What is Neurogenic Yoga?
What is Neurogenic Yoga? Neurogenic Yoga™ is a revolutionary technique in trauma healing, tension release, and stress reduction. This practice combines yoga asana (postures) and pranayama (breath) with the body’s natural, therapeutic shaking response. This shaking...
Iyengar Yoga with Darla O’Reilly
The Iyengar Yoga technique emphasizes precision and alignment which encourages moving with awareness. It utilizes props to help deepen your understanding of a posture or to learn the shape, action or direction and to allow students to progress in a safe way. Props...
Glute Strengthening & Activation with Darla O’Reilly
Are your glutes weak? In fact, many of us have one glute weaker than the other! Check out the video with Darla below to do a quick self-test and leave a comment below to share if you noticed one glute is weaker than the other. Activating your gluteal muscles (or...
Instagram Live with Barrie Risman on The Triumphant Heart
I had so much fun chatting with one of my favourite mentors and amazing teacher, Barrie Risman, last week. The purpose for our discussion was for her upcoming course, The Triumphant Heart - Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita on Yogic Living in Challenging Times, that she...
Hamstring Strengthening & Lengthening Mini-Practices with Darla
Join Darla in some creative movements to release and strengthen your hamstrings! If your hamstrings are tight you may not think that strengthening them is what you need. However, hamstrings are healthiest when all of their fibers are able to fully lengthen and...
Shoulder Mobility Mini-Practices with Darla & Nicole
Open through the shoulders with these short practices with Darla and Nicole. Shoulder Halter with Strap with Nicole (3.5 min) Shoulder Mobility with a Strap with Darla (2.5 min) Shoulder Mobility with a Ball (1.5 minutes) Front Shoulder Stretch at a Wall with Darla (1...
Mini-practices for your Hips with Darla
Join Darla for these short mini-practices to make your hips happy! Hip Strengthening at a Wall (3 minutes) Hip Flexor Stretch with a Chair (2 minutes) Figure 4 Hip Stretch at a Wall (5 minutes)
Yoga for Tired, Achy Legs with Darla
If you have been doing a lot of hiking on your ‘Staycation’ then you will find this class to be a real treat for your legs and hips. Hiking can be a strenuous activity and often we are just so tired at the end of our hike to give our legs and hips some TLC. Try the...
DIY Yoga Props with Val
Follow along with Val in this instructional video on how to make yoga props from things you have around your house! See the time stamps below to go right to a specific prop: 0:00 Introduction on props 2:40 Bolster Method #1 - 2x paper towel rolls and towels 6:50...
Prenatal Sun Salutation & Sama Vritti Pranayama
This 12-minute mini-practice is great to get your body moving and energy flowing while connecting postures with breath.
The Triumphant Heart: Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita on Yogic Living in Challenging Times Q&A with Barrie Risman
There’s never been a more important moment to take hold of the wisdom teachings of yoga to find strength, hope, and resilience. Indeed, the yogic teachings are specifically designed to offer guidance, provide solace, and bring meaning to times of uncertainty and...
Lower Body Chair Yoga with Maria Hillier
Join Maria in this 30-minute lower body focused Chair Yoga class. No experience required. All you need is yourself and a chair. A compliment to this practice is this Upper Body Chair Yoga practice with Megan. If you are interested in joining our weekly classes, see...
Prenatal Yoga for Baby Positioning with Nicole Blackwood
Each week in our prenatal classes, Nicole introduces a different pregnancy and/or birth education topic and weaves the theme through the practice. One of these topics is baby positioning and this 13-minute prenatal yoga video includes floor-based postures and...
Upper Body Chair Yoga with Megan Morgan
Enjoy more spaciousness and freedom in your chest, neck, shoulders, and spine with these chair-based upper body movements suitable for EVERY BODY. Also, check out this Lower Body Chair Yoga class to compliment this practice.
Beginning again in 2020
Happy 2020! Thanks so much for choosing to be here. Even if you're not able to read every email or attend classes at our studio, I am deeply grateful for your presence in our community. For me, a new year feels fresh with so many possibilities. It's easy to be seduced...
Extended Exhale
This breathing technique guides you towards gradually extending your exhale, which can slow your heart rate and calm your nervous system. It can require more practice if you are experiencing anxiety so be gentle with yourself and take it slow. First, you'll find your...
Introduction to Ujjayi Pranayama
This breathing technique can help steady a wandering mind while fully aerating the lungs. It can soothe the nervous system, alleviate exhaustion, and leave you feeling replenished. Inhale slowly, quietly, deeply, and steadily, keeping your mind quiet as...
Abdominal Breathing
Physiologically, abdominal breathing is more effective than breathing shallowly into our chest, which is what many people do. Shallow breathing is a result of the stress response in the body. Additionally, in a culture that promotes a flat belly as desirable, some...
Three-Part Breath
After you become comfortable with abdominal breathing, try this technique where you take slow, deep breaths through your nose to sequentially fill and empty the belly, ribs, and chest.
Breath Awareness
This breathing technique can help you attain better self-awareness of the body and mind. You can use it as a practice on its own, in preparation for yoga or meditation, or before Savasana (relaxation). Simply find a comfortable seat on the floor or in a chair and turn...
Neck & Shoulder Stretches with Megan
Here are some simple but effective neck and shoulder stretches that you can do from sitting or standing. Enjoy!
Sun Breaths with Nicole
Sun Breaths are a great way to warm up the body in the morning or after prolonged sitting. This gentle flow connects movement with breath and can help you recenter and steady your mind in preparation for a longer practice. It's also easy to squeeze into your day on a...
Hand & Wrist Stretches with Megan
Show your hands and wrists some love in this 4.5-minute video with Megan. It's great to do stretches such as these while working at a desk every half hour or so. If you are a knitter like Megan you'll appreciate these stretches after a session of working on your...
12-Minute Walking Meditation
Mindful Walking is a great way to incorporate meditation into your life. This meditation will bring your awareness to what you are experiencing while walking, specifically the subtle movements of your body and the sensations you feel. Put on your headphones and head...
5-Minute Mindfulness of Breath: The Space Between
This simple mindfulness of breath practice is one of my favorite ways to reconnect when life is extra full. It teaches us to be more aware of the brief moments of stillness between the doing and to take these moments to reconnect and be present.
Chair Yoga Video
This Chair Yoga practice brings yoga to those who have difficulty standing for a prolonged period or getting down to the floor and back up to standing. But it can be enjoyed by ALL bodies even if you have a regular mat practice. There may be days when you need a...
4 Shoulder Opening Stretches
Discomfort in the shoulders, back, and neck is prevalent in our culture of sitting. Whether it is working at a desk or driving in a car, our sedentary lifestyles wreak havoc on our bodies. The mental demand of 'doing all the things' can also contribute to...
Yoga – Where Do You Begin?
One of the most common things I hear from new yoga students who have tried yoga in the past that was supposed to be accessible to beginners is that it did not meet their needs. Many felt like they were striving and/or confused in class, while others wanted more of a...
Inspired by Nature
This morning as I enjoyed my oatmeal and tea I pondered what inspiration I could share on my newsletter and blog. I had been thinking about it for a few days and everything seemed forced, not authentic. When I opened my Meditations from the Mat book for a morning...
Food Blog – Most Loved Recipes
I am always scouring the internet looking for inspiration for healthy meals and snacks. So I thought I would share some of my latest favourite finds! Healthy Banana Bread by Cookie + Kate - This 100% whole wheat banana bread is scrumptious and free of refined sugar. I...