On May 4^th, 2012, a group of 10 Yogis congregated at one of the top 50 energy centers of the world, magical Lake Louise. Some of the listed ‘top 50’ are: Central Alberta, Sedona, Stonehenge, Easter Island, Bermuda Triangle, and the Pyramids. These are special places – known as sacred, mysterious and magical Earth energy sites. Click here to learn more.

The Yogis definitely felt this power and connection with the earth as they spent a weekend practicing Yoga, Hiking and just being in the powerful energy of Lake Louise.

We woke up on Saturday morning to a magical view from our hotel room.  It had snowed the night before and the trees were dusted with soft powder that sparkled in the early morning sun.  We were honoured to be able to practice our morning Yoga in a beautiful room overlooking the lake and the majestic glaciers, followed by a hearty breakfast at the Fairmont.
.

After having the morning free to reflect and journal or explore the hotel, we met for our afternoon hike. As there was still too much snow on the higher peaks, we decided to walk around the lake. A few steps out of our hotel led us to a well groomed trail to the back of the lake. We walked single file, with nothing but the intention to be present and drink in nature’s wonder. The tall rust colored cliffs on our left and the dense trees on our right gave us plenty to be amazed at. Penny made snow angels on the way, Kevin made fake beards and moustaches for Dianne, Connie and Monique with moss, and Shirley decided to dump her Fiji water so she could fill it with glacier water straight from the source. Come to think of it, only Carolynn and I did not do anything crazy on the walk. We spent some time relaxing at the end of the trail before we decided to walk back.

Our evening Yoga class was just what we needed after our walk. Our room was sun drenched and Shavasana was pure bliss on every ones faces.

We decided to eat dinner together and after dressing appropriately for the Glacier Saloon in our western wear, we barged in through the leather trimmed, heavy wooden saloon doors looking for trouble. We ate a delicious dinner and some of us indulged in ridiculous deserts which came in Sasquatch sized portions (Lucky they had a Sasquatch to help them finish it). After dinner, we went for a stroll to see the Super Moon. After a few minutes of not being able to spot the moon, we saw a beautiful light between the trees. A bit of a walk took us closer to the most spectacular sight! The moon seemed close enough to touch…and the beams of light radiating from the moon gave it a surreal quality.  We stood entranced by the sight before us. I could have stayed there all night, but after a reluctant good night, we decided to go to bed reasonably early to be able to enjoy Yoga the next morning.

On Sunday, we were able to have a beautiful Yoga class, made even better by the love and friendships in the room. We had fun taking group pictures by the lake. I think Exalted Warrior is the new favourite for Lake Louise Yogis. Lots of hugs and promises to meet again in the lobby ended this beautiful weekend. I am honored to have led this trip with my husband Kevin and met all these wonderful people. I look forward to the next opportunity to explore the mountains with friends, old and new.

Interested in taking part in a Yoga retreat or vacation? CLICK HERE to see our upcoming trips.

Life is so busy, it’s often easier to neglect one’s Yoga practice. We need to look at Yoga as a complete lifestyle, in my opinion, if one is to truly reap its many benefits. When I say this, I don’t mean that we simply need to do asana every day or go to a class a few times every week. Often I state that Yoga is about all Eight Limbs, as prescribed by Pantanjali. Don’t get me wrong, physical asana practiced daily is a good thing and a wonderful way to start. It is, however, easy to become consumed by the physical as it tends to be the most obvious and simple part of being a Yogi. However, like going to church, the synagog, temple or mosque once per week while not being mindful of the teachings presented there is not quite the same as living by the teachings of one’s preferred path.

The path of Yoga is, by no means a simple one. I would recommend starting with one or two things to slowly transform one’s self. Take, for example,ahimsa - practicing non-violence. On the surface, this appears to be telling us not to be physically violent or harmful towards others. One may believe, since I do not kick puppies, spank my children or get in fist fights to have mastered this concept. While this is a good beginning, it extends far deeper than this. Allowing aggressive thoughts towards others pass through our mind, forcibly pushing one further or deeper into a pose or consuming animals as food are all examples of not practicing ahimsa. Rather than throwing one’s hands up in resignation, it is important to emphasize the wordpractice. This is what Yoga – and life – truly is all about. It’s about the journey, not necessarily about the destination. We often react in a violent manner, whether it is toward the person who cuts us off in traffic or at another who truly aggravates us. Breathe – we are all human. The main thing is to be aware that we are acting as such and endeavour to “catch our selves” and decrease the frequency as to how we might react this way. Over time, like thinking about things being half full as opposed to half empty, or seeing the positives in adversity, we gradually become more mindful and adapt our selves accordingly.

