tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37865978414034437392024-03-13T00:09:48.676-03:0030-day moksha challengea physical, mental, and spiritual journeyJodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-54275585328569988242012-10-30T18:30:00.001-03:002012-10-30T18:30:42.438-03:00Day 30Well today is finally here, day 30 of the 30 Day Challenge.
I got up very early this morning to go to Airlie’s 615am Moksha Music
class. As tough as it was to get up that early after an evening class last
night, I didn’t seem to notice as I jumped right up as soon as my alarm went
off…wish I could do that every day ;)<br />
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It was an amazing class and Airlie read some inspirational quotes
throughout. She talked about stability of our body and our mind through yoga,
and with our practice we can weather through the “perfect storms” in our lives
and remain connected and rooted with our strength and determination.<br />
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At the end of class she congratulated those that were doing the 30 day
challenge as well as those who may have been there for the first time, (or many
times) as every class is an accomplishment. She said “This is just the beginning”. I couldn’t agree with her more. I know this is just the beginning for me, I
made it through my challenge but now the hard part will be to keep challenging
myself to go often and keep motivated
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I learned a lot from this challenge. I pushed myself, met lots of
wonderful people, and reinforced that I can do anything I put my mind to…I also wrote
30 blog posts in 30 days…that was almost as much of a challenge as the yoga itself
;) So happy I signed up for this, it by
far exceeded my expectations from when I set out on this “physical, mental and
spiritual journey”. Thanks to everyone @mokshachtown for being so encouraging
and supportive to all of us challengers :)</div>
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My Manager surprised me today with this little poster she made and she
gave me an “Island Salt Scrub and Soak” from my favourite store Moon Snail.
What a sweetheart, so kind of her :)</div>
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Congrats to all of you who participated in the Challenge. Can’t wait for the big celebration party @mokshachtown on
November 1<sup>st</sup>!! </div>
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Day 30 complete! :)</div>
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Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-5855040197112606172012-10-29T23:04:00.000-03:002012-10-29T23:16:00.632-03:00Day 29Tonight I went to Kenny’s 730pm Moksha Music class. I
was so relaxed, I felt like I was at the spa Nordik in the steam room and was
just going through the motions in my mind.
I can hardly believe that was my last evening class of the challenge, I
really savoured every moment in the poses, especially final savasana. My mind just let go tonight and went with it,
no tension, no thoughts - just breath.<br />
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Favourite pose of the evening:</div>
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Thread the Needle / Sucirandhrasana:</div>
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Picked up this yoga book at the grocery store, great read so far...lots of useful tips.</div>
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I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve – very excited to finish the challenge, one more day to go. I am going to try to end the 30 day challenge with Airlie’s 615am class
tomorrow morning...wish me luck getting up that early after an evening class :)</div>
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<o:p>Ending my post tonight with a quote that I love:</o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">"When a great moment knocks on the door of your life, it is often no
louder than the beating of your heart, and it is very easy to miss it. Be mindful- don't miss those moments."</span></i></div>
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Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-13096520670739549712012-10-28T14:26:00.002-03:002012-10-28T19:38:25.073-03:00Day 28Today I was on the waiting list for Airlie’s 10am Yin class. Unfortunately there were no "no shows" so they didn't get to fit anyone in from the waiting list. Luckily
there was Kenny’s Moksha Lite class at 10am as well so I went to his class
instead.<br />
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I have never been to a Moksha Lite class before, it is the same as Moksha
class but it isn't quite as hot. So instead of 114 degrees it is 104. I couldn't really notice a difference, it still felt hot to me but I was dressed a bit “warmer”
as I thought I would be at the Yin class. I also don’t think I sweated quite as much as usual but it was hard to tell.
It was a great class, not too crowded and as always Kenny never disappoints, he
is such a fabulous instructor.<br />
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I met a girl today that already finished two classes and was coming back at 2pm. She said in order to get the 30 days she had to also double up on Monday and Tuesday. Now that is dedication...7 hot yoga classes in 3 days!<br />
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Favourite pose of the day:</div>
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Pigeon pose / Eka Pada Rajakapotsana: (3 variations shown below)</div>
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I found a daily insight on <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/dailyinsight/yjnl_20121027.html?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=site&utm_campaign=dailyinsight">“Laughter
Yoga”</a> - in which people meet regularly just to laugh—worldwide. Sounds fun,
it would be great to try a class like that @mokshachtown someday :)</div>
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Today I am grateful for my incredible family - celebrating Christmas today while my brother is home from Regina and before my parents leave for Florida for the winter. </div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-50783380781979201962012-10-27T18:53:00.000-03:002012-10-28T13:56:16.906-03:00Day 27<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I went to Karma class at 4pm with Brendan. I didn’t
have a lot to eat or drink today and had very little energy before the class. I
had some Ultima Replenisher and it seemed to perk me up before the class and I
was able to push through it. I instantly felt great after and was so glad I
went.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I really like Brendan’s classes, he is a very sincere and
genuine in his instruction and also does hands-on adjustments to make sure we
are pushing to our edge in the poses and are in the proper form. He had a bit of
music in the background today which made the class fly by. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Favourite pose of the day:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Standing backbend / Anyvittasana:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I really enjoyed the Karma class, and it is nice to be able
to donate a bit of $ to charity (Karma classes are by donation only – no class
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"What you put out into the world comes back to you. </div>
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How you live your life determines </div>
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Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-32964315505945434092012-10-26T18:10:00.000-03:002012-10-27T21:21:43.683-03:00Day 26<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I went to Guided Meditation at 1pm with Airlie. This is my second
class as part of the challenge and I really love how it breaks up my day
and the way I feel all afternoon when I return to work. I don’t know if it was
because I was a bit tired or because I was able to get in such a deep state of
relaxation from the Nidra class the other day but today I started to drift off
sitting up, cross legged. I jolted a few times no matter how hard I tried to
concentrate on Airlie’s voice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Airlie asked us to clear our mind of any thoughts we had. She then said
for us to let the thoughts in and focus on one, a negative thought in
particular. She asked us to think of how we felt when we focused on this
feeling, how are facial expressions were, what our body was feeling inside,
maybe even a colour that came to mind. She then asked us to think if we felt
any different from when the thought came into our mind, and then after we did the
sensory exercise. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We then did the same thing with a positive thought and then compared the differences we felt from when we did the exercise with the negative thought. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">She said if only everyone would do this exercise before responding to a
negative situation, and take the time to think about it before
reacting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I really enjoyed the meditation but when I unraveled my legs at the end of class both of my
feet were asleep. It was such a pins and needle sensation that I had not
experienced with doing meditation on my own before. </span></div>
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I went back to work with a clear mind and felt so great the rest of the day. I
wish this class was offered more than once a week, I would love to go more
often.:)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Found this article called “</span><a href="http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=2125" style="font-family: inherit;">How
to do Mindfulness Meditation</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">”. I have really been making an effort to be mindful everyday.</span></div>
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Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-39175587241113325672012-10-25T23:20:00.004-03:002012-10-26T07:55:43.355-03:00Day 25<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tonight I went to Kenny’s Moksha Music class at 530. I am really
enjoying the 530 classes, so it is worth getting to work early so I can leave a
bit earlier at the end of the day and not be rushed to arrive on time. I
loved tonight how the sun rays were beaming in the studio during the class and it
