I got to “attend” some sessions on Friday but didn’t get to participate in any over the weekend as I had out-of-town friends staying with us. I started at 8:30 am with Soleil Hepner’s “Unplug to Plug in: Over-coming Technology Overload,” which was helpful because I’ve been having my own “technology overload” issues with my new iMac (although we’re rapidly becoming bosom buddies now). Other sessions included Dr. Mikio Sankey’s “Introduction to Esoteric Acupuncture,” Neil Pearson’s “Understanding Pain and Chronic Pain,” and Jill and Dan Johnson’s “Laughter Yoga: Laugh for the Health of It,” which was lots of fun.

My friends arrived on Friday evening so I didn’t get a chance to listen in on anything else, but I wasn’t concerned because I knew I’d be able to listen in on the sessions at my leisure the following week since they had all been recorded –great foresight from the team at YogaHub!

So it’s been a week now and I’m still listening to sessions, some for the first time and some over again because I enjoyed them so much the first time around. I’m taking it slowly because I know I have another week to go and want to make sure I get the most out of every session.

I’d love to hear from people who participated in the Conference and are listening to the recorded sessions. What sessions did you attend “live”? What are you listening to now? What are getting out of them? Do you have any recommendations?

I hope we can share our thoughts about the Conference. I, for one, thought it was awesome and would like to give a huge virtual pat on the back to everyone at YogaHub for all their hard work and dedication. They’ve certainly taken their mission to “revolve around you” to heart and have raised it to another level.

Namaste.

Tags: virtual yoga conference, teleconference, yoga event, virtual conference, health conference

But last week I finally had my first session with my personal trainer. After filling out the requisite forms (absolving the gym of any liability should I keel over), Paula had me warm up on an elliptical machine. Then she checked to make sure that my heart rate was well within the calculated beats per minute before we continued with some weight training and stretching exercises.

Before I knew it, the hour was almost up and it was time for the cooling down exercises. I was surprised to find that I had managed to complete all the exercises without feeling out of breath (or keeling over) and mentioned that to Paula. She said I wasn’t as unfit as I’d told her I was and also said she was surprised at how good my breathing is, considering I’m asthmatic.

That’s when I realized how much yoga has helped me. Learning how to breathe properly has literally opened up a whole new world for me. In the past, I would take short, small intakes of breath and even unconsciously hold my breath occasionally. But since I learned how to breathe through my yoga practice, I’ve felt so much better. No doubt my precious Neti Pot has had something to do with it too, although I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve been rather lax on that lately (I’ll bore you with those details in another blog).

So, in between my twice-weekly exercise sessions and practicing my restorative yoga at home, I should be fit and healthy in no time at all – if I don’t keel over first!

Now all I have to do is get hubby on track with his personal trainer and, once we’ve established a routine, we’ll be able to exercise together (oh the romance of it all)…!

Tags: yoga exercise, personal trainer, exercise at gym, practicing yoga, breathing exercise

Have any of you had a look at what’s being offered? If not, make sure you check it out now because the Conference has started – Friday, February 19th – Sunday, February 21st. And since it’s a virtual conference, there’s no deadline to register so anyone can sign up at any time – how cool is that?!

I’ve poured over the schedule and have chosen sessions from all three categories – yoga, health and happiness, and wellness – so that I can get a balanced perspective (can you tell I’m a Libra?).

Some of the sessions I’ve signed up for are Dr. Mikio Sankey’s “Support the Mountain Nutrition and Esoteric Acupuncture”; Neil Pearson’s “Understanding Pain and Chronic Pain”; John Sovec’s “Procrastination – What’s Stopping You” (need I elaborate?); Jonathan Foust’s “Immeasurable Happiness:
Unlocking the Myths of Meditation”; Hillary Rubin’s “Transformational Yoga for 2010”; Jill and Don Johnson’s “Laughter Yoga” (always wanted to try that)…and my list goes on!

I think what’s really great about this virtual conference is that if I can’t attend a session because I have another appointment, I can always listen to the taped version at a later date when I’ll have time to focus.

But for the sessions that I’ll be attending “live”, I’ve invited a few friends over to join me – and they’re as excited as I am.

So to everyone at YogaHub, I just want to say thanks for all your efforts in bringing this wonderful opportunity to us. And to those of you who are waffling about registering, what are you waiting for?

I really hope to “see” you there!

