teacher

Movember by Donation Classes in White Rock

Movember by Donation Classes in White Rock

amyh / Events, Teachers, Thoughts / , , / 0 Comment

Jeff, Live Yoga, White Rock

By donation Hatha Yoga classes this weekend in support of Movember Canada. All proceeds to this very good cause.  Classes taking place at Live Yoga in White Rock-  www.liveyoga.ca

Help Jeff raise funds for a worthy cause. He’s growing his ‘stache in support of Movember Canada and raising money for prostate cancer research, a cause dear to his heart.

Bring your Mo brothers and Mo sisters for a by donation MO YOGA MOVEMBER Hatha class.

Two Mo-mentous classes to choose from — come for one or both and bring your friends!

Saturday, Movember 24
Sunday, Movember 25

4:30-5:45pm both classes

By Cash Donation – pay what you can, or what you want (suggested donation $10).

All proceeds go to Movember Canada’s fundraiser for men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer research.

Live Yoga
www.liveyoga.ca
778-545-9918
15186 Buena Vista Avenue
White Rock, BC
V4B 1Y3

Vancouver Yoga Teacher Profile: Kat Wong

Vancouver Yoga Teacher Profile: Kat Wong

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Kat Wong has been instructing Flow, Hot & Core Yoga classes since 2008. Her students love her energy, her voice, and the experience she gives them. She keeps her students challenged with new ideas, engaging them with music, props & visualizations. They explore movements of strength while keeping the mind calm and centered. Students leave her class refreshed and ready to embrace life’s challenges.

With a strong passion in health and fitness, she found yoga as the perfect adjunct to balance her busy lifestyle.  Kat found she could connect with her inner self by coming to her place of solitude, her mat.  She has learned to understand the power of the breath as a tool to calm the mind and relax the body.  As a Nutritionist and Personal Trainer, she feels that an individual’s health is vital to enjoy life to the fullest.

Man sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present;
the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;
he lives as if he is never going to die,
and then dies having never really lived”
~ Dalai Lama

She hopes that her students’ journey in health and fitness will not just be for self-improvement and discovery, but will also offer them a tool for self-creation.

Email Kat Wong at trinityfitnesswithkat@gmail.com and catch a class with her at:

How Becoming a Teacher Made Me a Better Student

How Becoming a Teacher Made Me a Better Student

amyh / Reflections, Thoughts / , , / 0 Comment

I had been practicing (and intermittently teaching) yoga for years before I decided it was time to take my Yoga Teacher Training at Live Yoga in the summer of 2011 and finally certify to teach. I picked a teacher that I loved (Dan Clement from Open Source Yoga) and embarked on an experience that would change me in more ways that I could ever imagine.

Although I had been attending classes for all those years, it wasn’t until I became a yoga teacher that I truly started learning what it means to be a student of yoga.

I’m not saying that understanding yoga is inaccessible to students, or that the light of yoga only comes with teaching it. For me, it wasn’t until I needed to articulate to others the benefits and purposes of yoga that I truly started integrating my knowledge into my own practice.

Many experiences as a teacher have deepened my personal practice: when students ask me about the philosophy behind the practice, or the anatomy behind the body; when students describe sensations or emotions during poses and how yoga helped them to heal; when students want advice for rehabilitating injuries and conditions; when students push too hard in class, or not hard enough; when students recount failures and successes and how yoga helped them to develop a fulfilling life.

