Yogi Victor

A fellow teacher shared this with me. Too funny, thought you would enjoy!

Namaste,

Callah

running + being happy

I am going to copy and paste an article from the guardian because it is just so astounding.
Photo and article credit the guardian, found here. I cheered people on til about hour 5 at the finish line of this marathon, but threw in the towel to warm up at hot yoga (since I wasn't running, after all!). I love how he attributes his success to "being happy" - i think we can all learn from those amazing words.

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It took him more than eight hours to cross the finish line in 3,850th place, but those unimpressive figures earn Fauja Singh a remarkable record – as the world's oldest marathon runner.
The Indian-born 100-year-old from Ilford, east London, completed the full distance in Toronto more than six hours after the winner, as workers were dismantling the barricades.
His total time of 8.25.18 should make him the Guinness World Record holder once all documentation is verified.
Born in the Punjab on 1 April 1911, Singh was a farmer when he first developed a love for running, but only took it up again 11 years ago after moving to live with family in the UK following the deaths of his wife and son. He ran his first marathon aged 89, and has since run seven more.
The holder of several records for fastest nonagenarian, he also claimed eight centenarian distance records from 100 metres through to 5,000 metres during Sunday's Toronto waterfront marathon. Some had never been attempted by someone that old before.
Though Singh found he "hit the wall" at 22 miles he soldiered on for another two hours, and even finished ahead of five other competitors.
His coach, and translator Harmander Singh, said: "Just before we came around the final corner, he said that 'achieving this will be like getting married again'. He's absolutely overjoyed, he's achieved his lifelong wish."
Singh, who attributes his success to ginger curry, cups of tea and "being happy", has long been acclaimed as the "Turbaned Tornado" – the title of his biography, published last year, which he unfortunately has not been able to read because he is illiterate.
In 2004 his running prowess saw him replace England footballer David Beckham, and champion boxer Muhammad Ali as poster boy for Adidas's "Impossible is nothing" advertising campaign.
He now hopes his next project will be participating in the torch relay for the 2012 London Games.

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

Forrest Abs

At my yin training this weekend, one of my teachers, Louise, got us working our core on the final day with some Forrest yoga style abs (she's the only teacher in Ottawa trained in Forrest yoga, and I am still looking for one in Toronto to try out this style of yoga! Have you tried it? Thoughts?). We did this move plus another one which I am still looking for a video for. (*edit: i found a whole Ana Forrest ab workout!) I can actually feel my core today- success, which is rare! Try it out.

* I think the beginning is cut off, the instruction should be to let your hands act as a hammock for your head and ensure the head isn't being pulled up on.

** We alternated elbows to knees as well to make it really slow bicycles with the resetting in the centre to re-lift the tailbone.

Enjoy the burn!

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

freshly made mala

Occasionally i find myself in the perfect mood for mala-making. Calm, creative, with rare free time on my hands (which also translates to a blog post, yay!)!

Today I made a rose quartz and amethyst mala. I love rose quartz- it's called the "love stone", and is supposed to aid with finding love- romantic, platonic, self-love... you name it. (So, fitting that I love it?) To work with romantic love, it is best given or received as a gift. I can say that it truly worked for me -  I talked my mom into buying me a gorgeous huge stone that i made my very first mala with, and lo and behold, I am happily in a relationship now after 5 years of singledom! Maybe it was timing, maybe it wasn't - either way, it's gorgeous! So, i thought i would share my freshly made mala with you, in case you are looking for love (and a gift ;) ) or looking to share some. Check out the etsy link, and use the code YOGALIFE for 10% off in my shop!

I also got a lovely email from a musician named Neil Middleton, sharing his new CD, Sunrise Music, with me. I don't usually receive a lot of relevant emails but I am always on the lookout for new yoga music so I thought I would build up some good karma for myself and share it with you/ It's a great soundtrack for your practice, and I've added it to my playlist for mala making! Check out a sample track here.

