Kripalu Yoga is an inward method of self-discovery of how we “live our yoga” both on and off our mats. The ‘intuitive’ teaching is based on asana (postures), vinyasa (flows), pranayama (breath work), meditations and energetic work derived from different traditions as we explore our yoga and how it changes with the cycles of the moon, the seasons, and our ever-changing world.
Encouragement of communication, both in our shared discovery as we practice in the Shala and in our online community where our connection can grow and deepen as we explore and discover ourselves….together.
💛Some important re-opening information 💛
🍋The yoga Shala will be open 15 minutes before every scheduled class for silent practice.
🍋You are welcome to spend silent time in the studio after active screening and hand sanitizer on arrival outside.
🍋If you would like to socialize before or after practice everyone will be expected to respect physical distancing.
🍋Please wear a face covering upon arrival and departure and when physical distancing is not possible.
🍋Please be on time for class, arrive at least 5 minutes prior to the start time so you can be properly screened.
🍋The class, or classes you are registered in are your “Yoga Bubble”. Students will not be able to make up missed classes in any class they are not registered in.
🍋 if you must miss a class because of illness or symptoms there will be make up classes available online.
🍋Once registered in a class your space will be reserved month to month unless you inform Trish of a change. Yoga fees will be due every 4 weeks.
Happy New Moon in Gemini 🌙 “The new moon in Gemini is a day to listen, receive and communicate with your soul.” Spirit Daughter
I’ve decided to take on a new practice on the New Moon, I will wear all white for my practice each New Moon. As a symbol of my “clean slate” and my intentions I’m setting for the month ahead. (If you come to practice with me for a New Moon 🌙 Practice anytime, you are also invited to wear white.)
A practice suggestion for today. Susan Sark calls it “Mad Pages” and Gabby Bernstein calls it “Rage on the Page”. Today I’m calling it “Making Space”. Sit for 5 minutes with pen and paper and just allow yourself to write out any difficult emotions or thoughts onto the paper, whatever you may be struggling with~just let it flow out and onto the paper.
Once you are finished sit for 5 minutes in silent meditation. You are clearing the space for your intentions now. Just let the thoughts come and let them go, don’t hold on to anything. Set it free. When your meditation is done, take your paper and burn it, make sure to do this carefully, over a fire pit or somewhere safe. 🔥
Go for a nice walk outside, maybe even in the grass barefoot and set some intentions for the month ahead….. what are you creating space for in your life? 🌙✨
Take another 5 mins to write in your journal. Here is a journal prompt from Spirit Daughter “What do you want to communicate to the universe today? What are you ready to speak into existence ?”
Sat Nam my beautiful friends 🙏
Credits to some of my inspiration ✨Susan Sark ~author of Glad no matter what & ✨Gabby Bernstein~author of many books including Super Attractor & ✨Spirit Daughter~author of the Moon workbooks
Every morning as I lay in bed and acknowledge the beginning of the new day, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I allow this feeling to build inside me like the excitement and even, anticipation, of a Christmas morning. I realize the amazing gifts in my life and allow myself to truly appreciate the blessings in my life.
There are so many things to be grateful for, so many blessings. The little bird that sings outside my bedroom window early every morning brings a smile to me face and joy to my heart with every note 🎶 My sweet kitty purring on my chest, the gratitude I feel for her company and trust, I am never alone. 🐈 My teenage son, who I get to spend every day with, learning new things as we work through grade 11 school work together 💛 My daughter who is only a text away and is showing me what dedication truly looks like, how she cares for her vulnerable clients even in this health crisis and brings them joy and a smile and unconditional devotion 💗My oldest son who is overcoming huge life struggles and brings me happiness and hope every day as he navigates his new world and includes me in every step along the way 🥰 my mother & D. Who stand by my side through every challenge that life throws at me and keep me grounded when things are more than I can handle❤️ my home and beautiful room where I feel free to express myself in every way ⭐️ My yoga students who I miss and continue to share yoga together in new ways 🙏 grateful I live in Canada 🇨🇦 where we have a government who is doing their best to take care of all of us through this pandemic 🌙so much gratitude for our health and our safety ❤️❤️❤️ thank you ❤️thank you ❤️thank you❤️
I think of appreciation a little different…. it allows me to see the smaller things in life and truly appreciate and honour each moment… appreciation for the neighbour who picks up my Easter treats when I can’t get out, who blows the leaves and stones off the path for my son to skateboard, that my oldest son can order food from skip the dishes, for the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies we had for snack, for my palo santo to smudge my home, for the little driveway visits with my mom and my daughter, for the friends who check in on me with a note of genuine and caring curiosity about how my family is navigating this time, the daily FaceTime chats with my kids-their~ smiles and laughter warm my heart and bring me deep joy ❤️there are so many things I appreciate in my life every day. We are so lucky.