Teaching so many wonderful people has enriched my own understanding and appreciation of yoga in profound and unimaginable ways. Here are a few of the things I have learned and integrated into my personal practice as a result of teaching and observing my students:

  • My body is unique and beautiful. Seriously. Nobody has my bones, my history, my evolution with my body. Nobody knows my body like I do and how it moves, how it responds and what it needs to feel healthy. My practice needs to be sensitive and respect this uniqueness. Sometimes that means I don’t do a pose even though my neighbour is doing it. I’m ok with that now, because my body is mine and I need to take care of it.
  • I require and deserve respect, patience and love. At All Times. Absolutely and without exception.
  • Every class/day/experience is an opportunity to learn (about myself and others). It doesn’t matter who I am talking to, who I’m learning from or which students are in front of me. Every person has a story that is interesting, full and inspiring. Even in mundane or tense moments of life, there are opportunities to learn and grow.
  • I deserve compassion and care, from others and especially myself. In yoga you explore your body (and spirit at times) and learn things. Sometimes you learn that you can’t do certain poses or exercises, while at other times you learn you can. This ebb and flow is an integral part of the practice. It is not yet another chance for judgement, repulsion or disappointment. I may never get into poses that make me look like a pretzel- that doesn’t mean I am less spiritually developed, physically fit or deserving of love! I try to understand and love myself for all my limitations and abilities alike. They are what make me ME.
  • Yoga should be shared. There is so much variety in yoga. So much that can help with health and wellness. I am to spread the word. Not in a dogmatic way, but in a way that expresses and abounds from the passion and belief I have in what I do.
  • Yoga isn’t about getting your legs behind your head, it’s about integration, health, vitality and wellness. That’s right. No one is meant to do ALL the poses that have ever been invented. There are a variety so you can pick and choose what works for your body. I do what feels safe, good and beneficial, I modify some to suit my needs, and I always give myself permission to leave some poses out completely.
  • I aspire to live my yoga on and off my mat. The more I learn patience, determination, how to overcome challenges, enjoy successes, demonstrate care and compassion on my mat, the more I want to be the person I am on my mat, all the time.
  • When I soften my practice, things open up (but sometimes when I get too soft, I need to energize too!). I used to practice power, hot and flow yoga all the time. I thought that to improve and get stronger at yoga, I needed HARDER classes. I have started to realize that a consistent, softer practice, with lots of intention, exploration, alignment and care has wielded far greater results for me. I make time for Yin and Restorative now. I make time to rest and breathe. I am gaining strength and energy with less tension. My practice is getting more advanced in a natural way – and I am having so much fun doing it!
  • Committing to my practice sets me free – whether that means a full practice in the morning, or just a few minutes of breathing, reading or relaxation at the end of my day. Making the practice of yoga part of my daily routine keeps me connected and fulfilled.

Sharing the wisdom of yoga as a teacher has made me a much more sensitive, caring and dedicated student. I am so blessed to share a practice that I love with others, and have them teach and inspire me in my own practice as well.

I hope that as a teacher, I continue to learn and get inspired by my students, so that I can deepen and expand my practice always.

My beloved teacher Dan Clement is running a 200hr YTT at my home base, Live Yoga in White Rock this July. Feel free to drop in on one of my classes at Live Yoga or Hari Om Yoga (in Langley) and share your light with me! Or comment below and share what you have learned from teaching/practicing yoga!

Amy, loving life from any perspective. (Photo, Roxana Albusel Photography, www.roxanaphotography.com)

 

 

 

Restorative Yoga and Therapy Teacher Training Starting January!

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Dan Clement, source: http://www.indigo yoga.ca/yoga-instructors.html

Love yoga? Want to share your practice with others? Have a special interest in restorative yoga and therapeutic techniques?

A specialized training program with Open Source Yoga (Registered Yoga School with the Yoga Alliance) will begin in January. This part-time weekdays evening course will focus on
empowering teachers to work with private clients and small groups in a home yoga studio setting.

Teachers in training will employ holistic biomechanics to work structurally to heal common injuries to the shoulders, hips, knees, wrists and neck. The balance of the course will cover all areas of yoga alliance certification standards at the 200 hour level, with components of restorative yoga for stress and illness, Ayurvedic diet, as well as Thai Massage and development of a home business plan.

Dan Clement and Carol Wray will be leading the training from a working home yoga studio. They are both very experienced teachers with extensive training in structural therapy, restorative and yin yoga, as well as micro-business development.

