Pop-Up Yoga Halifax: Community Yoga at it's Best

This summer's Halifax Yoga in the Park has been phenomenal; with great regular turnout of 30+ yogis and lovely yoga teachers giving their time so that we can practice under the sun and near the ocean each week.

One such fabulous yoga teacher is Brigitte LeBlanc (a fellow francophone!). A Facebook friendship revealed that Brigitte not only gives back to her yoga community at HYITP, she helps organize something called “Pop-up Yoga Halifax”. It immediately made me think of Much Music's Pop-Up Video (all you under thirties, non Canadians are missing out, seriously), and as such I had to find out more.

The yoga world is weirdly sliding into the exhibitionist category (Tara Stiles practicing in a glass,vehicular cube around NYC, yoga selfies in dangerous shoes and clothing, yoga selfies in GENERAL). I find this sad because I like the idea of subverting “the man” (whatever that really means) or fine, just bringing something like yoga to the public sphere, but these recent “yoga selfies” trend aren't my cup of tea.

Which is why Pop-Up Yoga is perfect. The very premise of a spontaneous (yet planned enough in advance to attend!), outdoor (and public, but organized for an actual practice in beautiful spaces) and affordable yoga class in Halifax rocks. I was a bit curious on how it works, and the why so Brigitte was kind enough to answer a few questions for me (Merci!!).

If you live in Halifax, be sure to check out her Facebook Page: Pop-Up Yoga Halifax

1. What is Pop-Up Yoga Halifax? Pop-Up Yoga Halifax is an opportunity to do yoga in a non studio setting, at different locations throughout the city with an affordable cost of $5. We believe that yoga should be fun and affordable, and with the summer season upon us, it's a good way to get outdoors, breath in deeply and feel the sun be pushed away by a gentle breeze on your skin.

2. What brought you to organize Pop-Up Yoga Halifax? One day, Rebecca Blanchard (my partner in this project) and I attended a drop in class which cost us $20 for a 45 minute class. We felt like yoga had become an activity for the rich, and those who need it the most (well...everyone!) should have access to it without breaking the bank. We also thought it would be a great opportunity for both her and I to get experience teaching without being hired at a studio. I work as a massage therapist, she works as a nurse and we both love yoga and wanted to teach in our spare time. We didn't want it to feel like a job, but an offering to our community of yogis.

3. What have been the challenges in organizing Pop-Up Yoga Halifax? Just like any project, you start with a concept and you roll with it. Every step leads you to another and sometimes you need to take a step back. The vision has shifted since we began, and is progressing in ways that we are excited about. We asked two other teachers to join us, which is incredible. It’s nice to work on this as a project and have 4 teachers with different visions mix ‘em up together to get a blissed out brainchild.

4. So far, what has been your favourite moment during a Pop-Up Yoga Halifax practice? My favourite moment so far has been our first class. It was a beautiful day, we had a good group of people show up and I just really felt like a proud mother of a beautiful newborn. Although child birth is more painful then the process we went through to make this happen, but you get the symbolism, right? Perceive and conceive

5. What would you like to see Pop-Up Yoga Halifax become?

We would love to offer Yoga classes within local businesses. I see us offering classes in coffee shops, on rooftops, in art galleries, and in conference rooms. We're hoping that once the weather gets cold, that we may continue offering yoga throughout the city in fun locations. We hope to partner up with festivals, and events. Maybe even local dj's who would like to perform a set during a class, or maybe a local whole food company would offer free samples to our yogis. It's a great way to bring like minded folk together, and build a healthy and happy community, while bringing something new to the HRM.

5. We love having you lead during YITP, you have such an open and connected style. What has led you becoming a Yoga Teacher and what do you feel is important in sharing the practice of yoga? I've never been good at sports and I wasn't the athletic type growing up. Being in the health care industry, being active is something that is important to me and I feel that Yoga is suitable for anyone! It is also very complimentary to Massage Therapy since it creates body awareness. I always found myself offering stretches and strengthening postures to aid in my clients dysfunction in their body. I wanted to learn more, not only to deepen my practice, but to also empower my clients to heal. 

I like creating a mind/body connection during my classes. Where is it in your life that you can be more flexible, where is it that you require strength? Challenging yourself in these postures go way deeper then your superficial body. They translate into your relationships, your reactions, and more importantly, they encourage you to breath and be calm when faced with challenges. Yoga is a moving meditation, and in my opinion a great yoga practice should leave you feeling grounded, connected and inspired.

Body glorification has been linked to yoga, and even though this comes along with the package, and is a wonderful result of a consistent practice, there is so much more to value when it comes to yoga.

6. Besides yoga, what is/are your life passion(s)? I love gardening and plants. I feel like I need a bigger home to accommodate for the current jungle of plants that I live amongst. I love creating vegan and vegetarian meals. I love DIY projects. I am passionate about leading a life through a perspective of love. I am passionate about people. 

More then anything, I am passionate about health care and about healing, and the whole concept surrounding it. I believe in the bodies wisdom to heal. I'm passionate about helping people and assisting them in their process. I love learning about natural remedies, and encouraging optimal health through nutrition. I am constantly reading and learning about all things health care related. In September, I will be opening up a clinic called "Anatomy: A Massage and Wellness Centre" and feel like this will be a true creative expression of that which I am passionate about.

