Style: Yin
Teacher: Melanie Richards
Studio: Happy Tree

Aboard the night bus on the frozen highway, Montreal is disappearing behind me. In the dim light putting pen to paper, I'm feeling quiet and introspective. Finishing an amazing weekend with a restorative Yin class can have that effect.

Happy Tree came highly recommended by friends in Montreal, so I made my way out into the night and onto the metro, heading west across the city. The studio itself is beautiful with a modern design. No two Yin instructors are alike. Melanie led the class through a hip-intensive sequence, sprinkling interesting information in with the instruction. In final savasana she played a gong, sending my consciousness on a psychedelic trip.

Listening to the gentle hum of the bus with heavy eyelids, my mind wanders through blissful residual memories of the last few days. I've been dividing my time between yoga, friends, celebration and the love of my life. The experiment is spiraling me deeper and deeper within, anchoring me to the ground while at the same time sending me out past our atmosphere. Gazing sleepily out the window at the passing moonlit silhouettes of skeletal trees, I feel my mind start to shift its focus. Now looking forward at my upcoming week, some of the warm fuzzy bliss gives way for a creeping anxiety. I have a week so full it's bursting at the seams. My hours will mostly go toward earning money at a job I don't love. Again Yin has opened me up and hit me with the big questions. What is it all about? Where is it all leading? And what is it that I want?

I know I want out of Zombie Incorporated, surrounded by the living dead sleep-walking through daily routine. I need something else, something more. I have no answers at the moment, only an intuition that is persuading me to live fully and authentically. I'm not sure how yet, but I know I have to chase something profound and meaningful, and follow it wherever it may lead.

Style: Naada
Teacher: Elizabeth Emberly
Studio: Naada: Yoga, Sound, Tea.

The yoga of sound. At the moment I am speechless, feeling utterly at a loss for words. I have only recently returned from an inter-dimensional time-traveling expedition. My memories of the journey are hazy and abstract, consisting mostly of color and vibration. Slowly sipping tea, I feel the rest of my consciousness returning. I have no concept of time - I was either gone for an instant or a lifetime. Now I'm back on solid ground, back on this blue sphere known as Earth.

As I slowly finish my tea, I am in awe of the truly transcendent experience I just had. Saturdays are the hardest day to find classes, as many studios are either closed or offer only morning sessions. Following a friends birthday last night, I was in no rush to get out of bed. After a delicious breakfast I transitioned into the afternoon looking for a new studio. I stumbled across this website, scribbled down the directions, grabbed my bag and headed out into the sunny but frigid city streets. Naada's studio is absolutely stunning, including an in-house tea cafe. This could be love at first sight. The class was other-worldly. The room for practice is actually a full sound stage studio with bamboo floors and high quality speakers installed in the walls. Live music emanating from quartz crystal bowls, tablas and a Shruti box gave rhythm to the breath and movements, massaging my consciousness into putty. An extremely fluid style with its roots in Hatha, Naada yoga is very distinct and unique. Naada is the English transliteration of the Sanskrit word nada, meaning sound. According to co-founder and instructor Elizabeth Emberly, "the idea is that students will feel as if they are in a womb-like world of sound that embraces and supports their practice." I couldn't have described it more accurately. She goes on to explain that “sound is a means of bringing focus to the practice by providing an environment conducive to meditation" and that it helps students to "become more receptive to the concept of energy as vibration by having their own clear and physical sensory experiences.” Naada yoga is unlike anything I've ever witnessed. Even Elizabeth's bilingual instruction had a musical quality. The class finally ended with the most sonically gorgeous Om-ing session I've ever heard.

Sitting here now, the experience still so fresh, I am in an unbelievably relaxed state, thoroughly calm in both mind and body. The sequence was so magical that I'm already excited to come back next time I'm visiting Montreal. I'm at a total loss thinking about what I should do now. There is no human experience that would be a suitable following act to the yoga of sound. I'm feeling unfamiliar with this strange planet and the bizarre creatures who call it home. Walking back outside and raising my eyes to the sky I can't help but wonder what lies beyond our pinprick of understanding. The vastness of time and space is staggering, but for a few moments today I feel like I may have had a taste of something far larger... something friendly and wise and infinite.

