High School and Loving Yourself

My high school reunion was last summer, 10 years gone by. I didn't attend. Didn't even consider for a minute that I would. I found out after from the few people I stay in touch with that ridiculous things were said about me since I wasn't there. Awesome- and *that* is the reason why I didn't attend my high school reunion. There really wasn't anyone that I actually wanted to see.

Harsh? Naw, like most teenagers, high school was stressful and the people who attended the reunion are those who stayed behind. And didn't change. I never would have guessed that some people just will never mature past 18 years old... how is that even possible?

I attended grade primary until eight with the same 26 classmates and grades nine to twelve in a high school with 400 students. My graduating class was 90, one of the largest in recent years. Needless to say, variety and choice in friends wasn't really an option.

Obviously my experiences way way back then have shaped who I am today. Despite the fact that I am just becoming more confident and comfortable in who I am with each year that goes by, those difficult years between grade 5 and 12 (yep, I was a favourite bullying target for a long time) stay with 'emotional' me.

A few things I wish I could tell elementary and high school me:
- Those girls are jerks. Give it a few years and they won't matter anymore.
- I wish I could morph my confidence and 'take no shit' attitude into 12 year old me.
- Reading IS cool. Being smart is true fabulosity. All that reading will seriously pay off in a wicked University undergrad and master's degree. Trust me.
- Ditch the 'best friend'- see following point:
- Rooming with your high school 'best' friend in residence is not a good idea. At least you'll discover what a real friend means.
- Trust me, guys will think the fact that you're a Trekkie and Sci-Fi, Fantasy girl uber cool. (at least the interesting guys). Don't hide who you are.
- The interesting people, those worth knowing, will like you with your sincerity, emotional sensitivity, intelligence and passion. It's just that people worth knowing don't attend your high school.

- You will make amazing friends and meet the most interesting people.

- You are beautiful just how you are.

The best decisions I made as a pre-teen, teenager:
- Reading during lunch breaks instead of trying to survive being made fun of by my class in an effort to be liked. They're all mostly still jerks and never were worth my time anyway.
- Waiting for drinking and sex. Virginity was my flag and boy was that a good idea.
- Never smoking weed. Although I have nothing against it; singing was my emotional outlet and smoke damages vocal folds.
- Leaving the province for university. As most of my high school classmates went to Halifax or Université Ste Anne, it would have been like a slightly larger version of high school. A provincial buffer was perfect.

What amazes me is how confidence really does arrive the older you get. You couldn't pay  me to be 19 again, or even my early twenties. I love my little laughing creases, my wrinkly thumbs and fingers and my 'woman' thighs.

Even a recent short 'cyber bullying' on twitter wasn't enough to transport me back to that place where I would have just smiled meekly and agreed. Instead, I stuck with my opinions, stated that I felt a bit ganged up upon and wished everyone all the best at the CASLPA conference.

(quick poll: would you tweet during a professional research/educational training presentation or talk?)

Has yoga helped with these moments? I'd have to say yes, although yoga hasn't been enough. I have sent positive thoughts and healing energy, dedicating some practices to people who have hurt me in the past. Yoga has helped me breathe through anxiety and insecurity. The right yoga class has also helped me connect and love my body the way it is.

As we all move through the spiral of life, like the Tower card in Tarot; change can be scary but is always accompanied by growth. Yoga has helped me choose when to spiral inward and when to spiral outward.


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

An Escape to Rural Nova Scotia

When was the last time you stepped outside, far from exhaust and human created noise? Most of us live in hugely busy cities, surrounded by concrete, polluted air with the concept of stars and a non-human soundtrack a distant dream.

Many environmentalists, including David Suzuki, theorize that as a culture part of the environmental disconnect is the missing puzzle piece of actually experiencing the natural world. A nice example of this is that commercial of the little boy who brings his mother an actual bullfrog; who looks disgusted and forces him to read about frogs in a book. The lesson: Nature is dirty and should be experienced at a distance.

