The Five Seeds of Beauty.... and Chocolate!

More mail!!!


Over the past seven months I've been using Eminence, a product line from Hungary. The pros: they work ok, are made with organic ingredients, minimal synthetics and powered by renewable wind energy.


The crap: the containers are NOT recyclable, they come in another cardboard box, the cream and exfoliant have wasteful extra little spoons (also not recyclable) and they're made in Hungary and shipped to Vancouver first (so bypassing Nova Scotia) and then BACK to me.


Alright, enter my fantastic bloggy-friend GreenSpell. Earlier this month she made the courageous and exciting decision to open a beauty-line shop on etsy called 'Five Seed'. For months she had been considering changing life-routes, dissatisfied with her current career and wanting something more. Many of us can relate, having passions that fill us with Joy that we have slid aside for what society tells us to be more 'valuable' uses of our time.... conforming to regularity, to the norm.

Dove's Evolution- 'No Wonder our perceptions are so Skewed'
But those passions just don't go away, do they? We're left feeling a tiny emptiness, like something might be missing, always working away for that far off day when we can have enough ______ (time, money, energy etc) to pursue those insisting "peeps".


I am so inspired by Five Seed, because instead of squelching her dreams, Greenspell took a DEEP breath and plunged headfirst! 


Not only did she embrace her dreams in the face of such societal pressure to conform, but she Created a Beautiful and Exciting new venture. As she states on her blog, Five Seed is not simply a 'green' beauty shop, it's a Philosophy. An Empowering and Insightful Space.


Most beauty companies want you to buy MORE of their products and thus encourage 'fixing'- implying as a result that your face and body are sub-par.


Five Seed's Philosophy: Leave your face alone.


Instead of encouraging different products to buy, Five Seed takes the radical stance that our bodies are beautiful the way they are. I LOVE her suggestions, so simple, so honest and absolutely empowering. Seriously, check them out! 


So that is pretty darn cool, but NO she goes further in the coolness quotient. Five Seed uses only natural and mostly organic ingredients which are LISTED on all their products. Also, she has vowed to use as little plastic as possible. Yay! That means that her jars are in glass and her lip balms are in tins. She even ships her products in reused boxes with newspaper!!! Finally, she donates a portion of her profit to the Jane Goodall Institute (which is actually NOT just about helping apes!).

Friday, in the mail, I got a fantastic gift: a Cocoa Orange moisturizing lotion and peppermint cocoa lip balm!! They came wrapped in reused paper in a repurposed box (which I will use for my mailing!) and smell..... DIVINE. Seriously, I have no idea how she got such a CHOCOLATE smell into her products but I heart them very much!


I was a little nervous, I'll be honest, with trying a natural moisturizer... and was pleasantly surprised! It absorbs very quickly and leaves my skin feeling moisturized, smelling like chocolate (Yum!) and non-oily all day! Yesterday I even tried a bit on my face and it was perfect! The orange cocoa moisturizer has organic carrot seed and jojoba oil which are supposed to be great for your face's skin. Up here in the dry, cold North, they are wonderful. (mmmmm!)


I love that Five Seed talks about the differences between commercial and non-commercial moisturizers on their site. There are differences; like how it feels and looks. It's a quick adjustment though and I'm so excited for Greenspell!


Right now she's holding a special sale for Valentine's Day AND a giveaway!! (Go check it out!). Valentine's day is always bit tricky, and she has a perfect gift idea that's eco-friendly and fun! (I purchased the gift set and cannot wait for it to arrive, yay romantic evening!).


I am so inspired to Greenspell's Adventure and her choice to Listen. I hope you are too :) Please visit her fantastic blog, Five Seed, to read more about her Journey!


Many Blessings!


article and photographs copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Frozen Farmer's Market with the Public Health Authority

This post is part of Fight Back Fridays! hosted by Food Renegade. Go check out the other fantastic 'Real Food' posts!!


As I've mentioned before here, I am not a fan of the farmer's market in Halifax. It's SO crowded that you can barely move, hear or talk and in order to get any food at all you need to be there on a Saturday morning at 7-8am. I've also mentioned how I'm not a huge fan of the local food box- as I found out (from a sticker on my zucchini) that they were sourcing their produce from a local store... Eating locally here is not an easy feat, but we've been trying with shopping at 'Planet Organic' that carries some local produce and meat, at a hefty price. (the courtyard of Dalhousie University. What you can't see are the wind gusts to 41km-hour and -15 windchill!)

As a last minute decision, I decided to take today off, which was pretty convenient as we had a bit of a windy snowstorm last night (so no walking in the snow pour moi!). My main plan: take advantage of the Friday 10-2 Farmer's Market!

Since last spring the local Health Authority (Capital Health) has been hosting a mini 'Farmer's Market' every Friday from 10am to 2pm as a 'Healthy Living, Healthy Eating' initiative. As I used to get every other Friday off, I went to a few of these during the late summer, early Fall months. Located in the Veteran General Hospital courtyard, Capital Health sent emails to all their employees each week reminding them of the market and new vendors.  (The courtyard of the VG today)

As I no longer get any Fridays off, I thought I'd take advantage of this time and see what exactly I'd be able to buy in this 'mini' frozen Canadian Market. As I walked towards the VG, snow blowing in my face, the windchill making it feel like -15 Celsius (5 Fahrenheit), I wondered if it was even open.

(the SIGN, if you'll notice it even asks customers to BYObag!)

