What is the journey that led you to yoga?
I had taken basic yoga classes throughout my dance training but wasn’t fully intrigued until I was about 19 years old and I went to a power yoga class in LA. I was shocked as my arms were shaking trying to hold a side plank and I realized how weak my upper body was in comparison to my dancer legs. This type of yoga was a challenge for me and I started to practice 2-3 time per week as cross-training for my ballet career. I was hooked when I found teachers that combined this power style with vinyasa. I felt strong and graceful at the same time. I started to focus on how I felt in my body rather than how I looked. I used to force my body into shapes for aesthetic purposes and yoga taught me how to honor my body on a day to day basis and listen to its needs. And just like many students the philosophy started to really inspire me. I didn’t realize there was an alternative to a frantic mind and constant stress! I suffered from body image issues, disordered eating, joint pain, and severe anxiety. Yoga allowed me to keep dancing with a completely different outlook and intention. I had found my life-long practice and passion.
What are your sources of rooting?
As an air sign and a Vata dominant personality I basically live in my head and in the clouds! Grounding practices are SUPER important for me. My two essential rituals are meditation and nature. Even if I can only fit five minutes in, I need to sit and breathe everyday. This is often a difficult task for me but I feel an internal shift when I commit to meditation. Getting into nature is how I stay rooted and connected. I love hiking and walking on the beach. Exploring is a humbling experience and it always reminds me how connected we all are to the Universe and to each other.
How does your yoga practice help you keep your balance?
I love that there are so many types of yoga and endless potential for growth and knowledge. On any given day, I can check in with my body and mind and find a way to bring it into balance through yoga. Some days, that means a powerful practice, some days it means Pranayama, and other days I need creativity and flow. Self-awareness and self-inquiry are key when striving toward balance. If you listen to your body, it will tell you what your practice is for the day.
What advice would you give to a beginner yogi?
Be patient with yourself. It’s not about the depth of the postures. Each person is searching for sensation and that can look different on every body. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to your teacher. They may not have all the answers but investigating and exploring are apart of the journey.
What is your way of rejuvenating yourself?
I tend to overbook myself and feel guilty if I don’t spend my time working or doing something productive. This can turn into an unhealthy cycle for my body and mind! I’ve started to schedule full days off in order to reset and rejuvenate. Giving myself permission to take a day off from exercising, to put my computer away, to drink a glass of wine with friends or any other activity that brings me joy. A bubble bath and Netflix is never a bad option either 
How do you manage to maintain balance on a daily basis?
Balance is so much about listening to the signals around you. My body tells me what it needs and when I truly listen I can find practices to bring balance into my life. I am a planner so scheduling things into my calendar is a great way to satisfy my organizational impulses but also make sure I leave time for home cooking, daily movement, quality family time etc. I know it seems odd to put “dinner at home” in your calendar but, for me, it’s an important reminder to value my time. Luckily my work is pretty soul nourishing, so I get to do what I love everyday.
How do you draw from the source?
Taking control of your mindset and realizing that the Universe has your back can create powerful energy shifts. My teacher Matt Giordano says “Change is inevitable but transformation is a choice.” When I choose courage and step into the flow of life, I feel less resistance from my ego and more harmony with the Universe. Challenges are everywhere but so is inspiration. My best creations come when I keep showing up and do the work. When in doubt, make art. Use it to work through your sh*t. When life looks hopeless, live more fully until it inspires you again.
What is your way of giving back and its importance in your life?
Education, sharing, and leading by example. I love learning and sharing knowledge with others. I will be a student my whole life and continue to learn all I can to share with my students and clients. I believe an important way to give back is to lead by example and spend your money in support of businesses and causes that are important to you. I am very passionate about the environment and choose to live a plant based lifestyle to give back to our planet. I try to reduce waste as much as possible. I carry a huge purse (I’m known as a bag lady) with a reusable coffee cup, reusable water bottle, utensil set and tupperware for leftovers.
What are your daily rituals?
Movement, mantras and meals! Haha-this is my tagline for my mindful nutrition programs but the inspiration came from my favourite daily rituals. Movement is so important in my life. Whether this is a walk, a dance session or a yoga class, I have to incorporate movement into my day! Mantras give me inspiration for my meditation practice as well as encouragement for the day. Meals are so important and I find that home cooking nourishes both my body and soul. I am very passionate about food and how it is prepared. If I am traveling I often bring a magic bullet with me or do lots of research to find amazing locally sourced or vegan restaurants on the road!
How do you inspire yourself?
