Yoga with Jillana
122 Portland St B2Y 1H8 Dartmouth, NS, Canada

From confusion, to clarity

Things I learn in India... Never believe that something isn’t possible just because it looks kinda crazy and out of your realm of experience. The only way to b...ring it into your experience, is to go. do. try.... and suddenly the unfamiliar becomes familiar. The unknown becomes known. And nothing seems so crazy anymore. See more

Back again ! Set yourself up for a daily practice. It's where the magic happens ...

In case you were wondering..... ;)

Wise Words. #iyengar #iyengaryoga #iyengaryogacanada #bksiyengar

Join me this July at Dartmouth Yoga Centre for our third annual Summer Intensive !

in a nation where yoga is part of the fitness industry, and thousands of teachers are churned out annually after as few as 200 hours for the sake of commerce an...d capital, and free yoga classes abound, as well as pricier gimmicks ranging from wine to weed to goats in barns, what is the point of Iyengar Yoga? why take 4, 5, 6+ years to get certified when you can do it in 6 mos? why no music, why no heated room, why no fancy labeled clothes, and what's with the bloomers? raise your hand if you appreciate no-gimmick, straight-no-chaser, tell-it-like-it-is yoga, where the instructor is not there to flatter you, or to "lead a practice," but to actually teach you something, and hold you accountable to a lineage-based consciousness and ethic. it's not about the fancy pose, the trendy location, or the latest gimmick, it's about dissolving our egos to remove the obstacles to change, and facing ourselves with utter honesty so that we can heal ourselves. as we do so, we become more available and present to our neighbors and our communities, so that we co-create the world we want to live in. don't come to iyengar yoga to distract yourself. come to face yourself. #nogimmicks #iyengaryoga #iyengaryogadetroit #healingjustice See more

'If we’re going to give up what is our intrinsic nature to reach (a goal), then it’s a problem.’ -Abhijata Iyengar

This is why we practice . To unveil layers of protection. To find strength in vulnerabilities. To know oneself. And, to love oneself

"We can bring calmness and quietness to our minds and our emotions with the retention of breath after exhalation. I have said that exhalation empties the brain... and pacifies the ego, bringing it to quiescent humility. When you empty the brain, you also empty the toxins of memory. With the exhalation and retention, you let go of resentment, anger, envy, and rancor. Exhalation is a sacred act of surrender, of self-abandoment." ~ B.K.S. Iyengar "Light on Life" See more

Why do we use props in yoga?

Coming soon to Halifax! Get your ticket in advance because they need to sell at least 50 in order to make it happen

What yoga really is all about...

Gratitude for Community - http://eepurl.com/giGJZ5

Passion over perfection - https://mailchi.mp/093b824541b0/gratitude-for-community

Saturday Sequence - For those students feeling unwell or under the weather, pop in for an Open practice this weekend and try this restorative sequence from Bobby Clennell. There are some copies at The Centre for you to use in your practice.

Be full in whatever you are doing!

This New Year, we are celebrating Iyengar Yoga! Check out our newsletter to learn about our New Promotion, PLUS an exciting offer from our resident RAPID Massage Therapist

Geetaji compares and contrasts Bhastrika and Kapalabhati... from Yoga Convention, 2009, London. This is advanced work, not for beginners......of particular relevance to teachers certifying for Junior Intermediate 1 (kapalabhati) and Junior Intermediate 2 (bhastrika).

We are Lighting UP! this New Year at DYC - https://mailchi.mp//we-are-lighting-up-this-new-year-at-dyc

Have you ever tried Iyengar Yoga? Now offering a New Year special for students who are NEW to Iyengar Yoga! One month of regular classes (4 class pass) for $40 Good for any of the Iyengar yoga classes on our schedule. Find out more here: http://www.dartmouthyoga.com/iyengar-yoga

In memoriam Geeta S. Iyengar (7th Dec, 1944 - 16th Dec, 2018)

I will always regret that I arrived too late in India to meet Mr Iyengar, but I was fortunate enough to meet his daughter Geetaji and witness her brilliance in teaching a room full of 1200 people as if she was speaking to us each indivually.. This time last year I was blessed to be studying with her, in her home in Pune, where her father taught before her. So much gratitude for her tremendous dedication and contribution to this practice, and the inspiration she has brought to so many.

