The Spring Equinox is the mark in time at which the day and night are of equal length.

It also marks the beginning of the spring season. This is when we roll down the windows, shake out the carpets, and give everything a good scrub down. Nature uses it as a big old reset button. Everything starts to come to life and breathe anew.  Animals (including us) use this time to prepare for what is to come.

Our bodies are naturally in tune with this restart.  We naturally want to move more and feel free.  The premise of “spring cleaning” is to shake off the old, reclaim the new and purge, purge, purge! This translates perfectly to your Yoga practice.  Do away with what you have accumulated during the long cold winter, eliminate the stories you have created around certain poses.  Are there poses you tell yourself you just can’t do??  Get rid of that story and start preparing for when you can do this pose.

Take this fresh start as a chance to change your perspective, eliminate the excuses you have spent all winter creating about specific classes you just can’t make it to because you are a “morning/night person” – 6am, I am looking at you!!

Take stock of what truly isn’t working, physically and mentally, in your practice and give yourself permission to stop doing that.  Stop forcing your breakthroughs, stop future-tripping about the class you might not be able to make because of other commitments…during the class you are currently in.

Just write yourself the following permission slip:

I WILL NOT________ BECAUSE IT ISNT SERVING ME or MY PRACTICE.

Seriously, write it on a post-it and stick it to your yoga mat.  Announce it!!

Our practices need the change the spring equinox creates and your body needs different poses and different sequences at different points in the year.  Maybe you need to step up to the edge in certain areas of your practice or maybe you need to dial it back and focus on the basics just to see what blooms.

Also, take this time to reassess your goals. They shouldn’t be the same as the winter months. Take stock to decide and announce what this season holds for you.  Do you need to work on staying in the moment or do you need to let go of fear and let your muscles (and not your mind) tell you how far you can go?

Use this Natural Reset to get the most out of the next 91 days (give or take a few hours).  Shake off the old, purge the unnecessary, and clean up everything that is left.  Enjoy where this new perspective will take you and be thankful for the clean slate!

Enjoy what flourishes from your renewed commitment,

Amber

Bird of Paradise was probably the first advanced pose I conquered near the beginning of my practice!  I have had a few “quick, somebody take my picture” moments associated with this pose.  So, needless to say, I have a loving, prideful feeling tied to this Power Yoga Canada -Pose of the Month.

Bird of Paradise in the non-yoga world can either refer to a flower or an actual bird!  Both of which are beautiful and kind of funky!!  Seriously, check out this feathery friends!!!

The flower is beautiful and strong and fully expresses the elegance of this pose. The B.O.P. flower stands strong on one lovely, long and powerful stalk which truthfully represents the strength needed in your stationary leg and core to properly pull off this pose. It usually has bold petals that mimic the final stance of the Yoga pose. It is definitely not a flower that can sneak by unnoticed.  Because the pose incorporates a full bind upon completion that opens up your chest, it really comes across as bold and powerful as the flower.

The Sanskrit name for this pose is Svarga Dvidasanas.  Dvija means “twice born” and refers both to the bird (born once as an egg and again as the bird itself) and the pose, which requires two poses to reach a proper Bird of Paradise posture. Svarga means Paradise referring to the bird’s origin in New Guinea – in case you were wondering!

When I was researching this pose, the Sanskrit name really resonated with me. This advanced pose requires several steps to successfully come into and out of properly.  Check out Kinndli’s video to see what I am talking about.  I find this pose has two distinct stages or births.  Moving from your extended side angle to a full bind is one transformation and then using that plateau to step forward and rise into a full Bird of Paradise definitely feels like a second birth or “coming into yourself”.  The end product is a fabulous photo opportunity to impress your friends and fellow yogis and I dare you to strike this pose and not smile!

Physiologically it is a hip and chest opener AND it is a great way to stretch and strengthen your hamstrings!  Finding that combination is quite rare in yoga and it really does feel like you are cracking out of your shell and emerging as that beautiful flower.

Bird of Paradise is a pose that invokes pride and elegance and can really enhance the benefits of your practice.  Check out your studios Facebook page and upload your Bird of Paradise to the Facebook pages for your chances at free workshops and classes.

Good Luck and let your Birds of Paradise soar,

Amber

Between the strangle hold Winter has had on us and the amped up expectations for Spring, it is no wonder, that the powers that be instituted a week long break at this time of year! It is a chance for the kids to shake off the old, recharge their batteries and get used to playing outside again. The time change allows for longer/brighter evenings and we are all excited at the chance to go outside with only one layer on!
The problem arises when we (as parents) try to figure out what to do with our kids for the week. Stay-at-home or working parents it is still a struggle to find the balance between over-programmed and bored-to-tears.

There are literally thousands of choices for kids during March Break including; vacations, day trips, time with the Grandparents, workshops and camps. Every major attraction has discounted specials and special activities and there is enormous pressure on parents to not have the kid whose response to “What did you do this March Break Tommy?’ be “I don’t know” or worse “nothing”….
We hear the advice as parents to not over-program our kids and risk them losing their abilities to entertain themselves. We become expected “cruise directors” that are on 24/7 so that god-forbid no one gets “bored”.

