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Mind Body Messenger
Issue #33, February 2006
Keeping Up With Heather…
With just eight days to go before I head off to Australia again for 5 months, I wanted to update you on who and where you could go for fitness, yoga, pilates, and thai yoga massage in my absence.
Although I am excited to be returning to Australia, each time I
depart is difficult because I am having to say farewell (albeit
briefly) to all the wonderful people that I have had a chance to
get to know over the past year. I do wish you all a most joyful
and abundant year, and wish you all the best in all your fitness,
wellness, and yogic endeavours. I look forward to hearing all your
updates and success while I’m away, and of course catching
up with you all in July upon my return.
The Mind Body Messenger will still be reaching you no matter where
I am, and I will keep you posted on happenings and upcoming events.
Between newsletters you can always visit www.yogatrinity.com
for updates. To keep in touch while I’m in Australia you
can always reach me at this email (heather@yogatrinity.com)
and I look forward to hearing from you!
Referrals
Personal Fitness Training
Tammi Reeves, Nobleton and area, 905.859.2269
Fulvio Cubello, Tottenham and area, 905.936.2261
Melanie Weber, Etobicoke, 905.829.9376
Yoga & Pilates Classes
Balance Yoga Studio, Tottenham, 905.936.YOGA
Level V Fitness, Toronto, 416.927.8774
Private and Corporate Yoga:
Jane Markowitz, Etobicoke, jcmwtz@hotmail.com
Diana Murray, Etobicoke, dianamurray@sympatico.ca
Julia Smith, Toronto, niasmith@look.ca
Thai Yoga Massage
Anna Gernega, Maple/Woodbridge, 905.832.1313
Shira Harrison MacIntyre, Tottenham, 905.936.YOGA
YTT Canada
Level V Fitness at College and Euclid in Toronto will be hosting
our Yoga Teacher Training Program this year in Canada. We are planning
a 9 weekend non-residential 200-hour program to be held during the
months of September, October and November. Space will be limited
in this program, so to voice your interest please write to heather@yogatrinity.com
and you will be kept updated on all developments in this exciting
program.
Success Strategies
Our third in a series exploring your wellness wisdom and lifestyle
success, this month’s letter comes from a good friend in
Australia who was inspired to write in and share some of his journey
over the past few years.
Dear Heather:
I got your copy of Mind Body Messenger - very interesting articles.
Last year you wrote an article about writing down goals for the
year, what you did and achieved for the previous year and what happened
in your world. Well I went through mine and found I achieved at
least 75% if not more of them, so that made me feel really good
about what I had managed to achieve over the past year. What a powerful
and amazing exercise. I particularly liked the quote that you used
in your last Mind Body Messenger from Abraham Lincoln stating, "If
I had 6 hours to cut down a tree, I would spend 4 hours sharpening
the axe!!!! I thought about that and it inspired me to share with
you about my journey and when and how it started.
It began in January 2000, I had felt lost for a few years and seemed
to be drifting aimlessly in life. I had a job that I absolutely
hated and was doing nothing for my self-confidence. I was in a relationship
that didn't quite feel right and wasn't going anywhere. And I was
not really achieving anything constructive in life - nothing was
really making me very happy. Then my grandfather passed away. I
remember standing there in the cemetery at the edge of the grave,
looking down at my grandfather’s coffin and thinking about
what an amazing man he was. He did so much and had no regrets and
lived a good life - he taught me a great deal (a lot more than my
own father), he taught me about the environment, gave me a keen
interest in geography, animals, plants etc. - shared his hobbies
with me and taught me how to split timber posts, how to handle the
cattle and livestock, how to drive a tractor and to hunt. I asked
myself, would he be standing here in the stalemate that I am in
now, and would he be happy seeing me in this position? NO WAY! So
I decided to do something about it then and there.
I did some research and enrolled in an Environmental Management
course at college. I enjoyed it but it was extremely hard going.