I’ve noticed that the more time I spend in gratitude and appreciating the little things as well as the big things, the less time I have to worry and stress about what may or may not happen. Each and every moment is truly a gift.
What are you grateful for ? What little things do you appreciate every day ?
Day #7 of our mandatory isolation following our trip to Ontario
I have always believed in routine and structure, always.,when my children were little we always had special routines to keep everyone organized and I guess I have always followed a routine and I feel I benefit from that in many ways, even more so right now.
I am going to post my morning routine as a picture journal to share with you. This is my personal routine, for me, it comes before others get up and I start my routines of making breakfast, sharing time with my family in person and over the phone or FaceTime….
I wake up at 7am. Enjoy my time listening to the sounds of spring outside my window. Get up and make my bed every day I shower, get dressed and apply make up, this is what I have always done and I enjoy the routine and feeling like I am ready for anything! Indoor gardening, spray my tropical plants and check the rest Spend a few mins writing morning gratitudes and planning my day
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Give myself 15 minutes to catch up on what’s happening in the world right now (this is new for me, I hate news!) Smudge away any negativity from that news and cleanse my space A few moments in meditation , this is where I am most comfortable sitting for meditation Pick a card for inspiration and some daily affirmations, choose a crystal that resonates with me for my morning Take a shot of my super juice (recipe in my blog in another post) A little time on my mat for yoga A cup of tea (this is chagga with homegrown peppermint, raw honey and elderberry elixir for immune boosting) I put some lemon and peppermint in my diffuser and I’m ready for anything!
I have done a lot of thinking this past week. With the necessity of travelling to another province during a global pandemic, it has given me a lot of time to think, a lot of perspective from other people and from watching as our country manages such a huge crisis.
I realized that it would be challenging for my family to manage this essential travel experience, that we would face the judgement of others as we travel across two provinces with high numbers of covid 19 and face our extreme efforts to stay safe through this travel.
This experience has taught me that so much of what happens in our lives is beyond our control, but even then, we are faced with choices that we have to make and sometimes those choices can be uncomfortable and difficult and sometimes even the most difficult decisions may still be the right ones.
I made the very difficult decision to take my family and travel across three provinces at the height of a global pandemic because it was the ONLY right choice. In my heart, I know that this was the ONLY choice. I know I have a large group of people who surround me and my family with support and with love and prayers and that through that love our path was made much lighter and we felt as they held safe space for us as we made this trip. Through that love and those prayers, the path of circumstances of this trip was made clear and we felt shielded by the amazing faith and support that surrounded us.
As we face this difficult time together we should remember to lift each other up, remember that a kind word of encouragement and support can make all the difference to someone who may be struggling. I am hoping that I can offer some light to all of you in this time of darkness. I have felt the difference this can make, my family felt the power of this through this trip, don’t underestimate the power of prayer, the power of positive thoughts and the power of connection.
Like that old saying “Reach out and touch someone today!” Of course we can’t physically touch someone right now with a hug or a physical shoulder to cry on but we can feel touched in so many ways!
A big thank you to those who were that support for us on this journey.
So today I think everyone should think about getting outside…. maybe just in your yard if you are quarantine or out walking, while keeping social distancing measures of course!
