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

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

reverb catchup!

A week and a half in and I'm already slacking! Sigh, typical me!

December 10 – Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)
You know, I don't know. Perhaps it was taking my YTT in Toronto vs. Montreal. Absolutely love my sangha and it's hard to imagine having that experience with a different group of people! Also enjoyed housesitting in the city for the month - contemplating moving there! 

________________________________________

December 11 – 11 Things What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)

procrastination ~ constantly staying up too late ~ self-negativity ~ over-the-top consumerism ~ animal products (trying out veganism in the new year!) ~ wasteful spending ~ too much junk food ~ more shoes ~ clutter ~ my closets overfilled to flowing ~ dust!

Notice a theme? I definitely need to let go of my need for "things", to de-clutter my life. I think letting go of the need for physical objects will be freeing mentally, as well. (and while I have been better to an extent lately, ever so often I fall off the "non-consumerism bandwagon" and go a little nuts). I also just want to be healthier and give up all the crap that isn't serving my body. 2011, here I come!

_______________________________________

December 12 – Body Integration This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)


I think this could be the moment I crossed the finish line at my half-marathon in October. The last 6km were pretty much hell, but for that brief moment there was no pain- only pure joy!

almost there!

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

aux vivres

So, I've been spending (Canadian) thanksgiving weekend in Montreal catching up with friends. I dropped in on one of the lectures at the Montreal moksha YTT, to hear Frank Jude Boccio speak again- he was one of my faves in July.

After a great lecture with fresh, untired ears that I may not have experienced during my own training (thanks to sheer exhaustion), and a meditation session, I decided to recommit to (or, rather, START) a home meditation practice. I was so gung-ho to start a practice post-training, and it just never materialized. Starting Tuesday (post-holiday!) I am going to start with a mini-challenge, 5 minutes of meditation for one week. I know its a small challenge, but they say to break big goals into small, manageable chunks!

Post-lecture, two of my friends from training took me to Aux Vivres, a vegan restaurant on St. Laurent. The "B"LT was highly recommended, so I decided to heed their advice.

My mind was blown.

(photo borrowed from this blog, i forgot to take one before chowing down!)

The "bacon" is comprised of flavoured baked coconut, along with tomatoes, lettuce and an amazing "mayo" in a chapati wrap. I can honestly say it was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. I can't believe it was vegan! If i had an aux vivres cook, my journey to veganism would be so simple (more on that later). We followed up with "Gateax Fauxmage" (uncheesecake) but nothing could top the amazingness of that coconut bacon. I'm going to try to replicate it one day, I will let you know how it goes.

So, there you have it. If you ever visit Montreal, definitely check out Aux Vivres- even if you're a meat eater. And happy thanksgiving!

How many of you have a regular meditation practice?

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

arc of time

One of the incredibly talented fellow trainees (and now fellow teachers :) ) during my July YTT created this incredible video, showing a morning in the life of! Take a look.



I'm the one with the pink mat! Haha, good luck :)
Check out Emily's blog, keeping it simple.

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

the importance of hydration

These notes are from a functional anatomy lecture with Pierre Desjardins, one of our amazingly informative (and HILARIOUS) teachers. I was so lucky to "win" an osteopathic treatment from him for my chronic knee injury. Just brilliant.

Anyways, these probably won't be flowing sentences but this is the gist of it! Hopefully you can look past the school-notes style and see the importance of drinking enough water!!

- to perform at it's peak, the body (made up of 70% water) needs a constant supply of hydration
-> a normal adult at resting needs 4L of water... 2L of which comes from food, the other 2L which must come from outside sources
* Juices, coffee, tea are FLUIDS... not WATER! You need 8 glasses of pure water at REST.
- You should have about 1L of water for every hour of physical activity.
- without sufficient water your connective tissue (CT) starts to shrink and WRINKLE! Yes, you'll look older!
- if you're chronically dehydrated, it can take up to THREE months to rehydrate your tissues!
- aspartame (crystal light, diet drinks etc) turn into formaldehyde in your liver... ew!
- all chronic ailments have a basis of dehydration! (Water can have an antacid effect for acid reflux in as little as 8 minutes!)
- water consumption should be spread out throughout the day to ensure constant hydration, and drink it slowly!
- add a pinch of unrefined pure sea salt to one glass of water a day to balance electrolytes and avoid overtaxing the kidneys (so yup, all those drink mixes aren't even necessary after all!)
- caffiene and alcohol are DEhydrating (which I think we all know!) ... they actually slow blood flow because you lack plasma when dehydrated (not helped by the increased urinating it causes!)
* You should drink an extra glass of water for every cup of coffee, tea or alcohol etc. consumed
- You can actually turn off your thirst signals by repeatedly ignoring them... they will come back after a few weeks of properly hydrating! As well the constant peeing will eventually regulate.