Style: Moksha
Teacher: Britton Darby
Studio: Moksha Yoga Montreal

Moksha: [mohk-shuh] –noun Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism. Freedom from the differentiated, temporal, and mortal world of ordinary experience. Pretty dramatic name for a style of yoga. When I first heard it I assumed Moksha yoga was probably the ultimate most powerful yoga dating back to ancient India, practiced by enlightened Gurus on lone mountains peaks long before modern civilization.

As it happens, Moksha yoga has much more recent origins. Developed in Toronto by Ted Grand and Jessica Robertson, the creators were trained by a wide-range of yogis. This is probably why Moksha has a yoga-fusion vibe to it, influenced by a variety of styles. For me, Moksha is basically Bikram Choudhury and Baron Baptiste in a blender. It has a similar Bikram structure with touches of Power Vinyasa flow. When I found myself in Montreal during last year's ninety days, Moksha Yoga Montreal was the closest option. It was my first non-Bikram hot room experience. This year I'm back and I forgot how stylish the studio is. With its front doors opening onto Saint-Laurent, Moksha is definitely the most popular, trendiest center in the area. Every teacher I've practiced with has been excellent, and this afternoon is no exception. Back in the 40 degree heat, I feel centered and calm, moving through the vigorous sequence with comfort and focus.

Sipping Earl Grey at a cafe in the Plateau area of Montreal, I am feeling thoroughly detoxified. The post hot-room feeling is decadently similar to a post-outdoor spa / hot tub feeling. It's nice to be on vacation.

Style: Hatha
Teacher: Kim Zombik
Studio: Bliss

Champagne Yoga. Have you ever tried? The style isn't very complicated to learn. All you have to do is wake up in another city in a comfortable bed. Greet the Sun and Sky and Infinity and Beyond. Stretch. Prepare one chocolate croissant, chill one bottle of champagne. Return to bed, into a comfortable position. Synchronizing movements, alternate between pastry and bubbly. Focus on your breathing.

Venturing out into the night hours later amid cascading snowflakes, I'm making my way to Studio Bliss for the first time. Stepping out of the cold and climbing a long staircase I find myself in a quaint, rustic candle-lit room with light music drifting through the air. A perfect introduction to Montreal.

Style: Ashtanga
Teacher: Michael Dynie
Studio: Rama Lotus

I missed the bus. Arriving at the station ten minutes too late, I've just been informed that the next departure is at 2:30 am. My options are either to wait here for three hours and get to Montreal around 5 am or go home, get some sleep and get on the early bus, starting my day fresh. I can't help but feel frustrated; I had plans of climbing aboard and relaxing back in my seat, writing my thoughts of tonight's Ashtanga class. Now I'm stranded at the station with all my luggage at midnight.

Flashback three hours ago. I'm warm on my mat working my way through a challenging Ashtanga sequence. My friend, here for the first time, is realizing that yoga isn't exactly what he'd expected. Regardless, he is a good sport and true to his word. In the end, it even seemed like he enjoyed the experience.

Talking to him before class, I found it interesting that his preconceived notion of yoga wasn't so much thinking it an easy, simple process or flaky, pseudo-spiritual nonsense. It was more that it seemed to be a trendy, shallow fad. Just another "in" thing to do, no different then going to Starbucks or a tanning salon. I can understand the perspective. There is sometimes a subtle, underlying pretentiousness in the yoga world. This is something I can definitely expand on when I'm not sitting at a bleak, deserted bus station in the middle of the night. The reality is, even if you came to yoga strictly for the superficial benefits, you can't escape the inner shift that slowly begins to occur.

Weighing my options, I've decided to weather the storm and take the 2:30 bus under the stars. The thought of waking curled up with my sweetheart is just too exquisite to pass up.

Style: Ashtanga
Teacher: Michael Dynie
Studio: Rama Lotus

You know what's really annoying? Introducing someone to yoga, then three classes later they're already doing headstands with no wall support. After dragging myself through countless classes I'm only now coming to that point.