I find it sad that we have to go to the park to experience nature. It's obvious city life is wearing on me and perhaps it's time to consider a long term "sustainable home" savings plan. The biggest barrier? Commuting to work. Currently we both walk to our jobs for the most part, everything is very accessible (including the farmer's market). Living in a city can potentially decrease a person's carbon footprint; should they choose to access everything via public transit and support sustainable city infrastructure. Unfortunately, the way Halifax is currently set up sucks away my soul to the point where I feel as grey with a head filled with constant electronic background hum that I'm not sure how to connect with the Earth I was so passionate to save just months ago.

I'm still not sure it's possible to live in a city the way they are organized today and truly experience the connection I believe necessary to engender a sufficient amount of "I care about this" sense of urgency. Without this paradigm shift, it's much more difficult to encourage behavioural change necessary to make that cultural shift from wasteful to environmental. I don't mean buying the "eco" versions of things, but decreasing consumerism, walking or taking public transit to work and growing your own food. (And demanding environmental policies from our political leaders).

Our trip to my parents this weekend in rural Nova Scotia was a necessary hit of nature to sustain me until we can plan something a bit more substantial.

 (old school lobster 'pots' or traps that still hang out a a childhood friend's driveway)

 (fiddleheads peeping through the brown burnt ground while we were walking on the old 'tracks' which used to be the train tracks when the train actually went past Halifax. Now they function as a four wheeler, walking or bicycle path. The ground was burned as the land owners here often burn old under growth during the spring).

 (Mayflowers- they smell DELICIOUS and grow wild- and are Nova Scotia's official flower!)

 (mom wanted some for her kitchen. As muck has never been a deterrent for me, a quick hop and tentative plucking around the pickers and....)

 (A beautiful bouquet!)

 A melted green glass bottle

 A typical view along our road, as we don't have a street name in our village. That's the Atlantic ocean and an island that you see.

 Fishing boats coming in the harbour after being out lobster fishing since 3am that morning. It was around 3:30pm when I took this picture. That's an island where a few Americans bought the land and thought it would be 'quaint' to build a few houses... which they never lived in...

(I say this days before Andrew and I take a plane for Montréal for the CASLPA conference. It's for my work and professional development, but I can't help but feel guilty for the amount of carbon I'm helping to pump into the atmosphere. If I were more wealthy I'd try to get some carbon offsets or something. Ah well, lots of walking and metro-ing while I'm there!).

Regardless, right now living in the city is the only option for us. As our "eco-home" is still a few years away, I feel like we have time to figure out a few commuting solutions.

In the meantime? Frequent weekly Yoga in the Parks and Guitar playing picnics at Point Pleasant can't come soon enough.


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Quilting: Pieces of my Grand-mère traveling across Canada

Our wedding quilt on our queen size bed.

I grew up with quilts on each bed. With extras for snuggling up with when we were cold. I remember as a child walking into my grand-mère's upstairs large room overlooking the shed, field and finally the harbour, and seeing her four quilting posts set up. A few times she would have an unfinished quilt attached to the four corners and we would crawl around underneath like it was a fort.

That was when we were really little.

Grand-mère hasn't been quilting for decades.

check out the stitching- hand done all perfectly straight and even.

My mom tells me the ladies in the community would all gather around the quilting posts, gossip and quilt for entire afternoons. Once the ladies left, often grand-mère would go behind them, undo their stitches and re-quilt... she was ridiculously particular about needing the most perfect, tiny and even stitch. Because of her perfectionism and constant re-stitching, mom says she just gave up learning how to quilt. Who has time for hours of sewing these days?

It really wasn't until I met Andrew that I truly understood that I took my beloved 'grand-mère quilts' for granted. He grew up with synthetic, fuzzy blankets and never had quilts on the bed.

Fisherman's quilt and another grand-mère quilt we have stored in our vintage blue trunk

Growing up I inherited the most wonderful quilt of all: grand-mère's 'Fisherman's quilt'. I received this ugly mishmash of colours with the most soft flannel backing in high school. Out of all the quilts, the fisherman's quilts are the ugliest. Made from any old scrap fabric the ladies had lying around, they were stitched together in practical squares with extra stuffing and a flannel backing. They weren't supposed to be pretty, but were meant to keep the men warm while out fishing; in doreys or sword fishing like my grand-père used to do.

the soft back flannel part! fraying now at the edges... :(

Fisherman's quilt... my favourite

I adore that quilt. It has followed me through my undergrad, crossing the Bay of Fundy for four years on the stinky Digby Ferry; comforting while I was homesick and having my heart broken for the very first time. I dragged it to Montreal for two years where it witnessed the roller-coaster ride of my life there and was volunteered as my first 'yoga mat' (umm not really ideal). I even rolled up my grand-mère's quilt, tied with some nylon twine (dad's lobster fishing neon orange!) on top of my luggage and lived for two years with us in the Okanagan valley.