I found the courtyard empty.... and ventured closer to see- it was open! Walking inside the VG Hospital cafeteria I saw 7 booths set up with vendors sprinkled amidst patients, visitors and staff eating their lunch. I wish I could have taken some pictures to show you all, but I was a bit concerned about patient confidentiality... who wants to be splattered on a blog when you're ill?

As I made my way around, I bought something from each vendor: my first stop the 'fish' guy.

Now, it's no surprise that as a Nova Scotian AND a fisherman's daughter, I'm pretty darn fussy about what seafood I buy and eat. Add the sustainable aspect and it gets a bit trickier. The absolute BEST haddock I have ever eaten has been fresh from my mother's village- Pubnico. To my surprise, the fish guy is actually from my village and knows my family! Fresh, non-frozen haddock from 'home' it is! (Now I just have to call my mom and see how she cooks it!).

*Quick update: I just called my brother to confirm my suspicions on how they fish for haddock... by trawl. Trawls (or draggers as they are referred to at home) are these huge boats that basically dump nets with wheels at the bottom and literally drag them along the ocean floor. These nets pick up haddock, but they also catch other sea creatures AND tear up the ocean floor. My brother (also a lobster fisherman) reported that you *can* fish for haddock via hook-line, but they are more expensive to buy and rarely done. The bulk of Atlantic haddock that is sold comes from trawl. (the 'degradable' bag the fish guy gave me)

Well darn. At least next time I'll just stick to free lobster from my father and brother!

I also bought some home made hot pepper jelly, Italian herb bread, no-oat granola and Prince Edward Island tulips. Although in no way does this 'mini' market sustain all our grocery needs, it was so wonderful to be able to casually chat with the people who actually MAKE this stuff without feeling pushed or pressure to get out of the way like in the regular market.

(my loot today! See the "plastic" bag the fish is in? It supposed 'degrades' when in sunlight... now how long I have no idea and I KNOW it isn't accepted in our municipal composting facility. I'll have to figure out another use for it!)

So tonight, Andrew and I will dine on (ugh... trawl) haddock, baked in hot pepper jelly sauce, local organic mashed potatoes and organic broccoli and carrots! Yum!! What are you having for supper?

Blessings!

article and photos copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Becoming an Agri-Sleuth! Figuring out Your Food

I have noticed a new trend at the grocery store... coinciding with book and movie releases such as "An Omnivore's Dilemma" and "Food Inc", there seems to be some changes in food packaging. As our governmental protection agencies fail to protect us and properly inform us of chemical risks, pesticide accumulation and use of hormones in our food, the consumer has become more savvy. 


And companies have noticed.


The first example is Canadian company, Maple Leaf Prime meats. A few months ago I started noticing that the packages were stating that the chicken was "Whole Grain Fed". As companies don't often market their products for no reason, I had to assume that they were implying that "whole grain feed" was healthier than regular chicken feed. The graphics and wording certainly implied a sense of crunchy goodness, tapping into our association of whole grains=healthy and natural. 


But what exactly IS whole grain? Would corn be considered a "whole grain"? Isn't regular chicken feed generally grains? According to Chicken Farmers of Canada, the main ingredient in chicken feed (88%) is grains and that all chickens are essentially "grain-fed". They actually break it down to 10% being meat-bone-vegetable meal (ew), 1.5% mineral and vitamin content and less than 1% at times antibiotics. No hormones (according to this site, hormones have been banned from chickens in Canada since the 1960's).


So, Maple Leaf's stating that their chickens are whole grain fed, implying that this in fact makes them healthier and *better* is a sly manipulation. Slap on a fancy claim with some nice graphics and all of a sudden the consumer starts associating the chicken with labels like "organic" and "free range".

The other company that is making an appearance is duBreton Pork company. Based in Quebec, I noticed right away that they were selling pork "raised without antibiotics". Now, that doesn't say duBreton isn't a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) but it sure implies it- with the beautiful rollings hills, pictures of farmers and pigs milling about in open grass.


A quick google and I find a fantastic website fully describing four different kinds of pork- certified humanely raised, organic, sans-antibiotics and quality sourced pork. 


The antibiotic-free pork has these points: no animal by-products in feed, animals' welfare a priority to the farm, minimal processing, preservative-free, independent certification: AgroCom (recognized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency). As far as I can tell, the pigs are still raised in an (at least) semi-CAFO farming style...


How is this possible in a CAFO? According to duBreton, these measures keep illness in check:
- monthly serologic tests (scientific study of blood serum, um couldn't they have just said blood tests??)
- multisite production systems (um, what does this mean exactly?)
- secure farms located in remote regions (sounds sketchy)
- certified transportation
- regular veterinary inspections
- a feed monitoring program.


Alright, the issue of locality, mass production, energy used to run equipment and the "monoculture" perspective of producing food remains a glaring factor in duBreton's meat. It's a little creepy that they most likely have four separate farms for each "version" of their pork. So while the humanely raised pork are happily prancing in open fields, at CAFO #2 the pork just get non-antibiotic feeds. (this picture from their website is actually titled "ambiance"... I doubt their farms all look like this).


Obviously the best option would be to support local and sustainable smaller farms in your area. However, if this isn't possible (or easy) duBreton is a step above regular meat companies.


The most frustrating result of consumer awareness, is that we now have to be Uber vigilant and read between the lines. Choosing a healthy meal in the grocery store just isn't straightforward any longer. Now consumers must muddle through marketing-speak, know "true" certification symbols from fake and resist corporate manipulation. A frozen pizza company (McCains) has actually been advertising that their frozen foods are *only* made from REAL food. How they define "real" is to be determined. 


