Shaving your head is the breeziest feeling ever. And it really simplifies life BUT the simple shaving of one’s head brings forth a myriad of feelings.

• it feels both really normal and really weird
• really silly and really brave
• so important and so trivial
• insecure and secure, knowing who I am and not having a clue who I am
• joyous and teary
• beautiful and not so much

I feel honored to have done this. It has humbled me. To feel what it is like to look different than the people around me and be looked at like there is something wrong. This is humbling and I will never look at someone who is different with the same eyes again.  Here is what I have learned …. so far ….

• Life (and hair) changes fast. Don’t get hung up on the moment. Live the moment and it will surely change.
• Escape judging of others by just seeing them for who they are regardless of how they look.
• If you feel concern for someone, don’t beat around the bush, just as directly “Are you OK”.

Would I do it again, oh yes, in a heart beat.

Faye Blondin

It’s that time of year again when we dredge up the resolutions – usually the same ones we’ve been making for years – and try all over again to lose the extra pounds, quit smoking, exercise more, etc.  If you signed on to a pledge like this at the stroke of midnight on December 31, I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that you’ve either fallen off the wagon by now or will do so very soon, and then you’ll have to go through it all over again next year.  They’re all worthy goals and succeeding at just one of them would make you feel great but why is it that we have to keep repeating them like an endless Groundhog Day sequel? Perhaps there’s an alternative…

The first of the eight limbs of Classical Yoga consists of five Yamas, or ethical precepts, and the first of these is ahimsa, non-harming or non-violence.  It came as a revelation to me a few years ago when a beloved yoga teacher pointed out that we should practise ahimsa towards ourselves as well as to others. That was in the context of the asanas (physical postures) and gave me the permission I needed to set my own limits and stop hurting myself in class as I struggled to make my body conform.  It was a great relief and my yoga practice improved significantly because of it. Since then, I’ve extended the philosophy of ahimsa to other areas of my life and this year it occurred to me that it might apply to the New Year’s Resolution conundrum.

The resolutions we make don’t usually spring from a positive source but are reflections of our negative perceptions of ourselves. Perhaps that’s why they’re so hard to keep.  When we make them we hope – albeit subconsciously – that if we’re thinner, look better, don’t smoke or whatever, our lives will be magically transformed, but deep down inside we know that’s not true.  Then when the resolutions are broken and our good intentions fall by the wayside we feel even worse about ourselves than we did before and we probably pig out or have another cigarette as a result!

This year I’m trying a different approach.  Rather than resolving to change the things I don’t like about myself, something that’s always ended up being harmful in the past, I’ve resolved to be less critical of myself. If I can do that I’ll be practising ahimsa towards myself and I think I might find that I don’t need the things I usually make resolutions about: the guilty chocolate binge or the extra glass of red wine I knew I didn’t want when I asked for it. I hope that by learning to accept and like myself as I am I’ll be stronger, more confident and more able to help myself and other people.

So how about it?  It’s not too late to modify your resolution to recognize the positive things about you rather than concentrating on the negative.  Why not try choosing ahmisa for yourself and post a comment to let me know how it works?

People, even more than things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.”

We ask everyone we meet if they practice yoga.  Wonderfully, we get a different answer every time.  Responses range from wrinkled noses to hurried excuses to big wide grins.  And while everyone has their own ideas about what a class might be like before they try, it’s the people who have smiled or grunted their way through an hour or two in a studio who offer the most enthusiastic nods of agreement.  When all the preconceived notions disappear and you simply start to move, it all begins to make sense.  We think it’s simply the best exercise going.  Millions all over the world agree.

Yoga in North America has evolved rapidly since the first yogis arrived from the east to share their knowledge.  In the decades that have followed, North Americans have not only embraced the teachings of acceptance and peace but have enthusiastically connected with the physical aspects of the practice.  Indeed, the notion of practicing yoga primarily as a workout is very recent concept.  It is just as realistic now to find a class as rigorous as an hour of aerobics as it would be to find a class where gentle stretching mends seamlessly into meditation and relaxation.  It is a testament to yoga that it can offer this much variety for people of different physical ability without losing the message.  So while the postures and the technical aspects of the practice may not necessarily be centuries old, the intention and the meaning resonate deeply. 

            But mystery and intrigue still remain about what might happen in a yoga class.  While the best idea to rid yourself of these notions is to simply attend, there may still be a few surprises you can prepare yourself for.  There are a few things you might not know about yoga class:

1. Yoga can be hard.

Physically, yoga can be very challenging – even a beginner class.  It is best to be open and honest about your physical abilities and the limits you are setting on yourself.   Muscle strength is just as important in yoga as stretching and the two compliment each other.  Be prepared to move!

1. How you engage yourself in class is a lesson in itself.

We see people struggling, forcing, pulling and flinging themselves into postures.  Not only is this uncomfortable but it can be dangerous.  To avoid frustration, simply listen.  A well-trained teacher will offer options and cues and successful students heed them.  Understanding where you are and what you are doing is the beginning of self-knowledge.

1. There will be meditation of some sort.

Every class will have a component of silent time.  Sharing moments of peaceful contemplation is certainly the most ancient portion of yoga and it has defied the boundaries of geography, race, time, gender and social class.  Meditation is deceptively simple and can be difficult if you’re not sure what should be going on.  What should be happening in this silent time in class?  Absolutely nothing.  Go figure!

1. You could end up upside-down

Inversions are common in yoga classes and even if you’re not doing headstands, there is most certainly a chance that your heart will be over your head at some time.  Wear a shirt that won’t fly over your head and pants that you can control.  Or simply wear good underwear. 

1. You are not too old, too fat, too weak, too inflexible, too….

Yoga is enjoyed by people from all walks of life and there are no limits to what you can accomplish when you approach the practice with patience and acceptance.  Ask some of the people who come from class flushed and glowing – they all started somewhere, too.

Come join us and nod in agreement!  Yoga Source & Therapy Studio is located at 16925 Yonge Street, Unit 25, in Newmarket or you can call (905) 830-9700 or visit www.yogasource.ca

Call to book your appointment 905.830.9700

 905.830.9700        info@yogasource.ca

Join us in chanting. Bring your guitar or drums and join in.