image

That aspartame bit really hit home. I always knew it "wasn't good" but when you hear exactly HOW... it's pretty disgusting! No more artificial sweeteners for me, and I've been working at weaning my mom off them too. Luckily, she was receptive after I gave her a chapter to read from Skinny Bitch. I just read it, and it blew my mind. I think I'm slowly going to work on going Vegan, or at least half-vegan! I definitely recommend that book for anyone who thinks they can't kick the meat-eating habit. I was you only 10 months ago!

 
So sorry for the lack of posting. I've been so crazy busy I can't even believe it. This post is cutting into my running time (don't worry, it was a conscious decision!) which is actually usually WORK time, but I got the morning off and I'm actually celebrating!

Share this info with all your friends... so many people are dehydrated and don't even know it!

P.S. How's the new layout? Jamie, you inspired me for a makeover! 

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

my first practice teach!

Yesterday, I survived my very first 60 minute practice teaching class post-training!

I had 7 students, of which half were brand new or fairly new to yoga. It definitely changes the experience beyond words from all the practice teaching with very experienced trainees! Overall, I'd say it was a success, I didn't screw up noticeably (I forgot one pose, oops!) and I got some great feedback. My studio doesn't officially run community classes, so rather than making it free I asked for donations to the Africa Yoga Project. I'll do one big donation at the end of the month and the end of my practice classes!

What I need to work on:
-still pushing the class through tough poses while making adjustments
-not assuming new students know what "comfortable" or "good" is supposed to feel like in class
-not getting flustered at the VERY END of class and forgetting to explain what "Namaste" means to new students!
and the big one for me... varying the tone of my voice!

That last one is challenging because that is how I speak, very evenly without much variation. It can be good, as I've had lots of complements on how soothing and laid back my voice is, but that might not be what the students want during a 60 second dancers pose!! I'll keep pushing away at it.

 

Just a little drawing I made in Kids Yoga this past weekend!

If you teach, what were your struggles when you first started?

(Don't forget to enter the Ultima Giveaway... last chance to enter tomorrow! )

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

thoughts on my intensive teacher training

Greetings!

So, I'm alive and officially able to teach moksha yoga :) (I am not fully certified, however, only having put in about 300 of the 500 hours required. The rest will follow in the next 11 months, with 8 projects and lots and lots of personal practice, feedback and continuing Ed.)

A quick note, I've extended the ultima contest for a few days. Due to bloggy inactivity, there are only a few entries and lots of ultima to go around! Find the contest here. A simple comment is all it takes to enter :)

I feel like I'll want to break down some of what I've learned in a few posts, but for an awesome nearly daily account of the training, check out my friend Sophies blog. What dedication, so many entries while I posted a mere 4 times! So, today I will just talk about feelings :) In a nutshell, this training one of the most transformative months of my life. I'll be honest, I wouldn't sum it up as the BEST month since I've been on many amazing journeys and travels, but definitely top 3. While I am super glad to be home and able to catch up on sleep and things which make me a normal person, like massage, chiropractic and sleep (not to mention family & friends, and kitties!) I am also a bit sad the training wasn't long enough to become super close will all 60 people. You know how it feels when you near the end of something only to realize you've got so much more to do, like getting closer with all the people you haven't had the opportunity to with yet? That's the one.

The ending of training was such an incredible finish. On Wednesday, we chose partners and headed wherever we wanted to take turns teaching (and practicing) 60 minute classes. Sophie (blogger linked above) had the amazing suggestion of the beach. So, we found a patch of sand with a gorgeous view of downtown Toronto- CN Tower included :) it was both my favourite teaching and practicing experiences in my yoga life, so far! Talk about idylic.

bliss on the beach.

Thursday after a final hot class together, we headed to a farm for a campout! There was a little bocce and a lot of sunbathing on my behalf, after a month of basement dwelling. Then it was time for the talent show which was truly talented. A couple songs around the campfire, it was after midnight and I was toast!

the barn was the perfect place for another photoshoot!

We also had our grad. Each us us received an "award", based on our intros, presentations, or general dispositions. I think I mentioned before, my topic was "Changing the world by changing yourself". I talked about the movie pay it forward, and like to think i sprinkled a few good deeds in during the month. My award was the "Pay It Forward Award for Selfless Service". So touching.

woohoo! I'm done!