It has been a part of my life for over fourteen years now. Even though grand-mère and grand-père never had a driver's license or traveled much after their wedding anniversary, a little piece of them made it across the country and back with me.

Before she stopped quilting, grand-mère had quilted each of the grandchildren a wedding quilt. They were all tucked away in trunks, waiting for us to each get married.

Unfortunately, we all waited a bit too long. Grand-mère was recently diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer's type. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I know exactly what that means, and have been seeing the signs of her crumbling memory for years now. By the time my cousin and I got married, she no longer remembered that she had lovingly stitched those quilts for us to have at our wedding. She wasn't able to attend Andrew and my wedding last fall as she was too fragile to travel the three hours to Oceanstone. I'm still sad to this day that she missed such a special part in my life.

Now when I look at the quilts, especially the fisherman's quilt, they are so precious. That pink square is fabric from grand-mère's old pajamas I remember her wearing as a child, the orange squares are from her old blouse, some of the blue squares are from grand-père's old shirts and trousers. Grand-père passed into the afterlife two years ago.

These quilts have truly come to represent the fading craft that we used to take in creating gifts and objects with meaning. Of frugality and care. Of community and love.

We've become so busy in our lives trying to make money, fit in 'date night' or 'family time' that we've forgotten what it's like to just BE.

I wish my grand-mère's quilts could last forever, keeping her memory with me through all the steps life and the Goddess will offer me.

Blessings and Happy Full Moon!


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

Debunking Meditation in my Practice

Meditation has never been 'ma force' to say the least. I'm the yogini who for the first two years during savanasa (when it wasn't painful) was painfully anxious the entire time. I've now at least moved to being able to sit with my eyes closed during savasana, but let's just say I'm very vata-pita, high strung and not quite able to slow down.

I've often wondered, over the past 6 years of my yoga journey, if I should be meditating more. It's a limb on that eight fold ashtanga yoga path (I think? lol) and I'm pretty sure kinda an important aspect of a yoga practice in general. At least, that's what they tell me ('they' being intense yoga-types). Needless to say, yin has been the closest I've come to slowing down during my yoga practice. Typically a slower practice makes me anxious... which is counter-intuitive.

Last week, friends (who meditate weekly) invited me to attend a free Moksha Halifax meditation workshop. Free. I really can't pass that up. Especially after all that griping recently about how expensive yoga was.

I was fairly prepared to be extremely uncomfortable and fail miserably at the entire workshop... Sad that I walked into the studio predetermined to fail. Thank goodness the self-fulfilling prophecy (go Psych degree!) didn't pan out!

The co-owner of the studio ran the workshop. She was very sweet and open to questions. I struggled a bit with turning of my newly acquired 'yoga-cynicism' at her comments about yoga being 10 000 years old (umm... that could be contested) or how her 6 years of practicing yoga and now she co-owns a studio and has an iphone (do all yoga teachers have iphones now?) was bugging me. I was on serious cynic high gear that day. I managed to tell Ms. Cynic to shut the eff up and tune into the learning experience of the day.

We practiced four types of meditation, each 5 minutes long with a 10 minute final who-hah, let-er rip finale.

1. Guided meditation: I found this meditation-type to be the most difficult. Instead of focusing on my own breath and turning myself inward I was constantly being distracted by her voice and her suggestions. I will admit that I adore guided *relaxation*, as the goal is to help relax each muscle and not clearing my mind.

2. Mantra repetitions: I'm really not comfortable choosing a sanskrit mantra. Mostly because I always feel fake or like a weird poser repeating something that I have no cultural, historical or religious ties. Instead I decided to focus on 'inhale, exhale' which wasn't too 'fouffy'. It was interesting that she recommended we don't time our breath with our mantra as our meditation would become too breath dependent. I understand the idea, but I guess the clearing of my mind really is very closely tied to my breath. It's possible this changes with time and practice.

