Week 3: “Yoga for self-compassion”

Posted on 2019/09/30 by Jocelyne Campbell

**In yoga philosophy, the yamas and niyamas are guidelines for happiness and self-fulfillment. At the top of the list of the yamas is self-compassion: kindness towards ourselves.**

When I think of compassion, I think of the sun. I think of that wonderful way we feel when the sun comes out from behind the clouds and warms our skin. I think of the wonderful way we feel when a friend touches our life in a way the sun does.

A friend has come to say, “I understand. It’s ok. Don’t worry. I am here with you. I’m listening.”

There is nothing more precious in life than the compassion we give to or we feel for another person. It is a weak remedy for the human condition but the only remedy we have.

Yoga teaches us that this compassion that draws us together, must also come from within.

To extend compassion to ourselves, ahimsa, “to be our own best friend” as the saying goes, is not always easy. We sometimes tend to be hard on ourselves when we make a mistake, when we fall short.

Those words of compassion that a friend will sometimes offer us, we need to offer them to ourselves. We need, in other words, to nourish ourselves with the warmth of the sunshine.

**This week, AWEsome Week 3, we will go under the sun and play with Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). We will salute the SUN within us.**

Enjoy this beautiful day!

Namaste!

Jocelyne and Dr. Jake PhDOG (specialist in compassion)

Week 2: “Yoga for trust”

Posted on 2019/09/22 by Jocelyne Campbell

Sometimes life throws us a curve ball. We are in a muddle so to speak.

When life throws you a curve ball, how do you react? Do you throw your mitt in the dirt angry, upset and walk away? do you simply duck and try to avoid it completely? Or, do you try to catch the ball?

Yoga has a lot to teach us about the curve balls in life. It invites us to catch them and observe. To observe the curve balls and believe that they have something to teach us.

This summer I was in a muddle. More specifically, my foot was in a muddle. So much pain for 4 weeks.

I began to observe my foot, (my foot, the muddler!) whenever I went to my yoga mat. I trusted that it had something to teach me. And it did indeed.

The feeling, I had after getting out of the muddle was tremendous. And it wasn’t just that I felt better physically. Through observation, something had opened up and it felt amazing.

Observing, letting go and opening up to new energy is the journey of yoga.

Trust in the practice.

WEEK 1: (Fall/winter session begins) “Yoga to connect”

Posted on 2019/09/15 by Jocelyne Campbell

I have a story for you if you will bear with me…

Enjoy!

“It was good fishing weather!”

On Wednesday this week I took Jake fishing at Stanley Park. It was a warm and sunny day! One of those amazingly perfect days of summer!

In case some of you don’t know what I mean by Jake fishing… I mean exactly that. Jake will fish in one spot for 30 minutes easy. He is mesmerized by the possibility of a fish swimming by and is totally in the ZEN mode!

I myself was sitting at the water’s edge catching a few rays of sunshine. When I turned around. I saw an elderly woman that had stopped along the path and she said something to me. I asked her to wait so that I could go up to her and hear what she said.

When I reached the path, the first words and only words she said were, “You…. are….. great!” She spoke slowly and with great emphasis.

I can’t remember anyone saying that to me. I mean. people will say you are great and be referring to something you did but out of the blue… “You…. are…. great!”? Never.

I looked at her kindly and said, “YOU… are… great!” With the emphasis on the YOU! I added, “You must have been a fashion model!” She started to laugh. I meant it most sincerely. She was dressed impeccably and with great taste. “Look at you! The lines in your socks match your beautiful jacket!” I pointed to my hiking boots and nondescript wool socks and added, “I, on the other hand, am not a fashion model!” We had a good laugh and then went on our separate ways.

It was a perfect moment between two strangers. A beautiful connection.

(Thank you for allowing me to ramble on.)

But this moment inspired me for the theme of WEEK 1 at DOWNdog: Yoga to connect.

Yoga has changed my life in many ways, and it has definitely made me feel a stronger connection to myself and to everyone I meet.

Whenever I need a little lift in my day, I will remember her words. They will echo in my mind for a long time to come

….

Dr. Jake’s words of wisdom for week 1?

“Greet everyone with enthusiasm!” I know Jake has a little too much enthusiasm sometimes, especially around children, but one thing that is certain, he will put a smile on your face.

DOWNdog Yoga Studio

Monthly Archives: September 2019