200 hour Therapy and Restorative Training
Dates: Jan 10- April 19 2012
Weekday evenings (Tues, Wed,  Thurs 6pm – 10pm) part-time @ Panorama Ridge, Surrey B.C.
Course cost: $2700, includes texts.

To Register: Please contact Dan Clement at Dan@IndigoYoga.ca or http://www.opensourceyoga.ca/ and an application will be sent to you.

AntiGravity Yoga with Ingrid

Amanda / Props, Reviews, Styles, Teachers / , / 0 Comment

There are so many variations of yoga popping up all the time.  When I heard about AntiGravity yoga I was intrigued.  Currently it is only offered at Steve Nash Sports Club.

You perform the poses in a hammock which is made of a structural fabric that is connected from two overhead points. It acts like a swing or soft trapeze.  You are very safe.  The benefits are said to be a relief of compressed joints and alignment of the body.

Ingrid was my instructor.  She was well trained, friendly and allowed that fun, playful side to come out.  I felt like a kid again when we started swinging.   I especially liked all the inversions that would not be possible otherwise.

If you are looking to mix up your regular yoga routine, I highly recommend you try this class.  You won’t be disappointed.

 

Jennifer – Steveston Village Yoga

Amanda / Studio Reviews, Studios, Teachers / , , , , , , , / 0 Comment

If you are looking for a change from your chain yoga studios?  Try Steveston Village Yoga.  Tucked behind Alegria Cafe in the heart of Steveston Village is this lovely, quaint yoga studio.

I go for Jennifer’s Tuesday 7pm Yin class.  I am greeted with a warm and inviting atmosphere.  The space has a real Zen feel.  I take my spot on a mat provided, which is decked out with all the props:  eye shade, 2 blocks, bolster, etc.  The candles are lit and the class begins.

Jennifer has a soothing voice that lulls you deeper and deeper into the poses.  I feel completely relaxed, even in the final moments of a 5 minute posture.  She is a natural Yin teacher, who exudes a friendly, nuruturing energy.  She is very personable and attentive.  I like the one on one instruction.

I highly recommend this class.  Just what is needed after a long, stressful day.  You will sleep like a baby afterward.

Namaste.

My Five-Minute Yoga Practice App

Taya / Props, Teachers, Yogis / , , , , , , , , , , , / 0 Comment

Eve Johnson, a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher based in Vancouver, created My Five-Minute Yoga Practice app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

A useful application for beginners, Eve talks you through 11 five-minute practices, with detailed instructions describing exactly what to do in each pose. Gradually, five minutes at a time, yoga will become part of life. It’s also a great tool for those who struggle with finding enough time to fit yoga into their day, or frustrated with the lack of progress in their yoga practice.

Available in the App Store, you can also visit Eve’s website for additional information.

Teaching Your Teacher: Sharing the Love

amyh / Reflections, Thoughts / , , , / 0 Comment

Source: http://www.leeanncareyyogashopping.com/stretch-one-on-one/

My saga of being a newly certified teacher continues! Yesterday I taught a 20min segment to my very favourite teacher – it was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

After all the coursework, readings and practical teaching exercises in my summer Yoga Teacher Training, I was feeling pretty good about things. I was getting great feedback from friends and students about my teaching. My youngest brother had a sore calf, which I helped out with using my new therapeutic techniques and a couple of well-considered (and well-taught!) stretches.

I was feeling pretty good – until my favourite teacher in the world asked me to lead her through a short class so she could get a sense of my style. Yikes!

Last week I devoted myself to planning and fretting. I practiced and prepared. I visualized her loving it – and hating it. I’m usually pretty balanced and confident in front of people, but when I placed my mat down and she rolled hers out in front of me, I wondered how such an amazing teacher could even start to enjoy my teaching. How can I, her student, measure up as her teacher?  I became a little undone— I’m not going to lie.