3. Visualization: Oh how I despised this type of meditation. I really didn't want to visualize a flame; all I could think about was how Tuvoc meditates with a flame- go Vulcans!, or try to recreate some sort of energy ball or whatever so I tried to think about the field of energy that surrounds us all (very pagan). As I kept trying to force something that purposefully became external I just became more annoyed and angry. When that little ding on her iphone went off I couldn't have been happier. Stupid energy field.

4. Passively watching our thoughts pass by: she described this technique as watching your thoughts run by like on a piece of tape (ummm) and passively accept them without judgment or attachment. She admitted that this was very difficult for her and not her favourite. I would say that the 'thoughts on tape' analogy actually got in the way of how I generally accept and let go of my thoughts during meditation. As soon as I stopped trying to see a tape, it wasn't that difficult. 

The final 10 minute meditation was on whatever technique we wanted. Which I chose to be to focus on my breath and clear my mind... and I realized immediately that I have been meditating at least once if not three or more times a week for the past six years. I have spent all this time avoiding meditation specific workshops worried that meditation would just be too difficult for me, that I needed to do something really special, when what I do during each savanasa has been meditation all along.

Me meditating during savasana in my hotel in Cape Breton. Without even knowing it!

Since I am so not a fan of relaxation in public surrounded by people, every savasana has been spent focusing my mind, my breath and grounding with the Earth's energy. I've used pagan techniques with regards to grounding for circle casting and energy clearing, yogic techniques of breathing and quieting the mind.

Holy Goddess, I am a Meditatrice!

Article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Shu bénaise: Acadian word of the week!

Bénaise:

adjectif, Content, heureux. 'Je suis bénaise d'avoir pratiqué le yoga au parc mardi soir!'

Répart géographique: Maritimes (sauf le nord-ouest du N-B), îles de la Madeleine, sud de la Gaspésie, Basse-Côte-Nord; attestations sporadiques au Québec où la forme bien-aise est plus courante; rares attestations en Louisiane.

Historique: Depuis 1906, héritage de la France; attesté sous la forme benaise vers 1750. Elle même une variante de bien aise, signalé dès la fin du 15e siècle et aujourd'hui consigné avec les marques 'vieux' ou 'littéraire'. La forme benaise (ou benèze, benèse) est largement répandue dans le domaine d'oïl ainsi qu'au franco-provençal.

(Dictionnaire du français acadien, Yves Cormier; 1999 p.90)


Bénaise ('Baynayz')
adjective, pleased, happy. 'I'm happy that I practiced yoga in the park Tuesday evening!'

Use geographically: Maritimes (except the north-west of NB), Madeleine islands, south of Gaspésie, a few reports in Québec where the form 'bien-aise' is more currently used, rare reports in Louisiana.

History: Since 1906, originating from France, reported under the form benaise around 1750. A variant of bien aise, used since the end of the 15th century and today considered 'archaic' or a 'litterary' term. The form benaise (or benèze, benèse) is largely used in 'le domaine d'oïl' and franco-provençal.

Today I feel thankful for:

• a renewed sense of yoga and fabulous Yin and Restore practice last night. Who knew, but the yoga instructor is actually from my tiny village three hours south!
• the happenstance of meeting Anne-M. at said yin class (facebook-blog friend!).
• a day of rest from work.
• friends and family who I feel especially close to and supported by recently.
• the chance to meet Roseanne from the now on break, its all yoga, baby blog in a few weeks on my trip to Montreal.
• the opportunity to write lyrics while sipping the most yummy coffee at Smiling Goat this afternoon.
• that despite a feeling of being overwhelmed, I take heart that so many of you care about our Earth and are striving to make a difference.

Pour quoi-ce que vous êtes bénaise?

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

Rediscovering Passion: Creativity, music and yoga

"I will never give up music"

I remember saying/thinking that in high school. I couldn't imagine what life would be like if I didn't play/sing every single day. I found time after school every day... other people (I would add [older] in there) just weren't committed or passionate enough.

