Hello lovely folks,

Lately, I've been getting a lot of messages from readers and contributors here. I wanted to let you know that we have moved to a beautiful new home for YOGUE. Click here to see our new site and please email at yoguestyle(at)gmail.com

namaste + peace

insiya

Have a Compassionate New Year
I love the new year, especially our collective emphasis on redefining and refining our lives. Sometimes it can be challenging to slow down amidst the onward and upwards momentum of this time and I turn to my yoga practice with the intention of staying grounded. Eating simply also helps, as does creating a sacred space in my home in which to feel at ease.


I found plenty of visual inspiration to create a sacred space at The Art of Compassion, a new art gallery / performing venue nestled in the heart of downtown on Richard's and Hastings. The small yet spacious, minimalist space features authentic Tibetan Thangkas, mandalas and other divine art.


If you allow yourself to be lured in by the subtle scent of incense and warmth, you will enjoy a few moments of peace, marveling at the intricacy, iridescence and depth of each painting. You may also want to take one home.

Art of Compassion
438 Richards
Vancouver, BC
Tel: 604 779 4040
Open everyday (except Sunday) 11am – 6pm

YOGUE's sustainable holiday picks - great last minute green gifts


For all body types: Pure Ayurvedic Balancing Oil: $21. By Vancouver's Padmashri.
Merge cool, Scandinavian style and sustainability with organic Cotton Tea Towels and Home Wares by Ferm Living. $19 and up.


Organic Cotton GIVE Bag by Canada’s own BYOB: $39.99
Get Hip Get Green Stainless Steel Water Bottle: US $24

A subscription to Ascent Magazine, probably the most interesting and intelligent yoga magazine on the stands: $21.95
Pangea Organics Holiday Gift set that will grow a spruce tree. Prices Range

Eoin Finn Yoga DVDs: $19.99 - $24.99
Available at amazon.com, lululemon, chapters, mec, REI and Y Yoga.

Healthy Immune Boosting snacks like Goji Berries, Golden Mulberries and Raw Cacao Nibs from Navitas Naturals: $5 and up.

Honey, honey...


Honey (Honning)
Originally uploaded by Åsta
Since this time of the year can get so busy, remember to take even 5 minutes for yourself and relax. Here's a simple recipe for an ayurvedic facial mask that will feed your skin and give you that happy holiday glow.

Ingredients:
Pure local (organic) honey - 2 tbsp
turmeric - dried, 1/2 tsp
cream - fresh from the top of non-homogenized milk / or use plain thick yoghurt instead - 1 tbsp

Mix thoroughly until smooth and pat onto your face. The honey is full of antioxidants and turmeric is both an immune booster and an anti-bacterial, while the cream will give you a serene glow. Enjoy.

Green your Holiday Shopping

If you're shopping for the holidays in Vancouver, consider buying from local businesses that are making an effort to reduce waste, save energy, and help their communities. You can't go wrong with Park Royal Mall's cutting edge Greenworx members, a group of retailers promoting fair trade organic goods, 100% recycled wrapping paper, local suppliers, composting and best in class sustainable practices.

From organic soy candles, to delicious artisanal teas, naturally dyed leather goods, eco furniture and more, you will find something special here.

Searching for Sustainable Travel in Costa Rica

Thought I'd share this cool magazine I found while mucking around the still sleepy, beach town of Avellanas, in the Nicoya peninsula of north-western Costa Rica.

Edited by a yogi, Guru mag. seeks out places that you fear are already lost to development in Costa Rica. Real eco-hotels, national parks with abounding wildlife and reviews of eco-chic products that benefit the locals. Check it out here or look for it while you travel in CR.

Raw = Delicious

Did you ever put those two together? Well, at Gorilla Foods, Vancouver finally has a raw food, vegan restaurant that infuses creativity, flavour and lots and lots of love into delicious tasting, healthful foods. Since we discovered Gorilla Foods a month ago, it has been our newest post yoga hangout, a welcome addition to the heart of downtown. Let your taste buds guide you.


