Category Archives: Uncategorized

My grand-mother and I were sitting on her couch. The television was on. She was talking. The conversation seemed to be somewhat trivial. She seemed to be simply looking to keep her mind occupied by telling me about daily routines and things I was trying to find interesting. My attention went between the television andContinue reading “The Power of Deep Listening”

Understanding the very law of impermanence is one of the most powerful realizations along a path of embracing all that life has to offer. And we don’t need to look further than nature to gain this understanding; the weather, the seasons, the trees, the movement of the ocean, the cycle of the moon, the Earth’sContinue reading ““Look Deep Into Nature, and Then You Will Understand Everything Better” ~ Albert Einstein”

I would like to open this post with an important acknowledgement: Diaphragm image from “Yoga Anatomy” by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews, used with permission. Sounds like gibberish. Dirgha and Suksmah are to Pranayama as Sthira and Sukham are to Asana. This post is for any yoga dorks out there or for anyone wishing toContinue reading “Dirgha and Suksmah are to Pranayama as Sthira and Sukham are to Asana”

Yesterday, September 10th, was World Suicide Prevention Day. As a professional who is in touch with people who are affected by suicide on a daily basis, World Suicide Prevention Day is truly a celebration for me. I didn’t make it public and my way of celebrating was to simply take a moment to practice gratitudeContinue reading “On Social Justice”

Following the summary of the report released by the Truth and Reconciliation’s Committee on June 2nd, 2015, people started posting on social media little blurbs about what an honest truth and reconciliation related the the years of residential schooling of Aboriginal Peoples would mean to them. Truth and Reconciliation for me would be evidenced whenContinue reading “My Truth and Reconciliation”

A few months ago, I shared some of the teachings of the Yoga Sutras of Pantajali with a group of trainees for a power yoga teacher training that was led by my buddy Phil in Ottawa. In the last half hour of my talk, Phil asked “can you say a bit about the activities ofContinue reading “How I Now Know The 5 Activities Of The Mind Like The Back Of My Hand”

It has been a while since I have written. Sometimes, the best way to overcome a form of writer’s block is to share the words of others. Meditation and Pranayama have become a daily part of my life. Each day, my reasons for practicing and my perspective on the experience change. Here is a poemContinue reading “Sharing a Poem: Why I Meditate”

Replace any “but” statement with “and” and you enter into a conversation of paradoxes. The paradoxes of life are concepts that I have been learning and examining more and more through my yoga and meditation practice. A paradox, by definition is something that is both true and false at the same time; a person, situation,Continue reading “This Life That is a Paradox”

By definition, according to a few on-line dictionaries, stigma is “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person”. Synonyms and related words include shame, disgrace, dishonor, humiliation, bad reputation. People who experience serious struggles with mental health have been taught, in many societies, to hide or suppress their challenges and keepContinue reading “Stigma – Examination of What Ending the Stigma of Mental Health Entails”

Oh! What a day! I love this little work of art. I took the picture in Newfoundland last summer at a small art exhibit. I wish I had the name of the artist. I don’t. Today has been a wonderful day. 2014 has been a wonderful year. As I have been contemplating and reading variousContinue reading “Practicing Self-discipline, Self-reflection, and Surrender for 2015”