Yoga Journey, Iyengar Yoga
43 Elgin Street L9Y 3L6 Collingwood, ON, Canada

Join us at 9:30 AM on Thursday for our All Levels Seated Poses class. Don't worry, we are going to do a few other poses to lead up to this ! Register online. www.yogajourney.ca... in bio. See more

Our first asana class is an All Levels class that will focus on the mobility, strength and alignment of the Head, Neck and Shoulders. Without knowing it, and lots of times with knowing it , we can feel the weight of the world on our shoulders! You will be guided through a series of asanas designed to create a sense of spaciousness and lightness that will replace the tension and tightness that usually presents in these parts of the body. Join us on Monday January 4th at 9:30 AM via Zoom. Recordings will be shared with all students that register for our online classes. Sign up at www.yogajourney.ca

Celebrating the first "hump day" in 2021. Happy Wednesday everyone! Time get our Ustrasana (camel pose) tuned up.

First up in our new series of online offerings is an early morning Pranayama practice. Start your week off right by connecting with the power and potential of your breath. Experience the magic of a practice that is more focused on undoing than doing. Join us from 7-8:00 AM Monday mornings. Class recordings will be shared with all students that sign up. Register online www.yogajourney.ca

Looking for the perfect last minute gift idea for the yogi in your life (or perhaps yourself )? I just received an order of beautiful, locally hand-crafted pine yoga blocks. These beauties are built to last! Wooden blocks are iconic Iyengar yoga props. Their sturdiness and stability, firmness and form give you endless opportunities to customize and adapt a myriad of poses in a myriad of ways. The possibilities are endless! Message me if you are interested in picking some up (or for local delivery) before the 24th.

Join us tomorrow for Hips and Hamstrings 9:30 AM online live via Zoom. In this All Levels practice we will focus on asanas that target the hamstring and hip flexor region. We will explore creating greater mobility and strength in these areas.

Happy Winter Solstice 2020. Today marks the beginning of winter. The shortest day and the longest night. As we turn the corner into this new season the days will start to get longer and the light will slowly increase. I have always felt the pull of these seasonal changes and have celebrated many of them in the studio with a special class or event. As we cannot gather as we had in the past in community, sharing and connecting, I am taking this day to reflect and contemplate. 2020 has certainly been an interesting year. There's a strong message underneath the surface of all of this. I wish you all peace, joy and light.

Come together and live in the present moment. Early morning Pranayama Mondays at 7:00 AM. Join us online via Zoom. Register to join us live and receive the recording. yogajourney.ca

Today marks what would have been Guruji's, BKS Iyengar's, 102nd birthday. What an incredible person he was. So creative, so disciplined and so completely devoted to sharing the practice of yoga with the world. I am forever grateful to be on this journey and to be so profoundly affected and transformed by this practice.

Our new online schedule is up and running! Classes start on Monday January 4th and we are excited to get back at it! Class recordings will be shared so even if you can't make it to the live session you will be able to join in and practice at on your own time. Sign up online at yogajourney.ca/schedule/

Join us online this Thursday at 9:30 AM for a deep dive into an All Levels Standing Poses Class. This class will focus on the foundational work of Standing Asanas. These asanas are the building blocks to all the other asanas. If you are unable to attend the live session, recordings will be shared with you when you sign up. Register online at www.yogajourney.ca

I've had this little figurine of Kuan Yin/Guanyin/Avalokitesvara for several years now. She stands patiently on the alter in my yoga room. In Buddhist tradition, she is a bodhisattva who embodies compassion and it is believed that she manifests wherever beings need help. Kuan Yin is sometimes referred to as, "she who hears the cries of the world." She stands a little uneven and carries a vessel to hold our tears. When I first heard about her, I was immediately drawn to ...what she represents. Her kindness and compassion shine a light for all of us as we move forward in this bizarre time that we are living in. She is a reminder to put others first, to be compassionate and to hold space for others when they need it. As we move forward together, collectively and even separately, she is a strong symbol of our need to work with each other gracefully and without an agenda. She reminds us to think more about giving then receiving? Do you have a favourite statue? If so, where do you keep it?

"Knowledge has a beginning but no end." Geeta Iyengar Wise words from a wise woman. Thank you for your guidance, dedication and commitment. Your work in yoga, especially as it pertains to women's health, is unparalleled. Your powerful energy and all-seeing eyes are greatly missed; as is your smile and compassion. You have left a legacy that continues to shine the light and show the way. Happy Birthday Geetaji.

Truth. All of the things that we are going through can feel pretty heavy and out of our control. While we can't control what is going on around us, we can control what is going on inside of us. Practicing yoga teaches us how to harness this potent power so that we can adapt and focus and pivot and carry on. It teaches us that we have an unlimited mastery over ourselves and that is all we really need to focus on and put our energy towards.

"Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured." B.K.S. Iyengar This is one of my most favourite quotes from Light on Yoga. I have been so inspired lately by the feedback from students who have made the practice of yoga and attending class regularly a bigger part of their routine and a bigger part of their life (perhaps a Covid silver lining ). Often, with more consistency in their practice, aches and pains, discomforts and stiffness slowly start to melt away. It's amazing how long we put up with these conditions and how effective yoga can be in addressing them.

It's December 1st and it looks like winter has come to pay us a visit -- how appropriate! Good thing it's Standing Poses this week. Time to energize, move and warm up! In-studio classes are full but you can also join us online, we have a new online schedule this week. Go to www.yogajourney.ca to register.

Yoga has the power to draw us in and hold our attention in this increasingly distracted world that we live in. Once found and fostered, the union of the body-mind-breath helps us to flourish and provides us with the tools we need to not just cope but to thrive. When we thrive, those around us thrive. As humans we are always looking forward to ways to tap into or harness the earth's natural resources and yet we seem to be unaware or we underestimate the natural resources th...at lay dormant inside of ourselves. The practice of yoga reveals these inner natural resources and brings them to the surface so we can learn to harness our power and use these internal resources to benefit ourselves, our families, our communities, the world. "True yogic journey is involution." BKS Iyengar

Yoga, like life, is experiential. We need to just get out there and practice, become engaged, commit and work through the discomfort. Yoga is a way forward. A path towards discovering and experiencing your full potential. Life can be overwhelming. We don't need to take that into our practice. Even 15 or 20 minutes a day can have a significant impact on your mind, body, and breath. Drop in and tune out -- there is an ocean of potential right there waiting for you.

Ever used a yoga block or bolster in your practice? Did you know that these props were created and curated by BKS Iyengar and that the use of props is a hallmark of the Iyengar method? Over the years props have been misunderstood and have, in some cases, been given a bad rap. In some cases, students felt like they were being held back if they were asked to use a prop in their practice. In fact, props often make the poses more challenging. They create refinement and allow... for much deeper penetration. They also set the stage for greater stability, alignment, concentration and duration. Props are effective tools that allow students of yoga to meet the practice at a place that will serve them. For beginners, they provide physical and mental reassurance and for advanced practitioners they are challenging tools that provide endless opportunities for exploration and transformation. Do you use props in your practice? If so, what's your favourite prop?

I'm going to give you the address but I am not going to tell you what time you need to arrive at. What would it feel like if a friend gave your their address and said, "I will be waiting here for you whenever you arrive."? When I teach Pranayama I am always cognizant of the fact that everyone's breath will move at a different speed, have a different capacity, velocity and volume. Therefore, I don't dictate that they follow my pace as I call out the direction and location of the breath -- give them the address. They will arrive at the destination when they arrive at the destination.

Sometimes we just need to change our perspective! Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees. BKS Iyengar