Most will agree, Sanskrit scholars and philosophy dabblers alike, that the translation of the word "yoga" means “to yoke,” but from there the interpretations vary. Some say it is the union of body, mind, and spirit. Some say it's the joining of opposites or the synchronicity of body and breath. The definitions are endless and, in my opinion, not of huge import for the dedicated or even curious practitioner. What is important, however, is recognizing the spiritual roots of thi

"Yoga is a powerful tool for liberating ourselves from unwanted, ingrained patterns.” ~ B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga opens our eyes to a fresh perspective. Presumed limitations are mere obstacles manufactured by the finite potential of the mind. In shifting your patterns of thought, you will change the outcome of your destiny. If you’re not sure what those patterns are, pay attention to the flavour (themes) and content (details) of your thoughts in the course of a single day. Journal

Sometimes survival is just that: an uninspired trudge through the monotony of daily life. Sometimes the effort to resist is too much, and we give in to the urge to collapse on the couch, because, “why bother?” There are days when gratitude is waning, and on those days, we have to trust. When anxiety builds or fear gathers momentum, we hunker down and select from our yoga toolkit: we breathe deeply, write a gratitude list, journal about the fear, pray, meditate, repeat a mant

True or false: 70 is the new 50 and 40 is the new 20? Certainly anyone approaching either of these milestones—age 70 or 50—would concur with the statement, at least in theory. But it’s not about how you look, is it? It’s about how you feel. And I think most of us would be happy with a little luck (or genetic inheritance!) on both sides. Multimedia in general and health and wellness outlets in particular are the go-to source for learning what’s in and what’s out, who’s fit and

One of the questions I receive most often from students is, "What yoga can I do from home?" Without hesitation, my answer is always one of two things: 1) Do what you love. Practice what feels good. Whatever will get you to the mat, that's what you should do. When you climb out of bed in the morning and raise your arms overhead with a deep breath in, that counts! Add a stretch to the right and to the left, then bend over towards your toes (Uttanasana) and you have a yourself a

It is impossible to be upset while breathing deeply. If I asked you to “get mad,” you’d likely hold your breath, make fists with your hands, clench your teeth, or tense your facial muscles. And if I asked you to relax, you’d probably soften the jaw and shoulders, take a deep breath or release a long sigh. This begs the question: are you angry because of some "unfair" situation or circumstance, or simply because you’re not breathing? Are you joyful and stress-free because your

Who you are is a compilation of the things you do every day. Every single action you take was at first a thought in your mind. When you get up for a drink of water, the thought “I’m thirsty” came first. Meditation reveals our subconscious thoughts, allowing insight into what drives our emotions and behaviours. With introspection, you will find that even seemingly random acts are the product of long-held often deeply engrained beliefs or automated habits. In recognizing and de

Our modern adaptation of the practice strings hundreds of stretches together and tosses them around under the title of “yoga”. It is easy for the teacher’s ego to take centre stage and have a dance with itself on the mat. In terms of choreography, this works well— where aesthetic appeal and external appreciation are the point. But in yoga, when we create sequences that tone the tush and trim the thighs, tighten our core and flatter the mirror, we risk further enslaving oursel

I didn’t drive home for Christmas this year; 2017 was a remarkably challenging year, and when December 23 arrived and I was faced with a six-hour trek past Toronto, coupled with daunting weather watches and snow squalls, I just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t an easy choice; staying in Ottawa would mean disappointing family and disrupting some cherished traditions. But it would also mean a handful of desperately needed, sinfully antiquated, schedule-free days of rest. The lure of t

“Be still and know that I am God.” For years I prayed to an external source for help, wisdom, and solutions (in other words, to be rescued). For one particular instance, though, a certain prayer simply wasn’t being answered. I got so sick of being ‘ignored’ that I stopped praying (for about a month) and proclaimed in frustration, “Fine! I’ll do it MYSELF!” Bingo. My prayer was soon “answered.” Truth and wisdom reside within you. But in order for you to hear them, you must be