I kept it up pretty well during university, even played a few open mics. Montreal was essential for music playing in my room or at the park. I wrote lyrics every where I went, on pads of paper, in my note book. Scribbles and thoughts jotted down. Some of them made it to songs, most didn't.

Something happened when I started my "big girl" job. I stopped playing/writing/singing. Oh I had a good summer one year in Vernon, even played at a coffee shop a few times. But I could sense a change.

These past two years in Halifax have been the worse yet. I go weeks without playing, I haven't written hardly any lyrics and not one noteworthy song. I'm tired at the end of the day, I feel drained of creativity. I either have time for yoga, or time for music.

Not fair- one shouldn't have to exclude the other.

Today as I was walking to work after a very interesting workshop on Cleft Palate SLP assessment, I had an urge. To create. To sit outside near the ocean, feeling the wind whip through my hair and over my face and to just WRITE. It was almost physical. Even now, home from a particularly emotional afternoon at work, I look out my window and I *wish*.

I think part of the decrease has been energy, but another huge part has been Andrew. I love him, with all my heart, which is the problem- I'm happy. I am much more creative when I'm full of angst (which I wouldn't want to actually be again, so no regrets!). From a practical perspective, I play and create more often when I am alone. Rarely am I alone now while at home. I love spending time with Andrew, but perhaps I should carve out more "alone" time specifically.

Tonight is friend yoga night- and we were going to watch the political debate afterward (Elizabeth May should have been included!!). After that I will write.

I'm ready. It's time for some renewal, it is spring after all.

As of tonight I will strive to:

- play my guitar and sing at least once a week.

- purchase a cute (eco) booklet to encourage lyric writing, and keep it with me wherever I go.

- play and sing outside at the park at least once this summer.

- move beyond this recent yoga-cynicism that has enveloped my practice. 

What about you? Has your creativity/passion changed recently? 

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

Yoga+Hockey= Hoga... Yockey... Hocka?

I wish I had brought my camera. One of the most unexpected sights while Andrew and I were out watching our friend H.'s hockey game was a yoga demo....

Our friend H. is amazing, she decided a few years ago that she wanted to play hockey... even though she could barely skate. Her boyfriend K. picked up a pair of "boy" skates, brought her to an arena, found out there was no "women's hockey school" in Halifax for her to learn- so he started one. Fast forward two years later and she's seriously kicking butt in their division. I am so proud of her.

Although I strongly support her with my sign making, cheering madness (she says she isn't embarrassed when I show up to her games, but I don't know lol), her hockey playing has resulted in quite a few barriers to her yoga practice. She often has shoulder bruises and soreness from a hockey game, making so many of the asana's painful. She knows the modifications, but admittedly it's annoying and frustrating to have to constantly adjust most postures during a flow practice. It would be difficult to keep track of more than a few adjustments let alone trying to move gracefully between each asana, maintaining a semblance of flow.

It may have slowed her down, but yoga has been fully entrenched in H. and K.'s lives, which was fully evident last Saturday night.

As their team skated on the ice, pucks were dumped on each side of the rink and a quick few minutes of shooting, skating and warming up took place. I was settling into my seat with period "warm-up" cheers to Andrew's complete embarrassment (hah) when I noticed that about 6 players were all lined up stretching... No surprise, hockey players stretch on ice before games.

But then... "Is, is that H. doing upward dog??? She's TOTALLY doing upward dog on ice in full gear!" The entire line up wasn't just doing regular hockey stretches, but recognizable full yoga postures, on ice with skates, padding, gloves, helmet the whole nine yards.

We saw upward dog, pigeon (both sides- go balance!), frog, child's pose, reclining hand to big toe twist finishing with, I kid you not- plow pose. On ice. In skates.

Now *that* is guerrilla yoga :)


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Le mot de la semaine/Word of the Week

Larguer:

Verbe
Lâcher prise, laisser échapper, laisser tomber. 'Larguer une assiette' ou 'Largue ouaire!'

Répart. géographique: Partout: quelques attestations au Québec.

