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

LOVE this woman.

While not big on New Years Resolutions I am big on changing things that aren't working for me and I currently have some of those "things" going on in my life, and I am pondering the future.

I just read this on Facebook. Here is my Facebook Page if you'd like to be on it.
Such wisdom from Pema Chodron below:

 LEAVING THE NEST

All too frequently we relate like timid birds who don't dare to leave the nest. Here we sit in a nest that's getting pretty smelly and that hasn't served its function for a very long time. No one is arriving to feed us. No one is protecting us and keeping us warm. And yet we keep hoping mother bird will arrive.

We could do ourselves the ultimate favor and finally get out of that nest. That this takes courage is obvious. That we could use some helpful hints is also clear. We may doubt that we're up to being a warrior-in-training. But we can ask ourselves this question: "Do I prefer to grow up and relate to life directly, or do I choose to live and die in fear?"
Excerpted from "The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times", page 7.Heart Advice weekly quotes from Pema Chodron, courtesy of Shambhala Publications.

This is a great quote. And throw some yoga into the mix and you've got it made!

Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life. 
Marilu Henner

"You time" Time for you and only you. Hope you get some.

You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.
–Joseph Campbell

Remember to do it.

Often and on purpose.

Nothing changes your physiology faster, and its right there under your nose.

Yin Yoga with me every Thursday evening at The Roundhouse from 730-845pm

The Roundhouse is located at 181 Roundhouse Mews at the corner of Davie St @ Pacific Blvd right across the street from the Canada Line skytrain Station (Roundhouse stop)
 Get ready to feel delicious!  604-713-1800 (press 2)

I just added a testimonial link to the right of this post

Just spent the morning reading testimonials that people had written about time spent with me practicing yoga. Needless to say, I have a box of kleenex beside me! *sniff*

Testimonials from people from all different walks of life. Some of them momma's (pre and post natal), some of them dads, some athletes, grandparents, folks with limited mobility, children... and even peers and other teachers I admire greatly.

And the truth is... I didn't even know where to start I have so many!

I know that I am very vocal in telling people I care about "just what they mean to me" on a regular basis, but I want to tell you again.

You will never (in a million years) know what you all add to my life.

You ALL mean the world. To those I still see regularly, and to those of you who have moved on...I still think of you all the time.

*Yoga is still waiting for you if you have been on a break (nudge nudge wink wink)

I am so blessed to have known (and to still know) so many of you.

YOU have made my life more rich than I can ever say. Thank YOU so very much.

Are you trying to conceive? Trying for a baby?

While nothing is a guarantee...
Are you familiar with Yin Yoga? I just received 'another' email this morning from a SUPER happy momma-to-be who will be leaving my Yin class to attend one of my  Prenatal classes and she is convinced that it was the Yin practice that made it happen after trying all sorts of ways.. (**And it happens all the time)

While I don't believe there are any actual studies, Yin Yoga DOES target the areas primarily from the navel to the knees and opens things up and lubricates things like never before and for conception and implantation to take place we need to be open. And relaxed. The practice removes stagnation and encourages Chi (prana) into the pelvic region in particular (reproductive organs) which is VERY healthy for the organs. And again, it's VERY relaxing and gives you more time to meditate and go within and connect with yourself on a deeper level increasing your body awareness even more than a more active yoga practice. And its the same hormones that 'get baby in there' as get baby 'out of there' if you know what I mean (nudge nudge wink wink;).
I can't recommend Yin Yoga enough for all sorts of reasons but if you are trying to conceive come to class and we'll do a special fertility flow anytime you like.

A brand new session of Yin Yoga starts up on Thursday at The Roundhouse at the corner of Davie St @ Pacific Blvd. Its super casual and all you need is to bring yourself.
To register go to www.roundhouse.ca or call 604-713-1800 (press 2)

Greet everyone you meet with a warm smile.

No matter how busy you are, 
don't rush enounters with co-workers, family and friends.
Speak softly. Listen attentively. 
Act as if every conversation you have 
is the most important thing on your mind today.
 Look your children and your partner in the eyes when they talk to you.
 Stroke the cat, caress the dog.
 Lavish love on every living being you meet. 
See how different you feel at the end of the day.

 ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach 



A sweet student of mine had an article published and she is a really great writer.

The article is by By Lisa Marie Sterr and it's on Page 7 of the Fall issue of the Networker

Lisa Marie is really talented and lovely and open and honest and I cherish our relationship very much. We go way back have shared many a yoga class together. She inspires me. She wrote this one evening after a yoga class with me and I am glad she shared it with me. I can certainly relate in a huge way to much of what she says. 

It’s nice that yoga is always there for us through challenging times AND happy times. *All we have to do it show up. 

It isn't always easy, but we always feel better for it on every level. That’s the promise of yoga.

Here it is: Sometimes help comes from the most unexpected places. I’ve been feeling so tormented lately; full of raw emotions. About an hour before leaving for my yoga class, I have the most intense cry. I am so sad. Yet somehow I manage to eat, put on my yoga clothes, and head out the door.