Friday it was back to the city. Lunch with a few girls I had driven, a glorious nap and goodbye to the kitty I cat-sat for (appropriately named Kitty) and it was off to a post- training party for some last fun times as a group. Then, the grand finale of the month. I saw Robyn & Keane in concert, joined by one of the trainees (and a great opportunity to get to know one more person better!) We had the greatest surprise ever when I spotted someone handing out wristbands and I caught her eye with a big smile. We got upgraded to FLOOR seats at the molson amphitheater! Front and centre! Talk about amazing. The concert was incredible, I have wanted to see Robyn forever and the combo of the two bring back so many backpacking memories from Australia and New Zealand.

Today, we got our projects. The email aptly titled, the beginning of the rest of our lives.

Namaste, Callah

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

week 3 update!

 So, I have made it past the halfway point! And I'm alive. Still loving every minute despite the seemingly never-ending exhaustion. I did stay at home last night, and I slept a solid 8 hours for the first time I can remember in a really long time!! It was glorious, too bad I woke up at 7:30am on my day off!

So, what's new. I've done a lot more practice teaching. We also have started splitting "real" classes- teaching half our group (so, 30 in each class) and splitting the session among 5-6 of us, doing a block of poses. I had my first "real" class teaching experience (and in the hot studio no less!) yesterday afternoon. I had just had some body work done on my bad knee/ quad before class, so I took Savasana nearly the whole time. Good thing, because my heart was already pounding out of my chest when it was my turn! Luckily it went smoothly (and no one seemed to notice too much that I forgot a pose- eep!) and I got some great feedback from a really experienced teacher.

We've just finished our anatomy sessions- we've learned sooo much. I will never be dehydrated again- I will post a load of information on how vitally important it is in the near future!! We also learned muscle (connective tissue) releases which is pretty cool. I have to say when I had my quad released by our Osteopath teacher of the anatomy, it was amazing. They say that fascia holds emotions (which is why some people get emotional in camel, etc) and when it releases they all come out. I can definitely vouch for that, since I both laughed and cried when the quad was released. (I injured my knee 3 years ago and it never healed. Interestingly, I feel more pain in yoga than running since it's specifically a 90 degree angle that causes pain).

Well, that's all! Keep your eyes open for a giveaway in the next few days :)
Namaste, Callah

week one update

Just a quick check in, since once again I should be in bed... but who knew there were kinds of rice that take an HOUR to prepare?! Probably lots of people, I was obviously not one of them!!

Anyways, in point form!
- we had our first practice teaching session yesterday- half an hour, GO! Luckily one-on-one which was simultaneously less and more intimidating. (Especially since you have to work with someone you haven't chatted with before!)
- this morning's class was hot death. Did I say that about Monday's class? This one takes the cake! At times like that I wonder if i can persevere... but then those scary thoughts go away.
- We are having a "30-day no negative self-thoughts challenge". And if you do think something negative about yourself, finish with "...and I love you!" I encourage you all to join in :)
- I'm finding Buddhism REALLY interesting, and it really resonates with me
- I'm likely a Kapha with Pitta- and I go to bed way too late
- teacher training is way better than college!
- it's not so much the actual substances of coffee and alcohol i miss, but the rituals that go with them!
- i create a lot less garbage than I thought, although eating way less pre-prepared and packaged, processed foods is definitely contributing to the reduction!
- there are lots of ants in old Toronto houses, YUCK! (**thinking ahimsic thoughts!**)

Namaste, Callah

my first training update :)

Well folks, it is "dangerously hot in Ontario", just starting a heat wave of 3 days of temps above 32C (more like 42-44 with the humidity here in Toronto!) and here I am taking two hot classes a day. And wow, are they HOT!!

But on another, more cheerful note, I am loving every minute. (Of the training, not the heat!)
(heads up, this post will be brief and photoless- the internet connection right now is less than ideal!)
The days are definitely intense. I wake up at 5:30, leave for the subway by 6 (having laid out everything the night before including meals), and get to the studio around 6:30. This is our average day, lasting from 6:45 am until 7:15pm:
15 minute meditation
90 minute asana
1 hour break
1 hour (or so) lecture
1 hour break
1 hour lecture
60 minute asana
3 hour lecture

I know it is only day four but I cannot believe how interesting I am finding everything! Nothing at all like college, where you had to struggle through the boring material. Right now our teachers have included Ted & Jess (the founders), Frank Jude Boccio (yes, the author of Mindfulness Yoga!) and Dina T. (don't even ask me to spell her last name!). I won't get into to many specifics, if you are interested you can check out the teacher training info here! All of our teachers have been amazing and so engaging. We also have more amazing names to come. It almost seems surreal, being able to spend the whole month focusing on YOGA! I am so grateful to be able to be here.

