Style: Ashtanga
Teacher: Sharath Rangaswamy (DVD)
Studio: Home Practice

"Do your practice and all is coming." Tonight I've decided to expand on my home practice, setting sail with a traditional Ashtanga sequence. Sharath Rangaswamy is the grandson of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the founder of the Ashtanga method. He is often described as the most advanced Ashtanga yoga practitioner in the world today, and is now the director of the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India.

Sliding the disc into my laptop I'm transported into a quaint, minimalist room, listening to Sharath start things off with the traditional Ashtanga opening chant. This is designed to honor the wisdom of the teachers who have passed down the ancient yoga traditions, helping to mark a division between your everyday activities and the personal voyage you are about to embark on. I'm at home in my dimly lit room, settling back into my own world. The atmosphere is beginning to take on a life of its own, leaving me with the impression of studying in a remote Indian temple, practicing under the direct guidance of the master himself. The evening is unfolding in a natural extension of last night, moving me in and out of the poses with gently focused attention and the calming flow of the Ujjayi breath. Again I'm noticing the chemistry of my mind find a balance, an equilibrium with the Universe around me. It doesn't take long until that familiar heat begins to build inside me once more.

The sequence is the classic, traditional primary series taught as it would be in Mysore. Sharath uses Sanskrit terminology, calling each pose by its original name, not providing much more instruction beyond that. It's designed for students who are already familiar with the style. Sharath is extremely well-known to Ashtanga yogis for his accomplished personal practice and precise teaching methods.

Before I come to my senses, I'm easing out of final savasana with a calm mind, completely undisturbed. The utter silence is unbelievably nourishing and refreshing, drawing me deeper into a peaceful quiet. I find myself dreamily enjoying the absence of language and verbiage flickering through my consciousness, feeling my muscles soften and relax. The serenity is truthfully difficult to describe. Any words I could use would only serve to create distance between me and the purely natural, visceral experience. Instead of grasping for a collection of nouns, verbs and adjectives strung together with grammar and punctuation, tonight I'm simply going to release and let go, surrendering into the indefinable, inexpressible, ineffable expanse of existence. Tomorrow I'm traveling to Toronto to visit my sister Annie, taking the opportunity to explore yoga in the big city.

Style: Ashtanga
Teacher: Michael Dynie
Studio: Rama Lotus

There's nothing like the internal fire built during an Ashtanga sequence. Feeling the inferno raging through my veins, cleansing and detoxifying my blood, I'm basking in the sensation of being fully alive.

Today at Rama Lotus in the Sky room, I'm working on the subtleties of the practice. My drishti, my gaze, is responding to my control with ease. More so then ever before I'm able to hold my focused attention on a single point and leave it there. Little by little, with a small amount of effort applied every day, the progress is tangible. Where our eyes are directed, our attention follows, and our attention is the most important thing we have. It's the source of all our power, the starting point for creation.

Another aspect of Ashtanga I was able to incorporate tonight is the concept of the bandhas. A bandha is an inner lock, or bind. I've often heard instructors speak of them, but I had never been able to cultivate it into my practice until today. The specific lock I was able to integrate is known as the Mūla Bandha, often used in the the Ashtanga practice. The Sanskrit term Mūla denotes "root" or "base", and is engaged at the root of the spine. More precisely, it's at the centre of the pelvic floor called the perineum. By slightly contracting this muscle-tissue, an energetic seal is created that is said to lock prana into the body and prevent it from leaking out at the base of the spine.

As the raging fires within begin to die down and I sink into savasana, I feel the deepest, most blissful relaxation begin to set in. True relaxation has to be earned. Relaxation is not synonymous with laziness. If you are lazy, you have no access to true relaxation. You need to apply yourself. You need to work hard. Giving as much of yourself as you can, giving your strongest efforts and most fiery passion, this is the doorway to the deepest most freeing sense of relaxation. This is what truly makes the yogic experience so worthwhile. It's time to reap those benefits as my head sinks into my pillow, overcome with appreciation as my consciousness withdraws itself from my physical shell.