On that note, another element of yoga I've had to get my head around is that ever-prevailing spirit of competition. In our culture the idea of measuring yourself against your fellow human is perpetuated from every angle, in everything from our obsession with sports to climbing the ladder of success in the (rat race) working world. Based on its roots and early teachings, yoga should truly be devoid of that mentality, but as you might imagine, it's easier said then done. Reflecting back on past classes I'm aware that - especially early on - if I was suffering in something like the Warrior sequence, the solitary thought I sometimes clung to was a stubborn drive to outlast my closely neighboring yogis. The thought of saving face and sparing my ego carried me through some tough moments. When I look at it, it's really the reason I find practicing at home so hard. Alone, literally just me and my mind, it feels ten times harder to give a hundred percent. That much more difficult to take the poses all the way to their edge. Alone in the void it was only too easy to come out of a pose if it became unbearable or if I "thought" I couldn't take it anymore. After all, who would see?...

Tonight I'm at Ashtanga with a few friends, and I catch myself doing it compulsively. Seemingly on their own accord my eyes steal glances of other students, analyzing and critiquing posture, subtly congratulating myself if I'm thinking I have better form in a particular pose or feeling envious of another's advanced variation. We always want the one-up, the advantage, the higher status. The prestige, the reputation, the success. Our egos love recognition. Again and again I have to reign in my thoughts like untrained, vicious dogs snarling at the end of their leashes.

I guess overall the idea is to really go within and study yourself... and if there needs to be competition, let it be between you your concept of you. Every human has totally different skeletal measurements, asymmetries, muscle structures, history of injury. One could take naturally to flexible poses but struggle with the strength-based aspect, and vice versa. Individual people have completely different biochemical combinations, each as unique as one fingerprint from another. So I'll focus on that lesson like a mantra, letting it sink in overnight. Tomorrow I'll contradict myself completely and sadistically enjoy watching a smack-talking soon-to-be yogi getting tossed around in the tide at Wednesday nights class, before I take off with a bus ticket and a paycheck to explore the Montreal side of yoga for a few days.

Style: Bikram
Teacher: Martina Elliott
Studio: Rama Lotus

Alarm clocks are a curse on the human race. As the digital jingle slaps me across the face I awaken with a gasp at 6 am. Am I completely out of my mind? Walking outside under the moonless sky long before sunrise, I continue to question my sanity as I jog through the pouring rain. Staring out my windshield with near torrential showers hammering down, alone in the black of night, I can't help but notice that I seem to have walked into a scene from an 80s slasher-horror film. I suppose it's only fitting as I start my engine and begin to navigate the treacherous conditions to an early morning Bikram class.

This morning was a struggle, that's the only way I can describe it. Unrolling my mat, it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't practiced in the heat since day 01, and here I am at day 15. This is a stark contrast with last years challenge. The first time around, I was in at least 4 Bikram classes a week, and usually 6 of the 7 days in the Hot room. As I got deeper in, it balanced out into more of a 50/50 relationship. This hasn't been a conscious decision as much as a result of choosing my preferred classes day by day, slowly gravitating from Bikram and in effect keeping me out of the heat. This strikes me as funny because there was a time I'd thought I wouldn't be able to do yoga whatsoever if I wasn't in a hot room. This time around, two weeks after being away from the heat, I realize my body seems to be completely unaccustomed.

As soon as class was afoot I realized I was in trouble. Light-headed, thirsty but unable to drink, my stomach started doing backflips. Uh oh. Please don't let me throw up all over my mat, shocking the rest of the concentrating yogis. Closing my eyes and breathing deeply, I begged for some strength to maintain composure. Head spinning, hot flashes, racing heartbeat... menopause? Moving from one pose to the next, little by little I regained control of my senses. Winding out of a spinal twist, I arrived completely back to myself with a sigh of relief. Still breathing.

Here now, walking out under the freshly risen sun, the rain beginning to dissipate, I have to admit I'm feeling amazing.. and the day has barely begun.

Style: Yin
Teacher: Louise Sattler
Studio: Rama Lotus

Choice. Sunday night is easily my favorite time to practice Yoga. Washing away the week, coming full circle, it is pretty much the most rejuvenating, reawakening experience available. During the last challenge, I would always find myself at Rama Lotus at 6:30 torn between two paths. One way leads to Ichih's Power Vinyasa, the other to Yin with Louise - two of my favorite classes. I usually let my body decide, choosing based on what state I'm in. After the last few days of physically demanding classes, I'm definitely feeling it. A Sunday evening Yin sounds like a perfect end to the second week of this challenge. In the wall-to-wall filled Earth room, there's no place I would rather be then here, unrolling my mat across the cork floors.

