tension as well as hamstring stiffness – some of the largest muscle groups in the body that hold us upright as well as hold our stress. Whether you are a long distance runner, or spend much of your day sitting at a desk, this gentle Hatha flow will leave you feeling open in your body and lighter in your mind.

Contraindications: Anyone with acute neck pain from whiplash or any other neck related injury.

Soundtrack: Music by Garth Stevenson: www.garthstevenson.com

Natalie Angell with her Shanti Uganda Products. She is the head of Shanti Uganda a non for profit organization aimed at improving maternal healthcare in Uganda

When Natalie Angell made her first trip to Uganda she had visions of what her purpose might be. She had a background in International Development but didn’t know what vein to align herself with. It wasn’t until she attended one of her first births in a small clinic in rural Uganda that she found that purpose. She witnessed a midwife, with no clean water supply, or sterile equipment deliver a woman’s baby.

“ It was a scene I didn’t expect, most midwives I have met are calm and nurturing and work to empower woman- this woman was obviously overworked, poorly trained and had an approach that was borderline abusive.”

Angell stresses that she doesn’t wish to berate the midwives she met during her first trip to East Africa-

“When a woman has very little midwife or birth education, and is severely under resourced how could I expect a her to attend a seamless and peaceful birth?” she adds.

According to a 2008 University of Washington study about 80 percent of the world’s maternal deaths happen in Sub Saharan Africa- Uganda was among them at the time Angell first visited. That year about 5,200 women died from pregnancy-related causes, researchers estimated. The situation hasn’t improved much but there is hope and progress at the Shanti Uganda Clinics. Angell is now the Founder and Executive Director of The Shanti Uganda Society. She has been sharing her time between Vancouver, BC and Uganda, East Africa since that first trip in 2007. She has a deep respect for grassroots women’s initiatives. Her organization now provides midwifery training, materials such as sutures, prenatal education, clean water and umbilical clamps to a clinic where you would usually go without.

“Many of these women who are birthing have been at the hands of abuse, or caught in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, or conflict,” says Angell.

Shanti Uganda began in that small clinic, with a vision to bring the healing power of yoga and conscious birth to communities experiencing trauma in Uganda. A yoga teacher and doula, Angell Co-Founded Heart Centre Yoga, has produced a guided meditation CD and now enjoys sharing the power of yoga with women impacted by HIV/AIDS. After years of supporting birthing mamas in Uganda, in 2010 Natalie gave birth to her own daughter at home in water. As she hands her daughter Satya a bottle she reflects the type of safe birthing experience she had when she delivered Satya.

“Here, I can have a midwife or doula and so much love and support, that is how Satya came into the world… I want to continue to bring some semblance of that to women in Uganda.”

Angell says she has an abundance of  respect for the women she continues to meet each time she visits Uganda and the amount of talent they have with crafts and sewing.

“The Shanti team collectively decided to ask the women to make beautiful art and bags all in an effort to allow their skills to equal profit towards our cause.”

You’ll see the beautiful yoga mat bags, and hand bags made from authentic and colorful East African Batik at the Kits Beach, Sun and City locations but perhaps next time you ogle them think of what the purchase of one means.

100% of proceeds goes towards the Shanti Uganda Project- your purchase could equal two birth kits, go towards the construction of a birth clinic, midwife training or a prenatal course for an expectant mother living with HIV/ AIDS.

Beyond fabric there are beads for sale at our locations as well. All Shanti Uganda Jewellery is made by the 25 women in the Shanti Uganda Women’s Income Generating Group. Each woman has graduated from a bead training program. The women receive business training, a certificate of graduation and continuous health education workshops. This continues if you purchase one of their necklaces here in Vancouver.

Each hand rolled bead is made from a long strip of recycled paper, rolled over a pin to create the hole, then varnished and fastened with a clasp.

Though it seems a shameless merchandise plug, it’s one of utmost importance in these women’s lives. Come learn more about Shanti Uganda beyond the two little girls on the poster holding a “Hope” sign. The Love Project Charity Night Out happens this Saturday, October 29th at our City Studio. Practice Yoga, Dance, Eat and come together as a community to support something thousands of miles away from your body but close to your heart.

For more information on Shanti Uganda and how you can be a part of their cause go to http://www.shantiuganda.org/

5 Q’s WITH KUNDALINI ROCK STAR GLORIA LATHAM, SEMPERVIVA YOGA:

1. Can you share some insight into why Kundalini postures are done for certain lengths of time?

GL: The focus of the practice is to strengthen the nervous system and the glandular system. Longer holds work more deeply on the body systems. For instance, at 11 minutes of chanting or working with a mudra or posture, we start to affect the nerves. You’ll feel it yourself…you’ll feel pushed to your limit. This is quite simply life training. It tests you. How do you react when you’re pushed to your limit? You learn through the practice to train the

breath to calm the mind, and you get through. You don’t quit, you don’t walk away. Your body has now learned how to handle stress. You don’t give up, you learn to breathe through it, calm the mind, and excel.

2. Music and mantra are also important parts of Kundalini yoga. Can you talk about why this is?

GL:Mantra gives us a point of focus, and has a powerful subconscious cleansing affect. It is like repeating positive affirmations over and over again. We’re simply replacing the negative tapes we have been playing with positive vibrations of peace, love and stillness.

3. 40-Day meditations are a popular practice for Kundalini practitioners. Can you explain why we do them for 40 days?

GL: A 40 Day practice is really something everyone must try. The trick is once you commit to 40 days, if you miss one day, you have to go back to day 1. It really shows your level of commitment to your health and healing, and it will build your strength. We practice for 40 days consecutively because it takes 40 days to break a habit. This is just the beginning of creating life promoting habits.