Best wishes for a Happy Holiday!! Check out our extra special New Years Retreat to help you unwind and get ready for an amazing new year - https://mailchi.mp//best-wishes-for-a-happy-holidaycheck-o

"Whenever we find stiffness in the body, our mind should be especially supple. It is never the stiffness in our bodies that limits our practice, it is always the stiffness of our mind." ~ Geeta Iyengar

"Regarding pranayama, you are like me. For years, I used to get up early to do pranayama. As soon as I did three or four minutes, I used to feel it was too much... and ended the day’s pranayama. It is the nature of one who has more dynamism to prefer asana, and some have life to do pranayama. After fifteen years of this irregular pranayama practice, now I find the will to do it. Even one hour at a stretch is too little now for me. This I gained patiently. I give you the same advice. Every day do five or ten minutes, even if it bores you. Then you conquer the monotony, and you will succeed. As there are no variations in pranayama, it bores. You will succeed at the end of two or three years’ regular practice. Even if you do only five minutes, do it with full devotion and be one with it. You will rise up." ~ Guruji BKS Iyengar - Sparks of Divinity ~

A simple and beautiful read on how we work to DE-condition ourselves in yoga. Abhijata speaks here about Fear, Ego, Anxiety, and Femininity:)

"An intellectual mind that is unconnected to the heart is an uncultivated mind." ~ B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga Spray, Beginner Yoga classes, and ROPES workshop - https://mailchi.mp//yoga-spray-beginner-yoga-classes-and-r

Beginner classes, Art & Yoga, Ropes workshops, and more... - https://mailchi.mp//beginner-classes-art-yoga-ropes-worksh

Reflections on 3 years of Yoga in Downtown Dartmouth!! 'We’re all just walking each other home'... - https://mailchi.mp/51/were-all-just-walking-each-other-home

Starting this Friday Dartmouth Yoga Centre !

Wondering about what is involved in an Iyengar Yoga Certification? This blog sums it up really well...

September News at DYC -

How to stay on track with your yoga practice this summer... -

The path of yoga is a journey, from you, to you... but along the way, you do meet some incredible people... Each year, the Iyengar community here in the Maritimes meets for a week long Teacher Intensive. Not long enough to get caught up on all our stories or to really even know what’s going on in each other’s lives, but the stories still get told, by sharing space and walking side by side, we are witnesses to each other’s growth, as teachers, as students, as human beings. It...’s not an easy path! It’s not all peace and love ... there’s a lot of grit and a lot of grime to work with, and obstacles to overcome both internal and external.. But we learn to be honest with ourselves and with each other. We learn to acknowledge the work that is ours to do. That no one can do for us. And we support each other along the way and celebrate our accomplishments. From the smallest, to the greatest.

They had the honour of interviewing BKS Iyengar in person about how Yoga can help People... and I had the honour of sharing an apartment with them while I was in Pune last year. Please watch this short video by my dear friends at Iyengar Yoga Srbija, and on this International Day of Yoga, may we all learn to come out of confusion <3

SO much good stuff happening right NOW at DYC! -

This Thursday! 6-7:30 pm, Join me at Dartmouth Yoga Centre to celebrate the tradition of yoga!! Your presence and contribution will help build a playground for children in India so that we can give something back to the very land that has nurtured this practice for all to benefit from. Yoga is certainly a Universal practice, for all cultures and civilizations, but to live Yoga is to know that we are all connected. Yoga came to the West, from the East. So in this day that w...e have chosen to dedicate to Yoga, let us now celebrate by giving something back. And we will all reap the benefits, together <3 For more information on the Wall of Love project, click this link http://signalhfx.ca/halifax-woman-helps-children-in-india/ See more

Hi everyone, International Day of Yoga is June 21st, and I want to invite you all to come come celebrate it with me. In light of recent news, we are hearing more and more about how mental health struggles are a major problem in our society. We focus so much on image, and superficial goals. We think growth means status, and we neglect to cultivate our inner worlds. Yoga has been a path inwards for me, and has helped me through many dark moments. Depression has always been a...t my doorstep, and I manage to keep it at bay, not only through the practice, but through the community that I have found to share it with. The more we are able to go inwards and find space, and comfort even in the darkness, the more willing we become, the more resilient we become, and the more able we become to share space and hold space for those around us who may also be struggling. On Thursday June 21st, I am offering a KARMA YOGA class at Dartmouth Yoga Centre, 6-7:30 pm where I invite you to come practice with me. All proceeds from the class will go towards the building of a playground for children in India, the birthplace of Yoga, the home and fertile ground for this Universal practice. I believe an important part of warding off mental illness is the ability to PLAY in life, as well as the knowledge that we are all connected. You can learn more about this project here: http://signalhfx.ca/halifax-woman-helps-children-in-india/ If you are feeling stuck, or lost, or powerless, there is always hope. There is always a way to find connection. Do not neglect the gift that is your body, and your breath. And learn to tame the mind so that it does not play these tricks on you... In the words of Mary Oliver... 'Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -- over and over announcing your place in the family of things.'

Myth: Standing Poses are for Beginners Myth: There’s only one way to practice Standing Poses. Myth: Standing Poses are Boring. Myth: Once you learn the Standing Poses it’s time to move on to something more ‘advanced’..... FACT: Standing Poses are VITAL for ALL levels of practice.... FACT: Standing Poses can be practiced a number of ways to highlight different actions and help to unlock the key actions to ALL categories of postures. FACT: Standing Poses are Never Boring! They give us access to the spine through the actions of the arms and legs, and the more we refine these actions the healthier your spine will be, bringing MORE vitality, MORE structure, MORE strength and MORE balance to your every action FACT: Jillana is teaching a 3 part workshop starting THIS Saturday June 9th, 1-3pm on the importance of Standing Poses and why they need to be a regular part of your practice at ALL levels. More details on our website ‘Events’ page.... link in bio!

