Why I Love Coming to the Yoga Centre Winnipeg (continued)

This one addresses the changes in the Yoga Centre Winnipeg over the many years
(27+) we have been offering yoga in the Winnipeg Community


First and foremost, I appreciate the excellent standard of teaching. The instruction is precise, informed and clear. Secondly, I value the individual attention the teachers with whom I have studied provide me as well as others in the class when we need it. It is done gently and with each student's particular needs in mind. I have noticed a change in the culture of the Yoga Centre since first coming in the early 90's. I have experienced what appears to be a more caring, gentler approach to students resulting in what is for me a richer quality in the relationships between teachers and students as well as more effective outcomes for the students.

When I first started, I found the teachers encouraging and precise in their teaching but very edgy. Now, I find the same qualities exist and added to them, an atmosphere of compassion and thoughtfulness I had not experienced in quite the same way before. Accompanied with this approach, there continues to be consistent and persistent reminders for each of us to pay attention to our bodies and the messages we are receiving from our bodies at all phases of the practice: as we enter, stay in and come out of poses.

I had experienced injuries in the past from what seemed to me to be a combination of over zealous perfectionism from some of the teachers that only increased my own self-imposed competitiveness. I now experience a gentler more student-centered approach which helps me take responsibility for myself in a way that results in a much healthier practice. I find each teacher I have had since returning to the Yoga Centre has respected my decisions as to what poses I can do and how far to push myself. This in itself has helped me grow in learning my limitations.

Overall, the Yoga Centre has been a place of learning for me as well as providing many opportunities for me to learn about my body and every other aspect of my being. It has become a place of what I would call an "unpressured community".

I am not so anxious to "win a 1 month unlimited pass" as I am to take the opportunity to thank Jan and Shauna in the leadership you have provided to change the culture so that everyone, in particular myself, can practice and learn yoga in a way that allows for compassion and congruency.

Specifically, I want to thank Candace for the excellent way in which she prepares for and teaches our Friday morning Beginners class.

Thanks to everyone.
Sandra

Why I love Coming to the Yoga Centre Winnipeg

We asked our students to tell us why they loved coming to the Yoga Centre winnipeg- all of the answers have been very beautiful and inspiring, but we decided to post some of our longer ones on our blog.

The next series of blogs are from our members. We post them with much gratitude for their deep and thoughtful sharing and appreciation!

I have a long history of scoliosis and have lived with chronic back, hip and leg pain for many years. There were regular visits to a chiropractor and then visits to a massage therapist which really helped control the issues but they kept telling me that if I don't do some stretching, as in yoga, I am going to seize up!!!! I was terrified to practice yoga as I thought it would hurt my back again since I had a very bad experience with yoga at a community program. My daughter who is a yoga teacher in Vancouver searched out suitable studios for me to go to and decided that Yoga Centre Winnipeg was just right for me!

Then I started the process of persuading and encouraging myself to attend a class at the studio. Accomplishing that was a major feat! I was terrified to say the least! I decided to give it a try and it has changed my life forever! I spent one year in a beginner’s class with Jan and she taught me so many things and was an amazing influence on me, always encouraging and helpful especially for pose modifications for my back. In fact I did not want to move on to any other class because she made me feel so comfortable and my back felt so good. It was fabulous. With encouragement from her that I could do this, I did move on to many classes with a range of poses and difficulties that I would work on. This has been such a positive experience for me with positive outcomes. I have also taken meditation classes with Shawna which was life changing for me as I have never done anything like that before and it has helped me deal with so many issues in my life. I have also recommended it to many people I know. Also I have participated in Kirtans which I so love and have learned about the spiritual side of yoga and myself. The breathing techniques have also helped me immensely in my day to day activities.

For many years now I have attended Yoga Centre Winnipeg on a regular basis and have become a much better person physically, emotional and spiritually for it. Yoga is part of my life now and for the future, it maintains me physically at home and at the studio. I take it with me when I travel and it is much better than taking pain medications. It is not a "fad" yoga at this studio but rather a lifestyle change and I am so grateful that I have found this wonderful paradise on earth with such knowledgeable instructors that have helped me so much. Thank you.


Yours in Yoga
Karen B.

Yoga Saved My Life

When my yoga journey began, I immediately felt and appreciated the physical benefits of yoga. I was a fitness junkie; I ran marathons, taught exercise classes, and caught onto every new workout program. At the time, I thought yoga would just be a small addition to my exercise regime. I began to notice changes in my body simply by adding one yoga class per week. My knees and ankles stopped swelling when I’d run, my balance improved, my hip flexors didn’t ache anymore, and I was becoming more flexible. Since physical health was my priority at the time, I became a huge fan of yoga for everything that it could do for my body.

