Arriving To The Arms of Mother India

Here We Go...

We left Calgary around 6pm, preparing for the 20 hour flight to India... Jediah was ready with his luggage and super excited to be going to "IN-DI-A!"  We were not sure how he was going to do on the long long journey to the other side of the world, but luckily we were blessed by God, as he slept half of the first flight, and half of the second flight, and some headphones and a little "Dora The Explore" went a long way to keeping us sane through it all! 

We arrived in India at 2am here, which is the middle of the afternoon for us back on the West Coast of Canada, with a 13.5 hour time difference.   As you can see we were all super happy to be on solid ground once again!  (Holy! - That's a Lot of Bags... )

The first day was so much fun - Even though we were completely jet-lagged!  After finding our house and dropping our bags we went for our first Indian Breakfast - Idily & Vada & Dosa... So Good!  Jediah loved the food, and Jeff and I were loving being back in India. 
It felt like coming home.  Our spirits relaxed immediately into a soft comforting space. 

We also introduced Jediah to his first fresh coconut, and said "hello" to all of our local friends here - the Indian people we've been visiting for the past 10 years...  It's hard to believe it will be a decade in 2013 since our first trip to Mysore!  What a great way to celebrate - here with our son. 

We have registered at The KPJAYI Shala, and start our first practice is tomorrow - with led Primary.
We are looking forward to getting into the rhythm of practicing early in the morning again, and all of the amazing openings we will have as we dive deep into the practice and consequently, deep into ourselves!

Stay Tuned... 

A Quick Catch Up and Some News!

It's been much too long since I've written a post... Life has been busy needless to say! 

So let's not waste any time (Jediah only naps for so long!)

Here is a quick catch up of some events that happened this year so far...  

and some great things yet to come!

- - - - - - - - - - 

We started the year off with a strong practice and of course with all of you - such amazing and fantastic students - We are so blessed!

In March we hosted David Garrigues 

He taught workshop sessions on Primary and Intermediate Series, with some Mysore Classes and a little Kirtan to lift our spirits.  It was such a great treat to have him here to share with us! 

This of course inspired More Practice for Everyone! 

 Our beloved teacher Sri O.P Tiwari 

Tiwariji joined us here in Victoria at the end of May with his son Sudhir.  He taught an amazing workshop on Yoga Sutras and Pranayama, and it was our most well attended workshop to date! 

We were so happy to have so many dedicated Yoga Practitioners join us for this incredible opportunity to learn from and sit with a true Master of Yoga.  His energy and enlightened spirit lifted us all beyond belief, and we eagerly await his return next year... for his final year of traveling and teaching!

We expect he will come back near the end of October or early November in 2013. 

Don't miss out on this one!  He is a true gem.

Even Jediah was inspired to start reading a copy of the Bhagavad Gita (a mini sized one), 

while practicing his balancing on the armrest of our futon! 

David Swenson joined us in July!

David Swenson came and taught a weekend workshop, as well as a week long Asana Intensive on the Primary Series.  We had students from all over Canada, and the United States come to learn from this great Ashtanga Yoga Teacher.  

We even had one student come from Australia, just to practice and learn from David!  It was a wonderful weekend of laughter mixed with some hard work, and everyone had so much fun that the time just flew by! 

We were a little sad to have to say goodbye to David, as it was like having family around for us.  His energy and spirit are so true to the Yoga, and his authenticity shines through like a bright light.  

We hope to have him come back again soon!

The summer went by in a flash, as we completed one training program here in Victoria, and headed off to Calgary to start a new training group there.   

Of course we could get through a summer without visiting a park at least once a day so that Jediah could run, slide, swing, spin, jump, dance, and whirl like the wind! 

 Life never has a dull moment these days. 

In September we hosted Devmurti and Hari Amrit Khalsa 

This was our first ever Kundalini Yoga Workshop at Ashtanga Yoga Victoria.  It was a huge hit, with many new students coming to attend from outside of our Ashtanga Community.

  

Be sure to keep your calendars open for Sunday February 17th in the New Year, as we plan to host them once again!  If you missed out last time, this is certainly a workshop to check out. 

Now we find ourselves at the end of October already!  

The energy in the Mysore room has been incredible the past few weeks!

  

October has really sparked everyone back into practice, making this month one of our busiest months of the year so far... let's keep that momentum going into November and December, even if the days are getting shorter and cooler - the studio is warm and bright, and your practice will keep away all those colds & flus that start to fly around during this time of year.