So how do we find the balance?? I have found over my many years of parenting, many parent friends and running fitness camps for kids that listening is the KEY. We need to involve them and give them choices. One of the best ways for us and our kids to listen is first remembering how to tune into what we really need. On Family Day (way back in February) I signed little Izzy up for a kid’s yoga workshop at PYC Oshawa with Kerry Stewart-Moeller! It was fantastic! She really let the kids decompress. She kept them moving but also reconnected them with their own intuition. They learned to listen to themselves, move their bodies and really have a chance to recharge.
Kerry was able to show the kids that they could entertain themselves (without a screen) and gave them skills to practice outside of the yoga studio so they could easily obtain that feeling anywhere, at any time! The crazy part was the kids weren’t even aware that they were learning, they were just having fun and playing with their new friends.
Kerry teaches them mindfulness through breathing techniques and visualization. She connects them with their bodies and teaches them how to listen to their inner compass! This year she is offering a kids March Break Workshop on Monday AND she is opening it up to Kids AND Parents on Wednesday. Watching the kids learn trust and compassion through partner yoga is a great way to reconnect with your own kid over the break.
The kids yoga programs at PYC are exactly what March Break is about, check out your closest location and see what they have to offer for your munchkin.
As Ghandi says “If we wish to create peace, we must begin with the Children” what a fabulous lesson to instil over March Break and all without a long line-up or a screen insight!
Happy March Break and whatever you end doing over the next 7 days make sure you listen to yourselves and your children. Your gut will never lead you wrong!
Namaste,
Amber

Hey PYC!

I have been practicing yoga at the PYC Oshawa location since shortly after they opened. Recently I was given the awesome opportunity to dive deeper into the community as a guest blogger for the Power Yoga Canada site. I am super excited to embrace this opportunity and share some of my insights around compassionate living and the practice of Yoga.

I have been in the fitness industry for over 15 years, mainly in a municipal setting. I have trained clients, and trained staff to train clients. I have seen the trends come and go; I have seen studio’s fold and gym’s lock their doors on fully paid members.

I had become quite jaded with private fitness and perceived my way as “better”. So I am not quite sure how I found myself in Kelly and Debbie’s studio shortly after their doors had opened. But it was like walking through Alice’s “looking glass” – people were hanging out, sharing thoughts, dreams and goals for their yoga life, as well as their personal life. It was like all forms of judgement had been checked at the door and EVERYONE of all shapes, sizes and gender were welcome.

Although I tried to turn off my “Fitness Insider” brain, I couldn’t help but notice that their business model was different, it was fair and based on respect (WHAT!!!??). I immediately signed up and accepted that these girls had gotten “it” right and not because they had a new savvy way of signing up new members or a killer advertising campaign that promised to cure you of all of your body misconceptions, but because they were fun, genuine and knew their Yoga. They lived what they were teaching and they provided a space for peace and contentment to blossom into community pride and action.

With every class I took I knew I wanted/needed more. I joined their first 40 Days To Personal Revolution program and most of those students who were by my side in the program are now an integral part of the PYC Oshawa family to this day. Many have gone on to become teachers, assistants and EE’s.

I am still insanely proud of my career but my eyes have been opened to another way of doing things. One that continuously fuels my soul and my body to this day.

My approach to life is very light hearted and my crazy blended family of 5 keeps me on my toes. I have battled a life-long struggle with my weight and my body (to which I have recently called a cease-fire) I am an avid blogger, writing guest pieces for local sites, working with my cyber partner Lindsay (another lovely PYCOshawa soul) to spread the message of Health and Wellness through words (and Social Media)!

I am seriously stoked to share this space with you all and to continue writing what we are all thinking.

Namaste,

Amber

I recently completed the sunrise challenge through pyc, by attending each six am class for the month of April. Along the way, mostly on my yoga-buzzed drive home, I would take time to absorb the experience that came from meeting with Mike each day for 60 minutes…

one. wake-up call battles, happen.

a five am wakeup call, holds no place for “maybe”. you’re either in, or you’re out. I get it, the bed is warm, the sky is dark and snooze is just a finger tap away. waking up takes willpower people, BIG TIME. there will be part of your mind that challenges you to stay, even begs of you some mornings, flip it off. sit up, plant your feet on the ground and stand. battles over, you’ve won.

two. you forget.

ah, this is really quite wonderful. the thoughts of needing to get a workout in can haunt me some days…the best part of six am is it’s often so early, you forget you already sweat. hold on, did I dream about that class or did that actually happen? those body imprint stains on your mat aren’t just a figment of your imagination, sweat happened and your night is now free to spend however you choose.

three. comfort zones.

one of the really rad things I learned through this experience, was what happens when you challenge yourself to step “outside your norm”. when Andrea first mentioned the sunrise challenge, I laughed, right in her face. no way jose, that ‘aint me, too hardcore. then I shifted my thoughts, why not me? why not try it on? it was uncomfortable at first, but yoga often is. lesson time: staying stagnant sucks & comfort zones are for sissies.

four it’s the best start to any day.

a friend made a spectacular call-out this afternoon when she saw me flailing around wildly: I can tell you haven’t done yoga yet today, because you are acting like such a spaz. touché, noted, I shall do morning classes more often.

five. support systems rule.

my dad called me each morning to make sure I was awake, people from my work constantly joined me in classes (and became hooked, might I add) and pictures of my nephew would be waiting for me when I checked my phone after class. reach out and ask for what you need, lean on family and friends, because you are loved.

six. you feel like a badass.

you woke up before the rest of the world because you recognize the importance of rewarding you own body & mind. enough said you badass, enough said.

so wakey-wakey my friends, how many days do you wake up and have the sun waiting for you? it’s time to return the favour.