Making the time for practice is part of being reflective, introspective and truly being in the moment instead of wishing away the daily grind for special occasions and more notable parts of one’s life. If we are not present in our daily lives – in the moment – then where are we?

One must also be patient. Yoga offers no quick fixes and can oftentimes lead us into turbulence. This is the nature of our being as all states are temporary: happiness, depression, loneliness, ecstasy and so forth. Confucius stated that “everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it”. Just as the sculpture sees the masterpiece through the rough stone or the paints on their pallet, by cultivating a greater awareness will lead us onwards. We have spent much of our lives getting to the conditioned state that we experience at present, and we may expect a lifetime for transformation. As we continue to cultivate our ways in the spirit of the Eight Limbs – being honest, not hoarding, not stealing, using our energy wisely, dedicating one’s self to self-study, demonstrating discipline, devotion and practicing pranayama (breathing) asana and meditation – we may eventually break the cycle ofduhka (hardship) and embrace the meaninglessness of conditioned existence known as samsara. We live from our memories, a condition that is not always conducive toward a happy life. It matters not where we come from, but rather where we are now. The past is the past and the future lies ahead of us. To be content and accept the present will make for a better life. As Krishnamurti states: “A man who is not afraid is not aggressive, a man who has no sense of fear of any kind is really a free, a peaceful man.”We all love to be loved and to feel the tranquility and safety peace offers us. Despite our difficult lives, this remain attainable if we are willing to work in that direction. To live a life apathetically and as a non-entity is to not live at all. So take the time life offers you – it is all there is. Life is breath – it sustains both the body and mind. Take the time to breathe deeply.

*Want to give “Keeping Regular” a try? Join our 30 Day Yoga Challenge! Not only will you experience the benefits of daily yoga, but there are prizes on the line- Yoga Vacation to Hawaii or a one year Unlimited Yoga Membership.
(CLICK HERE)

What is a Constellation?
Constellations help you shift the way you experience your family, career, and daily practice by creating a heart map of where you stand in relation to all of the above. Working through the map reveals powerful allies and gives concrete insights for moving forward. Constellations allow you to remove the ropes that keep you tied down and re-anchor them to places that lift you up and carry you forward.

What can we explore in a constellation?
Everything you are connected to…..to all your relations……your relationship to beliefs and spiritual practice…….to your daily practice…… to your body, your health, education , direction …… any issue that has as it’s focus “your relationship to it” is a good starting point. If you are stuck…and want to re-imagine how best to move forward, constellations work very well for this focus.

How do we start a constellation?
Constellations begin with a question to explore an aspect of your relationship to family, love or work. We briefly explore the question and find the ‘hinge points’ – what is the real issue?
Physically: One way to imagine the process: We look for the cardinal points of the question/ relationship – and like a compass – we place people in the circle to see how the compass moves around the question. We look for a true north – or where does this question pull or push us towards- in other words we look for our relationship to the whole pattern that surrounds the question.
Technically- we place people to stand in for the elements of the question- and then by re-arranging their relationship to each other- the dynamic becomes clear. Solutions may vary- asking us to look deeper or to stand in our awareness until the next step becomes clearer.

Do the skills learned in a constellation circle carry over into my daily life?
Oh yes. Once you learn to see the world from inside the circle, the issues become much clearer and you get lots better at making ‘place’ for dealing with them health-fully.
Note: I said clearer, but not always easier. Heavy lifting always comes with it’s own price – and it’s always personal. But at least you are clear about that part- and you will get a strong sense of what is yours to care for……and what is not yours to carry. Deepen your heart- lighten your load. That’s my philosophical recipe for walking in this place with grace.

For 25 years we had the luxury of turning our TV sets to Shaw Cable enjoying “Yoga Fits In” with Gerda and her beloved cat, Tuffy.  Gerda was one of the early pioneers of yoga back in the day when yoga wasn’t quite so cool.  She was committed to bringing health and wellness through yoga into our living rooms and into our hearts for a quarter of a century!  During this time, Gerda taught weekly classes from her home and devoted herself to training and certifying students through her own teacher training program.  The seed of yoga and legacy of Gerda’s passion and teaching continues today through the countless numbers of devoted students and teachers touched, guided and inspired by her over the years.

Gerda still teaches yoga up to this day, devoting herself to bringing the best out in students and continues to make a positive difference in their lives.  Teaching three weekly classes for the past ten years at Yoga for Today and running an Apprenticeship Program that fulfills her passion to teach teachers, Gerda remains a pillar of inspiration, hope, health and longevity at its finest.

At 80 years of age Gerda has been instrumental in moving Yoga into the world. For Gerda Krebs and her legacy of yoga we will be forever grateful.

