I truly can't believe what an epic year this has been and will be for myself and In Fine Feather Yoga. I am blown away with how fast three years have gone. Since opening the studio I have experienced an insane amount of growth both personally and professionally. Opening the studio showed me my strengths, my determination and my passion, but has also challenged my weaknesses of commitment and spontaneity.
I feel as if this year, with turning 30 and all, I am able to see the incredible balance and stability the studio has given me. I wake up everyday to do what I love more then anything, but also what makes me tired and worried at night. Owning a business sometimes sounds like and feels like having an infant.The love is unconditional, but the worry and the hope that they grow big and strong never goes away. Even as a family unit, I am so proud of what we have all created here, I am blessed that all of our energy continues to nourish the studios growth.
This is the first year of our Yoga Teacher Training program and I am honoured to be hosting this type of continued education for students. Teacher Training was a very powerful life changing exeperience. My entire being completed shifted after the course. It encouraged me to pursue my dreams and live my life from my most authentic space. The studio is also launching a full new fall schedule to bring in more styles and teachers! We have a growing family! This is all so big and important to me!
I hope that over the next year I can continue to create an environment for the best training, that facilitates self discovery and healing. I feel great about being 30 this year; moving into a new decade with the knowledge I have acquired and eager to learn and share more. Life can be tricky, confusing and challenging sometimes, but remember that with every moment there is an opportunity for learning and understanding. Keep following your dreams and sharing your passion. The journey, with the all struggles is worth every second at the end of the day. I couldn't be more grateful to everyone who has guided me here and continues to inspire me.
Love and Gratitude, Helena
Hello Fellow Yogis,
It has been a while since I have connected with a written reflection and I can honestly say I have been on my own path to discover and journey to learn this summer. It is nice looking back now at the experiences I have had, how I have let them integrate and what the greater shifts have been for me over the last few months. After some weekends away with family, yoga training and a super fun music festival, I felt more connected to my practice, to the people I love and to environments that support happiness and create joy. I didn't want this contentment to end and then I realized it doesn't ever have to. Don't let these moments pass, recreate them and enjoy every moment. DO more of what makes you feel alive and whole.
Meet the Markers on Ottawa Street
Hamilton's World Music Festival
Yoga Fest and A Mid Summers Dream
Christie Lake Harvest Picnic
Spring is a time of change, a time of growth. One of my favourite quotes is shown above - "If you change nothing, nothing will change." And the biggest reminder of that is the changing of the seasons. With winter ending and spring arriving comes longer days, fuller trees, birds singing, new flowers and more happiness in general.
Let's embrace this spring with a beautiful spring yoga practice from one of my favourite online yoga resources - Ekhart Yoga. I love Esther and the knowledge she shares here in this video about how to transition from winter to spring with simple changes and a short practice.
Here's a picture of the lovely tulips growing in my garden. They remind me again of the transformations that happen in the spring. How new life appears, full of beauty and new opportunities. I hope as you spend more time on your mats, you begin to notice changes and transitions within yourself and within this amazing community at In Fine Feather Yoga.
Mother's Day is just a few days away and its got me reflecting on how much my mom has impacted my life. My mom has truly and honestly been a life line, saving grace and an example of pure unconditional love. I am almost overwhelmed by what a strong woman she is, but I can see how this strength has translated into both my sister and myself.
Growing up wasn't the easiest for us as a family, but somehow my mom always made delicious home cooked meals appear on the table and in our lunches. My mom taught me at a young age the importance of good, healthy and nourishing food, that also came from the heart.
As an adult, I have a new appreciation for moms and I have been really inspired by my sister who is a new mom. I feel like I have a better understanding for what moms have to do everyday for their little ones, then their teenagers and then adult children. It is this amazing journey where you are apart of shaping someone's life and being a huge part of their existence.
Hello You!
The clocks just went forward an hour. You can think of it as loosing an hour… or you can think of it as gaining an hour of sunlight every day. And sunlight does a body good. Sunlight is one of the many things I love about the In Fine Feather practice room. The huge front windows let in so much natural light that you can’t help but feel good in this space. And with the warmer weather approaching, it’ll soon allow in natural heat too. If you don’t generally sit towards the front of the room, I encourage you to try it this week – especially during daytime classes. You’ll love the warmth and energy that you receive from the sun.
Back to my Mat.
It continues to amaze me how the practice of yoga is always creating subtle shifts in my body and more so, awareness in my mind. I have hundreds, to thousands of hours on my mat as a student and as a teacher and I am still in love with the magic of yoga. I instruct daily and watch bodies move; this is in fact most of my day and most of my week. This attention to teaching has allowed me to notice that I face all the same challenges my students do; my body feels fatigued, I find certain postures so difficult and sometimes making it to your mat is the hardest part. But, I am also recognizing, personally, how essential it is to make that time and I am excited to get back to my mat as a student, I've got to. I can feel that it's time for growth, commitment and change. I've been trying to make some shifts lately to practice more, listen to my body more and change where I am investing my energy. So I have joined our 30 day challenge! I really have no idea how many classes I will be able to complete, but I am prepared to make my best effort. I did my first 30 Day Yoga Challenge at De La Sol and I can remember it being the most energized and inspired I have ever felt in my life. The practice is powerful and I love how it always shows you what you need if you just listen. My body and my mind have been telling me I need this for awhile, so here I go! It feels insanely remarkable that I have found and dedicated my life to something that continues to challenge me, but also fills me with so much passion, patience, forgiveness, understanding and persistence. I think this is what they call love and I am honoured everyday that each of you let me share this wild ride with you. To everyone else completing a 30 day challenge, good luck, lets do this!
The In Fine Feather Community,
I love this place. I love teaching here. I love practicing here. I love all the people here. I love the light in here. I just love the In Fine Feather Community and am so thankful to Helena for creating such an inviting space for all of us to enjoy.
The Christmas season is upon us, carols are on the radio, decorative, vibrant lights are going up and my secret santa has been drawn. These are some of the smaller things I enjoy about the season, but I am sure we have all at some point taken the holidays for granted and found them stressful, busy and financially draining. One year I decided to change how I spent my time, attention and consumer patterns. Leading up to the big day, instead of finding myself stuck in traffic and line ups I decided to give more home made gifts. I may not be the craftiest person, but it was way more fun getting my hands right into the making! I also starting purchasing smaller presents that supported a local business or found gifts that had a lot of genuine thought put into them. I noticed my family and friends really appreciated these gestures and I felt more excited even to give them. Each present was from my heart, contained a conscious effort and mindful reflection.
Moments of Bliss & Being in the Present Moment
It such a beautiful time of year, there is still a warm kiss from the sun in the sky, the tree tops are vibrantly changing color and there is a crisp cool breeze in the air. The other day this weather was calling me, every ounce and intuition in me had to go to one of my favorite places around, Christie Lake. Lately, life seems to be moving quickly and weeks have been passing by in what seems like a moment. We can all relate to the constant rush which we have come to consider as normal, but is usually a huge factor contributing to stress and feeling disconnected.