got gradually darker in the room as the class went on – without Kenny having to
adjust the lighting. It is nice to leave class without it being pitch dark out
like it has been lately (before and) after the 730pm classes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Calming but challenging class tonight, I love Kenny’s classes, especially the moksha
music ones. I felt good tonight, pushed hard, sweated lots, felt a bit dizzy in
rag doll pose but I pushed through. The music makes the class fly by, recently I find I push myself further in the poses during the music classes in comparison to the
regular moksha classes. I guess it is like running on a treadmill, you always
run a bit faster when you have music playing…at least I do anyways.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">An uneventful class, nothing out of the ordinary/interesting happened tonight to
blog about. Hmmm...well, I did find a loonie on the shelf in the girl’s locker room and donated it to the Karma fund. Everyone can always use lots of good Karma :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Triangle Pose / Trikonasana</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After this 30 day challenge I will be travelling for a week so I am
sure I will go through yoga withdrawal. I have my iphone loaded up with some yoga apps. I also found this little infographic from Greatist called:
</span><a href="http://greatist.com/fitness/travel-stretching-workout-infographic/" style="font-family: inherit;">“Yoga
on the Road”</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">including "bathroom
break" yoga stretches that you can apparently do </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">in a miniature bathroom even on a plane. Quite
funny but great tips..not sure if I will attempt to try it, I can only imagine getting
stuck in a pose during turbulence...can’t be very safe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Friday tomorrow already! I’m really looking forward to Airlie’s
afternoon guided meditation class...I will have to work magic to arrange my schedule to get there but it will be worth it :)</span></div>
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Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-66104807445385679282012-10-24T19:34:00.002-03:002012-10-24T21:37:23.202-03:00Day 24<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I
arranged my work day so I could go to Airlie’s Hot Hatha at 415pm. I am so glad I did, it was more than I could have imagined. I tried Hot Hatha
about 8 months ago, it was actually my very first class I ever attended at Moksha
Charlottetown, but I don’t remember it being like tonight. Apparently
there is a theme for each month, last month was heart openers, this month is Savasana. Today the class was ½ hour Hatha and ½ hour Nidra.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/styles-of-yoga/hatha-yoga.asp"><span style="color: windowtext;">Hatha Yoga</span></a> aims to achieve balance between
body and mind, as well as attempts to free the more subtle spiritual elements
of the mind through physical poses or Asanas, Breathing Techniques or Pranayama, and Meditation. The first half
of class was the Asana portion and we did lots of different poses including cow
belly and angry cat (the names are adorable).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
second part of class was my favourite. I have never tried Yoga Nidra before but
it was incredible. Airlie talked about Richard Miller one of the most prominent
Nidra yoga teachers in the United States. His technique is based on moving
through the five koshas, or sheaths, which are layered within the body, in
order to reach the innermost layer, a place of innate joy and peacefulness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yoga Nidra is translated as "yogic sleep," however it is not meant for
sleep in the traditional sense. The intent is to identify sensations throughout
your body and focus on your breath, while (ideally) remaining in a state of
relaxed awareness so that you may release deeply held tensions, some of which
you may not even be aware you have. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite
my intention to remain awake and really listen to every word Airlie said, I
felt myself begin to drift off almost instantly. I heard her say a few times,”
I am in Yoga Nidra and I am not asleep” …at least that is what I thought she
said. Others seemed to be in a really deep sleep as I could hear snoring across
the room at one point ;)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the
end of class Airlie answered some questions from the class. She asked if anyone
was fully “present” throughout the Nidra and remembered every word she said. She said even if we felt we </span>didn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> hear her,
we actually did but were in such a state of relaxation that we felt like we
were asleep. Some could have been asleep
but others may have had the sensation that they were asleep but they were actually in a
state of relaxed awareness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I
instantly felt energized and happy after class. It was like having a power nap x
1000. No grogginess but a sensation that I had just done something wonderful. I
was so relaxed when I left that I forgot my two yoga towels and my water cup. I </span>didn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> have a care in the world when I left, obviously :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MEx7ONEvSQs/UIhr7nDqUAI/AAAAAAAADFs/4JV18ADYrF4/s1600/yoga+nidra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MEx7ONEvSQs/UIhr7nDqUAI/AAAAAAAADFs/4JV18ADYrF4/s320/yoga+nidra.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Favourite pose of the day: Corpse pose / Savasana </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I found a great article online called <a href="http://www.dailyom.com/library/000/002/000002153.html">“Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing”</a> by Richard Miller, PhD. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a few points I particularly loved about the article. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first time Richard tried Yoga Nidra back in the 1970’s he said:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“I drove home that evening feeling totally relaxed and expansively
present. For the first time in years, I felt free of all conflict, radiantly
joyful, and attuned with the entire universe. I experienced life as being
perfect just as it was and felt myself to be a spacious, non-localized
presence. Instead of my usual experience of being in the world, I was having a
non-mental experience of the world being in me; similar to experiences I had
known as a child.” He also went on to
say:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yoga Nidra revealed to me the peace of Presence, Being, and Equanimity
that remain steadfast and true during even the most intense and difficult times
of physical pain, interpersonal conflict, and current events. It helps us
investigate and dispel the roots of our conditioning that underlie our
misperceptions of reality. It dissolves the obstacles that stand in the way of
our leading an authentic life of purpose and meaning, and it can awaken us into
living an enlightened life of self-realization.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tonight was a special night, and I am so glad I got to experience it,
as Airlie does not offer Yoga Nidra as part of the regular Hot Hatha classes. I
looked up Nidra on the appstore and there are lots of iphone apps, just need to
experiment and find a good one. I can’t wait to try this again, it was very
enlightening :)</span></div>
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Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-85877940094597970452012-10-23T21:42:00.001-03:002012-10-23T23:02:01.373-03:00Day 23<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tonight I went to Kenny’s Moksha Music class at 530pm. It felt like it did before the challenge,
just the right size, not too packed. I felt weightless tonight, the strongest I have
been in a while through the balancing poses and no stiffness in my muscles. I am a
little shocked as I thought by day 23 I </span>wouldn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> be able to move from not
having a day of rest; I really surprised myself that I seem to
be recovering quickly between classes and getting stronger each day. I did go a lot this
summer but only 3- 4 times a week so going the extra has really pushed me. I
plan to go 5 times a week after the challenge is over. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I thought about doing the <a href="http://www.mokshayoga.ca/upload/studios/halifax/Vitalize%20Cleanse.pdf">7 day cleanse with Brittanie</a> for the remaining 7 days of the challenge but I am almost vegan already (minus the tiny bit of milk I put in
my coffee), that I am not sure what else I could remove from my diet. I also didn't want to give up my 2 cups of coffee habit a day either; I love it too
much :) It would have been great to do
the cleanse to find out all the recipes as Brittanie is vegan too. I want to
celebrate this challenge completion first, and maybe do a Brittanie cleanse in
the future when I am ready for another challenge :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Favourite pose tonight:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rabbit / Sasangasana (we did the
modified version but I could not find a photo of it)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cHiF9QYCiAw/UIc4whEAM6I/AAAAAAAADFQ/kv5fr3ekaN0/s1600/rabbit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cHiF9QYCiAw/UIc4whEAM6I/AAAAAAAADFQ/kv5fr3ekaN0/s320/rabbit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And for a little inspiration to get us through the last 7 days of this
challenge (and any life challenges for that matter) check out this video. This
woman is brilliant and right on the mark, her name is Danielle LaPorte, author of
“The Fire Starter sessions”. She created
a video called “A Credo for Making it Happen (for best results watch daily).</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cITNveY-kig?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Just last week she launched a poster, it is a nice visual to summarize
her video's key message<span style="font-family: inherit;">s :)</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ex61RDFn-nI/UIc4-OEQUtI/AAAAAAAADFY/mjGHd-FKfCI/s1600/credo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ex61RDFn-nI/UIc4-OEQUtI/AAAAAAAADFY/mjGHd-FKfCI/s320/credo.png" width="241" /></a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>Tomorrow I am going to Hot Hatha, I have only been to it once before…can’t