Style: Kundalini
Teacher: Siri Karm Kaur
Studio: Rama Lotus

The first time I went to a Kundalini yoga class I felt like I'd wandered into an alternate dimension. It's every bizarre, wacky yoga stereotype you've ever heard. It's that weird. At least, that's how I felt at the time. Since the last challenge, I have yet to take a Kundalini class. I'd like to say it's because I've been so focused on other methods I haven't had the chance, but when I boil it down I know I've been avoiding it. From my minimal exposure to the style, it strikes me as a yoga in a world of it's own, distinctly different then anything else. However, the more I learn about the world around me, its history and its mysteries, I've come to the realization that nothing is too weird. Truth is often stranger then fiction.

Today marks my third Kundalini class ever, and to be honest I still can't explain it. Today I did my best to arrive with a clear, open mind. The movements are quick, jerky, spastic in nature. The breath work is short, gasping, almost bordering on hyperventilating at times. There is a lot of chanting and singing, sometimes dancing. It's strange. Kundalini devotees often wear flowing white robes and head-wraps.

From what I understand, Kundalini energy resides within everyone, described as pure creative potential, inner knowledge, awareness and evolved consciousness. It is conceptualized as a coiled serpent lying dormant at the base of the spine. Once this energy is awakened it begins to rise up the spinal cord, activating different chakras and bringing with it new insights and understanding, eventually bursting through the top of your head and connecting you with the cosmos. Whoa. I'm actually at a loss for words. It's so fringe, so different... I haven't fully digested it. Not even close. Some preliminary online research unearthed talk of adverse effects from prematurely or suddenly awakened Kundalini energy, described as a "spiritual emergency". I'll admit it, I'm bewildered. I think to truly form an opinion on the style I need more exposure to it. Over the next few weeks it's my intention to mix in a few more sessions while at the same time researching deeper into its history. The best I can do for now is leave you with words from the closing song that have been stuck in my head on repeat since I left the studio. May the long time Sun shine upon you, all love surround you, and the pure light within you, guide your way on. Word.

Style: Yin
Teacher: Abe Cartland
Studio: Rama Lotus

Somehow sleeping through my alarm, I lazily awaken to the realization that I've slept through half a day of school. Before I'm even fully awake, I'm dashing around like a psychopath tripping over myself, trying to gather my things and get dressed and eat something and study simultaneously. And then suddenly I'm aware. What am I doing? Dropping all my things to the ground, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Chill. It's not the end of the world. As I feel my heartbeat and temperature slowly returning to normal, I decide that I'm not in such a rush after all. The planet is still gently rotating through Space, the birds are chirping, the Sun shining and the snow melting. It's all good. Instead of burning rubber out into the jungle of concrete and machinery, I take the moment to go into a meditation. Closing my eyes and crossing my legs, I fill my lungs with oxygen, then slowly release it. I begin to quiet my mind, letting the thoughts slow their frantic pace. Focusing my attention on my breath, I spend the next fifteen minutes undoing all the stress that had bombarded and besieged my psyche moments ago. When I open my eyes, I'm grounded and clear-minded. Let's try this again.

Later in the day I'm at Rama Lotus, decompressing further in a Yin class. All of a sudden I'm reminded of words from Mark over the weekend. He recommended that we do a little less yoga in the week after the teacher training, instead taking the opportunity to rest. He also recommended doing more at home then in a studio. While there are strong benefits to be gained from the studio experience, your awareness is still focused on the external world around you. Practicing alone at home is powerfully conducive to personalized introspection. Overall however, he also said that the overriding authority should be your own body, stressing the importance of self-study and understanding. The fact is, I've started the ninety day challenge and there is no turning back whatsoever. It's definitely the Pitta aspects of my personality that are encouraging me to continue at all costs. I'm a stubborn child who wont take no for an answer. Finding somewhat of a compromise, I've decided to concentrate on relaxing, rejuvenating styles of yoga for this week.

