Posted on 1 Comment on Community

Community

AHIMSA: this word has popped up quite a few times for me in the past 24 hours and I think it is a good sign! Do no harm.


I had the honor last evening of attending the grand opening party of a new local Mile End organic yoga studio and community space: the home of Ahimsa Yoga Montreal.

And this is a good time to remind you that part of these writings are to share with you, my community, all the glorious and wonderful actual places and people in our community web that are doing beautiful work every moment.

Ahimsa Yoga is the first of these places that I want to share with you. Even though I just met Miranda and Andrew, the founders, there is a genuine felt sense when you step into the community space that they’ve created that it is your space too. And that it really is a safe place. Isn’t this what community is all about? A place and network of people that we feel safe within? Ahimsa is great name for this community building studio because literally when we “do no harm”, when we energetically impart this idea, people do feel it. We feel safer. Safe to be who we are, to learn, to grow, to explore, and to really live the life of yoga that is ever so trendy at the moment!

I look forward to more cooperative engagements with ahimsa yoga, so keep an eye out!

And another gem from my ahimsa-filled-weekend: do no harm, check it out!

AHIMSA: this word has popped up quite a few times for me in the past 24 hours and I think it is a good sign! Do no harm.


I had the honor last evening of attending the grand opening party of a new local Mile End organic yoga studio and community space: the home of Ahimsa Yoga Montreal.

And this is a good time to remind you that part of these writings are to share with you, my community, all the glorious and wonderful actual places and people in our community web that are doing beautiful work every moment.

Ahimsa Yoga is the first of these places that I want to share with you. Even though I just met Miranda and Andrew, the founders, there is a genuine felt sense when you step into the community space that they’ve created that it is your space too. And that it really is a safe place. Isn’t this what community is all about? A place and network of people that we feel safe within? Ahimsa is great name for this community building studio because literally when we “do no harm”, when we energetically impart this idea, people do feel it. We feel safer. Safe to be who we are, to learn, to grow, to explore, and to really live the life of yoga that is ever so trendy at the moment!

I look forward to more cooperative engagements with ahimsa yoga, so keep an eye out!

And another gem from my ahimsa-filled-weekend: do no harm, check it out!

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Posted on No Comments on "Quote Of The Day"

"Quote Of The Day"

I just re-joined facebook recently and I am still struggling with the whole “status” thing. When, if, what, how. Or not. And then I came across this really great quote which put my feelings about bodywork, yoga and teaching into a not-too-wordy phrasing. And now, of course, I am plastering this awesome quote everywhere.


“What we’re teaching in massage (bodywork) and counseling is refining our capacity to be sensitive to another’s state by being continually vigilant of our own.” -Constance Buck

Whoa! Sustainable or what? For me this is it. It’s work to be truly vigilant of our own state, real work, no question about that. And mainstream north american culture (where I live!) definitely does not support this type of vigilance. Feed the masses, dope ’em up with feel good, forget everything, cushy couchness of don’t-worry-just-google-it. Which was my initial resistance to the whole blog thing in the first place. I mean, seriously what can you really trust on the internet anyway?

Nonetheless, I forged onward, mostly because of the very sentiment of today’s quote: If I am as vigilant as I can be (keeping in mind my humanness!) then I am doing healthy, sustainable work with my clients and students.
I want to reflect back this concept to them. How can any of us in the field of complimentary medicines truly be there for our clients if we are not continually there for our own selves? Simply, we can not. We must continually do our own work and continue our own studentship. And never forget that we too need help!
For me the sustainability lies in my ability to continue this presence and vigilance in my own life and impart this to clients and students, so that they can do this for themselves and not be dependent on my sessions or classes indefinitely.
This is the sustainable gift: to foster self-awareness
This is the gift that lasts, this is seed saving, this is reducing our footprint, this is mindfulness, this yoga, this is meditation, this non-violence, this is yamas and niyamas, this is presence.
For me.

I just re-joined facebook recently and I am still struggling with the whole “status” thing. When, if, what, how. Or not. And then I came across this really great quote which put my feelings about bodywork, yoga and teaching into a not-too-wordy phrasing. And now, of course, I am plastering this awesome quote everywhere.


“What we’re teaching in massage (bodywork) and counseling is refining our capacity to be sensitive to another’s state by being continually vigilant of our own.” -Constance Buck

Whoa! Sustainable or what? For me this is it. It’s work to be truly vigilant of our own state, real work, no question about that. And mainstream north american culture (where I live!) definitely does not support this type of vigilance. Feed the masses, dope ’em up with feel good, forget everything, cushy couchness of don’t-worry-just-google-it. Which was my initial resistance to the whole blog thing in the first place. I mean, seriously what can you really trust on the internet anyway?