wait to try it again :)</div>
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Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-67072191928838382152012-10-22T22:07:00.001-03:002012-10-22T22:52:23.049-03:00Day 22<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wow tonight was the hottest class I have ever been at, at least it felt
like it was. All the mirrors were fogged up and my finger tips were all wrinkly
like I had been in the bath for two hours...that has never happened to me at
yoga before. It was hard to breath and I
couldn’t stay for even 30 seconds in final savasana… many people felt the same
I think as lots left before me, someone even left before the class was over, I have never seen that happen before. The thermo reading said 112 degrees but it must
have been the humidity as today was a beautiful warm day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That was my first class with Steve. He said it was the first class he
taught in the evening and he asked the class if they minded the lights off. I
really liked it dark, I think if the lights had have been on it would have made
it even hotter. It was the best feeling
to walk outside after class to the fresh air after it had rained. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Challenging pose of the evening:
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Big toe pose / Padangusthasana</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My little meditation room is finally complete. It is so cozy, I love
it. Looking forward to trying out my new meditation app tonight that @katewmak
& @ColleenMcFall recommended.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tnRbG4-2Ipg/UIXsLNuTYEI/AAAAAAAADE0/icQVNT8KT0U/s1600/meditation+room1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tnRbG4-2Ipg/UIXsLNuTYEI/AAAAAAAADE0/icQVNT8KT0U/s320/meditation+room1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is the cute little room :) </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The artwork looks odd from this angle but the room has 9 foot ceilings
so the frame height looks really good when you are in the room as opposed to
the picture I took of it. It has french doors, that is what you are seeing on either side of the photo with the hinges showing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the meditation app, it is called Yoga with Janet Stone but it has
13 meditation sessions included. They all have different themes and are 5 minutes each.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sXq0iJVNMJ0/UIXsmqqt6eI/AAAAAAAADE8/Vms3k4gkMZA/s1600/meditation+app.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sXq0iJVNMJ0/UIXsmqqt6eI/AAAAAAAADE8/Vms3k4gkMZA/s320/meditation+app.PNG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I also like the Mindfulness meditation app as well as some other iphone
apps I downloaded in the last few months. I find I have so much more mental
clarity when I do the meditation regularly and I can also find my focus more
easily.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Day 22 complete!</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-67323162057343095042012-10-21T13:50:00.003-03:002012-10-21T15:11:25.922-03:00Day 21<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I went to Airlie’s Yin class at 10am. I was a bit nervous about
going as my legs still felt like rubber bands that lost their elasticity after
Wednesday’s Yin class. Today the focus was on heart openers and not as much leg
action so I was happy. We did some challenging poses including one that she created called
dragon fly, it was very pretzel like :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Airlie read some inspirational quotes from the <a href="http://brianbrownewalker.com/i-ching/">I Ching</a> by Brian Browne
Walker. She read them slowly and a couple of times so they really sank in while we were in the 5 minute poses. I found a great I Ching
iphone app, looking forward to reading more about it.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0sixHMi56k/UIQmDmlPPiI/AAAAAAAADDk/qx0jbO10-iA/s1600/i+ching.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0sixHMi56k/UIQmDmlPPiI/AAAAAAAADDk/qx0jbO10-iA/s320/i+ching.PNG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I loved the music in class today, one of
the songs was the Wake up the Sun mantra reminding us that when we wake up on
one side of the world, others are in darkness on another side of the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The heart opener poses were difficult to hold for the 5 minutes but it was an
excellent deep stretch. Airlie said that it is important to do these stretches as
the heart is the first place we tend to hold adversity and the heart openers
allow us space to accept both blessings and challenges that we face.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As always, I loved the cozy Savasana at the end of class to rest my
body after the challenging deep tissue postures. It was such an awesome start to my day, I feel so good.</span></div>
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Challenging pose of the day:</div>
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Spinal Twist - Supta Matsyendrasana</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I am grateful for my incredible Mom. She supports and encourages me through
everything and is my biggest cheerleader
in life. She reads my 30 day challenge blog every day even though she has never
even tried yoga; she takes an intense interest in everything I am involved in
no matter how boring it may be. I could not imagine my life without her in it;
I don’t know how I got so lucky to have her as my Mom and best friend. Thanks
Mom, for being you, love you to bits xo</span></div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-49637906742638594862012-10-20T19:16:00.000-03:002012-10-21T16:52:03.843-03:00Day 20This morning I went to the 8am Moksha class with Karen. Excellent class
– I was sore but the poses really helped to stretch out my muscles. We focused
a lot on core and spine strengthening today. Can hardly believe we are 2/3 of the way through the challenge...<br />
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Challenging pose of the day:</div>
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Powerful Pose / Utkatasana</div>
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As part of the 30 Day Challenge we get to attend two workshops with
Heather MacMillan Owner of HM Life Coaching and Training. Today’s workshop was
called “Finding Balance off the Mat - an Examination of Life Balance". Here is a summary of what we learned at the
workshop:</div>
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-Work-Life Challenge – never get so busy making a living that you
forget to make a life.</div>
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-Finding a balance between “paid work” and a personal life has become a
significant issue for 50% of the labour force, both women and men.</div>
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-Feeling overloaded with both work and family responsibilities is a big
stressor for many. </div>
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-Life balance is an ever changing dynamic process that requires
continuous adjustment.</div>
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-Life balance is doing an asana like tree pose or dancer’s pose or like
riding a bike, sailing a boat – you are continuously making shifts to stay in
balance.</div>
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-Although continuous balance is impossible you can tell when your life
is out of balance and take steps to correct it. Life balance is all about the
choices you make and the good news is the little choices can make a big impact.</div>
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-There are five balls of life we juggle everyday – work, health,
family, friends, spirit. The work ball is made of rubber so if it drops it will
bounce back. The other four balls are made of glass so if you drop one it will
become damaged - it will never be the same as it was before.</div>
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- “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that
matter least” – Johann Goethe</div>
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-Remember that the life work balance will shift every day, and it is
okay to have times that are busy and there is no balance as long as you can
communicate this with your family and then make sure you get back on track when
the busy period is over.</div>
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-The other thing is to do what you can do to reach a balance and then
be happy with the situation.</div>
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-Observe the mind – if there is that little negative voice – let it go
– do not attach yourself to it (Metaphor – sticky fly tape) otherwise self
sabotage takes hold – old subconscious patterns to run the show.</div>
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-Clarify your values, your priorities. Take steps towards a more
balanced life, and then be content with what is going on and what you are
doing.</div>
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-Learn to say no without feeling guilty.</div>
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-Then there will be contentment, peace, and life will be a lot less
stressful.</div>
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-Choose to find balance – reclaim your time and lead a more fulfilling
life. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kaTxZY1C_GE/UIQ3GTaLwsI/AAAAAAAADEI/gJxKFjugAWw/s1600/balance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kaTxZY1C_GE/UIQ3GTaLwsI/AAAAAAAADEI/gJxKFjugAWw/s320/balance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>Looking forward to the next workshop "Keeping the Momentum, Goals
for Success" on November 3<sup>rd</sup> :)</div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-22067633365709642722012-10-19T20:44:00.002-03:002012-10-19T22:35:07.539-03:00Day 19<span style="font-family: inherit;">I decided to go to the Guided Meditation class at 1pm today. I thought
my body deserved a bit of a break from the last 18 days and decided to take
some time out for my mind instead. It was a very busy day so I was quite
anxious when I arrived from my whirlwind work day rushing through my mind.
