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Feb 01
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Community Feature: February 2018

By Community Feature

Author: Jenn Moore – PYC Oshawa Yogi

When I arrived in Canada last spring, I spent much of my first week in bed absorbing the whirlwind that was previous year. I had left my home, relationship, and career in Northern California and was backpacking through Thailand when my mom called to let me know my grandmother’s health was rapidly declining. I had planned on staying in Southeast Asia to teach English for another year, but I just knew I would regret it if I didn’t come. So here I was, in Whitby, one week after my 26th birthday, a time I had expected to be advancing my career and planning a family. When that didn’t pan out, traveling the world and teaching seemed a great alternative, but I hadn’t anticipated feeling this lonely and directionless. I felt like a failure.

My mom went back home to California and I cared for my grandmother, which forced me out of bed and out of my reeling mind. I went for many jogs, because that’s what I always did when I slipped on life’s banana peels. I’d slip into my Nikes, pop in my earbuds on full-blast, and hit the pavement until my pulse reached my toes and the shaky, nervous energy in my chest became heaving exhaustion. It worked until it didn’t. I couldn’t seem to get tired enough or get the music loud enough to drown out my own noise. I began to feel pain in my right knee and lower back, but continued to run through it; I couldn’t stop.

One day I drove by a big red sign for HOT YOGA and breathed the first of what would be many sighs of relief. My practice was derailed with the rest of my routines, and I knew I needed to ground & centre. I signed up for the intro month mid-April even though I thought I’d be back in California by the end of May.

I knew this studio was different than any other from the get-go. Steve read something from Rumi that spoke directly to my soul in the end of shavasana. A few different people reached out and asked me about my practice afterward and when I would be back. Also, this was by far and away the most physically challenging yoga I had ever experienced, which unwound the knots in my stomach. Leaving the studio that first night, I felt more at peace than I had in a very long time.

Over the next few months, I let hundreds of silent tears fall while sitting in pigeon, cursed almost every teacher while sitting in my chair, melted tension into sweat and let it pour onto my mat, and breathed through poses when all I wanted to do was run out. I stayed and I felt stronger and more powerful for staying. I regained confidence, knowing that no matter the circumstances, I shape my own experience based on my reactions.

I made friends! My hand touched a cute guy’s during shavasana and he turned out to be my soul’s closest companion. I joined perspective-shifting workshops like Debbie’s “Powerful Conversations” and the 40 days program.  I feel immense gratitude when I walk into our brand new studio in Oshawa. I immediately see faces that warm my heart, and I’m constantly inspired by the teachers and students I am lucky enough to practice alongside. For the first time in my life, I have absolutely no desire to run.

Jan 01
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Community Feature: January 2018

By Community Feature

Author: Athena Sadler – PYC Leaside Yogi

I was introduced to yoga quite a few years ago. Having suffered some losses in my life, I went through a phase whereby I was trying to answer certain questions and find a deeper meaning in my life. I joined martial arts for concentration, discipline, fitness, and selfdefense.  Despite its benefits, a certain connectedness was missing. It was there that the “Senseί” suggested that I join yoga. I went to a number of different studios, and although the principle of integration of soul, mind, and body appealed to me, I was not able to put it into practice or to apply it in my everyday life. It remained a theoretical idea. I subsequently moved to Greece, where I was certified in Ashtanga Yoga.

I joined PYC in Leaside shortly after it opened. What a world of difference!  I say this with great confidence and pride. I remember when John entered the class one day and said “drop your shit!” And I did! I stopped in my tracks; came back to the present moment, and for the first time I realized that my practice had deepened. The integration of soul, mind, and body was no longer a theoretical idea. I benefitted greatly from the 40 Days to Personal Revolution. I have always had a tendency to dwell in the past. Once again, intellectually I knew what to do, however I could not apply it. I learned to have self-compassion, and to put things into perspective. I became more resilient to stress and generally developed a sense of contentment, and even abundance. For me, the PYC studio at Leaside has become my second home. I would like to collectively thank all the amazing instructors and fellow yogis for their inspiration and contribution to my transformation.

At PYC Leaside, I have experienced a sense of communal support – with yoga practice being the driving force which conditions our soul, mind and body. I have achieved an empowerment beyond my expectations.

Nov 10
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So you think you aren’t ready teach yoga?

By 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training No Comments

teach yoga

I felt the same way.

It was the Fall of 2010 and I was going to yoga every single day. Power Yoga Canada Clarkson was like a second home to me. I was in love with the practice, inspired by the community and was finally starting to understand those people that claimed yoga had changed their life. I was constantly eyeing posters and hearing buzz around the next round of Kinndli’s 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program that would be starting that January.

