Huge thank you to the Montreal yoga community!!

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the Spring Day of Yoga! We welcomed around 55 participants and got some great feedback from you. I'd especially like to thank all of the teachers and practitioners who generously donated their time and skills, those of you who helped with publicity, and the volunteers who made sure the day ran smoothly. This event would have been impossible without you!
I'm absolutely touched and encouraged by the warmth and generosity the community here has shown me and I'll do my best to share it in Tajikistan!

Teacher Schedule

Straggle in with your chai lattes any time after 9:30 a.m. First class starts at 10 sharp, and it's with Jacky so you don't want to miss it!

• 10-11 a.m. Anusara-inspired practice with Jacky Celemencki
• 11:30-12:30 Hatha with the esteemed Malcolm MacLean
• 1-2 p.m. Meditative yoga with Marc-Joseph Chalfoun
• 2:30-3:30 Sivananda practice with Anne-Marie Bouin
  
• 4-5 p.m. Kripalu yoga with Morena Lagrandeur
  

In between classes, you can work out the week's tension by trying out reiki with Shirley and Kim Holdbrook, Jin Shin Do acupressure for neck and shoulder release by Nadia Stevens, and Thai yoga massage by Stephanie Golden and Anne-Marie Bouin from Lotus Palm! All of these services are available by donation, so come try them all:)

Bring all your friends who need to chill out, even if they aren't into yoga. Everyone needs a massage!

Yoga Massage!

I have some great news! Lotus Palm School of Thai Yoga Massage is going to be offering massage all day on May 3!

Thai Yoga Massage has the practitioner guiding the recipient through a series of yoga postures while palming and thumbing along the body's energy ("Sen") lines and pressures points. Together these actions result in a comprehensive full body treatment that is meant to relieve muscular tension, improve circulation, boost the immune system and balance the body energetically.




You can watch more videos about Lotus Palm Thai Yoga Massage here, or click here to see practitioner Stephanie Golden performing complete massage sequences.

I'm so glad we'll be able to offer this type of practice at Spring Day of Yoga!

Sponsorship forms

Did I mention we have amazing prizes for those of you collecting donations? Class passes at Happy Tree Yoga and Yoga Bliss, Jin Shin Do Acupressure sessions with Nadia Stevens, private yoga sessions with Dr. Bali, and private therapeutic yoga, reconnective healing and reflexology from Ashleigh Stewart-Ghabi!

Global Village Donation Form -- Print off this form to help you keep track of donations from people who sponsor you. Print it off by clicking on the iPaper logo at the top left when it opens in your browser.

Thanks to the fantastic Alana Beggs for designing our event fliers!

Our Teachers

I'd like to introduce you to some of my favourite Montreal teachers. They'll be leading us on May 3rd!

Malcolm McLean teaches hatha yoga at the NDG YMCA and the Shanti Yoga Centre in Montreal West. Introduced to yoga in 1968, he returned to it in earnest in 1985 when he became a student of Mollie Lawson. Today he integrates his teacher training in Ashtanga, Anusara and other yoga systems into hatha yoga flow classes. He also operates a website for the Montreal yoga community at www.yogamontreal.com.

Following in the tradition of Hatha Yoga, Marc-Joseph Chalfoun trained with Dr. Bali in Montreal. Marc-Joseph's focus is to guide you to heightened feelings of wellness and clarity. He teaches meditation and relaxation techniques that elicit a sense of presence and calm along with poses that aim at building core inner strength.

Jacky Celemencki has been teaching Hatha Yoga at her home studio in Mile End for the past 5 years. Inspired by her regular studies in Anusara Yoga, she encourages her students to be both playful and self-reflexive in their practice. She can be contacted at: jcelem@gmail.com.

Why yoga?

Hatha yoga is the physical practice of using our bodies to focus our awareness. This is what comes to mind when most people think of yoga--but it's not the only type.
Karma yoga is the spiritual practice of serving others in a spirit of humility and offering. Sometimes it's known as selfless action, and it's valued in many spiritual traditions. But just like the physical kind of yoga, it makes you feel great!
Our Spring Day of Yoga will integrate both of these types of yoga for a double dose of goodness:)

I have some exciting news! People have donated some amazing prizes for those of you who plan to collect sponsors for participating in classes. I'll have more information, as well as sponsorship forms, this weekend so you can get started right away. Our Spring Day of Yoga is just one month away!

Some quick facts about Tajikistan

• Tajikistan is located over Afghanistan, with Kyrgyzstan above it, China on the east, and Uzbekistan to the west
• The capital is Dushanbe (pronounced doo-shawn-bay)
• 60% of the population is living below the poverty line (stat: 2006)
• The country gained independence in 1991, and in the ensuing five-year civil war, up to 50,000 people were killed and over one-tenth of the population fled the country.
• Tajikistan's population is about equal to Quebec's but in an area about one tenth the size.
• The population is 95% Sunni Muslim, 3% Shi'a and 2% other
• Most of the country's power is hydroelectric, so it faces severe electricity shortages during the winter. Citizens have as little as 2 hours of electricity per day
• Tajikistan's few natural resources include hydroelectric energy, aluminum and cotton
• The country is currently facing a food and energy shortage, as well as flooding and avalanches as the snow melts.

Sources: U.S Department of State, UN Central Emergency Response Fund, Theodora.com

Now that we have a location...

I have the yogathon up on Facebook as Spring Day of Yoga. Please add it to your events, and share it with others.

My amazing friend Alana has just made up our first posters for the event! I'll try to figure out how to include them here. Feel free to print them off and post them once they're up.

I'm still looking for teachers. Malcolm McLean has been on board from the start, and two others who may participate are Jen from Spa Zazen and Marc-Joseph Chalfoun who runs the Montreal Yoga Meet-up Group. Keep your fingers crossed that they're able to join us!