I decided to leave it at the door and really dive into the meditation and
not think of anything else. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">There were 30 people there; Airlie said it was her biggest class yet as
there is usually only 7-15. There were some crew members there from the Holland America Eurodam Cruise ship which was really neat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Airlie began by talking about her teacher Sally that said
not to focus so much on sitting a certain way and being uncomfortable in one
pose. If you need to stretch or move about the room, move with breath. That was
encouraging as sometimes your body can fall asleep/get numb by staying in one
pose for too long.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WCoKzhotVbM/UIHlpvzWmLI/AAAAAAAADDI/9PisnMk0t-c/s1600/yoga+meditation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WCoKzhotVbM/UIHlpvzWmLI/AAAAAAAADDI/9PisnMk0t-c/s320/yoga+meditation.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Airlie talked about Prana the life force, the essential energy
underlying all of existence. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">She asked
us to put our left hand on our chest and our right hand on top of our left , </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">really feeling our heart beat. I pushed everything
out of my mind except for the sound of Airlie’s voice. She told us to share our aura with those in the room, and it felt like at one point I was looking at everyone in the room even though my eyes were closed. It felt warm, almost a glow to the room (or at
least in my mind that is how it felt) when she talked about sharing our energy
and blending our aura with those around us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the end of class we brought our prana back to our body and really
noticed every moment -- every breath. “From
my heart to yours, Namaste”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The rest of my afternoon was so peaceful, I am really going to make an
effort to go to that class every Friday regardless how busy I am. What a
difference it made for my day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Found this article that talks about <a href="http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Buddhism/Articles/Mind-and-Prana-in-Meditation-Practice.aspx">“Mind
and Prana in Meditation Practice”</a>. I have been meditating a lot lately with
a few great iphone apps and it has made a huge difference in clearing my mind especially
before I go to bed; it makes me sleep so deeply.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Airlie read from the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Secret-Power-Yoga-Womans/dp/0307339696">“The
Secret Power of Yoga”</a>. I definitely
want to pick up this book, it says that the authour Nischala Joy Devi interprets
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the principles at the basis of Yoga practice, from a
heart-centered, intuitive perspective. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TcYOSdkPcwE/UIHlxjpWmhI/AAAAAAAADDQ/bsZctKgBYLY/s1600/meditation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TcYOSdkPcwE/UIHlxjpWmhI/AAAAAAAADDQ/bsZctKgBYLY/s320/meditation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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Looking forward to the "Finding Balance off the Mat - an Examination of Life Balance" workshop tomorrow :)</div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-67881404790268371442012-10-18T22:15:00.000-03:002012-10-19T22:36:46.014-03:00Day 18<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can hardly believe today was day 18 of the challenge. I was a bit unmotivated to go tonight, I usually look forward to going every night but I
was pretty sore today and just felt like curling up on the couch and watching a
movie. At 7pm I pushed myself to get going and went to the 730 Moksha Flow
class. I am really glad I went, it was an amazing class. I think I was also a
bit sluggish because I wasn’t on top of my water intake today as I was in and
out of meetings all day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Karen is an incredible teacher, she has such a
calming, relaxing voice and she also is very encouraging to have us push to our
edge and hold a little longer even when we are dying to let go. Down dog after
down dog, flow after flow, she keeps us motivated every class :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I really needed tonight’s class to let go mentally and really take time
for me – without any thoughts of my to-do-list or anything at all. I feel
energized but yet numb, no cares in the world... I can tell that I am going to
sleep well tonight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Favourite pose of the night:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Peaceful Warrior / shanti
(peace) warrior</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d-JQwkhQFvA/UICow4xoLtI/AAAAAAAADCs/o9gb-i0KwSM/s1600/peaceful+warrior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d-JQwkhQFvA/UICow4xoLtI/AAAAAAAADCs/o9gb-i0KwSM/s320/peaceful+warrior.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wanted to share this beautiful photo of my friend’s daughter and her
stress-free technique. So adorable and wise beyond her years :)</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Km2jBGgkjr8/UICpa5Cf2-I/AAAAAAAADC0/3FlUGI4WIjo/s1600/kyra.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Km2jBGgkjr8/UICpa5Cf2-I/AAAAAAAADC0/3FlUGI4WIjo/s320/kyra.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Vous êtes stressés aujourd'hui? Mettons en pratique la super technique
de ma petite fille de 7 ans sur "Comment Gérer le Stress et la
Colère"! "Maman, on fait comme si on a une fleur dans la main, on
respire la fleur doucement et on souffle sur la fleur comme on souffle une
chandelle! Cute vous trouvez pas! :)</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-66002979047249423122012-10-17T22:12:00.002-03:002012-10-17T22:34:38.910-03:00Day 17<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last night when I said I was looking forward to Yin today and what a nice treat it
would be from the moksha…boy was I ever wrong about that ;) That was only my
third Yin class but definitely 10 times harder than the other two classes I
went to. I still enjoyed it but found it harder to relax and focus as my body
was screaming in some of the poses. Not pain, just strong sensations and
very uncomfortable. Yin yoga uses long, passive holds to work on the deep,
dense connective tissues of the body--the tendons, ligaments and
cartilage--which are difficult to energize and open.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tonight we did lots of leg poses – ½ butterfly, saddle, dragon, swan
etc and held them for 5 minutes on each side. It was very challenging but I did
my best and I am happy about that. My legs are on fire tonight, so an </span>Epsom<span style="font-family: inherit;"> salt bath may be a great
solution. I don’t want to be sore tomorrow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Airlie read some inspirational quotes tonight from her teachers
Matthew and Elena. The theme of the quotes were on “pausing”, listening to your
body, taking time to notice, mindfulness, feeling your bodies sensations, and
feeling alive. I found it tough to focus during the quotes tonight as my body
was fighting for my attention in the poses. Airlie mentioned when we
close our eyes it is easier for our bodies to accept and melt into the poses. I wanted to know more about Yin so I found out that "a long-held passive pose practiced while the muscles are not yet warm allows the
energy to reach the deeper connective tissues of the joints and the
corresponding pathways of the meridian system. The prana (or life force)
stimulates and tones the joints' deep connective tissues, increasing the supply
of fluids to them, making them less dense and enabling them to stretch deeply." </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">No wonder it is so uncomfortable... :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Airlie read a beautiful poem near the end of class called “Mindful” by Mary Oliver, (I am pretty
sure this is the one but like I said I was not able to pay attention with my
body nagging me tonight in the poses). </span></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Every day I see or hear something
that more or less kills me with delight, that leaves me like a needle </span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">in the haystack of light. It was what I was born for-- to look, to
listen, to lose myself inside this soft world-- to instruct myself over and
over in joy, and acclamation. Nor am I talking about the exceptional, </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">the fearful, the dreadful, the very extravagant--but of the ordinary, the
common, the very drab, </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">the daily presentations. Oh, good scholar, I say to myself, how can you
help but grow wise with such teachings as these-- the untrimmable light of the
world, the ocean's shine, the prayers that are made </span></i><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><i>out of grass?” </i>– Mary Oliver </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If
you like her poetry here is more of </span><a href="http://www.inwardoutward.org/author/mary-oliver" style="font-family: inherit;">her work</a> :)</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Most challenging pose of the night:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dragon pose / Yin variation of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ashwa
Sanchalasana:</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ouBmOK7EQVc/UH9XFz3tJ8I/AAAAAAAADCY/H8zZT-sFG-U/s1600/dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ouBmOK7EQVc/UH9XFz3tJ8I/AAAAAAAADCY/H8zZT-sFG-U/s320/dragon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the end of the class Airlie said for those that were plotting her
demise during the poses, we will thank her later for the challenging class. I
guess it is like a deep tissue massage, it hurts at the time but afterwards
feels amazing. :) Even though tonight was so tough I am really looking forward to the Sunday Yin class.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Day 17 complete! :)</span></div>
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Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-68918726722473545292012-10-16T22:35:00.002-03:002012-10-16T22:50:55.796-03:00Day 16<span style="font-family: inherit;">What a chilly, rainy evening, I was tempted to skip moksha
tonight. Some friends were going out for an Oktoberfest dinner and I would have
loved to have joined them. Through the week I don’t have many options to go to
class especially if I have to work late, it is either 615am or 730pm (sometimes
530pm). I guess that is what challenges are all about, they are tough and test
your dedication. I could have skipped and doubled up a class another day, but
then my blog would no longer make sense since it is 30 day challenge. I really
want to stay true to the challenge and aim to go every day for 30 days. Anyways
in retrospect I am glad I pushed myself and went tonight as I feel amazing.
