Don't know of any better birth preparation than yoga

The practice involves not just exercise but mindfulness as well, opening both your body and mind to what lies ahead. A study of 74 first-time mothers in Thailand found that those who did prenatal yoga experienced less pain and a shorter labour.

Whether you believed in his politics, or not...

Jack Layton was greatly loved by Canadians. RIP Jack Layton. 1950-2011

This past Saturday (less than 48 hours before he died), Jack Layton penned a very moving two page letter to Canadians. The letter can be found here.

Politics aside here are a just a couple of excerpts:

“Unfortunately, my treatment has not worked out as I hoped,” he wrote. “So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.”

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world." -August 20 2011-Jack Layton 1950-2011

“In meditation, effort must be applied in a direction opposite to what we are used to. Our ‘effort’ must be to relax ever more deeply. We must ultimately release the tension from both our muscles and our thoughts. When we relax so deeply that we are able to internalize the energy of the senses, the mind becomes focused and a tremendous flow of energy is awakened. Meditation is a continuous process, and can be said to have three stages: relaxation, interiorization, and expansion.” – John Novak, Lessons in Meditation.

Here is my fall schedule and the time to register is now :)

You don't need to bring a thing, just yourself! And registering not only ensures that a class will run, but saves you $3 per class. This is affordable yoga! (just as it should be)

The Roundhouse Community Center

located at the corner of Davie @ Pacific across from the "Roundhouse" Canada Line Skytrain

Prenatal Yoga

Tues and/or Thurs evening from 545pm-715pm

Sept 6-Oct 25/Nov 1-Dec 20

Sept 8-Oct 27/Nov 3-Dec 22

Baby and Me Yoga

Thurs afternoon from 1230pm-2pm

Sept 8-Oct 27/Nov 3-Dec 22

Mixed levels Hatha (always with a little yin and vinyasa thrown in)

Tues evening from 730pm-9pm

Sept 6-Oct 25/Nov 1-Dec 20

**NEW**

Yoga for Limited Mobility

Thurs evening from 730pm-830pm

Sept 8-Oct 20/Oct 27/Dec 8

To register for my Roundhouse classes call 604-713-1800 or click here

Mount Pleasant Community Centre

located at #1 Kingsway @ 7th (corner of Main St and 7th Ave at Kingsway)

Daytime Hatha

Mon and/or Wed afternoon from 1230pm-2pm

Sept 12-Oct 31 (no class oct 10) / Nov 7-Dec 19

Prenatal Yoga

Wed evening from 630pm-745pm

Sept 14-Oct 26/Nov 2-Dec 21

Baby and Me Yoga

Mon morning/afternoon from 1045am-1215pm

Sept 12-Oct 31 (no class oct 10) / Nov 7-Dec 19

To register for classes at Mount Pleasant call 604-257-3080 or click here

*All classes/costs are prorated as well and it is much cheaper to register than to drop in at both places.*

The autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic system, which is often identified with the fight-or-flight response, and the parasympathetic, which is identified with what's been called the relaxation response. When you do yoga - the deep breathing, the stretching, the movements that release muscle tension, the relaxed focus on being present in your body - you initiate a process that turns the fight-or-flight system off and the relaxation response on. That has a dramatic effect on the body. The heartbeat slows, respiration decreases, blood pressure decreases. The body seizes this chance to turn on the healing mechanisms. ~Richard Faulds

Ever tempted to give someone the silent treatment?

I was awakened the other morning by a girlfriend in tears and very distressed by something I can relate to. The silent treatment.

We discussed that while we can understand taking time to cool off and walk away, just not addressing the issue and ignoring the other person involved just didn't make any sense to us. And well... its just plain cruel.

I decided to look into literature about it and came across a great article out of Purdue University by a Social Psychologist named Kipling William. He says "Excluding and ignoring people, such as giving them the cold shoulder or silent treatment, are used to punish or manipulate, and people may not realize the emotional or physical harm that is being done."

He speaks of ostracism in the animal kingdom, the workplace and in families. He also describes what it does to the brain in saying "When a person is ostracized for even a brief period of time, the anterior cingulate cortex, the part of the brain that detects pain, is activated and people experience the same initial pain when excluded by strangers or close friends, or even enemies. He says that thats why 'time outs' work so well while disciplining children. But in adults? Its bullying basically. Passive aggressive, manipulative, unnecessary bullying.

As much as I don't recall ever really giving anyone the silent treatment for more than a day/hours etc (although I've certainly been tempted to) I always decided that if I loved/cared for the person and the relationship mattered to me I'd try and work it out, and if I didn't it might just be better all the way around to end the relationship/break the ties. Anyways, I think most people out there have experienced either giving, or getting the silent treatment at some point, and by now I hope that my gal pal has dried her tears because life goes on! And I am sure that whoever was giving her the silent treatment is in pain as well, as we are all experiencing our own reality in each moment. And relationships are tricky for all of us, and sometimes we just don't know what to do, or how to respond. I don't think that everyone who gives the cold shoulder does so to purposefully hurt others. I think that it might be a way of protecting themselves as well, but maybe learning what it actually does to the brain might make someone go about things a little differently. Or I hope.

Its my long held belief that a little kindness goes a long long way, and most situations (no matter how crappy) can be worked out among people who love truly one another. In spite of everything is a really beautiful world. Namaste.

Now heres a cool Guerrilla stunt. Its at the corner of Georgia and Thurlow.

A friend just brought a really interesting movie on plastics to my attention this morning as well. I just finished watching it and its great. It would be a wonderful little flick to show children (although its likely not the children who are the problem, its us adults.) The movie is by Ramen Bahrani. Here is the link: FUTURESTATES : Plastic Bag By Ramin Bahrani For more info on plastics and the environment go to The Plastic Pollution Coalition website here