Devinder Kaur, Author at PranaShanti

The Deep Benefits of Gentle Yoga

June 17, 2015July 28, 2015 by Devinder Kaur1 Comment

Gentle yoga There is a general misconception that “gentle yoga” is not as beneficial as the more active styles. However, the gentle styles of yoga, such as Restorative Yoga, Somatic Yoga, Therapeutic Yoga, can stimulate the immune system and improve one’s overall health. Gentle yoga styles help to get the body out of stress-mode, release tension, calm the nervous system, gain clearer thinking, and even restore an overall sense of balance to the body, the mind and the soul. While stress is essential in certain moments where we need to achieve a goal and the stakes are high, the body's stress aparatus (the brain, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and muscles) become chronically over or under-activated when even low-levels of stress are persistent. Chronic stress can produce mental and physical illness over time, and the list of potential effects is too long and sad to list to here. People often think that gentle yoga classes are easy, but these may be students who...

Benefits and Bliss of Hair and Scalp Massage

June 9, 2015July 28, 2015 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

From the Sanskrit words "shiras" (head, which you might recognize from the Sanskrit for headstand "Sirsasana") and "dhara" (flow), shirodhara is the gentle flow of warm oil from a brass oil fountain onto the third eye chakra (Ajna) just above and between the eyebrows. It's an incredibly relaxing, meditative practice that stimulates circulation, brain function, and a healthy head of hair. Should you not be able to get to your local Ayurvedic practitioner, you can reap the health benefits of massage with Ayurvedic hair massage oils. Massaging increases blood flow to the treated area, and helps with fatigue, stress, and pain. This is also true for scalp massages, and they also benefit the skin, scalp, hair follicles and hair to grow faster and more luminous. Only oils appropriate for the hair should be used for scalp massage. We have Banyan Botanicals Healthy Hair Massage Oil for you to try this at home, but you can also use Almond or Castor oil to...

Novel Inspired by the teachings of Yogi Bhajan

June 2, 2015July 18, 2020 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Fuming. That’s how Cam, the main character in The Merit Birds, feels about being dragged to Laos, Southeast Asia, by his mother. His absent father, his lifetime of anger issues, and his recent basketball fight only serve to compound his strong emotions. Gradually, Cam’s change comes when he learns about the power of the breath and of serving others. Written by Kundalini Yoga instructor, Kelley Powell, the novel ends with KRI-approved instructions for the One Minute Breath. Inspired by the teachings of Yogi Bhajan, The Merit Birds is unique in that readers are introduced to Kundalini Yoga through fiction. It is about the friendships that Cam eventually and often reluctantly makes and how a lifetime of anger can be transformed from the inside out. It’s about how daily attention to the breath and bringing focus within can melt away years of anger and hurt. And it’s about how this realization of inner peace leads to a bursting open of the heart...

New Class and Video: Yoga for Runners with Cat Edward

June 1, 2015October 31, 2016 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Yoga for Runners is a new class on our schedule to address the needs of the active Ottawa community. Students will appreciate the focus on flexibility and movement through the hips to counter the repetitive, strengthening motions of running, and core and shoulder strengthening and stability to ensure an even distribution of strength and flexibility throughout the body. Of course, the class is for anyone (in Cat's words: sitter, walker, runner, or athlete), looking to bring relief and ease to the whole body when it's primary movements or posture are repetitive. The delightful Cat Edward has been teaching yoga for almost five years and plays recreational soccer, as well as participates in various run clubs, snowshoeing, and skiing. Active and affable, Cat is a great addition to the PranaShanti team....

Summertime Fun Savings – Practice Yoga for FREE in August!

May 21, 2015July 15, 2016 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

We're always so impressed how dedicated our yogis are through the Ottawa winter, that when it comes to summer, we want to help you maintain the benefits of a regular yoga practice for health and vibrancy through the warm months. That's why between June 1st and July 31st, 2015, when you purchase a 10 or 20 class package or sign up for Auto-Renew, you'll receive free yoga in the month of August. The class packages you purchase are good for a year from the date of purchase, and the bonus classes are valid for use between August 1 - 31st, 2015. When you purchase... A 10 class package = 5 free August classes. A 20 class package = 10 free August classes. The Monthly Unlimited Auto-Renew (studio membership) in June or July = one month of free yoga. Because the Auto-Renew is a minimum 4 month commitment, you'll pay for your first month at time of registration, and then your second month will be free,...