Next time I will make myself get up early for the 615am class so that I can do
both; go out and go to class ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I went to Amy’s 730pm Moksha Music Flow class, it was tough
but I really enjoyed it. I felt very relaxed tonight and in tune with my
breath. My body feels stronger with
every day that goes by. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Challenging pose of the night: </span><br />
Side plank leg raise / Vasisthasana<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uUoXLVxAhHE/UH4N7e_T9TI/AAAAAAAADB0/RozWflpEA0o/s1600/side+plank+leg+raise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uUoXLVxAhHE/UH4N7e_T9TI/AAAAAAAADB0/RozWflpEA0o/s320/side+plank+leg+raise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I finally framed this artwork that my friend Jennifer painted. I am
going to put them in my yoga / meditation room, they are so beautiful. Jennifer
is very talented, and she loves yoga. Check out her <a href="http://www.jenniferdany.ca/Home.html">website</a> of yoga adventures
and amazing “Art is My Yoga” paintings.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rlYiEnkG2nU/UH4OCRrE9GI/AAAAAAAADB8/RVRBr54uEY4/s1600/artwork.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rlYiEnkG2nU/UH4OCRrE9GI/AAAAAAAADB8/RVRBr54uEY4/s320/artwork.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The seven
individual framed prints are of the <a href="http://healing.about.com/cs/chakras/a/alignchakras.htm">7 chakras</a>. On
her website it says, "The chakra system
is a ladder that takes us from the physical realm up through the workings of
the higher mind into the realm of Divine Consciousness. Each <a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-91/The-7-Chakras-for-Beginners.html">chakra</a>
has a specific color, deity images attached to it and a geometric archetype
representing one of the elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind). Each chakra lies within a lotus flower with a
specific number of petals associated with an equivalent number of sounds,
representing unfolding spiritual energies.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The two frames that
have 6 prints each are of Ganesha (or Ganapati). On her website Ganesha is described
as “the son of Siva and Parvati, one of the most revered deities. He is so important, that no important
activity is started without paying homage to Him. He is known as the Lord of Wisdom and Remover
of Obstacles. In other words he is the
obstacle to obstacles. There are many
names that accompany his many forms.” </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">They are very
colourful and detailed, I just love her artwork. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Looking forward to a mid-week Yin class with Airlie tomorrow - such a wonderful treat, can't wait! </span></div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-89441681677917203842012-10-15T22:49:00.001-03:002012-10-15T22:50:36.771-03:00Day 15<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tonight was jam packed, I had thought full capacity was 50 but Karen
was able to comfortably fit 55 in the practice studio for Moksha at 730pm.
Tracy and I were lucky we got a spot in the back window area. I am so glad because it felt darker back there
without the shining lights reflecting off all the mirrors and it </span>didn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> feel
quite as claustrophobic. It was an excellent class, my body felt strong and I
was able to keep up with the pace and </span>didn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> have any soreness or stiffness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the end of the class we did <a href="http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/pranayama/basic/kapal.asp">Kapalabhati</a>
breathing. It is a breathing technique used specifically for cleansing. The
Breath is short, rapid, and strong. Using the lungs as a pump, creating pressure
as air is expelled through the air passages. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Challenging pose of the night:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tree Pose / Vrksasana</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MMayh5vaFjI/UHy7YB7JiLI/AAAAAAAADA8/MKe_5F9Wbek/s1600/treepose1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MMayh5vaFjI/UHy7YB7JiLI/AAAAAAAADA8/MKe_5F9Wbek/s320/treepose1.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is an alternative form of the pose (and also a beautiful pic):</span></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-781yrwnYR6Y/UHy7m-TGYtI/AAAAAAAADBE/4Of6Y6cAn2M/s1600/tree+pose2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-781yrwnYR6Y/UHy7m-TGYtI/AAAAAAAADBE/4Of6Y6cAn2M/s320/tree+pose2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Very excited Day 15 is complete, the half way mark! Tonight Moksha gave those
with 12-15 stars on the board a free sample of “No Sweat” </span>activewear<span style="font-family: inherit;"> detergent.
It has bio blast that eliminates the
mysterious musty smell; leaving yoga gear sweat, oil and bacteria free. I currently use PC Max Sport with eucalyptus
oil so my clothes don’t have that musty smell. However, I did try the “No Sweat”
tonight and my clothes smell so good from the “Citrus Rush” scent. Love it!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e_uGWYrU8H8/UHy8eIduqBI/AAAAAAAADBM/ePyt-pzdRrU/s1600/no+sweat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e_uGWYrU8H8/UHy8eIduqBI/AAAAAAAADBM/ePyt-pzdRrU/s320/no+sweat.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tonight I signed up for the two workshops with Certified Life Coach
Heather MacMillan that are part of the 30 Day challenge package. The first is
October 20</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;"> "Finding Balance off the Mat - an Examination of
Life Balance". The second one is November 3rd "Keeping the Momentum,
Goals for Success". </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Looking forward
to both, they sound awesome :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-38400751026651374222012-10-14T14:53:00.003-03:002012-10-14T16:40:11.441-03:00Day 14<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I went to Airlie’s 10am Yin class. I have been looking forward to
this class all week after my first experience to Yin last Sunday. Airlie
started the class with having us set an intention by asking ourselves a deep
question, and today’s class was to act as a container of insight to the answer
of our question. By setting an intention it really opened us up to our
emotional, spiritual and vulnerable self.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">She said most times the answer is inside of us and we just need to peel
back the layers. Throughout the 5 minute poses Airlie talked about not trying
to find the answers to our deepest questions, that if we just live, the answers
will appear. What we feel inside of our bodies we should love and we should not
necessarily waste time trying to explain to others how this feels. We don’t need
to feel pressure to always have it together, we need to give ourselves
permission to just be.</span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Airlie talked about two of the <a href="http://www.yogamag.net/archives/2008/dapr08/5kosh.shtml">five koshas</a>.
