Explore the Playful Possibilities of Your Practice With a Partner or a Friend, using Partner Poses and Thai Massage.

In this rich, nourishing practice of duo asana, basic Acro Yoga and flying techniques, and closing with luscious Thai Massage, we learn about trusting, supporting and evolving each other. We experience increased presence, mindfulness, emotional intelligence and open-heartedness. Every encounter of this yoga love-in, hilarious or holy, awkward or divine, is a precious exchange and increases our capacity to give and receive.

This practice is open to couples, friends, siblings and complete strangers.

details

Friday March 9th
7 – 9 pm
Kushala Yoga at Suter Brook
$40 + HST per couple

about Chris and Teresa

Chris Brandt & Teresa Campbell unite divergent backgrounds into a common thread that is Contact Yoga. Chris has trained in India and Thailand, and is a certified in the Wat Po lineage of Thai Massage. Teresa has studied with amazing teachers from Gurmukh to Sarah Powers, and brings her experience leading prenatal yoga teacher training programs as well as doula work to Contact. They believe wholeheartedly that “the great art of life is sensation” (Byron).

Details

Sunday January 29, 2012 at 7pm
Kushala Yoga at Suter Brook
RSVP
By donation to Crossroads Hospice
We will have snacks and cookies from…

Watch the trailer

Circles are an ancient yet also new approach; simple yet profound. Circles offers a space for introspection and sharing, to give and receive support, and to engage in productive conversations to create positive change. By empowering people to reach across differences, conflict can be transformed and relationships are built.

The focus of the workshop will be on Circle processes and facilitation for dialogue and community building. Like the nature of Circles, this workshop will be structured, yet flexible to meet the needs of the group.

You will learn and apply the fundamentals of Circles process, including:

• Types & uses of Circles
• Circle structures & core elements
• Circle processes & stages
• Circle facilitation (learn to be a keeper of the Circle)

If you would like to gain an understanding of Circle process and to begin to develop skills for using Circles in your personal or professional life, then this workshop is for you! Come step into another possibility…

details

Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012
9 am – 5 pm
Facilitator: Evelyn Zellerer, Ph.D.
Cost: $125 + HST

Evelyn is a facilitator and trainer. She has been a peacemaker her whole life. Over the past 15 years, Evelyn has worked with a wide variety of groups in many countries, including arts collective, boards of directors, social housing residents, insurance company, government agencies, and maximum security prison. For more information, visit www.peaceofthecircle.com

For more information about workshop content or to speak with the facilitator, contact Evelyn Zellerer at evelyn@peaceofthecircle.com

Read more at Pedro’s website

Also check out Pedro’s workshops events at Vayusha Yoga in Surrey, BC on Saturday January 21st.

“…some powerful yogi’s that have danced in the world with both practical manifestations and rare views to enrich the tradition of Yoga. Pedro holds supreme balance in the middle of this magnificent philosophy of life. He speaks their language and still sings to your heart…”
-Yogi Edson Moreira

In last Thursday’s NY Times, author William J. Broad wrote an article about the shadow-side of yoga: the injuries that can occur from the practice. The article is stirring up a lot of discussion in the community, and we wanted to weigh in because we believe it brought up some important points to share… and we care about your well-being!

The Ego and I

The main point of the article is delivered in a quote from yoga instructor Glenn Black, who says “…if you do it with ego or obsession, you’ll end up causing problems.” We couldn’t agree more.

We have all been there. It’s hard not to succumb to thoughts like… “if she/he can bend that way, I could too”, “I did this when I was 11 years old, so I should be able to do this now”, “her meditation practice is much deeper than mine”, etc. The desire to get into advanced postures or to become more “yogic” may surreptitiously take precedence over giving your whole being what it really needs: balance. Over-taxing the body physically can become another form of negative stress. Holding an external goal of how a yogi should lead their life serves nothing but your ego. So examine these thoughts, they are natural and we all have them. Instead of pushing them aside, they are points to explore and question. Ask yourself, “with this thought in mind, am I better able to lead this day well?”

Your Limits

In Hatha Yoga, as with athletic or even simple physical activities, if we attempt to do more than our body agrees with, injuries are more likely to occur. It sounds very obvious, so why do we ignore our body’s intuition?

Your body is unique, and like everything, it has limits. Yoga helps you learn to work with your boundaries and to slowly open up more space in your body. But remember, you have a unique skeletal and muscular structure, and personal history of injuries that need to be respected while on your yoga mat. There are some postures that you may never get into, and that’s OKAY! Personally I will never comfortably wrap my foot behind my head, because it would destabilize my hip joints. We can’t do it all, nor do we need to. Again, ask yourself, “with this pose in my body, am I better able to lead this day well?”

Points to Practice By

Here are a few pointers to bring to your mat

• What are your real priorities in coming to yoga? Be honest with yourself, and try to cultivate good intentions, things that will really benefit you in the long-term. Remind yourself of this when you are on your mat, because your practice will be a consequence of these intentions. And remember, be kind to yourself, and be firm with the pushy voice in your head.
• Work through new postures and new variations slowly. Take time to explore them, to breathe into them, so you can assess whether or not it feels right for your body.
• Listen to your breath. When your body is becoming stressed, your breath will become strained. This is something you can both hear and feel. Back off from the pose slowly, until you reach a place where your breath is free again. Remember you can take a rest in Childs pose or Mountain pose whenever you need.
• You know what feels good for your body better than anyone, that includes the instructor. Yoga can help you build trust in yourself by encouraging you to listen to your intuition.
• Alignment! Alignment Alignment! Flow classes are fun but make sure you attend some slow and steady alignment based Hatha classes (or Yoga 101) to learn correct positioning, so you can move from posture to posture safely.
• Try practicing more with your eyes closed. Hatha Yoga is largely an internal practice, and removing the distractions around you can help you feel the physical and energetic benefits of the postures. It also helps quieten the voice in your head that may be comparing with the mat next to you.
• Talk to your instructor before class, discuss with them any concerns you have about injuries, alignment and your practice in general. Our primary concern is to keep you safe and healthy.

