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)

Why Your Next Vacation Needs to be Cape Breton (photos!)

Yesterday Andrew and I just got back from a whirlwind romantic getaway to....

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

(Seriously, the best stout- Big Spruce Brewing which is a Cape Breton Brewery. This stout tasted like yummy delicious goodness with just a *hint* of chocolate. Perfection. As you can see by my expression I was very happy. We were at the Governor's Pub in Sydney)

I honestly have no idea why more people don't choose the Cabot Trail and various stops in Cape Breton as their #1 choice for a vacation. It's gorgeous.

We tried to keep the wastefulness to a minimum and what is interesting to note is that the regular 'hotel' we first stayed had things like composting, recycling bins, reusing towel policies and overt messages on reusing and recycling throughout the hotel. Whereas the pricey, fancy resort hotel had zero composting, minimal recycling, a wasteful nespresso (which I admit we used since it was free... and it tasted nasty- confirmed my dislike for all things 'Keurig') and heated bathroom floor.

What is a bit cray cray is that we're leaving tomorrow for a five day stay at my parent's cottage on a lake with minimal internet and cell reception. I cannot wait, even though I am exhausted. From one end of the province to the other (despite the deceptively small size of the province, it is about 8-10hours to drive from one end of Nova Scotia to the other...).

(Our first stop was at a little church on the Bras d'Or lake that I had discovered on my last trip to Sydney in the winter. It has the perfect view of the lake)

(Bras d'Or lake at Irish Cove. The water is brackish as it connects with the ocean... and it was WARM!)

I also made Andrew stop at Rita's Tea Room where it's basically a shrine to Rita MacNeil (who passed recently). I thought it was neat that they had her wardrobe trunks!

This was a low section of the highlands where you just start to get the impression of the furry mountains... breathtaking really.

This doesn't even begin to really show just how high up we were and the ridiculous rolling views of the highlands. Andrew was mesmerized. What is crazy is that there are little villages smattered all along the Cabot Trail... it blows my mind that people actually get to LIVE THERE.

On the other side of the Cabot Trail we stopped to do to the Skyline hiking trail. A National Parks lady was there with wildlife display. Andrew and I practiced lifting a "small" moose antler to show how strong we are.

UGH I AM STRONG!
(ps, Moose shed their antlers naturally every year, so no moose were harmed in this photo)

The view from the skyline trail... on the left would be towards Chéticamp. Ridiculous.

Tree! my one bit of yoga for the weekend

(The view from the top of the skyline)

On our way back from the boardwalk along the trail we actually saw TWO moose! They were young, and one was obviously male (from dangling bits) and not afraid of us at all. 

The view from our second, more pricey hotel balcony in Inverness. Behind us were the rolling foothills of the Cape Breton highlands.

Our Lady Guadalupe and Rabbit Tracks

A day of driving- my yearly visit to Cape Breton 'pour les enfants francophones'- and it was such a gorgeous day. Why more people don't visit Cape Breton I have no idea. I just wanted to gush, to myself, at every little peak into rural Nova Scotian goodness. Obviously the city is eating away at me.

(tiny little 'lapin' (rabbit) tracks were all that marred the snow surrounding the church)

In Johnstown I spotted the most beautiful little church on top of a hill overlooking the vast Bras d'Or lakes (literally translated from French as 'Golden Arm'). In order to share the beauty with you, my lovely blog peeps, I braved the (pure ice) driveway only to discover it was even more magical than I first thought.

(Guadalupe Chapel, Johnstown CB)

This little church has a shrine to 'Our Lady Guadalupe' enveloped in the pristine white snow with a clear view of the frozen lakes. All I could hear was the wind and the 'ocean'esque sounds of the lake. A priest from  the parish had visited Mexico and immediately fell in love with the local fascination and worship of 'Our Lady Guadalupe'. After commissioning a fresco made in Mexico, the shrine was built and dedicated in Cape Breton in 1963.

(I love the colours and the rose!)

It's like a little bit of Mexico surrounded by snow...