A year later, I was still practicing yoga, along with all of my other physical activities, when my whole plan backfired. I was over-exercising and under-eating. At 21, my hair was falling out, I no longer had a menstrual cycle, and I was absolutely miserable. Although it took quite a while for me to admit that my “healthy lifestyle” was causing all these issues for me, I eventually recognized that I had a problem. It was at this point that yoga changed my life.

I stopped ignoring my yoga teachers whenever they would talk about the spiritual component to yoga. My practice stopped being about challenging my body and became my source of peace and happiness. I started reading about yoga, developing a personal practice, and meditating. Within a year, my priorities, my lifestyle, and my sense of self changed drastically. I was healthier in every way; my physical body felt better than it ever had, my relationships improved, my stress and anxiety levels were under control, and for the first time in my life I had a spiritual practice.

When I began the teacher training program two years ago, once again, I underestimated the impact that it would have on my life. Yoga is one of those things where, the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know. My practice is forever growing, influencing my life in different ways, and teaching me lessons along the way. Yoga has truly saved my life.

thank you yoga

Yoga has had an incredible impact in my life and has changed it in many ways for the very best. It has allowed for me to be patient as well as self accepting especially the factors of which I have no control. My practice of Asana’s has helped me achieve balance in my life through my breath and body awareness. I attempt to incorporate yoga in my daily living.

The practice of yoga has helped me maintain mental clarity as well my physical strength. I have a better above all sense of self , a truly deep rooted love and passion for the practice and how it has enriched my life for me. Yoga has been something I have been able to rely on and always be blessed with clarity. A perfect marriage of tranquility, peace and love. Yoga inspires me to be ever changing in every aspect of my ever changing world.

do not abandon the mat in hard times

Yoga offers lessons that you won’t find in a book. These lessons come to mind when I reflect on why I do yoga. It is amazing to see what people can do with their bodies. Many beautiful and inspirational yoga videos are floating around on the internet. But it is the silent and invisible aspects that can only be discovered internally, and which often go overlooked in passing digital bytes. It is difficult to capture and communicate these things.

I have learned that my physical barriers are often created by my mental resistance. Yoga is great for anxiety but if I jump onto the mat without being fully present, letting anxious thoughts float around as I fall into poses, I will not get very far. The experience will not be pleasant either, desperate rather than tranquil. This has been a humbling lesson that I often have to revisit when I want to give up in moments of frustration.

Using breath as energy is another subtle lesson that yoga teaches. Whenever a friend asks me to teach them some poses this awareness is the hardest part to communicate. If I could go back to tell myself all the things I have learned through my practice (with much more to learn), my past self would probably not understand what I was talking about. Breath opens space, and space is all you need sometimes. Even a tiny bit can make a world of difference. One can teach a pose, but it will always be up to the student to explore that pose individually and internally. That exploration is what makes yoga special for me.

Learning to not push too hard has been more challenging than any physical challenge I have encountered. Yoga has taught me that there is more strength in moderation than in completion. I still resist this lesson at times but it gives me something to work with and this is valuable in itself. This notion of moderation contradicts many years of academic education, and beyond that the years spent immersed in modern society. The push to achieve without stopping to consider what is being achieved has been drilled into my brain. Being able to stop thinking and explore a deeper level of awareness is why I do yoga. (A little rebellion against the system is fun too :)

This year of deepening my yoga practice has confronted me with a lot of truths and valuable lessons. Cycles of enthusiasm, overwhelmed tiredness, resistance and surrender have all come and gone. It is true that nothing ever stays the same. And while this can be defeating at times, it can also be humbling to acknowledge that life escapes definition. Don’t abandon the mat in hard times. It is there to teach a lesson even when you feel like rolling up in a ball of self-pity and letting the tension in your body consume you. I will forget all of these lessons and I will remember them again. And there will always be moments that remind me I don’t know the half of it, or any of it. This wisdom that reveals itself bit by bit through internal exploration is why I know I will always want to keep practicing, questioning, and finding peace in humility. And having fun too, there is always lots of that!

giving and receiving

As a yoga instructor I have moments where I waiver between “am I doing the best I can for my students” and days where I can feel pretty confident about what I send out. I personally think that if we ever enter a room and think even for the smallest of moments that ‘I know it all’ and if anyone does not ‘get what I give… It ‘s their issue’, we need to leave the teaching arena.