Style: Teacher Training
Teachers: Mark Laham, Louise Sattler, Todd Lavictoire
Studio: Greco

At home with a warm, weary buzz from sixteen hours of yoga exploration, I'm at ease. The weekend disappeared in a flash. Today was an extension of yesterday, its next natural progression. The three instructors delved deeper into the initial subjects, expanding on ideas and refining concepts. I'm starting to get to know my fellow yogis-in-training. In a vibrationally based Universe we magnetically attract our own experiences and circumstances, along with the people and places we come in contact with. Everyone here is open-minded, expressive and friendly. The atmosphere is comfortable and casual, everyone displaying an interest to learn and a willingness to share. The study of yoga has been stringing together various schools of thought I've been personally discovering over the years, providing a missing link that is beginning to encapsulate everything I've come to understand.

Though I could embark on an endless tangent about the modern schooling and education systems, there is nothing I love more than pure learning. Having three entirely different teachers, each with their own unique approach, I'm able to absorb alternate viewpoints and study from different angles. Each uses different terminology, fortunately allowing me to take in different perspectives of the same subjects. Mark led a presentation touching on, among other things, the concept of power vs force, based on a book of the same name by David Hawkins. It spoke of the ability to read energy impulses of the body to communicate directly with the subconscious. I know, far out. Dr. Hawkins theory describes the progression from negative energy fields to the positive, leading ultimately to pure consciousness. Based on over twenty years of research, he developed a Map of Consciousness that essentially charts one's spiritual growth. Later, Louise led the group through a long Yin/Yang sequence, providing relief in the twisting and stretching, removing all tension accumulated from the hours of sitting and listening. At one point in a balancing sequence, she asked us to imagine a time in our past where we felt balanced, powerful, grounded and alive, self-assured and capable. As I shuffled through a few sacred memories, I realized my balance was securing and stabilizing, my foot growing roots through the floor toward the center of the Earth. Later in the afternoon, Todd expanded on Ayurveda and the concepts of the Doshas. At the end of the day, after a few hours of detailed posture refinement, he led us through the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra. This mantra is highly revered, based on a verse from a hymn of the Rigveda, an ancient collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns. It's known as the "mother of the Vedas", and it's one of the oldest texts of any Indo-European language in existence. Luckily I recently spent a weekend at an Ashram, so I'm ready for karaoke night. There is something so foriegn and exotic about chanting a mantra, but also something appealingly comforting. After another long eight hours, I'm ready to wrap up the weekend with deep, rejuvenating sleep, entering the new week completely calibrated and fine-tuned.

Style: Teacher Training
Teachers: Mark Laham, Louise Sattler, Todd Lavictoire
Studio: Greco

I'm going to be a yoga teacher. Someday. But today, that journey has officially begun. Over the next ten weeks, every second weekend I'll be making my way through the first eighty-hour segment of Mark, Louise and Todd's teacher training program. Instantly, I feel like I'm in the right place. The first day unfolded naturally, starting with some ice-breakers and introductions. The first day of school always comes with a funny feeling. Surrounded by intriguing strangers not knowing what to expect, I'm back in the 3rd grade, the new kid in elementary school. The three teachers take turns introducing themselves and describing the overall structure of the course.

Before I know it, eight hours seem to vanish, and I'm back outside starting my car. My head is still spinning. We went more in-depth then I've been so far, breaking down different aspects and dissecting the Universe of yoga, bit by bit. Even then we only scratched the surface of what's to come. We touched on some things that were familiar to me, some that were brand new. We began the study of Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. Described as the path to self-healing and self-actualization, Ayurveda provides the insight for each individual to create a way of life in harmony with the world of nature and our higher self. Both yoga and Ayurveda are part of one system of Vedic knowledge, a philosophy which states that the Universe is One Self, and that the key to cosmic knowledge lies within our own hearts and minds. Did I just go over your heads? Bear with me. It's a new world with new terrain, and I've only just set-off on my travels.