Which is why I wish our farmer's market here in Halifax were more accessible.




article and photographs (unless otherwise stated) copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Cast Iron and You!

For Christmas/Yule this year my gift to Andrew was a 12 inch cast iron pan. Romantic? Well, I will have you know, Andrew was so excited he jumped up and down and hugged his newfound friend. As I'm way too lazy to be bothered with the concept of cast iron pans, but LOVE the eco-implications, I made him promise to take responsibility for the caring and cleaning of the pan.


We named it Mjollnir, Pan of the Gods (The name of Thor's hammer hah).


Why cast iron?? Well, I am glad you asked!


As we all know, regular non-stick frying pans are coated with PFOA (thanks to companies including Teflon). Perfluorooctanoic acid is considered a likely human carcinogen and has been found to be present in 95% of the human populations bloodstream and 100% of umbilical cords. Although the US Environmental Protection Agency has convinced big companies like DuPont and Teflon to phase out the use of PFOA's by 2010, it would seem that none of the replacement chemicals are any safer!


Health Canada admits that heating pans over 350 degrees carries risk and in fact will release OTHER toxins such as TFE's which are possible carcinogens. And we cook our food on these things??? Ick.


Enter Mjollnir, Pan of the Gods.


Cast iron pans have been used forever and used to be considered family Heirlooms, passed down through generations and lovingly used. Look in your grandparents basement or attic and you might find pans or cookware stored post-nonstick and with a bit of seasoning will work beautifully (and be free!).


Cast iron has excellent heat retention and diffuses heat evenly across surfaces. No more uneven "hot spots" on your pan. Cast iron pans do release minute amounts of iron into foods, which would actually be beneficial if you had low-blood iron levels. Many companies make cast iron pans out of recycled iron content and pans can be made with low technology (read: less petroleum).


This is all wonderful, but my issue was the seasoning required. In order to achieve non-stickness, cast iron pans need to be properly seasoned with oil to coat the pan PRE cooking. Ugh, preparation... I am not a fan.


Thankfully, Andrew was ALL over that. In the words of Andrew, THIS is how you season a cast iron pan (which he said was easy):


"If you buy a new pan, it comes with a food grade wax on it, so you have to scrape that off. Which I did with a dishcloth and Kosher salt.
You have to make sure the pan is clean and thoroughly dry with NO water on it. So you have to put it on a burner with heat to evaporate any water left, cuz we're using oil to season it, oil and water, come on...


Then you wait for the pan to cool again (don't touch the handle!!), and cover entire pan with a thin layer of oil. I chose olive oil because of it's low smoke point. Meaning, it will burn at a lower temperature. We want the oil to form a layer of carbon, cuz that's what gives the pan it's nonstick. So we need to BURN the oil. (he actually said burn that sh*t)...


In order to burn it, you put it in the oven upside down and crank up the heat. I had it at 450 (no preheating), really what's important is that the oven is above the smoke point of your oil... olive oil's smoke point is 375.


Then you open some windows and wait about an hour and fifteen minutes. It smokes (ugh, it stunk), turn off the oven and wait for it to cool. Which might take until the next day. I just left it overnight.


Repeat two more times (some people have done this up to seven times pre-use). Then you end up with a shiny, black pan!"


Andrew's Tips on Care for your Mjollnir:

• Keep it away from water! If it's wet, dry it immediately and thoroughly, preferably over a heat source.
• Never, NEVER use soap to "clean" it. Soap will break down the seasoning.

Cleaning Instructions:

• Using kosher salt to scrub OR
• Pour some hot (or boiling) water and scrap with a silicone spatula over     heat. Pour out the water, wipe it down with a clean cloth (which you might want to hold with tongs so you don't burn yourself). Dry it over the burner again and put it away (once cooled).

• If you're cooking something that's not oily or greasy, you may want to rub the pan with some oil and pop it in the oven after use.
• Season your pan at least once a year.
• Store it with a cloth to wick away any moisture (humidity).
• Cast Iron is brittle, and could shatter if dropped or thermally shocked (by pouring cold water).

I believe that starting small, one cast iron cookware item with regular carcinogen coated nonstick pans for backups, will result in a gradual progression to using cookware that we can keep in our family for generations... and improve our comfort level and health at the same time!


Also, Andrew is mumbling that he's probably a little "intense" about Mjollnir, and even if it rusts you can just sand it down... His claim: "They're pretty unstoppable".


A true measure of a Deity's cookware. Unstoppable.


Blessings!


article and photo copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Walkin' towards Independence...

(First, let me just say a huge THANK YOU for all the supportive comments and Light that was shared from the last post. I was nervous about posting such a personal and emotional event, and I really appreciate the kind reaction! Thank You!!)


After living car-less throughout six years of university, I was pretty darn smug about my awesome walking ability. I mean, driving in Montreal is ridiculously scary and the transit there is fantastic. Then I moved to Vernon BC, a TINY town in the middle of no where and sadly had purchased my first car. A cute, uber efficient 3 door Yaris hatchback (who's name is the "Jelly Bean"), but a car nonetheless. 

Jelly Bean and me in BC... it's so shiny and new!

After two years of driving everywhere, I vowed that our return to the "big city" of Halifax (haha) would result in less to NO driving. AND I got a job 20 minutes outside the city and drove everyday. At least for two seasons out of the year I carpooled! I also watched our goal of using "no car" for city stuff dwindle down to nothing. Halifax, although a city, has a TERRIBLE bus system. I mean, bad. From the navigation and choosing a route stage, to actually finding a bus that ran more than once an hour, to being able to rely on said bus actually showing up on time (or at all!).