Over the course of those months leading up to January, I thought to myself more times than I can count, I really want to teach. Then very quickly and very loudly, the BUT would come in.

I can’t hold a handstand yet, if I’m going to teach I need to be able to do that. 
I need to tone up more if I’m going to be at the front of the room.
I’m not confident enough to talk for 60 – 90 minutes to a room of strangers.
Nobody would even want to take my class. I’ll never get hired anywhere. 
I don’t know if I can handle the big investment of my money and time right now.
I haven’t been practicing yoga long enough to take this next step. 
There’s already so many great teachers out there, there’s no room for me.

The list was long and the doubt was loud but at some point I hesitantly mentioned to Pauline that it was on my mind. Those of you that know her will also know that once you tell her you want to do something you pretty much have to do it because she’ll be right there behind you – pushing if she has to.

I’m so grateful that she gave me that push and now, whether we know each other or not, I’m here to do the same for you.

If you’ve been thinking teacher training is something you want to do, then you’re absolutely ready to do it.

After almost 7 years of teaching full time, opening a studio and making yoga my ‘real’ job, here are the four things I wish I had known then.

1. It doesn’t matter what your practice looks like.

There are amazing teachers in the world that can float into handstand. There are also amazing teachers out there that can’t even hold it for a second. In my opinion, there is no correlation between a teachers ability to do advanced poses and their ability to teach an unbelievable yoga class.  There will always be another pose to work on.Don’t fall into the trap of waiting until your practice is ‘good enough’.

A powerful teacher loves yoga. Their practice changed their life and they want to share that gift with others. They have a sincere desire to dive deeper and learn. They’re passionate about helping people. If you have all that and you can hold a handstand, high five! If you can’t, high five! You love yoga and that’s what matters. You have SO much to offer.

2. It’s a lot of money and time but totally worth it.

My plan was to do my Teacher Training while I had the time and then get a corporate job. I thought I’d learn how to teach a yoga class, figure out how the body worked and understand the basics of explaining yoga poses to other people. I’d teach 1 or 2 classes per week on the side of whatever job I had but lucky for me, life didn’t go as planned!

But let’s say it had. If I was a corporate girl who never taught a single class after my training, it would still be the best investment I’ve ever made in myself and my growth. It’s so much more than a yoga training. Yes you will learn (a lot) about yoga but more importantly, you’ll learn (probably more than you want to) about yourself. You can’t put a price on the growth that this program inspires in every aspect of your life. I would go back and spend that money again in a heartbeat.

3. You’ll never feel 100% ready.

If you’ve convinced yourself that you have some sort of physical, mental or emotional barrier that you need to overcome before you’re ready to stand at the front of the room, I have some news for you. Sitting around and hiding from people is not going to get you over that barrier.

We all have something standing in our way. Maybe you think you need to lose a few pounds. Maybe you think you’ll teach when you somehow get over your anxiety around public speaking. Maybe you think you need to get over your fear of judgement and what others think of you. Whatever it is, there’s something you want to work through before you teach. These are the very things you get to tackle with a group of amazing and like-minded people all going through their 200-hour training with you. Sitting at home thinking about how you’ll one day feel comfortable talking in front of a group is not going to get you there. You’ve got to do it, even if it’s scary.

4. The world needs you, yes YOU!

If you remember one thing, let this be it. Yes, there are many, many great teachers in the world already but guess what? None of them are you. You have something so unique and so special to share with your future students and believe me, they’re out there just waiting to hear what you have to say.

We all have our own stories and life experiences to share. We’ve all found yoga for different reasons and the benefits of this practice are profoundly personal. We experience them in our own way. One of the things I love most about yoga is that no two teachers are the same. We’re all sharing this ancient tradition but adding our own unique flare to it. So stop telling yourself that there are enough teachers out there. There’s more than just room for you, there is a need for you.

You’ll doubt yourself. You’ll probably have a long list of ‘buts’ like mine. You’ll question if you’re ready. You might even have a little crisis before your training starts or you teach that first class thinking: ‘I can’t do this’.

I’m here to tell you that YOU CAN and YOU SHOULD.

 

jenn headshot
Jennifer Dwyer
Power Yoga Canada Muskoka
www.jenniferdwyer.ca
@jenniferdwyer
@pycmuskoka

Sep 27
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Stay for Savasana!

By Uncategorized One Comment

I find myself craving deep rest throughout my yoga practice, and yet when it’s time for Savasana I’d often rather be running a marathon! I find it hard to be still in those final moments, when I know the class is coming to an end and my workload will return shortly after. Despite the urge to roll up my mat and run, I stay still and clear my mind of the incessant need “to do.” Why do I do this? Everything I’ve learned about yoga so far has taught me to stay put when things get uncomfortable and acknowledge times for rest. To me, that’s exactly what Savasana is about: being still and restoring.

