Oh, what fun!

We had a great time in San Francisco. Here are some of the fun things we did:


Checked out The Walt Disney Family Museum and saw the original model of Walt's vision for Disneyworld.


Walked around Pier 39 and ate some crab at Neptune's Palace while looking out at Alcatraz and the sea lions.


Toured around Union Square and checked out the beautifully decorated trees and skating rink.


Went indoor skydiving in a vertical wind tunnel and suspended in air for four minutes. It was exhilarating!


Wishing you all a great New Year's! 


Much love,
J-Bo

Pic: Flying high at iFly.

San Francisco Christmas

That's right! Hubby and I are going south for the holidays to spend time with family there. Although the weather won't be sunny it will be a good 10 degrees warmer. 

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and fantastic New Year. 

Pic: Riding the trolley car.

Teacher Training: A day in the life

Check out this awesome time lapse video, produced by Dagan Beach, capturing a day of Anusara Teacher Training this past November. If you put the video on pause you can manually move the cursor to look through all the images at a slower pace. You might even catch a few glimpses of yours truly. Click here to launch video.


Pic: My awesome teacher Chris Chavez demonstrating Dragon Fly. Photo by Dagan Beach.

Let it surface

Lately I feel like the universe is trying to send me a message.  Sometimes it comes through symbols, a song on the radio or words in a magazine that seem to jump up off the page. And if I am paying attention, I receive the message.

For me it seems the message has something to do with time. Time. What is it about you that makes me feel like things need to either slow down or hurry up? When I was in the process of healing—time was something I needed to just succumb to. Easier said.

Now that I am pretty much back to normal it seems like time might be on my side. That's right. Mick Jagger sang it and I am hearing it loud and clear—relax, go with the flow and let time just be on my side.

Whether or not these messages are there to help guide us is up to the interpreter. I say, let the message surface and see what comes up.

Pic: In Maui, waiting for the perfect wave.

What I learned in Teacher Training II

Last week I completed the second of three segments of the Anusara yoga teacher training. I am so close to completion with only one more segment to go in January. My vision of becoming a yoga instructor is coming to light. 

It was an action and information packed five days. We learned how to give verbal and physical adjustments while keeping a class on pace—not an easy feat.

We worked in groups and put together an hour-long practice, splitting up the five classes of poses and taking turns teaching each other a ten-minute sequence. It was nerve racking and invigorating to step up as the teacher and vocalize all the information we have learned over the past nine months!

Post-training I am feeling charged to get started. So, all my lovely friends and family, are you up for a challenge?

Namaste.

Picture: yoga at the beach

Need a boost? Do a handstand.

There are a number of physical and pyschological benefits to getting inverted. Reversing the force of gravity can give your vital organs a much-needed rest, improve circulation, respiration and increase concentration and mental clarity. Mostly, I like the playful, youthful energy I receive after I kick up against the wall.

You can do a  handstand pretty much anywhere, anytime. All you need is a wall with enough space around to kick up. Sometimes when I am at the office and need a boost of energy—instead of heading for the candy drawer I go to a little out-of-the-way nook and hold a handstand for 20 seconds. It works like I charm. I come back to my desk with a big smile and I feel like I can take on anything.

So what are you waiting for? Get charged, get upside down. 

Photo—Me assisting a fellow yogi in a one-minute handstand at Anusara Teacher Training.

Thoughts on paper

I haven't practiced journalling for years, in fact the last time I did keep a diary of any kind was on my trip to Australia—over 10 years ago! I love going back and reading about my adventures down under. It's funny that I decided that this was a worthy time to write about my life, perhaps it was because I feel that without some extraordinary event to write about, it just isn't worthwhile.

Throughout my yoga instructors training we have been asked to do a fair amount of journalling—reflecting on things we've learned about ourselves during the training. One thing I noticed is that even though I am writing to myself and for myself,  I still write as if it were to a broader audience, which leads me to wonder—am I being completely honest or am I holding back and editing the content slightly? I think this takes practice.

As I searched for an image for this post I stumbled across a blog that gives great tips on how to write a diary. Check it out here. 

Sticking to it!

Today is my birthday so I thought I would post something fun for any viewers visiting J-Bo today. This is a packing tape installation at Berlin's decommissioned Temperhof airport. There are some pretty cool photos of adults and kids exploring the maze of tape tunnels. 


See more at archrecord.