Practicing twice a day is definitely challenging, especially factoring in this brutal heat we are having. This morning's class was hot death! I am definitely getting deeper into savasana, and meditation in general, and I'm really enjoying that.

Well, that's all for now! Ideally I'd be heading to bed now (9pm) but I have to brush up on the series before our first day of practice teaching tomorrow! Should be exciting... and nerve wracking!

I hope everyone had fantastic holiday weekends and isn't suffering too much in this heat! (Or better yet, don't HAVE this heat where you are!). Your blog posts are on of my few online guilty pleasure during this month so keep them coming :)

Namaste, Callah

a challenge

In exactly four weeks, my Moksha training commences! To prepare, I've set myself a goal- 10 yoga classes (a home practice counting here or there for sanity's sake!) per week, for the next four weeks (I started Monday). I'm lucky (well, unlucky financially) that I have a LOT of free time on my hands, so it makes it fairly manageable. Every few days, I'll blog about my progress, and also use it as a way to track my challenge for myself as well!

(Today's "x" for illustration purposes only!)

On Monday I did a double, with 75 minutes in between for recovery. On Tuesday, another double but with only 30 minutes in between classes. I noticed a huge difference in my performance in the second class with the shorter break in between- I was completely zapped of energy! It was also especially hot that night, so I took plenty of breaks. I can't imagine how some of the full time teachers can teach 4-5 hot classes in one day! I guess you quickly learn to adjust your teaching style to be less physical.

Yesterday ended up being a bit of a break for me. I took one class, and had intended on starting the running clinic in the evening, but it was pouring rain so they postponed it til next week. I then fully intended on a treadmill run, but Alice in Wonderland and chocolate covered almonds distracted me instead, oops!

One major difference i'm noting compared to my last 30 day challenge is that with the doubles, I'm getting sore much quicker! The classes turn into love/hate relationship with the postures, where the stretching feels AMAZING, but the standing strength poses and vinyasa flows require extra loud Ujiyi breath to get me through it!

Although working this weekend will make it a bit more challenging to fit in doubles and a run or two, I'm looking forward to continuing this challenge. My training involves 2 classes, 6 days a week, so I'll feel a lot more confident going in (especially since I'm probably going to be one of the curvier, less skinny trainees!) knowing I've completed this challenge I've laid out for myself. It helps to have the support of my studio friends and of course my bloggy readers :)

Stay tuned for a giveaway (yes, after always getting excited to see blog giveaways- even though I never win myself :-p - I thought I could create some excitement of my own!), and many more, possibly boring, challenge related blog posts!

Namaste, Callah

A mish mash of mats, certification, and (unrelated) disappointment

So, good stuff first.
1) I am now officially a Kids Yoga instructor :) I teach my first (official, that is!) class this weekend. I've actually lead a few classes before so this will be way better since I know so much more about putting lessons together! Aruna at Young Yoga Masters was fabulous. If you live int he Toronto area I would definitely recommend one of her workshops if Kids yoga interests you!

2) I bought "the mat" that I talked about before. It is AMAZING. I used it, sans towel, in a few Moksha classes this week. I'm talking, 110F, 3-40% humidity here. And I didn't budge an INCH the entire class! Amazing. It seriously changed my practice. If you are in the market for a new mat I would highly recommend it. (and it also comes in purple now)!

And now, for the 'disappointment' part of the blog! I was recently let down by a friend. (I won't get into specifics since you never know who is reading!)

Normally, when it comes to situations like that, I just brush it off and move on. "No worries" is definitely my most used phrase, which I picked up during my travels down under. I'm very laid back, and especially recently as a means of taking my yoga practice "off the mat", I really don't like to over-analyze negative situations. However, this time was different. My friend's actions affected not just me, but some of my own friends as well. I felt responsible, and it really threw me out of joint. While she apologized, I felt like brushing it off just didn't give the situation the justice it deserved.

Finally, after much thought on how to deal with this, a quote my teachers often use in class during savasana, while meditating, came to me. "If a thought comes into your mind, acknowledge it, and let it float away". (Or something like that!) I realized this was the perfect way to take my yoga practice off the mat. Acknowledge the situation, and my disappointment, and then let it float away. There is no need to dwell on it, but also no need for it to be completely ignored, either.

So, I followed through with my solution, and feel the weight lifted off my shoulders.

How do you deal with being let down?

Namaste,
Callah

My first training... Kids Yoga!