I usually find inspiration when I’m not looking for it! Challenges often present the most profound discoveries. When life is feeling hopeless I often just make art, dance, free-write or get into nature with no intention other than to feel better. Creation comes when you are raw and authentic. Art can reflect some ugly parts of us but this is where we truly connect to others. We can speak heart to heart and realize that we are all the same and feel the same.
What inspires/lights you right now?
I am currently working up to launching a mindful detox program. It’s a 14 day commitment that includes mindful practices, yoga, recipes and private coaching sessions to detox on all levels with a holistic approach. Creating this content has been so exciting for me as it’s combining several things that light me up! My goal is to create a community of artful wellness seekers and provide support along our health journeys. Everyday I have been creating recipes for the program and taking photos for the workbook. Photography is another business of mine that started about 10 years ago when I was doing dance photography for Ballet Arizona. Bringing all of my passions together in this new venture is truly exciting and I can’t wait to share it!
Books
I am currently all about plants and the planet! Currently on my nightstand is the book Whole by Dr Colin Campbell (author of the China study). His first book was my original motivation to become vegan. I really only read non-fiction and this is very fact based but I love it! I think everyone should be more educated on our food and healthcare practices.
Blogs
Blogs are all plant-based cooking blogs- Hell Yeah! It’s Vegan & Oh She Glows are two of my faves. I’m also a big fan of Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations– it’s great for the commutes in LA. Let’s talk yoga- I just completed Level 1 & 2 of Chromatic Yoga training with my good friend and mentor Matt Giordano. His approach to the physical practice is so intelligent and his philosophy is inspiring. Highly recommend joining his community!
How do you make a difference?
I try to take conscious action that aligns with my values every day. I follow a plant-based diet for several reasons- one is to help save the environment and conserve the resources we are rapidly depleting and also to contribute to the animal rights movement
How do you feed the yogi in you?
As I mentioned before- movement is so important. This is why is created YogarinaFLOW and Shake Your Chakras; A soul nourishing combination of dance and yoga. Another thing that really feed my soul is animals. I am a proud cat mama and find my time connecting with animals so valuable. Their unconditional love and affection is so pure and reminds me to love in this way.
How do you stay healthy?
As a health coach, I am very into healthy food and sharing with love with my students and clients. I follow a plant-based diet. This feels best for my body and aligns with my ethics. I love the energy I get from plants and being creative in the kitchen. I love to listen to music as I cook and share food with people I love. This nourishes my soul and heart all at the same time.
What is your way of expressing your gratitude?
Gratitude is so powerful! I practice gratitude every morning when I wake up by saying three things I am grateful for. I do this with my husband and it starts our day of in such a positive light. When I start my day out by focusing on my blessings, it often transforms any negative energy and gives stress less power.
Don’t miss Beau Campbell at Expo Yoga & wellness 2020! Discover her workshops here.
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Annie Carpenter, creator of SmartFLOW Yoga, is an international Yoga teacher based in Northern California. Known as a “teacher’s teacher” she leads strong and mindful, intelligent and compassionate workshops and Teacher Trainings, and mentors young teachers globally and at YogaGlo.com.
– How did your yoga practice began?
Truthfully, in high school I had a bit of a drug use problem and went to day rehab. There was yoga as part of the program. I was transformed !! I felt open, safe and absolutely present after the very first class, and can tell you it was so much better than getting high. Yoga healed me.
– Can you talk about an important moment that occurred in your personal practice?
There are so many… after a fall about 16 years ago I had a knee surgery and could not weight-bear for a month. So without asana, I had to figure out how to be a yogini! I turned deeper into pranayama and meditation, and read and re-read the old texts. Asana is after all just one limb.
– Who inspired you the most in your career?
So many yoga teachers have inspired me. But I have to say my dance mentor, martha graham, really is the one: she insisted on daily practice (though it was dance not yoga), and relentless self-inquiry. Authenticity and honesty were the tools, and time was the ultimate teacher in her world.
– What book did change your life?
A biography of Gandhi; and Siddhartha by Hesse, both of which I read in 9th grade. They introduced me to eastern thinking and the ideas of the eternal spirit and the ever-changing nature of the material world. I saw that suffering really is a choice… still working on that suffering part! But I know I can choose how to live and that compassion and patience are the path.
– Can you talk about a life changing yoga trip that you made?
First trip to India in the 90s: I went to study with Patthabhi Jois for 2 months. First time I had ever not worked for that long and the act of just practicing and truly surrendering to the practice and my teacher put everything into perspective. It was ego-busting at its best!
Don’t miss Annie Carpenter at Expo Yoga 2019! Discover her workshops here.
