Fauna Embodiment

This week’s class will use the concepts of sun salutations and moon salutations to explore alignment and the elemental qualities of movements in the different planes of the body. The sun, and solar energy as perceived in yoga, can be associated with the sympathetic nervous system, our fight or flight response. The moon, or lunar energy as perceived in yoga, can then be associated with the parasympathetic nervous system, our rest and digest response.... While much of the mainstream discourse on the concepts of fight or flight, and rest and digest is around downregulation, overcoming stress and its associated sensations, we actually need both functions. Activating our fight or flight response in appropriate situations is really important! So getting a handle on these in our yoga and embodiment practices is helpful in creating balance, and expanding our capacity to withstand periods of activation. Yoga sutras 3.27, and 3.28 state By Samyama on the sun, knowledge of the entire solar system is given By Samyama on the moon comes the knowledge of the stars and galaxies Interpretations of these sutras are varied. They’re often glossed over, due to their subtleties. How I understand them at this time in my life is that through uniting with the Sun, we come to know and achieve oneness with all that is known, all that the light shines on. The actions of nature. Through uniting with the Moon, we come to know and achieve oneness with all that is more subtle, internal, a reflection. The reactions of nature. In connecting with the energies of both Sun and Moon, we unite with the divinity in all beings, in their outward and inward existences. We become more in tune to the energies of the world, and can more easily move with the ebbs and flows of the natural world, and our daily lives. Join me online through Zoom this Saturday, January 23rd, at 1pm EST for a vinyasa flow class to begin to tune in to and balance these energies. Visit http://faunacare.ca to sign up. Pricing is $2-$15. Please choose a price that suits your means, and the level of priority you place on this practice in your life right now.

Here’s something simple you might like to add to your final resting pose, or restorative poses like supported fish. Using a belt, yoga strap, or scarf, simply tie the legs together at hip-width apart. You can tie anywhere that isn’t a joint; thigh, upper calf, or lower calf, depending what feels comfortable for you. If your legs are pretty stuck in external rotation, you’ll likely prefer to tie higher up the leg, whereas if you’ve got a bit more mobility or inward rotation, y...ou may prefer lower on the leg. You may also enjoy the support of a block or some type of cushion between the legs. As always, I recommend a towel roll or bolster under the knees. This provides a container for our leg rotator muscles to relax in a neutral position. The goal is not to feel a sensation of pull or stretch, but simply to support the body to let the muscles release. With this basic support, our tissues can find some ease without the need to compensate in any way to protect us from rotating too much one way or the other. This can relieve patterns of tension and stuckness, and allow us to relax deeper. It may also make it easier to establish a stable foundation in standing positions. In last week’s class, we briefly touched on the benefits of joint support on the nervous system. This week, we’ll dive deeper into what that actually means for muscle engagement and alignment, and the role all these factors play in creating a personal practice that can help us destress, and get a bit spiritual. If you’d like to learn more, join me this Saturday at 1pm on Zoom! Visit http://faunacare.ca to sign up. Cost ranges from $2-$15, you can choose a price that suits your circumstance.

Standing poses are supposed to be the most beginner-friendly yoga poses. So often, though, we’re not taught how to build a stable base in our standing poses, and we miss out on many of the benefits, and we open ourselves up to injury! Even experienced practitioners might not know the ways we’re coming out of alignment, and aggravating postural concerns. It’s not necessarily easy to teach all of the alignment principles at play in a standing pose, so I get it. That’s why in th...is class, we’ll use a chair to work from sitting to standing, learning our foundations bit by bit, with the option to stay in more supported options when we’d like to dive a little deeper into self-inquiry, and slowly explore the intricacies of the poses. We’ll also do a little mini-workshop on downward dog, a pose that I previously avoided at all costs due to shoulder strain from my time as a hairstylist. Join me over Zoom this Saturday at 1pm EST for a class to build stability and safety in your yoga practice! Pay what you choose, between $2-$15. Visit http://faunacare.ca for signup!