When the music started and I launched into my routine, my voice was a little shaky and my instructions a bit garbled. I realised though, that teaching my teacher was a great opportunity to share my love for yoga in an expression that she hasn’t seen from me before. Not only that, but I could get tips and pointers from someone I respect and admire a great deal to apply to my teaching!

I realised that I should just do what I’ve been compelled to do all along – share my love for yoga in my own way and hope others will feel inspired and drawn to practice it with me. We both had fun!

Lauren Roegele – Demonstrating Yoga’s Healing Benefits

amyh / Studios, Teachers / , , , , , / 0 Comment

Lauren Roegele is an Anusara-inspired teacher with a kind soul and a profound love for the healing benefits of yoga. I have taken a few of her classes before, but had the opportunity to work with her at a deeper level in my teacher training last month.

Source: http://www.muddyrootsyoga.com/teachers/

As part of his 200hr YTT program, Dan Clement hosted local teachers in our classes – a way for us to learn diverse elements of yoga from specialists in the field. Among these speakers were Todd Caldecott (Ayurveda), Carol Wray (Restorative Yoga, Thai Massage, Structural Therapeutics), Naomi Clement (Anatomy) and Lauren.

Lauren came in for several sessions – the most striking of which were the healing and therapeutic segments. To start, she told us her story of being hit by a drunk driver’s car while crossing the road. She told us about the years of mental and physical health difficulties. She explained with profound emotion how finding yoga gave her the ability to heal herself and rediscover her enthusiasm for life.

She has practiced under a number of influential teachers, including John Friend, Christina Sell, Paul Grilley, Sarah Powers, Bernie Clark, Sean Corne, Martin Kirk, and David Swenson. She brings her understanding of the body’s limitations and hesitations to a teaching style that is safe, effective and fun. When a student is discouraged and says, “I can’t do this,” Lauren is quick to respond with a warm and encouraging, “not yet…”

Lauren teaches Anusara, Yin and Level 2 at Muddy Roots Yoga in South Surrey (www.muddyrootsyoga.com), as well as a weekly Flow class at Hari Om Yoga in Langley (www.hariomyoga.com).

You can read more about Lauren’s journey, as well as her private session techniques, testimonials and at www.laurensyoga.com.

Will Blunderfield

Amanda / Teachers / , , , , / 1 Comment

In Vancouver, we are blessed to have access to countless amazing yoga teachers!  I would like to write about one such teacher, Will!  My friend Tracey took Will’s class a month ago and  ever since she has been telling me that I must take his class.  Finally, I went.  I am left wondering why I haven’t heard of Will sooner?

I see Will before the class and he is wearing a bandana and eyeliner.  I could tell that this was not going to be your “typical” yoga class.  What is a typical yoga class?  That is another story.  Will starts the class as soon as he walks in.  “Inhale, Exhale,” with an audible sigh.  “Let it all go.”  The sighs get louder as we repeat this a few more times.

During the class, Will gets “personal.”  He tells us about his journey into striving to be his authentic self.  You can tell he genuinely likes to teach.  He exudes love and acceptance.  Here are some Will “isms.”  “Shine your light.  If others think your light is too bright, tell them to wear sunglasses.”  “Don’t judge me, but love me.  When you judge others, there is no room to love yourself.”

Will finishes class by singing an amazing rendition of Hallelujah.  Talk about taking Savasana to a whole new level.  I left class feeling detoxed and good about myself.  That might have something to do with having to look into my eyes in the mirror and chant “I am good enough, I am enough, etc?”

If you are looking for a class that is inspirational, uplifting and fun (there was some butt shaking involved).  Try Will’s hot hour at West Coast Hot Yoga in Yaletown.  It’s a judgment free zone that will allow you to express your fabulous self!

Gratitude For My Mom

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It’s mothers day and I’m grateful. I’m grateful for my wonderful mother, who continues to be my best friend, confidant, and so much a part of me that I pick up the phone whenever I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing.

