The Warrior Sisters!

My sister Nikki and I - The Warrior Sisters - practicing on the rocks of an island somewhere in Georgian Bay, Ontario.

Practice YOGA - here there and everywhere!!

Before the sun

Today - like many of my days - I am up before the sun and I love it!
I get myself ready, take care of Nala, and rush out the door to the yoga studio. I should get up a little bit earlier, so I do not have to rush - but sometimes that little extra 5 minutes of sleep is worth it! The thought of missing the 6:30am yoga class adds a little fuel to my fire - makes me move a little faster than I want to at 6 in the morning - but I make it to class.

Always tuning into my body - what it needs - how it should move - what my breath feels like within me and keeping my mind open to invite in challenge. Finding a place between ease and effort - being that place.
I was not at ease when I came into my practice - but in the midst of the stillness of morning - I created a truce with my body - with my mind - Present, available, and ready to breath through the challenge.
My knee has been shakey for the past few days...and yes today I felt the definite strain in my fragile joint. I set an intention of "gentle kindess" to my body. I flowed through the first few postures and realized (more than most days) I needed to follow my body as opposed to the teacher - the poor new teacher - who probably thought - now what exactly is this girl doing, as I totally deviated from her class!
Laying in Savasana I breathed deeply into my knee - exhaled - consciously released the tension and holding and softened my body. Relief. But now to the wall. Inverting my legs to allow the blood to flow away from my tender knee - and giving my legs/knee a soft massage. It was here when I started to massage the knee that I realized it was actually a pulled muscle - one of the lateral stablizer muslces. For the remaining time in the class I stayed here - legs up the wall - massaging and breathing - staying prsesent and tuning into gentleness within.

Translating the stillness of morning into the stillness of mind and body I was able to relax my strained knee. Today's practice was exactly what it needed to be. It always is.

Awake, alert, alive, prepared, present; I practice.

Working from home....the Daugger invasion!

So as I sit at my desk...my beloved Nala-bear - the over energized black lab (daughter+dogger=daugger) belonging to my boyfriend and myself - continues to cause trouble.

Everyday the same antics - sleep for a bit - find socks to bring to me - sleep - find more socks or slippers - hang out on the couch with her bone - nap - bring me more items from around the house.

Yesterday she actually climbed up my chair and literally try to SIT on my lap - which she managed for about 4 seconds before her 80lb body realized just how ridiculous it was being - and jumped off of me!

Last week I walked into the kitchen to make a cup of tea - and there she was - sitting ON top of the kitchen table. Apparently she needed a better view for the squirrel watching in the backyard!

----------------- now for the yoga side of things.......

frustrations in life are inevitable - its our reaction to the frustrations that create our reality. Turn negatives into positive thoughts. Learn to embrace the things that frustrate you - don't let them be a bother! When we let things brew - we create stress within our bodies - stress that our bodies hold onto. We didn't create the situation - but we created the stress when we couldn't let go of it. Let go - embrace the situation - turn a negative into a positive thought!

In my case - Nala is now sitting on most of the chair behind me - while I am being further pushed to the edge. Gotta love it!

She got her chair, we are both happy - free from stress.

Create peace within you.

Types of Yoga Classes offered by Ashley Lord Yoga

Kundalini Yoga with Ashley: The Yoga of Awareness

This powerful yoga works to strengthen and balance all systems of the body (glandular, skeletal, immune, etc.). Connect with your breath and test your mental limits while you de-stress. This class will not only energize you , but also help you shape, tone and strengthen your entire body. Kundalini yoga works on growing your self-mastery so that you can can experience life from your highest consciousness and self.

This type of yoga combines Kriyas (movements/routines) with relaxation and meditation.

Hatha Yoga with Ashley: Style inspired by Moksha and Ashtanga

This toning, muscle building and well rounded yoga class will leave you sweating. From beginner to advanced student; put yourself to the challenge of movement. All classes end with a deep relaxation and optional meditation. 

Private Yoga Lessons with Ashley: A privately guided yoga class designed for you

Ashley will help you build a yoga practice that works for you! These sessions are tailored with your goals and focus in mind, while providing a safe and inviting experience for you to start or continue to grow your practice.

Ashley's Running and Yoga: A brief run followed by a yoga session

Designed specifically for runners or runners at heart that have not laced up their shoes yet; this yoga will concentrate on lengthening and strengthening the joints and muscles that are impacted during a run. Combining deep breathing techniques with long stretches "running and yoga" will completely balance the body. You will leave this class feeling energized, strong, satisfied, and ready for your next run!!

Power of Movement - Yoga Challenge

The Power of Movement is a Nation-wide fundraiser to raise money and awareness for Arthritis!
I have joined forces with Moksha Yoga Waterloo in hopes to collectively raise $2500.
We are challenging ourselves to 30 days of yoga - with everyone across Canada in the fundraiser, coming together on the 22nd of Feb. to practice yoga at our chosen studio!

