Half way to completing my 30 day challenge and I am feeling so much better than I was when I started this journey. Getting back into a solid and regular Yoga practice has made me feel inspired and I have already noticed a few differences in my body and small things that are actually big things in my day to day life. Some of the things I have experienced with 15 days of Yoga practice are: - Sleeping better than I have in months. After 7 months of travel and forever changing time zones I was waking up at 4-5 am in the morning even though I was exhausted when we first arrived in Vancouver. I could barely sleep but now I sleep a solid 8 hours sometimes more (I haven’t started work yet) without waking. - My muscles are stronger and more toned. 7 months of an on-off Yoga practice with intense illness meant that I lost a lot of tone and strength in my entire body. My core and hips had barely any strength when I started taking classes again but now I feel much stronger and have more endurance when holding asanas for longer periods of time and my arms, stomach, thighs and glutes all look tighter and have a more toned shape. As a response my posture has also greatly improved. - My mind feels calmer and I feel more connected to my breath. When I feel that something is getting on my nerves I instantly connect to my breath and take long, slow and deep inhales and exhales. It is a tool that can be used To help and calm you down instantly. As in Yoga practice we learn to breathe through asanas that may be difficult to hold for a period of time we learn to breathe our way through tougher situations.
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Saturday morning was my 7th day of Yoga completing one whole week of my 30 day challenge. I rose early and as everyone in the house was rising to start the day I snuck out the door and headed to Kitsilano studio. Half of West 4th was blocked off and being set up for the outdoor street party that most stores get involved with – selling items and hosting games and prize giving. I was too early to see everything break out and headed straight to Yyoga. Flow has always been my first Yoga class love and I am kind of sticking to the Flow classes at the moment so I decided my 7th day would start with a Flow class. I always work up a sweat in Flow without it being too over the top like a Hot class. Using your muscles and strength, twisting and turning into pretzel like positions and holding them for minutes on end definitely turns up the heat. Not only is it great for your body but it also challenges your mind in holding these uncomfortable and challenging shapes to remain calm in a stressful situation. Yoga is not easy but we never learn anything from situations so easily accomplished. My body continues to feel stronger with each class. My mind continues to soften to a calmer and more focused perception of life. I decided as my 8th day was a Sunday that I needed some soft Yin practice in my life after a day trip to Whistler. I did go in expecting some deeper stretches than those offered but decided not to let my perception of what I thought the class was going to be destroy my peace for what it actually was. Instead of getting what I thought my body needed I got what my mind needed and an hour of deep relaxing meditation. Perfect for a Sunday evening! Yin is a more focused meditative practice of Yoga as it is conducted 99% of the time completely on the floor in mild to deep stretches with much longer holds. Some asanas will be held for anywhere from 3-5 minutes so you get a lot of time to focus on your breathing and the sensations that this deep of an opening is giving the joints, muscles, tissues and nervous system of the body. Yin is a great practice for those of us with injuries or for people seeking more of a meditative mind altering practice. A sweet and simple healthy twist to my favourite Nacho dish. Feeds 3-4 people. Ingredients: 1 can refried beans 1 can mixed beans 2x avocadoes 2 tomatoes 1 mango 1 bag of organic red corn chips 1 bag organic whole grain yellow corn chips Daiya dairy free cheddar cheese Salsa: chop the tomatoes into small dice and put all into a bowl. Peel the mango and discard the skin. Dice the mango into small squares and mix with the tomato. Add a pinch of fresh basil leaves. Guacamole: slice open 2 avocados and mash together. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. Mix together until creamy and smooth. Bean topping: use a separate pot for each can of beans. Add a little olive oil to the refried beans to avoid sticking to the pot. Use the whole can and heat over the stove for around 5 minutes on medium heat. Stir once each minute to turn over beans. Pour the mixed beans into a separate pot and add a spoon of olive oil. Fry beans until browning. Around 5 minutes on high heat. Finishing touch: Place a handful of each coloured corn chips onto a plate. Sprinkle grated Daiya dairy free cheese over the chips and place in the microwave or oven under low heat to melt cheese. Top off with refried and mixed beans and a big dollop of guacamole and sweet mango salsa. A fresh and delicious twist to my favourite nacho dish. My strength is increasing day by day and I can tell the difference in each class I attend. My mind is becoming calmer again and less frustrated with the goings on around me. Coming to Vancouver has made me realize just how much my whole life has changed through travel. When Rhys and I arrived here I was blown away by how clean the streets are and how the traffic is not insanely noisy. Canadians are Kings and Queens of small talk and polite conversation. I think after spending 7 months in 3rd world countries there is no other outcome than to see the world from a completely different perspective. I want to encourage anyone and everyone to get out of your comfort zone and see how other people in different countries live. Get as far away from your home as possible and stay away for as long as possible. Learn some valuable life lessons as you make your way through some of the most difficult countries in the world and then come home with knowledge and understanding and more compassion for the lives