I am cautiously optimistic about every class that I move into. My variables are of course, my students. How well do we really know them? Their battles? We may never know especially if they don’t feel the trust to come forward and ask questions about their needs. I will walk in with a class prepped and move into the first few poses and realize that even though I began by asking if anyone was new, people are shy. I don’t have the opportunity to be at the front desk so I rely on his or her willingness to wave at me when I ask if anyone is new. Some are too shy to do so. So I find out, if you will, in the field.

At that moment the script is thrown out. Then we move with the room. For me this has been an amazing learning opportunity and completely organic growth. I have learned so much from my students and am eternally grateful to them. My students are and forever will be, my greatest teachers.

I was moved to tears today. I met “Ed” about a year ago. A cheerful soul who has a permanent smile on his face. It was hard not to notice his presence because he radiated abundant kindness. It was about a month after meeting him that he asked me about meditation and its effects on the body and does the physical body need to be in certain positions or states to do it? We had many conversations and exchanges that left room for deeper learning and more intense conversations. Not once did any part of me scream… “This guy is in pain.”

Today Ed came up and thanked me after class. Told me he is going on a one-year excursion around the world. WOW! I ask my students to send me a picture of them in a yoga pose so I can hang it on my yoga room sangha wall. He agreed, and I gave him my email. This is the email I received.

“Thank you again for your guidance during my practice in the mornings yoga classes. Over the last couple months, the lessons I learned from you helped me overcome bouts of drug-induced mental illness and the psychological fallout that came from that.

The compassion, kindness, and humor you emanate is an inspiration and gave me strength to make a full-recovery and embark on the new path I'm heading down. I'm looking forward to continuing my practice and sending you a picture for your wall, of me on some distant continent in a pose you taught me. *hug*”

We do not know what will walk in. We just need to be open to receive it. Humbly and full of gratitude… thank you Ed. What you have just done for me is immeasurable.

Shanti Om - Tally Young
Tally is a certified instructor who currently teaches at a variety of places in Winnipeg.
She is participating in the YCW 200hr Teacher Training

Turkish delight

the Yoga Centre Winnipeg recently returned back from our latest yoga adventure in TURKEY.

Jan and I, plus 20 willing and adventurous yoga students headed off to Istanbul and the Turquoise Coast.  We arrived to a warm greeting from our tour company: Mocha Tours.
The owner of the tour company greeted us himself. Murat , our warm, friendly  and very organized host whisked us away to a lovely little coffee shop that turned out to also specialize in CHOCOLATE!!! In addition to a wide variety of specialty coffee &teas they had chocolate in every form you can imagine- they even had chocolate spoons.

This would have been enough for most, but then we moved on to our lunch at a nearby fish restaurant. As we hungrily gobbled up the array of options before us, we were surprised by a second course!!! Most of us had already begun to slow down our eating when around came the MAIN course. Just when we could barely imagine taking another bite along came a most irresistible desert!!!

This was our welcome to Turkey and definitely set the tone for our upcoming ten days together- sweet and abundant!

As we left the café we were serenaded by the call to prayer at the local mosque, which was broadcast out into the community.  This was our introduction to the 'call to prayer.'   No matter where we were, or what we were doing, 5 times a day we would hear this call to prayer.  No matter what one’s spiritual beliefs, you here the call! How one chooses to respond (or react) to the sound is individual. It struck me as an moment of connection and an opportunity to pause, if only for one breath,  and appreciate my immense good fortune,-not only to be travelling in this amazing country, but for my life and my freedom.

We spent the following 2 ½  days touring the ancient city of Istanbul we had a wonderful guide Yassin, who kindly and patiently shepherded us from one ancient site to another filling our brains with history and culture.! It was delightful, even though our first day was in the pouring rain! Luckily umbrellas were for sale on every corner especially at the tourist destinations!

Our second evening we were fortunate to attend a showing of the whirling dervishes at an old hamam that had been converted into a cultural centre. The show was entrancing, and lulled most of us into a meditative state.

Day three brought other wonders such as the Blue Mosque, the Cistern, and the Spice Market and our introduction into Turkish Delight……Words can not express this adventure!! Let’s just say we all did our part to support the Turkish economy.

From Istanbul we traveled to the Turquoise Coast, where we began Phase II!

