Category: Yoga Articles

The changing of the seasons often brings with it a cold and flu shakedown. So many people get taken out by these bugs – in fact, I’m just getting over one – but I’m getting over it in record time.

So I thought I’d put together some tips for strengthening the immune system, as they seem to be working quite well for me.

It’s nice to have a lot of tips in one place like this so you can just take the info and apply it to your health. Feel free to add your own ideas as a comment below.

3 Things To Stay Away From When You’re Sick

1. Refined Sugar. I say refined because most fresh fruit is helpful, but other sugars are not. Sugar feeds the bad bacteria that you don’t want, and generally makes it harder for your body to get well quick.
2. Dairy. Milk products increase the amount of mucus in your system. And, let’s be blunt here, it’s amazing how much snot the body is capable of producing. You don’t want to add to that do you?
3. Bread and flour products. Gluten also adds to mucus production, as well as gumming up other systems. Avoiding gluten helps your body cleanse whatever it doesn’t need out of your system.

You basically want to go on a mild cleanse when you’re fighting illness. The cleaner you feed your body the better. That means staying away from heavy and processed foods.

When your system is clear, it can do its job easier. If you’re trying to digest a big meal (especially one heavy with meat), you’re taking resources away from your immune system. Give your body only nourishing foods, and you’ll have a much easier time healing.

Things To Include In Your “Get Well Now” Regime

Read More “How To Get Healthy Quick in Kamloops (and Elsewhere)”

A while back, maybe a couple months ago, my partner Casey decided to do 100 Burpees and invited me to join him. I thought it would be a fun challenge, seeing as I teach the Kamloops Yoga Fitness Boot Camp, and a great workout.

Burpees are one of my favorite exercises because they work so much of the body. It’s a combination of a jump squat and push-up. You get core, legs, shoulders, back, chest and arms all in one go.

It definitely gets your heart rate up and blood pumping!

We got the whole thing on video, and I just got around to editing it, so I thought I’d post it here for your amusement and (hopefully) motivation.

Read More “100 Burpees (My own Kamloops Boot Camp)”

It’s high Summer in Kamloops. You can tell when you go to the park, watch people crowd on the beach, or realize that half of your friends are camping or otherwise out of town each weekend.

Even though Summer doesn’t technically turn into fall ‘till September 21^st, it always seems like the end of August marks the finale of Summer. For this reason, it often feels like August is a bit of a free-for-all.

With all the camping, parties, traveling, and hot summer nights, yoga classes are often pretty empty. It makes me smile, really.

But September is coming.

And with it there is a fresh sweeping feeling that marks the beginning of another school year, and the start of many things.

September invites you to re-assess your priorities and re-commit to the things that are important to you. These might include eating healthy, getting in shape, and doing yoga.

The great thing about September is it brings an excitement that lingers from the anticipation of the start of school, even long after we’ve graduated. You actually WANT to get organized and take care of things. It’s just in the air.

Here are some ideas to help you get your health, yoga, and fitness back on track:

Read More “3 Steps To Get Back On Track With Kamloops Yoga, Health and Fitness”

This post is from my dear friend Tara Findlay (a sister to me, really). I think we can all relate and learn from her thoughtful words and helpful tips. Please leave a comment if you like it!

Creating Lasting Change

By Tara Findlay

Earlier this year I created a Yoga series to reflect our yearning for New Year’s resolutions; you know, those passionate, determined, optimistic and sometimes desperate pledges we make to change ourselves. I started thinking about my own resolutions of years past. Which of those commitments became a lasting shift in my own habits, and which ones were fleeting?

How do we create lasting change in our lives?

How do we shift from flirting with change into a healthy lasting relationship?

How do we get from where we are to where we want to be, without giving up in frustration?

After some thought, I came up with five qualities for creating change; creating space, developing your awareness, finding your focus, delighting in the journey, and the power of choice, and I’ve described them below.

Read More “How to Create Lasting Change”

I am getting EXCITED about coming back to Kamloops and offering a wildly fun and profound line-up of yoga and fitness classes! I’m just finalizing the schedule but thought I’d give you a sneak peak.

As much as I adore New Orleans and really feel at home here, there’s nothing like BC, and I sure am looking forward to seeing my friends and students in Kamloops! I can picture watching the sun rise from up on the hill at Let’s Move Studio, and swimming in the river in the afternoon. I can almost taste the decadent raw treats at The Art We Are, and feel the warm air on my skin riding my bike to Riverside Park.

Oh yeah, one more month to go. Yet, I’m making sure to really enjoy my time in New Orleans while I’m here. I’m working outside in the warmth that comes earlier down south, enjoying my family, and getting my body in wicked awesome shape by going to a boot camp each morning.

It’s also been so completely wonderful to have access to Certified Anusara® yoga instructors on a consistent basis. And that’s good for you too, because my teaching has continued to evolve.

One of the things I’m most excited about adding to my class schedule is a Yoga Fitness Boot Camp for Women. It will be up at Let’s Move where the morning view is breathtaking as the sun shines down on the valley.

Read on to find out about the boot camp, public, semi-private yoga classes and events I’m offering.

Read More “Kamloops Yoga And Fitness Class Schedule Coming Soon!”

Yoga helps us remember who we really are, and be centered in that place of connection so we can handle the world around us in a skillful way.

But sometimes you still get thrown off center. Does that mean you’ve failed or faltered on the path of yoga?

Not at all! It’s a chance to strengthen your practice.

The stumbles and falls of life can actually be huge blessings in the path of yoga.

You get another “Aha!” moment every time you repeat this cycle of remembrance, and you can actually deepen the pattern of choosing to see the good, choosing what is life affirming, and generally being more aware of how you can align with your highest self.

For example: maybe you’re at work and you get a phone call or an email that frustrates you. Your heart starts beating faster, you furrow your brow and your breath becomes more shallow. Your mind contracts as it focuses on what rubs you the wrong way, or what problem just occurred.

Well, this is an excellent thing if you take advantage of it. Why? Because you have a chance to reinforce a new pattern, learn from whatever is being given to you in that moment, and totally turn the experience around.

How?

Read More “For When You Stumble: Staying Centered With Yoga”