of others. I’m really feeling and loving the Flow classes at YYoga. Flow or Vinyasa was always my first love with Yoga classes. Vinyasa is what I teach as a Yoga teacher focusing on one breath per movement and moving with the ebb and flow of your breath. Today I went to another evening Flow class with Hiro as the teacher. Hiro doesn’t usually teach Flow but more Hatha and Yin focused classes. I thought he did fantastic for someone who doesn’t usually teach Flow. Flow classes are usually very focused on strengthening our core and the centre of our bodies. This is essential for building strength in other areas of the body as well as supporting our spine and nervous system in daily life. Flow classes with Up-ward dog back bending and core and spine strengthening can greatly help to improve our posture when walking or seated. By improving your posture you allow the energy channels or Chakras to connect and align properly creating balance and connection in the mind and body. Through Flow classes I am feeling more connected and aligned and more focused on the goodness that fills my life. My day started with another interview and some apartment hunting. Basically a few hours on the phone but it was productive and my interview went well. The day was followed by more to-dos like key cutting and grocery shopping. The benefits I have noticed over the past couple of nights is that I am sleeping far better each night than I have in a long time and I am feeling all around more relaxed throughout the day. My body has been craving lots of good fresh food and I’m so glad to be eating fresh salads, fresh rolls, fruit, smoothies and raw goodness. All of the stuff I have missed over the past 7 months of travel. I love feeling like I am getting myself back into a solid routine of doing Yoga each day and I am motivated to do more and practice more. I really want to tone my stomach and abs to the way they were previous to my departure of NZ. There isn't too much difference but I have lost strength and a bit of tone. I want to regain the strength I have lost in my arms and legs and just continue to work on them each day and stay consistent. I went to an evening Flow class at the West 6th Studio a smaller and more intimate studio than Kitsilano. Through my practice I noticed and drew my attention to how much stronger I felt even only after a few days of regular practice. My arms are feeling stronger in Chatturanga and I feel more focused on my practice as opposed to how much I might be struggling to get through. I flowed my way through by the sound of soft music and breath until Savasana when I relaxed into a peaceful and effortless state of complete bliss. That feeling of satisfaction at the end of a class, nothing beats it. After Yoga I always feel like I’m just floating my way home as I walk. I made it home just in time to finish the preparation of our fresh rolls for dinner. A light and refreshing but also satisfying meal. My absolute favourite at the moment! vegan 30 Days of Yoga: Day 4
As I have an interview this afternoon with lululemon I chose to go to a Power class early this morning. Leo was the teacher and throughout meditation and Ohm chanting at the beginning and end of class he played a wonderful tune on a piano accordion. The first time I had ever experienced this and it was so relaxing and grounding to listen to in Savasana. Power flow is always very core focused which is what I really need after so much time off my regular practice. It was a tough class but very strength building and I really enjoyed it. I love to be challenged in my practice and this only happens for me when I actually go to classes as opposed to practicing myself and only focusing on the Asanas that I really like doing. Yoga is a never ending learning journey and I have to learn to love the things I don’t love so much in practice. I am so grateful to be back into my consistent daily practice. After class I connected with Leo and we chatted about the possibilities of becoming a teacher in Vancouver. He actually has started up a support group for new Yoga teachers who meet once each week and get to know each other. The group is focused on making each new teacher realize that we aren’t alone in this and actually there are others out there who might be feeling the same. Maybe a little daunted and intimidated by the thought of teaching in front of a large group of people which is really common and just to have people there for you is always helpful and confidence boosting. I’m looking forward to connecting with the group and learning what everyone is about. My short term goal is to find at least part-time work teaching yoga once or twice per week in a studio and then my long term goal is to be running vegan Yoga retreats on a beautiful tropical island. It will all come with time, baby steps for now :) Alana xx This morning Rhys went to his first Job interview in Van city. We have been in Vancouver 1 week now and are slowly making progress, I have a couple of interviews coming up this week which I am really looking forward to. Rhys returned home and he got the job with A1 Plumbing. Extremely proud girlfriend moment! We went out to lunch at Sejuiced in Kitsilano to celebrate with some delicious and nutritious vegan food and smoothies. We searched around the Salvation Army for treasures to put into our new apartment- when we find one. By 3pm I was ready to walk the 20 minutes to YYoga Kitsilano studio for an intensive Hot class. I always like to arrive early to class to give myself time to meditate and do any stretches that are on my mind to help my muscles and joints warm up before the class, especially with a Hot session. I entered the room and the heat was bearable but even without moving my body around I was already starting to drip sweat, just lying down. The heat reminds me of India in that way and the room gets humid really fast with so much body heat and so many lungs turning all the oxygen into carbon dioxide. I ebbed and flowed through the class. Some parts were a real struggle and I was feeling overly emotional and surprisingly filled with frustration during my practice. I accepted the feelings of