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Fall: Vata Season

October 8, 2022October 8, 2022 by superadmin superadminNo Comments

Ayurveda considers a seasonal routine an important cornerstone of health year-round. Balancing the nature of your local climate with lifestyle choices that offset the potential for seasonally-induced imbalances is one of the simplest ways that you can protect your well-being. But keep in mind that the seasons vary widely from one place to another, as do the qualities that they engender. Vata season is whatever time of year most embodies the attributes that characterize vata dosha: dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile, and clear (or empty). Autumn is the classic vata season. However, depending on where you live, the dry and expansive qualities of vata may be the principal components of your environment in other seasons too—showing as early as summer, and if autumn is followed by a very drying, cold, isolating, or windy winter. Beginning to observe your environment from this qualitative perspective empowers you to respond to both daily and seasonal changes in your local climate. The truth is that many of...

Make a Difference in the Lives of Children

January 25, 2020November 9, 2020 by Devinder Kaur2 Comments

Make a Difference in Lives of Children! – The Awesome World of Kids Yoga. By Victoria Lynes After teaching my first couple of Yoga classes to kids almost a decade ago, and watching them close their eyes and practice calming breath work - that was it - I was hooked! I knew there was a gap here that I wanted to fill. “Namaste Miss Victoria!” Bright, smiling eyes. Tight knee and belly hugs from the kinders. High 5's from the older kids. This is the reception I often receive when I arrive each week to teach at one of my public or private schools. I adore teaching Yoga and Mindfulness to children,whether they are classes for toddlers or young teens. Children need these tools now more than ever,especially in this world of hyper connectivity and “on-line, all the time” culture that they are being raised in. Many people ask me how to get started with kids yoga. There are many different approaches. But if there...

10 Great Reasons to do Teacher Training at PranaShanti!

August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 by Devinder Kaur2 Comments

10 GREAT reasons to do your Teacher Training at PranaShanti! 10. A Spacious Centre Our Centre has four practice Studios, which means that Teacher Training is always in the largest space reserved just for trainings. The consistency and preparation of a space makes training a comfortable experience! You'll always have the kitchen available to you so you can bring your own food to prepare, and there's no moving around to other spaces to accommodate classes. 9. We're Well Equipped We're really equipped because of the diversity of trainings and classes we host! Whether you want to teach Hot Yoga or Restorative Yoga in the future, your Teacher Training will have many yoga props so you can be supported in your training and learn the full spectrum of how to support yoga students. 8. In A Great Neighbourhood Enjoy free parking evenings and weekends, so if you're not locking your bike up outside, you don't need to fuss with parking tickets. There are two vegan restaurants, two...

What is Therapeutic Yoga?

August 27, 2019January 7, 2024 by Devinder Kaur6 Comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=601s4_k6yaw Hello, my name is Kathleen! I’m a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) and Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT). You can find me guiding Therapeutic Yoga classes at PranaShanti Yoga Centre and helping to coordinate the Hatha Yoga Teacher Training 300 Hour Program. The front desk receives plenty of questions about Therapeutic Yoga classes so I’d like to share information and dispel any misconceptions. People sometimes ask: “am I signing up for talk therapy?” or “is this physiotherapy?” – no, Therapeutic Yoga classes do not incorporate talk therapy or physiotherapy. Therapeutic Yoga weaves together ancient yogic tools including, breath techniques (Pranayama), hand gestures (Mudra), vocal tones (Mantra), gentle movement (Asana), and different forms of meditation. From my studies of Hatha Yoga at PranaShanti, Integrative Yoga Therapy at Kripalu and other training, I recognize that all facets of yoga contribute to health and healing on all dimensions of being. I’m passionate about creating inclusive spaces and sharing simple yet powerful self-healing practices. Therapeutic Yoga classes are trauma-informed...

Minecraft and Mindfulness

January 10, 2019February 4, 2021 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Minecraft and Mindfulness - Navigating our kids through the digital world and how yoga and mindfulness can help. By Victoria Lynes, Certified Children's Yoga Teacher and Mindfulness Educator Maybe you have you heard the latest catchphrase in regards to kids and technology? “Digital Heroin”. Whoa. It’s a harsh term. Very scary if you are a parent watching your child loose themselves in cyberspace…and it plays into our parental guilt and fear. Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, used this terminology recently in his article that went viral last summer from the New York Post, titled ‘It’s ‘digital heroin’: How screens turn kids into psychotic junkies’. The article suggests that, “iPads, smartphones and Xboxes are a form of digital drug. Recent brain imaging research is showing that they affect the brain’s frontal cortex — which controls executive functioning, including impulse control — in exactly the same way that cocaine does. Technology is so hyper-arousing that it raises dopamine levels — the feel-good neurotransmitter most involved in the addiction dynamic.” ...