Andrew, being awesome, has figured out the bus route for his work and uses it regularly... at the small price of 72$ a month. Yep, and they wonder why transit use is so low. I vowed that if I ever got a job in the Halifax office I would walk to work every day.


Starting last week, I got that job. Currently I have walked four days so far (three days last week I had to drive and today I worked outside the city again). It's a forty minute intense walk each way and I had stitches in my sides every time! I haven't walked so much since my Montreal days! Monday, waking up like my body had been run over by a snowmobile, had been especially difficult...


Pre-walking, I made sure to have the correct equipment: comfy knee-high boots, pulled out the old knee-length coat (thank goodness mom patched up the inside- yay for being thrifty!), hat, scarves and mittens. I think I may also have to invest in long johns.... ack!

Spring Garden+Barrington intersection, Beautiful Stone Church juxtaposed against an uber modern building... TRES Halifax

I would like to say that Peak Oil, carbon emissions or some other environmental reason was the motivation for actually sticking with walking.... but really it's the cost of parking (I KNOW, so embarrassing to admit!). The two days I parked last week cost 30$, and all monthly parking lots close enough to consider are well over 100$ a month. 


Alright, I know some colleagues who live in the city and still manage to park somewhere, so I have to say the TIPPING point was the environment. Plus, each day I walk I feel SO GOOD about decreasing my dependence on oil.


Have you thought or heard about Peak Oil dear reader? I hadn't until about 8 months ago... after starting to read the several blogs and sites on the topic, I started to feel my anxiety rise. Basically, the premise (that has been proven by leading organizations) is that oil is a finite resource. Made from plant matter that  has been compressed for millions of years, there is only so much available on the planet.


We are at the "peak" of oil resource availability... and will eventually (in our lifetime and many experts claim *in the near future*) run out. As oil becomes more and more scarce, prices will rise resulting in everything that depends on oil's prices to rise... which is basically everything. From plastic, to food, to electricity... the list goes on. Eventually the entire system will crash. If you'd like to read more please visit Sharon Astyk's blogs (Casaubon's Book, Riot for Austerity, Sharon Astyk), Crash Course in Peak Oil, Peak Oil Hausfrau. 


Alright, I can recognize rationally that this is true, but honestly the language is just plain scary and immobilizing. I do believe that it is important to acknowledge, but I don't feel that hunkering down into apocalypse-mode will be mentally healthy for myself.  


Recently, I have realized that the transition and resolution to shift our worldview to a more communal-relationship valued as opposed to consumeristic valued life fits in well with preparing for "Peak Oil". In using less energy, buying less "things", beginning to grow our own food (hopefully with more success!), eating local and organic food that doesn't travel as far (depending on fuel) and planning on using alternative energy sources to power our (someday) house are all things that lessen our dependance on oil.


Getting used to walking to work is another (huge) step.


Hopefully it will also strengthen my legs... which have always been pretty darn weak. As a result, I'm hoping that my standing postures will improve as well!


On that Yoga note:
(Anonymous: Thank you so much for alerting me (and friends!) to Seth's studio opening next week! I may be out of the city for most or all of that week, but will attend a class regardless and definitely keep you updated via a post! It would also be cool if you left a name, if you felt comfortable with that when you comment :) It's so exciting that other Haligonians are reading!)

Accepting My Hyperventilating, Panic Attack, Yogic Self

I have always envied those that could chose one theoretical construct versus another. It was a hallmark of studying in Psychology (and Speech Pathology), each prof and their selected students had a different set of underlying explanations for their world view- behavioural, cognitive, neurospsychological, social-psych... At the time I was very much a: "well of course it's not that simple, it's a combination of all".

I still view the world this way- Autism isn't simply a neurological disorder, it's a combination of genetic vulnerability, environmental factors (i.e. pollutants, family dynamics, mother's health-age during pregnancy) and neurological infarcts (i.e. anoxic birth, difficult delivery, prematurity, drug exposure etc etc). The research is slowly catching up to what academics have been suspecting for decades... but then how can you conduct valid research studies with SO many variables? Hence the confusion, researchers pick one because that's what our scientific model recommends, and we get one narrow slice of the child-individual's world.

I find yoga to be this way sometimes. Depending on your "style" of choice, you can focus here as if the answer lies ONLY in Iyengar-Ashtanga-Bikram-Vinyasa-Baptiste's method. The idea of a "pure yogi" or "what is yoga" can permeate and (for myself) cloud what is important until all we discuss are things like how *old* is yoga. Why waste the energy? After such heated discussions, I leave feeling empty, drained and frustrated. I've been careful recently where I go and what I read (and there are many blogs whom I visit and will continue to leave comments because they are wonderful :) ).

Similar stuff has been happening with the Wedding community. So many people feel so impassioned about what their worldview should encompass, that any sense of understanding or respect is lost in words. Pair that with the PRESSURE of traditional society on what it means to be a "bride" and "woman" and you've got a nice group of blogs and commenters that just sap the normalcy out of the experience. (of course there are a few that are wonderful, if there are any readers here that are bride-groom's to be- I highly recommend this, this and this blog!).

After a frustrating commenting weekend, I've decided to stop. No more heated discussions, or commenting my (valid) opinions. There is always someone who will disagree. And really- why go through all that? Obviously, the sensitive soul that I am isn't going to harden up and "not care" what other people think. And I don't see why this is something I should strive to accomplish. I like who I am as a person.