Brigitte LeBlanc

Brigitte has a lusty love affair with yoga. She began this beautiful relationship back in 2004 when she took her first yoga class in Canmore, Alberta. Even though it has been an on again and off again relationship, she is now committed to her practice and has found a soul mate for life. She has practiced in numerous locations around the world, exploring what it means to truly know herself. She took her month long, 200hr training in Guatemala. It was an unforgettable journey which led her to her bliss. Brigitte is a Registered Massage Therapist, a co-coordinator with Pop-Up Yoga Halifax and she is currently enjoying the creative process of soon opening her own clinic in the heart of Halifax. You can find out more from her website www.brigitteleblancrmt.com

Exploring Nova Scotia: Lawrencetown Beach and Cold Water Surfing

Andrew and I have often wondered how similarly aged friends, in similar (or worse) financial situations, can afford to "Go Down South" every year on vacations. Who has that kind of disposable income?

The Answer we have decided upon: No one. It's all credit card debt and not the smartest spending habits. Although this made us feel better, it didn't get rid of the travel bug.

That said, I've never really been a fan of travelling to a tourist, inauthentic resort to lounge on a beach for week while the citizens of the country I was visiting lounge in poverty, violence or under a dictatorship (Canadians get to travel to Cuba, since we don't care about communism...).

I'd like to be able to say I have visited my own country, my own province- since Canada is more than a bunch of snow (and people saying "eh"). Although right now we do have our fair share of snow....

In any case- last weekend we visited a relatively undiscovered beach: Lawrencetown Beach. It was gorgeous and by far my favourite Haligonian (and arguably Nova Scotian) beach. It's all smooth round rocky beaches with huge, powerful waves and raw unbridled Atlantic ocean. The beach is often quiet over the winter months, with only locals and hardcore cold water surfers.

Yep. Nova Scotia, specifically Lawrencetown Beach is the Mecca for cold water surfing. Surfers come from all over the world to discover the waves (and point breaks) around HRM. Surf boards and nondescript surfers can be seen all over the city. (Check out this fantastic video, ignore that it is by Red Bull, on Nova Scotia surfing...)

(Taken by Kevin R)

 (Taken by Kevin R)

(Two tiny dots just left of the outcrop in the water are the two surfers braving the cold water)

7th Day of Halifax Yuletide: Morris East Restaurant

(Meanwhile... at 12 days of Halifax Yuletide...)

(Andrew and our friend K, all dapper at the 1920's NYE party. American friends: note the absence of shoes. Yep in Canada we remove our shoes inside, even at parties)

(photo by Colin Duann Photography: Fabulous Photographer AND so happens he was also the best NYE Party Host Ever)

(The ladies- no shoes even in the hallway!)

For the past several years Andrew and I have spent NYE supper at our absolutely favourite neighbourhood restaurant: Morris East.

On the 7th day of Halifax Yuletide my True Love Gave to Me: Morris East NYE Feast!

(6 Freedom for Exploring, 5 Boardroom Cafe, 4 Got Sucked Away, 3 Carrot Ginger Soup, 2 An Amazing Bookstore, and Some Delicious Coffee for Me!)

I don't remember the exact moment that Andrew and I discovered Morris East, but it only took a few delicious pizzas and scrumptious brunches for Morris East to become our favourite neighbourhood restaurant.

Reasons why Morris East is our FAVOURITE restaurant in Halifax:

(please note that all these points are of equal importance and not a first-last type list!)

• The atmosphere: Morris East (particularly the downtown location) has a distinctly cozy and urban feel. The first time we ate there I felt like I was back in Montreal. (Yes, I know I have Montreal withdrawal and should just get over it since it's been 7 years... but it is one of my favourite cities, don't judge me).
• The staff: Everyone who works at Morris East is awesome. No really, the service is the BEST and is always consistently fantastic (and we have been there a lot). 
• The Food: I know it's weird that this is 3rd in my list, but it could easily be tied with first. The pizzas are absolutely delicious and the brunch menu is different without being "too different". I love that ME uses local ingredients and has a seasonal menu. Also, because of ME I now eat dips. Yes, I have issues with condiments (dips are included in this category), however ME is the ONLY place where I will eat the dips. I don't need to know what is in them, all I need to know is that they are delicious.
• The Drinks: The cocktails at this place are phenomenal. Katrina, the head cocktail-genius, has created the BEST Christmas Mojito and always has yummy delicious concoctions worthy of my tastebuds. 
• The Social Media: This should come as no surprise, but the social media skillz of a business score points with me. Jenny, the owner, rocks at Twitter. For example, I tweeted at 3pm on NYE asking what time the sitting was for the downtown location and within 10min she had responded. Jenny invests a lot of time and effort and takes social media seriously- and it shows.

This summer we had the pleasure of participating in a Morris East filming of "You Gotta Eat Here" which was a surreal and fun experience. I doubt I made the final episode cut since my filming moment wasn't awesome, but it was ridiculously fun to have been invited (since we're regulars!). 

Andrew and I also recently made the trip out to Larry Uteck to check out the second location of Morris East. With a slightly different menu, a huge space (and gorgeous kitchen), it still has the same friendly feel with a larger space. What's neat is that the new place has a dedicated wine bar section, which I can see being the perfect space to enjoy the delicious cocktail creations. 

(a blurry photo of me enjoying a delicious pepperoni pizza at ME a few years back!)

That said, I do believe that after we move Andrew and I will continue to hold the downtown location Morris East as our favourite neighbourhood restaurant, even though we'll be "honorary South Enders". 

