Journal
Here you'll find writing on mindfulness, neuroscience, mental health, physical wellbeing, and yoga.
These topics often overlap: attention, behaviour and embodiment are all part of the same ecosystem of experience, and the aim here is to explore those connections in a thoughtful and practical way. Some posts draw from research, others from lived experience and teaching. The intention is to share ideas that are useful, considered, and occasionally a bit different from what is typically said.
March 28, 2020
Many of us are brought together by a love of practicing yoga in group classes. When practicing in community, we encounter a sense of invigoration, inspiration, and support that is more difficult to cultivate on our own. Isn't there such empowerment in turning inwards, alongside others doing the same?
March 27, 2020
The front of our hips and torso can get tight and weak from extended periods of sitting. In the therapeutic yoga class, you will learn about the primary movers of hip flexion, and practice yoga postures to release tension and strengthen the iliopsoas muscle.
March 10, 2020
By Islena FaircrestE-RYT, Cognitive Behaviour Specialist, Life Development Coach, Bowen Bodywork Therapy I recently taught a workshop on resiliency and adaptability tools in the face of […]
November 13, 2019
Parking regulations at Suter Brook are changing. Starting Friday November 15th, all vehicles are required to be registered when you park. If you drive and park […]
October 1, 2019
This April, invite a friend or family member to take a class at Kushala Yoga for free! For every referral, you will be entered in a draw for a 1-Month Term Membership.
July 8, 2019
Here we find ourselves just on the other side of the longest day of the year, which gave me reason to pause and reflect on light and what it means for us here as the creatures that we are on this endless journey around the Sun.
May 3, 2019
There is a saying we use in yoga to describe the power of the mind: “Wherever attention goes, prana flows.” Rachael recently shared a quote by […]
March 1, 2019
This month at Kushala we are putting asana, the posture practice, in the spotlight. It’s typically what we identify with yoga, but it’s sometimes maligned for not being the […]
January 4, 2019
I love the simplicity of yoga. More than ever, as the year gains momentum, this is the quality I appreciate the most. With so many “could”s that arise in […]
November 26, 2018
Bring a food, toy or cash donation for our annual Food and Toy Drive, to support SHARE Family & Community Service's Food Bank and Christmas Toy Shop. In 2016, they assisted 1,219 local families during the holiday season.
October 4, 2018
This October, invite a friend or family member to take a class at Kushala Yoga for free! For every referral, you will be entered in a draw for a 1-Month Term Membership.
September 5, 2018
This season is often prefaced with the lacklustre statement: Back to… {descriptor of your routine}. Time to muster up the energy to find the new normal. And it’s […]
August 6, 2018
You know that feeling of pulling on a thread with one hand, while the other hand is busy with other things? Once in a while, glancing […]
July 1, 2018
I can't believe the longest day of the year is already behind us. I enjoy how the seasons play catchup with the sun, the peak of summer happens while the daylight is recessing. I feel like I'm in catchup mode like that, but gently assured that what needs to get done will get done, pushed along by rhythms bigger than me.
April 11, 2018
In all kinds of yoga, we use props. Your yoga mat is a prop that keeps your feet and hands from sliding, and it gives some […]
April 1, 2018
Joan Sutherland, Zen buddhist teacher, wrote recently for Lion’s Roar Magazine: In our world things are always getting broken and mended and broken again, and there is also […]
March 6, 2018
A traditional definition of yoga, from Patanjali’s Yogasutra is “yoga is the cessation of reactivity in the mind”. This is one translation… and there are many […]
February 19, 2018
The mind, body, and breath are intimately connected to one another. Learn practical and easily accessible grounding exercises, yoga postures and breathing techniques that help clear the mind, reduce anxiety, and facilitate mindful living.
February 19, 2018
This class will take a gentle, therapeutic approach to increase the freedom of movement and stability of your hips & spine which can help alleviate mild […]
February 3, 2018
Last week Chris and I watched the movie “On Yoga – The Architecture of Peace” (2017), which is available on Netflix. The film follows a photographer’s journey […]