Here’s a relaxing ball-rolling practice for heart opening. A perfect compliment to my Open Your Heart yoga class this Saturday, or as a stand-alone practice for self-love! Grab some water, some comfy clothes (don’t forget the socks!), and a ball. It can be a tennis ball, a cat toy, an inflatable ball (slightly deflated is best), or Tune Up Balls! Anything you can find that seems like it might be nice to massage yourself with. #yogatuneup #tuneup #tuneupballs #tuneupfitness #yogaottawa #yoga #downregulation #selflove #selfmassage

I designed this class to establish a base of knowledge around the nervous system. We'll touch on the sympathetic nervous system, or "fight or flight response", as well as the parasympathetic nervous system, or "rest and digest response". We'll explore the ways these factor in to our emotions, posture, and practice, while learning how and when to activate them. In exploring these two states, we'll begin to learn their associations within yoga, touching on various themes within... nature, and adjacent modalities that will support our growing understanding of embodiment practices. Visit https://faunacare.ca to sign up! -- Yoga Sutra 1.1 With humility (an open heart and mind), we embrace the sacred study of Yoga. translation by Nischala Joy Devi Humility, in this context, refers to the knowledge that we are all part of The Divine. When we open our hearts and minds to this reality, our potential becomes boundless. Yoga itself is the many actions of unifying ourselves with this Divine, and the physical practice is only one limb of that pursuit. Nischala Devi says that the physical practice of yoga reintroduce[s] us to our bodies. Once we become friends with the physical, going inward to the spiritual becomes easier. As such, as we begin to open our hearts, we must too know when it is time to go inward. Himanshu Bharadwaj details in a blog post It is now time to experience happiness by turning inwards. Turning inwards is the start of yoga. He shares a more classical translation of sutra 1.1: Now, the teachings of Yoga. Now is a focus in many translations of this sutra. Now implies that there is no moment more opportune than the present one. We don’t have to tell ourselves that we should, or we will. We simply begin. And so let us begin. Begin right now in knowing that we are one with cosmos, and our bodies were simply created as temples to house this Divine light. Join me this Saturday, January 9th, at 1pm EST (10am PST), to explore this balance of opening, and turning inward. Together we will open ourselves to be held by the universe, while simultaneously cultivating our ability to hold ourselves. A perfect start to the New Year, and to the Foundations Series, we’ll work on slow, gentle backbends to uplift and energise us, while encouraging our bodies’ wisdom to down-regulate, and turn in. Now begins the study of yoga. Online through Zoom Saturday, January 9th 2021, 1pm-2:15pm EST $2-$15 pay-what-you-can (etransfer or paypal) Visit https//faunacare.ca to signup

A great way to open up the breathing body is a 3-part-breath. There is no set pace to this yogic breath exercise(pranayama), so it’s easy to tailor to your own breathing speed. All you have to do is split your inhale in to three parts: in to the belly, in to the lower ribcage, and in to the chest. Exhale back down the same path, out of the chest, out of the low ribs, and out of the belly.... This balancing breath can be performed sitting or standing, but it’s particularly nice laying down on the back. As we begin to sense in to these spaces in the body, our breathing body opens up, and we can gain more control. We can even use these different spaces of the body to help regulate our emotions! For instance: If we find ourselves becoming anxious, and we notice the sensations creeping up in the body, we might be able to tap in and isolate the breath to the low belly. A low belly breath is calming, downregulating. A low rib breath is balancing. Both energizing, and centering. A chest breath is activating. Perfect for a time when we need to accomplish feats of great strength, or intense focus. Many of us, however, breath chronically high in to the chest. We spend so much time in a state of stress and anxiety that our breath and body becomes stuck in this fight or flight state. All the more reason to explore the rest of our breathing body, gradually bringing awareness and control to the breath. Wherever our breath may sit in the body, it is always beneficial to liberate it, and find balance. Join me in 2021 for an 8-week online yoga series exploring concepts like this, and many more. Visit https://faunacare.ca to sign up. You can practice through all 8 classes for $8-$80, pay-what-you-can.