What helps us gain skill and confidence in balancing our health as it moves through the cycles of life and through the experiences of being human?  What keeps us from panicking and falling off the tightrope of healthy living and into a downward spiral of disease?  I would like to suggest that relaxation is one of the keys.  Whenever I am deeply relaxed I am able to think clearly and can often create more balanced decisions coming from both sides of my brain rather than reacting to life from the area of “fight or flight.”

One way to create this deep level of relaxation is through reflexology.  Reflexology could be compared to the balancing pole tight rope walkers use when they are first learning to create balance within their bodies while on the constantly shifting rope. Reflexology uses gentle pressure on “reflex” points in your hands and feet to essentially send the message through your nervous system for your whole body to relax.  Your body is relaxed, the fight or flight response is turned off, and your body is able to deal with imbalances more effectively.

I notice many people still view body therapies as a luxury or as something to turn to when they are ill.  My experience has been that as I listen to my body’s signals and schedule regular body therapies for myself, I rarely get sick and am able to bounce back easier from stressful situations.  There are many studies showing the benefits of reflexology for various imbalances and disease.  However, it does not take a study for us to be aware that our bodies are sending clear signals of balance or imbalance to us.  In my experience it is easier to stay balanced on the tightrope of life when I find body therapies and therapists I connect with and can trust to assist me in relaxing deeply into the experience of life.

Hearing of Kate’s ordeal, it was hard to imagine that life could turn so suddenly and yet it has that ability… for Kate or for any one of us. Every day after reading her e-mail I found myself wanting her well, and imagined the yoga community around the world coming together to send our love and wishes for her steady and full recovery. Believing, together, we can influence the rebuilding of Kate’s physical strength, vitality and health.

Please read the post, linked below to Kate’s website, where she openly shares this most intimate journey. Needless to say – our yoga community will miss her coming this year – miss her beautiful, kind, compassionate spirit. Her message holds the experience of what she’s been through as well as her warrior strength and the faith and love for life she holds close.

My hope is that we will come together as a yoga community and be a womb-like blanket of support for Kate to draw upon. May we send her our heart-felt prayers and thoughts, whether we’ve had the pleasure of meeting or knowing her, or not. In out yogic hearts let’s unite and be with her each step of the way… sharing our OM’s, the ultimate universal vibration, for Kate…. OM Recovery…. OM Health…. OM Vitality.

Message from Kate: http://www.katepotteryoga.ca/street.html

Picture this: It’s 5:27 PM. You’re hungry after a busy day at work, itching to get home to see your family, and now you’re stuck in traffic. Frustration sets in. But you’re used to it since this is an every day occurrence.

You finally stroll into your house at 6:04 PM, your children are clamoring for your attention, and they’re hungry too. You pop some frozen dinners in the microwave knowing they’re not healthy, but also knowing that you just don’t have time to think, much less cook. After a quick dinner your day’s not even close to being over.

Now it’s time to do laundry, read with the kids, and of course a day’s work left over from the office. When do you have time to rest? At night you keep telling yourself.

But every night it’s the same old story. You flop into bed past 1 AM and close your eyes. Your mind is still racing from the day that just passed and the busy day ahead. So you toss and turn, hoping that you’ll be able to get at least a little shut-eye before your 6:00 AM wake up call (an annoyingly loud alarm clock you’ve had for 15 years).

And the next day it starts all over again. You’re tired at work, you don’t have time to eat, you’re stressed, and you can’t get out of the vicious cycle.

So what do you do?

First thing’s first: take a deep breath. You’re probably stressed out just reading this far.

To get a more restful sleep tonight do the following:

1) Get a notebook and take 5 minutes right before laying down to free write. What you want to do is get every thought from the past, present, and future out of your head and on paper where it’s safe and secure. This will free the clutter from your head and allow you to rest easier.

2) Get a new alarm clock that wakes you up gradually with classical music. This will do absolute wonders for your morning routine. What you want to do is set the alarm to go off 15-20 minutes earlier than you usually wake up. It will turn on very quietly and slowly bring you out of your slumber.

3) Add a few very healthy snacks to your daily routine. One of my favorites is a 2 oz pre-packaged bag of baby carrots. They taste good, they’re good for you, and they take no prep-time. When you’re hungry at work or on the way home, munch on these. Another great snack is raw almonds. Eating healthier works amazingly well to help you sleep better.

Please use these 3 simple tips to enjoy a more restful sleep every night.

by Survivor Bootcamp

Are you searching for a healthier way of eating? Have you ever wondered what a raw food diet is? Does it mean eating uncooked eggs, fish, meats, cheese and milk? For some raw foodists or raw fooders it does mean that.