Living Mains:Do try their Thai Collard Green Wraps, which are filled with a sprouted sunflower seed and veggie pate, sesame seasoned coleslaw and served with a ginger raisin chutney and their sprouted buckwheat crust pizzas.
Liquid Love: We lust after the Strawberry Zinger smoothie and of course the yummy house favourite, Choco-Gorilla Shake made with raw cacao beans, dates, hemp seeds and more love.

Gorilla Foods
Open from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily.
101 - 436 Richards St.
Vancouver.
info@gorillafood.com
tel: 604 722 2504

Winter Cleansing

Getting cooler here, supposed to drop down to 1 degree tonight.
Time to really fortify your immune system and not succumb to all the bugs out there. Here's an article I wrote about cleansing in the fall - winter for myyogaonline, an interesting site.

So, it is that intermittent season, autumn, replete with rain and dampness. The perfect time to reminisce about summer, to catch that cold that is going around, (the constant temperature variations do not help); and to begin to accept the inevitable approach of winter.

The fluctuations of late fall and early winter also make it an optimum time to go on a detoxifying dietary cleanse. It is easier in this season, say most streams of alternative medicine, to change our habits and inject new life into our tired routines.

Simply put, a cleanse can give your body a short break from the effort it expends digesting food (40% of your body’s energy goes into digestion-that’s a lot) and instead, divert some of that energy into expelling toxins and healing.

--- Read more here.

Montreal "Magique"


So, dear reader, you probably don't know this about me... but I have a secret love affair with all things French... well, it dates to my childhood in India and having French cousins, who would visit Bombay in the summers and in this surreal, smooth language... and I so wanted to know what they were saying...

Well, it's a bit of that and a bit of spending a lot of time over the years in France and feeling, truly feeling like I always left a little part of me behind. Well France has not been on my "plan des voyages" for some time now... but I do live in a francophone country - one of the reasons I chose to move here au Canada - and this past weekend, I finally had my real taste of la belle ville Montreal. We were there to teach some workshops at Centre Luna Yoga in vieux Montreal.

Here's some of my top Montreal picks from our 3 day, 3 night weekend... And you thought all yogis did was meditate and drink chai... hmmm

Stay at the Opus hotel: an old-world meets hipster boutique hotel in a very central location at Sherbrooke and St. Laurent. I love the architecture which incorporated the old heritage structure which has so much charm.

wasn't too crazy about the red colour of our room. a little too cold, this red.

walk: up the mild end. up st. laurent and down st. denis. so many great stores, restaurants, kosher delis, cafes and more.

to mont-royal park. i finally did this on our last evening there. enjoy spectacular views of the city from the mountain and join in on the tam-tam drumming and dancing fest if you happen to go on a sunday evening as we did.

eat:
at the opus's koko lounge, which serves up a great breakfast. you won't believe the strawberry-banana jam (i know, but trust me) it is delicious.


at dinner, Koko is filled with montreal's "bold + beautiful" crowd, vying for the bartender's attention. we sampled some of the asian inspired cuisine. Koko's agedashi tofu arrived atop a bed of delicious veggies and i was in heaven.

go where the montreal vegan-ese go and eat at eaux-vivre. a casual, friendly and chicly designed vegan restaurant, also on St. Laurent. Try their dragon bowl and coco-banana smoothie. Yum.


in a pinch, you can also eat at local health food store Rachelle Berry where we found some good organic carrot soup and raw banana bread. I also found a great locally made brand of kombucha that was not too sweet.

Escape to Morocco and Bali with a signature massage at Espace Nomad, which is across eaux vivre. this was definitely the eco-chic neighbourhood of the city. I would have stayed at Espace longer if we hadn't had to leave to teach a yoga workshop - oops that is why we were here after all.

Practice yoga at Centre Luna: this light-filled, high-ceilinged studio in Vieux Montreal is run by the lovely Jennifer Maagendans, who has created a community of sweet, like-minded souls. We enjoyed the space and all the good people it attracted.



visit
the awesome folks at Ascent Magazine or practice at their glorious Ra'dha Yoga Studio. On Gilford Avenue. If you're interested in the socio-cultural aspects of yoga and spirituality and the green movement, read Ascent. It is intelligent, inspiring and beautifully designed publication.


