February 3, 2015 / No Comments

Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gates of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.
– Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

I remember the first time I told my dad that I thought it was possible to make a career out of something I loved to do. He looked back at me skeptically, armed with his 30+ years of corporate experience and simply said, “That sounds nice, but at the end of the day there’s a reason they call it ‘work’, you know.”

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Clarity of Movement, Clarity of Mind

January 6, 2015 / No Comments

When I logged onto Facebook this morning, one of the first posts to catch my eye came from my friend and colleague Simone: “The important thing is not what you practice, it is that you practice.” I’m sure this statement carries different meanings, depending on who reads it. What resonated for me is the sense of freedom suggested in not putting any boundaries around what “counts” as practice, reminding us that any practice is better than no practice. Continue Reading…

Transitions: More Than Just Jumping Through

December 1, 2014 / No Comments

Often when I fly, I end up sitting next to someone who has brought absolutely nothing along to occupy their time for the duration of the flight. This happens on quick trips to Montreal and New York, where I get the impression that the individual is just commuting, waiting for the moment of touchdown when they can spring into action and get going with whatever they need to do. But the more fascinating encounters are with those who sit and stare at the seat in front of them during the hours upon hours before arriving in more distant locales like Europe, India or even Australia. On both my trips to India, for example, I can remember watching in awe as at least one of my seat-mates passed the time with merely their own thoughts for distraction. Continue Reading…

Wandering Off, Coming Back

October 29, 2014 / No Comments

Over the past month I’ve been enrolled in a Meditation 101 course at Octopus Garden with Pat Harada Linfoot. I registered in the course as part of a commitment to myself. After a summer of giving much of my time to others, I returned to the city determined to invest more time in me. When I saw this course advertised I thought it would be a great way of getting my sitting practice back on track. I’ve always found group meditation more accessible than going it alone; plus, I embrace opportunities to immerse myself in other practice environments, getting to know other instructors and interacting with a different segment of the Toronto yoga community. Continue Reading…

Fluent Body, Fluid Mind

October 8, 2014 / 4 Comments

About two years ago, I began to resist the title “yoga teacher”, uninspired by the idea of hopping around from class to class, inventing new ways of bending people into different shapes. I was also scared of what this career path would mean down the line, when I wanted to have a family, and was without medical benefits or paid maternity leave. The idea of going back to a 9-to-5 “real job” didn’t seem all that far-fetched. Continue Reading…

The Most Fun…Maybe Ever

February 27, 2013 / No Comments

This post is designed to do nothing more than distract you from whatever you’re supposed to be doing today…you’re welcome!

Last week, my girlfriends and I decided to venture to Panjim, Goa’s capital, for a bit of a field-trip. We hired a taxi, piled in and took on the role of “tourists”, armed with backpacks, snacks and even a Lonely Planet. That sort of makes it sound like we were prepared to trek to Panjim or at least encounter some sort of adventure on arrival. Not the case. Instead, our itinerary consisted of: find cafés, do some shopping and go to the movies.
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