]]>Many times I hear does chanting mantras actually work? Do I reach ultimate bliss by chanting and heal my emotions?
The science behind mantras lies in the sound and the vibration. Mantras are ancient sacred texts that were orally transcribed over thousands of years ago from ancient sages. They have stated that mantras have “spiritual powers” or “invocations”. The truth is, when we chant these mantras, we create a new reality within our existence through the vibration of the sounds. Ok, so what’s the buzz really about? Do they actually work in healing my emotions?
Not Just woo wooo – it’s a Science!
There is an actual science behind this. In Kundalini Yoga, we call it the the Shabd ( Sound). The Shabd Guru is a very special sound current that uses the technology of the Naad Yoga (Sound Union). Therefore it is not just any sound, but a primal sound. Each primal sound is a unit that is pronounced by a particular part of the mouth. When we form a word and we speak it, we utilize the 84 meridian points on the roof of the mouth to stimulate the hypothalamus to change the chemistry of the brain. Not every combination of sounds or words will create patterns of healing or wholeness – therefore the Shabd Guru is unique.
In the science of Naad, there are three key elements that enhance the experience: rhythm, projection and pronunciation. Maintaining a precise rhythm of the mantra as well as maintaining the correct number of beats with the mantra is crucial to its effectiveness.
Why should this matter?
When something is bothering you, your mind is the creator, maintainer and sufferer of the problem. Changing your mind (not as easy as it sounds) about the problem when your mind is troubled, is like trying to sweep the dirt under the rug. Stepping off the rug and outside your mind to change your mind about the problem is key. Mantras can help do this.
There are also many different types of mantras you can use. In this post, we are talking about sanskrit and gurmukhi mantras; there are healing mantras, devotional mantras, celebration mantras, love mantras and a thousand more mantras you can study and use, for your own personal benefit . There are also English mantras you can use to “affirm” or align your energy with. They are called affirmations. Affirmations are sometimes a good place to start if you feel uncomfortable chanting a foreign language. A simple Affirmation can be anything as simple as “I AM______ ». (fill in the blanks). I was thinking love ….
Treating your mental well-being with mantras
Sometimes I get asked why I am so happy all the time. I have to confess, mantras was my therapy and still is when I am feeling a bit “off of center”.
Now, I cannot say that mantras will work for everyone as everyone has their own degree of discomfort or pain, and everyone’s mental state is very different.
At first, knowing thy self is key and accessing the core of the problem can greatly improve the effectiveness of mantra chanting when practised daily.
Sometimes it may take a few sessions, sometimes just one session can help. Whatever your level of discomfort, I invite you to give it a try, you may just get hooked!
Happy Chanting!
Lea
Don’t miss Lea at Expo Yoga 2019. Discover her workshop here.
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Enjoy !
What has meditation brought to your life?
Where do I begin! Meditation teaches me to see clearly, things I don’t normally see because I’m distracted, hiding, overlooking them, or running from them. It also gently reminds me how I take so much of this amazing life for granted. Everyday things like the breath or being able to walk are gifts that I tend to forget when I’m wrapped up in my own world. Yet, with sincere practice, I remember that they are indeed precious, and I don’t need to wait for an illness that threatens to take them away to remind me. With the help of meditation, I have also begun to see that the acceptance of who I am in this moment is a radical act of healing that is my birthright, and that no matter how many people tell me they love and accept me and think I am worthy, only I have that capacity to free myself of false beliefs right here in this moment. Meditation has also made me more compassionate, not just to myself but to others, too. In practice, I get to explore the intricate ways joy feels, or confusion, or having a strong opinion. I become so familiar with my experiences that when I’m faced with someone who is full of joy, I remember how it feels and can rejoice with them, or when someone has a strong opinion, I remember the hardening, protecting, controlling qualities, and I soften. Basically, it gives me permission to fully be me, which allows me to let others fully be themselves, too.
What food couldn’t you live without?
My mother’s pancit! Pancit is a traditional Filipino dish made of very thin rice noodles fried with soy sauce some citrus, and some variation of sliced meat and chopped vegetables. Every time I see her and for every holiday, I ask her to make some. Eating it reminds me of family holidays and special occasions, and brings up in me feelings of warmth and love.
In whose body would you like to reincarnate?
The still-living South Korean Buddhist nun, Jeong Kwan. I came to know her through her breathtaking episode on Netflix’s Chef’s Table (season 3, episode 1). Her days seem to be spent in quietude, something I’ve recently committed to with a drastically reduced teaching schedule, and her practice of Buddhism is seamlessly integrated into what she does daily, particularly as the monastery cook. According to her, “There is no difference between cooking and pursuing Buddha’s way.” I deeply admire her ability to see the magic of this practice in something we often take for granted, yet have numerous opportunities daily to revere it like she does – food.