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

warrior dash... in photos

I recently ran the "Warrior Dash", a run that is basically an obstacle course, in which you end up completely covered in mud. Climbing up wooden barricades, up & over cargo nets, jumping over fire...

Of course I couldn't resist breaking out into a few yoga poses for some snaps, as I usually do when near a camera. (Anyone else like that?) Luckily, one of my running buddies, Ryan, is great at multitasking running and taking pics (and wearing a sweet helmet cam to boot!) so i have lots and lots to share, courtesy of his great photog skills!

my self-selected team nickname

first pose of the day!

(clean!) group shot, pre-race!

 i'm in the middle, jumping over fire... i was so scared of this and the flames were maybe 1-2 feet high, ha!

success! so close!

the shirt is not allowed to stay white...

made it! my comrades and i post run (aka, the guys who stuck with the slow girls!)

warrior, in more ways than one!

fireman hose down. actually painful!

  

cleaned up, viking dancer (on a downhill!) :)

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

yin, here i come!

the first yin class i took was actually during my moksha training... which exactly one year ago, i was just in the beginning stages of! i can't believe a year has already passed by, seeing lots of changes in my life. I "celebrated" today by teaching FIVE classes! Yes, i felt a little crazy. I'm not quite sure how full-time teachers do it on a regular basis, although I'm your body does get used to it. Tons of water, electrolytes and coconut water later i am ready for an early bed time! of course, it is the middle of summer, HOT, and i am a little over the heat in this moment!

so what is a more perfect thing to do than expand... i am all signed up for a yin yoga teacher training weekend intensive in October. Yin classes always feel so delicious to me... they have the same effect as a restorative class, leaving me refreshed. I wasn't quite sure where I would take my training but some web searching led me to the Rama Lotus studio in Ottawa. After a few days of deliberating, consulting with my family in Ottawa and ensuring I could take a day off work... I am officially registered :)

image Rama Lotus  

I can't wait to expand my teaching knowledge, and hopefully delve into teaching outside of the hot room. What styles of yoga do you love? What kind of class do you consider a "treat"?

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

a yogic summer in the GTA

I've finally been recommitting to my practice, both on and off the mat... and it feels fantastic! Yoga is definitely what was missing in my life when it got crowded out by stress, to-do lists, sleep deprivation... but I'm back in the game!

Toronto and the GTA is a great place to be for the summer of 2011 for yogi events... check them out!

What: Yoga Meltdown
When: July 17
Where: Centre Island, Toronto
Toronto is on the brink of a yoga revolution! For well over 40 years, Toronto’s Hare Krishna Centre has been the hub of exploring the deeper facets of yoga. The city's yoga community spoke loud and clear about their desire for a spiritual yoga festival and thus we are presenting the Fourth Annual Yoga Meltdown - a free outdoor yoga extravaganza!

What: Yoga4Change
When: Tuesday, July 19, pm
Where: Twist Gallery, 1100 Queen St W Toronto

I won't get into too much detail on this awesome event, as my friend will be writing a guest post soon! In a nutshell though, it's a yogathon fundraiser for the New Leaf foundation... and you'll have a chance to win one of my very own handmade malas!

What: Ananda Fest
When: July 30-31
Where: Keswick, Ontario
A weekend combining yoga, nature, music and lifestyle. The owners of Chrysalis Yoga, a great new studio i've recently fallen in love with in Burlington, will be teaching at this event, Canada's very own Wanderlust!

What: yoga practice on Rogers field
When: August 18
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto
"On August 18th, in conjunction with the Toronto Argonauts, we invite you to participate in theFIRST EVER Yoga practice to happen on Rogers Field! The event will combine a yoga practice, charity barbeque and Toronto Argonauts game…what a great way to bring yogis and sports lovers together! Yoga will begin at 2:30pm, followed by the 5pm charity BBQ and the evening will end with the 7:30pm kick-off of the Toronto Argonauts vs. the Saskatchewan Roughriders game. Tickets for the practice, entrance to the BBQ and the game are $30 each and can be purchased from the front desk at Moksha Yoga Downtown. If you would like to reserve a block of tickets, please email Erin at erin@mokshayogadowntown.com to make arrangements."

