Author: Andrea Loewen

Andrea is a certified yoga instructor with first aid certification. She has danced, sung, and acted her way through a life in the theatre and loves bringing her experience to her yoga practice.

Life Lessons Learned From My Cat 2.0

I know I’m at risk for being a crazy cat lady here, but lately my little kitty seems to be teaching me so much!

The main thing I’ve noticed is that she has a knack for sitting on my lap and becoming incredibly affectionate right when I’m about to get up from the chair and go do something, or right while I’m in the middle of an intense multi-tasking session.

It sounds like it might be annoying, but it’s actually not. On the contrary, having a soft, fuzzy, purring machine jump into my lap and give me a nuzzle has got to be one of the most relaxing things I’ve experienced. Suddenly, even if only for a moment, there is a great stillness that comes over me and I stop multi-tasking or planning my next action and just sit there. Me and my cat.

It’s like a whole new kind of yoga where random moments of stillness and peace infiltrate my day. I’m calling it kitty yoga, and I encourage everyone to practice it.

Now, I know everyone isn’t lucky enough to have a cat who’s as sweet as the one in my life, but that doesn’t mean we can’t bring random moments of meditation into our lives. Here’s a few other tools you could use to bring these random moments up in your life:

Pick a time of day and no matter what you’re doing at that moment, take a brief break. This does involve keeping an eye on the clock so it might not be realistic for everyone. Consider setting an alarm to go off a few times a day to remind you. This isn’t exactly random, but is still pretty good.

There are apps you can get for your computer or smart phone (if you’ve got one) that goes off at random intervals, reminding you to take mini-stillness breaks.

Decide on certain things to be cues for meditation breaks. Whether it’s seeing that coworker walk by your office, at the end of every phone call, or every time you get an email from a certain person – these will be just as randomly distributed as my cat’s loving, and can kind of make life into a game!

Whatever you do, try to find ways to bring stillness into your busy life however you can.

Life Lessons Learned from My Cat

Lately I’ve been observing my cat, Miss Gertie Marie, a little more closely. Here’s a few things I’ve observed that we (or at least I) can learn from her:

Eat when you’re hungry! No point in waiting and making yourself starve – you’ll only eat more later.

When you choose to relax, do it all the way! Cats never relax halfway. They don’t lie down but try to keep paying attention to what’s going on at the same time. When they choose to relax, they lie down, roll around on their backs, and flop over in the sunshine. Divine.

Give all your attention to one thing at a time! There’s an old adage in theatre to never act with children or animals. Cuteness factor aside, there’s a very good reason for this: when an animal (or at least a cat) is paying attention to something, be it a mouse or a piece of lint floating through the air, they are giving every ounce of attention they have to that one thing. Their entire bodies are ripe with the potential that attention brings, and it is captivating to watch. The same goes for life!

There you go! Cats = life.

The Beauty of Alignment

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up trying to go as deep into pose as possible. Whether it’s a personal need to push ourselves, or a bit of a competitive need to show everyone in the class how good we are, sometimes we sacrifice alignment for depth.

I’ve always been a bit of an alignment-stickler. Even as a young girl taking ballet lessons, I would always make sure to keep my hips square and my back as long and straight as possible in every stretch. Not to say I was better than the other girls – I was definitely one of the least flexible in the class (part of why I took up yoga in the first place) – but I always figured that if I was going to do it, I should do it right. Sure, I might get further in a stretch if I let my hips fall out of alignment, but where would that get me in the long run? I would eventually need to get those hips back into place and then I would be back at square one.

The problem is, I was always a little embarrassed about my stickling, because it made me look even less flexible than I was. While the other girls were hunching their backs until they got their foreheads on the ground, I was barely at a 45-degree angle. What I didn’t realize, is how beautiful any body is when it’s in perfect alignment.

As I teach, I see it again and again: someone will throw themselves into a pose. They might get further into the pose, get their leg really high, or their head on the floor, but their ribs and hips are all off-kilter, their shoulder is being pulled all the way around their back, or their lower back is crunched over. They look, well, crooked.

What is far more arresting to watch is a person who keeps their body in alignment, in a variety of poses. From standing in tadasana to Full Lord of the Dancer Pose, the most important thing is keeping yourself properly aligned.

Jack Layton, RIP

For those of you who haven’t heard yet, Jack Layton has passed away from his cancer at the age of 61. For the non-Canadians: Jack Layton is a politician who has lead the NDP Party for as long as I can remember. Whether or not you agreed with his politics, he was a hard-working man who fought hard to make our country a better place. I never once doubted his intention to do what he thought was best for us as a nation, and that is saying something. He was a fighter and a classy guy. He wrote a letter to all Canadians before he passed away, originally posted on the CBC. Here it is:

August 20, 2011

Toronto, Ontario

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.

I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.

A few additional thoughts:

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.

To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.

To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,

Jack Layton

Get Out of Town

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This weekend I went with my family to Whistler for a mini-holiday. It was fantastic! I haven’t been to Whistler (in summer or winter) for at least 10 years, and I can’t believe how much that place has grown – for better and for worse – into a full-blown tourist destination.

It got me thinking about the mini-holidays we take in life. We love them! A chance to relax and get away from whatever is stressing us out, without the full-blown commitment or the disruption to your regular schedule of a “big” holiday. Of course, you can’t go on holiday forever, and while a laptop-free weekend of lounging by a pool and strolling through the mountains was wonderful, I know I would go nuts if I was so carefree all the time.

That’s the beauty of a holiday – the fact that it’s temporary. As much as we loathe to go home and will tell everyone when we’re back that we “could have stayed there forever”, we really couldn’t have.

