Newsletter - January 30, 2022

It is hard to believe we are already at the end of January. The start to the 2022 year continued to challenge us physically, mentally and emotionally with the provincial government putting in place another round of COVID-19 restrictions to curb the spread of the latest variant, Omicron. Some of those restrictions will be lifting tomorrow, January 31. Although studios will be able to reopen at 50% capacity and with COVID-19 protocols in place, I will continue to offer virtual classes from the Journey Fitness + Wellness Lakefront Studio. This way, we can practice together from the comforts of our homes. This is especially nice when the weather does not always allow for driving.

There are a few new virtual 4-week mind/body series on the schedule for February and March. I hope that you will join me for a series or two to help chase the February blues away, or to re-energize your new year’s health and fitness goals. Every new day is an opportunity to start again, to set a new intention! These practices can support us physically, mentally and emotionally as we transition from Winter into Spring.

Maybe, there is a family member or a friend you would like to share the benefits that you experience from your mind/body practices with. Invite them to a complimentary class. All you need to do is have them complete the waiver form and send a message to me@deborahnordstrom.ca indicating which class and date they will be attending with you. It’s that easy!

I am forever grateful to you for any referrals and for you choosing to continue your mind/body practices with me.

Morning Awaken

Our daily routines and habits are integral to our physical well-being and emotional and mental resilience. Join me for this class to welcome in the new day and set up a strong and steady foundation for the rest of the day.

Come prepared to connect and bring harmony to the mind, body and breath. We begin with some gentle movements to wake-up the joints in the body from the ground up – connecting with ground and sky! The mind will be calm to face the day and the body ready for a more active yoga practice and/or other daily activities! For this class series, we will move into a gentle practice focusing on finding steadiness and ease in each posture.

Evening Unwind

An evening practice is wonderful for calming the mind and preparing your body for sleep. This class helps to calm the central nervous system to truly rest both body and mind. We will begin with gentle movement followed by longer held supportive restorative postures which are practiced using bolsters, blankets and other props to fully support the body in restful positions.

These classes will be offered via Zoom. A link to the class with instructions will be provided a day in advance of the class. Feel free to either e-mail or phone should you have any questions. Register by email to me@deborahnordstrom.ca. I look forward to meeting you on your mat!

“When your body and mind work together as one, you are fully and naturally present in the moment.”

- - Thich Nhat Hanh

Meditation Mondays / 30-Day Meditation Challenge 2022

Meditation may not always be easy, yet it has too many benefits not to do it. It positively affects your health, relationships and tasks. If you think you don’t have the time to meditate, would you change your mind if you knew that for every minute you meditate you can gain back 9 minutes of your day? More importantly, by meditating regularly, you will experience greater happiness and improve the quality of your life experiences!!

This 30-day meditation challenge which runs from Monday, March 7 to Tuesday, April 5 and the 4 weekly classes it includes will help you establish and maintain a consistent meditation practice that can continue even after the challenge is over. Whether you are new to meditation, had a practice and have fallen off your seat or are a regular practitioner, coming together in a group for meditation can feel very powerful and supportive.

Over the 30 days, we will meet virtually weekly from March 7 to March 28 for a 1-hour class on Mondays, 7:00-8:00pm - Cost: $60

Sthira Sukham Asanam

If you have practiced yoga with me, you will have no doubt heard me say, “Find steadiness and ease in each of the postures” or “Approach your practice with Sthira and Sukham/Sanskrit words meaning steadiness and ease, respectively.” Maybe you’ve wondered what that really means.

Asana is a Sanskrit word meaning posture. Asana is the third limb of Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga. The Eight Limbs are the path to ultimately control the fluctuations of the mind and to live a meaningful life. Asana is the only limb which refers to the physical aspect of yoga. It actually means ‘seat’ - the seat you take for the practice of meditation. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 2.46 states: “sthira sukham asanam”, the posture should be steady and comfortable. Both qualities should be equally present when practicing any yoga posture finding balance between the effort and ease.

The practice of finding sthira sukham asanam can be taken off the mat and applied to daily life. Look at the balance between the effort and ease in everything that you do from doing your work, chores, family responsibilities, raising children, etc. May you find harmony in all that you do on and off the mat!

You are welcome to share this newsletter with your friends and colleagues.