Who I am includes my sensitivity. If I love myself, than I love and accept parts of myself that may bring me pain. If I respect myself, I can avoid certain (unnecessary) situations- such as reading silly wedding posts about something ridiculous another blog has done (did you KNOW there were fake wedding photoshoots on design blogs touted as "weddings that are styled"?.....).

This also includes heated yoga. Which I attended again today. You see, I don't like *not* liking one style of yoga- it feels very closed and "unyogic". Like, if I just try harder, or "let go", or "suck it up" than I will be open to more styles and learning.

After I finished cleaning the studio today during my second energy exchange I found a few quiet moments. The studio and building was empty and the yoga-cd was playing a song by Deva Premal. One of my favourites, although I have no idea the name of the song. I walked into the empty studio, placed a mat and with the music surrounding and embracing me, I practiced. Slow, steady and with Love. Flowing through the Sun Sals, a few forward bends, halfmoon... none of it felt awkward or stiff. For a half hour I had Space to focus on my practice, connect with myself and Spirit. It felt like Yoga.

An hour later I returned to the studio with a friend to practice a 90 minute Baron Baptiste Power Flow. I sat too close to the heater and mid practice I took child's pose. I hyperventilated and cried, tears streaming down with my face pressed against the mat trying desperately to "get it together". I couldn't breathe, I thought I was going to throw up, and I was SO disappointed in myself. What kind of yogi has a panic attack in a heated class surrounded by 40 others who seem to be just fine?

I finished the practice, and for this I am glad, but I do not assume for a minute that the experience was worth it. I am willing to believe that physical challenges and being humbled can provide positive learning experiences but anything that places that much mental and emotional angst is not a healthy.

So I need to accept and respect my body AND my emotional and psychological Self. Heated yoga, like crowds, have potential to result in a panic attack with my Self. Which does not make me less of a yogi. What I practiced during the Baptiste class was not, during that specific time and emotional-physical place, "yoga". It was a reminder to accept and love this Person that I am.

(the person that successful cleaned the entire studio with water-vinegar-tea tree oil-broom-bucket-rag!)

The half hour, solitary and spiritual practice after I had scrubbed and mopped the studio, in my yoga pants and regular undershirt and bra, THAT was Yoga.

Blessings!

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Four Free Eco-Beauty Changes & A Bloggy-Friend's New Venture!

Many of you may remember my post about the fact that for about three years now my skin has decided to HATE me. Having been one of the lucky teens blessed with mostly clear skin, I found it incredibly unfair that I was suffering with acne, rosacea and eczema in my mid-late twenties. Especially since it really happened when I had decided to gradually go chemical-free in my beauty regime. (our friend-yoga on Saturday, SIX mats in our dining-living area!!)


What?? I have massive mountains and I can't use those ridiculously toxic (but incredibly successful) skin pad wipes??? Moving to aveda products was not only expensive, but obviously temporary (ever look at the ingredients on those products? ummm, chemical bonanza-ick!). 


Finally, after some failed attempts at completely cutting out ALL products (cutting down may work for many, but my skin actually got worse... being dry doesn't make it happy), I sucked up my pride and went for an organic facial.


Yep, I felt like a complete princess (in a non-compliment-y way) but seriously, I needed some guidance.


The experience wasn't something I'd revisit anytime soon, and not at all because of the aesthetician or products, but because of my sensory issues. Don't tell anyone, but I seriously hate having my face touched... and I was going to a facial. It was like the time I had a massage before I realized I didn't like strangers touching me... (the lady gave up when the hot stones kept falling off my legs cuz I was so tense). 


I did warn her that I was aware of my deficiency and that I would be uncomfortable the entire time, but it was nothing against her. She was very sweet, although I'm sure as soon as I left she was like: "Who was that crazy girl??". I almost walked out though when she said to take off my shirt and bra- WHAT? What does THAT have to do with my FACE? Hah, so I guess it's so you can relax better under the sheets while getting a facial.


People RELAX while getting a facial?? Really? 


In any case, the end result was that my skin was finally qualified by someone who knew about these things. Who knew that I had dehydrated skin (not the same as dry!), mild rosacea and level 2 acne (ick!). 


I will admit that I did leave the spa with four products, but I was prepared to try Eminence, an organic hungarian line (which I will talk about later). Needless to say, it was expensive, but for the first time in three years my skin is happy. I'm attributing this mostly to the moisturizer and cleanser and not so much the exfoliant or toner. Good to know so I can cheap up the last two when they run out (which, considering how much I paid for them, seven months later they are only half empty...).


The other part of my happy skin has to do with three or four FREE changes that she recommended. They are completely common sense, but for some strange reason I didn't even consider any of them.

1. Wash your makeup brushes (all of them!) weekly or bi-weekly! Wow, that one is an "of course!", but wouldn't you know I hadn't washed my blush brush since I bought it? (ew!). She recommended using shampoo as many brushes are actually made with "real" hair (weird... and SO not vegan). Admittedly I average on bi-weekly, and it is gross the stuff that comes out of those brushes. Of course spreading all your faces oils and makeup over your skin would make you break out!
2. Wash your face AFTER you rinse all your shampoo and conditioner out of your hair. Really? This is something I never did- I had a routine. Shampoo, rinse, condition-leave in while I wash my face, rinse afterwards. She pointed out that often our conditioners have oils and "stuff" in them (especially if your hair obviously only loves chemical shampoo like mine does...ick). With water running down all over our face, the last thing to touch our skin should be the cleansers. And wouldn't you know my breakouts happened to be all along the hairline and where water would run?
3. Wash your face before and after yoga. This one is mine. It seems straightforward, and I haven't quite accomplished this 100%, but yoga is hard work, and I am (weirdly) a sweaty gal. It doesn't have to be your regular cleanser, even mild soap and water would be great, but pre and post nonetheless.
4. Use lighter (or less) makeup. This includes trying for an "all-in-one" powder instead of concealer, foundation, powder deal. I'm moving towards this, with a lighter powder that can double as a concealer. I never liked foundations in the first place.