GPB: Being a Tourist in Your Own Town is Cool!

Instead of travelling down south this year and creating more carbon emissions and spending money, how about considering being a tourist in your own town?

Come check out my post at the Green Phone Booth, complete with fantastical autumn photos, on my trip to the Annapolis Valley last weekend!

Moving to New Zealand!!

One of my bestest friends Margaret is embarking on a ridiculously exciting Adventure with a capital A.

(Step 1: complete side head shaving for a the "ADVENTURE HAIR")

Tomorrow morning at 5am, I drive her to the Halifax airport so she can start her 33 hour journey to New Zealand... where she will live and backpack, by herself, for an entire year.

(Amazing neon pink zebra Duck Tape)

Seriously. She quit her job, sold her car, gave away her clothing (even her handmade Halloween costumes!) and packed her entire life into a 35lb backpack. She had to pare down all her belongings to five outfits that better have multi-purposes and practical perks (such as easily washable underwear in a sink, but they look kinda cute too).

(Margaret and her life for the next year- all laid out on her 'nest' that she sleeps on when she visits)

Experiencing this process with her; how people are reacting to her Adventure (surprisingly, a lot of negative nancies out there), how life becomes a constant set of emotional 'goodbyes', and how we re-evaluate what is absolutely necessary in our lives. I was thinking about how I'd prioritize a travel yoga mat... lol.

(Ms Margaret is READY for her Adventure)

She's decided to blog about her journey (ok, really I told her she better friggin' blog and post pictures while she's there...) and I've given her a crash course in blogging over the course of the past two days. It's the cutest blog ever: "The Ginger Travels" (she's a redhead :) ).

She is so Courageous and I admire her Moxy and sense of Adventure.

A huge part of me is going to miss her while she's gone, despite this world of uber connectedness.

Bon Voyage ma Margaret, tu me manques déjà. 

article and copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

GPB: Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia

For all you future Canada-bound tourists, (or simply photo-lovers), Andrew and I visited a well kept local gem and took some pictures... Here are a coupe of extras... there are more!

Come on over to the Green Phone Booth to have a peak!

Test Run Your Feet: Walking to Work

(For all my peeps who bicycle- you rock! I'm chatting about walking here because bicycling to work just isn't in the cards for me. But if you're reading and really want to give it a try- Five Seed has fabulous resources for the bicycling discoverers! 
For all my rural peeps, I understand you can't walk-bicycle-public transit to work. I get it- a 30-45minute car drive on the highway into work just wouldn't be fun. Maybe carpooling or finding an energy efficient vehicle should be your thing.
For everyone else:)


Small eco-step: Test run your feet.

Yep, instead of driving to work, take advantage of the beautiful summer months to give your feet a try and walk (and+or take public transit).

This will be my third year of walking to work and the second year taking the ferry for 70% of my work days. This includes winter months of snow storms. Honestly, my original motivation was lack of parking at the office downtown. The bus system in Halifax is terrible, so it was just easier to walk for 35minutes instead of paying for parking (160$ a month) or an 80$ month bus pass.

Then my office moved across the harbour to Dartmouth. Thankfully it is directly across from the ferry terminal. Unthankfully (yes that is now a word, since blogger didn't outline it in red), the terminal is a 20minute walk from my apartment. For a grand total of 45minutes each way to get to work. Despite it being cheaper to drive (bridge tolls are 70cents vs 2$ for the ferry) and faster (20minutes instead of 45minutes), I prefer walking.

Why you should test drive your feet:

• No traffic. Not worrying or shouting at bad drivers is pretty blissful (yes, I have road rage...). 
• Your feet are dependable and on time. No traffic jams or slow drivers will impact when you'll get to work.
• You'll avoid all those pesky traffic accidents. Just this week there was an accident on one of the bridges and I was the only person at work on time. And might I say quite less flustered.
• No worrying about parking. Your feet don't need a parking spot!
• Having that extra bit of quiet time while you walk to work at the start and end of your day will is almost meditative. 
• You can practice your pranayam while you walk. If you're a yoga geek like that.
• Even if you don't walk near the water like I do, having your headphones on and listening to your favourite music will help you centre before a work day, or unwind and leave work behind at the end of the day. 
• Your health will thank you.
• The Planet will thank you. 
• Your wallet will thank you.