What: Yoga Festival Toronto
When: Aug 19-21
Where: National Ballet School, Toronto
I'm excited to be able to attend this event! An "urban retreat", yocoto organizes this weekend full of meditation, asana, lectures and more, right in the city. I volunteered last year and loved it. I'll be taking asana classes with Eoin Finn amongst many other great classes offered!

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

lotus heart

One of my favourite things about exploring new classes and teachers is discovering new yoga music. I took an amazing class at a brand new studio, Imprint Yoga in Toronto (conveniently a few blocks down Spadina from Fresh) and Sunny, the instructor, played this song by the Desert Dwellers in final savasana. I love all the different elements... I think i even hear a didgeridoo in there? Best savasana I've had in a while!



I ended up buying the whole CD on iTunes... great music for an at-home asana practice!

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

play by play

So, apparently it's possible for my blogging to go downhill even more? I'm currently finishing up my Moksha requirements for grad - to be officially certified. The final project was a 30-day savasana challenge, previously mentioned i'm sure. I'll include the journal entry from my first day - a play by play, broken down by the minute (although I'm a cheater, this was seated meditation), some light reading for you. Reminds me of that scene in Eat, Pray, Love.

1: This is so comfortable.

2: Hmm, I need to stop writing the journal entry out in my head.

3: Just focus on your breath.

4: Next time, shut the cat outside of the room.

5: I wonder if this itch will go away if I keep focusing on my breath.

6: Oops, I should have told my boyfriend not to text me for 20 minutes.

7: What the heck is my cat doing behind me?

8: Oh hey, I guess that itch did go away.

9: Breath. Feel it through the body.

10: Another text? Keep eyes closed!

11: I should have peed before sitting.

12: Ok, seriously stop writing the journal in your mind.

13: This isn’t so hard.

14: I must be getting close to 20 minutes.

15: My back is getting sore.

16: Oh wow, it’s because I’m slouching so much!

17: My back feels so much better sitting tall again!

18: Ok, don’t peek. 10 more breaths.

19: Ok, this timer must be broken. I’ll peek… damn, 5 more breaths and I would have made it!

20: Next time I won’t peek at the clock! 

All times approximate of course (except the last minute!) :)

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

pretty

I saw this on facebook, and just had to share. Yoga definitely helps us connect to that inner beauty, i think!



Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

moksha memories

One of my wonderful friends whom I met (and made!) at my YTT last summer made an awesome video capturing our training experience, and turned it into  her creative project showing how yoga influences the western world. I'll share it here, while it's more a personal reminiscing you might enjoy seeing how 60 people spend 30 days in a heat wave!



See if you can spot me a few times :)

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

spring has sprung... again

My blog was just a baby when i posted my spring blossom photo last year. I caught them even earlier this year :)





This spring and summer, I am committing myself to enjoy the outdoors and nature to it's fullest. (Not exactly easy last summer spending a month in training in a random basement and/or a hot studio!) I'm looking forward to my sister's destination wedding in Punta Cana for a daily practice on the beach! I'm going to make it happen!

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

recycle flashmob

This makes me smile every time!



I wish I got this reaction every time I brought home a bottle (on the rare occasion) or coffee cup to recycle or compost!

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

living your moksha- week one

Moksha Yoga is hosting a studio-wide 7 week challenge starting April 4th.

This week's pillar of focus is "Be Healthy", offering vegetarianism as a means to reduce your footprint on the planet as well as living healthier overall. I am a vegetarian (I tried veganism for a few months this year but was too stressed and busy to stick with it, maybe one day again!) but I don't preach it or expect everyone is willing or wants to go veg. A cool option is meatless mondays (with different websites and initiatives worldwide):

It’s not about going vegetarian. (Though that is a great choice.)

