A lot of my work has been to bring yoga into schools and to yoga studios as people madly rush onto their mats after work, but another place in need of deep breaths, relaxation and reinvigoration is the office! What if there was a way to let go of a shoulder-slumping amount of office stress even before you leave at the end of the day? What if you could revitalize mid-afternoon without another shot of espresso or a candy bar? Working in an office often means being on someone else’s schedule, dealing with all sorts of personalities, having stress on daily repeat, lots of sitting and computer work (believe me, I’ve been there). Even if you love your job it can be a lot. Did you know most sick d

I remember going on my first yoga retreat a few years ago, it was a major turning point in my life. So much so that now I’m going to lead my very first overseas yoga adventure for others around the world, first destination Lombok. These are truly transformative experiences and I believe that anyone who enjoys a lifestyle of health and wellness can greatly benefit from a yoga retreat. Here Are 10 Reasons to Go on a Yoga Retreat: 1. You'll take your yoga to the next level. Practicing yoga regularly can be challenging if you have a busy schedule. But when you’re on a retreat, chances are you’ll have 2 classes offered a day, which will ensure your progress and you will see the positive effects m

It's hard to be a kid today. Children deal with many distractions, temptations, overstimulation and peer pressure. Schools are challenged to do more with less and be creative in how they reach even the most isolated child. Yoga is a low-cost, helpful tool that can have a positive impact on children. Here are some of the many benefits of teaching yoga to kids: Yoga helps kids to: Develop body awareness Learn how to use their bodies in a healthy way Manage stress through breathing, awareness, meditation and healthy movement Build concentration Increase their confidence and positive self-image Feel part of a healthy, non-competitive group Have an alternative to tuning out through constant att

Tomorrow we celebrate the longest night of 2017, a time to put forth your best intentions moving forward. The Wheel of the Year gives us a very tangible way of integrating sunlight and shadow, light and dark, yin and yang, inner and outer, and heaven and earth, into our lives and into our yoga practice. At the summer solstice when the light is at its most expansive, we learn to stay connected to the inner wisdom and healing powers of darkness. At the winter solstice when darkness has peaked, we learn to create a space within our own hearts for the return of the Sun. On this longest & darkest night is a deeply-trusted nocturnal delight, a sort of spiritual pillow where we rest our head and n

Many of us enjoy using and incorporating essential oils in our daily lives & I have been playing with essential oils & blends for many years. These oils are basically the life-force of the plant, including all the medicinal properties of that particular part of the plant. When used properly and respectfully, essential oils can be extremely powerful and healing to the body and mind. Because of all these wonderful things, it only makes sense to integrate them into our yoga practice. I think the greatest benefit of essential oils in yoga is using them to bring the mind into a space of focus, concentration, and inner peace. That’s why when I plan out my weekly yoga classes I also bring into mind

What is Yin Yin is a term that comes from the classical Chinese concept of opposite yet complementary forces, Yin and Yang. Yin is described as the “shadow side of the mountain” in relation to the sunny side, which is Yang. Yin is dark, cool and quiet, and so we often neglect the importance of Yin in favour of the hot, bright and loud Yang elements in life. It’s an elegantly simple concept, yet Yin Yang can describe mind-bending complexities of the mechanisms of the universe. Its essence is encapsulated in the Yin Yang symbol. No matter how you try to dissect this circle, every slice will contain both Yin and Yang. You can use this symbol to understand the relationship of Yin to Yang and vic

In a yoga class we get real close to out yoga mats, so what's just sitting on the surface? Let me take you a step further – energy flows through the soles of your feet into the ground and the earth’s energy enters your body (also) through the soles of your feet. Practicing yoga means manipulating, elevating, conserving the energies of the body, in their variety of shapes and instances. If you block them, by either wearing socks or your mat is dirty you will not get the desired results, but rather the opposite – disturbances in the body, that is. And trust me, you don’t want that – our bodies are disturbed enough already, thank you very much. The soles of our feet & our palms are very sensiti

As this winter season just begins to turn chilly, many of us are succumbing to illness and fatigue, myself included, I'm already finding the sunshine wherever I can, if only for a moment of natural warmth. For me, one of the most therapeutic practices when I am out of balance is yin yoga, combined with the complimentary benefits of acupressure. When working in a more yin way, we are slowing down and creating space. This space may be felt in the joints, and our mobility, but also in our capacity to sit with whatever arises, be it joy or discomfort. ‘If we want to come home to our bodies, we have to take up residence in every corner of ourselves, no matter how sick, injured, decrepit, or immo

It’s no secret: Yoga has become a part of our daily routine. We practice it in the morning to start our day right and then again in the afternoon to relieve all that tension after work. We do it mainly because it makes us feel good and it’s our time to relax and unwind, a moment within the day all to our own. When thinking about yoga benefits, most people think about the physical ones. It makes us more flexible, stronger, improves our posture…all true. But there are so many other benefits of yoga. So if you’re not already a yoga fan, these are just a couple of them that may convince you to start practicing. 1. Yoga teaches us self-compass We are all too hard on ourselves sometimes. Learning

“Me time. A time for myself. A time to relax, unwind, be alone with my thoughts, feelings. A time of reflection, a time of thinking, sleeping, being active. A time of enjoying doing nothing. A time I get to spend with myself and I love it.” Ok, so we know the definition. We know about “me time”. We know it exists, some of us even know how good it feels. So why is it then that we practice it so rarely? It’s always something else or someone else first, especially for us women. We are social beings and interaction with our humans is essential for our development. True. But what we tend to forget sometimes is that spending some quality time alone is also essential for maintaining a healthy relat