Don’t miss Dawn at Expo Yoga 2018!
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Tell us about a great trip/journey in your life!
In 2008 I went to Greece on vacation, and at the time I was extremely dissatisfied with my career, but I was reluctant to leave it because I didn’t have anything else to fall back on. Before leaving for Greece, I had a conversation with what I understood God to be and asked for a sign to indicate to me that I should leave my job.
While sleeping in Santorini one night and dreaming about work, I was woken up by a male voice that spoke to me in my left ear and told me, “You just have to leave.” I was beyond grateful for that moment. After the holiday ended, I came home and quit my job, which allowed me to pursue my studies in yoga and meditation, while always kickstarting my writing career.
In whose body would you like to reincarnate?
I want to reincarnate into whatever body the soul which animates this present body lands in. I believe that this energy that sparks the “Bram-ness” into the world will continue to make its way into the world in incredible ways, animating the next body into greater spheres of healing, knowledge and inspiration.
As a yogi, what is your biggest challenge off the mat?
My biggest challenge as a yogi operating in this modern world is to remind myself that the physical world, the “human experience”, is but a fraction of what’s going on. I constantly remind myself to use spiritual sight to see beyond the literal, physical world of details and chaos to the undercurrent of meaning and symbolism that animates it all. This brings me from a place where I find myself unconsciously reacting to events to a place where I find myself consciously responding to events.
Don’t miss Bram at Expo Yoga 2018!
]]>By Melanie Richards, founder and director of HappyTree yoga studio in Montreal.
Ever since I was little, I wanted to be an actress. To me, there was no better feeling in the world than being on stage and expressing myself in front of an audience! Then I grew up, went to university and chose to be behind the scenes with a specialization in television production. All the while, I auditioned for and starred in some of my peers’ productions and my television professor would say to me, “What are you doing behind the camera? You should be in front of the camera!” I still had the acting bug and with these words of encouragement, I continued acting in local plays and productions as a hobby after graduating.
Disheartened with my job search in the communications field, I then mustered the courage to give acting a real shot. I posed for my first professional headshots and started looking for an agent, which was hard because I wasn’t a member of ACTRA, the Canadian acting union. The famous catch 22 was that you needed to be part of the union in order to get a role, however it was near impossible to get a role unless you were already in the union. Finally, an agent reluctantly took me in, though he criticized me for starting out so late in the game. I was twenty-two.
I remember stepping into his office one day to show him my new acting c.v. wearing my most slimming little black dress. I had taken great care in my appearance, hoping to impress him. Instead, he took my resumé in his hands and with tired eyes slowly shifted his gaze between the piece of paper and my body, making me feel increasingly uncomfortable as I stood vulnerably in front of him. With a worn albeit compassionate expression on his face, he asked me bluntly if I had lied about my weight. Actually, I had. I knew at 5’6” that if I wrote down my real weight of 130 lbs. it would negatively affect my chances of getting an audition, so I said I was 125 lbs. I lied again when I told him I hadn’t lied.
My agent remained sceptical. “You have an athletic build”, he said matter-of-factly. “The anorexic look is in and you don’t have it, so you won’t be able to get a leading role. Your best chances will be at playing the supporting role of “the best friend”. There was no malice in his voice; he wasn’t trying to be mean. He was simply telling me the truth about the industry I was so desperately trying to break into.
At the time, I didn’t question the sick industry standard of casting starved-looking women in leading roles. Instead, I felt bad about my own healthy weight and thought anxiously of what I could do to change my appearance. I was already going to the gym almost every day and watching what I ate but when I looked in the mirror all I saw were broad shoulders, bulky arms and a stomach that refused to lie flat no matter how many kilometers I ran on the treadmill or how many carbs I cut out of my diet.
I was further influenced by the large collection of women’s fashion magazines that I devoured cover-to-cover every month. In them, I read that Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Madonna were practicing Ashtanga Yoga with great results: long lithe limbs, whittled waists and perky “yoga butts”. I had found my answer.
I started going to hot yoga, hoping the extra benefit of sweating would help me shed water weight. I became obsessed, working my entire schedule around the classes four to six times a week. A spaghetti-strapped sports bra and matching hot-pink booty shorts became my uniform of choice for the oppressively hot, carpeted yoga room. I would analyze my body in the mirror in every pose and weigh myself after every class. A few months later, I started seeing the physical results I had so longed for and I also got a totally unexpected result:
Instead of judging my body and objectifying it, I began to feel my body and become one with it.
