Mother's Day

It’s Friday, May 6th, the sun is shining and, incredibly, it’s 21°C (almost 70°F).

Oops… The doorbell just rang. Had to leave my desk but I’m back.

Returning to the weather… This is so amazing since spring has been delayed here in Winnipeg and surrounding areas due to an Alberta Clipper, followed by consecutive Colorado Lows, with resulting floodwater in many areas. Thankfully, the recent days of warm, dry weather are reported to be helping the fight against flooding here in Manitoba, which is welcome news for those of you who have been impacted by the rising water.

And now… getting back to the doorbell. Guess what?

I received a surprise delivery—a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons for Mother’s Day! They live in Jasper, Alberta, so Mother’s Day is often bittersweet for me since I don’t get to see them on this special day. I do, however, get to spend time with my 85-year-old mother who is a social butterfly, healthy and active, and keeps me on my toes. I’m so grateful for her presence, her love, and support. We talk on the phone every day at 9 a.m. to check in and say hello. This Sunday, my husband and I will enjoy brunch with her. We’ll do the “cemetery tour” to visit with departed loved ones. Then we’ll spend time with my siblings and their children which will be extra special since we haven’t gotten together for such a long time due to covid. And of course, my mother will be thrilled to see everyone too.

Our relationship with our mother is often a defining aspect of our life, of who we are, of how we see the world. Whether your relationship has been positive or negative, smooth or rocky, close or distant, supportive or lacking, it’s all part of the emotional journey that affects us day-to-day. This Mother’s Day, I invite you to approach your relationship with your mother in a new light, perhaps by creating or leaning into a foundation of self-care.

If you’re a mother yourself, you know all too well that in order to look after others, you need to look after yourself. Once again, lean into that foundation of self-care. The time taken is well worth it.

Best wishes for a lovely Mother’s Day. I’m going outside now to enjoy the beautiful, sunny day.

With deep gratitude,

Jeannine

There's Still Time to Register

If the topics of destiny and life purpose are of interest to you, please join me for my next Seek, Reflect, Restore workshop on Sunday, April 24th from 1:00 - 3:30 pm.

This workshop, brought to you livestream via Zoom, will include breathing practice, meditation, reflection, journaling, somatic yoga, and restorative yoga.

Together we’ll explore how to elicit stillness and contentment within as you begin to uncover your heart’s deepest desire, your personal life mission, what’s truly important to you, and more.

Your investment is $40.

To register e-mail studio71yoga@gmail.com before Tuesday, April 19, 2022.

It is my heartfelt desire to be of service to you.

I hope you’ll join me. If you’d like more information click here.

With joy and gratitude,

Jeannine

Workshop: Seek, Reflect, Restore

Have you ever wondered why you are here? What is life all about? What is your purpose? Do you wonder if your life has meaning? Do you ever ask, “Who am I?” Do you know what your purpose is, but you have lost your way?

Our lives are full of queries. Endless soul-searching questions are not unusual. They have been asked throughout history by philosophers, theologians, spiritualists, psychologists, monks, renunciates, countless others, and ordinary people like you and me.

Fear of the unknown, not knowing the answers to life’s most difficult questions, can be disturbing and unsettling.

In his attempt to deal with existential angst, which is a sense of feeling lost, that your existence is without purpose and that life has abandoned you, French playwright, novelist, political activist, and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre devoted much of his life to the achievement of a meaningful existence through the development of inner resources, the creative exercise of freedom, and overcoming denial and self-deception.

Some consider Sartre one of the first ‘self-help’ authorities based partly on his assertion that we cannot avoid responsibility for our destiny.

“What is not possible is not to choose.
I can always choose, but I must know that if I do not choose, that is still a choice.”

— Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism and Human Emotions

It is said that beating within your heart, the forces of destiny are ever present.

Have you ever wondered how you can shape your destiny?