So be sure to keep getting on your mat... even if you have to bribe yourself with a Coffee! 

(ha ha ha!)

Nikki & Sebastian will be here in December!

Now to some exciting news for everyone!  Nikki Pichert & Sebastian Arbondo will be here at Ashtanga Yoga Victoria teaching Morning Mysore from December 3 - 24.  It's going to be amazing! 

 Sebastian Arbondo discovered yoga in 1993 and has been practicing with dedication and devotion ever since.  Sebastian has been practicing Ashtanga yoga daily for 8 years with world renowned teachers, such as: David Swenson, Kirsten Berg & Mitchell Gold, Rolf & Marci Naujokat.

Two years ago Sebastian founded his own Ashtanga Yoga Mysore style program in Osaka, Japan, where he teaches traditional morning Mysore practice throughout the year.

Nikki Pichert discovered yoga in 2006 after many years of competitive triathlon racing, swimming, and surfing. Since then she has studied extensively with her Ashtanga Yoga teachers Jeff and Harmony Lichty in Canada, Rolf and Marci Naujokat in Goa, India, Sharath and Saraswati Jois in Mysore, India.  

She has had the fortunate opportunity to teach Ashtanga Yoga in Canada, Australia, India, and Japan and to share what is in her heart with integrity, passion and devotion.  In March 2010 she was authorized by the Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India to teach the traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa System.

"So if Nikki & Sebastian are here in Victoria... Where will Jeff and Harmony be?" 

Well... We'll be in Mysore, India! 

Visiting and practicing with Sharath Jois, our Asana Guru...

Trying to reclaim our "Yoga Bodies" of the past... 

Reconnecting with the Spirit and Energy of Mother India, and a deeper part of ourselves...

Taking some time to visit our Respected Teacher and Spiritual Guru, Sri O.P Tiwari...

Remembering Guruji.... 

Paying respect to his family, Our lineage of Teachers, and this wonderful practice of Yoga!

Taking some time to just breath...  

And maybe throw in a family scooter ride or two as well!  :) 

Don't worry... We'll be back before you know it! 

We will be re-inspired, refreshed, and Full of New Energy!  And if you think we're full-power right now... just wait and see what happens after a little sabbatical!  

In the mean time you have some AMAZING teachers here at Ashtanga Yoga Victoria who will continue to teach classes, and help answer any questions you have about this practice of Yoga! 

(If you want to read more about them, check out the new Teachers Page on our website)

It is my hope to write more frequently over the next few weeks and months to keep you current on all that we are doing and learning and planning for next year... so stay tuned! 

Oh... and one more thing... 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

New Moon in Aquarius, January 23

Hello Ashtanga Yoga Community! 

This is the First NEW MOON DAY of 2012!  

And what a Beautiful Day it is here in Victoria BC! 

So... where do we find this New Moon today?  

It shows up in the sign of Aquarius -  deeming 2012 as the Year of TRUTH!

The New Moon is the time of the month when we do not see the moon in the sky.  

It is traditionally a day of rest from our physical Asana Practice, and is a wonderful time for introspection and personal reflection (pratyahara) and meditation (dhyana).

The energies during the time of the new moon are best utilized for NEW BEGINNINGS.

There is a much higher chance of anything planted or started during this time to come to fruition, and this gives us a great opportunity to plant new seeds and watch what grows in every area of our lives! 

The New Moon this month is in the sign of Aquarius, the sign of SPIRITUAL REBIRTH.  

It is ruled by the planet Uranus - the “Awakener”- the ruler of TRUTH.  

Aquarius is most associated with our Dawning Age of Freedom, Abundance, Truth, Enlightenment and Peace. 

Uranus is the God of chaos, who shatters old forms to make way for new ones...

Thus, this New Moon offers a huge potential for bringing with it a wave of breakdowns and breakthroughs... so get ready!

Today is a great day to ask yourself: What is you truth and Are you ALIGNING yourself with it?

Maybe you will have the opportunity find some quiet time to reflect on what opportunities are available to you right now?

One of my favorite questions has always been... "What would you dare to dream and do if you knew you could not fail?"

  

So, why not take some time today to get quiet, and set some intentions for the Year to Come... 

Plant some seeds, Awaken some dreams, Listen to your Inner Truth, and begin to move in a Conscious way along your Chosen Path!