The Desire Map

May 11, 2015April 17, 2023 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

The Desire Map fits like my favourite yoga pants. Comfortable. Transformational. Practical. Versatile. Natural. Like putting on a hug. An investment in awesome. An investment in forward motion. An investment in life: lived on purpose, with purpose. It also solved one very big problem. First, a little back story. Danielle Laporte, creator of The Desire Map, lights up truths and pulls it all together – practically and poetically. She asks us to turn old habits, beliefs, and ways of getting stuff done inside out. Born in Windsor, Ontario, she’s globally known as a powerhouse of manifestation. Without post-secondary education, she rose up through The Body Shop by achieving new goals, and then asking for promotions. The Desire Map is premised on the clarity of intention. Clarity of desires. Clarity of choices. Clarity of action. Yet (and this is a big yet), the approach is oh-so-soothing. to body, mind AND spirit. Soothing to the soul. It’s gentle, powerful and life affirming. I was an early...

Forrest Yoga: A Therapeutic and Powerful Yoga Practice

May 6, 2015September 11, 2023 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

According to its founder and North American yoga pioneer, Ana Forrest, Forrest Yoga is “an intensely physical and internally focused practice that emphasizes how to carry a transformative experience off the mat and into daily life.” This style of yoga is more about healing the body and mind than trying to achieve fancy poses. If practiced regularly, however, Forrest Yoga will guide you to a safe, beautiful and strong practice – enhancing beauty inside and out. Forrest Yoga addresses current stresses in our contemporary lives, focusing on cultivating a practice that responds to the stresses and injuries common in the world we live in today. For example, it is so common these days to carry stress in our gut, leading to various eating disorders and digestive problems. Our necks and backs also become places of undue stress when we spend so much of your time seated either working at desks, driving, or watching TV. Forrest Yoga’s poses and principles offer...

Yoga Teacher Training FAQ’s

May 5, 2015May 17, 2019 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Our yoga journey is a very individual experience transpiring within a community practice, or at least that's our perception. You may find in discussion with other yogis similarities to your internal practice, reactions and questions. This is certainly true when it comes to choosing a yoga teacher training! We may all have a very unique experience, but we often have the same curiosities and questions ahead of the training itself. To help you make the right decision for your yoga teacher training experience, here are some questions I frequently get asked and the best answer I can supply without knowing you and your context individually. Is my yoga practice advanced enough to do a yoga teacher training? Although I have had students with very little experience ahead of their training, it’s best to have a regular yoga practice ahead of your yoga teacher training. The more experience you have, the more information you have to apply to what you learn. When yogis...

Raw Chocolate Truffles from Casa Om

April 6, 2015July 28, 2015 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

PranaShanti owner and Kundalini teacher, Devinder Kaur, took a group of yogis on retreat to Casa Om in Mexico this March. They had a fantastic visit: lots of laughter, yoga, meditation, relaxation and gorgeous food. There was also some extremely interesting time spent with Julie, resident massage therapist, shamanic healer, and chocolate aficionado. Several yogis, including Devinder, visited Julie for a healing session and reported some fascinating, releasing experiences! Other yogis joined Julie for an equally healing experience: a raw chocolate tasting. This is Julia's recipe for raw chocolate truffles, which are are delicious for the body and soul. Ingredients: Cacao butter - 250 gram Cacao powder - 50 - 75 gram Agave nectar - 10 - 20 gram Silicon mould Optional, depending on your taste: pinch of salt freshly grounded black pepper pinch of chili and/or turmeric vanilla extract or powder blue green algae (spirulina or chlorella) 1 spoonful cinnamon roasted or raw nuts candied fruit Preparation: Boil water in a double boiler or bowl set over smaller pot and bring the water to...

Kirtan with Krishna Das: Kirtan Wallah Tour 2015

April 1, 2015March 22, 2021 by Devinder Kaur4 Comments

PranaShanti Yoga Centre is pleased to present world-renowned kirtan artist Krishna Das for a live Ottawa concert as part of his Kirtan Wallah Tour of SE Canada and NE USA 2015! "Hailed as yoga's "rock star," Krishna Das put sacred Sanskrit mantras on the music map." ~ Alan di Perna, Grammy.com, April 17, 2014 Date and Time Tuesday, July 7th, 2015 8:00 pm to 10:30 pm Doors open at 7:30 pm About the Event Krishna Das layers traditional Hindu kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation. With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das – known to friends, family, and fans as simply KD – has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the best-selling chant artist of all time. Learn more at www.krishnadas.com. Tickets Advance tickets are available via Eventbrite until July 6th at 7 pm. The ticket price is $53.50 plus there is a $2.06 service charge for each ticket...