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

Yoga is superior to all other forms of exercise during pregnancy (hands down).

If you came to any of my teacher workshops at the Yoga Conference last weekend I provided you with a TON of studies on yoga and its benefits to absolutely everyone. (Luckily there are hundreds of studies and I have spent weeks compiling them.) There are still lot's that I didn't include (on prenatal yoga specifically) and here are just a couple:  

our yoga room at mount pleasant. 

A study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that doing yoga while pregnant increased the odds of a healthy delivery. The 335 women studied added a yoga class during their second trimester; the result was higher birth weights and lower pregnancy-induced hypertension compared to non-yoga-practicing participants. 

*Also Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that yoga is superior to other forms of exercise in its positive effect on mood and anxiety.

I must admit...

I am thoroughly and wholeheartedly blown away by the number of emails I have received since teaching my workshops this past weekend at The Yoga Conference and Show. I am really glad they were so well received. 

Its only because of all of YOU for coming and and sharing yourselves!

I learned so much from ALL of you and hope to be attending all of YOUR workshops soon as well! We all have so much to share. I love my yoga community. It was fun meeting and sharing with people from far and wide. You all rule. Never go a' changin' xo

I'm STOKED!

Projector? Check.

Pelvis and Baby Model? Check.

Yoga gear? Check.

Tons of studies backing up much of what you are going to learn from me this weekend? Check. 

I am all ready for the Yoga Conference and its is going to be fantastic because it always is. I feel so blessed and honoured to be sharing my knowledge on my two absolute favourite topics in this life.Yoga and Pregnancy/Birth. 

Today (Friday) is a very short workshop (Introduction) from 6pm-8pm and Sunday promises to be way more in-depth as we meet from 11:30am-6:30pm. 

Get ready to laugh, (maybe cry) and have LOADS of fun with me this weekend! Theres still room! I'm stoked. There is something for everyone at The Yoga Conference including a HUGE show floor that you can attend for free! Scroll down a few posts and you'll see free passes for the show. Just print them off. Hope to see you there xo

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)

Just realized all my current sessions are wrapping up! Register today if you can!

Daytime Yoga (Mixed levels) Mon & Wed 1230-2pm at Mount Pleasant

Mixed Levels Yoga Tues 730-9pm at The Roundhouse

Prenatal Yoga Wed 630-745pm at Mount Pleasant

Prenatal Yoga Tues & Thurs 545-715pm at The Roundhouse 

Baby and Me Yoga Mon 1045-12pm at Mount Pleasant

Baby and Me Yoga Thurs 1230-2pm at The Roundhouse
Yin Yoga Thursdays 730-845pm (generally goes til 9pm) at The Roundhouse

Mount Pleasant 604-257-3080 (press 2) 

Roundhouse 604-713-1800 (press 2)

life stressing you out? feeling stiff and achy? looking for balance?

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.

Cute video filmed at my favourite Yoga studio! Exhale Center for Sacred Movement in Venice!

This video makes me want to get back to Southern California! 
I've done lot's of squats in that very room and love that studio so much! It's just steps from Venice beach. If you find yourself in L.A. get yourself to 245 South Main St, and wherever you are squat! It's not a new thing. It's our modern lifestyles and furniture that is to blame for many of our aches and pains. Protect your spine and don't lose that lumbar curve! Squat, squat and squat some more ;)

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. 

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

Think of your body being wrapped in a fishnet hose, both internally and externally. It is and it's called fascia.

If you come to my classes I speak a great deal about fascia and we work to get rid of impediments and imbalances in every class. Working with the fascia through yoga and/or massage therapy will change your life. And thats a promise. Below, Dr. Frank Lipton speaks on your yoga practice and fascia. Enjoy!

Dr. Frank Lipman: Why Yoga Works from MindBodyGreen on Vimeo.

Love "your" tree. Its beautiful♥

Just spent the weekend studying with the one and only Judith Lasater and she recommended we watch this video, and I just did. So amazing. BTW, if you ever get a chance to do a workshop/training/bask in Judith's wisdom a while (in any city) I highly recommend taking advantage. I am full of gratitude.