I was forced to working overtime, going to college between 2 to
3 nights a week and spending weekends doing field trips and studying
and had many people telling me I was crazy and trying to talk me
out of it. My relationship I was in at the time was going nowhere;
we could never seem to make each other happy, so we parted ways.
This caused me a great deal of grief and I had a lot of regrets.
I learned that sometimes our darkest days and toughest challenges
end up being some of our best and most powerful lessons, because
we needed the experience to learn and make us stronger.
Since then, I met some wonderful new people just by opening up
and letting them come into my life. My failed relationship uncovered
a "Window of Opportunity" which sparked me to go and seek
some counseling, which not only helped me to cope with my pain but
also helped uncover the real root of issues and problems that I
wasn't even aware of, but were limiting me as a person and stopping
me from being my true self. Two years of counseling was extremely
difficult, I was depressed, upset and angry but I kept going back
again and again cause I knew I had to conquer my fears and issues.
What I came out with was truly amazing; it really opened my eyes
and opened my world.
My new thirst for what truly was deep inside lead me to complete
Self Mastery 1 and 2 with Chris Lipscomb - I set a goal and completed
the challenges, and miraculously strange new things started to happen
to my life, positive things that I wanted, and opportunities unfolded
to help me get to where I wanted to go. I started to take notice
of what my dreams were trying to tell me, met my higher self, gave
myself permission to do what I wanted and needed to do and looked
at where the weeds were in my life. I honed and developed my intuition
skills and did a few life courses at the Relaxation Centre in Brisbane.
I started going new places and trying new things. I got into the
world of military re-enacting, which I really love. I started traveling
more and looking at the world in a new way. I started buying things
I always wanted, rather that not being good enough to have nice
stuff or being too tight. I realized the power of money and decided
it was time to start enjoying it, because when I look at the big
picture, what good is it to me when I'm in the grave? I learned
to enjoy time with myself, to got and do things by myself - why
should I be limited in life because I can't get anyone to go with
me?
This year I finally got a job in the environmental industry - 5
½ years after I made the decision to get there. I took little
steps and walked slowly, then reflected on what I had achieved and
then took another and another. I love the outdoors, so I related
the concept of seeing myself to be a kind of "mountaineer"
in my life journey - I still don't believe that I have reached anywhere
near the top of my mountain of achievements and success, but I have
made the ropes and lifelines, I have acquired some of the right
tools and equipment to help me to get there which I carry in a big
pack on my back. I have started meeting people to come with me,
to guide me or help give me directions when the fog and blizzards
of life makes me feel like turning back or loosing my way.
At Christmas I felt the fog was closing in, I sat down and with
the aid of my yearly achievements diary and some reflection - I
was able to look down the mountain and into the base camp of life,
where I started and I was pleasantly surprised to see how high up
I had truly come. I looked up and couldn't see through the fog,
but I decided to get up and keep going into the fog of the unknown.
I want and need to keep trekking higher and am continuing to collect
along the way everything I need to get me to the summit. I will
continue to find, barter and acquire better equipment along the
way to make my journey easier and more comfortable and I will discard
heavy or useless items and equipment that slow me down. I will meet
other climbers and guides along the way but also many more others
that will try to talk me into going back down with them, telling
me I will get lost, hurt or will lose everything, while most will
still be standing at base camp looking up at you and calling "Come
back you fool!"
When climbing mountains there will always be different levels of
difficulty, some parts will be easy where you have no problems.
Other parts will be difficult, where you will have to stand back
and assess the situation, look at how you will get yourself over
the obstacle. This may require help from a friend, or the use of
some of your specialist equipment that you have made or acquired
along the way. Sometimes you may need to search quite hard for the
bit of equipment you need or you may need to take time to make it,
but once you have it, you will always have it. Then you can show
others how to do it, show them how to acquire the correct equipment
for the job and if you encounter the same type of obstacle again
you will be able to tackle it easier and quicker.