Annamaya kosha is the physical body. It can be sattwic, rajasic or tamasic. The
word sattwa means harmony, balance and tranquility where you create a balance
between activity and peace. Rajas means dynamic, active, violent. Pranamaya kosha is composed of prana, or life
force. Prana is the force or energy for
all kinds of motion. Prana is a Sanskrit word meaning movement, motion or
vibration. I love learning all about this.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Airlie read us some quotes which touched on patience and gratitude. She
shared an emotional story about her experience at a meditation retreat and how
the physical pain she was feeling was released emotionally, and how she was
able to heal. It was very inspirational. I learned so much about myself today
and really listened to my body and my heart.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We ended the class in a receiving Savasana instead of a resting pose.
All covered up with a blanket, a bolster under my knees and a pillow under my
head; I was one of the last to leave the moon room as I didn't want the class to
end. It was truly an emotional and freeing class.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Challenging pose of the day:</span><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Seal pose / Bhujangasana</span></o:p><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gt79wrihr0c/UHr8nnuHM5I/AAAAAAAADAs/KQN52MOy07Q/s1600/seal+pose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gt79wrihr0c/UHr8nnuHM5I/AAAAAAAADAs/KQN52MOy07Q/s320/seal+pose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Ending today’s blog post with “<a href="http://memoirsofadownwarddog.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/a-love-letter/">A Love
Letter</a>” – with deep gratitude of yoga. Namaste.</span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></b>Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-77739832234649359172012-10-13T22:03:00.001-03:002012-10-13T22:36:41.904-03:00Day 13<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I went to Moksha Music at noon. The class was packed, 45 people
were there, the largest class I have ever been at. The class was so hot, I
realized today that when I say I sweat buckets at Moksha, that is a huge
understatement and an exaggeration. There was a man beside me who was in excellent
shape but he really met my definition of sweating buckets. The whole class I
could hear the sound of heavy rain drops hitting the mat, so much that I had to
move my mat farther away as the puddles kept moving towards me. I guess it is a good thing to sweat that much
as it shows he is very healthy…but I had no idea that was even possible to do…he
must have lost 10 lbs of fluid in one class…very impressive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I woke up with a stiff collar bone and shoulder. Not
sure if I slept wrong or it is just wear and tear from 13 days straight of
yoga. Some of the shoulder poses were taking its toll today so I am looking forward to going to Yin tomorrow morning to stretch my muscles deeply.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Challenging pose today:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Warrior II / Virabhadrasana II:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f-WIxJL2y9k/UHoNAZIybHI/AAAAAAAAC_8/17YKvKG3lr4/s1600/warrior+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f-WIxJL2y9k/UHoNAZIybHI/AAAAAAAAC_8/17YKvKG3lr4/s320/warrior+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This afternoon was the Dune’s Gallery Sale and I got some great stuff for my
meditation room. Two more meditation mats, a shell bowl for my gem stones and a
gorgeous hibiscus wood carving Buddha. It is so beautiful!</span><br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HydC6VDw-aE/UHoOs5nV1LI/AAAAAAAADAE/kigdAhs64R8/s1600/meditation+room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HydC6VDw-aE/UHoOs5nV1LI/AAAAAAAADAE/kigdAhs64R8/s320/meditation+room.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Check out this life size Buddha, it was gorgeous but it was also $4000!</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nSrgU8TnusE/UHoO0fyOQVI/AAAAAAAADAM/2b3GWmtEicw/s1600/buddha.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nSrgU8TnusE/UHoO0fyOQVI/AAAAAAAADAM/2b3GWmtEicw/s320/buddha.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I am grateful for beach days. My most favourite place in the
world where time just stops…I am grateful for the sound of the waves crashing,
the sunshine on my face, the smell of the fresh air and salt water - everything
about it. Beach days all year round are incredible, I can’t seem to get enough.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OqN_ozhmp4I/UHoPN1ss6mI/AAAAAAAADAU/9kZpmM4zFV0/s1600/beach2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OqN_ozhmp4I/UHoPN1ss6mI/AAAAAAAADAU/9kZpmM4zFV0/s320/beach2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This afternoon at Shaw's Beach in Brackley</div>
</div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-25134677152880562272012-10-12T22:45:00.001-03:002012-10-12T22:49:15.283-03:00Day 12Tonight was my first Karma Class, it is a regular Moksha class however
there is no fee to attend. A minimum donation of $5 goes to the charity of Moksha
Charlottetown’s choice. Tonight Karma funds went to <a href="http://mokshayoga.ca/community/speak_your_peace/">Speak your Peace
Campaign</a> & the <a href="http://www.davidsuzuki.org/">David Suzuki Foundation</a>. Karma classes are held Friday night at 730pm and
Saturday at 4pm. Not only is it great to be able to give back with your
donation, it is also perfect for those who don’t have a monthly membership or want
to give hot yoga a try as they pay by donation instead of the $16 drop-in fee.<br />
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Felt amazing again tonight, the extra water and ultima replenisher I
have had the last two days has really done wonders, I also felt even more
productive and alert today due to the increased hydration. Tonight’s class was quite full but I didn't find it as hot as usual. The lights were fairly bright tonight and when
I was in Shavasana at the beginning of class it was so relaxing. I felt like I
was laying on the beach taking in the sunshine and warmth. For some reason I didn't feel very hot until the middle of class, it
was almost as if my body had adjusted to the heat. I didn't sweat as much as
usual or at least it didn't feel like I did. </div>
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Great class with Brendan, even some laughs! During Happy Baby pose,
some guy cried in a baby voice “ma ma”. Brendan immediately said “Grow up!” and
everyone burst out laughing. He must have been friends with the person as he
said, “I will never do that pose with you guys in class again”. Another burst
of laughter. It was really cute :)</div>
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Challenging pose of the night:</div>
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<br /></div>
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Eagle pose / Garudasana :</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZl0vwSD3CU/UHjGKpJnB6I/AAAAAAAAC_k/h479enZhXYQ/s1600/garudasana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZl0vwSD3CU/UHjGKpJnB6I/AAAAAAAAC_k/h479enZhXYQ/s320/garudasana.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
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I found an article on pinterest this morning called <a href="http://m.mensfitness.com/nutrition/eat-according-to-your-blood-type">“Eat
According to your Blood Type”</a> . It happens to be from Men’s Health magazine
but it applies to women as well. I am blood type A and I was amazed at what it
said about my personality, character traits, what to eat, what to avoid and my
work out – it suggested yoga... lol. The neatest part is, I have been both vegan and
vegetarian over the past 4 years and had the odd chicken or fish growing up but
I never ever liked meat. The website
says that being vegetarian is ideal for blood type A as we produce fewer meat-digesting
enzymes... who knew ?! I guess my
restrictive diet isn't that bad for me after all :) Neat little article, it is like the MBTI but for blood type :)<br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W_EehZwc_bk/UHjHFr4CaWI/AAAAAAAAC_s/2oCdA00g_Y4/s1600/flame_pics.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W_EehZwc_bk/UHjHFr4CaWI/AAAAAAAAC_s/2oCdA00g_Y4/s320/flame_pics.JPG" width="302" /></a></div>
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<br />
Excited to go to the <a href="http://www.dunesgallery.com/">Dunes' Studio Gallery</a> end of season sale tomorrow to pick up some
