It's a beautiful day

It's a beautiful day to change your life, or at least make it better.

Change.takes time. I often see people getting frustrated..  They say, "I can't balance". Yoga is not about coming in that way. It is about leaving that way.  People say, "I am not flexible". Yoga is not about flexibility. It is about mobility and breath.  People say, "I don't have time." Time is all you have.  

My yoga practice has been the connecting thread that has helped to guide change in my life. It continues to teach me about possibility, courage and determination. It gives me time and space to think, reflect and learn so I remain focused on what matters.

I find that the best experiences are those that take me inside of myself to the universe that is me. It is there that I explore the boundaries of my own making, including my stories, my assumptions about my abilities, my ego and my intentions.  Each time I practice, I learn something new about this universe that is alive within me.

As a student, I have learned that what I bring to the practice is what I receive. If I bring fear, ego, anger and mistrust, that is my practice. If I bring openness and a sense of discovery,that is also my practice.  When I want to be committed, I make a job out of whatever it is I want to do.  So, in 2013, I made a commitment to become a yoga teacher. I was accepted into the 300 hour, highly intensive Teacher Training Program at The Bodhi Tree Yoga Studioin Regina, with Colin Hall and Sarah Garden.

I chose the Bodhi Tree Yoga Studio in Regina because I value the commitment to learning and diversity.  As Colin says, "Yoga is a big tent.  There is plenty of room for all types of yoga."  This inclusive approach creates space for new ideas to emerge.

In our Teacher Training Program of over 21 students, we all come from different walks of life, but we share a common desire to help facilitate an experience of continuous discovery and learning both on the mat and off the mat.

With nearly 200 hours of training,  I am now teaching vinyasa 1 and hot vinyasa.   As a teacher of yoga, I am now a facilitator of this experience that has brought me to a better place in my life, aspiring to create an environment that encourages living well on and off the mat.

My teaching practice is about the integration of breath and movement. The practice is about creating an environment where we can be present in the moment, instead of being pushed from the past to the future. We end in savasana, to still the mind and the body and feel the essence of who we are beyond our titles, roles and job descriptions. In that moment, I hope for peacefulness and bliss.

It is important to remember that change takes time. I often see people getting frustrated.  They say, "I can't balance". Yoga is not about coming in that way. It is about leaving that way.  People say, "I am not flexible". Yoga is not about flexibility. It is about mobility and breath.  People say, "I don't have time." Time is the most valuable thing we have so use it strategically.

In the corporate world where I spent over 20 years as a corporate planner, 80% of the executive's job description is about setting and leading strategy. Considering the average salary of an executive is about $200K, times eight (an average number around the table), that's $1.6 million / year being invested in ensuring the company is healthy, moving forward and using its time and money strategically.

If a person were to invest 80% of his or her time in living well, I believe that we would be healthier, happier and more fulfilled in our lives.

A yoga practice can serve that purpose.  All one has to do is show up and let the rest happen. When you come, remember this:

1. Your yoga practice is about who you are, nothing more or less.  
2. You are not expected to be anything other than who you are in that moment.  
3. It is not about the way you look, the logo on your clothes, or hair and make up. In fact, these layers  will quickly melt away, and generally can be found in a puddle on your mat.

Just come practice. The rest will take care of itself.