It’s about healthy, sustainable eating. It’s about reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It’s about doing what we can to slow down global warming. And it starts with you.

This video shows the difference one day a week actually can make!



Even if you don't practice at a Moksha studio, I encourage you to check out the challenge and maybe even sign up for the weekly emails- the first one was so packed with information! Sign up and take your yoga off the mat here. next week: be accessible.

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

enlighten up

My life has been a hectic blur lately, as I have lamented pretty well every time I manage to churn out a post. I have only recently started re-visiting all the amazing blogs over on my sidebar, and the April challenge at Mindfulness Yoga really spoke to me today - to enlighten up!

What a perfect way to stay centered amongst all the craziness that comes from working full time, teaching part time, being a bridesmaid and a maid of honour in two weddings only 3 weeks apart (and two vacations.... but I can hardly count that as a bad thing!). In short, the challenge consists of:

"sitting up at the side of the bed when we awake in the morning and placing our hands in anjali, (palms pressed together at the heart) and smiling while taking three breaths.  Then, throughout the day -- whenver we find ourselves lost in that serious drama in our heads -- we can pause, practice smiling anjali, and take three breaths. If we are in mixed company, we can skip the anjali, but please, don't skip the smile and three breaths!   :-)"

This is the kind of advice I need to take on such occasions as my sisters bridal shower, when one of the bridesmaids locked us out of the hall in the middle of setting up, and all the guests started arriving early. Those 3 breaths would have gone a long way for me. I'm going to make an effort with this one - are you?

source

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

yoga for life

I have to admit, I was nervous at the thought of tonight's volunteer teaching - a gym full of people at a (semi) local University's Relay for Life.

Of course, once I got there and in teaching mode all my nervousness left me. It was so casual, some people still wearing their shoes (although I can't blame them, who knows with gym floors!) and no yoga mats. I took them through a modified Moksha class, kept it simple and light, and had to have a second go at the "Namaste" at the end of class to get any responses! I snapped this photo after I guided them through final Savasana.

It was a really cool event. Another gym was set up as the "campsite" with tents, but I couldn't figure out how to get to the outdoor track to check it out. It was a lot of fun, and a nice way to bring the yoga experience to some people who might not have tried it out otherwise!

Have you ever taught or practiced in an unconventional setting?

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

enter one

I heard this beautiful song in savasana today and wanted to share it with you all. (the video is the same all the way through so no need to sit and watch... just enjoy!)

After a storm

I want to be brave

And keep you warm

And not fade away

As we float from the shore

Into the light

Into the unknown

Like thousands of lanterns

Glowing with grace

In glorious silence

Descending through space

To a friend

A sister in need

Who is not alone

And they are surrounding her

And they will enfold her outstretched hand

In our love

Into the light

It's hard to believe

It's always been ours to give

And to receive

I want to be shameless like the sun

Moving into you

Entering light

Welcome

Inshallah, Inshallah

Enter one amazing grace is pouring down

Fear not this light

We are of this light divine

So come

We move as one

Amazing grace is pouring down

Fear not this light

We are on this light divine

Welcome

Enter one

After a storm

I wanna let go

Of the things that I’ve done

Without any worry

I wanna come home

Into the light

Into the unknown

I want to be shameless

Like the sun

Moving into you

Enter light

Welcome

Inshallah, Inshallah

Enter one

Amazing grace is pouring down

Fear not this light

We are on this light divine

So come

We move as one

Amazing grace is pouring down

Fear not this light

We are on this light divine

Welcome

Enter one

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

snowstorm - in photos

I feel like the 2011 mantra for many yoga bloggers is "blog less". I know I've been living up to that one for sure!