6th Day of Halifax Yuletide: The Freedom in Exploring

Today, despite still being sick, I took advantage of having the day to myself and met up with fellow blogger and yogini, Erica from Exuberant Bodhisattva for coffee (at, you guessed it, Smiling Goat).

On the 6th Day of Halifax Yuletide my True Love Gave to Me: Freedom in Exploring

(5 Boardroom Café, 4th got sucked away, 3 Carrot Ginger Soup, 2 An Amazing Bookstore, and Some Delicious Coffee for Me!)

As I walked home, I realized that once we move I no longer will be able to just spend my afternoon wandering aimlessly downtown on my own. I love spending time with my hubby, but I also value my alone time and one of my favourite things is being able to just go for a walk, picking up a few veggies, a book and a few treats for me.

I like walking with a purpose, a destination and living in the heart of the downtown gives me lots of destinations, even if I don't purchase a thing.

Part of a very (compelling) argument for living urban vs rural is the physical activity had when you can walk (or bicycle, which we don't do) places. Suburbs, for the most part, are poorly designed and our future home definitely has limited access to public transit. Thankfully, a quick bicycle ride away is a shopping complex with groceries, rec centre, gym, pet store, vet etc. Potentially I can see us biking around, since our main obstacle in biking in the city was Andrew (and my) fear of being hit by a car.

On a day like today, when Andrew is at work with the car, I'll be stuck at home. So today, as I walked home, I took in the slow progress of construction of the new library, the hustle and bustle of local shop owners and the freedom of taking a few hours out of my day to get out of the apartment and be active.

This realization has underlined just how important a physical activity plan will be in our new life adjustment. That and I'll have to make friends with my new neighbours (I foresee cookies being baked in February!).

To my suburban rural peeps- how do YOU stay active and connected? Are you a two car family? What are your strategies?

5th Day of Halifax Yuletide: The Boardroom Game Cafe

It would appear that the 4th day of Yuletide didn't happen... mostly because I have been sick and like all colds, it has affected my perspective of the space time continuum (where is Q when you need him?).

On the 5th day of Halifax Yuletide my True Love Gave to me: 

THE BOARDROOM GAME CAFÉ!!

(4 got sucked away, Carrot Ginger Soup, An Amazing Bookstore 

and Some Delicious Coffee for Me)

The Boardroom Game Café is a relatively new addition to our South End neighbourhood and we've already been twice. Unlike other gaming places that are set up mostly for War Hammer, Magic the Gathering and DD etc type players (ie serious board gamers only, mostly men, noobs not welcome), the Boardroom Game Café is et up exactly like a café for all boardgame lovers.

Tables are interspersed all around and there is a delicious menu of savoury and sweet treats (the candy bowl is DELICIOUS) along with some seriously tasty beverages. With over 400 board games, there is no judgement on what game you play. I have seen people playing Scrabble, Clue, Risk and even Girl Talk (remember that game?? Pimple stickers!). For the most part it's an equal 50-50 women-men which is pretty darn interesting for a game place.

(The new game a staff suggested and then taught us how to play: Samurai. A hex game similar to Carcassonne, we'll most likely purchase!)

ps- the beer was a Dark Chocolate Stout from Brooklyn Brewery-delicious!!!

The Staff are ridiculously friendly and will help you pick out games THEN they will sit down and explain the rules to you or stop by and answer questions. A fun alternative for a social evening (and a cheaper way to try out new games) the 5$ price tag (have to be legal drinking age- 19yrs in Nova Scotia, you'll need your ID) gives you unlimited game playing until closing at midnight (most nights).

(A 2 player Carcassonne game: The Castle. Although fun, neither of us thought it was as good as the original and would never purchase it. Glad we tried it, now we know!)

Tonight Andrew and I walked down for the perfect date night where we tried out three new games. We discovered one of the three that we would love to purchase. I only won one out of three games, mostly due to my sick handicap (I am usually the winner at boardgames) but it was a blast.

3rd Day of Halifax Yuletide: Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup!

Today I woke up with half my face stuffed up and with the aches. Only one week left of vacation. Great.

I decided, after a morning spent tidying up and packing, that I would treat myself to (two!) Smiling Goat Coffees. As I walked down Queen Street, with the snow gently falling, I realized that I would greatly miss the ability to just up and wander downtown on my days off.

After a few hours of reading I realized that what I really and truly wanted was to try to replicate the most delicious carrot ginger soup I have ever had... which was at Morris East (Bedford Location). And so, I made my way to Pete's... which is a convenience I will miss.

On the Third Day of Yuletide my True Love Gave to Me: Pete's Frootique

(An Amazing Bookstore and Some Delicious Coffee for Me!)

Pete's Frootique, although not perfect, is a convenient place to quickly pick up some fresh and local fruits and veggies (you just have to read the labels carefully), some soap and body butter making supplies, along with fancy and different ingredients. The original Pete's is in Bedford, but it just won't be the same as stopping in on my afternoon wanders to pick up something fun and tasty for supper.

I remember growing up watching Pete share his favourite fruits and veggies on Live at Five (CTV, oh yeah!). Since then his business has grown exponentially with three stores, his own line of products AND his own (delicious) vineyard! Originally from England, Pete Luckett has his own consulting company.

There was a time when Pete's had a live piano player playing ragtime on an old piano in the Bedford store location. How neato is that?

In order to try to combat my cold, I picked up some organic local carrots, ginger, organic coconut milk and organic vegetable broth- figuring I could modify this carrot miso soup recipe from Smitten Kitchen... Crossed my fingers and what do ya know? It tastes delicious!