Nonetheless, I forged onward, mostly because of the very sentiment of today’s quote: If I am as vigilant as I can be (keeping in mind my humanness!) then I am doing healthy, sustainable work with my clients and students.
I want to reflect back this concept to them. How can any of us in the field of complimentary medicines truly be there for our clients if we are not continually there for our own selves? Simply, we can not. We must continually do our own work and continue our own studentship. And never forget that we too need help!
For me the sustainability lies in my ability to continue this presence and vigilance in my own life and impart this to clients and students, so that they can do this for themselves and not be dependent on my sessions or classes indefinitely.
This is the sustainable gift: to foster self-awareness
This is the gift that lasts, this is seed saving, this is reducing our footprint, this is mindfulness, this yoga, this is meditation, this non-violence, this is yamas and niyamas, this is presence.
For me.

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Posted on No Comments on POW WOW

POW WOW

Kahnawake 20 years later. Many folks at the recent pow wow, myself included, said: “20 years after what?” The Oka crisis. Oh. I remember, I was a teenager then and it was on the television all the time. What can I say? Thinking about it now and every time I go to Kahnawake I tear up. I am sensitive. And there is a lot to say. It just doesn’t feel productive for me to go on and on about native land issues and human rights issues so I’ll just say this so you can know where I am coming from before I go on about how this does relate to sustainability:


Not all that much has changed in 20 years in terms of native land issues and basic human rights. Do your own research on this one.

What has changed in 20 years is the wonderful marketing of native, aboriginal, first peoples etc. medicines, creams, beauty and health products in the natural trade industry. And like it or not lots of folks are cashing in on this trend, and it was indeed, apparent at the pow pow in Kahnawake last weekend. So if we support the concept of seven generations that stems from this tidy marketed package of native sweetgrass incense, sage body oil and natural arthritis relief salve, then do all these products really support this philosophy from harvest to sold profit? By the looks of the pow wow vendors wares apparently not. Not all, but many products were packaged in the very overtly non-seventh generation compliant plastic and much over-packaging was abound with not a recycle bin in site.

So what to do? Does this mean that my beloved pow wow is not sustainable? Well, I guess not entirely (and as we go on it seems not much really is “enitrely”!), but supporting this event and maybe encouraging organizers to look at event criteria and re-igniting the native land issues conversation with those willing IS definitely encouraging a more sustainable me. It gets me thinking and questioning myself, which to me is what becoming more sustainable is all about. Why I am attracted to the snazzily packaged native sweetgrass incense? Isn’t the real sweetgrass that I learned how to harvest ethically and spiritually enough anymore?
I think it is.


Kahnawake 20 years later. Many folks at the recent pow wow, myself included, said: “20 years after what?” The Oka crisis. Oh. I remember, I was a teenager then and it was on the television all the time. What can I say? Thinking about it now and every time I go to Kahnawake I tear up. I am sensitive. And there is a lot to say. It just doesn’t feel productive for me to go on and on about native land issues and human rights issues so I’ll just say this so you can know where I am coming from before I go on about how this does relate to sustainability:


Not all that much has changed in 20 years in terms of native land issues and basic human rights. Do your own research on this one.

What has changed in 20 years is the wonderful marketing of native, aboriginal, first peoples etc. medicines, creams, beauty and health products in the natural trade industry. And like it or not lots of folks are cashing in on this trend, and it was indeed, apparent at the pow pow in Kahnawake last weekend. So if we support the concept of seven generations that stems from this tidy marketed package of native sweetgrass incense, sage body oil and natural arthritis relief salve, then do all these products really support this philosophy from harvest to sold profit? By the looks of the pow wow vendors wares apparently not. Not all, but many products were packaged in the very overtly non-seventh generation compliant plastic and much over-packaging was abound with not a recycle bin in site.

So what to do? Does this mean that my beloved pow wow is not sustainable? Well, I guess not entirely (and as we go on it seems not much really is “enitrely”!), but supporting this event and maybe encouraging organizers to look at event criteria and re-igniting the native land issues conversation with those willing IS definitely encouraging a more sustainable me. It gets me thinking and questioning myself, which to me is what becoming more sustainable is all about. Why I am attracted to the snazzily packaged native sweetgrass incense? Isn’t the real sweetgrass that I learned how to harvest ethically and spiritually enough anymore?
I think it is.


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