My mother is my greatest teacher. Her example and her unhesitating and generous love (which are pretty much the same thing, really) is the bedrock of the choices that I make in my life. Whenever I am out of line somewhere in my life– in my thoughts, words, or actions– I ask myself what she would do.

Her quiet example teaches me to be better every day.

Her quest for freedom, to live the good life (in a Socratic, not a Kanye sense), gives me the freedom to find my version of that good life, even if it seems to change with the seasons.

I am able to recognize other teachers and learn from them because she taught me what to look for– honesty, openness, a sense of humour.

I am grateful for every breath because she gave it to me and because she taught me that every breath and every moment is sacred.

Because of her I know that the true nature of the world is love, even though sometimes it doesn’t seem that way.

‎”We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.”
~Herman Melville

My mother lives this every day. This is how she is my mom. I know this is true because she showed me so.

Instructor Review: Jack Black as a Vancouver Yogi?

Instructor Review: Jack Black as a Vancouver Yogi?

Tracy / Reviews, Teachers, Yogis / , , / 1 Comment

Okay, I know the title of this post is a bit alarming… Jack Black as a yogi? In Vancouver? Jack Black as a yogi, period, seems an odd enough thought, right?

So, okay…here’s where I’m coming from on this one.

This morning, Taya and I attended a class at Semperviva’s newest location — 4th Ave and Yew — and the class was instructed by Dan Lindsay. It was our first time taking a class from Dan and, truth be told, our first class in a while. We’ve both been so wrapped up in our lives, that yoga has sort slipped off of the regular schedule. But today we changed that and, now that I’m back in town for a while, we’re making the effort to get back into the yogi groove. Yet, today, as Taya and I limbered up, freeing our muscles from too many days without yoga and flowing with Dan’s very well planned class, I couldn’t help smiling for a completely different reason. Sure I felt free and happy to be in that moment, as one should be in any yoga class…but my mind was also drifting off somewhere else…to Jack Black.

I couldn’t help but thinking (and internally giggling a little at this thought) that Dan reminded me of Jack Black…if Jack Black were to become a yogi, that is! Dan’s hair is a bit lighter, he’s surely fitter, and he wasn’t cracking zany jokes…but the basic similarity in overall build, hair length and facial features were definitely there. More than anything though, it’s the voice that got me. As Dan expertly guided us through the hour’s many moves and flows, I really couldn’t stop thinking about how much his deep voice and strong articulations were so much like those of Jack Black (and reminiscent of Jack’s character meticulously instructing his students during “School of Rock.”) Yes…if Jack black were to go healthy, lighten his hair a bit, pull it back in a yogi-tail and strike a warrior pose, you’d be looking at Dan!

Believe me, I know. It’s more than a bit crazy of me to be thinking of Jack Black while doing yoga! But I’ve always been one to attach people’s voices and overall looks to celebrities. People are always reminding me of one celebrity or another. It’s sorta my thing. So, of course, this is all just my crazy opinion… You may not agree. So, you’ll have to attend one of Dan’s classes and decide!

Dan’s classes are a great blend of hatha stretches and flow with some yin stretches thrown in at the end. I felt very gradually limbered up and invigorated from the class! Jack Black references aside, I highly recommend attending one of Dan Lindsay’s classes! He’d probably make my Top 10 list of favorite instructors in Vancouver, in fact! So, go check out his class when you get a chance (and leave a comment below with YOUR thoughts on it)!


 PS — You’ll note on Dan’s Semperviva bio that he is a very musical guy, having loved music his whole life, and going so far as to say  “I always seem to have my own internal soundtrack playing in my mind as I move through life.”  So is Jack Black. (And this comment actually sort of reminded me of Jack Black’s character as a soundtrack writer in “The Holiday”!) Maybe I’m not so crazy after all…?

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