So, here's my adjusted Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup (admittedly not as amazing as Morris East, but pretty darn close!)

EcoYogini's Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup

(all ready for tomorrow's lunch!)

Ingredients:
2 lbs of peeled thinly sliced carrots (local is best, since fresher is always better with carrots re: flavour)
3 chopped cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons (could have been 4) of freshly grated ginger
1 can of organic coconut milk
3 cups of organic vegetable broth
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 onion chopped
salt-pepper to taste (Andrew said he put "a bunch" of salt in the soup, I would say a tsp)
(extra kick: 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper flakes)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Before it gets too hot, add the carrots, onion and garlic and stir until onion is translucent (about 10min). Add broth, coconut milk and ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30min (or until carrots are tender).

Using an immersion blender, blend up the soup. If you want a less thick soup, using a bowl and a mesh strainer (or cheese cloth) and the soup ladle, strain the soup.

Serves 4-6 bowls. :) Enjoy!

2nd Day of Halifax Yuletide: The Bookmark

On the Second Day of Yulemas My True Love Gave to Me: An Amazing Bookstore
(and the most delicious coffee!)

So. I hope you had a fabulous Yulemas and Boxing Day! Here in the H-dot, stores and boxing day sale IRL only happen tomorrow, since Nova Scotia has all retail stores closed on Boxing Day. We're old school like that.

This year, like most years, I received a book for Yulemas. I heart books so very much and if you're a regular to this here space, you'll know I devour books by the dozens. I have odes to bookstores and analog books... but last year I was also gifted with a Kindle. I will admit, that although it will NEVER replace a real life book, my Kindle does have it's purpose.

In any case, something I will most certainly miss from living downtown is the best locally owned bookstore around:

The Bookmark II.

 (Image from bookmarkinc.ca)

What I love about the Bookmark is the small cozy feel, the sense of absolute book-adoration of the staff and the fact that a staff person there, Neil, actually knows my name... and never makes fun of my absolutely fluffy book purchases (typically in the fantasy romance genre... yeah Kim Harrison and Laurell K Hamilton are my best buds, what?).

Also, they have a frequent buyer program, after 10 books purchased you get a discount (I think I'm on my third discount.... yay!). You can order any book and they'll try to bring it in (French books are a bit more challenging for a whole other slew of reasons).

Sadly, in early 2013, the owner of Bookmark (original Bookmark is in Charlottetown) Rodney Jones passed away. Definitely a loss felt in the Atlantic book industry.

I heart my local bookstore and on our trips into the city for Smiling Goat we will definitely stop at The Bookmark II for our literary reading purchase to enjoy over our delicious coffee first :)

Be aca-awesome and support your locally owned small bookstore!

12 Days of Halifax Yuletide: 1st Day Smiling Goat

Although the 12 days of Yuletide are supposed to begin on Yulemas (Christmas) day, here at EcoYogini we're starting a few days early...

Since on January 7th 2014 (only two days after the traditional end of the 12 days) will be the closing day for our NEW HOUSE (squee!) I have been reflecting on all the changes that are to come in our lives once we move. Our new house will be outside of the city (approx 40min away) and there are many things about living in Downtown Halifax that I will miss.

Like everywhere I've lived, I've made some lovely community connections in Halifax. Although I'm sure I will make new ones in my new neighbourhood, I wanted to share some of my favourite haunts over the next 12 days, kind of an "Ode to Downtown Halifax" as my farewell to urban living.

First Day of Yuletide my True Love Gave to Me: The Most Delicious Coffee!

Smiling Goat Espresso Bar

 (image from jar of life March 1st 2012 sadly my photo of the outside was blurry!)

Nestled between a delicious Mexican restaurant and the Lord Nelson, across from the iconic Public Gardens (a Victorian Garden since 1836), Smiling Goat serves the BEST espresso and coffee in the city. I say that because I am a coffee snob. And because it is true.

Locally owned and committed to providing organic, fair trade and delicious coffee with an eco-conscious underlying theme, no "flavoured syrups" will greet you here. All flavoured espresso based drinks (such as pumpkin latte, eggnog latte and chai latte) have actual true ingredients (such as pumpkin pie filling, eggnog and chai tea). Mocha's are served with organic chocolate and organic chocolate milk.

(my delicious mocha today!)

On top of the gorgeous coffee, the staff are always super friendly, not pretentious and very knowledgeable about coffee served. Geoff also tries to support local whenever possible and even promotes a staff's handknit coffee cozies! Often you can find free jazz events, espresso tastings or espresso and wine events.

Andrew and I have been going to Smiling Goat on our weekends (and sometimes I'll pick up a mocha for my long travel trips, or if I have a particularly stressful meeting coming up at work) since we moved downtown. It's only a 10min walk from our apartment. The staff all know our names and we know theirs. It's our neighbourhood cafe and we love it.

(sneaky iphone photo! A beautiful cozy cafe)

Although it won't be our geographical neighbourhood cafe once we move, I know that Andrew and I will continue our weekend Smiling Goat tradition as often as possible. We'll just have to take an hour out of our weekend errands into the city to stop, have a delicious coffee and read quietly together.

Do you have a neighbourhood coffee place in your town?

2013: Halifax's Summer of Yoga in the Park

This year Halifax joined the "cities with Yoga in the Park" club. Up until this year outdoor, free or by-donation yoga was basically a Halifax Yoga in the Park one yogi club... Despite the fact that the city has over a dozen yoga studios and a population of under 400,000.

