Join Cynthia Funk and Orlando Batista in celebrating the 10 year anniversary of The Yoga Sanctuary on the Danforth.

Enjoy a unique way to practice a slow flow yoga class, on the water!!!!

For our 2.5 hour excursion, boarding begins at 6:30, gather on board to talk “yoga” before practicing, while enjoying Toronto’s skyline on the longest day of the year!

Bring your own mat, hat, water bottle (water will be available during the day, but from a large jug), sunscreen and sense of adventure!

Space is limited, register early to secure your spot. Cost $100

We will depart from our Danforth location at 8:30am on July 13. Carpooling will be available. We will return at 6:30pm.

Here are some pictures and a story from last year’s adventure….

Our comfortable ride for 45 minutes gave us just the right amount of time to wake up and engage in interesting and wide ranging conversation, from yoga to world travel, as we shared memories and future plans…

Emerging onto the Badlands is soooooo cool. The red clay streaked with a multitude of colours is awe inspiring.  We hiked our way along the waves of clay, sometime sitting to meditate, sometimes “popping’ into a pose! Our first class was held down near a fire pit. Knowing that we didn’t want everyone to get filthy in the clay, Orlando and I co-taught a standing poses only class. Balance was definitely fun and challenging!

We hiked back to our vehicles and took a short scenic drive to a conservation area, located on the edge of the hamlet of Belfountain!

The group started off on a small 10 minute hike around the pond. We dined under the idyllic shade of old growth trees to the sounds of the river nearby.  Orlando had prepared a scrumptious raw gourmet feast for lunch~ While preparing the plates for everyone, he answered many questions and regaled us with nutritional facts and little known tidbits about food and what we were about to enjoy for lunch!

Oh, desert was amazing!!!

We rested, digested, played a little Frisbee, and cooled off in the river after lunch.

Our second class of the day was done with mats on grass this time! A gentle breeze helped to cool us down as we gave thanks and saluted the sun, lengthened toned and twisted ourselves into free breathing relaxed folks!

The whole day from morning to late afternoon was perfect~ We look forward to many more adventures with our Yoga Sanctuary community.

 

After sitting on the floor quietly for so long, Ernest Gleeson captured his review of another beautiful class at The Yoga Sanctuary on video. Rosie teaches an ashtanga class Tuesday and Thursday nights at our Yonge and College location, that’s 2 College Street, Suite 306.

Hooray! We’ve made it to the fifth month on the calendar and nature is finally blossoming. We are eager to set a bench outside our Richmond Hill location to sit and enjoy the scenery. On Bathurst Street at Elgin Mills Road, on the north east corner, you can enjoy the bliss of nature blossoming on the inside by taking a class with us.  If you are able to drop in on Tuesday in the evening, or Friday or Sunday in the morning, you can catch a class with Fatima Tsang, our teacher of the month, this merry merry month of May!

Fatima is blessed with the ability to introduce others to the practice. Come to her class, she will guide you in the yoga pathways and share with you the exploration of all that yoga has to offer.

Fatima continues to explore many styles of yoga to ensure creativity and balance.  She has since completed the Restorative Yoga Teacher Training and Thai Yoga Massage Essential Certificate. She is honoured to have had the opportunity to also study with many international teachers.  Fatima’s current personal practice includes a daily meditation. Through it she discovers her true nature, spirit fire, and it has changed everything. “Sitting in stillness taught me to be the observer of my thoughts,” she said.

Fatima, what is important for students to remember outside of class? “Passion is energy; it’s the power that comes from focusing on what really excites you. When we live with enthusiasm, we fully engage our brains and bodies in our activities, building new pathways that foster health and wellbeing. One way to ensure that we live our lives with passion is to find our dharma, our life’s true purpose, through which we can serve our community and ourselves in deeply meaningful ways. Engaging in life in this way helps keep our minds active and sharp and strengthens our relationships with everyone we meet.”

I also asked Fatima what inspiration she had for yoga teachers in training. Here’s what she said, “It’s never too late to follow your dreams; Yoga Teacher Training will enrich and transform your life, a great opportunity to deepen your own practice.  Yoga is a personal practice that evolves slowly over time as long as there is appropriate guidance, patience, and honesty about personal limitations. The Yoga Sanctuary provides an excellent teacher training with an outstanding faculty team.”

Some of Fatima’s inspirational quotes…

 ”It is health that is the real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
-Mahatma Gandhi

 “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky.
Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh

To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” Buddha

1. 3 avocados peeled, pitted and mashed
2. 1 lime juiced
3. ¼ cup diced onion
4. 2 roma tomatoes diced
5. 1 tsp minced garlic
6. 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
7. ground pepper
8. salt to flavor

This could not be any easier. Put all the ingredients together in their suggested state. Mix and serve. Chop up some peppers, cucumber and perhaps round up some mini carrots. You can use these for dipping. Some people like to use corn chips of some variety but you can also make some dehydrated crackers or purchase them at you local health food store. All in all, nothing can replace some chopped up veggies. If you want to store this recipe, keep the pit in so it doesn’t turn brown!

