What would you like more of?

In the new year I plan on adding what has somehow gotten lost from my life through much of this year to crappy stuff like family stresses and paperwork etc... 

It's Nature. There will be much more nature. 

ahhh...earth chi

Going away is nice but coming back is really nice too...

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair- Khalil Gibran

Yay for this Richmond school!

Every single school out there should have a garden space. Even if a tiny, tiny little space is all they can have. Love these stories! Time spent out in the garden? Priceless. Working together? Priceless? Learning about plants, the environment and growing your own food? Again, absolutely priceless. And it's almost Earth Day! My community garden plot is exactly where I'll be spending mine. Its truly bliss and it's been far too long. Yay for gardening season! And Happy Earth day everyone!

It's finally here and right outside your door Vancouver...

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

Trees are just magnificent all year long. This time of year I like them best at dusk.

Yoga for the feet

Those of you who come to my classes know that I focus on the feet a lot. How important they are in grounding us, how the lower body meridians both begin and end in the feet and how important the health, openness and happiness of our feet is to our place in life. The earth has a natural flow of electrons emitting from it constantly. One element of this is called Earth Chi (Qi) or Earthing.

Here is an article by a much loved Teacher of mine Bernie Clark (whom I studied Yin Yoga with). Bernie knows a great deal on the topic.

At times there can be so much going on in our lives, so much energy going out of us that we can lose this connectedness. Stretching, massaging of the feet and toes, and really feeling our feet and the connection they make with the earth can sometimes ground us in way that nothing else can. Now that the temperatures have dropped and the winter is approaching we we're less likely to be barefoot and it is through our feet that we gather Earth Chi. Remember there is always Tadasana (mountain pose), and of course getting outside in nature no matter the season. When you need to ground yourself just pause, connect, and feel your place in the world.

And take care of your feet!

In this video Todd Caldecott (website here) interviews the lovely Alix Rodrigues of Greenroom yoga on the feet. Greenroom Yoga's website is here

The Barefoot Professor: by Nature Video

I know a great many runners and have a huge number who frequent my classes. I prefer to walk (and walk and walk..I love my walks)! Anyways running, walking, hiking, surfing, whatever keeps us active is marvelous. I imagine that like me, you have read all the many studies and articles coming out on on running and footwear. If you are a runner it is worth thinking about. Wanted to share this video as it is great. I found it on Leslie Kaminoff's blog.

community and garden are two really beautiful words.

Not really sure how, but my (neglected) garden plot still manages to put food on our table. I haven't been around the garden much the past few months but hey...it happens to all of us. That thing called life! Now that summer is winding down I will be making the garden much more of a priority again. Luckily for us here in BC we can garden all year long and grow much of our own food. Here are a few pics of the garden this morning. Every garden is just such a heavenly place to be. In spite of my neglect I've still got lettuce, potatos, beets, peppers, squash, basil, cilantro, thyme, parsley, chives, pumpkins, rosemary, onion...I can't even think of what else right now. Soon I will also have eggplant, and hopefully a few carrots. I am looking forward to growing garlic this year as well. Hope I don't miss the boat again on the planting of the garlic again! Really can't recommend enough, growing your own food. It is truly something I wish I started doing long ago for countless reasons.

what will be our jack-o lanterns!