(The MacDonald bridge with Halifax on the left and Dartmouth on the right from the Ferry. This week it's been blazing sun every morning!)

So, you've read this far and you're like- "Hey, this Lisa gal has got something here!" (yes I do, thank you), I have a few more tips to help you keep this new mode of transport:

Shoes:
When I heard a former colleague say she "never wants to be one of those business women wearing running shoes to work" I was a little confused- seriously? People really judge that? If that's what is holding you back, you don't REALLY need sneakers to walk to work. But having season appropriate footwear is crucial. Here are mine:
Summer- flip flops.
Fall- flats or rubber boots (depending on weather)
Winter- winter boots (or rubber boots) depending on weather.
Spring- rubber boots or flats.

What is convenient, is I usually leave a pair of flats at work when I don't feel like bringing them in my bag while I'm walking.

Weather Protection:
I have an arsenal of weather protection that I use depending on what it's giving for the day. A raincoat is a must in Halifax, as is my fabulous eco-friendly winter coat, mittens, scarf and tuque. I also invested in some leg warmers to wear over my pants during the really really cold winter months.

Preparation:
When you start walking, you should become closely acquainted with your local weather forecast website. Being a fisherman's daughter, I have spent my entire life hearing about weather patterns- so no  issue there. There's nothing worse than walking home and realizing you hadn't checked the weather... and it's pouring out. And you don't have your raincoat.

Also, if you don't like walking in the quiet- download your favourite podcast or make several 'mood inspired' playlists. I listen to radio-canada (usually médium large) every morning.

So who's in?

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Eco Soap Carrier and Travelling in Nova Scotia!

Check out my post on how to make an "Eco Soap Carrier" sans plastic at the Green Phone Booth!

And to take you there here are a few pictures of my work travels over the past two weeks:

A map of Nova Scotia, Canada. From Halifax, last week I drove to Isle Madame (which has Arichat and Petit de Grat) then Sydney. This week I drove from Halifax to Greenwood, Clare and then Argyle.

 All Acadian Regions have these special bilingual exit signs with the Acadian Flag :)

Arichat on Isle Madame truly has beautiful beaches

Still on Isle Madame, Petit De Grat has the cutest sign! Acadian colours and the star!

Me at the Governors Pub in Sydney, Cape Breton. The best draught and local music!

 Sydney's Opera House with their giant violon. It's right on the harbour.

The view from my hotel in Clare. This is the ocean at low tide- at high tide the ocean covers the entire shore. Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy has some of the world's largest tides.

A very south western Nova Scotia Acadian dish- Rappie Pie (or La rapure). In Clare it's kinda runny, I prefer Pubnico's version (but then it's what I grew up with). Finely grated potatoes, chicken (or wild game) baked in the oven. In Par-en-bas we put molasses on it too. Yum!

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

What Traveling Has Taught Me: Tim's Doesn't Serve their Coffee in "for here" mugs

My job means I travel every few months, which has been an adventure over the past two years. Except for that first big move to BC, most of my travelling has been with Andrew over the past six years. So it definitely was an adjustment to pack-up, kiss him 'bye, and drive off for 3,4,5,6 hours at a time, stay in a hotel by myself for a few days and return.

Surprisingly, there are a few things that I've learned about myself in this process:

- Eating by yourself in restaurants must start with a hotel because there are usually a bunch of businessmen there by themselves too- so you're not the only one!

- If I'm hungry enough, though, I will definitely eat ANYWHERE by myself. For example, this week I'm eating at the hotel's fancy schmancy hotel... by myself. Which is a big deal. Last night I read out of my book, tonight I'm typing a blog post. I feel a bit weird, like one of "those", but darnit I'm hungry and don't feel like staring into space.... (that and I finished my book)

- I will take yoga where ever I can get it. 10 min in my hotel room? Sure thing! Some breathing and quiet space between presentations and consultations? Yep!