It's always interesting bringing someone to yoga for the first time. Tonight I came to class with a few friends, one who had only been once, and never to Yin. He managed to survive, lasting through the most hip-intensive Yin class I've been to yet. Yin can be a scary experience. One moment you think you're about to do some stretching and the next it's like "hi, allow me to introduce you to yourself". Louise is an amazing teacher, calmly, soothingly and lovingly torturing and abusing her students. Sinking into the mind-numbing gecko pose my eyes widened and I seriously thought I was going to snap, go over the deep-end and finally end up being helped out of the studio and checked into the closest mental institution. And I don't even want to talk about double pigeon, but I think it scarred me for life.

People seem to have a few misconceptions about yoga, and I guess I was no different before I'd experienced it for myself. The attitude that I find the funniest is that there's nothing to it, that its easy. I have a yoga-hating friend who has volunteered to come to a class. I'm thinking Mike's grueling Wednesday night Ashtanga will do the trick.

Style: Hatha
Teacher: Janice Tokaryk
Studio: Adishesha

And for those of you wondering, no, I don't actually live at Rama Lotus. Although, other then one evening in my living room, I can see how one might jump to that conclusion. Even during last years challenge, I did maybe 95% of my classes exclusively at Rama Lotus. Honestly, I've never even been to another studio here in Ottawa. A few times during the last challenge I found myself in Toronto and Montreal, and I had a lot of fun searching out and experimenting with different studios. In Ottawa, though, it's a much bigger challenge. Rama Lotus is just so nice! Consisting of 4 separate studios with construction almost finished on their gorgeous new Sun room, it stands as the most impressive studio I've been to yet. The teachers and staff also make practicing there so much fun. I've gotten to know everyone and they've created the most amazing family atmosphere, serving hot tea after morning classes. Did I mention I love Rama Lotus?

In keeping with the spirit of adventure and exploration, another aspect of this challenge was that I intended to visit many different studios. Its taken a while to reluctantly tear myself away from my home base, but on this sunny Saturday morning, I decided to venture out into the unknown. The first new studio I decided to try is Adishesha, located on 4th ave in the Glebe. It was recommended to me by Mark Laham, one of my usual instructors, and he said that the owner of the studio, a woman named Basia, had taught him more then anyone about yoga. That's a large compliment coming from him, so I decided to check it out. Arriving this morning, it turns out coincidentally that Basia is on vacation in Costa Rica. However Janice, our substitute teacher, was excellent.

I've only ever been to a handful of Hatha yoga classes, and this will be the first of the next ninety. From what I understand, every single style of yoga that we practice in North America that involves asanas, or physical postures - be it Bikram, Astanga, Power or Yin - has its roots in Hatha. It's an excellent starting point for anyone new to yoga, as it covers all bases to a certain degree. Hatha yoga attempts to balance mind and body through physical postures and exercises, controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. Asanas teach poise, balance and strength practiced to improve the body's physical health and clear the mind in preparation for meditation in the pursuit of enlightenment. Or something like that.

It is always a strange experience going somewhere new. New paintings on the walls, new layout, new people, new instructors, new everything. On top of that, Adishesha seems to be the polar opposite of Rama Lotus. Where Rama Lotus has a large lobby, at least 3 separate change rooms and many classes occurring simultaneously in different rooms, Adishesha is much smaller. Walking in the front door, I was a bit shocked to realize I actually stepped from outside directly into the yoga room. The entire place is essentially one open space, with the cash register literally in the same room that you unroll your mat. Very different. After changing and finding myself a spot, the class began. It was a lovely experience, with the early afternoon sun washing in through the large windows and across the twisting, stretching yogis. Afterwards, coming out of final Savasana, I squintingly looked around, wondering just where exactly I was. The experience of waking up in an unknown place with unknown people is always surreal, sort of like regaining consciousness after a long night of drinking with no memory of how the night before ended or how you found yourself here in your current location. A little bit bizarre but a little bit exciting at the same time.