The day continued on, full of fascinating information. We studied different vocabulary terms, some in English and some in Sanskrit. We touched on the concept of the three Doshas, Vatta, Pitta and Kapha. We talked about anatomy, scientists, mystics, reality, illusion, consciousness, the mind-body connection, time and space. You know, the simple stuff. We talked about the conscious and subconscious minds. The ego. We talked about meditation, contemplation, focused attention. We laughed, discussed, even meditated. In our last exercise of the evening, we unrolled construction-paper over our yoga mats, then dipped our feet and hands in multi-colored paint. With dripping, slippery, painted feet, we did various standing poses, leaving colorful prints on the paper. Then we studied the markings in detail, noting imperfections, pressure points and other different observations and insights into the foundation of the poses.

After the 8 hour whirlwind I crash-land in bed, storing some energy for round two. I feel like I'm in my element. I'm a sponge, and I'm going to soak up everything I can.

Style: Power
Teacher: Bryan Kest (DVD)
Studio: Home Practice

So today was round two on the raw food circuit. With a new, longer, more incomprehensible list of ingredients I roam through the most granola-supplement-armpit-hair areas of the city. After spending way too much money on organic this and raw that, I'm back home with my cookbook. Bustling back and fourth in my kitchen like a mad scientist frantically and diabolically mixing ingredients, eventually I have a few creations. First: Miso soup. I take my first sip... and I feel like my sidewalk must feel on a winter afternoon with layers of salt dissolving through the snow. One unfamiliar ingredient called Namo Shoyu was more or less impossible to find. After trying four of the most hardcore health food stores and coming up empty handed, I am informed by an eavesdropping customer that the last person in here looking for that product took this as an alternative. Well that helpful hint sabotaged my masterpiece.

That same deadly sodium error translated over to the raw Pad Thai main course, utterly manhandling and subduing the rest of the subtle, delicate flavours. Finally, the black olive pesto. During preparation, the recipe called for two cups of basil. Back home, unpacking the groceries, I realize I only have one cup worth, and it's the wrong kind. Its Thai basil, with its own completely distinct flavour. To make up for lost herb, mint and spinach are added. This could be a disaster. Dipping a toasted crostini into the Kalamata pesto, I take a bite. And chew. And swallow. It's delicious. After hungrily devouring as much as I can, I'm back in my sanctuary working through another choreography. Late into the night, writing this blog entry under dim lights in a sleeping house, I'm absolutely starving, taking guilty solace in a bag of chips. A raw diet is a complicated affair. I have a massive appetite, so one false move in the raw food world, and I'll starve to death.

Style: Power
Teacher: Mark Laham (DVD)
Studio: Home Practice

The first day of the rest of your life. Armed with a gift-certificate from Christmas I'm at Singing Pebbles, my friendly neighbourhood bookstore. Glancing over the selection, I feel drawn to one title in particular. It's a cookbook full of recipes called "Everyday Raw". Without getting too specific, basically there's vegetarian, there's vegan, and then there's the raw diet. Despite initially coming across as intimidating and potentially complicated, I bought the book anyway. After heading to a few health food stores to gather some unpronouncable ingedients, I'm back home in the kitchen. Studying my strange new book, I spend the rest of the afternoon making a jicama salad, almond milk, and the best smoothie I've ever had in my entire life.

Raw foodism is a lifestyle promoting the consumption of uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet. Cooking food is believed to destroy enzymes that assist in digestion and absorption, and is thought to diminish the nutritional value and "life force" naturally inherent in food. While it's heartbreaking to think I would be excluded from experiencing some exotic and delicious dishes, overall I can't help being aware of the importance of choosing what I consume as wisely as possible. I'm not in a rush to enlist with any particular school of thought. I'm still learning and experimenting, but admittedly I'm feeling absolutely amazing after all the energizing, healthy food. Before I know it I'm in my room working through a home Power sequence, and not long after that I'm melting into my bed, slowly dissolving.