Shop:
preloved is a Canadian chain but their Montreal store had a huge selection of their sweater dresses, tunics and skirts. Located on Saint Laurent, it was hipster heaven with a sustainable spin. I bought a gorgeous sweater dress pieced together with some cosy, old sweaters.


Eco-Darling: On Villeneuve, a beautiful eco-home design store that is a partnership with Sarah Hanneman's roccoco-vintage designs. Find recycled and sustainable objets d'art for your home here.
drink:
moroccan green mint tea, poured the traditional way at Rumi, a Sufi inspired, middle-eastern restaurant where the soft lighting and mellow vibe make you want to read the rubbaiyaat of omar khayyam.
Rumi
5198, Hutchison Street, Montreal, QC
514-490-1999

Raising the Vibration of the World, one Karma Yogi at a time:

What happens when a group of committed yogis pledges their service to effecting positive change in the world? Well, there's definitely an infusion and flow of positive energy.

Yoguestyle attended the 1080 Karma Yoga Project Celebration on Thursday October 23 at Raw Canvas in Yaletown and chatted with project founder Shivani (Kelly) Mercer of Pura Luna Art about her inspirations and hopes for this endeavour.

“We’re here to raise the vibration of our planet, through beauty, art and service.”

The journey began when Mercer decided to travel to India to volunteer at the Sivananda Math Ashram this December with a group of nineteen fellow yogis and students from Vancouver.

The ashram, located in the small town of Rikhia in Bihar, India’s most populous and poverty-stricken province, has a strong record of serving rural communities in various parts of India, offering everything from medical aid to farming implements and clothing and books for children.
Mercer hoped "to create a community project for the kula, something to connect the group with a purpose before they got to the ashram. "

The group chose approximately sixty photographs each, that describe the beauty of the planet, resulting in a total of 1080 photos.

"108 is the sacred number in vedic philosophy, but we though a canvas of 108 photos wouldn't be v. big so we added a zero," she smiles.

Adding positive and inspiring captions below the photos was the next step. Getting each image sponsored for $20 by friends, family and anyone else, came after. Lastly, Mercer created a large 5 by 4 foot canvas consisting of all 1080 photographs and their placement into a multi-hued map of India.

She had planned to auction if off last night, but announced, happily, that Telus had offered to purchase the canvas and donate it to the BC Children’s Hospital.

“It was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” she smiled and noted that the group had raised $18,000 with their efforts. All the monies would go towards child welfare programs in rural India.

“We’re part of the human race, she continued, “I believe in global citizenship, rather than us versus them divisions. We have to let go of the dividing lines and live in a world where all problems are ours and all celebrations are ours.”Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan rolled in, “I’m here to celebrate the positive impact of this vision,” he announced. “Plus,” he smiled, looking at his elegant wife Lynn Zanatta, “my sweetheart Lynn is yoga crazy.”

Sullivan has been a welcome supporter of Vancouver’s love-affair with yoga, even proclaiming an official Yoga Day in the City since the past three years to coincide with the Vancouver's annual Yogathon + Blissfest for Camp Moomba.

To purchase art, please visit Pura Luna Art.
All photos for this story by One Earth Photography.

Why Y Catalog


Endorsed by uber model and yogi Christy Turlington-Burns and the likes of "celeb" yoga teachers (is there such a thing), Shiva Rea, Seane Corne and Saul David Rae, one might expect the Y Catalog to impress.

This online shopping site does just that, with an inspiring line up of some of my favourite niche yoga clothing brands, yoga lifestyle accessories, organic essentials and more. With everything from classic Be Present pants to Energy Muse and Satya jewellry and Yoga Tribe + Culture's soft organic cotton practice wear, you will find something you like here.

And happily, thanks to the folks at Yogi Times, you can get a 20% discount off the products when you type in: YTM20 at the checkout.

cow town yoga Billboards on your way out from the airport in Calgary, advertise commercial real estate opportunities in Fort McMurray, Canada's infamous Eldorado, the site of the Tar Sands.