Inspiration: Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

-  William Ernest Henley

White Magic Gloves

I thought I would write a post about my experience in the healing process. My hand is getting better by the day and I know it will still be a while before it's completely healed. I think I have to accept that time, in this instance, is moving at a slower pace.

Meanwhile, I am trying to keep a healthy diet free of dairy, which can be really tricky sometimes. I have also been trying to incorporate a mediation practice into my day, usually in the evening while I wait for the cream to dry on my hands. 

And then there are the white cotton gloves I have been wearing to work to help protect my hands. I feel at any point that I might be called up to stage to work some magic or maybe even put on a mime show. 

I am thankful that I can keep my hands clean and dry but I am curious if there are some more fashionable options available? It is getting increasing difficult to match my outfits around these white gloves. I might have to re-vamp my style to something like this pretty lady.

Much love,

J-Bo

Photo

A hand at healing

Health is a funny thing. I barely think about it when everything is running smoothly. Sure, I appreciate the benefits of having energy to do all the activities I love but when there is a glitch in the system...

That blasé feeling came to a halt this past month when a tiny skin problem exploded. If you have ever suffered severely from ezcema you will have an idea of what I was faced with. 

After a frustrating search to get answers I finally got to see a specialist who was able to get me on the right path to treating and healing my hands. 

I am now feeling back in control and giving myself some time to reflect and heal. As I encourage new healthy skin to grow I marvel at how delicate and strong the body is and am filled with compassion for those who struggle daily with serious health issues. 

A big thank you for all the kindness I was shown. 

Chakras: Set your wheels in motion

Chakra is the Sanskrit word for wheel. When our body, mind and soul are in harmony these wheels will spin at optimum frequency. 

In Anusara Immersion III we learned more about the seven chakras, where they are in the body—from the core of the pelvis up to the top of the head—and how they are stimulated. 

Our chakras can get blocked or unbalanced by different life events and challenges. Finding it hard to communicate? Viduddha, the throat chakra, may be deficient and in need of some fine tuning.  Stimulate this chakra by singing in the shower or having meaningful conversations. On the other hand, maybe you are talking too much and need to focus on listening—think balance.

Did you receive some life changing news? Get your Muladhara—the root chakra—grounded with some poses that focus on your feet and foundation. A good night sleep or time in the garden will help as well.

Take a moment and notice how you are sitting as you read this post. Are your shoulders slumped over your heart? Roll those arm bones back and puff that chest out and let Anahata—your heart chakra—shine through.

Contemplation

I am reading the yoga sutras, the bible of yoga, for my teacher trainings. In order to get into the mode, a girlfriend suggested I find a spot in a nearby park. A great idea as it has been very stuffy in my apartment with our second heat wave of the summer.


So there I sat under a tree, contemplating the meaning of the sutras. So far, I am learning it's about how to quiet the mind, find stillness, go within and just be - much like the tree.

Finding Space

In yoga, my teachers talk about finding space in a pose to go deeper and find the full expression of a pose. Through my trainings I have learned the principles and physical adjustments that help me find more space. Rooting firmly into my foundation, extending up and out through the heart and top of the head. There is always a little room to find more space everywhere in between.

In life, the same principles can be applied. Taking time to allow for space, all of a sudden I can look more deeply into what I am aiming to achieve or move past something I felt was in my way. I can feel more stable in what is happening right now and maybe open up to finding more space and even more possibilities.


Pictured above: Me & D doing yoga by the beach.

Giddy ‘up and ride

It’s cooled off in the city making it the perfect temperature to get out on my bike for a leisurely ride—although leisurely can easily turn into huffing and puffing while cranking it up one of the many hills in the area. 

On Sunday we pumped up the tires on my gold Trek, circa 1998, and rolled off, destination: beach via the easiest route possible. Our route down was pretty breezy as it was mostly down hill and flat terrain. We stopped for snacks and a brew at a local pub before heading back home where the looming 13^th street hill awaited us, but we did it and it was all worth while. 

Above is a picture that demonstrates how to bike and smell the flowers. Have you been out on your bike lately?

Ode to Summer

It’s hot. It’s bed sheets only, don’t even put your pinky toe near me hot. Summer is here and with it comes tank tops, flip flops, air-dry hair and slow down and take it easy I’m not that hungry but that beer sure looks good, please pass it to me.

 In the midst of this heat I am reminded, flashback style, of summer days of the past. Venturing to the rock quarry with friends to cool off in the watery abyss waiting for night time to come so we could build fires and play music and laugh until the early morning, getting home right before anyone would notice you were gone for so long (hi mom).

