yoga – Page 5 – The Branches

Finding Your Soul-Mat: a guide from Queen Street Yoga

Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun! I hope this post is a helpful guide to finding the mat of your dreams.

A quality yoga mat that suits your preferences can really enhance your practice. Ideally, if a mat is serving your needs, it should be functional and supportive enough that it becomes unnoticeable, so you can focus on enjoying your practice.

We carry four different types of mats at QSY and choosing the mat that is most suitable for you is really up to personal preferences and priorities. In this post, I’ll give what I consider to be the pros and cons of the mats we carry, so that if you’re in the market for a new mat, you can find one that feels like the best fit for your needs.Continue reading “Finding Your Soul-Mat: a guide from Queen Street Yoga”

Glen’s WOW Moment with Yoga in Mexico

You might remember Glen from the blog post “A Heart-Warming Letter about Yoga from QSY Student Glen Campbell”. Glen continues to warm our hearts with this post about his recent trip to Mexico, and a connection he made with someone around the practice of yoga. You will want to read to all the way to the end of this post. We promise. 🙂

I recently returned from an amazing trip with our neighbours to a resort in Manzanillo Mexico. It was an all inclusive type resort that included all meals, drinks, and daily activities including a 10am class every day called “ Stretching and Yoga”

The yoga class was located outside on a grassy area between one of the pools and overlooking the ocean. We would be taken through a series of yoga poses and stretches with a relaxed savasana to end the session. There was no singing of “Om”, no talk of breathing techniques or overall theme. It was different to what I’m used to at Queen Street Yoga but that was fine. I enjoyed the practice although it didn’t compare to the teachings at QSY. It was great to be outdoors in the warm morning air.Continue reading “Glen’s WOW Moment with Yoga in Mexico”

Om Mani Padme Hum (Emma’s Savasana Songs + Free Download)

This post is brought to you by Emma. Listen to her recording of the song below, and read on about her personal connection to this particular mantra.

In university I was deeply interested in Tibetan Buddhism. I began to study with a Buddhist nun at the Kitchener Public Library every week. In my third year of university I was fortunate enough to participate in a study-abroad program at a spiritual community in Northern Scotland. Right across the road from the wind turbines, green roofs and colourful gardens of the Findhorn Foundation community, was the Shambhala Retreat Centre, a Tibetan Buddhist meditation centre. Every morning I rose early and walked down the gravel path to attend meditation in the colourful meditation hall. It was at the Shambhala Retreat Centre that I learned the Om Mani Padme Hum chant, and connected it to my meditation practice.Continue reading “Om Mani Padme Hum (Emma’s Savasana Songs + Free Download)”

Anatomy Nerd-Out! Understanding your Lumbar Spine.

During our yoga teacher training this past year, one of our teachers-to-be sent us an email asking for clarification about the lower back and forward folding. What exactly is supposed to be happening back there? It’s an interesting subject and Leena has written a delightfully detailed reply. Check it out!

Q: Can you please help me to understand what the safety concern is for not rounding the spine too much in forward folds? Why do yoga teachers often emphasize a lower back curve?

Are we aiming to tilt the pelvis and have the sacrum be the highest point of our body? What comes to my mind is that we want a even rounding on the spine, but why? Does it provide release for the sacrum? and if so why should we care about this?

A: The vertebra of your spine are designed for movement, and most people don’t move their spines nearly enough. Think of the positions you spend most of your time in: sitting, laying down, walking. None of these positions require much spinal movement. On the other hand, think of a dog running full tilt. Four legged animals use their spine to locomote. One reason yoga is so great for the body and particularly the spine and nervous system is that it helps us awaken, move, and lengthen the spine through flexion (forward bending), extension (back bending), rotation (twisting) and lateral movements.Continue reading “Anatomy Nerd-Out! Understanding your Lumbar Spine.”

A Year of Yoga Musings

This post was written by Lisa French, one of our newest QSY teachers. Lisa participated in our 2014 Yoga Teacher Training Program and wrote this reflection at the very end of the program. Our next Yoga Teacher Training program will begin in September 2015. If you’re curious about our program, please come to an info session in March or April. Read on for a glimpse into the process of becoming a yoga teacher, through Lisa’s eyes.

This past weekend was the final weekend of a year long journey into yoga teacher training. It has been everything that I expected and so much more. Here are some of my thoughts recorded over the span of the entire year in no particular order.Continue reading “A Year of Yoga Musings”

In This Heart (Emma’s Savasana Songs + Free Download)

This post is brought to you by Emma!

Just before Christmas, I spent an afternoon in a friend’s basement recording studio. QSY students have been asking me for years to record the songs that I sing for them in savasana. I recorded five songs, and will be releasing them periodically here on the blog. Each song will be available as a free download, a gift from the studio to each of you. Thank you for being such consistent and caring members of our studio community!

Continue reading “In This Heart (Emma’s Savasana Songs + Free Download)”

The Making of a Yoga Mix Tape

Eric recently graduated from our 2014 Yoga Teacher Training. Throughout the program he has been interested in how music can enhance yoga (both home practice and teaching with music in the background). In this post he shares some ideas for creating a stellar yoga practice mix, and shares one of his own mix tapes.

Like so many things in yoga, opinions vary about the wisdom of sequencing a practice to music. I find certain kinds of music to be unbeatable ingredients for laying down a solid foundational layer in many practice spaces and themes. Well-curated songs can support strong, steady and rhythmic breath, plus provide non-verbal cues to keep a yogi’s mind intent through particular poses or tough portions of a sequence. For practicality’s sake, songs are also great organizing devices for what to teach when and for how long.

At the same time, I agree that music can present a distraction. I’ve been using a few basic filtering rules to choose songs that feel capable of overcoming this legit concern:

1. Avoid songs with lyrics – they can ignite inner dialogue and/or other faraway life experiences that can unexpectedly take anyone out of the practice room.

2. Don’t ever accept vanilla new age music or pick something just because it’s Indian.

Continue reading “The Making of a Yoga Mix Tape”