Historique: Depuis 1895, héritage de France. Attesté au sense de 'lâcher (ce qu'on tient)' en français dans les 1700s et 1800s., et relevé dans les parlers du Nord, du Nord-Ouest et de l'Ouest (de la France). Cet emploi découle du sens maritime de 'lâcher le cordage qui retient une voile par le bas' attesté en français depuis les 1600s.


(Dictionnaire du français acadien, 1999, Yves Cormier, p. 260)

Larguer:

Verb.
To let go, let escape, let fall.

Areas used: Everywhere (in Acadie), some usage in Quebec.

History: Since 1895, originating from France. Linguistic meaning from 'let something go' en French since the 1700s and 1800s from the North, North-west and Western speakers in France. The Acadian use originated and evolved from the maritime sense of 'letting go of the rope that holds the bottom of the sail' which was used since the 1600s.


I am definitely 'largu-ing' (je largue tout!) this weekend after a long week of work :) Also, I actually didn't know this wasn't a standard French word until I moved to Québec and tried to use it in conversation... lol.

Bonne fin de semaine!

Worms: "Procreate, eat, shit and have a great time"

We are a composting household and have been so since 2006. While living in Montreal I thought I was doing pretty good just recycling. I mean, I lived in an apartment, how could I compost?

Then we moved to British Columbia and our landlord had a compost bin in his yard. I figured, well, my parents have been composting for a few years now, I'm sure I can handle this. The first few months were definitely an adventure. Filled with failed "corn based" biodegradable bags... that would actually begin composting IN our bin (ew!), to fruit fly infestations, a frozen outdoor compost bin and then maggots. Yep, Gag. (Lesson: boxboard or sturdy paper is WAY better than weird corn-plastic bags).

It has now been about five years of composting. We have a little green bin that we buy paper bags to line. Our friends use old cereal or beer boxes to line theirs. Since we're lazy we empty ours when it gets full... which is about every three of four days. Wouldn't you know, it doesn't (generally) smell. Fruit flies are minimal. This is mostly because we have a sealed container.

Now when I travel and visit other places that don't compost it feels almost criminal putting food waste to be shipped to a place where I know it will never degrade.

TRUTH: food waste *might* degrade in the landfill... (lettuce and hotdogs have been found from decades previous perfectly preserved in air tight plastic bags. No oxygen? Slow to none decomposition). When they do degrade without oxygen they create extremely polluting methane- one of the top climate changing chemicals that traps heat 20% more than carbon. Our landfills are the biggest human source of this gas. Awesome.

Although some landfills and dumps have figured out ways to trap the gases- compost facilities can as well... WHILE creating beautifully rich soil at the same time.

Also, food waste makes up 35 to 50% of our garbage. In Toronto that means 110,000 tonnes of green bin waste and 90,000 tonnes of yard waste per year

(Ecoholic, 2007).

Composting in Nova Scotia is sooo easy. You put stuff in the green bin and once a week a big city truck comes and takes it away. Sadly, despite the laws that are supposedly enforcing these regulations, most local yoga studios do *not* in fact compost. You're lucky if you even see a recycling separating option.

Have municipal compost but are grossed out by it all? A few smarty-pants Nova Scotian designers actually designed a silicone freezer bin that you fill up, freeze and will easily pop the frozen waste out into the municipal pick up bin. No mess, no smell. Made by Fuccillo in Los Angeles and sold here in Halifax at Carbonstok.

Ok, so you're convinced and WANT to compost. You get it. Sadly, no municipal composting system and you live in the city. Hah- you are SO not off the hook!

Hello Vers de terre- aka Worms!

Vermicomposting is the decomposition of organic matter by worms. They eat the stuff and poo out nutrient rich worm poo. I have read that they are easy and smell-free way to create rich organic soil for your plants (or local park... lol) right in your apartment! Living in Toronto has a fabulous guide on how to create your very own worm composter in your apartment.

Red worms eat their weight in food every day. This means one pound of worms can eat through seven pounds of food every week. According to this interview:

“Worms are like children,” says Fry. Keep them indoors where it’s not too hot, not too cold. You can start small with an ice cream bucket, but any plastic or wood container will do. First you need a scoop of soil. A layer of shredded newspaper on top acts as their bedding. Lift it up for feeding time and cover them up afterwards. Keep it moist and feed every few days.
“After that they just procreate, eat, shit and have a great time”

Love that quote.