She is coming back to Vancouver in September for a Restorative Yoga Teacher training. For more info go to www.judithlasater.com OR you can go to www.soulspringwellness.ca or email Christina directly at christina@soulspringwellness.ca. *A heads up that this woman has never had a workshop that hasn't sold out in record time.*

Enjoy the video. Thank you Judith Hanson Lasater for all you gave us this weekend.

Come to the movies with me!

Shanti Uganda Society (www.shantiuganda.org) will be hosting a special screening of Yogawoman (www.yogawoman.tv) and holding a silent auction at Denman Cinema's on February 28th from 6pm - 9:30pm in order to raise funds towards improving infant and maternal health, providing safe women-centered care and supporting the well-being of birthing mothers and women living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda. Featured in the film, Shanti Uganda uses yoga to improve the spiritual, physical and emotional well-being of communities impacted by HIV/AIDS, poverty and war in Uganda.

YOGAWOMAN is a groundbreaking feature film about the powerful impact of yoga on women's health, fitness, emotional well-being, and personal growth. In record numbers, women are finding strength, vitality, peace and power through yoga. Reclaiming this ancient spiritual path from its traditionally male form, the result is a radical transformation of modern yoga as we know it.

YOGAWOMAN gathers 50 of the world’s leading yoga experts in an exploration of this global phenomenon that has changed the face of yoga forever.This screening will benefit Shanti Uganda (www.shantiuganda.org) and tickets can be purchased through Event Brite or at the Cinema on the day of the event.

Cat Yoga

Did you know that yoga actually makes your brain more flexible as well as your body?

I think we all know by now thanks to fMRI's etc. that we can continue to mold and change our brains as we age and there's not much better news than that!

There has just been so much research on the plasticity "changeability" of the brain in recent years and there is absolutely no denying it. It is just so thrilling that we can continue to expand pathways in our brain, and adapt and learn as we age. And many folks are living sooo much longer these days (interestingly, I just read that there are "48,000" centenarians living in the United States alone right now surprisingly).

And although none of us knows how long we are going to live I do know one thing for sure... as long as I live I really hope and pray I can take care of myself and "think" up until the end whenever that may be.

Yoga is brilliant in so many ways:

Did you know that stem cells that form new neurons in the brain come from the bone? (the marrow of our bones)

When we practice yoga we are "literally" creating the stem cells that form new neurons in our brains. We are stimulating the brain to grow so we can have more available pathways.

Its truly fascinating, and too amazing for words.

And combine that with all the other brain benefits of meditation? Its just so incredibly huge. (Almost too much to wrap my brain around haha)

So remember, even if/when we're elderly our brains can keep rewiring themselves protecting against cognitive decline both structurally AND functionally, and thats wonderful news!

See you on the mat friends! Namaste.

Thanks for another great year! Looking forward to seeing you back in class next week (in 2012)!!

Hap-hap-hap-y New Year to you!

Mindfulness=Stress Reduction

HERE is an article I wrote for Vancouvermom.ca last week on stress reduction and mindfulness over the holidays (and anytime).

Its full of self care tips and things that have helped me.

And if they have helped me,they can help anyone! Believe me. I have a stress disorder!

I love Vancouvermom.ca and I believe its the greatest resource out there for mom's, dad's and families. If you haven't already, check it out HERE

Hope you are keeping your cool this holiday season. Namaste.

We can't always change our outer world but we really can change our inner world.

Meditation makes us more resilient. One moment at a time is all it takes. Whether you have a formal meditation practice or not, just "be here now" as often as you can.

If you 'd like to meditate/learn to meditate in a group setting I'd love to show you. Thats exactly what we do when we practice our Yoga. We not only change our body, we change our brain. Its never about perfectionism, and thats why its called a "practice". All of my classes are perfect for beginners and affordable. Registration at Mount Pleasant CC (Main @Broadway) is on now. Registration for The Roundhouse starts this Friday Dec 9 (online) and Sat the 10th in person/by phone.

You really want to go to this, and it's this weekend!

The details are on the poster and its going to be fab! (you can click to enlarge).
A lovely yoga student pal of mine puts this on each year and has even donated "free of charge" a booth for my beloved Shanti Uganda Society! There will be some really truly amazing local craft vendors too, so if you are around and in the hood... grab a toonie and go!
Can't believe the holidays are so near. Have fun!

Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing who that is.

“It is about coming to realize that you are on a path whether you like it or not, namely the path that is your life.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn.