I’ve been doing yoga since I was a kid, tagging along to my mum’s occasional classes. I started taking the practice seriously three years ago and earned my 200-hour yoga instructor certification last summer. Though I mostly practice on my own, Breath of Life yoga studio piqued my interest due to their modernization of yoga. …
In today’s world, it can be hard to feel comfortable in our own skin. This is, in part, due to a growing plague of diet and fitness advertisements hinting that our happiness stems from a leaner version of ourselves. These advertisements have accumulated to the point where body-confidence is an issue in our society. I …
While Whitehorse’s newest yoga studio True North Massage and Yoga just opened, it’s already setting itself apart from the other offerings in town. The yoga studio, located at 407 Black Street, opened mid-January. Since opening, its owners Sheila MacLean and Stephanie Padfield have set their sights on community partnerships and a hybrid approach to the …
According to Darwin Murray, after sitting in a desk all day, it is fun to get up and run, play games and meet new people before heading home from school. Tuesday after school, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., an enthusiastic group of children from Grades 4 and 5 participate in a Skookum Jim Friendship …
Jonathan Henkelman lies on his back on a yoga mat, legs lifted and bent, the bottoms of his bare feet facing the ceiling. I am standing at his feet, looking down at him. He asks me to lean forward and let his feet press against my lower belly to support me. I try a few …
For most of our Canadian lives, we are told that lasting bone strength is a glass or two of milk away. This is reflected heavily in the Canada’s Food Guide, which acts as a foundation piece for nutrition and wellness in doctors’ offices, classrooms and even many kitchen tables. Commercials and other ads push hard …
Think this whole mindfulness meditation thing is just woo-woo mumbo-jumbo that could never really do anything for you? Do you scoff at the idea and get defensive or evasive when the subject comes up? Your stress is real! Your pain is true! How dare people dismiss your complaining! How could just sitting around and doing …
The yoga practiced today is not at all like it was practiced in the ancient past. Faeq Biria, a well known Iyengar Yoga teacher in Europe and the director of the Iyengar Yoga Centre in Paris said that Patanjali, who wrote the ancient text The Patanjala Yoga Sutras (500-300 BC) would not recognize the yoga …
How Yoga was Practiced in the Ancient Past and Today Read More »
“I have always had a fascination with the North.” I am on the phone with Bhaktimarga Swami, a 63-year-old monk in Toronto. We are talking about the visit to Whitehorse he has planned for late September. Better known as The Walking Monk, at 63 he has already walked across Canada four times, as well as …
Mindful breath in, mindful breath out, mindful breath in why did he say that to me what a jerk I can’t believe he blamed me it’s not my fault, crap, right, mindful breath in… Yup, I know you’ve experienced this. Anyone who has ever tried to meditate or be mindful has experienced this. You sit …
Today many people practice meditation for stress relief and to improve their overall quality of life. However, is there evidence that meditation is effective? If its effects can be proven, how can meditation be practiced by people with different fitness levels and abilities to concentrate? A study conducted at Johns Hopkins University in 2013 show …
There are numerous ways to get into yoga – just ask any of the instructors at the newly-opened Soulstice Yoga Studio in Dawson City. One grew up doing sun salutations with her yoga-enthusiast mother; another took interest in hot yoga to improve her fitness levels while at university; another made it part of a …
Dawson City – get ready for yoga with Sabu Chaitanya. He’s on his way to instruct a full one-month intensive in the Klondike. The course begins June 6 and concludes on July 1 and it’s called an “intensive” for a reason. It’s a comprehensive, rigorous course requiring participation five days a week, in sessions held …
It is well-known that laughter is the best medicine. However, do we laugh enough in a normal life to get any benefit? Scientists say to get benefits from laughing one has to laugh 10 minutes continuously. Usually, life rarely provides us with such an opportunity. Also, one may be depressed. What to do then? Medical …
Some people like to “hit” the gym, to “pump” iron for those “ripped” abs. See a theme, there? Yoga, on the other hand, is all about movement and breath. Fair or not, yoga has a reputation, in some circles, as an exercise for women. Jessica Read acknowledges this thinking, and then goes back to her …
I recently heard the term “supermarket spiritualism” to describe folks walking down the proverbial aisle picking and choosing bits and pieces from every spiritual practice imaginable. And then paying for it all at the checkout. Emelia Symington Fedy, a Vancouver-based theatre artist, performer, writer and yoga teacher uses the term, “spiritual capitalism” in her lovingly …
The ancient martial arts and those who master them are often praised for their speed, power, and feats of incredible strength. Most people will likely think of Kung Fu or Karate, and conjure images of Bruce Lee’s famous one-inch punch sending men tumbling to the ground, or Jet Li utilizing a spinning crescent kick to …
“For me it’s becoming clear that I like the craft of songwriting and recording, but I love turning the light on in people,” says Shelley O’Brien. “They become so empowered. It’s their experience in nature, it’s their artist.” O’Brien launched The Soundscape Project in Victoria in April, bringing it to the Yukon in July. Described …
It’s just after 6 a.m., and 14 men and women are stretched out on their yoga mats. They’re partaking in one of Sabu Chaitanya’s month-long intensives at ShantiYoga in downtown Whitehorse. Each participant is attending a class like this five days a week for four weeks, accepting the challenge and growth that comes with this …