items for my meditation/yoga room, it is really coming together.</div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-458987142774959162012-10-11T23:29:00.000-03:002012-10-11T23:35:40.860-03:00Day 11Tonight I went to the Moksha Flow class at 730. I didn’t know if I
could handle a Flow class after last night as it is more advanced and faster
paced than Moksha. I had to work late
and that was the only class I was free so I decided to go for it. I drank lots
of water all day today and had some ultima replenisher before class. Whatever I
did differently it worked because tonight was awesome! I felt amazing, had high energy, didn’t have
to rest, and I kept up with the fast paced flows. I felt like I was in a
meditative state of mind and I was so
relaxed I didn’t focus on anything going on around me, just on my breath, the
soft music and Karen’s voice. It was a very mindful class and I really listened
to my body. I didn’t feel tight at all tonight or sore in any way, my favourite
class yet this challenge!<br />
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Challenging pose of the night:</div>
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<br /></div>
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Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose I / Hasta Padangusthasana</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rE_02gWoBvs/UHeAAz2ldpI/AAAAAAAAC_M/3go-bqjPGYk/s1600/hasta.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rE_02gWoBvs/UHeAAz2ldpI/AAAAAAAAC_M/3go-bqjPGYk/s320/hasta.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Stumbled across this interesting blog called, <a href="http://yogameetsfashion.blogspot.ca/">“Strike a Pose: Yoga Meets Fashion”
</a>. It is written by a man with an “eye
for fashion and a passion for yoga”, and showcases images from recent fashion
spreads that happen to capture yoga poses. The photos are beautiful! Check this
one out, in the same pose as above :)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SCIIvEiLE3w/UHeAOZfyCmI/AAAAAAAAC_U/vyTOrGAnQ1g/s1600/standing+hip+opener.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SCIIvEiLE3w/UHeAOZfyCmI/AAAAAAAAC_U/vyTOrGAnQ1g/s320/standing+hip+opener.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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Day 11 complete, so happy!</div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-28370849712573767382012-10-10T23:56:00.003-03:002012-10-11T00:13:29.491-03:00Day 10<span style="font-family: inherit;">If I learned one thing tonight, it is that I will never go to class
semi-dehydrated again and without drinking at least 2L of water an hour before.
No excuse for it but today was a whirlwind and I had a meeting tonight and
rushed out to go to class for 9pm. At work all day I tried to drink water but I
found it especially difficult today between meetings and tight deadlines. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tonight’s class was extremely humid, and when I looked at
the thermostat when I arrived it was 114 degrees, and that was after the door
had been opened for a while airing out from the class before. It was so hot that when I was in Shavasana it
felt like I had a weight on my chest, as if the air in the room was heavy and
pushing on my lungs each breath. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">About 20
minutes into class I felt a bit panicky because I couldn't get my breathing
rhythm and I started to feel light headed. I decided it was time to take child’s
pose for a few minutes . It is really tough to do that when everyone else in
the room is holding the pose, and feeling like I should push through too but I
put my “ego” aside and did what I knew was best for my body. It’s called the yoga ego, in the article <a href="http://loveactionyoga.com/classes-2/yoga-class-dos-and-donts/">“Yoga Dos
and Don’ts</a>” number 10 says: “Do Check Your Ego at the Door. You can have a
safer and more enjoyable class if you leave your ego behind. Listen to your
body, relax and go at your own pace. Remember, that yoga is not a competition
with other students or with yourself”.
So that is exactly what I did… :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After a few minutes resting in child’s pose, I was able to calm my
breath and mind but found it to be my most challenging class I have had yet. Every minute I had to consciously keep my mind
on Kenny’s voice and the sound of my breath. My mind wanted to drift but I
forced myself to get it together.
Learned my lesson, dehydration is not something I want to experience ever
again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Challenging pose of the night: (my hips were very
tight again tonight so I really noticed it during this pose): </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Baby pose / Ananda Balasana</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wcbx-T9m46o/UHY2H-zRMtI/AAAAAAAAC-0/vC-oT-ujD4g/s1600/happy-baby-pose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wcbx-T9m46o/UHY2H-zRMtI/AAAAAAAAC-0/vC-oT-ujD4g/s320/happy-baby-pose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
I know what you are thinking...weird but cute name for a yoga pose. I thought the same thing, but look...<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1_yKl0xm6oY/UHY2YCuwMGI/AAAAAAAAC-8/dWH4GXgNWvw/s1600/happybaby2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1_yKl0xm6oY/UHY2YCuwMGI/AAAAAAAAC-8/dWH4GXgNWvw/s320/happybaby2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The pose really does mimic a happy baby... :)</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I am grateful that I am 1/3 through the 30 day challenge and
haven’t missed a day (if you miss a day you need to double up to make up for a
missed class). I am going to listen to my body and hope tomorrow’s class I will
be stronger,more focused and fully hydrated :) Day 10 complete!</span></div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-64909610387860274982012-10-09T23:54:00.002-03:002012-10-09T23:56:46.380-03:00Day 9Tonight I went to Moksha Flow Music at 730pm. I wasn’t sure what to
expect after the last Flow class I went to with Brittanie. The room was dimly
lit and when Karen came in she started the music. There was a malfunction so
the music came on blaring loud for a moment, which made me think of Brittanie’s
class with the super loud 60s music. The music tonight was so relaxing and with
the dim lighting I almost felt like I was there by myself, even though the
class was packed. I pushed myself to my edge tonight to try to overcome the
muscle tightness I had last night and today. I think it worked because I feel
much better already.<br />
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My mat was positioned close to the door and since it was beyond
sweltering with all the people in the room Karen opened the door a couple of
times for a minute to let in a bit of fresh air. It is an incredible feeling to
be that hot and all of a sudden feel a cool breeze – both times she did it I
felt like my energy levels spiked. I really enjoyed the flow class, I am
thinking I may even like it a bit better than the regular Moksha classes, I am
going to have to make an effort to go more often. I spent lots of time in
Shavasana at the end of class to let my body rest. One of my friends hurt her
knee tonight on a deep stretch so I have to be so careful not to injure myself,
otherwise this challenge could become pure torture.</div>
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Most challenging pose tonight:</div>
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Crow Pose – Bakasana</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9LSN9sSTf3A/UHTiwT8dAWI/AAAAAAAAC-c/uRLHKvAKS5Y/s1600/Crow-Pose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9LSN9sSTf3A/UHTiwT8dAWI/AAAAAAAAC-c/uRLHKvAKS5Y/s320/Crow-Pose.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Interesting article <a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6363/Why-Work-Life-Balance-is-a-Fantasy-and-What-You-Can-Do-About-It.html">“Why
Work Life Balance is a Fantasy and What You Can Do About It” </a> that was tweeted by @mokshaDanforth and
@mokshachtown </div>
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My new favourite treat I tried for the first time tonight, Strawberry Fusion Tic Tacs. They
have the Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon, and they are so delicious!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S9ik0oqNX8w/UHTjJxwkXTI/AAAAAAAAC-k/HWexfjxUu9o/s1600/tictacs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S9ik0oqNX8w/UHTjJxwkXTI/AAAAAAAAC-k/HWexfjxUu9o/s320/tictacs.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Day 9 complete, on to double digits tomorrow :)</div>