There ya go- four quick and easy ways to help your skin for free! I think there are soothing face masks and treatments made from things like honey and milk that would be wonderful as well... but I'm just too lazy (and honestly scared- what if my face swells up like it did with tea tree oil??) to try.

On the beauty note- 

I'm excited to share the news that tomorrow is Greenspell's natural, eco-friendly lotions and beauty product Etsy shop's Grand Opening! It's called 5 Seed and I LOVE her logo (five apple seeds!). She has a wonderful blog with the perfect philosophy (check out "why 5 Seed"). She's also pledged to donate 5% of all profits to the Jane Goodall Institute and try to eliminate plastic and packaging from her products! I also thought it was perfect that she chose tomorrow due to the new moon and solar eclipse, a very good time for new beginnings.

Please check out her blog, 5 Seed and her Etsy shop Friday January 15th 2010  (http://www.5seed.etsy.com starting Friday). I'm really excited about her yummy sounding lip balm flavours and the fact that her products are in glass jars and tin containers!

Blessings!

article and photos copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Melding Alternative and Traditional: Releasing Fear

Returning to work has been interesting this week, my life has been consumed with policy and promoting the importance of accessing Speech and Language services in French.


As our society becomes more "open" to children with differences and special needs (although not even close to being accepting yet!) parents are feeling more comfortable exploring in community activities that may benefit their child's social and physical development. When I worked in BC, often parents enrolled their children in hockey, soccer, dance and community groups with the children of their community. Expectations for these groups would be that the director/leader/workers would have minimal knowledge with how to support children with special needs as they were programs geared for typically developing children. The parents *knew* that they would be required to help.


In recent years I've seen more and more yoga programs pop-up specifically marketed for children with special or extra needs. This is such a wonderful concept; yoga brings the physical, social and emotional connection for so many people. Although research is limited (whether it exists at all at this point) on whether there are measurable benefits to yoga beyond the physical activity, all alternatives begin somewhere.


I am most certainly not an expert on Yoga, far from it. However, I can with confidence state that I am an expert on communication (when you're called to court as an expert witness, I think that qualifies right? lol). This is where I feel that yoga marketed for children with special needs requires extreme caution.


Historically, parents of children with special needs have been exploited cruelly through bunk "cures" and "treatments". These parents are especially vulnerable to spending money on something that may not benefit their child, and are willing to spend inordinate amounts of money on their children. 


Yoga programs can be expensive, honestly, and many parents already have huge bills related to having a child with health and medical conditions. As Yoga becomes more integrated into our healthcare system, and is increasingly viewed as a legitimate alternative treatment, instructors are soon equated to "expert" status along with other healthcare professionals.


Don't get me wrong, there most certainly are yoga instructors out there who are qualified to set up programs for children with special needs. However, by my standards they would be rare. Further, as Yoga Instructor Certification and Practice is not currently standardized or officially regulated like other health professionals, the onus is on the parent to assure the health and rights of their children are maintained.


Follow this with Best Practice considerations for teaching children with special needs and there you have the word *caution*. The majority of children with special needs have communication disorders or delays, from simple articulation-oral motor concerns, expressive language (including word finding, echolalia, grammatical organization, jargon) and receptive language disorders/delays (including understanding phrases of increasing complexity, "wh" questions, spatial concepts) along with fluency (stuttering), voice (hoarseness, tone, resonance) and social pragmatic concerns (eye contact, appropriate phrases, staying on topic, initiating). 


These are simply a few communication considerations to remember when teaching children with speech and language disorders/delays. A few questions to think about:

1. How do you teach a child postures if they don't understand spatial concepts (i.e. on, in, under, behind, up, down).
2. How do you teach a child that may not understand language well at all?
3. Many children have difficulty understanding language and verbal directions with auditory and visual distractions (i.e. music, many individuals in one room, an echo-y room, mirrors etc). How would you help them?
4. Many children (not just those with Autism) have difficulty with transitions, how would you help them through poses and finishing the class?
5. Many children (not just those with Autism) have difficulties with sensory input, easily upset by certain levels of touch, sound and light. 
6. What would you do if a child becomes upset or wanders off when they (inevitably) don't understand the direction or are challenged?
7. If a child uses Augmentative Communicative Devices such as PECS, would you know how to communicate with them?
8. What if the child is hearing impaired and uses hearing aids, a cochlear implant or is a signer. Echo-y rooms are terribly challenging for these children, how would you signal to them without auditory words to change, adjust etc?
9. Most children (and especially those with receptive language delays) have difficulty attending for longer than 10 minutes... how would you support them?

These are simply some of the communication aspects of working with children with special needs, not to mention physical limitations of children with low tone, fine or gross motor skill delays etc.


I do believe that yoga would be a fantastic benefit to children and their parents. My professional opinion, both ethically and as Best Practice, is that programs should consult closely with other health professionals such as Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists (especially for Autism) and Speech Language Pathologists during creation and for extra training. 


All programs created by health professionals require extensive collaboration with a team, as this is considered evidence based practice and best for the child. Should yoga venture down this path, I don't see why a partnership wouldn't be feasible. We all have something valuable and helpful to offer. Releasing fear of loss of professional scope while recognizing the value and actively encouraging programs that reflect the child as a whole will result in beautiful blossoming of potential and community. The melding of alternative and traditional health together as opposed to one versus the other.