Actualizing your destiny typically begins with formulating your personal life mission, your innermost heartfelt desire, finding your purpose, your reason for being.

“You are what your deep, driving desire is.
As your desire is, so is your will.
As your will is, so is your deed.
As your deed is, so is your destiny.”

— Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (IV.4.5)

If these topics of destiny and life purpose are of interest to you, please join me for a live, virtual workshop that will include breathing practice, meditation, reflection, journaling, somatic yoga, and restorative yoga.

Together we will explore how to elicit stillness and contentment within as you begin to uncover your heart’s deepest desire, your personal life mission, and more.

When: Sunday, April 24, 2022 @ 1:00-3:30 pm (Central Time)
Where: Live stream via Zoom
Cost: $40 CAD (e-transfer to studio71yoga.com)
Register: E-mail studio71yoga@gmail.com (by Monday, April 18, 2022)
Cancellation Policy: Full refunds up to 3 days prior to the event. No refunds will be given after that time.

What You’ll Need: Besides your yoga mat, a journal/notebook and a pen/pencil, below are the props and accessories you may want to have nearby to make this experience more enjoyable.

- Bolster or pillow
- Eye cover (facecloth or eye pillow)
- Warm, fuzzy socks
- Soft, warm blanket (plus 2-3 firm blankets)

It is my heartfelt desire to be of service to you. You can choose to join me. I hope you will.

With joy and gratitude,

Jeannine

Inhale. Exhale.

I’m looking forward to the Spring 2022 yoga session which begins next week and I hope you are too. The fourth limb of Pantanjali’s eight-limbed Ashtanga Yoga system, which is the practice of breath regulation called pranayama, will be our theme. Why the breath? Quite simply because we can’t live without it, yet all too often we take for granted our ability to breathe, we ignore this essential life force that functions automatically, involuntarily, and continuously to keep us alive. The interesting thing is that we can control the breath, something we cannot do with other visceral (e.g. cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine) functions. We can learn to breathe better, and as a result, we might live more comfortably and longer.

Together we will explore various breathing exercises paying attention to how they affect us. Need a pick me up? Try the Breath of Joy. Experiencing anxiety? Practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Need to feel more balanced? The equal breathing method called sama vritti can help you feel calm and relaxed. Stand-alone breathing techniques, as well as others, will support your yoga practice as you move in and out of poses. They might also restore more restful sleep.

The Spring 2022 schedule remains the same as before. You can find full details of the live-streamed virtual group classes by visiting studio71yoga.com. 

If you’re looking for deep relaxation and healing, a specific class of the upcoming 10-week session deserves special mention. Tuesday mornings join me for a brief centring exercise and breathing practice followed by a 35-minute guided meditation called yoga nidra (sleep of the yogi in Sanskrit). As a Level 1 iRest® Teacher my offerings of yoga nidra are informed by the teachings of Richard Miller, PhD and/or the iRest Institute. Core concepts of iRest will be introduced each week as I guide you into deeply relaxing states. These include: Inner Resource, Intention, Heartfelt Desire, Body Sensing, Breath Sensing, Feelings and Emotions, Beliefs, Pure Being/Awareness, and Integration. Supported by research findings, iRest is used extensively in military and other settings. It is proven to be beneficial for stress, sleep disturbances, chronic pain, mental health, chemical dependency, post-traumatic stress injury, cancer, anxiety, depression, and other conditions. By practicing yoga nidra you’ll develop an enhanced sense of awareness, an increased sense of yourself as a whole person, ultimately coming to the realization that you’re perfect just as you are. Live-streamed via Zoom for your convenience, no previous knowledge or experience is needed, and there’s no right or wrong way to practice. While listening to my voice, your experience will be just as it is, seated or lying down, with your eyes open or closed.

Speaking of eyes closed, I’m taking a moment now to softly lower my upper lids. I inhale. I exhale. The breath breathes me. I inhale what I need. I exhale what is no longer serving me. I inhale with intention. I exhale with abandon. I inhale with joy. I exhale with gratitude.