- I can make herbal tea out of anywhere that can heat water. Including using a coffee pot. I usually dump the tea bits in the toilet, rinse out my tea mug and I'm all ready to go for another cup!

- I am a neat hotel person. I hate leaving a mess for the staff to clean up. It's kinda like when you're a guest at someone's home. You know they're going to wash the sheets after you leave, but you make the bed anyway, to be polite.

- Local yoga studios are like part of a tourist attraction. I feel like I'm collecting them almost. Like each new village, community, town that I visit I need to attend a yoga class. I'm always disappointed when a local studio doesn't have a class that I can attend (timing), or there isn't one. I'll even go so far as to email local instructors to see if they're teaching somewhere (google!). A bit compulsive? Yep!

- I love travelling in Nova Scotia since all the hotels compost and recycle- even in the rooms! I'm also always disappointed when my towels are changed each day, even though there are signs saying that if I hang them a certain way they won't be.

- Tim Hortons will NOT automatically serve you their crappy coffee in a "for here" mug even if you ask for it "for here".

My voyage home begins tomorrow!

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

A Lesson of My Own Agisms

Happy Monday!
Don't worry, my YogAttitude entry-peeps! I'll be writing your names down, cutting out the paper and placing them in a hat to be chosen soon. Right now I find myself 5hrs away from home, the in lovely town of Sydney Cape Breton. I'll be here for three days, presenting on bilingual language development and even a quick interview on the cbc!

I did manage to find time to squeeze in a yoga class this evening at a local studio- Tapestry. A blend of Ashtanga and Tripsichore, it was an interesting mix and I definitely enjoyed my practice while learning a few new things! The instructor, Anju, was supportive without being flowery and provided feedback without being too negative. The right amount of alignment with playfulness.

The best part- was the students themselves. In the small space (just enough for two rows of yoga mats, each against the opposite walls facing each other), the first thing I noticed were the men. It was the first time I've been to a class dominated by men. 8 men to the 5 women. And these were not all "gym" guys, ranging from young to mid-wisdomed, I could easily picture a few of them working at a local construction site or fishing alongside my dad. It was great!

Then, there were the women. I was the only classically stereotyped "yogini" there. Three more wisdomed women (one who called herself a senior) and one girl with fantastic tattoos on her feet and arms. I had a moment of, ahhh perhaps this class isn't going to be strong enough to get rid of my tension. Crazy how we judge based on appearances. I was quickly proven wrong, not only was the class a sweaty flow of breath, but those ladies kicked butt. My favourite was watching the "self proclaimed senior" kick up in headstand as if it were nothing at all. I was watching because there is no way my body can do that. lol.

There were many lessons in this class, braving a new studio as the only and most obviously "noob" in the class of regulars, accepting my own limitations and unconscious stereotypes and letting go of my own expectations.

I'm hoping to get an easy afternoon practice tomorrow between clinical assessment/consultation and parent presentation using my YogAttitude cards!

See y'all on the flip side of the island!

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

YogAttitude Cards: Review and Giveaway!

A little while back I received an email from the lovely Nadine Fawell, asking me to review her new Yoga Cards- YogAttitude. As I adore receiving emails and I'm always pretty good at responding, I wrote back just to make sure she knew I wasn't a yoga teacher (and perhaps not as "qualified" as she might like).

Silly me, of course she knew that- she wanted the student perspective!

A few short weeks later I received MAIL (I LOVE mail!) with a little box of yoga treasures to check out. Unfortunately my life also kinda blew up in October and it took a little longer to review than I'd hoped.

I'll be honest, I've never really enjoyed the yoga cards that I've seen floating around. The large, new age-y cards with some meaningful "yogic" inscription that some yoga teachers like to read in class. I was a little nervous about how I would use these cards I'd agreed to review.

Then I opened the box and realized I had found the yoga cards for me!