I would recommend this type of program to my clients in a heartbeat. :)


That's my little soap box for the day!


Blessings!


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Exchanging my sweat for Yoga and clandestine Eco-fy

As many of you are aware, I took a hiatus from studio Yoga classes for several months. Mostly due to cost- it is just SO expensive for yoga classes and with my contract ending last month, an eco-wedding to plan for and possible months of unemployment to prepare for, 16-18$ a class was not a "necessity". I was also becoming more disillusioned from the entire "yoga as a business" vs Yoga as spirituality. No other forms of spirituality cost hundreds of dollars a month...


In any case, several readers suggested I try energy exchanges... and so I did. 


Initially I tried to problem solve what expertise I could barter with... I can sing... ummm... lol. My favourite (and still unsuccessful) was a workshop for teachers wanting bring yoga to children and adults with speech and language disorders. How to use Augmentative Communication devices, low tech such as pictures, signs or visual schedules. Things to consider for children with special needs such as how to transition, what if they have receptive language disorders or are hearing impaired. It would involve a full powerpoint workshop and hands-on practice and case studies. Seriously, I am so excited about this idea.


No one else seems to be... sigh. In any case, perhaps something to consider for the future.


What I did receive a response for, though, was cleaning skills. Yep, I can clean like the best of them. My first job was as a housekeeper for rich Americans at their family-owned mansion in my tiny fishing village. There is something essentially humbling in being told to "speak when spoken to" and to clean someone else's toilet and bathtub. Every teenager should have this experience. My favourite memory- a woman who had a meltdown because she found a "white substance" on her sink... it was comet.


Although I have a master's degree and have been working as a professional for three years, I am not above mopping floors for free yoga. Today was my first energy exchange experience!


I *hoped* fervently as I mentally prepared for the experience that the owner of the studio used eco-friendly cleaning supplies... perhaps I should bring some vinegar? I resisted and my heart sank when I saw the swiffer (dry and wet mops), rolls of white white papertowel and clorox and method cleaning supplies. 


Slow but steady, Lisa. The owner is a fantastic teacher (one of my favs in the city who was a BC massage therapist pre-yoga instructor) and she was very accommodating to my questions and "ideas".


Unfortunately I had to reveal that I had no idea how to work a swiffer... as we only ever had a broom. The owner's method- making a pile and somehow mopping the rocks and salt (from the street) up. Since there was no broom or dust pan it took forever to wet the paper towel and pick up the dirt piles pre-mopping. I also mopped the studio while she was heating it up for the next class... it was 30 degrees celcius and I will definitely be wearing yoga gear next week.


Each paper towel felt unnatural and dirty as I cleaned the sinks and desk. Thankfully, after a timid suggestion, I will be able to bring my broom-dust pan, a bucket and a rag next Sunday! I'm also going to create a vinegar and water concoction that hopefully won't leave a residue on the studio floors (essential oil scent suggestions? I was thinking clary sage to clarify the energy of the studio... just a few drops... or perhaps tea tree for anti-bacterial properties).


There is nothing like manual labour to imbue a sense of satisfaction in work. When you are finished you have something to SHOW for your hard work. I was always a sucker for that kinda job- loved being a bartender for that reason as well.


I also tried to find Yoga as I worked today. Despite the fact that it took 2 hours to clean the entire studio (hopefully next Sunday will go more quickly), I tried to feel my breath, to find Joy and Stillness while I worked. It was beautiful to feel connected to a space where so many Yogi/nis sweat, breathe and practice. 


And darn if I won't gradually eco-fy that studio.


I am one sneaky EcoYogini ;)


Now I just need to figure out what class I'll take for free this week! WOOT.


Blessings!


article and photo copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Knowing Myself... a Process

Last night my return to yoga class was an unexpected one. After months of mostly home practice due to budget reasons, I *assumed* that my return to class would be a well-thought and planned experience...


Instead, within 15 minutes I decided to shave my legs, put on my yoga gear and boot it to the new BreathingSpace Halifax studio for some heated, Baron Baptiste Style Power yoga.... and I don't even like heated yoga!


How did this happen? Honestly it was the result of a little "peep" from "bridezilla". Yep, I had a *moment* from a conversation with my mother (love you mom!) where although I don't think I was being unreasonable, it left my emotions spiralling upwards and outwards. I needed to be grounded. I needed something to challenge me. What better than a style I don't really like? I must be a masochist. 


Since I'm on vacation this week, I checked the schedule and found that there was a heated class at the Halifax studio's new location... which is kinda a pain to get to as it's across the rotary. I am not a fan of the rotary, mostly because most Haligonian drivers have no idea how to go through...


As I zoomed over to the studio and got stuck at every single traffic light thoughts zipped from being angry about possibly being late for class, to being disappointed in myself for driving, to anger at the Halifax Public Transit system for being so crappy (or I would have taken a bus)... you get the idea.


So I breathed, cranked up my new fav singer Lhasa (which, omg, the day after I discovered her, Jan 1st 2010 she passed away from Breast Cancer) and tried to LET GO. Once I got there I started to get nervous. I will admit that I am a nervous, self-conscious yogini. I'm not sure if others feel this way, but every time I walk into a studio I feel like an impostor. Like I'm not "yogic" or "cool" enough to belong there. Some studios are worse than others, most likely the result of the type of practitioner who goes there. Or my own perceptions.


For some reason I felt out of place at their new studio. I didn't recognize any yogis in the class and didn't feel that sense of open-acceptance. There were three guys there which was fun, two of which were speaking French.