This New Moon Energy is here to help you today - so get to it!  

What are you waiting for?-!! 

 

January 1st - Happy New Year!

So many hopes and aspirations are apart of this day, as we find ourselves excited about the future, the unknown, what is to come?  The year stands before us, an almost blank slate ready to be written upon!

We are super excited about the year ahead for us at Ashtanga Yoga Victoria and we hope you will be too!

Starting this month - Tomorrow - January 2nd - You can join us in our Mysore Challenge Month!
This is a great way to start your year, and get back into the rhythm of a regular daily practice of Yoga.

Maybe practicing 6 days a week is something that you've never done, or even ever tried to do... so why not start this year?-!

Challenge yourself!  You will be amazed with the results!  You will feel so good! 

You need not do a 2 hours of practice a day, but just come in and do something... even 20 minutes of sun-salutations with a nice shavasana will infuse your day with new energy and increase your positivity!

Interestingly enough... There is another 21 Day Vegan Kickstart Program starting this January 2nd as well... and it's not too late to sign up! 

Perhaps your diet fell off the wagon during the holiday season... I know ours certainly did!   
oops!  (Too Many Bon-Bons for sure!)
If you are anything like us... you might have woken up this morning feeling like you could use a good cleanse, and with a strong determination to eat more healthy, and clean up your act! 
This is a great way to start! 
Sign up and get daily recipes, meal plans, videos, and a community to help support your new healthy food choices! 

Let's Do It Together and make this month an AMAZING start to 2012!

Our second pro-tracked modular Yoga Education & Teacher Immersion Program starts January 13th!
We invite you to sign up for One or ALL of the modules.  If you have a desire to deepen your understanding and practice of Yoga, we have created a series of informative workshop weekends that we know you will gain huge benefit from.  This is an wonderful opportunity for self-growth.  We hope you will join us!

We have some incredible workshops coming up this year starting with Certified Ashtanga Yoga Teacher, David Garrigues, who will be with us March 23-25, followed by Ashtanga Yoga Icon, David Swenson, who will be here for ten full days starting July 20-29. 

These are two teachers we know you will love as much as we do, and we hope you will set aside both the time and resources to join us in learning all that you can from their wealth of wisdom, and years of experience in this practice!

Our beloved teacher and Yoga Master Sri. O.P Tiwari has also promised us that he will visit again this year, and will teach a workshop for our students while he is here!  So... stay tuned as we will post the dates as soon as he confirms his travel plans.

Well, that's what we're looking ahead to as we take some time to stop and pause today... we hope that you are as excited as we are, as you begin to plan and anticipate what awaits you and your practice of yoga in the year 2012!



  

Waiting for 2012...

As Jediah waits by the window to welcome the New Year, Jeff and I have time to reflect on what a year 2011 has been. We have so much to be thankful for... we can't even begin to count everything and everyone that we have deep gratitude for... the list is long and innumerable! 

We have a little game that we like to play at this time of year, where we choose a word to describe our impressions of the year-gone-by, and then one for the New Year.  We like see what word comes up to reflect our aspirations, hopes, intentions, and focus for the year to come...

I asked Jeff this evening, what word he would choose to describe 2011, and he said "Change" - funny - that was the same word I chose as well.  This year was a year of "Change" for us, in every way!
 
Starting with the huge transition from our simple Mysore program at the Shambhala Center to opening a full functioning Yoga School in the heart of downtown Victoria.  That, followed closely with the birth of our beautiful son Jediah, less than one month later, and of course all the changes that have come along with his arrival and first year of life... sleeping (or lack there of), smiling, laughing, sitting, eating, crawling, standing, walking, climbing, talking, and expanding more & more each day - getting into pretty much everything!

I looked up the word I chose as my intended focus from January 1st last year, and it was agapao - meaning "unconquerable benevolence and goodwill" or what we might also call love in its truest form.  And looking back on 2011, it was certainly a cornucopia of this deep soul love.
How could it not be... just look at his precious little face! 

So, as we stand at the crux of transition between one year and the next, what is our foresight into 2012?

Only time will tell...

But as we enjoy a quiet evening at home, and look forward to seeing what is the first word that comes to mind for us tomorrow will be - the First Word on the First Day of the New Year...  we invite you to join us in our little New Year's tradition...

What's Your Word for 2012?