I’m so very grateful for your presence. See you soon.

Jeannine

Gut Feeling, Yoga Nidra, and Your Heart’s Desire

For some time now the yoga classes that I teach have included a sprinkling of yoga philosophy. In particular, as I have been taught by my first yoga teacher Serge, I’ve been inspired to share with you various aspects of the eight-limbed classical yoga system, e.g. yama (restraints, moral disciplines or vows), niyama (positive duties or observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breathing practices), dhyana (meditation). More recently I’ve shared with you basic information about energetic centres called chakras (cakra in Sanskrit), first mentioned in the Vedas, ancient sacred texts of Indian spriritual knowledge dating from 1500 to 1000 BCE.

Over the course of the Winter 2022 I focused on seven main chakras (some say there are as many as 114 different chakras) that run along the spine. Chakra means “wheel” in Sanskrit and these “wheels” are thought to be “spinning disks” of energy that should be open and in alignment in order to positively affect our emotional and physical wellbeing since they are said to correspond to bundles of nerves, major organs, and important aspects of our subtle energy body.

As you might recall, some topics brought about thoughtful reflection and discussion, in particular qualities of the third eye chakra (ajna or guru chakra) such as insight, vision, wisdom, clarity, and intuition. A rabbit-hole discussion led us to the topic of gut feelings and whether or not it’s important to listen to these signals.

According to researcher and writer Jeremy Sutton, PhD, “intuition is that feeling in your gut when you instinctively know that something you are doing is right or wrong.”

You probably have experienced this and can relate to times when your “gut” told you something. And the outcome was likely positive or negative depending on whether you listened to and acted upon that feeling. I find this is closely linked to intuition on a very basic level and you can find much to read about and feed your interest if you google these topics. Whether you refer to it as a “sixth sense”, a “hunch” or a “gut instinct”, this is what we’re talking about when we speak of intuition.

Getting back to the question of listening to that sixth sense… My recommendation? Always listen and pay close attention to that feeling that you can’t quite explain, that gut feeling or instinct, especially when it involves a sense of danger. Sensations coming from your belly are real and thankfully science is now able to explain this as the “gut-brain connection”. In addition, the communication system between your gut and brain is called the “gut-brain axis”. There’s a lot of heavy science here which I will leave you to deep dive into at your discretion.

I haven’t yet chosen a theme for the upcoming live-streamed 10-week session so stay tuned. Speaking of which, please visit studio71yoga.com where you’ll find details about the Spring 2022 schedule, class descriptions, in-person private classes and more.

As requested, Tuesday morning Yoga Nidra classes will be 60 minutes in duration (previously 45 minutes), and these are still offered FREE to current session Studio71Yoga class participants, as well as Frontline Healthcare Workers, First Responders, 9-1-1 Operators & Call Takers, Bus Operators, and Post-secondary Students so please spread the word. Of course everyone else is welcome and you’ll find the registration fee posted on my website.

Due to popular demand, I’m once again offering a special workshop. I hope you’ll join me for a live, virtual session where together we’ll work towards discovering your heart’s deepest longing or purpose, your personal life mission. This workshop will bring together breathing practice, meditation, reflection, somatic yoga, and restorative yoga. You’ll learn how to elicit stillness and contentment within, as you begin to uncover your heart’s deepest desire and more.

When: Friday, April 1, 2022 @ 6:30-9:00 pm (Central Time)
Where: Live stream via Zoom
Cost: $40 CAD (e-transfer to studio71yoga.com)
Register: E-mail studio71yoga@gmail.com (by Tuesday, March 29, 2022)
Cancellation Policy: Full refunds up to 3 days prior to the event. No refunds will be given after that time.

Maybe your intuition is telling you to register soon… I look forward to hearing from you!

With joy and gratitude,

Jeannine