Don't like the look of a plastic bin in your living room? Well, you could get this ridiculously beautiful 5bin composter system on etsy. Or these coffin-like Wood Worm bins, or eco-felt cloth bins that you could store under the sink.

Take the next step.

• If you have a yard; get yourself a yard composter (Yancy has fabulous adventures and insights on her blog).
• If you live in the city with municipal composting- get a bin and some liners and giver!
• If you don't like the smell- try the beautiful silicone freezer bin!
• If you don't have municipal composting- go worming!

Needless to say, composting definitely is for everyone. It really is shameful that 50% of our waste is taken up by something that could otherwise be creating beautiful, healthy soil.

Blessings!

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

How to turn into a Cat Lady

Five signs you have gone from a ambivalent, probably runs over quails if they get in your way to crazy cat lady.

 (awww, isn't he just so cute? sadly Atreyu was a premature kitten, which means incubator prior to the SPCA and some pretty weird cat-deficiencies... he's our broken kitten and we love him)

1. You're excited to tell friends the latest, cutest thing your cat has done. This is the first sign and is a creeper. I mean, who wouldn't want to know just how CUTE your little kitten is? Then... then you get friends who obviously start making up the grocery list as you go on and on about your kitten. And you just.can't.stop.

(Everyone, meet Asteya. She pretends to be delicate, but she can kick some serious Atreyu a%$).

2. You get another cat because your first one is JUST SO LONELY all by his lonesome self. So you get a poor innocent cat for him to torture and terrorize. Ok, so now you have TWO cats to go on about and you refer to them both as "Kitten". Even though they are adult cats.

 (lick lick- BITE, chase attack, lick lick lick BITE.... after two weeks of supervised visits- Atreyu in the living room+kitchen, Asteya in our bedroom-bathroom, they are now like brother and sister. Only minimal hissing and fur flying)

3. Whereas once cats on furniture would have grossed you out, you now accept that as long as you clean furiously, cat #2 (Asteya) is actually a normally functioning cat and will jump a zillion feet high while cat #1 (Atreyu) watches from below in astonishment. You are no longer grossed out but think it's cute how she hangs out on the table next to your computer.

 The epitome of their personalities. Atreyu likes to sleep letting the world see what he doesn't got (neutered) and Asteya is very prim and proper.

4. Purring stops you in your tracks. Doesn't matter what you're doing. Oh, you were putting on makeup and Atreyu (cognitively impaired kitten #1) decides it's time for cuddles?? Ah well, makeup can wait.

 (awwww, so cute :))

5. While in downward dog the kittens decide it's cuddle with your face time... and instead of annoying you it makes you so very happy. The integrity of the posture will be sacrificed in order to avoid pushing your kittens off the mat.

Sigh, goodbye "pushes cats off of coffee table to protect food" Lisa and Welcome "Lisa, the Cat Lady".

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

High Fidelity

(pssst- have you noticed the new bloggy-banner for spring? It was taken on Barrington Street. The city commissioned various graffiti artists to paint ugly city-things not only to make them pretty, but to discourage other graffiti-ers from "defacing" them. It's like the "We wish" scene amidst a chilly cement spring).
 
My Top Five Eco-Yogisms

1. My prAna revolution natural rubber mat. I was fortunate enough to have bought it at a 50% discount last year. After a year of heavy use and it still looks barely worn.
2. My halfmoon cork block. It's heavy, sturdy and soft enough to be comfortable.
3. Vinegar and water with a spritz of lavender essential oil mat cleaner. Cheap, effective and easy on our water supplies.
4. Practicing Yoga outside. I cannot *wait* for 15 degrees+ weather.
5. Refusing to buy the trendy yoga merch.

My Top Five Eco-Loves

1. My flip and tumbles. They have helped me save countless plastic bags. By far the best compact reusable bag ever. Like little popples for your purse! ('80's child alert!)
2. Walking to work. Despite the fact that driving is quicker and cheaper than walking+ferry, I feel so much more grounded when I walk to work.
3. My klean kanteen coffee carafe. So easy to clean, no nasty petroleum leaching into my coffee.
4. Green Beaver moisturizer. The *only* moisturizer that works in the Canadian winters.
5. Andrew's home made bread. So tasty and preservative-free. Yum!