Here is a little fun challenge for outside🦚🌲🎄🌴🌿🍃🌱🌷
Grab a skipping rope and try skipping , if you want to make it real exercise: skip 20 skips pause 10 seconds x 8 reps ⭐️
See if you can spot one squirrel or chipmunk (you can take a picture and post in comments if you like !)
Listen to see if you can hear any sounds of birds
See any geese or ducks ?
If you have some sidewalk chalk: go write an inspiring message at the end of your driveway for other walkers to read 😃 This is one of my favourite things to do in the spring!
Got any bubbles ? Go, take them outside and blow some !!! Or if you don’t have any, make some – here is a recipe :
6 cups water
1/2 cup blue Dawn dish soap
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp Glycerine if you have some
Maybe sit outside for a 5-10 minute mindfulness session and just close your eyes and listen
Try a walking/counting Meditation: count each step 1-10, then start at 2-10, 3-10 and so on and then start over once you get to 10 🌱 This is a great way to clear your mind, you can’t really think about other things while keeping count!
Go outside and have some fun!!!!
Take good care of yourselves!!! Love & Light to you all ✨💛✨💛✨
While we are burdened with so much stress in the world right now we need to find some balance and some peace.
Crystal Garden
Deep breaths are vitally important right now, long deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the nose. Repeat mindful breathing for a few minutes, just focusing on the breath, the sensations of the breath, the sound of your breath….. each time a thought comes to mind, acknowledge and let it pass, give yourself permission to just breathe…..
My favourite restorative posture is legs up the wall.you could practice this posture each evening before bed.
Set the mood…. dim the lights, play some music. My favourite is the Loka Samastah sukhino bhavantu chant, this version is beautiful and 7 minutes long so would give you a nice amount of time for legs up the wall .
Sit your hip beside the wall and as you lay your back down, swing your legs up the wall. Support your head with a small cushion and let your hands rest to the sides with palms facing the sky. 💛 you can keep your legs straight or if that’s too much stretch for your hamstrings for 7 minutes, switch it up…. open the legs wide, bend the knees with feet on the wall or bring the soles of the feet together and open the knees in bound angle pose….. relax….. breathe, and enjoy. Peace.
So today my post is kinda late….. I have been keeping myself busy planning videos for my yoga students and Facebook page (The happy lemon yoga Shala). Also watching the news as I prepare for a family journey to Ontario next week. It is stressful to say the least.
So my thoughts today are to put a little fitness challenge out here for tomorrow. My intention is to go outside for a brisk walk and also to do a HiiT workout. (As well as my yoga practice and my meditation practice- which is what I’m finding most helpful right now!)
So I would like to challenge each of you to do something a little more energetic than usual today. Get your heart pumping!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
So if you would like to do a little high intensity interval training….. to keep it simple, you could go for a brisk walk and try jogging or running for two telephone poles lengths and walk for one. Repeat this 4 to 8 times depending on what your energy level feels like. Or dig out a skipping rope and go out in your driveway and skip for 30 seconds and rest 30 seconds repeat 4 times. These are just a couple easy suggestions if you would like to start there.
So this message is a fitness challenge, you decide what you challenge yourself to! If you would like to post about it in my comments, I would love to read what you challenge yourself to do !
I think a lot about boosting my immune system and my family’s immune systems at the best of times. So at times like this…. even more.
I’ve never been one to believe in using antibacterial soap in my home, I feel we use enough antibacterial products in other ways that washing my hands properly with a good soap is enough on a regular basis, I stick to that. However I am a fan of Lysol antibacterial wipes and cleaner for wiping surfaces and cleaning my kitchen and bathroom. During this time I keep a small baggie off wipes in my purse and put one in my Pocket if I go to a store, use it to open doors or touch anything while in the store, including money. We did have some extra if anyone needs a little baggie with a few Lysol wipes, hit me up 😊
This is just a preventative strategy at this time-not to boost immunity
Things I do on a regular basis to boost my immune system :
Drink smoothies ( here’s my fave). Orange juice or pineapple juice. Scoop Greek yogurt. 1/2 frozen banana, scoop frozen blueberries, handful frozen Haskap berries, handful fresh spinach, 1 heaping tsp spiralina, 1 tbsp omega oil. ( sometimes I add a little coconut water)
My breakfast. Harvest crunch cereal with 1 tbsp flax seed meal, 1/2 tbsp hemp hearts, fresh berries or banana, almond milk
Fresh squeezed juice 2 oranges, 2 lemons, 2 carrots, large beet or 2 small beets, 3 inches ginger root, 1 tumeric root, 2 apples, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp bee pollen, 1/2 tsp ground tumeric I mix all this once juiced and shake well to get the powders mixed in and drink it in shots ( literally a shot glass) throughout day. This juice does two people 2 days in shots through the day.
