My North Star

 I have been interested in fitness from an early age and bought my first gym membership at the age of 19. I was a “gym rat” for most of my 20’s and 30’s gravitating to hot yoga when it first became popular in Winnipeg in the early 2000’s. Part of my interest was due to the appeal of being in a warm room for 90 minutes in the winter months, but I quickly grew to love practicing the same set of postures and challenging myself to improve. I enjoyed the group aspect paired with the individual focus on proper breathing and technique. I practiced Bikram exclusively for 10 years and then started branching out into other styles as well as exploring meditation.

Yoga and meditation have become my north star; they always point me in the right direction no matter what is going on in my life. The ability to center myself allows me to react to situations from a place of peace and mindfulness. This skill has completely changed how I interact with my family, friends, and colleagues.  Now that we are living through year 2 of a global pandemic, it has become clear that practicing yoga is really the perfect pastime for me, with so many well-documented positives. The first is obviously that you can do it anywhere, even trapped at home under lockdown measures. Plus it’s absolutely free. Yes, you can download fancy yoga apps and buy expensive tights at lululemon if you so desire, but you can also watch free YouTube videos and wear your grubbiest clothes if you wish. No judgment!

A physical, mental, and spiritual practice that allows you to
open your heart and mind, while strengthening and toning your body at the same time. It really covers all the bases because while you are working on moving into the poses, combined with deep breathing, naturally leads to relaxation and meditation with very little effort. Yoga can help to relieve anxiety by focusing on being present in the moment, and decrease stress by lowering cortisol levels. It can also aid in recovering from injuries and provide relief from bone, joint, and muscle related pain. So many scientific studies prove that yoga can benefit anyone, it makes me wonder why more schools don’t have daily yoga and mediation practices for students. Maybe we’ll get there one day. In the meantime, I’ll continue to enjoy the many benefits of yoga for years to come.