Printed in Sweat Equity Magazine December / January 2018 She’s not what you expect to see on the cover of a fitness and lifestyle magazine. In today’s world, heavy black women fall far on the spectrum of cover models. I did an Internet search using the phrase, “women in fitness,” and of the 160 images that came up (that’s where I stopped counting), two were black. Two! That is a gross misrepresentation of a nation with over 14.5% people of colour! The vast majority of the fem

Printed in Sweat Equity Magazine October/November Issue I’ve been through a slew of non-optimal (that’s yogic for ‘failed’ or ‘bad’) relationships, so when I finally stumbled across one that fit (at 39 years old), I was blown away by the expectations this crush exceeded. Had I made a vision board of my “dream guy,” I would have missed out on the most endearing and adorable traits that he has to offer. Those gifts weren’t even on my “dream guy” radar. Simply put, had I been in

“Letting go is the hardest asana.” Anonymous Recently I was asked why I do yoga. The obvious reasons came to mind: it keeps me strong and flexible. It’s challenging, relaxing, and anything else you need it to be. It quenches my thirst for philosophy, language, anatomy, and spirituality. But in reeling off those reasons, I realized none of them capture the real essence of what brings me to the mat, day after day. There are many ways to get strong, toned, and flexible and ma

We don’t have to be told that certain changes take place as we get older. If climbing out of bed in the morning requires a touch more ‘awareness’ than it did a decade ago, if forgetting where you parked the car, where put your glasses, or why you just hopped online are common occurrences, then you know what I mean. To an extent, these changes are natural and inevitable. Past the age of 50, most of us wouldn’t dream of attempting the positions of the lithe bodies we see in yog

Sometimes survival is just that: an uninspired trudge through the monotony of daily life. Sometimes the effort to resist is too much, and we give in to the urge to collapse on the couch, because, “Why bother?” There are days when gratitude is waning, and on those days, we have to trust. When anxiety builds or fear gathers momentum, we have to hunker down and select from our yoga toolkit: we breathe deeply, write a gratitude list, journal about the fear, pray, meditate, repea

Illustration by Jason Horning Printed in Sweat Equity Magazine There is no shortage of adjectives describing late pop icon Prince Rogers Nelson. Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actor, and film director are just a few of the titles he owned. Prince’s musical talent spread widely to encompass the funk, pop, R&B, psychedelic rock, new wave, and rock genres, and nearly every instrument under the sun, including guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard and, of c

We often hear what a "fast-paced" society we live in, and that's true. But it's as much one of impatience as it is of fast pace. Eighteen-year-olds drive fifty-thousand dollar cars, and newly engaged couples boast multi-karat diamond rings. With lines of credit and credit cards galore, big ticket items are nothing but a Gold Card app and a fifty-two cent stamp away. And maybe there's nothing wrong with that, not inherently. You take out a loan, enjoy the fun stuff, and pay th

It’s natural to feel a bit . . . blasé about something you’ve done committedly for a long period of time. Meditation can be challenging on the best of days; sitting still for 20 minutes when 100 other things need to get done shows remarkable discipline. That being said, small changes to your practice can reignite your passion for meditation and prevent you from slipping into the dull realm of habitual behaviour. Here are 6 simple ways to re-inspire your commitment to meditati

Published in Sweat Equity Magazine April/ May 2016 Issue Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra tells us that a belief in “God,” loosely speaking, is one of three requirements for success in the practice: “tapah svadhyaya isvara pranidhanani kriya yogah”(Chapter 2, Verse 1). This sutra states that Kriya Yoga consists of discipline, self-study, and devotion to God. Many people are driven to yoga by back pain and stress, not a deep longing for Self-realization, and that’s perfectly fine. Somet

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), anxiety tops the list of most common mental health disorders worldwide, second only to depression, and rates continue to escalate. Between 1990 and 2013, the number of people suffering from depression and anxiety increased by nearly 50%, from 416 million to 615 million worldwide,(1) with over 5 million cases of anxiety disorder (18.17%) in the UK alone (2). Statistics Canada states that 2.8 million people, or 10.1% of Canadian