Do you volunteer?

Do you volunteer? Over the holiday season or throughout the year?

Pretty much everywhere you go this time of year you can see people giving of their most valuable commodity. Time.

Speaking as somebody who has volunteered pretty much my whole life I can tell you that everybody wins. Not only the person/people you are giving the time to, but you too benefit. Hugely. I'm not exaggerating in saying that it might just be one of the most valuable experiences of your life.

If you give of yourself, good on ya!

And if you don't you should do yourself and the folks in your community a favour by giving of yourself. There is only one you. And the world needs us! All of us.

We all have causes we believe in and topics that interest us. And we all have skills and ways of helping unique to us. Everyone can benefit! I almost feel guilty volunteering. Nothing makes you feel better! It adds such a richness to your life. I believe it releases endorphins too. And from a karmic stand point you can't go wrong. We will all need help in this life and thats a fact. So why not help?

I have an array of organizations I love to help but the two biggest are The Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada (website here), including their BrainWAVE Program ( website here), and the one and only Shanti Uganda Society (website here). *Both of which are always looking for volunteers!

If you ever had any questions for me or wanted to be pointed in the right direction feel free to contact me, anytime at yoginilori@gmail.com I'd really love to help you get started. You will not regret it!

Happy holidays and namaste xo

Did you know?

The winner of the 2007 NYC marathon was the mother of a 9 month old baby.

Isn't that amazing? I heard it mentioned the other day and it is just so inspiring.

All you moms inspire me so. You are all so truly amazing.

Thanks for being in my life. xo

take some time to get quiet and don't be afraid to be who you really are

Every day we slaughter our finest impulses. That is why we get a heart-ache when we read those lines written by the hand of a master and recognize them as our own, as the tender shoots which we stifled because we lacked the faith to believe in our own powers, our own criterion of truth and beauty. Every man, when he gets quiet, when he becomes desperately honest with himself, is capable of uttering profound truths. We all derive from the same source. There is no mystery about the origin of things. We are all part of creation, all kings, all poets, all musicians; we have only to open up, to discover what is already there. ~Henry Miller

snow withdrawal

I'm going through a little snow withdrawal now that it's gone. Was it something we said?

Todays the day! Bring a clean blanket on your commute!

*Bring a blanket on your way to work/school/yoga Friday Nov 26!

Click here for more info

Let's join Gregory and his young son help keep the homeless warm this winter!

Qi

The character for Qi (pronounced chee) represents steam rising from rice, meaning the air of life, a symbol for effortless sustenance.

Call me weird

hahaha..Call me weird but I love to learn, study and practice (Yoga that is)!

And I am forever grateful that I found yoga as there will never ever be a shortage of things to learn, thats for sure! I am and will always be a student of yoga.

Do you have something in your life that you love so much that you could study and practice all day and night and never tire of? I hope you do. I didn't use to. Just because I attended my first yoga class twenty-something years ago doesn't mean that I was a committed yogi back then. Not at all! Thank goodness yoga is always there waiting for you. My lifestyle was so not yogic. In fact I was hurting myself in all sorts of ways. Yoga to me (for years) didn't really have much depth. I didn't meditate at all. I didn't get the mind/body connection, and making the perfect yoga pose was pretty much all I cared about.

My mind was always racing as I went through the asanas (poses) and my thoughts were always wandering to where the next party was, what guy I was seeing at the time...ahhh..the drama! As much as I wouldn't change my past I am happy for the now.

I still love drama, but high drama. And being 46 I'd be pretty haggard if I continued on that path til now and didn't slow down. I actually feel better than I did in my 20's and credit my yoga practice to no end for that.

I have been so blessed to have studied with some true Master Teachers from far and wide over the years.

This year alone it's been Cyndi Lee, Martin Kirk, Margot McKinnon, Nischala Joy Devi, Seane Corn...and honestly the list goes on. This year I received my Yin Yoga certification through one of my first and most respected teachers Bernie Clark, and I am currently immersed in Teacher Training with Sadie Nardini whom I have done quite a few workshops with in the past, and like very much. Come January I am thrilled to be spending more time with Michael Stone (and I really, REALLY can't wait for that one).

With yoga the learning never ends. And for that I am so grateful. I can't recommend enough finding something that turns you on and becoming a student of "it", whatever it is. I truly believe you will never get old. Find something you love and learn everything you can about it.

When I go to sleep I can't wait to wake up each morning, and I wish the same for you. Namaste XO