This morning I have been pondering what to write in the DOWNdog POST that would inspire you.  Motivate you.  Give you that kick start needed to get going with your work or your day today.  Or to getting going with that at-home yoga practice you have been meaning to start.  
A kick start is especially needed sometimes on a cloudy, rainy Monday morning! 

I have been reading Steven Pressfield’s “The WAR of ART”. In his book he talks about our  war against Resistance.  “We are wrong if we think we are the only ones who experience resistance.”    Fear, double guessing, self-doubt, procrastination, opting for immediate gratification or comfort,.. are all forms of resistance. 
“The more resistance you feel,  the more important a choice or action is, and the more gratification you will feel when you have done it,” he writes.  It is a book that I go to whenever I feel Resistance. 
Going to your yoga mat today is the hardest part.  “We just need to begin,” as mentioned in the first DOWNdog POST. Once that choice has been made, the rest is easy as pie.
Every yoga practice promises to leave you feeling more positive, confident, grounded. Stronger in body, mind and spirit.   More ready to fight resistance!

“Now where did I put that yoga mat!” 
Cheers my dear students!

Wishing you a Happy Monday and a Great Week!Till we meet again on or off the mat.

WOW! It has been such a LONG time since I wrote the last POST!  It was precisely December 12, 2019. 

And now, once again,  I sit at the kitchen table on a Sunday morning with my morning coffee to write to you.
This morning does not bode well… I am just back from a cottage and realise I have forgotten my europress at the cottage!!  Hold on….I need to go next door for a shot of espresso to make my much needed cafe latte. Off I go in my pj’s. 

OK

I am back!  My neighbour made me an espresso.  His hospitality warmed my heart and gave me some much needed energy to write!  

What to write about? It scares me. I am afraid that I will not find the inspiration to write again…that I won’t be able to teach like I used to.  I am being honest here. Maybe I have forgotten how or have lost the flow!  It is hard to muster up the energy to believe in one’s self sometimes… let alone get out of bed and get moving!

Will I be able to write again?  Will I be able to teach? How do I climb the ladder? 
I need to get REwired. REmotivated. REnewed.  RE….The list goes on… (I am laughing here as I write this.)

No worries! I have your back!

Some wise person (my son Harlan) once told me, “Just start… Begin. It will happen.” And so…
l will go to my mat and do just that!

Begin the first practice with you…

There will be no expectations, no judgments on the mat.  Just observation.   Just hospitality. Just being. Being in the moment and savouring the positive energy and the calm that comes from the healing energy of the breath.  A healing energy very much akin to the healing energy of a good friend,.. of a neighbour. 

I will end this post with some famous words of wisdom from my assistant, Dr. Jake!

 “Savasana! It’s the only way to travel”

We are looking very much forward to seeing you again soon!

Namaste!

Please note:  The grand reopening party is set for September 18th!  Classes resume September 20th.  More info will be sent your way soon!

I try to bring laughter into my post sometimes.  Something original.  I try to say something that most readers of The Sunday Morning DOWNdog Post can relate to. And of course, there needs to be some connection to yoga.  This  post is about yoga. Yoga off the mat I call it. 

It is quite the challenge to pique your interest every week…especially now when there is nothing I can find on Netflix to ignite my creativity.  Remember “Suits” .  It had plenty of yoga material for me! I am waiting for your suggestions…  Anyone?

OK well, I am watching Dr. House.  Not great…  No inspiration there for me. Let me see…. What to write about?

Earlier this week, when I was walking Jake along Mckay Lake, I saw a man walking barefoot on the path.   He was actually running, barefoot.  Yesterday, I saw a woman walking barefoot on the same path!  She was just ahead of us and so I decided to strike up a conversation.  I was curious.

It went as follows:

I said “You are walking barefoot. Aren’t you afraid of maybe hurting yourself?”. 

“Life,” she said, “is a risky business.”  She spoke with conviction.

I said, “You are grounding, earthing?”

She said, “Yes. That’s right.” She then added, “The fact that something is risky should not stop you from doing something.” Those were her exact words.

We talked a little. It was nice. There was a brief but special connection. 

Since COVID we have experienced isolation to varying degrees for nearly two years. We have faced challenges.  People are now wanting and needing to connect.  I know that this is true. I see it every day in the people I meet. At the Metro yesterday, a man was waiting to talk to the baker. We started talking about the weather.  Small chit chat. I mentione I was having a party.  His entire face lit up. He was so happy for me.  He said, “That’s wonderful.”  The baker arrived and  I moved on to do my shopping. I wanted to go back and invite him to the party.  Sorry I didn’t.  I need more men in the yoga classes. 

A good friend said to me recently, “We will never be the same.  COVID has changed us.” There was a mixture of sadness and hope in how he expressed it.  I think we need to hang on to hope. The hope that people will be more willing to reach out, to take risks, to be more inclusive,.. to spark up a conversation with a stranger.  The hope for a  better world.  A more compassionate world.

Yoga is very much about opening up. Connecting.  According to the poster that is posted on my fridge “The Lessons I Learned from my Dog”  we should…  Greet everyone enthusiastically!  

Namaste! my dear friends and students,

Till we meet again on or…off the mat!

Classes start September 21st!

A message for you this morning from DOWNdog home studio! 

In the last couple months, I’ve been busy cooking up something new at DOWNdog! For those of you who are not familiar with the studio, DOWNdog is  a home yoga studio in the heart of Manor Park at 8 Bedford.  It is going into its 4th year.

And now for the BIG news!…

DOWNdog will be welcoming pure and beautiful energy in the person of Danielle Lyrette.  Danielle is a young and vibrant mom and an insanely inspiring yoga teacher.  She has been practicing yoga for over 20 years.  Her aim is to help motivate you and direct you towards a commitment to a home practice. She will be teaching an All Levels class Wednesday evenings 7-8h15.

And now for more BIG news!  

DOWNdog is thrilled to welcome Michael Dynie.  Michael is considered to be one of the top yoga teachers in the Ottawa region. I was first introduced to Michael in 2008 when I took my Yoga Teacher Training course at Upward Dog.  He was amazing!  Without him I wouldn’t be here today writing to you.  He not only kept me motivated (when I wanted to give up) but he helped me LOVE yoga!  He will be a guest teacher for the All Levels class on Monday evenings 7-8h15. 

Finally, for those of you who are looking for something gentle  DOWNdog will be offering  a Gentle Hatha Yoga class Tuesday mornings 10-11h15

To register: Submit your name and specify the class your wish to register for by emailing jocelyne.campbell@gmail.com

Your registration is secured by sending an e-transfer for $170. to jocelyne.campbell@ gmail.com

For all enquiries: EMAIL or TEXT JOCELYNE:  613.748.7886