We arrived in a small coastal town called Dalaman. After a 2.5 hr bus ride up winding hills along the coast  we arrived at our destination the Lazy Lizard Inn. We immediately fell in love with the place, the view, AND our hosts Sigi and Mickey. Sigi, a  wonderful cook, kept us well fed with her diverse and delicious meals. While Mickey, kindly & patiently toured us around to all the wonderful sites along the coast and catered to our every need (bathrooms, coffee and bananas).

 Each day we would head out from the Lazy lizard and travel 40 minutes down the mountain and head for a different adventure!! From natural wonders like the Saklikent Gorge, to the ancient cities of Tlos and Patara.

We roamed around the to not so ancient abandoned village of Kayokoy, imagining the lives of the villagers, and what the abandoned structures were once used for.


 We walked on beaches, bathed in the mud, swam in the blue blue sea and some of us even sailed in the sky!! Each of us was touched by a different aspect of this rich and beautiful land.

Oh yes, and of course we did yoga. Yoga was the thread that brought this very diverse group of women together. Yoga was our common thread. It helped us through the jet lag and cope with the aches and pains of sitting on buses. It calmed our nerves, soothed our travel bellies and helped us sleep. Although the outdoor morning yoga was c-c-c-cold, it still magically transformed the sleepy stiff body into a state of vibrancy and set the tone for the day. The evening yoga was a refuge- it integrated the day’s events and brought us all back into harmonious balance.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to see the world and to experience the  beauties and joys of other lands, it gives me fresh eyes and great appreciation for the beauty and wonder of our own city and the beautiful community of people at the Yoga Centre Winnipeg!
namaste
Shauna

Yoga and My Life

I had always been a believer of doing what guides your heart.

However, if you told me 10 years ago where that would have led I may not have believed you! In October of 2007 a friend of mine convinced me to try hot yoga. The only reason I tried it was because of all of the calories I was told I would burn in one class. Wow! Post class I felt awesome and I couldn’t believe how hard it was. It wasn't the defeated kind of hard I had felt when trying other activities, it was the achievable hard and I loved it. From that point on I did as many classes as I could afford to do. I certainly began feeling the physical improvements such as strength and flexibility. My family really noticed how happy going to yoga made me. It wasn’t long before I noticed how it started to change and challenge my life from the inside out. I wanted to simplify, I wanted to experience things I had never even thought about before, I wanted to be a better person and most importantly I wanted to share what I felt with others. I guess the term, taking yoga off the mat now applied to me !

With a little voice in my head telling me I should teach yoga, I continued to try and convince others to try yoga or go to class with me. However, that little voice got louder and louder and was starting to disrupt my daily work life. I managed to push this voice aside convincing myself that being already over 40 there was little chance I could or should teach yoga to others.

Then it dawned on me, isn't yoga for everyone? Why do I feel I wouldn't make a good teacher for someone? I could likely teach beginners,children or maybe children or adults that need a more therapeutic approach to yoga. I then thought wouldn't it be amazing if individuals with developmental disabilities were doing yoga? I started thinking about my previous 8 years of “hands on” experience in the field of social services. I felt very strongly there were many individuals with special needs that could benefit from yoga. I shared my thoughts to my extremely supportive husband who said, “If there was ever a time for you to do something you are passionate about, do it now!” I really was passionate about this and it wasn't a lack of self confidence at all that brought me back to working with an amazing community of people !

Like everything that is meant to be, it just all fell into place so easily. If that fire hadn't been lit almost 7 years ago or the desire to become a yoga teacher not been so disruptive! I would have ignored the signs that I was meant to do something very special with my life. I sought out what I felt would be the best teacher training in order to teach this particular clientele and headed to Massachusetts where the training was held. I left my full-time corporate position of 10 years to get back to working with a group of people I love. It just had a new twist is all! That first week was followed by 4 years of teacher training that have both supported my initial training and allowed me to branch out into teaching “typical children and adults” ! I fell in love with what ever it was that drew me to the mat and kept me there. I know I became a yoga teacher because it felt right and not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate the people that supported the path it took for me to follow my passion.

by Gail Gagne

My Peaceful Warrior

I have been practicing yoga for a couple of years now, that is, until April 16th, 2013, the day my mom was diagnosed with ALS. ALS is a motor neuron disease that first attacks the voluntary muscles in the body. The disease makes its way through the body affecting balance, mobility, swallowing, speech and breath and so much more. It’s a terminal illness with no miracle treatment or cure.