Tags: virtual conference, yoga conference, teleconference, world yoga event, world yoga conference, online event

I guess my friends were a bit put off because their response was “you are always too busy.” I got the sense that they were a little upset because I had declined some prior invitations they had invited me to. Interestingly, at that moment I realized that they were right to a degree – I was always “too busy.” But if that’s the case, doesn’t this mean that it is just my norm? If someone is always “too busy,” doesn’t that mean it’s just that person’s regular lifestyle?

We all need to have an insightful perspective on what is happening around us and how we choose to see it. For whatever reason, I am still able to run a company, make time for my child, have a roof over my head, food on the table, and practice my yoga and meditation daily. Also, I am able to carry on with other passions of mine by working it into my schedule on weekends.

No, I don’t have time for television, nights out on the town, social gatherings – but those are not what I want to do anyway. There was a time in my life when I had time to see three movies in one afternoon, have a three-hour workout daily, cook meals, and bake to my heart’s content, so I’ve been there and done that.

Now what I really want to do is experience the next thing that life has to offer me. After all, isn’t living your life to its fullest potential what it’s all about?

Tags: busy life, lifestyle, busy schedule, busy society

Shouldn’t we be expressing our appreciation for our loved ones every day? Not necessarily in words but in actions. They don’t have to be grand gestures either. My husband, who gets up earlier than I do, brings Mumsie and me a cup of coffee every morning. (I suspect part of the reason is because it will keep me – his chatterbox wife – in bed and he – Mr. “not-a-morning-person” – can have some peace and quiet before heading off to work!) And when he gets home from work, I always stop whatever I’m doing and go to the door to greet him with a kiss and a sincere “how was your day”?

And during those not so great days when we have one of our humdinger arguments, we always – and I mean always – say goodnight to each other with a kiss, even though we’re angry. Mumsie taught me that – and it works wonders in helping us compromise (although I’ll admit my husband is far better at putting his anger aside than I am…I like to stew, brat that I am).

Those are just a few examples of the little expressions of appreciation that my husband and I show each other every day – and they make a huge difference in how we approach our life together.

So instead of reserving just one day to show our appreciation for our loved ones, wouldn’t it be wonderful to show them every day – in words and actions – how much we care?

Tags: valentaine’s day, how to last long the relationship, companionship, love life, secrets of relationship, how to keep the relationship last long

For six years, this is one part of YogaHub that I have looked forward too. I have worked long and hard learning all that I can about cyberspace, although I haven’t caught up yet and don’t think I ever will.
A friend who was staying with us recently and was able to experience everything that we’ve been doing, told me the other day that I am working the craziest schedule she’s ever seen.

My reply…

I used to work with steadfast focus for clients in other markets, which was far from being my personal passion. I spent long unappreciated days and nights on projects for them and, because I charged them for my work, I did what was expected of me.

Well, this time all the work I’m doing is for us. The YogaHub Team, my family, my community. WOW, what an amazing thought. What a blessing. What a moment.

For this, I will continue to work with complete focus and dedication, even if it means long days and nights. Working to support our global community and our planet, I will joyfully be present.

Tags: yogahub conference, yogahub team, yogahub event, virtual conference, world virtual yoga conference

She’s also a self-proclaimed “yoga nut.” So of course the theme for her 50th birthday surprise is a no brainer – we’re throwing her a “yoga” party! We’re excited about this opportunity to show Leanne how much she means to us, but we’re really going to have to get our creative juices flowing! We’re going to decorate the house with yoga mats, colorful yoga towels, yoga blocks, lavender headrest pillows, and lots of flowers, which Leanne loves. Also, Leanne’s sister is (somehow) going to take photos of Leanne doing various yoga poses so that we can paste them on to a decorative poster board and give each pose a name relating to Leanne’s life. (For example, the “downward dog” pose will be re-named “downward Digger” (Leanne’s dog’s name).

We’ll start the party off with laughter yoga and then go on to a “guess that pose” game. After that, we should have worked up quite an appetite, so we’ll raid the food table. We’re preparing some of Leanne’s favorite foods and I’ll give a brief demonstration on how to prepare healthy smoothies in a juicer. Then we’ll indulge ourselves with home-made facials, using a great “recipe” that I found online.

Have any of you ever thrown a yoga party? If so, I’d love it if you could share some of your ideas with me. And for those of you who’ve never even thought of throwing a yoga party, I hope this has given you an idea …wouldn’t it be a blast?!