I am so excited that this summer has resulted in multiple, weekly outdoor and free yoga experiences all over the city.

I'm not sure what happened, maybe it's a combination of the right new yoga teacher grads passionate to share with their city, or perhaps it's HYITP's growing popularity... Or maybe it's just happy circumstance that studios all around the city saw the benefit if sharing a yoga class under the big open sky.

This past weekend, for the first time in years, we saw the collaboration of multiple yoga studios for one massive free, all day community yoga event: YOGA Switch Up, a part of Switch! Open street Halifax. Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend (sad, I was hugely disappointed, but sometimes yoga is about balance and not asana), but from all accounts it was a huge success, and most likely this is (if not wholly, but partially) thanks to one amazing community minded yogini: Sarah M. She rocks.
Check out the amazing photos by Currie Photography: http://www.currieyogagraphy.ca/p544395564

Halifax Yoga in the Park also saw some fun, exciting changes this summer. We had four yoga instructors donate their time to lead practices over the summer. It was inspiring, heartening and I feel so blessed to have shared me practice under the sun and beside the ocean with them. Numbers in the Facebook group are growing, we were featured in Chatelaine and in a local Halifax magazine: The Southend!!! Crazy eh? Our classes have also grown to sometimes have more than 20 yogis each week, practicing together under the wide open sky.

My own personal yoga practice has benefited hugely from this summer and I'm hopeful we can get another few weekends in before autumn really kicks in.

Halifax yogis have spoken loud and clear: Free Yoga in the Park is wanted and here to stay.

A Sci-Fi, Fantasy Girl at Heart: The Gandalf Award

I don't generally pass along awards. Oh I know, that sounds so snooty of me, but what I mean is that I really appreciate them- they are fun, (most often) kind and a great way to pay some link loving forward. It's just sometimes they can go ON with the same ole same ole blog awards. Like that chain letter you just risk the "forever having face warts if you don't keep the chain going" curse and say "eff this noise, I am SO over you chain letter". Or something to that effect.

However, last week I received the COOLEST award ever... the Gandalf Award:

"The Gandalf the Gray Award- When you make a point your arguments are so thought out and so persuasive no counter argument can stand"

(Awww- thank you Christopher from Modern Man of the Cloth- I am honoured!)

Tolkians; ouuu and ahh with me. My absolute favourite part of the entire trilogy of movies was when Gandalf shouted "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!". Gandalf went from being a "meh" character in the books to a "you kick some serious orc butt! I heart you!".

Today I found myself in the lunchroom explaining the theory and history behind Prometheus and the Alien quadrilogy to my coworkers and how, in actuality, the face huggers and Alien actually are the result of human-goop-engineer interaction. I realized that perhaps I am a geek, because even though I know all this mostly from Andrew who LOVES the Alien franchise, when a coworker asked why I didn't just block him out while he geeked out over Alien, I had to admit that I found it interesting. (unlike accounting, that I definitely block out).

I have read all of the Dune books written by the original author (I tried reading his son's Dune books but they were terrible). I love Star Trek, specifically Voyageur (which I know is disliked by most Trekkies), and Star Wars... (and if we were honest Stargate SG-1, I mean who can say no to MacGyver?) and anything Joss Whedon (Firefly and Dr Horrible Sing-a-long blog anyone?). And well, most any sci-fi television show out there. (oh Sam and Dean, you are so adorable).

I will see any comic book movie, no matter how terrible (and yes that includes Cat Woman and the latest Wolverine movies- why can't they just make a Gambit movie? He was my favourite), and I am currently re-reading the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton. Name a sci-fi fantasy series with a strong female character and I have read it. (If you haven't already, check out Kim Harrison's The Hollows books- ADORE!).

If you haven't seen this video of John Hodgeman giving a speech on Jocks vs Nerds in 2009, it is worth the watch!


Being a nerd is cool, as you can see from the video above, so I want to thank Christopher from the Modern Man of the Cloth for gifting me with the BESTEST award in blogging I have ever received.

Changing Perspective: From Ditch Flowers to Tiger Lillies

Something I adore about Halifax is the beautiful urban gardens right in the downtown. Halifax is a small enough city that in the summer trees and flowers and greenery are everywhere.

What I found surprising when I moved here were the amount of Tiger Lilies as ornamental, planted ON PURPOSE for the garden, flowers. I would have to say they are Halifax's "la fleur du jour" and a staple for front yard gardens.

Which struck me as extremely odd since at home (aka rural Nova Scotia) they're considered "ditch flowers", or "those orange flowers that grow in ditches". People generally don't plant them necessarily on purpose, and if they do it's because they don't really have better flowers to plant.

They would almost be the equivalent of lupines in the garden. (Lupines, pronounced "lou-pins", are a tourist-y flower of Nova Scotia that grow along the highways in purples, whites and pinks. Although pretty while they flower, they are generally considered as more of a weed and not something you would have in your garden).

(Lupines near Lunenburg, photo credit "Second Paradise Retreat" (website) a beautiful eco-vacation rental in Nova Scotia)

It's like Haligonians didn't get the memo that these flowers grow best in ditches....

In order to help change my conditioned response that Tiger Lillies= ugly ditch flowers, I decided to photograph them. On my short ten minute walk to Smiling Goat for the most delicious coffee in the city, I encountered 12 instances of ditch flowers (aka Tiger Lillies). Here are the highlights:

 (Sturdy, overgrown, haphazard lillies next to a garbage bin)

Focal point in a garden, colour in the green!

lonely pop of orange curling around a gate

The main show spilling onto the sidewalk

So pretty reaching up near the stone wall of the church

A second group of orange near the church

Up close and personal

Discovering local greens in your city is a great way to feel a bit more connected to nature (and ecologically responsible!).