My Top Five Musics Today

1. Amelia Curran- Hunter Hunter.
2. Ariane Moffatt- Tous les sens
3. Radio Radio- Belmundo Regal
4. Jenn Grant- Getcha Good video was shot in Halifax!
5. Hawksley Workman- Your beauty must be rubbing off

What's your Top Five?

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Acadian Word of the Week

"Valdrague, À la":

Image from 'Patrimoine acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse'

Adverbe: En désordre, à l'abandon. "Son logis est à la valdrague."  (logis=maison)

Répart. géographique: Partout (sauf le nord-ouest du Nouveau Brunswick), quelques attestations au Québec: rares attestations en Louisiane.

Historique: Depuis 1906, héritage des parlers de France: relevé dans les parlers du Nord-Ouest et de l'Ouest au sens de 'pêle-mêle'. La variante 'en valdrague' est notamment attestée dans Littré 1863 au sens maritime d' "en mauvais ordre"; en outre les formes à l'avaldrague ou en avaldrague ont été relevées dans les parlers de l'île Jersey (en Normandie) au sens d'"en ruine: peu soigné".

(Dictionnaire du français acadien, Yves Cormier, 1999, p. 373).

ENGLISH: (pls note, I am not a translator...)

À la valdrague:
Adverb: in disorder

Geographic: everywhere (except the North-West of New Brunswick), a few reports in Québec, rare reports in Louisiana.

History: Since 1906, heritage of France French, specifically French speakers from the North-West and West. The variant 'en valdrague' was notably attested in 'Littré' 1863 in the maritime sense of 'in disorder, bad order'. Additionally, the forms 'l'avaldrague' or 'en avaldrague' have been reported in speakers from Jersey Island (Normandy) as: 'in ruin: not well cared for'.

This is such a perfect word to describe people or even spaces (like a messy room). No equivalent word in modern French or English. I adore this word. :)

Is Yoga Really Accessible to Everyone in HRM?

Yoga classes are expensive. Let's just say it. (Unless of course you live near Babs, who charges 5$ a class... for ALL classes- so amazing!).

I believe that home practice is essential, I learn a lot about my practice when I'm flowing through postures without direction, without someone else telling me what to do next. At the same time, home practice can create stagnation and that's where studio practice is also so valuable.

I want to know, who can afford regular classes? In the city, an average class goes for 16-18$ per class. In a month at only one class a week that's around 72$, in a year that's over 800$. Even class passes of 10 classes for 100$ the yogi(ni) has to fork over 100$ upfront... which I don't know about you, but I really don't have that kind of cash.

The solution to finding affordable yoga classes has always been community or karma classes. Sadly, in Halifax, these classes aren't typically high quality. They're usually cramped with limited teacher-student feedback, some studios have their students "practice" teaching these classes and the student rarely gets yoga style choice.

Still, if you're looking for affordable yoga in Halifax, here's a current breakdown of the community/karma class scene:

Monday: nothing
Tuesday: nothing
Wednesday:
Lululemon typically has free classes at 6pm


Thursday: nothing

Friday:
Moksha Halifax Karma- 9pm,
Moksha Dartmouth Karma- 8:30pm

Saturday:
(Yoga in the Park-Free once warmer weather arrives!)
108 Yoga by donation- 9:40am
Halifax Yoga to the People (taught by teacher trainees)- 1:00pm
The Shala Karma-1pm

Sunday:
Lululemon typically has free classes-10:30am
Halifax Yoga Karma+meditation-7pm
The Shala Karma-7pm
Sunrise- last Sunday of every month
Halifax Moksha Karma- 6pm
Breathing Space Tantallon Karma- 3pm (once month)

As you can quickly gather, studios are packing their less profitable classes all on less popular days of the week- Saturday and Sunday.

It's not that I don't think an instructor's time isn't valuable- it is. However, I can't ignore the fact that for many yogi(ni)s (or potential yoginis) in HRM,  quality yoga classes just aren't that accessible or affordable.

Ah well- thank goodness for "Yogaglo"!