Chi-elements

All body/mind techniques incorporate the use of breath with movement. In addition to the numerous physiological benefits that breathing techniques bring you - improves blood circulation, increase the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the cells of the body, calms the nervous system – it is all the mental benefits that you shouldn’t underestimate. What benefits would these be? It is the easiest and best way to bring yourself into the present moment. By doing so, you can refocus your mind, reduce your stress and act from a centered place. It is a great mediation technique and I would encourage you to practice it regularly. Here is an easy technique to try at home (ideally before you go to bed or when you get up in the morning): • Sit in a quiet place and close your eyes if that’s comfortable for you • Begin to breath and count how long it takes for you to inhale and how long to exhale • Next, try to make your inhales equal to your exhales: i.e. if it takes you 6 counts to inhale, make s

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” Teddy Roosevelt Best is the man who tries and fails than to never have dared to live his dreams for fear of failing. At least the former has lived. Do not be afraid of what others might think or say of you, you are the one that is daring to live greatly.

In chapters 2/3 of "The New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle we learn about the ego. As he explains it, the ego is a false sense of self based on forms (identification with things). The egoic mind is completely conditioned by the past in: 1) Content: conditioned by your environment, surroundings, culture (jobs, etc...) 2) Structure: identification with things (the ego seeks things to identify with - no matter what it is as a form of self validation) Wanting is more important to the ego than having. Anytime you feel superior or inferior to others it is always the ego! Interestingly, Tolle explains that what we react to in another we strengthen in ourselves. In other words, the force of your reaction is a good indication to you of what you might need to work on in yourself. So how do we start to become more satisfied with who we are and what we have? By stopping the illusion of seeking fulfillment in the future and/or past. The thing that is of prime importance in our lives is the prese

As you may have noticed through following my Pilates classes, there is a systematic and sequential order to the exercises – even if we add some new things from class to class. This is one of the key things that makes Classical Pilates different from other mainstream Pilates classes and it isn’t without reason. Joseph Pilates intended the method to be a “movement system” linked with a specific purpose to help develop flow, endurance and stamina. When you continuously repeat exercises what you are doing is called patterning (working on sending impulses from the brain, through to the central nervous system, and then to the muscles). When you pattern the transmission of impulses from the brain to the muscles by repeating exercises over and over, the brain starts to improve its ability to recruit more muscles and you get stronger each time. The added bonus is that this same ability you acquire during class transfers over to day to day life, helping you recruit your core muscles to support y

Many mom’s will agree that bringing a new life into this world is one of the most remarkable experiences a woman ever gets to go through. With the many joys also come many challenges. The multi tasking that a woman thought she mastered certainly gets challenged to whole new levels. The new routine, the change in pace, the 24 hour care for someone other than you, can put a lot of strain on a new mom, both physically and mentally. Post-Natal Yoga is the perfect way to get your body and mind back into shape after giving birth. It is a gentle, yet effective, way to strengthen your body, correct posture imbalances and alleviate stress. Postures will help work on strengthening the abdominals, lower back, and pelvic floor, while helping reduce tension in the upper back/shoulders, neck and opening the chest. Breath work will help you reconnect you with the present moment, allowing you to feel calmer, more relaxed and gain a new sense of control and inner harmony. Qualities that any new mom w

Now lets look at the second lecture I attended on Day 3 - The 4 Stages of Healing by T.K.V. Desikachar. Desikachar has a way of lecturing that is very practical and down to earth. His talks are always full of lively examples, which clearly illustrate the goal of the lecture. In this particular one, we went over some of the objectives that Patanjali puts forth in the Yoga Sutra. Patanjali basically says: You are in trouble, identify your trouble, have a long term goal, and you will be liberated. Though Desikachar is quick to point out that it is not always so simple. The 4 stages are as follows: What are the symptoms? What is the cause? What are the goals? Pacify or Purify or both? Find the means that will serve (solution) We need to remember though that Improvement is gradual - it is a step by step process. When you see improvement, then you begin to make changes to the means (the solution). Never forgetting that FAITH is a powerful healing tool. So part of the means should always inc