Do you have any flowers that strike you as strange "garden" flowers?

Delicious Craft (Eco) Beer: Bridge Brewing Company

Andrew and I are what you may call "beer snobs". Yep, I have to say we have discerning taste in beer. Drinking beer is like drinking wine. You gotta start really basic and easy (like fruity whites), drink lots until you can't taste the flavour anymore and eventually, you will learn to appreciate the deliciousness of the beauty called beer.

(Working four summers at a microbrew pub as a bartender also helped this appreciation. There was nothing funnier than watching the Americans hop off the Ferry, down a pint of Canadian micro brew and start slurring: "Y'all have funny lookin' money!". But then, I got my kicks where I could...).

Part of being eco-hip and all is buying local. Bonus if the local beer is also brewed sustainably!

Local beer does NOT equal Alexander Keiths (also, Keith's is gross icky beer and not worth your money). Investing your money back into small, independent and local business assures that your money is going directly back into the community with minimal shipping and production emissions.

(Love their logo! So rustic)

Last weekend, Andrew and I discovered our new FAVOURITE beer in Halifax... (drum roll:) Bridge Brewing Company. It's a new, I would say Nano, craft brewing company in the North End (Agricola and North St, near Gus' Pub). (Interestingly, a testament to the "small town" feel of the maritimes, even in it's biggest city, my best friend H is also friends with the owner's sister...)

(Yep, that's the owner, my friend's-friend M's brother!)

We're naming Bridge Brewing a 'Nano' craft beer brewing as they currently offer 3 styles of beer and brew about 300 litres a day. They only sell in "growler's" of 750ml, which is the perfect 2 beer amount. A small $ deposit means that you can refill your growler at cost of the beer as often as you'd like. They are phasing out the most gorgeous clay growlers (we're keeping one just for posterity) as they are more delicate (we discovered this today- just be sure not to be like Andrew, and hold them in your lap instead of allowing them to roll on the car floor), but the glass ones are just as fun. Refillable growlers equals less waste and better for the environment.

(the gorgeous clay growler chillin' next to the sleek glass growler)

Not only do they offer delicious beer in the coolest growlers in town, but Bridge Brewing Company's goal is to be ZERO EMISSIONS. Yeppers, they source all their power from Bullfrog Power and their spent grain goes to TapRoot Farms. It's clear from their site that should they be able, they plan on continuing to expand wherever possible on making their brewing production as environmentally friendly as possible.

Our favourite brew is "Gus", with the "Farmhouse" a very close second.

(self explanatory)

'Gus' is named after an infamous local North End pub: "Gus' Pub" (and coincidentally, it's the only place where you can get "Gus" on tap in Halifax- Andrew: "I would just sit at the bar, my eyes closed, and smile with eternal happiness"). Gus is a light, Belgium style beer that is filled with deliciousness: a hint of citrus with the lovely surprise of spice at the end. Yum!

(Farmhouse, all poured and ready to enjoy!)

'Farmhouse' has an amber look with a fruity aroma, large flavour with a hint of hop and bitterness. It also has more of a kick at 7.5% alcohol content.

They also currently have a dark beer, that we've never tasted. However, it would be a good bet that it is equally delicious.

If you're in the city, I highly recommend a quick stop to Bridge Brewing Company for a few growlers. If you're reading this as Come From Aways (not from the Maritimes), check out your closest city for micro and nano craft brews. You won't be disappointed!

Espresso Tasting: Craft Coffee Roaster North Mountain (Hyper Eco & Local)

This morning, after we completed week 3 of couch to 5k, Andrew and I went to a (free) espresso tasting. Yes, espresso tasting- like wine tasting only with espresso. And actually, no, it wasn't as pretentious as you might think!

 (Yummy espresso waiting to be tasted!)

Hosted by Smiling Goat Espresso (my favourite coffee place in the city) and featuring a small craft coffee roaster: North Mountain Coffee, it was fun, entertaining and surprisingly extremely interesting.

Small craft coffee roasters are becoming increasingly popular in Canada and (unexpectedly) in Nova Scotia. As consumers are becoming hyper 'local' sensitized and wanting highly authentic experiences, the demand is enough to support smaller craft roasters. Despite the 'hipster' quotient, craft roasters often means that you are directly supporting a local business, usually assured shipping, processing and energy costs (and pollution) are low and said roaster likely practices Direct Trade (arguably even better than fair trade).

(The beautiful espresso tasting card and colourful flavour wheel!)

To be honest, Andrew and I approached this event with our fair share of trepidation. We had no idea what an 'espresso tasting' would look like. We managed to snag a few seats and were excited when we were handed beautifully printed 'Espresso Tasting' forms for feedback along with a Flavour Wheel.

(Austin Anderson, owner, being a good sport with my impromptu "Can I take your picture for my blog??" request :) )

Austin Anderson, the owner of North Mountain Coffee, began the tasting by giving a brief and interesting account of espresso's history. I learned that espresso's life started as a cheaper and faster alternative to coffee and it wasn't until Starbucks decided to price it as a specialty item that our culture shifted to expect espresso to cost more. He was approachable, well spoken and extremely down to earth. His passion for all things coffee was apparent with every word and it was obvious that he definitely walked the talk of directly connecting with the farmers.

