Ottawa Yoga Blog - PranaShanti Yoga Centre Ottawa

Family Day Ottawa

February 15, 2016February 16, 2016 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Family Day is Monday, February 15! We are open! Whether you are celebrating Family Day with the family tree or with your yoga family, we're open with our full Class Schedule. You can get into a class with a daytime teacher you haven't tried before, or go to your regular evening class. ...

Mirabai Ceiba Concert Ottawa

February 4, 2016February 29, 2016 by Devinder Kaur2 Comments

Mirabai Ceiba Concert Ottawa Date Saturday, February 27, 2016 Time 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm Doors open at 7:00 PM for seating. Concert begins at 7:30 PM. Venue Kitchissippi United Church, 630 Island Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario. There is free parking at the church in the parking lot. Cost $25.00 per person in advance, $30.00 per person day of the event. Children under 12 free admittance. About the Concert A gentle yet expansive spirit pervades all the music of Mirabai Ceiba. The delicate sounds of harp, piano, and guitar blend with lovingly intertwined voices amid lush celestial soundscapes. Their concerts are group celebrations for peace—joyous and loving occasions that embody the duo's profound belief in music as a universal language uniting all the world's peoples, cultures and traditions. Join Mirabai Ceiba for an intimate evening of heart opening chanting, conscious breath practice, meditations and spiritual songs to embody the Song of our Lives. About Mirabai Ceiba Mirabai Ceiba is a duo consisting of guitarist/singer Markus Sieber and singer/harpist/pianist Angelika Baumbach. They come from different parts of...

40-Day Yoga Challenge 2016

January 28, 2016April 17, 2023 by Devinder Kaur1 Comment

With the tremendous benefits of yoga and meditation too numerous to name, these practices are definitively acts of self-love. In acknowledging that we are worthy of wellness, peacefulness and health, we are caring for ourselves when we show up on the mat. This season of the heart, February, is such a critical time for self-care – particularly in colder climates where willpower is depleted just by meeting the basic needs of work and daily routines. In Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, this is a very wet, dense season that corresponds to the Kapha dosha. To restore balance in body and mind, we should adopt practices that soothe and counter our personal constitutions. Some of us will need quiet practices in the warm room, and others need invigorating Kundalini and movement practices to keep us from slowing down into inertia. It is an excellent season to practice daily self-love with the 40-Day Yoga Challenge. The Challenge at PranaShanti begins in February for a variety...

The Benefits of a Strong Core – On and Off the Mat

January 19, 2016September 4, 2023 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

This is a guest post from Angela Regnier, to invite you to our January 23 workshop! I often hear moans and groans in my Forrest-Inspired yoga classes when we are about to start the core sequences, but students regularly admit to me how beneficial and effective they really find them! Here are a few reasons why core strength is so important: Improve balance and stability – By strengthening muscles in your lower back, hips, and abdomen, you will make every day activities and sports easier to enjoy. The transverse abdominis is an important and large muscle that yogis need to access. It is the deepest of all abdominal muscles that plays a huge role in supporting your posture – especially your pelvis and low back. Virtually every yoga asana (posture) and every movement you make in a day will improve with a stronger core. Build digestive fire – Some traditional yogic breathing exercises, such as kapalabhati and nauli, do much to activate...

Prenatal Yoga: Prepare and Connect

January 14, 2016April 23, 2020 by Devinder Kaur16 Comments

This is a guest post from PranaShanti Yoga Teacher Jen Gillean, a Prenatal Yoga instructor. It is no surprise that many women are drawn to yoga practice during their pregnancies. Most of us now know that yoga means union or connection to the universe through our physical being. And most pregnant women would agree that this is what they feel is happening as nature takes the driver's seat in their body. I mean think about it, each day a pregnant woman wakes up to find a stranger eating her food and literally claiming VIP status in her body! And yet, society expects pregnant women to "keep up" with the rest of us in this crazy, busy world. In just 9 months, women must wrap their minds not only around what is happening to their body but also to prepare for their new role as mothers. Pregnancy is often a time to reflect on the types of values with which to raise your...

Max Strom: There’s No App for Happiness

January 13, 2016January 14, 2016 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Start the new year by furthering your self-development and yoga education with Max Strom. If you love proven methods for living a happier, calmer life, and enjoy an accessible, intelligent yoga practice, this weekend is exactly what you need to start your year off right. On January 15-17, we’re hosting Max for a four part series of seminars that will explore a transformational breath practice and gentle yoga, self-healing through strong vinyasa practice, and lectures and writing workshops inspired by his book: There is No App for Happiness – How to Avoid a Near-Life Experience. Read on for praise for There is No App for Happiness, and learn more about Max’s weekend in Ottawa here. In There Is No App For Happiness Max focuses on the many methods we are employing daily to isolate ourselves further from each other, and compares the effects of these trends to a kind of mass autism. Note he is not a Luddite: he offers examples of the...

40 Day Yoga Challenge

December 22, 2015April 17, 2023 by Devinder Kaur4 Comments

Beat the Winter Blues with the PranaShanti 40 Day Yoga Challenge! The Challenge runs from Wednesday, February 10, 2016 to Sunday, March 20, 2016 The PranaShanti 40 Day Challenge is a commitment to attend yoga classes for 40 consecutive days. Yogic science confirms that it takes 40 days to fully develop a new life-promoting habit or to drop a current destructive habit. The PranaShanti 40 Day Challenge is a great way to strengthen the body, unburden the mind, and begin a daily commitment to yourself. In 40 days, you can create a whole new way of being. Start with any class on Wednesday, February 10! There are 3 optional team gatherings! 1. Wednesday, February 10, 5:45 PM - 7:15 PM ~ Kick Off Class Join us for our Kick Off class. We’ll follow the class with healthy snacks. This is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow participants so that you can encourage each other along the way. You’ll be seeing a lot of...

Winter Solstice at PranaShanti

December 15, 2015February 14, 2021 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

The Winter Solstice is the longest night and shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere, and so follows it’s the reverse in the southern. The solstice is considered auspicious in many cultures, including the Romans’ “Day of the Unconquerable Sun”, the Druids’ “Light of Arthur” and the Hindus’ Diwali and Lohri. This year it falls on December 22, when we’ll have just over 9 hours of daylight. In many places, obviously including Ottawa, solstice marks the distinct shift into winter. While the days are getting longer with increasing sunlight after solstice, we enter a season where we desire hibernation. These cold, dark days remind us of the reverence and gratitude we have for sunlight and our perfect position in relationship to the sun for the abundance it provides. Like all things, there are dual, overlapping aspects to all creation, and so we embrace the necessary darkness and dormancy winter provides for renewal in the spring season. The natural drawing in...

10 Reasons to Do YTT at PranaShanti

December 7, 2015December 7, 2015 by Devinder Kaur3 Comments

10 Reasons to Do Yoga Teacher Training at PranaShanti 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. 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. 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 locally owned coffee shops,...

Annual Unlimited Holiday Savings!

December 1, 2015April 23, 2020 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Make a commitment to yourself! This package is truly UNLIMITED! With the PranaShanti Annual Unlimited Package Holiday Special you will enjoy: No limit to the number of classes you practice in a day, week or month 80+ weekly drop in classes 10% off special events, workshops and trainings 10% off all boutique purchases and Infrared Sauna sessions 10 complimentary yoga class passes to bring friends & family to class with you! Complimentary yoga mat rentals A PranaShanti t-shirt This special is available from December 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016, with the holiday special price of $1,275.00 (HST included) which includes all the goodies listed above for 365 days! A $300 savings just on the package price with more savings all year long! Sign Up!...