Entering the classroom, I notice the soft lighting. My yoga teacher says hi to me by name, and I feel like she’s happy to see me. I settle on a mat. As the class begins, I focus on breathing. Still, it is a struggle to stay present, since I’ve been floating away from my body so much lately. I tell myself it will be a victory if I can have even moments of being grounded.

In the quiet room, all I can hear is my teacher’s voice, the yoga music and the sound of people breathing. Everything else falls away. I focus on my body and on following the poses. My neglected body, so alienated and uninhabited, is now moving and stretching. I feel it freeze, as it has been doing so often lately. I take a moment to notice it, then start moving again.

In the “downward dog” pose, I push all my tension, all my feelings of being trapped, into my arms. In “warrior,” I stand tall and feel my feet rooting down. My vision sharpens and I am present in the room, for the first time in weeks. I twist and bend, feeling the rawness in my joints, the heat rushing through my body.

And then the reward: relaxation.

I relax into my teacher’s voice – a pleasant melody soothing all the discordant notes inside me; into the supports under my head and knees and the cushioning of the yoga mat beneath me. The floor is smooth and cool under my hands. It is safe here. For the first time in weeks, I can rest.

Fluid, juicy sensations float through me as I leave the class. I’m melty, like the most exquisite piece of chocolate, and also warm and tingly, like feeling really close to someone. My body has been craving this sooth- ing – which I found, not in a bag of cookies or in my therapy group, but at yoga. I found it inside my body, where I’ve been feeling so much torment. I don’t know how long it will last; the anguish may come flooding back tomorrow. But for now I revel, and rest, in the relief.

Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don't feel confident -- can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain

Fantastic talk! Fascinating, lovely and inspiring. I feel especially touched by this talk as I once suffered a brain injury in a car accident and had to start over again as well. I can totally relate. The climb back up isn't easy but you must persevere. And sometimes in this life you do have to fake it, until you become it, and what you do practice day in and day out, you become. The talk is 21 mins long. Sit back and enjoy xo

Hope your weekend is a little like this!

And if you missed the start of any of any of my new class sessions that started last week there is always time to register and join in anytime during a session at the lower price (or drop in)!

Costs are always prorated.

See you on the mat friends. Giv'er this weekend!

Its almost back to school *sniff sniff*

Sadly can't remember where I got this. Somewhere on the internet. If its yours, thanks! Brought a tear to my eye and I don't even have a child.

My classes will be subbed from Tues July 31-Thurs Aug 9th

 *Yin Yoga UPDATE- yin students will be called and refunded for the two classes missed after all. take care friends!
Hi friends!

I suddenly have to split town for a family emergency and all my classes will be running with subs. 

All but Yin Yoga. Yin Yoga Thurs Aug 2 &  9 is CANCELLED.

I can A) make it up to ya

or B) You can get the class refunded.

Can't always plan for the family sadnesss.

I'll be missing my little yoga family which is YOU!

See you again soon.

And P.S. There is no Yoga on BC Day, Monday Aug 6 anyways.

Have a great long weekend.

Any other questions please feel free to email me at yoginilori@gmail.com anytime

OR I'm always around on both my Facebook Pages regardless of what city I am in so you can always find me there! (links on the right hand column of this page).

**Be sure to continue to register for the classes/sessions of your choice! Looking forward to catching up right where we left off, the week after next! ** 

A HUGE thank you to everyone who has been so supportive throughout this very difficult time. You all know who you are and you all mean the world. 

Life is filled with suffering, but...

Life is filled with suffering, but it is also filled with many wonders, like the blue sky, the sunshine, the eyes of a baby. To suffer is not enough. We must also be in touch with the wonders of life. They are within us and all around us, everywhere, any time.

~Thich Nhat Hanh

"The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation." -Milarepa

In a group, alone, while eating, while walking...make friends with yourself.

Why we practice

The question we need to ask ourselves is whether there is any place we can stand in ourselves where we can look at all that’s happening around us without freaking out, where we can be quiet enough to hear our predicament, and where we can begin to find ways of acting that are at least not contributing to further destabilization.
–Ram Dass
Thanks to Parabloa magazine for the quote

It is these moments

We must remember to be present during those fleeting moments in this life where we are deeply touched, and awake, and present in our lives... for those truly are the moments. The real moments that take our breath away and break our heart wide open. Its moments like these that give our lives meaning. 
Wishing you a joyous and peaceful weekend friends. Namaste.

“When we do our Practice…”

Have you noticed that the sunset is more vivid when we do our practice? And that there are fewer “jerks” on the freeway? The hardwood floor is the most comfortable bed in the world when we do our practice. Our mate is more patient and kind when we do our practice. Even the government seems more organized - when we do our practice. We want less and give more, we notice beautiful hearts, and are more forgiving of the mean-spirited. When we do our practice it is as if we live in a different world with our hearts open wide. But of course it is not the world that has changed; it is we who have changed, and that is one of the great secrets of yoga. We change but it appears as if the world around us blooms like a flower.-Max Strom

Your mind is like a living room.

Sometimes guests arrive and sit down. Sometimes you realize that you don’t like them, that you don’t enjoy their company. Eventually they leave. And you vow to be more careful about the people you invite. Learning whom to invite is an art. —Thich Nhat Hanh