Since I have never actually drank espresso (beyond a sip of Andrew's once) I was a little nervous about writing down my thoughts on the tasting card. Thankfully, Austin made it clear that the tasting was to share experiences, thoughts and develop our ability to perceive and analyze what we like about different flavours of espresso. So, there are no wrong 'tastes'. (phew!)

(Andrew, absorbing the smell before taking his first sip- serious business!)

Each espresso was brought out without a description to encourage a more personal experience. Guests were encouraged to chat about what they tasted, jot down notes and thoughts. Following each sample, Austin asked each group to share what they thought about the flavour profiles, the look and feel of the espresso, the smell and even the finish (just like wine!). Austin easily made each person's comments feel welcome and valid, which isn't easy with a group of strangers.

(Tasting my first espresso- unbeknownst to me at the time: the Ruli)

It was so neat to have to articulate not only what I liked and didn't like about the four espressos, but to hear my thoughts reflected in others, or even to hear completely different reactions to the same espresso.

What really surprised me, was that espresso can have so many different flavours, roasting styles and processing methods. It was fun to find out that typically smaller craft roasters tend to roast lighter and often from single origin farms.

Our favourites were:

• Ruli (Gorilla) From Rwanda- where the farmers of these beans get around 6x more for their beans directly from roasters than 10 years ago. Taste: not at all what I think of as traditionally 'espresso'; bright and fruity but still rich feeling and delicious. These farmers recently won awards for their sustainable agriculture as well.
• Yirgacheffé (Lion) From Ethiopia- where Austin shared that the coffee trees actually grow naturally and are the most authentic area for 'wild' coffee beans; the trees are organic and heirloom varieties! Taste: rich, dark and malt-y (from a single wash process) and made us think of a really great dark stout beer.

(our card with all my notes and ratings and BOTH coffees!)

Unexpectedly, not only did we get the entire experience for free, but Austin gifted each guest with substantial free samples of North Mountain coffee! AND because Andrew and I liked two kinds, he gave us both!

Where can you buy North Mountain Coffee? Here's a list!

• Smiling Goat (Halifax)
• Steve-o-renos (Halifax)
• Local Source (Halifax)
• Kate's Pantry (Berwick)
• Union Street Cafe (Berwick)
• Designer Cafe (Kentville)
• Paper Pleasures Coffee Shop (Greenwich)
• Kiwi Cafe (Chester)
• Mateus Bistro (Mahone Bay)

You can explore North Mountain's facebook page OR contact them directly!

Mini Snow Streets: Nostalgia

Stomping around in the snow friggin' rocks.

I love the squishy, slide-y, crunchy feeling of the snow beneath my boots. The snow softly falling in big lazy flakes. The wind howling the tiny itty bitty snow flakes at my face.

(Skating at the oval- free outdoor skating! although not as fabulous as the lake- and extremely crowded- I would take skating outside on the oval over in the rink any day! Photo taken by the fabulous Steph of Love and Anchor- wedding cinematography and photography. Shared w permission)

I've always loved the cold Canadian winters and every city I've lived in gets snow.

Growing up one of my favourite things was to be towed behind the four wheeler in our GT snowracers. Or to grab hold onto the fourwheeler on the lake and be towed with our skates on (we ruined a few four wheeler seats with the blades of our skates this way... dad was NOT very happy).

(My brother towing his step-son on the GT Snowracer this winter)

Tip: place an old pillow in your skidoosuit bottom so that your bum stays cushy while four wheeling.

It's been a few winters since I've been able to get to my parents cottage for some winter time- ya know, jumping in the snow, skating on the lake, making home made ice cream and playing bid whist with friends. Or crokinole.

(the urban snow pedestrian streets in Halifax today)

Today, while out in the post storm weather, I was reminded of skating on the lake. The sidewalks are all plowed in these little miniature snow paths. The sides perfectly cut into mini pedestrian snow streets.

(My brother plowing a rink in front of our cottage this winter- taken by his lovely partner- Jade Malone of Sweet Simplicity photography. Photo shared w permission)

When we were little we used to take a shovel and 'plow' our own little mini ice streets on the lake off the main 'rink' dad had plowed with the four wheeler. These little 'streets' that we could skate through wound around on the lake, ending in large circular 'houses' and rooms. Each kid had their own that we'd be busy visiting, making snow seats to chill in between re-plowing the ice paths. (there were 7 cottages in our part of the lake of kids all our age).

I need to get my mom to send up my skidoo pants... 

Hot Yoga: Polluting the Planet One Class at a Time

A Bikram Studio opened in Halifax recently. Another heated yoga studio. At this point, it's actually difficult to find a non-heated yoga class in the city. Two Moksha studios, a Bikram studio and a quick look at Halifax Yoga reveal 3 to 4 heated classes per day.

Heated and Hot Yoga remain trendy in our yoga-verse with hundreds of yogis sweating it out every day. The spread of heated yoga classes to non-hot specific studios is purely a reflection of demand- by paying for your 75-90 minutes of getting your sweat on, you're directly participating in a carbon heavy industry.

As climate change is a real phenomena that is impacted by greenhouse gas emissions (caused by carbon emissions from a variety of sources, one being coal powered heating), practicing hot or heated yoga directly supports an increase in carbon emissions. It's kinda like driving a Hummer... or choosing only energy INefficient appliances... or littering. It's terrible to say, but let's 'fess up here- choosing hot and heated yoga is choosing a carbon emitting, polluting yoga practice.