4. If you could say just one thing to a class of 1000 students, what would it be?

GL:Do yoga. Yoga will change your life!

5. What suggestions do you share with people who come to you asking for stress relief?

GL:Do yoga! It truly is the answer to everything. Once you commit to the practice you will have the energy and clarity to tackle all the things in your life that are causing stress for you.

DON’T MISS IT!

Gloria’s teacher Gurmukh is coming to Semperviva Yoga Vancouver this weekend.

More info here!

Cooler weather has set in and it’s time to focus on prevention.

The transitions between seasons are the times in which we are most likely to get sick. The body is struggling to maintain homeostasis as middays are warm and then temperatures plummet at night.

One day is sunny and the next is a wet and windy glimpse of Winter. Days get shorter and nights longer. It’s a lot of work to adjust to all these changes!

The body has a tough job to do, so we need to help it out by making conscious diet and lifestyle choices.

If we want to maintain optimal health, and have plentiful energy for all those Fall projects and endeavours, follow these simple tips during this unpredictable season:

• Wear layers that can be stripped-off as the day warms, and then put on again when coming home in the evening.
• Keep toes and heads covered when days are windy and there’s a chill in the air.
• Drink hot herbal tea in the morning and evening, or whenever you feel cold.
• Consume soups, moist and well-cooked foods, so the body can digest easily and use surplus energy to adjust to the changing environmental conditions.

All of us are more susceptible to illness at this time, but being predominantly composed of Space and Air elements, Vatais the most vulnerable of all Constitutions.

Why? Vata Dosha qualities are light, dry, cold and mobile and share the same qualities of the Fall season.

“Like Increases Like” is one of the main tenets of Ayurveda, which suggests that we become imbalanced when repeatedly exposed to more of what we already are.

Since Fall weather is unpredictable: windy, dry, and cold, Vata is most vulnerable to imbalance due to becoming ‘aggravated’ from the ever-changing, or mobile environment.

So, if you have a light frame, low body weight, are very active and tend toward dry skin/hair/throat, then you are susceptible to Vata imbalance, and will need to be even more diligent about following the guidelines above.

But don’t take my word for it – give it a try!

Awareness is the first step to optimal health, one breath at a time.

By Angie Inglis

www.rediscovervitality.com

Angie attended Gujarat Ayurved University in India and has also studied Ayurveda with her cherished teacher, Dr. Vasant Lad, in both Pune, India and at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM. She is a yoga teacher and shares her passion for Ayurveda with others through group workshops and one-on-one consultations.

WHEN LINDSEY MET SWAMI

He had the biggest grin I’d ever seen on a yogi. That was the first thing I noticed.

And it’s turned into one of the greatest gifts he’s give me: The understanding that there is always joy. There is always love. There is always peace. It comes from inside.

He demonstrates it every time I see him. It’s not a conscious practice. It’s just who he is. Because his practice has enabled him to tap into that.

We all have it. That’s another great lesson.

We can all access boundless love, joy and peace. We have all the tools we need for that. Our breath. Our asana. Our meditation. Our mindfulness. Our awareness and compassion—for ourselves and others.

LEARNINGS ON THE MAT

When I sat down on my mat in the studio on Vancouver’s East Side for the workshop with this orange-robed guy with a name I couldn’t pronounce, let alone remember, I felt an instant kind of calm. A sort of ‘Oh, yeah, this is the right place to be right now’ kind of feeling.

He started to lead us through asanas, and though he hadn’t advertised himself as a Kundalini yogi—I get now that all the divisions here in the West are incidental to many teachers from the East—the movements were ones I recognized. But he wasn’t wearing white, he didn’t have a turban, and, when I asked him later, he really didn’t know much about Yogi Bhajan. And the honest truth is that I felt deep relief.

Here was a teacher I could identify with. Here was a teacher who would let me teach the way that was right for me, and encourage me to trust my own inner teacher to be my guide. (Important note: Gloria Latham enables this, too.)

Here was a teacher who, through his simple, steady and loving guidance, had me higher than a kite. Rising beyond my mind, fully radiating through my entire body, and deeply connected to the flow of the universe. I was hooked.

And when I talked with him afterwards about my experiences with Kundalini energy and connections to universal consciousness—divine love, cosmic energy, call it whatever you want—he seemed to be, too. “I think we should be friends,” he said. And so we were. So we are.

Along the way, I’ve been incredibly blessed to get to spend time with him, learn from him, and simply absorb his radiant presence.

Here’s a few more things I’ve learned from Swami Maheshananda Saraswati:

• 1. Practical, technical yogic techniques to release energetic and emotional blocks.
• 2. Deeply cleansing ancient yogic practices to enable vibrant health.
• 3. Tantric techniques to awaken Kundalini energy.
• 4. Deeply nourishing mindful full-body restoration practices from ancient Yogic techniques.
• 5. The understanding that it is possible to see our Selves in all, and that if we can’t do that, we can’t see our Selves at all.

With love,

Lindsey

KUNDALINI YOGA FOR FREEDOM AND HEALING

With Swami Mahesh and Lindsey

This yoga workshop will combine two practices: A powerful Kundalini flow posture set specifically intended to work your 7 main energy centres, aka chakras.

The ancient, Tantric practice of Prana Vidya: managing, activating, regulating and increasing the flow of Prana (life force energy).

Friday, Oct 28, 7:30-10 pm, Semperviva Kits Beach Studio

Info and registration: 604-739-2009, info@semperviva.com, or lindsey@libreliving.com

http://www.semperviva.com/events_calendar.php