I am getting excited for this weekend! I am finally taking my Kids Yoga training course, which I have been looking forward to for months. The studio owners have actually organized Aruna, the woman who does the training, to come to our studio in Milton for the weekend so we don't have to go to Toronto. Convenient, and much more eco-friendly to drive one person here rather than 15 there!

(picture from the Young Yoga Masters website!)

I have been helping out with the kids yoga classes since January, so it will be nice to officially be a teacher. It's so much fun, it's hard to think of it as "work"! (Well, most of the time... when they are going nuts it is another story!)
It's great to be introducing kids to not only the physical side of yoga, but the mental side as well. I hope they take in all the stuff we teach them about letting go of the negatives, and treating others as you'd want to be treated. It's so amazing (and CUTE!) to see little kids doing downward dog and cobra. They love it!

I read about some schools in Canada offering yoga as a credited course for kids. I love this idea- yoga for all!
Namaste,
Callah

a (half) review, and my yoga life update!

Wow, it's been a few days since my last post! I've been busier than usual.

Last night, my (semi) local Lululemon held a special karma class. I rarely have reason to venture outside my own Moksha studio, but the lure of finally giving "The Mat" a hands-on (or perhaps, downward-dog on?) try, not to mention donating to a few CN Tower climbers who are fundraising for the WWF, got me out of the studio and onto the Lululemon store floor.

As I write this, I'm thinking I actually used the backside of the (reversible) mat. Which makes me feel stupid, but stress is my excuse. The side I used is actually partially made of recycled luon fabric, which is pretty cool. Being that that is NOT supposed to be the extra grippy side, I'm going to go out on a limb and say the other side is fantastic. On the luon side, I did have some minor slippage issues in my downward dog, but considering I must be the world's most sweaty female, my hands perspire even in the driest of yoga classes. My warriors didn't budge an inch.

I'm going to hazard a guess that the side that is intended to be grippy very likely is. My head was definitely in the clouds last night. When comparing to a Jade and a Manduka, I'm going to say that this mat is going to be my winner. The quality seems very comparable, and I like the price point(especially adding to the fact that after I take my Kids Yoga training next week, I'll be eligible for the R&D program). I also am partial to the colour pink!

When I buy the mat in a few weeks, I will give you the other half of the review! That half will be taking place in a sweaty studio as well, for the most accurate testing!

So, why was my head in the clouds? It turns out I am actually going to be taking my teacher training earlier... This July, in Toronto! I was experiencing a lot of mixed emotions when I heard a spot had opened for me and I had to choose. I was really looking forward to spending a month in Montreal, albeit most of it inside the studio. But, my studio is in dire need of teachers, and it means I don't have to wait 5 whole months to take the training. I ultimately decided Toronto was the way to go. I was grateful to a friend who reminded me that "things happen for a reason". I usually take that mindset, however I was so frustrated the thought didn't even occur to me. It just goes to show that when you are frustrated, it pays to take step back from all the emotion and look for the positives. I will just have to spend a weekend visiting Montreal in September anyhow :)

I started looking around on Kijiji and Craigslist for a place to stay closer to the studio (I live about 40 minutes away, depending on traffic, and the thought of all that pollution and wasted gas driving that far 6 days a week did not sit well with me!). I actually may have found the perfect situation, house and cat-sitting for 3 of the 4.5 weeks, only 4 km away from the studio. No pollution, and no rent either! I'm actually started to get excited about Toronto!

Namaste,
Callah

travel mat

I was super-excited to hear about this new "travel" mat from Lululemon.

(click on the pic to learn more!)

When I went to Vancouver last month for the Olympics, I faithfully lugged around my regular mat. Shockingly, it fit INSIDE my MEC backpack - but this would have been so much easier!

The mat itself also sounds really great (and also comes in a standard, cushiony form as well as the travel version)- supposedly it's super-grippy, and actually ABSORBs liquid (i.e. sweat), and is also partly made of recycled fabric. I'm hoping to get to a free class this weekend at one of their stores to try it out, to make sure it is worth all the hype before I buy. (Now that I've officially decided on the Montreal teacher training this September, I'm investing in a sturdy mat!)

What mat do you use? Do you bring it with you on holidays?

Namaste,
Callah

Excitement!

Over two things... this new, super-easy customizable blogger template, and getting the very first issue of my yoga journal subscription in the mail! (On a day when I had the flu... it cheered me up as much as was actually possible!)

And more good news... I will definitely be attending a Moksha teacher training this year, I just have to decide... Toronto, or Montreal? I'm leaning towards Montreal.
Happy Friday!

Namaste,
Callah
(P.S... still looking for anyone to exchange links! I want to get my blog out into the yogi/ni- blog world!)