First of all, this cute little box is fantastic. I am a huge fan of the peacock feather graphic and the actual name of the cards "YogAttitude". The cards are quite narrow, which I was initially concerned about how I would use them, but after a few trials I realized that the narrow, smaller cards are actually better for practice.

Whereas the larger, clunkier cards are unwieldy and not really meant beyond a one card deal, Nadine's smaller cut cards are PERFECT for creating a sequence of yoga asana  to keep near your mat as you practice. She's also divided the cards into asana pictures and words to inspire, which allows the yogi truly carve a unique practice to their needs. That and smaller cards means less waste!

The cards come with a well written, not too froufrou workbook... which is pdf!! YES! Extremely environmentally friendly, if I choose to I can print it on recycled paper.

The size of the box and cards along with the pdf file workbook means that these are a wonderful accompaniment to my current traveling reality- I can easily bring yoga inspiration with me all over the province!

Beyond the practicalities of the cards are the actual images. If the usefulness didn't get me, I was instantly a fan when I saw how real Nadine's yoga asana images were. No uber skinny, American Apparel Yogini- but a gorgeous, strong, tattooed (LOVE her peacock tats!) Yogini to be inspired by.

So. How did I use the cards, really? I tried to go through and use them as a sequencer, but that really just didn't fit well with my style of practice. I tried choosing a few inspiration or "goal" asanas and that went marginally better.

The best success, for myself? I use them in a familiar way- almost like Tarot cards.

Yoga Asana Trio Prep w YogAttitude:
Taking the cards I close my eyes and begin to ground my Energy using my breath. I feel the cards and breathe into what is unconsciously influencing my life and choose a card. I breathe into what has been the root, the anchor in my world- and choose a card. Finally, I breathe into what I would like my life, my practice, to reflect- and choose a card.

The result- a trio of asanas meant to support, sustain or strengthen each aspect: the Unconscious, the Anchor and the Wish.

I have truly enjoyed these cards and am very thankful for Nadine in sharing them with me.

In the spirit of Giving, Nadine has sent me not one, but TWO decks (Yay! Thank you Nadine!)... and I would like to share a deck with YOU! Perhaps you'd like it for yourself, or for a special yogi(ni) in your life (a fantastic Yulemas gift!).

GIVEAWAY RULES:

All you have to do is leave a comment saying how you'd use the cards (or how you imagine your giftee would benefit from them) by Saturday, December 4th, 4pm Atlantic Time. An email address, or a way to get in touch would be necessary :)

Good luck!

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

A Glimpse of the Highlands

After a long 6 hour drive home, I'm finally back in my own space. Some thoughts to come on "owning" environmental resources and the right to create and modify policies to come this weekend.

First though, I managed to make it to the Cabot Trail, even though I only had time to drive about 30 minutes in. Unfortunately, what with work, I couldn't even contemplate a voyage to the Red Cap, where Pema Chodron's Buddhist temple resides. Regardless, the aren't giving tours right now...

Here are a few pictures I was able to snap. I sadly didn't see a moose (although other guests at the B&B did!), or whales... but the view from up above was phenomenal. At one point, the clouds were literally gracing the tree tips and my car. The pictures really don't do it justice at just how high up I was, barely minutes out of Chéticamp. It's worth a click to make them bigger- trust me :)

 The very beginning of the park, those are the beginnings- towards Chéticamp.

 The first ocean picnic-ing place about 5 min drive in.

 A random 'Inukshuk' someone had left.

 I snapped this as I drove, if you look closely you can see the ocean, hundreds of metres below as the road winds through the highlands.

 That ocean sur is far down. The beauty of the highlands is that in a few short weeks, unlike the furry mountains in BC, they will burst into reds, oranges and yellows since they're covered in leafy trees. Also, interestingly enough, that many leaves means there was a constant almost ocean-like sound of the wind through millions of leaves.

 A zoom in from my camera to the ocean.

And this is my customary boat shot in Chéticamp for my dad :)

Blessings!

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