Cailey

newness is exciting. entering a new realm of possibility, of where we may take ourselves, what we may overcome in the process and expressing what is really holding us back, all demand newness. a new way of thinking is required, not necessarily in changing ourselves, but rather in challenging our current self to WAKE UP.

I started the 40-day personal revolution with the intention of letting go of these thoughts that hold me back, including the one right now that is questioning my writing and what value this blog actually holds (what does it all mean people?!). far too often I allow these thoughts that don’t serve me, to overpower and control far too many aspects of my life. I somehow find warmth in the security blanket of these lame thoughts that keep me cozy, yet stagnant.

so I welcome newness. I welcome these new beginnings. I welcome actions that will shift what I think I know, let go of what I have already learned and bring me new ways of genuinely creating and manifesting myself. I’m welcoming new actions that will allow me to make decisions from a place of intuition and power, rather than fear and doubt.

my intention with this program is to get straight up uncomfortable, I want to tap away at these tiring restrictions I place on myself and ditch the security blanket (it is spring time after all, the sun provides enough warmth now anyway).

this new experience is going to allow me to be surrounded by courageous people who are seeking a revolution of their own and together we shall generate something bigger than our current selves.

as Baron mentions in his book, the notion of ‘facing what is pure, the unsweetened truth of ourselves, so that we can move on and grow in an authentic way’ welcomes this new beginning of self-acceptance and discovery.

cheers to the beginning.

I remember feeling scared and worried a lot as a very young girl. From the moment I’d wake up in the morning for school, until I got home I was nervous. Nervous about myself, about others, about the world around me.  I was fortunate enough to experience wonderful things like friendship, sisterhood, sports, music and writing…but I never felt like I knew who I was.  A part of that feeling came from growing pains (literally and metaphorically).  However, a larger part of that stemmed from a fear of discovering who I was and learning to accept myself fully. I am 24 years old and I am just learning to do that.  A major part of my self- discovery was catapulted by PYC.

When I first joined PYC last summer, I came into the studio every day for several weeks with that same sense of fear, anxiety and self-consciousness. Eventually though, it became really difficult to keep up that way of being, once I knew what was possible. What was and is possible is total self-acceptance, freedom, and a higher level of consciousness. Basically, my brain was turned off autopilot and I felt awake for the first time ever. I realized that I no longer had to suffer, because I could choose how I felt, who I surrounded myself with and how I led my life. The greatest gift I have received from yoga is the ability to accept all challenges in my life, while also accepting myself.

When my dad passed away a few years ago, I completely shut off. I still functioned like a “regular” person. I went to university, had a long-term relationship, worked out, went out and had adventures. However, I wouldn’t let myself fully experience what I was going through. Whether it was a positive emotion or a negative one, I’d do my best to neutralize it upstairs so that I wouldn’t feel too much. I kept a peaceful appearance, but I was screaming inside.  The pain of that loss was far too much for me to comprehend, so I simply hid inside myself for a while. It’s taken me many yoga classes, cry fests, temper tantrums and talks to realize that I deserve to be happy and healthy…and sometimes that means addressing the most painful things.  I can now say that I love myself through thick and thin, and this new appreciation has expanded my capacity to love others unconditionally.

Some of the teachers at the yoga studio say that at some point in your practice and in your life, you will learn to “drop the struggle.” I remember hearing that in class and thinking to myself…easy to say, difficult to do. However, it wasn’t something that required a real effort. It just took patience, persistence and dedication to my wellbeing. One day I was on the train to work and it dawned on me: I don’t have to make everything so hard. It’s literally that thought that I haven’t been able to shed. Stop seeing every workday, relationship, workout, or piece of bad news as another mountain to climb.  It’s merely an opportunity to use your inner strength and show how resilient and calm you can be in the centre of the storm. That display of power builds an immense amount of confidence, and with that confidence comes self-love, courage and determination.

I am a work in progress, but I like it. I like not knowing exactly who I’ll be or how I’ll feel when I leave this world. We never stop evolving as human beings and we never stop learning about ourselves and others, if we so choose. I’m happy I’ve made the choice to let myself grow and become the best version of myself that I can be so that I can contribute better to the world around me. I truly want to thank PYC for taking me in like family and for showing me what’s possible. The kindness and connection are invaluable to me. I look forward to what the future may bring.

-A PYC Yogi