Style: Power
Teacher: Jacquie Davies
Studio: Rama Lotus

What is Power Yoga? The name itself always struck me as some sort of Americano-styled yoga led by an instructor wearing camo fatigues holding an AK-47 barking orders at his downward dogged soldiers. Or a butchered floozy watered-down North American adaptation of yoga. Maybe a less sincere materialistic ego-driven fitness approach? ...So what is Power Yoga?


The story goes that the term "power yoga" was first used in the mid 1990s, when several yoga teachers were looking for a way to make Ashtanga more accessible to western students. The essential difference is that power yoga does not follow a set series of poses, meaning that any power yoga class can be a completely different experience, but would still have the same emphasis on strength and flexibility, and can be credited with popularizing yoga, bringing it into the gyms of North America. People began to look at yoga as a way of working out as opposed to the chanting, Om-ing crystal ball stereotype at the time.

Today, in the afternoon sun I'm back at Rama Lotus in the Sky room. My mind is extraordinarily calm, in direct contrast with last night. Jacquie, our instructor, used to teach the Ashtanga class on Tuesday nights I frequently attended during the first challenge, the same class taught by Mike this year. Moving through the poses today is an absolute joy and before I know it, I'm unwinding with spinal twists, wringing out any remaining negative energy. The day has only just begun and I feel clear headed, awake, and in love with life.

Style: Power Vinyasa
Teacher: Ichih Wang
Studio: Rama Lotus

What happened to us? Have we always been this way? How long has the struggle gone on? Man vs. Mind... where along the line did we lose complete control? And why? Is this how we've been programmed? This was more or less the theme song of my brain during tonight's Power Vinyasa class. It all started innocently enough...

Arriving at Rama Lotus, mentally and physically exhausted, I inwardly cursed myself for deciding to focus on more strength-oriented, physically demanding classes for the next few days. Although in high spirits, I had a looming sense of trouble as I unrolled my mat in the Crystal room, ready to enjoy this smaller, more intimate class. Things started uneventfully - sun salutations, breathing, side planks and other positions. Physically, my body was performing at its optimum level, deepening into postures comfortably. Inwardly, however, a very different story was being told. All I did was ask my mind to please lower its voice for the next 90 minutes, and to please keep any and all opinions to itself. Well maybe Mind woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but it was not amused. As the class proceeded, the chatter continued to build. Images flashed across the inside of my eyelids, accompanied by a chorus of arguing maniacs. Broken sentences attached to emotional reactions became more and more chaotic. My mind was a mess. Synapses flashed at the speed of light as thought-form collided with thought-form, creating a fifty thousand car pile-up. Horns blaring, insults flying, attention fluctuating... and class was only just beginning. As we moved into balancing postures, things reached their peak. Having just completely lost my ability to focus, any and all balance had flown out the window. Standing on one shaking leg, the room seemed to spin as I slipped and stumbled out of each pose again and again. And all the while the chaos in my mind escalated. The more I uncontrollably interacted with my distraught thoughts the more my actual physical strength seemed to evacuate my body, adding to my inner frustration. Trembling, weak, off-balance... with my mind showing me total disregard.

I did what everyone says you should do in order to focus. I concentrated on my breathing. I fought with myself, forcing my breath to become deeper and slower. I would be close to getting the upper hand, starting to feel a calm rising, when suddenly a single solitary thought would fire off like a gunshot in the night. Split-seconds later an all out brawl would ensue. Back to my breath, back to my breath. I've heard it said the breath is what connects the physical to the non-physical. Whatever the case may be, tonight my mind was not going to allow me to make that connection. As any comfort would begin to timidly approach, my thoughts would dash my efforts and before I knew it I was lost in a psychedelic trip through days of old, unable to distinguish between reality or fiction. As the next ninety minutes unfolded I felt like a boxer in a championship fight with his arms tied behind his back, taking hit after hit. After the mental massacre, rolling up my mat and taking a hot, much needed shower I gathered my things and left the studio tired and wrecked. Walking home, the glowing lights of the LCBO caught my eye and I bought myself a bottle of white wine and continued home. Sitting here now by the fire, halfway into this bottle, I am reluctant to follow through with my plans for an early-morning yoga class. It's my day off after all. Can't I just sleep in?...