The world of raw food opens up a world of possibilities; the chance to re-examine what healthy eating means to you, the chance to evaluate individual food choices, and most importantly an insight into what exactly it is that we’re putting into our bodies on a daily basis.

I would like to tell you a little about eating a raw vegan diet or following a raw vegan lifestyle, which I have been doing for about the past year and a half and I have never felt better!

A raw vegan diet simply means eating whole unprocessed foods in their natural state. Raw organic fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, herbs, nuts and seeds. Essentially a plant based diet. No refined flours, sugars or soy. Nothing heated above 105 degrees F (about 41 C).

The benefits are many; the food is in a state that is as close to “real” as possible and the way nature intended; however, the thinking outside the box part comes in when dealing with cereals, grains, and other food items we don’t normally associate with the word “raw”. For example, beans, grains and seeds can be sprouted to allow them to reach their peak nutritional value, making them easier to chew and digest. You may consider using a dehydrator as part of preparing various “breads”, crackers, etc. Gadgets such as a spiral vegetable slicer can also add fun and flavour to the raw food lifestyle.

I call it a lifestyle, because it really is more than a simple change of diet, as you start to see food and your relationship with it in a whole new light. Where was my food grown and what was involved in getting it to my plate? What are the nutritional values of the food I’m about to eat and how will it impact my energy levels and health as well as the health of our planet? Can I choose an alternative raw food that will taste and look as good as the accepted “normal” food. The answer is “Yes!”

Over the last several years I was always looking for healthier ways of eating. I was still searching, still trying to lose that last 15 pesky pounds of baby weight (my baby will be 22 this September!) I was avoiding white flour and refined sugar as much as possible, and adding in whole grains & lots of fruits and vegetables. I continued to enjoy butter, eggs, milk, chocolate, coffee, lattes, yogurt, ice cream, cake, cookies, pasta, chicken and fish. I could never see myself giving up any of these things. Overall I considered myself to be making fairly healthy food choices, but there were times that I didn’t feel “quite right”.

I started to become even more conscious of what I was eating and moved toward a more vegetarian diet which lead me to further discover the benefits of a raw food diet and lifestyle.

I would like to share a couple of my favourite raw food recipes (desserts, of course!) Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Mango Sorbet
2 cups chopped frozen or fresh* mangoes
1 cup water
1/3 cup agave syrup

Combine all ingredients in high speed blender or food processor until smooth. Keep in covered container in freezer. Will keep several weeks (but probably won’t last because it is so yummy!).
(*if using fresh, chop ahead and freeze first before blending)
Try berries, peaches or pineapple or any other favourite fruit

Liquid Chocolate
1 cup coconut oil
½ cup raw cacao powder
1 tbsp agave syrup (optional)

Place coconut oil in jar or glass measuring cup and let sit in bowl of hot water until it becomes liquid.
Then whisk in cacao powder and agave (if using).
Use to drizzle over ice creams, chilled fruits etc.
(also try with cinnamon, vanilla or mint)
Store in glass container with lid on counter or in cupboard. No need to refrigerate.

Thank you. Namaste ☺

Thank you to everyone who contributed to and participated in the 80th birthday celebration of Gerda Krebs, held at Yoga for Today on Friday June 17th. The love, appreciation, and reverence for Gerda could be felt in the air. She has contributed an unmeasurable amount to Yoga for Today, to our teachers and students and to yoga in the community and the entire province.

A special thanks goes out to Lisa Hickman and Martina Roemer for the delicious birthday cakes, Marie Casey for gift organization as well as the wonderful local flower shops which generously donated flowers for the occasion:
Panda Flowers, Klondyke Flowers, Flowers in the Park, Purple Daisy Flowers, Grower Direct Sherwood Park.

And now, a few words to honour Gerda, as written by Chris Erdmann Boyko:
“Do you know anyone 80 years of age still working in the occupation that supported them all their years through? At Yoga for Today in Sherwood Park we have the honour of knowing such a woman. Gerda Krebs, turning 80 on June 12^th, 2011, began her yoga career in 1971 at the age of 40 and today is still going strong. For 25 years we could turn our TV to Shaw Cable and enjoy “Yoga Fits In” with Gerda and her beloved cat, Tuffy. Gerda was one of the early pioneers of yoga way back in the day when yoga wasn’t quite so cool. She was committed to bringing health and wellness through yoga into our living rooms and into our hearts for over a quarter of a century! Today, Gerda still teaches yoga, devoting herself to bringing the best out in students and making positive differences in their lives. Teaching three weekly classes for the past ten years at yoga for Today and running an Apprenticeship Program that fulfills her passion to teach teachers, Gerda remains a pillar of inspiration, hope, health and longevity at it’s finest. After all, who do you know at 80 still working in their beloved field of work?”