I Drink hi-antioxidant green tea ( which NEWSFLASH * I will be offering high quality loose leaf tea again this summer at The Happy Lemon Yoga Shala! And for those of you who don’t know…. I’m a certified Tea Master! Yup, it’s true, I took a 7 month online course over Skype around 10 years ago 😊
Right now I am buying my ginger green tea and rooibos tea from the Red Satsy in Moncton, they offer high quality loose leaf tea in bulk there!
I do still have elderberry elixir I made a couple years ago and I use it in my tea to boost my immune system
Vitamin C & D daily
Fresh air, exercise, meditation and yoga!!!! This keeps your immune system strong by lowering stress and cortisol and also by keeping the adrenal gland healthy and not over burdened. Do NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF exercise, yoga, nature & meditation!!!!!!!!!🙏
Get lots of quality sleep. I’m lacking a bit here right now, with the mind working so hard during the day and I will be honest I usually NEVER, EVER watch the news, EVER!!!! And like the rest of the world, the news has invaded my life, so that’s new for me to manage. I am ready to set some boundaries around the news but…. my family has an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT & ESSENTIAL trip to Ontario on March 23rd, so I have no choice but to watch the news and be informed about the situation at this point.
Whew! So there it is…… lots of fruits & Vegas too! I get those in my smoothies & juices mostly right now!
Stay healthy friends! Sending you all light & love ✨💛
Let me know how you boost your immune system in the comments or maybe leave behind your favourite smoothie or juice recipe! ❤️
There are many reasons why we feel the need for protection, and many ways we can protect ourselves.
Some things we seek protection for: when travelling to stay safe, from the negative energy and attitudes of others, protection from sickness or harm, protection from the negativity of world news, protection from the criticism and harsh judgments of others. We seek protection for these things among others.
Smudging Saje or palo santo is one of my go-to ways to protect myself from negative energy. I smudge my BoHo Shala (my bedroom) and my yoga Shala (yoga studio) every day.
The Aad Guray Nameh chant is a beautiful way to offer yourself protection.
The Aad Guray Nameh chant:
Aad Guray Nameh Jugaad Guray Nameh Sat Guray Nameh Siri Guru Dayvay Nameh
Translation: I bow to the Primal Wisdom. I bow to the Wisdom through the Ages. I bow to the True Wisdom. I bow to the great, unseen Wisdom
More Information: from Spirit Voyage :
“This is a mantra of protection and is recited to invoke the protective energy of the universe. “
“Many people chant this mantra when they need extra protection. It is part of the “triple mantra”, and is often spoken before driving a car to create a protective energy around the those in the car.
When you cannot be protected, this mantra shall protect you. When things stop, and won’t move, this makes them move in your direction.”- Yogi Bhajan
I also like to use crystals for protection. Malachite is a nice one to protect yourself from the negative energies of other people.
Praying to Archangel Michael , Saint Michael is a beautiful protector especially when travelling. We can ask protection from Archangel Michael and his guardian angels whenever needed.
Many people use the Young Living essential oil blend Thieves as a protection against illness. This is a beautiful blend of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus & Rosemary available from Young Living. I love this blend in the diffuser, they also have a whole line of cleaning products with Thieves,
I love the blend White Angelica as a protection blend of essential oils.
At this difficult time of fear and isolation I am practicing prayer & meditation as protection…..and of course…. a few Lysol wipes lol💛✨😃🍋
In light & love ✨💛
May you all be healthy, happy, safe & free 💛Namaste
The Happy Lemon Yogi 