What we can do, however, is bring the holiday spirit into our every day lives. In fact, I like to think of my yoga practice as a mini-holiday. I have two favourite ways to do this: one method is to simply focus on the poses that make me feel great. I don’t push myself, I don’t do core work, and I don’t force myself to do those poses that are still a challenge for me. Instead I luxuriate in my favourites, relaxing into them, and just enjoy every second of my practice. Invariably, this ends up being something in between yin and restorative.

The second method I have is almost a stark opposite. I’ll push myself to the limits, jump right into the core work, and test the boundaries of those poses I just can’t master. By the end I’m sweaty, exhausted, and let me tell you, on those days savasana is about the sweetest vacation a person could ever ask for.

Of course, yoga is just one of the many ways to work a vacation into your daily life. You could read a guilty pleasure novel on the bus, lay in the sunshine, or take 10 minutes to do nothing but eat a delicious cookie.

What’s your mini-holiday?

Zen and the Art of Riding the Bus

A lesson that I have to learn over and over again in every different area of life is about living in the moment. One more place that I get reminded of this is probably one of the least zen-like places on earth: public transit.

Here’s the beauty (and frustration) of riding the bus: you have no control. You can’t impact when the bus will get there, how long it will take for that person with a stroller to get off, what the other traffic on the road is doing, how many times it will have to stop, or anything else that might make your bus arrive early, late, or just on time. All you can do on the bus is be there.

I am one of those people who hates being late, but who often ends up very nearly being late because I pack way too much into a day. It’s not uncommon for me to find myself bussing from one side of town to another, anxiously willing the bus to move faster as I’ve neglected to account one of the many factors that are making it slow. Unfortunately, my mind control powers are pretty weak, and I never quite manage to use the force of my brain waves to move other cars out of the way.

Now I try a different tactic, and instead of using my bus ride as an exercise in frustrating futility, I remind myself that I am powerless to do anything but enjoy the ride.

It doesn’t always work, but hey, life’s a journey, right? And when public transit is part of that journey, you might as well pack a book and relax.

Ten Tips for Yoga First Timers

I just came across this great post of (you guessed it) ten tips for newbies to the yoga world. I whole-heartedly endorse them all! Read it in its original context on the Boston Magazine site here.

Being a beginner at anything can be exhilarating and terrifying, intimidating as well as inspiring. First-time experiences spawn new hobbies, loves, and habits; however, they also send us scurrying back to the safety of routine if we’re overwhelmed by the new endeavor.

Yoga classes overwhelm people all the time. Lack of preparation, unrealistic expectations, and the occasional wave of nausea because no one told you to forgo the nachos before class can all throw your foray into yogic bliss off course, which is why I’m here to help.

  1. Know before you go. Is the class heated? How long is it? Can you rent a mat onsite, or do you need to bring your own? You don’t need to play 20 questions with the studio manager on the phone before your first visit, but you do need to have a vague idea of what you’re getting into. Studios and styles of yoga vary greatly. Some rules of the road are only learned through experience, but there are plenty of ways to inform yourself in advance. Keep reading, for example.
  2. Hydrate. Most unpleasant first-time yoga experiences and plenty subsequent unpleasant yoga experiences result from lack of preparation, particularly as it relates to nutrition. If you’re venturing into a heated class, this point is especially important: drink lots of water. Similarly, watch what you eat. Yoga aids digestion; however, it can’t do so if it has to compete with a latte, a burrito, two Red Bulls, and an afternoon vending machine raid. Eat lightly and healthfully, and don’t forget to bring a bottle of water.
  3. Skip the mayhem; arrive early. A common foible among beginners is to arrive just on time or, even, a little late. This isn’t a restaurant opening, people. Get there early so you can acquaint yourself with your surroundings and, perhaps, the teacher. The goal here is to beat the rush, so that the studio’s staff can spend enough time helping you get situated before being overrun by throngs of yogi veterans.
  4. Back row is best. As previously stated, it’s not a swanky restaurant opening, nor is it a Celtics game. The front row is no place for first-timers. The back row is much better, as you’ll get the gist of what to do by watching those around you (please note: this should not be confused with looking around the room or ogling others, see #8).
  5. Dress the part. Skip the slinky tank tops, booty shorts, and baggy mesh anything. Yoga poses demand a lot from your body and attire. You’ll be up, down, upside-down, and backwards. Make sure your clothes can comply.
  6. Guys, this is important … Doff your hats. Sox cap, fedora, beanie: it doesn’t matter what it is, take it off. It’s impractical and, frankly, embarrassing for all involved. Don’t ask questions; just trust me here.
  7. Shhhh. Some things are sacred. You don’t gab in church or chatter during your buddy’s backswing. Similarly, don’t talk in yoga class. Yoga is the experience of reconnecting to yourself. If you want to catch up with a pal, it’s better for everyone if the two of you did so over lunch at Stephanie’s.
  8. Keep your eyes on the prize. As a beginner, glimpsing around the room is somewhat necessary because you don’t know the lingo yet. However, looking around for interesting outfits, dating prospects, or a distraction from what is meant to be a meditative practice is counter-productive.
  9. Experience gratitude. You can practice yoga for the rest of your life, so there’s no need to conquer it all on the first try. Instead of fretting if you fumble with poses, be grateful that you have a healthy body that allows you to try new things, express yourself, and unwind.
  10. Rest. Deep, meaningful rest is one of the greatest gifts that yoga practice gives us. Savor this from the start.

Happy BC Day!

For those of you who don’t live in BC (or Canada, where I believe this day is a holiday for most province), today is a holiday!

So even if you don’t get an actual day off today (or if you’ll be spending your day off locked in a darkened theatre teching another show like *ahem* some of us), find yourself a bit of holiday in this day. Whether it’s a cookie break, a walk around the block, or sitting out in your yard after work enjoying a cold beverage, take a break!