New Classes, New Workshops, and new Wellness offerings! - https://mailchi.mp//new-classes-new-workshops-and-new-well

"The challenge of yoga is to go beyond our limits - within reason. We continually expand the frame of the mind by using the canvas of the body. It is as if you ...were to stretch a canvas more and create a larger surface for a painting. But we must respect the present form of our body. If you pull too much at once, we will rip the canvas. If the practice of today damages the practice of tomorrow, it is not correct practice. Many people see the photographs of asana and think that the supple body alone can perform such asana. But one should know that often the supple body, too, cannot give any feedback to the brain or mind, as the body lacks senstivity. Though supple bodies do not experience pain, these tax the nerves, causing fatigue, restlessness and headaches or heaviness. They run out of energy, the cells get squeezed and this may introduce hoardes of diseases. A supple body does not trigger the intelligence to think what is wrong and what is right in performing such an asana. On the contrary, a rigid body has resistance action, and counter-action, which triggers the intelligence to study the asana in the right perspective. There is no action,counter-action, or resistance from the supple body to give clues to intellectual thinking and emotional stability. They get the asana easily without inner resistance or response. The study of asanas is not about mastering posture. It's about using posture to understand and transform yourself. Perfection is ultimately only with God. We are creatures who can dream of perfection, and it is this dream that inspires one to improve. It is this dream that ignites the effort needed to transform. Sometimes our body is willing, but our mind is weak. Sometimes our mind is willing, but our body is weak. Do not be afraid. Strive to extend your capacity but do not be disappointed with yourself. What does not challenge us, cannot change us. BKS Iyengar # IyengarYoga #bksiyengar #rugidbody #supplebody #yogaposes #yogamoms

Day 12/30... still at it! though I haven’t been posting... I've found that taking photos or videos is a distraction. I am much more present and focused on what's happening within when I’m not thinking ahead about what to post. Though I do learn from watching my own videos, it's like being my own teacher, where I can see where my work is. There are some things I can see in the videos that I wasn’t aware of before. Speaking of.... THAT is the beauty of maintaining a regular gr...oup practice, with a teacher. HOME PRACTICE, and GROUP PRACTICE with an experienced teacher go hand in hand. One enhances the other. They ‘complete' each other. Because.... ‘Yoga is first for individual growth, but through individual growth, society and community develop’ -B.K.S. Iyengar <3 See more

From the ground on UP! 3 ways to GROW your Yoga practice this MAY -

Day 5/30 still close to the earth, but this time with twists... Dandasana Janu Sirsasana Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana / Ardha Matsyandrasana III Bharadvajasana III... Triangle Muk. Paschimottanasana ... then repeat on other side See more

From day 4/30.... staying close to the ground, feeling rooted.

Want to start a yoga practice but don’t know where to start? INTRO to Yoga, 4 week session starts next Friday, April 27th at DYC. We will go through all of the Standing Poses to strengthen and lengthen the legs first. You will learn the foundations of each pose, and how to transition safely, with stability in and out. ***There’s no such thing as ‘not flexible enough to do yoga’*** It’s only the inflexibility of the mind that will hold you back 10-11:15 am , 4 weeks $50 Pr...e-registration required. DM for more information #beginneryoga #introtoyoga #virabhadrasana #iyengaryoga #foundations #practiceyoga

Menstrual series... the first four poses release the hips and open the abdomen to relieve tension and cramping 1. Upavista Konasana, with back to the wall (not pictured here) 2. Baddha Konasana, with back to the wall, weights on inner thighs, and support under. 3. Supta Virasana, weights on thighs 4. Supta Baddha Konasana, with bolster & belt, weights on inner thighs and support under.... Then come all the Forward Extensions, and Supported Backbends See more

When your dog insists on being a yoga prop #forthrloveoftaro #practiceyoga #jathariparivrttanasana #iyengaryoga #sadhana #30day

New moon tonight in Aries, and Mercury came out of Retrograde ... to celebrate, I’m going to document a part of my practice here every day for the next 30 days. In addition to that, I’m also going to throw out one thing (at least) a day, for the next 30 days.... in order to Make Space. Eliminate. Evacuate. Release. Exhale. Breath OUT. *video disclaimer.... I can’t seem to post a video from my IPhone. Does anyone know how? Because that would be helpful!! So until I figure it out, I’ll just be over here practicing...:)

Upcoming workshops , plus INTRO to Yoga classes -

"We are always seeking contact with Heaven, but how many of us have made any reasonable contact with Mother Earth?" Yogacharya BKS Iyengar... Iyengar, His Life and Work. . #100yearsofbksiyengar #bksiyengarcentenary #iyengaryogaaustralia See more