Of course, there are levels of energy usage for your heated practice.

Bikram: 
Rooms are heated to 105 F... for all classes. Think about that- these rooms are kept heated at 105 F for hours on end during summer AND winter seasons. Unfortunately there isn't any information online on how the studio is insulated and what type of heating is used. From pictures you can see there are windows... and I would hope they were extremely well insulated and sealed as most of our heat is lost there. At 3 classes a day you already have a studio being kept at 105 F for over four hours, minimum.

Bikram yoga studios also expend quite a bit of water energy on showers, laundry and cleaning all that sweat. Imagine a studio having 20 yogis per class, 3 classes a day. Most of these yogis will either shower in studio or at home. That's 60 extra showers a day. That's 15-30 litres per minute per shower (Ecoholic Home, 2009). If each person took a 10 minute shower, that's 9,000-18,000 litres of water.

Moksha:
Rooms are heated between 90 and 100 degrees. At the Halifax studio there are on average 10 classes a day. That's over 10 hours of keeping those rooms heated. Unfortunately, heat escapes. It's unavoidable and extremely obvious if you ever walk by the studio (the windows in the front lobby are constantly fogged up).

Similarly to Bikram, water usage (and waste) has a significant potential for impact. Let's say for 10 classes (assuming that daytime classes will run 5-7 people and evening classes upwards 10-15) you have, conservatively about 90 people a day. That's 13,500 to 27,000 extra litres of water a day. What is different is that Moksha uses energy star rated laundry appliances, in floor heating that decreases it's energy use by a potential of 40% and uses natural cork flooring and low VOC paints.

That said, 40% less energy leaves 60% extra energy just to heat a room for yoga.

"Heated/Hot" Yogas:
These are the "heated" classes you see around town. Generally heated using portable floor heaters, these classes are arguably just as wasteful as full out hot yoga. I know for a fact that certain studios "pre-heat" their class rooms up to an hour before class starts, turning on these energy sucking heaters for an EMPTY studio. Several heaters are needed for one classroom, I generally see at least 3-4 per class.

Further, these classes are in studio spaces that are not specifically made to keep the heat in. Windows and classroom doors with rolled up towels underneath do a poor job of insulating. On top of that, they also usually have showers and the water usage that goes with it.

Yogis talk the talk about going vegan/vegetarian, buying an eco friendly mat or biking to class to decrease their carbon footprint, but honestly it all seems a bit hypocritical if you step into a hot yoga class.

• Instead, support local studios who don't heat their classes. 
• Ask for more "non" heated classes in the schedule. 
• Explain your choice to either 
• a) not frequent their studio or 
• b) not frequent their "heated" classes by voicing your concern to studio owners about the environmental impact their heated yoga is having on our planet.
• Practice the original "Hot" yoga: outside in the sun during a local Yoga in the Park.

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Open City Halifax- Buying Local

Part of being an Eco Yogi is keeping the mileage out of your products (it's also part of being a responsible consumer). Purchasing local means that you support your local economy, help support  local jobs and as a result those taxes go back into your community services.

I Love Local Halifax was created by a group of like-minded locally owned businesses that have spearheaded and promoted many fabulous city-wide events and initiatives. Truly, it's pretty genius and works extremely well.

This weekend is "Open City", a sort of summer kick start to encourage Haligonians (and non-locals) to buy locally. Fun independent and locally owned businesses had fabulous events, sales and special extras all over the city. Andrew and I went walking between 1-5pm and following are a few things that we saw!

 Our first stop was P'lovers' new location on South Park! (In the Trillium) I love this funky coffee bean chair. They were giving away staple-less staplers and tree saplings! (we chose the stapler as planting a tree is trickier than you think...)

 The actual space is beautiful. A full two walls of windows and so much eco friendly clothing, books, house ware and beauty products! Definitely worth a stop for the local and tourist Eco Yogi.

 From there we walked up South Park for a few minutes and right next to the Lord Nelson we stopped at our favourite organic fair trade espresso bar- Smiling Goat! They were offering 2$ double espressos (fair trade organic), which Andrew enjoys immensely. This photo is of the most delicious mocha in the city, with fair trade organic espresso, organic chocolate milk and organic Belgium Chocolate. YUM!

From there we stopped at Pete's Frootique, entered a 100$ gift certificate draw, and purchased Green Beaver Sunscreen. Before continuing onward, I made Andrew step aside and slather it on. This stuff is pretty thick, but surprisingly doesn't go on white (and it worked!).

 We then wandered over to Love,Me Boutique where "Made With Local", a new, DELICIOUS, granola bar company made it's Debut! I sampled their Cherry Dark Chocolate soft granola bar and it was absolutely divine. Made with mostly local and organic ingredients, I demolished the bar that I bought. 

 The Farmer's Market revealed our favourite local (Lunenburg) distillery, Ironworks. We adore their delicious rhum made with locally owned Crosby's Molasses. We got to taste the Blueberry, Cranberry and Artic Kiwi liqueurs as well as the Pear Eau de Vie all made with local berries and fruits! (yep, Artic Kiwis are grown in Nova Scotia). Our favourite was the cranberry liqueur- so we bought a bottle. Yum!

We ended our journey chillin' on the waterfront listening to the ocean and enjoying the salt air breeze! By the time we returned home, a much needed 30 minute yoga practice was the perfect ending to a great day!

(Open city continues tomorrow- if you missed today, be sure to check out the events for tomorrow!!)

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