Will I-or anyone-ever get there, probably not! For usually once
you reach to top of what you assume is the peak, you look out and
see that it actually goes higher. Or maybe you reach the top of
your mountain, look out in admiration at your surrounding view and
notice that out there in the distance is a higher, more challenging
peak that you feel the urge to conquer - but as long as we keep
looking up and keep climbing, then I believe that we are on the
way to being truly happy with a life of rich experiences and few
regrets.
To share your success strategies write to heather@yogatrinity.com.
Never forget that your trials and errors as well as your successes
offer a wealth of wisdom and motivation for others!
Spanakopita
Spinach and Feta Parcels
This versatile recipe allows for 4-5 main course parcels, or roughly
10-12 appetizer portions.
Ingredients:
1 package of phyllo pastry
2 packages of frozen spinach
1 medium red onion, chopped
¾ cup diced white button mushrooms
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, melted
150-200 grams of feta cheese, cubed
¼ cup chopped black olives (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Preparations:
Preheat oven to 375 and spray a baking pan with olive oil. Thaw
spinach and sauté with mushrooms and onion until soft. Cool
slightly, then mix with salt and pepper and egg. Lay 2 sheets of
phyllo on your work surface and fold in half lengthwise. Brush some
butter on the pastry, the place ¼ of the spinach mixture
on the phyllo, about 4 inches from the bottom and slightly to the
right. Fold the bottom of the phyllo up and towards the right to
make a triangle. Then fold to the left, the right and the left again
to make the parcel. Brush with butter and place on pan. Bake for
approx 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Pairs nicely with a fresh
salad with balsamic vinaigrette or beet/yogurt dressing. To make
mini parcels, use just one phyllo sheet per parcel, and fold lengthwise
twice to make a long thin strip of pastry.
Part of an ongoing series offering yoga postures for men, women,
and children to practice at home, school, on the road or in the
office. With special thanks to Ross Pottinger of Wink Photo Design
in Brisbane, Australia for the photos and the support in this project.
And many thanks to Louisa Dick for taking part in the project. Do
check with your health care practitioner before beginning a yoga
practice. Many postures are not suitable for pregnant women, people
with joint replacements, those with hypertension or other medical
conditions. If you have a posture that you would like to see in
this column, I welcome your suggestions. Namaste, H
Parsvottanasana - Pyramid Pose
 To Begin: From a standing position, step feet 3 feet apart, turning right foot out 90 degrees and left foot in 45 degrees with hips and shoulders square to the short edge of the mat.
The Pose: Inhale and press
into the ball of the right foot to take a slight backbend, then
exhale and lengthen the body out along the right thigh, hinging
at the hips to fold. Focus on sending right hip back and drawing
left hip forward to maintain “squareness” in the hips
and shoulders as you bow to your toes. Lay the right side abdomen
on the right thigh, and forehead to the inner edge of the right
shin. Anchor the inner edge of the right foot and the outer edge
of the left foot, and keep the inner thighs engaged to maintain
evenness in the pose. Place hands on the ground or the shin for
support.
To Intensify: Place the hands
in chest stretch position by clasping hands behind the back and
then extending the arms away from the hips. Or, rotate the shoulders
forward slightly to bring the hands into prayer position behind
the heart.
Breathing: Inhale to extend,
exhale to fold, then hold for 5 breaths. Inhale to release from
the pose.
To Modify: If there is pressure
in the back of the right knee, bend the knee slightly and maintain
lift in the thighs to support the knee joint. You can place the
hands on a chair, on bricks, or place palms flat on a wall.
Dristhi (Point of Focus): Gaze
at the toes. Keeping the eyes on the toes will encourage extension
of the spine and limit rounding in the lower back.
Focus: Create a pyramid shape
out of the body and legs.
Cautions: Overstretching the
lower back and the tendons in the back of the knee can occur here.
If you feel pressure in the back of the front knee, soften the knee
slightly and strengthen the front of thigh for extra support. Have
a sense of lengthening into the pose without strain, encourage flatness
in the back rather than rounding to reduce the risk of lower back
strain.
Benefits: Lengthens gluteals and hamstrings, balances flexibility on left and right sides.
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