As I looked at the heaters in the room, I felt as if others were checking out clothing-mats-gear and judging. Perhaps that was only me? Ugh the heaters... all that energy being used to heat a room to 92 degrees, the waste! Unlike Bikram or Moksha Yoga, Baron Baptiste style heats the room to about 92ish degrees and is a more "power-flow" yoga. Which is why I can deal- 105 degrees is just so hot I have trouble breathing... at all.


However, unlike Moksha, BreathingSpace doesn't appear to supplement it's energy use with sustainable heating measures. Moksha studios have radiant heating panels that save up to 40% of their energy usage (however, I would argue that heating a room in Canada to 105 degrees 12 hours a day would be a hike of more than 40% energy usage in your average home...). Heated yoga is not an eco-friendly style of yoga (also stated by GreenLife Yoga).


Regardless, I was there and I was practicing "letting go". The practice was ridiculous... and just what I needed. It was difficult, challenging, HOT and I left feeling more focused and grounded. 


I was also amazed that I actually kept up with the practice! I was nervous that months of home practice had somehow lessened my asana strength and flexibility. I was extremely careful while stretching to not give in to the temptation of artificial muscle warmth and flexibility. I know that I am not bendy and that typically my muscles need half a practice to appropriately lengthen and warm-up. Despite my caution, today my lower back is dangerously sore from most likely over-stretching in attempts at "wheel".


Using external heat to loosen and lengthen muscles isn't at all the same as using actual muscle and core movement to heat the body internally. I know from experience, that even practicing yoga outside in the heat can result in over-stretching and damaging muscles (pulling your achilles tendon during crescent in 30 degree Celcius weather isn't fun).


Being able to touch my toes during the first Sun Salutation wasn't normal and it was SO tempting to push my body into postures and flexibility never before achieved. Sometimes it's so frustrating to be surrounded by so many "gumbies" when it has taken several years just to be able to reach my toes during paschimottanasana (seated forward bend). For someone new to yoga, new to their body's "true" abilities, heated yoga could result in injuries.


However, heated yoga can be truly beneficial for some people, who know their bodies and limits. I just don't believe that assuming students are aware of how muscles and their bodies react to heat is best practice... Which is why I recommended to friends that they wait to try "hot yoga" until they've practiced yoga in non-heated environments. This winter Heather, after over a year of practicing yoga, will be visiting Moksha to try one of their classes, and I'll go with her :) My friend Jenn loves Moksha yoga, especially during the winter and she is also very aware of the limits of her own body.


Despite all this, that heated room was exactly what I needed. 


I was even able to breathe through a French conversation with one of the Quebecois guys there... and stick to French even though he kept switching to English. Once I explained my accent-grammatical-vocabulary pattern (as it wasn't one he had heard before) with several moments of *sigh-pause-breathe-continue in accent-downplayed French*; it was fine. The poor guy even asked "Pratiques-tu en *Acadien* souvent??" I hope our encounter left him with the impression that there were many more Francophones out there than simply France and Quebec.


I won't be going back to another heated class for a while, but I bought a 10-class pass (and am currently feeling the gut punch of buyers remorse) and will be trying some different instructors and styles over the next few months.


For tonight, friends will be coming over to practice together in my tiny apartment with yogaglo! We'll push furniture out of the way, set up our mats and practice together for an hour, without chatting or commenting. Simply friends, being in the present.




Many Blessings!


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Wearing my Monkey Pants under my Yoga Pants!!

Fun news!


A while back I entered in my little thoughts on a name for Lille's house over at ~This Time Tomorrow~. I really liked "The Lily Pad", it's such a cute, hip name. And out of 94 other peeps, my name was chosen!!!!


YAY!!!


Lille is such a beautiful soul, filled with joy, wonder and creativity. Over the past few months, through various emails and reading her blog posts I've come to see her as truly open, honest and thoughtful. I feel blessed to have "met" her over bloggy-land and I someday hope to have her sense of open-heartedness.


The "prize" for winning, other than my name being chosen? A one of a kind, special just pour moi, painting by Lille!!! It arrived today after a long journey through Canada Post (who can be VERY slow over the holidays), just as Andrew was walking out the door for work.


Sigh. I had promised Lille that I would wait until Andrew took pictures of me opening my gift. So off I went to do some Baron Baptiste "Hot Yoga", my first yoga class back after my months of budget-drought.

The painting arrived in this lovely sewing box- yay reusing!

As soon as he walked through the door, before even changing or eating supper, we opened the box.....

Being VERY careful not to cut anything possibly delicate inside.

Ouuuu!!! something is peeking through!

Seriously, I love getting mail... there was a huge mess on the floor...

SO BEAUTIFUL!!!! This is my "I am trying not to tear up cuz it's so perfect" look If you look closely, Lille painted a beautiful Goddess Spiral which sticks out, the middle part is an actual picture of me practicing yoga at the beach this Fall that she painted....

There I am! Lille even put SEA GLASS (sigh, so perfect) all around, with beads and bits. I'm holding up what I like to call "fairy poo" which are clear glass pebbles or marbles... :)

The beautiful spiral... I heart it very much

It's new home- where I can see it everyday that I sit to enjoy my supper, or while I see on our sofa..... A reminder of Joy, Peace, Love and Friendship.

On the back it says "Wear your Monkey Pants under your Yoga Pants!!!"

Absolutely Perfect!

Thank you so very much Lille! I will treasure this piece of Love and Art for years to come!

Many Blessings :)

Article and photos copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com