Being part of this team is exciting and rewarding and I am looking forward to the challenge!

www.powerofmovement.ca

Chapter Six: The Life Fluid

Main Idea/Concept:

Blood is the life fluid that carries nourishment to all parts of the body. It is circulated throughout the body with the heart as its engine. Clean or new blood leaves the heart through the arteries and returns via veins which first go through a cleansing process in the lungs after picking up dead cells and waste etc from all parts of the body. Blood accounts for 1/10 a human’s body weight (in muscles, in circulatory –heart, lungs, arteries and veins, in tissues/organs, in the liver) (1/5 of all blood is utilized by the brain).

• Blood starts it journey in the arteries and branches outward from there down other canals, getting smaller and smaller until it is in the capillaries –
• Capillaries - resembling very tiny blood vessels – this brings the blood in close contact with the tissues – ex skin or tissues surrounding organs etc. The journey of waste, dead cells etc starts in the capillaries – continuing on through the veins.
• Lymph is another fluid that circulates through the system and resembles blood. It mingles with the blood in the large veins on its return to the heart
• Blood is what each of us make it in our body – as it is determined by the food we eat

New Concept:

I found it interesting just how much blood is in our bodies

Questions:

-How much blood surrounds the spinal cord? –Where and how does it surround it or nourish it?

Chapter Five: The Laboratory of the Body

Main Idea/Concepts:

The laboratory work depends on the organs of the digestive system to assimilate and nourish the body. Mastication is the initial process of the breakdown of food, the jaw (mandible) teeth and tongue manually break down the food into smaller pieces.

• salivary glands secrete saliva to moisten/saturate the food for swallowing commencing the digestion process. Saliva also converts starchy foods into sugar. The tongue – an organ of taste is one of the first gatekeepers – making judgments about which foods are let in the body.
• lower part of the throat (gullet) performs muscular contractions, pushing the food further down the passageway to the stomach (starchy food into sugars is also completed in this step of swallowing).
• stomach performs chemical changes – vitamins and nourishment is absorbed through the stomach wall and into the blood stream. It mixed the food around by churning it back and forth into pulpy matter – using about 1 gallon of gastric juices every 24 hours! Food leaves the stomach (as chyme) through a one way door (the pyloric valve) into the small intestine.
• *Dyspepsia – a fermentation process that upsets the regular functioning of the stomach may occur with bad eating habits. Food will not be broken down properly becoming an active “yeast pot” – glands becoming clogged, half digested food passes into the sml intestine, gradually resulting in the entire system becoming poisoned and improperly nourished
• Bile (produced in liver, housed in gallbladder) is secreted into the sml intestine from the gallbladder – it assists in readying/saturating fatty foods for absorption. Villi (plush like hairs on the inside of the sml intestine) make up the velvety lining and gradually push the semi-liquid food matter keeping it in constant motion while also aiding in absorption.

New Concept:

The proper use of teeth is an important hatha yoga principle. When a person consciously chews their food properly at the beginning of the digestion process it allows every other part of the process to run smoothly. It will not leave other organs to do its work and the work of the teeth. This is why people must take time to eat, enjoy food – not rush the process, as it does not make for a good digestive/nourishment transition in the body’s laboratory.

Questions:

Where does metabolism fit in? Is this how fast the stomach grinds or intestines move?

Do people that don’t gain visible fat on their bodies still have clogged arteries? Is the fat being stored in an alternate place?

Chapter Four: Our Friend, The Vital Force.

Main Idea or Concept:

There is a vital force within us that is constantly doing its best for our bodies. Disease is the way this vital force attacks our bodies to let it know something is out of line with nature. Heath is the natural state of man, and disease is the absence of health. When one complies with the laws of nature he cannot be sick. There are principles of this vital force that awaken the being and for those that believe the vital force exists, let flow naturally through the body knowing it is taking the course of action that is in the best interest of the body and mind. They aim to awaken their greatest state of health and repose great confidence in the force.

• The concept of self preservation is that humans naturally strive for survival.
• Male and female are naturally attracted to preserve the human race
• Man will sometimes go against civil behaviour and eat a comrade if stranded together – survival of the fittest
• Disease results to often rid the body of toxins as our behaviour may have allowed carelessness and shock to the system
• Damage is repaired in the body with this force – broken bone for ex.
• Health is life under normal conditions, disease is under abnormal conditions.
• In our way of life now, the vital force finds it hard to do right for us – we have unnatural diets, sleeping patterns, breathing habits etc. – it could be argued that we are without health

New Concept:

I was unaware that the yogi holds this principle of the vital force in such high regard. It makes sense that our society is arguably living in a state of non-health. Its amazing that everyone’s body does more or less the same when it comes to reconstruction and renewal, believers or non-believers of this force.

Questions:

Does the state of a male and female’s bodies at the time of conception (their state of health) directly affect or determine the state of health of the fetus or child? What is the likeliness that the disease will carry over to their baby?

So why do some diseases result in death? Why are those specific people dying, is there a force that controls that?