Although stress is a given in daily life, we can learn to manage negative stress better; and Yoga is a practical system to teach us how. A balanced Hatha Yoga practice combines energy releasing tools with energy restoration tools. Remember, Yoga is not a one-directional path towards “challenge”, it is a multilateral web that engages you more fully in your life.

The First Limb of Yoga: The Yamas

Although we may spend a lot of time perfecting our downward facing dogs, yoga is at it’s roots an ethics-based practice. Yoga calls for you to explore your boundaries. But without the first limb of yoga, called the Yamas, the physical posture practice is simply a workout, may even be harmful; and the meditation practice can become self-serving.

Here’s a quick reflection on the Yamas, which we’ll explore in more detail in upcoming blog posts.

The first Yama, and where Yoga begins, is Ahimsa – Non-Harming or Love. We are meant to practice yoga and life with love and reverence.

Satya – Truthfulness. Knowing the difference between your truth and your opinions is important on and off the mat.

Asteya – Non-Stealing or Generosity. This can mean we practice with every part in mind, so as not to steal from one to “feed” another.

Bramacharya – Moderation and Balance. Balancing your strength with softness, activity with rest and challenging yourself with being kind and gentle with yourself.

The final Yama is Aparigraha – Non-Posessiveness or Abundance. This reminds us to see all that we already have instead of striving for what is not yet here or may never be. The more we show gratitude for what is, the more likely we are to receive.

Create change and evolve, using asana (posture practice) to expand and rewrite the story of your potential. This intermediate 6-class workshop series will focus on the meaning and application of transformation both on the mat, and to your approach to life off the mat. In each class we will delve into a different class of asana: arm balances, inversions, a supreme spectrum of standing asana, big back bends and turning inward with twists and folds. All students must be willing to stretch their edges while being intent on honoring their boundaries and needs.

Prerequisites: You must be able to kick to handstand at the wall with ease, push up into wheel with straight arms without a spot, and hold headstand in the center of the room. This intensive is not appropriate for anyone with injuries or illness. Please don’t hesitate to contact Andrew if you have any questions about whether this intensive is appropriate for you.

Dates

Friday February 3rd from 6pm – 8:30pm
Saturday February 4th from 3pm – 5:30pm
Friday February 10rd from 6pm – 8:30pm
Saturday February 11th from 3pm – 5:30pm
Saturday February 18th from 3pm – 5:30pm
Sunday February 19th from 3pm – 5:30pm

This class will be limited to 12 participants, so please register early to hold your space

Details

Instructor: Andrew Colyn
Cost: $149 + HST

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You will learn to:

• build a strong connection to yoga as a form of moving meditation
• awaken and connect to your subtle, energetic body
• learn ways to practice yoga on and off the mat

This workshop is suitable for all-levels

details

Saturday February 4th
1:30pm – 3:30pm
Kushala Yoga at Suter Brook
$45 + HST

about Joni

Joni Neha Leung, 200-hr & 300-hr RYT approaches life and yoga to learn how to be happy, healthy and whole. Over the past 10 years, she has studied Tibetan Heart, Hatha + Classical Ashtanga yoga systems. Her classes often integrate a dynamic blend of these traditions with special attention to breath control, body alignment and subtle inner awareness.

Learn what goes wrong in love—and how to put it right! In this groundbreaking relationship series you will learn how to:

• Renew and strengthen your relationship
• Create lasting trust and intimacy
• Make sense of your own and your partner’s emotions
• Break the cycles of frustration and loneliness in your relationship
• Forgive injuries that destroy trust and safety
• Problem solve and break the argument cycle

Schedule, Pricing and Format

Dates and Times:
Friday February 17th from 7:30 – 9:30pm
Saturday February 18th from 9 – 5pm
Friday March 2nd from 7:30 – 9:30pm
Saturday March 3rd from 9 – 5pm

Location: Kushala Yoga at Suter Brook
Cost: $399 + HST*
Format: Lecture, video presentation, and couples exercises.

*This course is regularly offered at $595 per couple so you receive a savings of $196.

About the Facilitators

Kim White (M.A.) is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) who is trained in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, the #1 model for couple’s therapy in North America. As a conflict mediator (Cert. Con Res) and coach (PCC), Kim combines her practical skills with warmth, deep listening, and gentle enquiry.


Peter Clark, MSc (Neuroscience) MA (Conflict Management) is a knowledgeable practitioner who brings empathy and relationship wisdom in assisting people to improve their interpersonal and organizational relationships through effective communication and conflict resolution skills. 

Interested in learning more? Contact Peter at peter@pacificcollaborative.com

Visionaries like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh had a heartfelt belief that all hate, inequality, and racism in the world could be cured through music. This one love mentality will be magnified through a series of group asana (poses) and partner assists. Everyone has an inborn natural desire to love, embrace and radiate happiness. So come groove, laugh, connect, share, and amplify your love for all people in the universe.

This is a by donation class, all proceeds go to Hungry for Life International.

details

Saturday January 28th
3pm – 4:30pm
Kushala Yoga at Suter Brook
Instructor: Sean O’Leary
by donation to Hungry for Life International.

RSVP here or just show up!