What is Conscious Communication?

What is Conscious Communication?

by Devinder KaurNo Comments
- Yogi Bhajan, Excerpts from KRI Level 2 Conscious Communication Manual  Do you know what real communication is? Real communication is when after uttering, saying, or communicating, you stand fully one hundred percent by whatever you said. Real communication does not give you any right to change it afterwards, no matter what. Anything which is not real is a lie. It is not whether it is right or wrong, good or bad, or moral or ethical. Person A talks to person B and between A and B, the talk is real. Then A and B are bound down to put their totality in it until infinity. You should not say anything that you cannot put your totality behind. The total value of you is that whatever you say, you stick with it. When you don't stick with what you say, you have no value, and your decoration and your jewelry and your sex and your person have no value. Real communication is the faculty...
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The Effect of Aging On Muscle

The Effect of Aging On Muscle

by Devinder Kaur1 Comment
A study by the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine in Pittsburgh of athletes between the ages of 40 and 81 demonstrated that muscle loss considered typical in adults after the age of 40 has more to do with lack of use than aging alone. The study showed that the muscles used by the athlete's chosen activity were nearly indistuighsable from an athlete at the age of 40, proving that studies on the effect of age of muscle mass have focused too much on sedentary adults, and that the caliber of our golden years is quite self-determined. (They hypothesize a 70/30 ratio between lifestyle and genetics!) It joins a growing body of evidence on what types of exercise are most effective for preserving muscle mass. While overall motor units (a group of muscle fibres commanded by a single motor neuron in the spine) decrease in the body over time, it's true, these can be preserved through use. Which means an activity with...
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Why I Teach by Gurumantra Kaur

Why I Teach by Gurumantra Kaur

by Devinder Kaur1 Comment
When a student comes into the studio, whether it is for the first or hundredth time, it brings a warmth to my heart. I know that they came to me seeking to become healthier and happier. I greet my students by asking them how they are doing, how the day has treated them, and if they have any problem areas they have noticed lately. This allows me to sense their energy, and choose a Kriya that I know will benefit everyone’s mind, body and spirit. Each day, each session, is driven by the energy that’s brought into the studio. Regardless of the stresses and various states of mind my students may be in to start, the sessions always progress in very much the same way. As they warm up, I watch as they close their eyes, and start breathing long and deep. Their breathing and movements come together as a group, as if to support one another. Already, I can see...
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PranaShanti is Turning 7 – Celebrate With Us!

PranaShanti is Turning 7 – Celebrate With Us!

by Devinder KaurNo Comments
This October 6th, PranaShanti celebrates our 7th anniversary at 52 Armstrong in Hintonburg! Over the better part of a decade, the neighbourhood has grown into a vibrant, diverse community where people love living and practicing yoga. As yogis, we look to the meaning of significant numbers (numerology) rather than waiting for a number ending in 5 or 0 to have a special celebration! Seven is a number that consistently shows up in cultures and religions as being particularly meaningful.  For example, there are seven heavenly virtues in Christianity, seven colours of the rainbow, and seven emblems of the Buddha. Seven has a special significance for our anniversary, since numbers correspond to the Chakra system of what yogis call “the subtle body”, or subtle energy system. The seventh chakra is the crown chakra, which represents enlightenment, bliss and spirituality. When Kundalini energy rises during our yoga practice (represented by a coiled snake at the base of the spine), it rises through all seven...
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Retreat to go Forward by Devinder Kaur

by Devinder KaurNo Comments
Physicist Max Planck, said “when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” This happens with a Yoga retreat. Yoga Retreats create the perfect environment to take a step back and see our true selves, to watch our thoughts and the behaviours that hold us back. In as little as a few days we can start changing the way we are living by going beyond our ordinary routines. On retreat there is time and space to do things just for you. Many people on retreat take this as a time to make conscious change. If you are reassessing your life in any way, thinking of a career change, moving, going through a divorce or experiencing the passing of someone close, then attending a yoga retreat is a healthy and supportive way to gain deeper understanding and insight. It can help you build courage and strength to create positive change. Dietary and other changes can happen more easily...
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Kundalini Yoga has touched every particle of my being

Kundalini Yoga has touched every particle of my being

by Devinder Kaur1 Comment
To those of you who may not know about Kundalini Yoga, or wonder why you should take a class, or better yet kundalini yoga teacher training, let me enlighten you on my personal experiences. My name is Gurumantra Kaur, and I am a Kundalini Yoga instructor, and owner of Yogi Strong. After being diagnosed with anxiety and severe allergies from my surroundings, in 2004, I began looking for a Raj Yoga, a royalty yoga, as a holistic approach to address my issues. I discovered Kundalini; and it is just that: royal. Once I started, I couldn’t stop the snowball effect that Kundalini had on my life. My anxiety lessened, I was breathing easier and more deeply, and stress no longer affected me like before. I needed to know more, and thought “why not try teacher training?” Later, after talking to some of my peers, I found that many people were in the same boat as I had been; desiring to be...
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Healing Sciatica through Ashaya Yoga®, by Todd Norian

Healing Sciatica through Ashaya Yoga®, by Todd Norian

by Devinder Kaur2 Comments
I've helped many students heal their sciatica (inflammation of the sciatic nerve, which originates in the low back and runs down the back of your upper leg bones, the femur) using the Four Essentials of Ashaya Yoga®: Open, Engage, Align, and Expand. Most sciatic pain arises from standing, sitting, or walking with poor alignment; the feet are turned out and the thighbones are forward and externally rotated. When the femurs are forward of their optimal placement, the muscles of the lower back contract and can pull the lumbar spine into a flattened position. Tight hamstrings further exacerbate the flat back condition. When the natural curve of the lower back is lost, the spinal discs squeeze posteriorly (the back of your body) and can press on nerve roots. The First Essential, Open, is the act of softening and remembering your connection to the healing power of the universe. You open to a bigger energy and let go of self-limiting beliefs. In so doing,...
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What do stacked stones mean for mindfulness?

What do stacked stones mean for mindfulness?

by Devinder Kaur3 Comments
As we look forward to our autumn programming, we're always happy to have Dr. Kim Sogge back to the centre. Dr. Sogge brings a wealth of experience and information to her mindfulness-based courses, and this year we've expanded upon her original Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course and will also be offering her Mindfulness-Based Self-Compassion Course. Whenever we start spreading the word about these beneficial offerings, we look for our favourite pictures that communicate a sense of mindfulness. We are mindful in our choosing - while we love pictures of peaceful-looking people sitting on docks or in wooded landscapes, we want to cultivate the understanding that this is a practice for your daily life. You do not need to escape the city, your job or your family to cultivate mindfulness, and so for promotion, we turn to the stone stack. You may be confused though! After all, what's a stack of stones got to do with a mindfulness-based stress reduction course? It's a great...
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