Now, known to be one of the planet's largest global warming disasters, the Tar Sands are responsible for the Rocky Mountain's melting glaciers as well as rising cancer rates downstream. Canada, however still re-elected a prime minister responsible for catalyzing this invasive project, Stephen Harper, just last week.

Harper happens to hail from the heart of conservative country, i.e. Calgary and it was with trepidation that we headed east last Thursday to teach at Yoga Mandala in Calgary's Marda Loop area.

We were thankful to connect with a strong community of environmentally conscious, liberal-minded yogis in Calgary who charted us on a beyond the obvious tour of Cow Town.

Here are some my favourite picks from our weekend visit.

Communitea in Canmore: a meeting place, music hall and tea house / lunch bar in this forty minutes away from the city, Whistler-esque nature town, serving delicious vegetarian options, organic teas in a serene

environment. A perfect, healthy stop before tackling the Grassi Lakes hike. We loved their matcha.

The Coup in Calgary: an aptly named vegetarian restaurant, that hopes to offer an alternative to the many "stuff your face with ribs larger than your face' steakhouses that abut most street corners in Calgary. The Coup's menu ran from simple to sophisticated, highlighting locally sourced, organic ingredients. The "el sombrero" is a standout on their brunch menu as is their fresh limeade.

Vastu Chai: "make chai not war" is Vastu Chai's motto. War will probably be furthest on your mind when you sample the lovely Avni Soma's, delicious and soothing Vastu Masala Chai. Available in both a black tea or roiboos blend, Soma's chai contains valerian as one of its unique, medicinal ingredients, along with traditional chai spices such as nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and ginger... mmm.

She packages Vastu Chai in biodegradable containers using vegetable-based inks, embellished with a pretty paisley pattern, using only organic and fair trade loose leaf teas and spices. For a list of Vastu chai retailers go here.
Yoga Mandala: This lovely studio is located in the Marda Loop, a quickly gentrifying Calgary neighbourhood. We love their cool yet serene vibe, the lovely laid-back owners Melissa and Kevin and their wonderful sangha of teachers and practitioners.

We're looking forward to heading back to Calgary in 2009. We're also hoping for another Canadian election soon.

watch birds, bees and trees ...

Even if your window overlooks the next row of glassy condos, a few feet away, re-draw your own view indoors with some nature inspired eco-friendly, wall-paper from Ferm Living. We papered two walls at our yoga retreat away from it all getaway pad in Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, where I am this week with my partner as he leads the second half of his 200 hour yoga teacher training.

Ferm means "clever" in Danish and designer Trine Andersen says, "Our products are intended for people who are interested in design and who are not afraid to be a bit bold when they decorate their homes."

Inspired by everything from fashion, nature, architecture, flea markets, trips around the world, and even old needlework books, Trine manages to re-create retro into something bold, clean and modern, not to mention beautiful.
Purchase ferm living products online here.

elsewhere in the YOGUE-sphere

Yoga for the Planet
if you have some time this weekend and even if you don't, make some time and check out an informative and essential workshop presented by a dear friend and teacher, Bernie Clark. Entitled Yoga for the Planet, the 3 hour workshop will offer many juicy bits of information that will keep your mind spinning for days, but ground it with simple, effective ways to reduce your environmental footprint.

Bernie also presents the environmental policies of the candidates running for Canada's current federal election. A must do.

Saturday, Oct 4th 10 am to 1pm
At the Centre For Peace, in the Great Hall
1825 West 16th Avenue, Vancouver, BC

Yoga Month
check out the extensive line up at this all day yoga festival at the Vancouver Public Library. All Day with a special benefit concert at night.
Saturday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Vancouver Public Library

oooh lalicious...


If the Northwest's monsoony (a.k.a. cold, rainy season) grey, dark days and onslaught of election and economic gloom on both sides of the border, are making you day dream about a few days of r & r in Tahiti, don't panic. Here's one of our favourite, carbon friendly ways of bringing a tropical spa home to your bathroom and with it a few moments of pure escapism.
Los Angeles based LaLicious crafts pure cane sugar body scrubs, souffles, body oils and body butters that are on every Hollywood eco-fashionista's must have list. The line is 100% paraben free, and blended with fruit and flower extracts, vitamin e, almond oil and coconut oil. Kate Hudson is a believer as is Eva Mendes.
Choose from brown sugar + vanilla, passionfruit + lime, island guava, lily+mango, coconut and their latest, Tahitian flower, a delicate and soothing perfume of gardenias.