This feeling was new to me – the feeling of being at home in my body, of loving myself just as I was. I became fascinated with this result and went on to join a small studio near my apartment that offered Hatha Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga classes. My practice deepened and so did my confidence. Toward the end of class one afternoon as I lay in final relaxation, tears of relief started rolling gently down my cheeks into my ears and as I made my way back up to seated, I felt like a one hundred pound weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Feeling light as a feather, I floated up to my teacher with a huge grin on my face and said, “I quit”.
I quit acting. Since that day in my agent’s office (and even before that if I’m to be perfectly honest) acting was no longer about expressing myself, it was about proving my worth to an industry that rejected me based on my body’s size and shape; it was about being sexy enough to win the approval of sleazy casting directors; it was about reassuring my fragile ego that I was leading-lady material and that I had value. Yoga brought me back to the deep knowing that my self-worth was independent from my dress size and other people’s opinions of me. In that moment, I felt total freedom and I knew my life’s mission would be to help others realize the same.
Having been in the yoga industry now for almost fifteen years, both as a yoga teacher and studio owner, I can say with absolute certainty that yoga has the power to heal and transform lives, the way it did my own. And with just as much certainty, I can say that the yoga industry is not immune to the same societal pressures and ideals of beauty that run rampant in the film, fashion and beauty industries. Consciously or unconsciously, the pressure is there. It’s real. And it’s all over Instagram.
I know because I feel that pressure, too. A few years ago my spiritual mentor was encouraging me to share my yoga teachings through online videos and I refused because I had recently put on weight. “How selfish of you.” she said. “How selfish of you to deny the world your unique gifts and miss the opportunity to help more people through yoga because you want to lose ten pounds first.” Her words struck me like a gong and reverberated through my entire being. This was exactly the lesson I had learned all those years ago. The lesson that my voice, my value cannot be measured by a scale.
The sophisticated system of Yoga helps our body and mind to become strong, flexible and healthy so that we may have a direct experience of connection to our true nature of joy and compassion, to each other and to our planet. Our body is the vehicle through which our spirit carries out its mission of service in the world – our Dharma. May we remember to make use of our beautiful body for our own good and the good of others, no matter the shape or size.
Don’t miss Melanie at Expo Yoga 2018!
Discover her workshops
- What is your favorite blog to follow?
Lately, I’ve been enjoying Wise Women. Montreal-based educator, Elizabeth Weiner and psychotherapist, Lisa Brookman speak candidly about women’s issues – particularly destigmatizing women’s mental health. Liz’s articles are refreshingly raw and real. On the yoga side, my brother from another mother Bram Levinson has a great blog on his website. I really appreciate his sense of fairness and humour. Bram sticks up for what’s true and what’s right. I admire that about him.
- Could you tell us about a great trip / journey in your life?
A few years ago, I traveled on my own for the first time to Greece. The Greek islands of Paros and Santorini ignited my soul and gave me a thirst for exploring new countries. Since then, I’ve traveled to Italy and to Morocco where I co-hosted my first yoga retreat. The Riad we stayed at near Marrakech was pure paradise and we are going back for another retreat in March of 2018. I feel oddly at home in the Mediterranean and can’t wait to go back!
- As a yogi, what is your biggest challenge off the mat?
Practicing yoga certainly doesn’t make life’s stresses go away but it does provide solid wisdom, perspective and practical tools for navigating difficult times. Being a yoga teacher, entrepreneur and business owner, my biggest challenge is respecting my limits and boundaries (knowing when to say “no”) so that I can continue to give authentically, creatively and with enthusiasm. As yoga teachers, we give so much of ourselves and we have to make time to rest and refuel. One of my quotes to live by is the Sufi saying, “Give from the overflow of your well, not from its depths”.
- In 10 years of your HappyTree yoga studio, what are you most proud of?
On a macro level, what makes me most proud is our vibrant community of dedicated students and the many lives that have been touched, inspired and transformed through our teachings over the years. On a personal level, I’m most proud of staying true to myself and my mission of making yoga accessible to everyone within a genuine, warm and welcoming atmosphere. I’m also proud of the personal obstacles I’ve overcome – HappyTree has helped me grow tremendously as a person and as a teacher and I’m very grateful for the depth of experience it has given me. Overall, I’m proud of our staying power. Ten years is a long time for an independent yoga studio to stay in business and I like to think it’s because we are making a difference!
Don’t miss Melanie at Expo Yoga 2018!
Discover her workshops: https://expoyoga.ca/speaker/melanie-richards/
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