Anyways, I thought I would share some snaps I took last week. We had a predicted "snowmaggedon" (seriously, that's what the media was calling it) and the expected 30mm was only 15mm of snow. Enough for a snow day for all! I ended up teaching a triple for another teacher in the evening (after a double practice in the a.m.) so this photo walk ended up being a nice break in a day literally full of yoga.

This guy actually made the front page news in my town... it's just down the street from my house. He is slowly slumping forward... and about 10 feet tall!

I tied the snow into my classes that evening... suggesting of taking the cue for intentions from the roads outside and slowing down the movements for practice.

Does the weather affect your state of mind during a practice?

Namaste,

Callah

article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

smiling yogis

So, I've been so crazy busy these past few weeks, between my maid of honour duties (for my sister) and actually having somewhat of a social life, I have been internetting a lot less frequently. And I'm kind of loving it!

I took a class last week where the instructor (whom I know) kept making me smile. When I looked too serious, she would creep up behind me and make eye contact in the mirror- and I'd laugh. And I loved it!

So, yesterday I introduced the intention of having fun with the practice. A lot of students still retained the serious yoga face (and I'm totally guilty of that one, just check out the pictures on my banner!). When we got to the balancing series though, I noticed this one woman just beaming. After class, I commented on how much I loved her amazing smile in class. She said, "There is one woman who always practices with the most radiant smile. I made sure I always set up my mat right behind her. Then, one day, I realized I could just start smiling myself! Besides, it's the only way I can keep from getting mad at myself when I lose my balance in the 6am class".

(old, smiley dancer's pose)

I thought that was such an amazing story, and it truly made my morning! I'm going to commit to finding the joy - and the smiles! - in my yoga practice.

Are you a happy or a serious yogi/ni when you practice?

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com

a reverb wrap up

So, I really fell off the reverb10 bandwagon after starting off pretty strong. I personally felt like a lot of the prompts were getting pretty repetitive. I'm all for reliving and reflecting, but it was getting redundant as there were definitely a few common themes that kept popping up for me. It kind of felt like beating a dead horse to be honest, and a bit of a waste of time when December is such a busy time as is. Also, for the tagline being "reflect and manifest" I felt like there was very little manifesting to be done- I've been doing that on my own! That being said, I'll finish off with a few of the prompts that provoked some original thoughts and ideas.

December 24 – Everything’s OK What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead? (Author: Kate Inglis)
I had a lot of interviews and dead ends job wise. I decided to take YTT. A few weeks later, I got a permanent job, and they would allow me to start after the training was complete. It was like everything just finally clicked into place all at once. It solidified and made real the saying that "everything happens for a reason". i didn't get those jobs because this is what I was meant to be doing, and where i was meant to be.

_____________________________________

December 26 – Soul Food What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins) 

That BLT at Aux Vivres in Montreal. It was hands down the best meal I've ever had in my life. And it was vegan. I've read a LOT of books on veganism this year, and the absolute tastiness of this meal was a huge part in proving i can take the plunge. Over the next few weeks I am phasing out all the non-vegan food I have kicking around and going all the way. 

_____________________________________

December 28 – Achieve 

What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today. 

(Author: Tara Sophia Mohr)

Home ownership. Moving to a different city (albeit one that's the next city over). I will feel responsible, adult and yes, definitely, FREE. Overjoyed. Accomplished. And freakin happy!! And as we speak, I am starting to get that feeling. My room has been an absolute mess for months and months. I just never put stuff away when I moved back into the big room after my sister moved out. I've started the process of finally, finally, getting everything organized and actually settling in. Including going through loads of photos, consolidating them in one place, and getting them printed off and actually framing them! I feel like the freedom is already starting. It's funny how being so organized can be so freeing. I feel like I'm floating from the accomplishment of it all. I might have a heart attack of joy when I buy my own place!

So, that's my take on #reverb10. If you participated, how did you feel about it? Redundant, a hassle? Or enlightening and a great way to reflect on the year past?

Namaste,
Callah
article and personal photos copyright of Callah at callahyoga.blogspot.com