October 2015

Vacations can quickly become an opportunity for all sorts of trains to be derailed and wagons to go off track!! We have the best of intentions to use our extra down time while on vacation to get in extra or new workouts. Somewhere between the all-you-can-eat buffet and the late nights our intentions can seem to just disappear. Luckily, yoga is probably the easiest form of physical activity to take with us on our get-aways.

Firstly check out if your destination has a PYC location if you have a Universal Yoga Pass you are able to attend all PYC locations. This is a great option if visiting family, or out of town for work!!!

If your destination doesn’t have a PYC location check out my tips below to keep your yoga flowing and make your vacation a true opportunity to refuel and recharge!!

1. Utilize Your Change of Scenery – One of the best benefits of being a regular yogi is being able to connect to your surroundings, and what better place to do that then on vacation. Beaches, mountains, forests and jungle settings all lend themselves to an awesome and expansive yoga session. Connect with the location that drew you to visit in the first place and incorporate your flow into your temporary surroundings.
2. Bring a Travel Mat (or Towel) – Travel yoga mats are a great investment. They take up way less space than a traditional yoga mat and can easily be packed in a suitcase or strapped to a back pack. If space is an issue you can also ask the hotel, resort or hostel you staying at if they have a mat you could borrow throughout your stay! You would be surprised how many vacation destinations will oblige your request!!
3. Shorter Sessions – Don’t let a busy itinerary throw you off your routine. Short sessions that really target a specific body part can really boost your yoga practice. Spending your vacation focusing on hip-openers can do amazing things when you return to your full practice. Fit in one or two shorter sessions between sight-seeing and you will be very pleased with what that can do for your practice.
4. Enjoy the Alone Time – Vacations (especially ones that have big groups or require you visiting relatives) can be very stressful and full of CONSTANT social interaction. Schedule in your yoga practice and be vocal about disconnecting from the group to attend to your practice. Enjoy the quiet and come back to your group ready for some more heavy–duty socializing!
5. Podcasts – This is definitely my number one tip!! I regularly download my favorite classes from the PYC website and bring my fav instructors with me! I love bringing my practice with me and plugging into a great class and keeping my yoga practice on track, all while I enjoy my new “home” and all of the amazing sights and sounds that accompany it!

Going on vacation is a fantastic chance to really focus on your practice and come back to “The Real World” improved and focused. Set the intention and be prepared before you leave and most importantly enjoy your vacation no matter how big or small, exotic or local it is!

Enjoying the sights on our most recent vacation!

Namaste,

Amber

A few months back I had a super passionate PM fill my inbox with joy and intensity. It was from Nicole Shaw a Power Yoga Instructor at the Oshawa location. She really wanted people to hear why Private Yoga sessions at PYC where so beneficial to all levels of yogi’s!

And, she wanted me to write about it on the Blog!

Fast forward a few weeks and I had a better proposal for her. Why don’t we do an interview and YOU can tell people why they need private sessions in their lives!!! Nicole was all in, and super excited! So we had a passionate discussion and the following is what manifested!

Firstly, HERE are the details on Private Sessions. You can chose Private (One on One) Group Private (great for a bridal shower, team building or family bonding time!! –especially after too much Turkey!)

AC: What are the benefits of a private session with PYC?

NS: The benefits of a private session at any one of the Power Yoga Canada locations far outweigh the hesitations people may have about having that much attention focused on them. You benefit from individualized attention, you can work toward any sort of specific goal or work around a health concern. You are exposed to a world of modifications that you can take back into your own individual practice.

AC: What is the best part of a Private Session for the Instructor?

NS: We love the chance to utilize what we have learned and continue to learn. Especially if our yogi has a special goal or concern they would like addressed. I find that I grow with every private session I conduct. I am constantly learning from our Yogi’s.

AC: What drew you to PYC?

NS: I love that PYC sees the “big picture” they see the benefits of Community engagement and I think there overall vision really draws in like-minded people, that are able to create a positive place in our communities.

AC: What drew you to yoga?

NS: I became an instructor after college. I started to have bad panic attacks and anxiety issues and yoga became a safe place for me to work out what I was feeling. It allows me an alternative to the medications my doctor initially prescribed.

AC: What is your favorite quote? Something that sums you up?

NS: It is a quote I read by Aristotle;

“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives – choice, not chance, determines your destiny.”

AC: Piece of advice for anyone looking to join the PYC community?

NS: Start Now, Nothing is holding you back but you!!

Namaste,

Amber and Nicole

So I did it!! I made it back to three classes last week! I missed the first two I had intended to catch and then I had a little chat with myself and just did it.

It all started with a Jam. I felt supported and loved, just like I suspected.

The part I was surprised about was, that I was still able to be with myself on my mat. That is what I love about Yoga, it is super social and tied to it’s community in so many ways, but at that same time it holds a space for you to be with yourself. I had forgotten that.

I was able to feel uplifted by all the lovely yogi’s that were there to welcome me back with open arms. I answered some questions about my mom, hugged a lot and had some good moments with others that needed “permission” to come back to their mats and could relate to my hiatus. But then it was just me and my mat…

It is amazing how such a vibrant energetic space can instantaneously transform in to a quiet space for you to catch up with yourself.

I focused on my practice, appreciated how far I needed to go to get back to where I was before I took the summer off. I celebrated what I was still able to feel strong about and I sat in the fire created by taking an extended break. It was all about me. It was my practice and I was able to set the tone and focus on what I wanted to work on and what I wanted to celebrate.

By the time the class was finished I breathed a sigh of relief, yoga hadn’t disappointed me. I loved it just as much as I did before my mom got sick AND I could be quiet and introspective without falling apart completely.

Not to say that I wont hit my mat and fall apart emotionally one day, but last week I attended three classes (that made me feel strong and confident) and (for now) I didn’t.

Yoga is definitely part of my healing team. I will use it to check in with myself and see how I am doing during my “year of first’s” I will use my mat to cope with the “first” christmas, mother’s day, birthday, death anniversary and any other day that I need to check on my healing heart and remember the quiet space that is always waiting for me on my mat.

Thank you Yoga, for reminding me that when I need to take a break again that you will be there when I am ready to return.

Namaste,

Amber