Hey y’all! I wanted to take a chance to introduce myself. I’m Rhube Knox, and I’m a yoga teacher and practitioner based in Algonquin Territory. I’m also a doula, sex worker, and spoken word poet. I’ve been practicing yoga for nearly 20 years, and it has carried me through some of the toughest times in my life. From recovering from an eating disorder, to coping with PTSD, PMDD, and fibromyalgia, yoga has always been supportive to me. That’s why I wanted to learn to share it wi...th others in an accessible and therapeutic way. I started Fauna with the goal of empowering others to find healing and connection through embodiment. I strongly believe healing is a communal pursuit, and that we should all be given the tools to care for ourselves and each other. For that reason, I’m very committed to providing accessible pricing, and no-cost options for those seeking healing. My style of teaching is influenced by a number of therapeutic modalities. My teachers are from Iyengar and Kripalu lineages. What that means for me is a heavy focus on alignment, safety, and accessibility, along with a trust in intuition, and the freedom to tailor our practice to our own individual needs. These influences and others inspire me to educate with the goal of supporting my students to develop a personal practice that doesn’t rely on studios, teachers, or consumerism. In my classes, you’ll experience a blend of restorative, engaged yin, somatics, and therapeutic vinyasa, all tied together with an educational thread. With enough movement to get you out of your head and into your body, and enough stillness to feel relaxed and restful, my classes are dynamic, and crafted with wisdom and intention. I believe that the best way to heal or create change is through loving kindness. That means I don’t believe in pushing our bodies to do anything that doesn’t feel good. My classes are meant to be easeful, while toning tissues, and providing release and joy. I’d love for you to join me in practice! Check out my social media for updates on online group classes, or reach out directly for individual sessions or advice! Advice is always free, I just ask that you share it just as freely with your loved ones who might need it.

As we approach the new year, many of us are considering how we can make changes to improve ourselves or our lives. I believe the easiest way to start on the road to change isn’t to change at first, but instead to notice what’s already there! Come in to your body this new year with my 8-week Foundations yoga series. Starting January 9th, every Saturday at 1pm EST we will join each other in exploring our physical and emotional experiences, while learning to care for ourselves m...ore fully. We’ll explore an array of therapeutic themes to help you build a dynamic and empowering personal practice that is safe for your body. 2020 has been destabilising for many of us. What better way to start 2021 in a more grounded place than with a commitment to care and growth? Visit https://faunacare.ca to sign up today, or keep an eye out on Sundays to get an idea of what’s to come for the week’s class and purchase individually. Pay-What-You-Can $8-$80 full 8 week series $2-$15 individual classes (Signup opens on Sunday prior to class) Payable through paypal or etransfer. Cost should never be a barrier to healing, so please reach out if you’d love to join, but don’t have the financial means!

I chose the name Fauna for both my yoga and doula work, and there’s a big reason why. Fauna is an acknowledgement that we are inhabitants of the land as much as any other being, and therefore we are a part of it. Recognising this can both humble us, and empower us. In knowing we are simply creature in essence, we can observe the way other beings express their energies, and we can emulate or participate. Through embodiment, we can become one with earth and one another. In ...this way, decolonisation becomes as much a goal as enlightenment in our yoga, meditation, and being. We must critically face our role on earth, on the land we are on, and in engaging in the practice of yoga. Which brings to question whether I can conscionably practice or teach yoga at all. Yoga stems from many religious and cultural practices, and none of those are my own. So is it right to practice and teach yoga if I can’t embody those cultural roots? Ultimately I recognise that I can’t, from my perspective, speak Hindu mythology into my practice. I can learn it, and reference it, but it’s not culturally mine to embody in what I teach to others. What I can do is know yoga for all it has been, from time immemorial. A mixing of animist spiritual practices from Hindu, Buddhist, and Jainist lineages, along with classical yoga texts; a deeply animist earth connection ritual, yoked with an innate knowledge of the subtle processes of the body. What I can authentically communicate is that which we all have: an ancestral knowing that we are as much a part of the land as any animal, tree, or rock; That our energetic presence is a simple expression of this same being, earth and cosmos; and that our bodies and minds can be understood from the same lense with which we view non-human beings, and vice versa. In acknowledging we are a part of this land, it is critical for me to acknowledge how I, and my ancestors, came to be on this land, and how we have abused it. Yoga teaches the concepts of the yamas and my understanding of these precepts guides me to enact them as reparations, among other things. As such, 10% of my income from Fauna will go towards local Indigenous orgs, causes, and people, or causes that support the decolonisation of yoga or South Asia. And please feel free to pass along any suggestions in that regard!