Yoga for Active and Engaged Living in Port Moody

On memory, embodied presence, and the question of where the time went. Yoga practice may not slow time down, but it can help position our sense of self in the balance of the past, present and future.

Yoga is often described as a practice free from belief: simply do, and truth will reveal itself through experience. But this misses something important. Every stage of growth requires us to move beyond what we already know, guided by an idea of what might be possible, even if it has not yet been verified in our own experience. Belief supports a willingness to try. 

Long-term goals are rarely achieved through force alone. Through self-inquiry, reflection, and embodied practice, yoga offers a way to stay connected to what matters, even when motivation fluctuates. This post invites you to work with one meaningful goal and let practice support it over time.

Gratitude lives at the interface of body and mind. Deep in the brain, the insula translates sensations like heartbeat and breath into a felt sense of being. When we practice gratitude, empathy, or mindfulness, this same circuitry brings coherence to our inner and outer worlds, helping us feel meaning rather than just think it.

Gratitude lives at the interface of body and mind. Deep in the brain, the insula translates sensations like heartbeat and breath into a felt sense of being. When we practice gratitude, empathy, or mindfulness, this same circuitry brings coherence to our inner and outer worlds, helping us feel meaning rather than just think it.

Yoga helps us become more perceptive, even sensitive, to feelings that arise from within, but sensitivity alone isn’t enough. Without the grounding of intention and guidance of attitude, sensitivity can easily spiral into negativity. This reflection explores how we can turn awareness into right action, both on and off the mat.

It might seem paradoxical that turning inward, through practices like yoga and meditation, can strengthen our outward relationships. But at its foundation, gratitude requires awareness. To experience feelings of gratitude and express them, we first need to be aware of what is happening within and around us. If we are distracted and desensitized, then we don’t have the bandwidth to be mindful.

Many of us are practiced at self-criticism, but less familiar with self-acceptance. Without it, our efforts toward growth can become driven by striving, discontent, and a sense that we’re never quite enough. To work with this, we’ll explore gratitude in this inward-facing dimension through several approaches.