Saturday, November 27, 2010

Hot Yoga made me sick


Mei Li, originally uploaded by Elspeth and Evan.

Today for the first time in ages i took a hot yoga class. I ate a meal a few hours before. I drank water, had some tea, i felt good.
At the end of class i was so fatigued, dizzy, and nauseous that i was worried i wouldn't make it out of the studio. I attempted to shower and it was painful. I thought i was going to have to tell someone because i might collapse. I didn't even blow dry my hair, all i wanted to do was get home and lay down if i could make it. It was freezing outside but i was still so hot. I am guessing my core temperature had over heated and roasted itself.. which is something that many people say is why we shouldn't do yoga in hot rooms. I just read this article and it really hit home. I have enjoyed hot yoga for over a decade now but after today i don't know if i want to go back.
http://www.pranayogacollege.com/writings/hot-yoga.php

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Why I do yoga?


Cecilia, originally uploaded by veggy.

I was watching "Enlightened Up" last night which is a documentary done on one man's beginner exploration into the practice of yoga. He went around asking the worlds guru's and leading teacher's about the history of yoga, and it's purpose.
And not shockingly everyone had a different story and a different purpose. What i liked is that no one wanted anyone to do anything they didn't want to do. Some people's 'guru' status turned me off completely as i do not feel anyone feet should be kissed.
It's a blessing to share and teach an experience. We should give from our heart with no expectation.
I started doing yoga 12 years ago for the pure physicality of it initially at a local gym. I did this for years not really realizing what i was doing but knowing i felt good. I combined it with cardio at the gym. I have done every kind of yoga, including 90 days straight of Bikrams before getting slightly bored of it.
Only in the last couple of years have i not joined a gym, and joined a yoga studio only. I challenged myself to a 30 day challenge of doing 30 days of yoga in a row. Only then did i realize the suttle change in my body, mind and spirit.
I finally was connecting my breath with my movement in my body. At this point i realized anything was possible, not only within my body but within life.
Yoga has made me look within and accept and be in peace with myself and those are often intentions i set at the beginning of class. It has also prepared me for meditation which i recently delved in to.
I continue to do yoga for this reason. I seek a balance and the suttle layers of yoga keep unveiling themselves. I will keep practicing yoga not to do headstands but to keep me connected to myself. Namaste.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

The Suburbs


If i hold you with my emotions,
you'll become a wished for companion.

If i hold you with my eyes,
you'll grow old and die.

So i hold you where we
both mix with the infinite.

- Rumi

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Ready to Start


I really cannot get enough of these guys right now. 3 amazing albums under their belt. I saw them at the Commodore which they said was there biggest crowd yet. Now they sell out massive stadiums. It's hard to be mad about that. I am happy that Canadian musicians can still be successful during a changing music market.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Fear


, originally uploaded by veggy.

Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
-T.S. Eliot

Friday, November 12, 2010

Ucluelet

I watched the sunset and the sunrise.. all from our ocean front home in Ucluelet. I am so lucky to have met such great friends that would want to share such a place with me. Within 3 minutes of arriving in Ucluelet, just off the highway, we had a baby boy deer jump in front of our car and have it bounce off and run a little way. It got maybe 10 metres and it tried to get up and it couldn't move. I knew it wasn't good, and i had no idea what to do. Seeing any being in pain is heart wrenching. Within a minute a lady stopped, swooped in and covered the deer with a thick blanket. She started talking to the deer, and caressing it. The deer was completely calm. I have never seen a deer that calm.. and i see a lot of them on Bowen Island. We called the RCMP, and attempted to call one of her friends who knew what to do. She was convinced the deer was going to be ok. The deer tried to get up one more time, and she asked me to hold it down. I did very lightly touch the deer, but i was not holding it down. If the deer could get up i wanted it to get up and go and be in nature, not around humans. As i had my hand on my deer, i felt the breathing which was very fast, stop. At that point she thought the deer was going to be ok, but i said he stopped breathing.. but then he gave his last couple of kicks, and passed on.
She said the deer was the crest of her family and that she would give it the proper burial. I was grateful that she was there even though i don't know if touching a deer like that is ok, but it seemed ok. The RCMP finally came (wearing jeans.. cool!), and assessed the deer but it was already dead. It would seem that he has experience in animals as i am sure this happpens often. It was nice to know if the deer had survived he could figure out if it had broken bones or lost movement. I don't know what they would do with the deer though.
They boy in the gas station said his uncle would skin it, but the deer whisperer lady said she wanted it, so the RCMP put it in her trunk.
The beauty of life and death. We all are born.. we are all going to die and that is the nature of life. Whether it's an accident in our fast moving world, or naturally at home in bed. Life goes on, as one breath comes in, and the next breath may be our last for now.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

library loan


library loan, originally uploaded by veggy.

One of my favorite places in the library. Thousands of books.. and you can take them out for free! I have hundreds of books in storage and at home that I LOVE and can't seem to let go of even though i haven't touched them in a decade or less. I am trying to let go of 'things & stuff' that anchor me in one place. The library facilitates my need to read, and learn without the baggage. There really should be a Love your Library Day.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010