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<br />Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-42471911077907443572012-10-08T23:08:00.005-03:002012-10-08T23:37:49.302-03:00Day 8<span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Thanksgiving! Tracy and I went to the 4:15 Moksha class today. I didn’t realize how sore I would be after Yin
yesterday, but my hips were really tight from all the deep tissue poses. I
pushed through it and felt great after class, but tonight even my legs feel
like they are continuously flexed, I am thinking an epsom salt bath may do the
trick to help with that. Today Kenny focused
on gratitude and setting our intention for something we are thankful for –
given it was Thanksgiving. It really
felt good to reflect on this at the beginning and end of class.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am grateful for so many things every day, I don’t need a holiday to
be mindful of how lucky I am for all the great things in my life – especially
being blessed with such an incredible family and amazing friends. I am grateful everyday for the little things
in my life that make me smile and warm my heart. “Gratitude turns what we have into enough” –
love that quote :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Most challenging pose today:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dancer Pose / Natarajasana:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0VfVzfNpE_k/UHOFzzs1WcI/AAAAAAAAC-E/4htEBQD8EKM/s1600/dancers+pose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0VfVzfNpE_k/UHOFzzs1WcI/AAAAAAAAC-E/4htEBQD8EKM/s320/dancers+pose.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sticking with the theme of Thanksgiving, I found this great article on </span><a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/gratitude" style="font-family: inherit;">“Selfless Gratitude</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - through
the mindfulness practice of gratitude, you are able to rejoice amidst all
life's suffering”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And to top it all off my beautiful friend sent me this quote along with
a sweet email sharing with me how much she cares about our friendship. She made my day! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The quote is definitely words to live by:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have
into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order,
confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a
stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for
today and creates a vision for tomorrow." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ygp2JrZ0bmg/UHOG7G6insI/AAAAAAAAC-M/uh0hSMQVSWU/s1600/gratitude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ygp2JrZ0bmg/UHOG7G6insI/AAAAAAAAC-M/uh0hSMQVSWU/s320/gratitude.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am also grateful that I completed Day 8
of this challenge! :)</span></div>
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Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-32405590979339518492012-10-07T22:17:00.004-03:002012-10-07T23:14:19.915-03:00Day 7<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today was my first Yin class, I fell in love with it instantly. When I walked into class (Yin is held in a
room at the back of the studio) the room was very dimly lit. It wasn’t a hot yoga room, just warm enough to be cozy and there were no windows, just mirrors.
There were blankets, pillows and bolsters all around the room to use as props
during the poses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yin yoga works deeply into the connective tissues (ligaments, tendons,
cartilage and fascia), in order to heal joints and increase flexibility through
slow, gentle and sustained traction. Poses
are held for five minutes each.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Airlie told stories and shared her wealth of knowledge which made the
class very interesting and the 5 minutes for each pose went by so fast. She had
a little meditation bell set on her iphone to tell us when the five minutes were up. Some of the poses I was so grateful to hear that little bell, others I could
have held a bit longer. She talked about
<a href="http://www.bluelotusayurveda.com/doshas.html">The Three Doshas in
Ayurveda: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha</a>, the vital energies that make up our
physical constitution and that are evident all around us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Airlie focused on the Vata Dosha. Vata governs movement in the
body. It is cold, light, irregular, dry, and always changing. To balance Vata, we
need to make choices that bring warmth, stability, and consistency to our life.
It was really quite fascinating to hear all about Vata and how fall is the
Vata season – the transition between summer and winter. Excess vata can cause
anxiety and insomonia and there are all kinds of tips on how to <a href="http://www.chopra.com/vata">Balance Vata</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The class was 75 minutes and it felt like 30 minutes, it went so fast… Airlie
ended the class with a dark room and encouraged everyone to cover up with a
blanket, it was so cozy in there I could have stayed for a nap. It felt nice ending the class not
sweating a drop (dripping wet after moksha), or needing any water (drink 2L during
moksha). I found the class to be very healing,
restorative, therapeutic and inspirational. I will definitely go back to Yin
again :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Most challenging pose today:</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxApFO_RsuE/UHIoqX63JeI/AAAAAAAAC9s/jyE_r_0uNgE/s1600/fish+pose1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxApFO_RsuE/UHIoqX63JeI/AAAAAAAAC9s/jyE_r_0uNgE/s320/fish+pose1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Supported Fish Pose / Matsyasana - this doesn't look hard but when you hold it for 5 minutes it is a
different story ;)</span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Found this inspirational quote on the tag of my new yoga pants:</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hItZGevPmlY/UHIpTy8EVtI/AAAAAAAAC90/R9aZ29YdfSA/s1600/yoga+pants.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hItZGevPmlY/UHIpTy8EVtI/AAAAAAAAC90/R9aZ29YdfSA/s320/yoga+pants.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Day 7 complete!</span></div>
</div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3786597841403443739.post-11992709132252927212012-10-06T23:20:00.002-03:002012-10-06T23:44:35.294-03:00Day 6<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I went to the Moksha Music class at noon. It was so nice to walk
in the studio today and see candles lit on all the window sills. I love the music classes, especially the soundtrack Kenny plays,
the music is more powerful in the difficult balancing poses and it become softer
in the floor series poses. Today’s class went by so fast, before I realized it
we were back in final shavasana.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was feeling pretty dehydrated before class as I decided to have more coffee
than water this morning. I am getting a bit bored of the grape <a href="http://ultimareplenisher.com/">ultima replenisher</a> so I picked up a
tub of raspberry today. It tastes awesome, like the smell of cotton candy. I
was drinking G2 gatorade all summer after yoga and then about a month ago I discovered Ultima, it has no sugar and all the essential electrolytes. I no longer
have dehydration headaches, it works great.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Day 6 complete, excited to try Yin for the first time tomorrow. Can’t
wait!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Most challenging pose today:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Reclined Hero /Sleeping Hero Pose - Supta Virasana</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AMnPHkkE1nk/UHDmp2fHIgI/AAAAAAAAC9U/dMkQckxAno8/s1600/sleeping+hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AMnPHkkE1nk/UHDmp2fHIgI/AAAAAAAAC9U/dMkQckxAno8/s320/sleeping+hero.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I made this <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2012/05/11/all-natural-yoga-mat-cleaner-my-exercise-routine/">yoga
mat cleaner</a> a couple of weeks ago. It works great and smells so minty!</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VI1E2dXpb6c/UHDm49cX_1I/AAAAAAAAC9c/rl80lPN5ooU/s1600/yoga+mat+cleaner.jpg-large" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VI1E2dXpb6c/UHDm49cX_1I/AAAAAAAAC9c/rl80lPN5ooU/s320/yoga+mat+cleaner.jpg-large" width="320" /></a></div>
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Water, vinegar, tea tree oil, peppermint essential oil. Voila!</div>
</div>
Jodi LeBlanc (jodilynne3)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03365823887684225351noreply@blogger.com0