Style: Hot Flow
Teacher: Ian Fraser
Studio: Rama Lotus

A quarter of a century old. Today is my birthday. I guess that means it's my twenty-fifth lap around the Sun. It feels like it's been absurdly brief but also incalculably long. I've seen twenty-five first days of Spring, twenty-five Christmas Eves. I have a collection of misplaced abstract memories, echoes of people and places, disorganized fragments of storyline and context. The passage of time is perplexing. In fact, I've always found the concept of time to be alien, hard to relate to. It's a strange thing. You remain inherently the same inside, but outside you age and decompose and fall apart. You're an hourglass with descending sand. Or are you?

Turning twenty-five while simultaneously having a sick grandfather close to the end of his journey, I'm finding myself in a very reflective state. The fragility and brevity of individual human lives are remarkable. Someday I too will be in my last few moments, within reach of my last breath, looking back over my accumulated time. It'll be a day just like today. It's hard to make sense of things. Maybe you can't, maybe you can. For tonight, I'll let it be. No need for existential melodrama to ruin the evening. Here I am, breathing. I don't really need anything else. Time does stand still once in a while, and I'm going to soak up the moment. If it all ended tomorrow I'd die thoroughly satisfied.

Walking in through my front door after dinner and drinks at Play, fifteen close friends jump out of the woodwork, initiating an impromptu surprise party. I'm being told I no longer work at 6 am tomorrow morning. Apparently they've called my boss and arranged a day off. The unexpected spontaneity of the situation throws my world momentarily off-kilter, but soon I've adjusted to the situation and relaxed into my new reality. Before I float off into the joy and comfort of good friends, moments that are about to become part of my amalgamated past, I'm reminded of words spoken by a wise young man, and I understand. Happiness is real when shared.

Style: Hatha Intermediate
Teacher: Roxanne Joly
Studio: Upward Dog

I'm in the mood for something new. For a while now I've had my eye on Upward Dog, a Yoga centre in the heart of the market, and today after work I decided to try it out. It's a beautiful place, with at least three separate studios. The one I was in had tall ceilings and cork floors, with an inviting, calming ambiance. Our instructor tonight also happens to be the founder and director of the centre, leading the class through a challenging and specific sequence, floating through the room expertly applying posture modifications. I'm finding it easier to hold my gaze, or drishti. Even with the interfering calamity of renegade thoughts, my eyes are starting to respond to my control, remaining relaxed but firm, unflinchingly fixed on a set target. It seems like a simple task, focusing your line of sight and holding it there. Try it. It's always been a battle for me. With every interfering thought I would notice my gaze drift slightly, trailing off-course, unable to maintain its position. After a blink or two, thousands of thoughts have snap crackle and popped through my mind's eye, scattering my concentration. Before I know it I'm holding my breath and fighting myself, making the poses harder then they need to be. Nothings perfect, but today I notice that it is getting easier. Little by little, change truly is occurring.

Style: Power
Teacher: Bryan Kest (DVD)
Studio: Home Practice

Can't touch this. To complete the Bryan Kest Power yoga series, today I'm putting my New Kids On The Block cassette into my tape player, throwing on a fresh pair of Nike high-tops, and doing the running man over to my yoga mat.

After a long day at school, I figured it was as good a time as any to wrap up the Kest classes. At this point I've grown accustomed to 1995 and my attention doesn't waver as Bryan enthusiastically reminds me to move through the poses with "equanimity" in a southern Californian surfer-yogi accent. It's only the first few moments when I'm watching the screen anyway. As soon as the flow of posture begins, I'm not even looking anymore. I move inwards all over again, listening to the instruction and focusing on the mechanics of the mind and body.