Recipe from Orlando’s Kitchen

Tews Falls is a curtain of waterfall, 22 meters in height with a crest of 24 meters; it is the largest in the region. and located approximately 1 hour southwest of Toronto

Upon arrival we will hike to our “spot” to start our Slow Flow Vinyasa class. We will then take a small hike to explore the park and build up our appetites! We will dine to the sounds of the river leading to the falls, enjoying the delicious vegetarian creations from Certified Chef, Orlando.

After lunch, you decide on what to do next: walk the nearby trails; if possible, take a dip under the falls; wade in the river; hike some of the nearby trails; or set out a blanket and read a book…

Space is limited! Register early to secure your spot!

We will depart from our Danforth location at 8:30am. Carpooling will be available.

If you say, “Oh yes, I am always starving before dining!”

But sorry, Hun! You don’t!! That’s just your stomach singing with your blood sugar swing.

Mabel will Live Below the Line April 29 – May 3.

True hunger feels like your heart is simmering in a slow cooker while your whole digestive tract undergoing micro-dermabrasion. This is not something you will experience for just not eating between meals. Not even the “30-hour-famine”.

How do I know? Well, because I was “kind of” there. I say “kind of” because I was fortunate enough to have a choice to stay in consistent slight hunger for 5 days only.

But there are 1.4 billion people living in constant hunger EVERYDAY in this world.

1.4 BILLION PEOPLE!!

And they don’t even know how long this “everyday” is gonna be.

Last year (2012), on a typical April shower day like today, I saw this post on Facebook about a Live Below the Line awareness and fundraising campaign. And I have to say, I was thrilled.

The idea of living within $1.5 US or $1.75 CAD a day simply struck me. As a fundraiser, this budget is only on my food and drink for a 5-day drama. However, for those 1.4 billion people in real world, it is everything they can live (or starve) on.

Yes, I know. Their living costs are much lower; they grow their own food, raise their own cattle and DIY everything, blah blah blah. But still, we’ve got to admit, it is really really really tough.

At least I cannot imagine how I am gonna live on that amount EVERYDAY…..

So, why didn’t I simply donate the money, write a few words about it, dump it on FB and get it over with? Why did I risk messing up my diet routine, sacrifice my energy level and my vibrant look just to feel hungry and grumpy all the time for 5 days? And on top of that, I am a mother of 4, and was training to become a yoga instructor at the time, practicing an extra 10-12 vigorous classes a week, plus studying and homework. Not to mention I am born with (minor) Thalassemia.

Why?!

Because IT IS WORTH IT!

If you haven’t realized already, life is not about staying in comfort. Life is about learning through experiences, through senses and knowledge, through holding on and letting go, through relating and connecting, and most of all, through love and compassion.

How can a food fan like me will know what hunger really is? How can I be compassionate about something that I don’t understand?

Only by experience will my love and compassion for them and all mankind be validated, genuine and whole.

So, I joined the campaign.  For 4 days (yes, I joined late because I didn’t know about it earlier) I was drowned in slow-long-whispering-lingering-and-ever-detering signals of slight hunger that kept hanging around in my mind and my abs. (Trust me, it was worse than my son bugging me all day for something I am absolutely not buying.) This kind of sensation is very different from the hunger we get when we fast. When we stop eating altogether after a day or two, our bodies start reserving energy for self-cleansing and our digestive system come into a rest, which means we stop receiving hunger signal and feel great. In contrast, when we are still eating but eating not enough, the body reacts with a stronger desire for food which means a grumpier stomach and emotions. And when this grumpiness is not settled down by satisfaction from food over time, depression kicks in and … join the ride.

So, half way through the experience, I started feeling a tiny stream of hopelessness slowly infusing down my spine and swelling in my heart.

That’s the feeling people in famine and poverty are going through every day.

And now, I understand.

I understand that we, who are fortunate enough to have many food choices and to eat whenever we need, are blessed not because we are simply better off. Instead, we are blessed with ability to help others while we learn in the process.

I understand that we all hold the key to unlock miracles of hope. We need to use it.

I understand that sacred experience and knowledge only come forward through equally intense sacrifice and giving.

I can’t tell you how much I have learned throughout this experience. You need to do it in order to get it.

So, when you are ready to join thousands of us in enlightenment this year, please sign up @ this site:

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/ca

If you want to support me instead, please click here:

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/maume

In case you are curious how I did it last year, you can read the mini-blogs from this page:

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/2012/maume

Go ahead! Do what you can: Like the page, share the event, talk about it and bug me! It’s all good! Namaste. :)

*****

You can meet Mabel at our Richmond Hill studio, serving students behind the desk as an Energy-Exchange Assistant. She studied pre-natal yoga with Cynthia Funk. Mabel teaches occasionally at our Richmond Hill studio. Her Below The Line experience begins Monday April 29 until Friday May 3. Our thoughts are with you Mabel!