Some students routinely choose to leave a class before or during Savasana. This is not only disruptive to the class and teacher, but it comes at a big cost to you. Literally translating to corpse pose, Savasana offers you the chance to be completely tranquil and calm in your mind and body. Nothing works better for relieving stress and letting go than allowing the world to melt away in Savasana. In addition to being a powerful stress-buster, this resting pose also allows your body to return to its normal state. In between all those Chatarungas and Navasanas your heart rate goes up and your body gets hot. In Savasana your breath and heart rate will return to normal, your body will cool down and you’ll be ready to transition back into your day.

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The most important reason to stay in Savasana, in my opinion, is to allow your body to soak up all the healing benefits of the practice. Your body is constantly interpreting and processing all of your movements throughout your practice, including all the Downward Dogs and Warriors you do, and it needs time to absorb this information. Savasana provides your body with the opportunity to remember and integrate the information you’ve learned through each and every pose.  Next time you come into Upward Facing Dog, you may just find your upper arm bones naturally roll back, all thanks to the lesson your body has learned from last week’s class.

Rest at the end of class, because…why not? You’re already there for the full class so stay fully committed to it and yourself. Do you really think getting off your mat 5 minutes early will allow you to accomplish that much more in your day, anyway? Just consider that everything you need will come to you during rest. If you legitimately have to leave before Savasana because of a work commitment or something like that, just know that you can always choose another class that would work better with your schedule. If you routinely leave class early because you feel you have something more important to do, just remember that you are important, your practice matters, and your dedication to that full hour matters. This is not about being a good or bad student, it’s about giving yourself the best chance you can to relax, restore and revitalize your mind, body and soul. Give Savasana a chance and your asana will be very happy!

Written by Power Yoga Canada Teacher and Writer Eryl McCaffrey. Check out her blog:  http://twofeetheartbeat.wordpress.com/

Jan 22
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Are You Present?

By Uncategorized No Comments

PYC ClarksonI’ve lived most of my life from my head – over-thinking, over-analyzing and worrying about every little thing. It wasn’t until I started practicing yoga that I even began to wrap my worried mind around the idea of presence.

My first few practices were confusing.

The teacher would ask me to ‘be present’ and I would think to myself: Well, yah, obviously. I’m here. I’m in the room. Where do you think I am, teacher? Now tell me what pose do to next.
I would hear the words ‘land in your body’ and I’d think: Land in my body? What does that even mean. I live in my body. How can I land in it?

It didn’t take me long to realize that all that inner dialogue was exactly what the teacher was encouraging me to step out of. I was NOT present. One moment I was overanalyzing what the teacher said, the next I was fretting about the essay I had to write, then before I knew it, I was getting mad at my sisters all over again replaying some fight from last year.

I wasn’t landing in my body because I was having a conversation in my head. 

That was years ago, and to this day, every time I hit my mat, I struggle between landing in the moment and wandering off in my head. That’s what the practice is for me, an opportunity to bring my body and my mind into the same place, at the same time.

We are on Day 3 of 40 Days to Personal Revolution at Power Yoga Canada and the theme of the week is Presence – bet you saw that one coming. If you are participating, awesome! If you aren’t, you can still join us in noticing when you are present in your life and more importantly, when you are not!

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a conversation with someone only to realize that you have no idea what they just said?
Have you ever been in front of your computer at work or at school and you get nothing done because your mind is fixated on that fight you got in with your boyfriend/girlfriend/friend/parents last night?
Have you ever pulled into the driveway after a long day and realized that you have no idea how you got there? Scary, right?

These things happen because you weren’t present. You were in your head, thinking about something that wasn’t actually happening in the moment. Take it from me, it’s a tough way to live! I suffered through a lot of my life because of the time I spent in my head dwelling on things that had already happened and worrying about things that might in the future. And this is still my work. It’s a practice that will never end for me, but one that has had an amazing impact on my relationships, life and overall happiness.

When you bring your attention to presence this week, you might notice that you aren’t really there for more moments than you thought. Maybe you’re realizing – like I did – that you’ve spent your whole life in your head.

Don’t get discouraged. It’s a powerful place to be. With the awareness that you’re not present, you see an opportunity that you didn’t even know was available to you before:

You can come back to the moment.

Jenn Dwyer

If you have any helpful tips for practicing presence in your life, share them with the community in the comments below! 

See more of my writing here.