300 Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Program Launch

December 14, 2017November 5, 2018 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

We're excited to be featured in the December 2017 issue of ON Yoga Magazine. There's a great article about our upcoming 300 Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Program that we are launching in January 2018. The program is set and registration is OPEN! PranaShanti Yoga Centre’s HYTT 300-Hour Program is a comprehensive course of study that delves deeply into all aspects of Yoga, thus, building on the knowledge and skills developed at the 200-Hour Level. This self-paced modular approach to advanced Yogic education allows you to customize a pathway based on your own unique needs. Believing in studying with a variety of highly trained teachers increases everyone’s knowledge and depth of experience, our dedicated and skilled faculty deliver a well-rounded curriculum that enables you to refine your expertise in particular areas of interest due to their areas of specialization. Read the ON YOGA article Learn more about the 300 Hour Program Meet the Teaching Team Program Schedule Program Registration...

What is Toning? By Kathleen Burr

August 30, 2017January 7, 2024 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Please join us in welcoming Kathleen Burr back to teaching at PranaShanti Yoga Centre. Kathleen returns to the Class Schedule with regularly scheduled classes and will be offering a variety of workshops and events. Known for her enjoyment of sound and mantra, please find below an article by Kathleen about toning. "At the heart of each of us, whatever our imperfections, there exists a silent pulse of perfect rhythm, a complex of wave forms and resonances, which is absolutely individual and unique, and yet which connects us to everything in the universe. The act of getting in touch with this pulse can transform our personal experience and in some way alter the world around us." – George Leonard Sound has been used as a healing tool for thousands of years in many cultures. Modern science confirms what the ancient mystics knew: everything in the universe is in a constant state of vibration. Think of the body-mind system as an orchestra with the potential to...

Yoga Therapy for Thyroid Health

April 25, 2017February 14, 2021 by Devinder Kaur1 Comment

Yoga Therapy for Thyroid Health by Melissa Delaney The thyroid gland is an incredibly important part of the endocrine system and can affect various systems within the body such as brain function, bone development, metabolism, as well as the cardiovascular, digestive and nervous systems. Thyroid disorders can be linked to hormone imbalances, genetics, autoimmune disorders, reproductive health and may even surface as a side effect from certain medications. As with many health risks poor diet and stress can also impact thyroid health. Unfortunately, thyroid disorders are common and if left untreated, can lead to serious health complications such as increased risk of osteoporosis and heart problems. To further educate yourself on thyroid health as well as keeping your thyroid healthy it is important to find an integrative thyroid specialist, get regular testing and follow a proper yet holistic treatment plan. My interest in yoga for thyroid health comes from my very own experience with thyroid disease. I experienced the typical symptoms such as...

“As Above, Psoas Below” with Todd Norian

October 5, 2016October 31, 2017 by Devinder Kaur1 Comment

"Most yoga students are aware that the psoas is a central player in asana, even if the muscle’s deeper function and design seem a mystery. A primary connector between the torso and the leg, the psoas is also an important muscle off the mat: it affects posture, helps stabilize the spine, and, if it’s out of balance, can be a significant contributor to low back and pelvic pain. The way that we use the psoas in our yoga practice can either help keep it healthy, strong, and flexible, or, conversely, can perpetuate harmful imbalances. The psoas major is the biggest and strongest player in a group of muscles called the hip flexors: together they contract to pull the thigh and the torso toward each other. The hip flexors can become short and tight if you spend most of your waking hours sitting, or if you repeatedly work them in activities like sit-ups, bicycling, and certain weight-training exercises. A tight psoas can cause...

desire map + yoga … the prequil

July 17, 2016February 28, 2023 by Devinder Kaur2 Comments

By Kate Durie Let’s be brutally honest, I never EVER thought I would be trading in suits, offices, and 4-inch pumps, for lulu pants, a yoga mat, and flip-flops. Never. But let’s be clear, The Desire Map isn’t about quitting your day job, blowing up your world, or glorifying entrepreneurial life. It’s about figuring out YOU and how you truly, actually, want to feel. In every area of your life. Then making it happen. Then making it happen (and this is big), means learning how to generate those feelings through the choices you make on the daily; doing what it takes, to feel that way. On your terms. From the seemingly mundane everyday tasks, to those big luscious, dreamy goals. THE DRIVING FORCE - a feeling? Once you’ve gone in, “done the work” {aka LEVEL 1} and know what your Core Desired Feelings are, the shift begins. You start seeing, creating, and aligning meaning + purpose around things you may never have noticed before, completely...