Yew-Wai – a graduate of the 2012 Fast Track YTT at 95 Danforth.

“I decided to take the course as I had been doing yoga for many years but had not been practising as regularly while busy with full-time work. As I was suffering from severe back pain at the time, it seemed to be the only therapy that helped to manage the pain. I now practise daily and it has helped with my general health and well-being. I am much stronger physically than I was last year.

I took the course to learn more about yoga, the philosophy and also to explore meditation. It has been life changing for me. The teachers were amazing and so caring, teaching me how to modify poses until I was better and could do the full poses; I’ve learned much more than I anticipated. Karen, Hali, Janine, Cynthia and Shehla all contributed to my growth during that session. It was intensive but it helped me to focus. I find that I’m more centred and connected with my mind and body. My back and knee injuries have improved significantly with better alignment of my spine and hips.

I have assisted Karen and Hali in their classes; also substitute teach and teach privately when I can and find so much joy in being able to share what I learned from my teachers at the Yoga Sanctuary. I’d like to thank all my teachers and everyone who helped me through this vigorous training.”

Molly – a graduate of the 2012 YTT in Richmond Hill

“I completed this YTT course at The Yoga Sanctuary in 2012. It was one of the best things I have ever done for myself. Not only did I deepen my knowledge and love of yoga but I got to experience learning from amazing teachers. I graduated with the confidence to begin my own teaching journey. The Yoga Sanctuary has a wonderful reputation and it’s easy to see why. To anyone thinking about taking a YTT course – The Yoga Sanctuary is the best!”

Janessa – a graduate of the 2012 Richmond Hilll YTT program

“After spending 8 months at Yoga Sanctuary’s Yoga Teacher Training, it was very difficult for me to leave – the detailed yoga instruction (alignment, adjustments, anatomy, philosophy), the warmth, the camaraderie among fellow students.
But it is the faculty I will remember most – Deborah, Sue, Cynthia – all embody a rich, passionate love for the practice of yoga and its community. Each brought their decades of Yoga to this program and the result is an incredibly and thoroughly designed YTT program.
This was a course in how to live. It not only taught us how to teach but how to deepen our own practice.
It is with great respect and love that I offer my gratitude to everyone at The Yoga Sanctuary. Thank you for sharing so much of yourselves with me.”

Susan’s students are her greatest motivators. She always asks if anyone has any requests because sometimes people carry secret wishes like “I hope she teaches Dancer’s pose,” or “my hips or shoulders are tight…I hope she does something for that,” or “I hope she talks more about Yoga philosophy or the Sutras.” Susan wants her students to know it’s always safe to make those requests because she wants to know what your needs are, and she wants to help meet those needs.

“I’m really invested in creating a satisfying experience, because it often results in more calm and joy.”
- Susan

Susan had this advice for aspiring yoga teachers: New or experienced, taking time to integrate and reflect on one’s practice is very important.

“Practice beyond asana. It takes time to do the work; it takes time to
discern the differences between the abiding messages of the Universe vs. the chatter of life. ”
- Susan

 

Yogash Chitta Vrtitti Nirodha 1.1-1.4

Susan is currently exploring Pranayama, some Restorative, and many aspects of Yoga therapy in her personal practise right now. She is taking time to learn how to accept more self-nurturing care and also how to provide it for herself.

“I’m investigating this first in my own body, and hope to share my
findings because I think the acceptance of discomfort or suffering in one’s body is too pervasive in our culture.”
- Susan

Susan is continuing her Yogic education through several teachers, and plans to always enjoy learning from the opportunities yoga provides. Her educational pursuits are focused on anatomy/physiology, Pranayama, quantum mechanics and singularity, and Yoga therapy.

“Some of my favourite teachers are: Cynthia Funk, Karusia
Wroblewski, Janine Woo, Sue Ravassolo, Ian McDonald, Judith Lasater, Cora Wen, Natasha Rizopulous, Maria Garre, Bo Forbes, Dr. Amit Goswami,
Neil Turok, and so many more!”
-Susan

Always keen to volunteer for energy exchange events at The Yoga Sanctuary, Susan is enrolled in a weekend intensive with Cora Wen in Toronto, April 26 – 28, 2013. When you see Susan around the studio, please reach out to her, say hello, and get to know her a little better.

“What a great and flattering surprise to be chosen as Teacher of the Month for April! Outside of the classroom, I can be very shy. Thanks to The Yoga Sanctuary for creating a sharing space.”
- Susan

Thank you Susan and congratulations!

A simply great way to get your raw greens in a sweet drink!

5 bananas
1 large handful of spinach
8 large strawberries
1 heaping teaspoon of traditional peanut butter (or a tablespoon if you LOVE peanut butter!)

Blend until smooth. Makes 4 servings.