discomfort and carried on. I held postures longer and stronger than on Day 1 in the Hot class and felt like I had a bit more energy. At least I didn’t feel faint or sickly and have to leave the room! I sweat what felt like would have filled a bath tub and should have taken a better face towel. The teacher was petite, toned and tough and she made us hold intensive poses for longer than usual but I felt like what I did during class was great for my body. I drank a lot of water the whole way through and after leaving too, rehydrating is so important especially after a Hot class. I was able to keep up this time but toward the end of class I started to feel like I was suffocating on the hot air that the heaters filled into the room. I dreamt of opening the door and feeling the cool air brush over my skin. My lungs fill with fresh and clean oxygen. But I lay on my mat until the very end hoping for a fast escape. Savasana helped me to clear my mind but I was still desperately thirsty for cool air. I cleaned my mat as quickly as possible before diving out the studio door into the normal atmosphere gulping in oxygen and walking quickly toward the cool water taps to rinse my face. This has to be the hottest Yoga class and studio I have ever been to. I was happy to walk home in a gentle shower of fresh water falling from the sky cleansing my sweat covered body. I looked up to the sky feeling glad to be alive. I think I’ll stick to Hot Yoga just once every second day from here on in. I woke early again and had time to look at apartments on Craigslist Vancouver and even send some emails to available places that I was interested in. By 8:45 I was ready for the 20 minute walk to YYoga Kitslano studio on West 4th Ave. The air was crisp and fresh in the early hours of the morning and I warmed myself up with a fast paced walk. This morning I opted for a more soothing Hatha Yoga class lead by Jason. He played relaxing music throughout the entire class which helped me switch off thinking and on to the present moment. Jason had a direct but calm and soft teaching approach. This class actually reminded me of a yin style practice as we spent longer breathing time in deep stretching poses. Just what I needed on a Monday morning especially after an intense Hot class the day before. Jason noticed I was new to class and helped me through with some gentle hands on adjustments making sure I was comfortable and happily breathing each time. It was a pleasure to join this calming and soothing morning class and I left feeling lighter, more focused and uplifted. In the evening Tessa and I decided to attend a Flow class at a new studio. YYoga on 6th Ave, slightly closer to our house. As this was a Flow class it was much faster pace with less breaks and more breathing with movement. This is my favourite style of class as I feel connected breath, mind and body at the same time as challenging myself both mentally and physically. The class was energizing and strengthening with longer holds in more challenging asanas. I worked up a bit of a sweat and definitely felt warm inside out but it was the right amount of sweat for a good clean workout. Flow Yoga is like a dance and should always be conducted with as much grace as possible. I’m going to sleep happy and satisfied this evening knowing I have completed three wonderful classes in two days. I even came home after the evening flow class to vege dogs made by my wonderful fiance, Rhys. Alana xx Street Art in Gokarna, Karnataka, South India. "Om Namah Shivaya". This morning I woke early as usual. My body is struggling to get used to the time in Vancouver and I usually rise around 5 am. The only difference this time is the excitement I felt about attending my first Hot Yoga class in a long time. Over our 6.5 months of travel I tried to keep a daily self practice when we were in areas without Yoga classes available. It was definitely a struggle at times mostly after a long day or two of travel usually by bus or train. It was sometimes just physically and mentally impossible to keep up a regular practice. I felt guilty and slowly became less and less motivated the less I practiced with a teacher and other students.
Even though I have spent the past 6.5 Months in mostly 40° Celsius temperatures I was not prepared for the intense focused heat I felt when walking into the beautiful YYoga Kitsilano studio. I was able to buy my first months membership for only $42 CAD and was recommended this particular studio by a friend that I am staying with. The studio is beautiful and has gorgeous facilities including a sauna (not that you need a sauna after hot yoga, not all classes are hot). I felt empowered and happy to be practicing in a studio again and committing to 30 days of Yoga practice. My motivation is coming from the desire to teach Yoga here in Vancouver but also to learn and become dedicated once again and stronger but also softer in my daily practice. This morning Tessa and I chose a HOT class because we wanted to detox through sweat and just really feel like we had done something amazing for our bodies to start the day. The heat was stronger than I anticipated and I felt quite faint part way through class. I had to quietly leave the room and take a breather in the fresh air. I tried my best not to disturb anyone when I walked through the door, I don’t like being interrupted in my practice either. After some time in the cool air and after a drink of fresh water I was able to return to class and get on with it. I finished and lay happily, peacefully and exhaustedly in Savasana with my eyes closed and my mind wide open. At first I was sad that my fitness had slipped and depleted along with my daily practice but now I’m just happy and excited to see what comes from this new 30 day Yoga challenge. I’m looking forward to the results both mentally and physically. It’s great to feel grounded and be in one place plus now I have a home studio to visit as much as I want. So glad to be committed to daily practice once again. My heart is full! Alana xx |
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October 2016
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