As I would come to the mat to practice yoga, my mom was rapidly losing her ability to stand, to lift her arms, bring her hands to heart, to breathe deeply. With every single movement of my yoga practice, I couldn’t help but think of my mom. Then a wave of guilt would flood over me. I could do all of these things that my mom couldn’t. How could I enjoy my practice while my mom was dying? Every time I would bring myself to my mat, so many emotions would start to flow through my body, making it very difficult for me to practice. I just couldn’t bring myself to happy, I couldn’t imagine my life without my mom; my teacher, my mentor, my role model, my MOM!

With the world turned upside down and huge doubt in my mind, I trudged forward and started my teacher training. I longed to feel the excitement of this new beginning, yet my thoughts kept drifting to my mom, to the disease and how this would play out. The workshops started and I went. Needless to say, I put my personal practice on “pause” and really didn’t know if I would ever be able to or want to press “play” again. I didn’t have it in me to practice yoga as my time and energy was given to my mom, holding her hand, praying with her, singing to her and sharing tears with her. As well, supporting my dad, while he helplessly watched his wife, his soul mate and love of his life, slip away, struggling to accept that he couldn’t fix this.

On one of the last days of my mom’s life, I was sitting with her and a few of my sisters in her hospital room when something came over me, this need to do yoga. It felt foreign as I hadn’t felt the urge to do yoga for a long time. So I stood up, and prepared to do a sun salutation. As I moved through the postures, my mom watched me. While still watching me, I showed her Peaceful Warrior and explained how this was and still is one of my favourite yoga postures because it gives me a feeling of strength, beauty and peace. (I think that if one of the nurses had walked into the room at the time, they would have thought I had gone bonkers!)

Then “IT” happened. On November 16, 2013, my mom took her last breath. No more suffering. She was finally at peace. Even with all of the tears and anguish, I am thankful that I was able to walk beside my mom along her journey. I really didn’t think I could do it or had it in me to let my mom go, to witness this part of her life…death. Don’t get me wrong, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done and there isn’t a day that goes by that I am not thinking of my mom and tears fill my eyes. Yet here I am, living, breathing and continuing on. I am moving forward in my journey…struggling to find my passion for yoga again.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, while I was preparing for a Philosophy class at the Yoga Centre, this crazy thought came over me that maybe I could take in a yoga class before the meeting. As the day progressed, I started to doubt myself. Thinking that maybe I shouldn’t do the class, and instead just go to the meeting. Could I do yoga anymore? Could I do a class without feeling guilty, without tears, prepared to let my guard down? Could I do this without my mom? I was afraid and scared of what I might feel. I was torn. I had this voice in my head whispering, “Go to the class, it will help you, trust in yourself, have faith.” And another voice, shouting, “Just gives up! You can’t do this!” I decided to take a leap of faith and go.

When I got in my vehicle, something caught my attention. I found myself mesmerized by the brilliant shades of pink on the horizon. One of my mom’s favourite colors was pink. Call me crazy but I believe she was giving me a sign, reassuring me that I would be ok and that she would be there to hold my hand, to give me strength, beauty and peace…she would be My Peaceful Warrior.

Thank you, Mom
You will always be forever and ever in my heart
Belinda Friesen

This blog is part of a series of writings by the yoga centre winnipeg 200hr teacher training students. Belinda is currently enrolled in the YCW 200hr TT

Yoga : a life's journey

In practicing yoga I have experienced a change in both my mental/spiritual and physical states.

Mentally I find that I’ve developed an inner peace, a general feeling of well-being and an acceptance of myself and those around me. This inner peace helps me in dealing with stressful life situations, making me pause and take the time to assess a challenging situation instead of reacting quickly or over reacting without thinking.

I suffered a serious injury, broke my fibula, dislocated and tore all the ligaments in that ankle seven years ago. Leaving me with a steel plate and six screws in that ankle. Had it not been for my yoga practice and yoga breath, and knowing that every day was a day closer to better health, I would have had a more difficult time mentally and physically accepting this injury and regaining my physical and spiritual health.

During this time, I was able to continue my yoga practice by adapting poses and doing chair yoga. I believe it was important for me to accept my limitations and somewhat humbled by these limitations to begin yoga again, as a true beginner. This brought a true appreciation of how disabilities can limit you but should not defeat you.

Yoga is part of my life and as I age, I hope to improve my physical flexibility, mobility and grow spiritually throughout my yoga journey.

anonymous
This blog is part of the continuing series of blogs written by students in the Yoga Centre Winnipeg 200hr Teacher Training Program