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

Fess Up! Yesterday a friend said she'd be taking a break from social media. I get that, as I’ve done it before myself. But she closed her account for a reason I didn’t expect: “Everyone is so happy and beautiful and perfect, with the perfect marriage and the perfect life," she said. "They have the dream job and the perfect body and, frankly, it’s depressing.” I’ve occasionally left a session of mindless scrolling with a sense of not measuring up, and it got me thinking… At th

Published in Sweat Equity Magazine June/July 2017 Issue Madonna Louise Ciccone was born on August 16, 1958, christened with the birth name of her late mother. Donning the various titles of Queen of Pop, Queen of Re-Invention, Queen of Fashion, and more, she is the epitome of ‘cutting edge’ and ‘controversial.’ And although fishnet tights, super-sized crucifixes, and pointed cone bras made a darn loud fashion statement, her views on women, sexuality, and female power spoke eve

The yoga equation that determines success is simple, whether it's obtaining your dream job or quitting a bad habit. Follow these 7 steps and the universe will begin to align to manifest your vision. Step 1: Define your goal. Write it out. It isn't enough to have dreams floating around in your head. Write down your goal and on an index card (or 3) and place it somewhere that you'll see it every day. Step 2: Chart your plan of action. Map it out with daily/weekly/monthly—and fi

Inhale Life, Exhale Baaaaah What could be more calming than goat hooves on your back in Chaturanga? The concept sounds crazy, but if you can sustain your judgement long enough to peruse the pics, you might second-guess your position. Lainey Morse is the founder and creator of Goat Yoga, who’s motto on stress is to “Just Let It Goat!” What started as a small-scale concept about animal therapy has grown to epic proportions, with over 1200 people on a class waiting list at one t

Avoidance of pain is one obstacle to the spiritual freedom of yoga. Naturally we do everything we can to avoid pain—or our sanity could rightly be called into question! But when this avoidance overwhelms our willingness to experience life (we’re scared to enter a new relationship based on old baggage) then we limit our potential for happiness by obstructing our view of the truth. The film, “What the Bleep Do We Know” explores this concept of living our life on “autopilot.” To

Published in Sweat Equity Magazine June/July 2017 Issue If spring has sprung you’re caught in the current of an extended new fling, if your passions have been stirred, emotions are in turmoil, and self-confidence has run amok, this is something you might want to read. I should know: after nearly four years of raising the proud flag of singlehood, I am trepidatiously tip-toeing into the tulips of unfamiliar romantic terrain. Nothing wreaks havoc on your self-confidence and sti

Published in Sweat Equity Magazine April/May Issue For some, the word “splits” belongs with two bananas and vanilla-flavoured Rice Dream—not a yoga mat. For others of us it conjures up flashbacks of cheerleading tryouts gone wrong or desperate attempts to survive Gymnastics 101. Or maybe you’re a born yogi and sitting cross-legged for an afternoon doesn’t require three friends to peel you off the floor. Kudos to you. But flexibility has never come easily to me, and I’ve alway

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 fine. Sometimes the stress relief opens new doors, and other times, it serves

"You have no problems, though you think you have . . . " ~ A Course in Miracles Published in Sweat Equity Magazine Dec/Jan 2017 Issue Problems exist only in the mind and are a prime example of how language determines our reality. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a problem as "something that is difficult to deal with." Conversely, it defines a challenge as "a demanding task or situation" and an opportunity as "a favourable time for achieving something for advance." Nothin

I used to think that being spiritual meant being poor. My grandmother worshiped tortured saints and humble servants as the epitome of devotion. She hung pictures of sad humility on every wall as a reminder. I thought the ultimate godly sacrifice would be scrubbing latrines in a convent. No wonder religion left me with something to be desired! I’ve since learned that we don’t have to renounce modern luxuries to be spiritual. But rags and loin cloths aren’t the dress code of sa