Link Love: Fun Reading This Week

I loved this post by Shauna Ahern of Gluten-Free Girl fame about gratitude and an appreciation for the mundane days.

PLENTY

Shenee's experience at a gym reminded me of two things: (1) Why I myself no longer go to gyms (but prefer to exercise in the quiet of nature), and (2) why I love taking a non-sizeist and non-elitist approach to teaching yoga at Tree of Life Yoga.

NOPE, MY SUPER-FIT SISTER IS NOT MY TRAINER

Yearning for minimalism and redefining your feelings about "stuff"? Courtney Carver of Be More With Less has a few suggestions on this topic.

THE 3 STEP PROCESS TO REDEFINING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH STUFF (AND HOW IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE)

Ashley Riordan eloquently has more to say on the topic.

A PAIR OF GRAY FLATS

And finally, for some kick-ass listening while reading, go no further than alt-J and their song: 

FITZPLEASURE

Tree of Life Yoga

Tree of Life Yoga aims to offer affordable yoga classes for everyone who has a desire to experience the many benefits of yoga, regardless of shape, size and fitness levels. All levels of experience are welcome.

The benefits of yoga occur on many levels. With regular classes, you may begin to experience increased flexibility, fitness and balance, as well as an intrinsic sense of well being.

At Tree of Life Yoga, we practise serious yoga with a sense of humour!

My journey with yoga began in 1999, and over the past 16 years I have found the practise to be one of the most portable of movement forms. Have mat - will yoga!

I have studied and practised yoga under the guidance of wonderful teachers around South Africa and various parts of the world. As a veteran of the Iyengar style of yoga, I remain inspired by Trevor Koch, the yoga teacher who first modelled advanced poses to me in classes, as well as their modifications, proving that yoga can be accessible to all levels of practitioners. I have taken this teaching approach to heart, and like to incorporate modifications to suit a variety of needs.

I'm no yoga purist, and you'll sometimes spot other movement forms I have studied, namely NIA (w. Kathy Wolstenholme), ballet (w. Joy Cooper) and kickboxing (w. Shihan Pat Carney), making their way into my yoga sequences (especially yogalates classes).

Since teaching my first yoga class in 2003, I have come to realise that true yoga can be practised anywhere, from noisy recreation centres to crowded school halls to small home studios. The setting ceases to be so important when you realise that it's within the temple of your own body that the transcendent experiences in yoga are created.

Come join in the fun!

Class schedule.

Class fees.

Location.

Love Week, Day 5: Yoga Love

Today is February 18...full moon!

(photo taken at night on long exposure using a tripod)

It never really occurred to me before today that the moon is one of those strange cosmic forces which links the entire planet in such a way that we ALL experience the full moon on the same date.

I haven't been sleeping well at all the past few days, and when one of my yoga teachers suggested yesterday that we practise Chandra Namaskara or the moon salutation, I suddenly understood why.

No, I don't go so far as to believe that I am somehow linked to the moon's feminine energy, or some such thing. Instead, quite practically, I realised that I like to sleep in a dark room, and that the moon has just been so darn bright that I haven't been able to get to sleep with it shining through the white curtains! And when I finally have fallen asleep out of sheer exhaustion, my sleep has been so light that I wake up feeling really tired.

Ah, that strange and wonderful moon...tricky lady. :-)

Regardless, it felt good to honour the lunar cycle in flowing asanas...invigorating even (which was preferable, since four nights of sleep deprivation would probably have necessitated someone having to wake me up from today's Savasana!)

(a meditative corner in the garden of the yoga centre)

So here's a written salute to the bright lady - may she always smile her cheesy grin down upon us!

P.S. If you'd like to try Chandra Namaskara for yourself, Yoga Flavored Life has a nifty little set of stick drawings to help you through. Have a great weekend!