Here’s to creating more memories so that we can look back and say those were some great times! And so I tip my glass of froth to you, a summer salute, if you will. Cheers to a great summer for all!

Oscar the Bionic Cat

Meet Oscar the bionic cat. His back legs were lost in a farming accident last October. He was fitted with prosthetic paws in a three-hour operation by a surgeon in Britain. Now Oscar can walk and jump around again thanks to this new bionic paws.

Picture and story via Canada.com. 

Daredevil Ducks

Upon leaving work on Friday, I quickly scanned the pool for the ducks. I saw them casually perched at the edge of the waterfall. These ducks are crazy! I thought to myself...

 Mrs. Duck, "Why crazy?"

This puts it in perspective.

Desktop Design

I think it's important to have a little bit of your personality show through at work, especially when you work in a cubicle. Here is a collection of trinkets to give my desk area a little more pizazz. Shown here is my most improved swimmer trophy—for 10 & under, a day at the beach (executive gift giveaway), troll doll look-a-like, frog card holder (a prize for third place in a speech contest) and the winning bingo ticket from a work fundraiser. What's on your desk?

Back then...

I found these pictures of me and my sister and thought I would share. Too funny.

Sweet Surrender

This post was inspired by the words of my yoga instructor before class last week, "Sometimes things happen in life that we may not like. Suffering is felt when we resist these challenges or obstacles. Surrendering is not giving up, it is when we embrace this life and these moments and sometimes, well, shit happens!" 

One thing I love about the practice of yoga is how you can find a pose, like this beautiful backbend, that can fully express the notion of Sweet Surrender. 

Have a lovely weekend.

Picture via Yoga Photos. 

Ducks in the City

Have I told you about the ducks that wade in this urban pond?  

This couple has come back each spring making the water feature at our office building one of their hangouts—a tranquil alternative to the crowded lagoon in Stanley Park.

Most of their time is spent taking a nap on the sidelines but the other day they were splashing and diving around. I smile every time I see them.

And away we go...

Check out my latest google street view adventure. This time I went to Bern, Switzerland.

The market place was bustling.

I followed the tram line through the streets and found myself going right through the archway of this clock tower.

What a beautiful city. I could spend a lot of time just wandering the streets and stopping at cafés along the way.

Here is an aeriel view of the old town.

Pics via Google Street View & Tourism Switzerland.

Yolking

I spent the last 5 days in the second immersion for Anusara yoga training. It was such a great experience and I am starting to feel the progress within my practice. The group is so supportive and inspiring - with such great energy, I was a little sad when it was over. This picture shows a modified version of one of the poses we got to try (with assistance of course) called scorpion handstand. Hats off to this yogi, what a great expression of the pose and so much more beautiful with the serene backdrop.


Image via Naturally Nina

The Lull of the Skulls

Saturday night was bright lights, big city and tickets to Band of Skulls. Sounds so hardcore but quite the opposite, really. The UK band has had some radio play and this was their second time playing in lotus land. Although we lost part of our group to a mix up with ticket dates—they unknowingly had Sunday night show tickets—the band rocked the intimate crowd at Venue. Some of my favourite songs are Honest, Impossible and well the whole album is worth a listen. 

Fireplace Fix Up

Very excited to share this post! Below is the evolution of our fireplace and floor renovation. What d'ya think?

Picture circa 2006. We wanted bright colours on our walls after living in apartment beige for so long. (Me, D and Turco)

Fast forward to 2010, we demo the step and tile and paint a more subtle grey tone.

Yippee! New floors and modern looking fireplace. Very happy with the box frame fireplace— thanks to our handy friend who made our design a reality.

Wanderlust

Last night I went to Italy—via google street view. D was working on a crossword puzzle clue for a famous fountain in Rome. In an effort to help fill in the final few squares, I did a google search and found this awesome view of Fontana di Trevi. Magnifico!

Pics via Google.

Winter Weekend

Who would have thought I would be posting Winter Weekend after Spring Symmetry? Well, as those of you on the coastal range know, Ular, god of snow, likes to offer up one last dump of snow in the early days of spring. So we play!

Looks like heaven.

The foggy lift up to the heavens.

Dan-0 being a dare devil...wish the camera caught how you flew right off this!

It was so quiet in these woods. *sigh*

A sneak peek of the peak to peak gondola.

Isn't this picture great? It's labeled "bark pack".