Tags: laughter yoga, surprise party, birthday party, oatmeal, yoga party

I recently received YogaHub’s latest newsletter about the Virtual World Yoga Conference that’s taking place from February 19 to 21. It really caught my interest so I decided to check it out in more detail.

Now, by nature I have to admit that I’m somewhat wary of signing up for workshops and “how to” sessions. The cynical part of my nature (which I’m trying to subdue) always wants to know “what’s the catch?”

But in this case, I can’t find one – the catch, that is! I can’t believe the variety of workshops being offered – there really is something for everyone! Topics range from sessions on yoga for mood management to laughter yoga to increasing your energy through nutrition to marketing your yoga business – it’s all there. And it really appeals to a “homebody” like me because I can participate by phone or internet and don’t have to worry about those painfully expensive traveling costs.

Forgive me if I sound like I’m trying to promote this teleconference, although I guess in a way I am. It’s just that I’m excited about it and want to share that excitement with everyone.

So all I have to do now is decide which sessions to hone in on – unfortunately, I can’t participate in all of them “live” or I’ll be reeling from information overload. But one of the many great things about this Conference is that, since it’s a virtual one, every event will be recorded, so as long as I’ve registered, I will be able to listen to the recordings for a limited time after the Conference – the organizers really have thought of everything!

So hopefully I’ll “see” you there – and we can share a virtual wave!

Tags: virtual conference call, VC, yoga conference, teleconference, yoga workshop

Someone once criticized our efforts at the soup kitchen, saying we were just doing it to make ourselves feel good. Well, that’s true – in a way we are doing it so that we feel good about ourselves. But if feeling good about ourselves can help others regain their self-respect and dignity, isn’t that a win-win situation?

In this time of economic turmoil, we’ve noticed that the queues are becoming longer. While our “regulars” still show up for a meal and a chat (the latter being just as important as the former), we’ve noticed that more single parents are coming with their children.

A few weeks ago, a single mother came with her three children, all under the age of nine. Just by looking at her, we could tell she’d had a very rough life lately, but she didn’t let that get her down. Her dignity, grace, and strength were amazing to see as she gathered her children around and sat down for a meal. Marian thanked us all with a quiet smile and made sure her children said “please” and “thank you.” She was obviously in need of food and clothing for herself and her children, and we were glad that we could help out on both fronts. In addition, someone had recently donated some toys, games and books to us, so we were able to pass them on to this family as well.

After the meal, a few of us sat down and chatted with Marian for a while as other volunteers played with her children. Just a few months ago, her husband had a well-paid job and they were living in a rented apartment. Then he lost his job, started drinking and gambling, and couldn’t pay the rent. Having lost his pride and ability to care for his family, he couldn’t bear to face his wife and children, so he left – and Marian hasn’t seen him since.

One of our volunteers, who owns a catering company, overheard our conversation and asked the woman to contact her about a possible job. Since that day, I’ve learned that Marian has indeed found work with the catering company and another volunteer has offered to have her and her children stay in their basement until she gets back on her feet.

It’s a relief and a comfort to know that Marian is managing to start over again and provide for herself and her children, thanks to the generosity of so many people. But many others continue to struggle, so wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all do our bit – big or small – to help out?

Tags: helping out, generosity, volunteering, soup kitchen

I was really looking forward to my session because my doctor is awesome. She is straightforward and matches my nature at the moment when I am with her. As some of you may already get a sense of, I have many interesting mentors and doctors that I keep around me. They work on different levels of energies and don’t just focus on the physical.

I have always explained to my clients that imbalances showing up on our physical body are manifestations of imbalances within ourselves. This is why I continue to find doctors who work on the different levels of consciousness.

So my Chiropractic session was intense. I know my body loved becoming aligned again, but my mind was dealing this new structure and placement of its part and connections. I felt very uncomfortable, and my body kept wanting me to rest and slow down…yeah, right – that’s not going to happen anytime soon, with this virtual conference coming up.

Well, I did get a good night sleep but do you think I could practice my yoga fluidly this morning? I was having an incredible time during the asanas. Whose body was I in? What part is that? Where do I need to place it? Balance…what balance?

Talk about having a good laugh at myself! I know that it will take a little time for me to gain balance with my new structure. Doesn’t this sound strange? Having to get to know my body again? Doesn’t it also sound exciting because I may be able to extend myself and expand my previous boundaries. Great metaphor, don’t you think?

Tags: chiropractic, finding a balance, asana, yoga practice every day, alignment