Ranging in price from US$ 24 for a body butter to $34 for a body souffle, your pocketbook and the environment will both thank you, not to mention your skin.

Purchase online at lalicious.com.

Also available in Canada at:
Made You Blush
Woodstock, New Brunswick Canada
506-328-9964

Smashing Cosmetica
Banff, Alberta Canada
866-962-2188

Get wild and natural with the Green Beaver


When wild P.E.I. cranberries, apple mint from Nova Scotia’s Annapolis valley and local, wildcrafted lavender from B.C. form the essences for Canadian company Green Beaver's100% natural line of personal care products, you can breathe easy.

We tested their line of new, organic bodywashes and lotions and loved the brisk wake up aroma of the apple mint, the sweetness of the cranberries and the soothing scent of real lavender.

Green Beaver's products are biodegradable and don't contain those unwanted parabens, artificial aromas or presevatives. Safe enough for a baby's bottom or your own.

Purchase Online or ask at your local organic food store.

In the Raw

Here's a double whammy for today.

I wrote a short piece for one of my favourite online lifestyle newsletters about this fantastic new art + lounge called Raw Canvas just opened in Yaletown by some fantastic yogis + friends. Check out the piece at www.vitaminv.ca.

J Crew Yoga

So... back onto the blogging. Sorry I've been away and been a little unwell as well... part of the hazards of being a yoga teacher, sometimes when you're walking a room and adjusting people who may be ill, you can get a little flu bug too.

Anyhow, I am running low on simple camisole like tops to practice in - I prefer really lightweight ones, and I chanced upon these two styles from J Crew, which incidentally enough are on sale right now. Check them out.
I like the double strap camisole and the seamless camisole styles. Each is around US$19.99 plus shipping.

I also like J Crew's overall yoga line, especially the fabric which is cotton blended with a hint of nylon for stretch, though why these aren't available in organic cotton, I don't know.



Get with the eco-yoga program, J Crew, already.

"it does not mean that if you do yoga you're de facto eco conscious."
a conversation with Selena Stirlen of Stirlen Chi


I am excited to announce a few changes here at yoguestyle. Each week, I am going to post up an interview with a yogi who is creating waves in the green world in Vancouver and beyond.

First up is an interview with the lovely Selena Stirlen of Stirlen Chi. Based in Chicago, Selena has designed a line of natural yoga-mat and home cleaning products. Selena chats with us about the relationship between yoga and sustainability and gives yoguestyle the scoop on Stirlen Chi's chi.


You are a long time yoga practitioner, what's your take on the relationship between yoga and the eco/ sustainability movement?
While I believe a lot of yogis are leaders in the eco/sustainability movement, it does not mean that if you do yoga you're de facto eco conscious. I do believe that practicing yoga helps to build your awareness of everything around you and eventually it will influence other areas of your life that maybe you weren't initially aware of and ultimately influence your entire decision making process.

What inspires you?
I have an intense curiosity about everything it seems. There will never be enough time to meet, explore, read everything that I'm interested in.

What prompted you to start eco-cleaning products?
I was originally inspired to start the Stirlen Chi Yoga Cleanser line after returning from travels in which I had been practicing yoga daily on the same mat and I couldn't find an all natural product to clean my mat. I didn't want to use a product that would leave a slippery film (of chemicals) on the mat.

What makes stirlen chi different from all the eco-cleaning products out there?
1. Made in small batches and per order, our product is always fresh.
2. We use only earth friendly ingredients, nothing that is synthetic. All our cleansers are scented with essential oils, the only truly natural way of scenting products. Essential oils also have inherent and natural cleaning power thus strengthening our products effectiveness.
3. The packaging is recyclable. The Yoga and Fitness Cleanser packaging is made from PVC plastic which is recyclable. The Refreshers (wipes) packaging HDPE and is also recyclable and the wipes are biodegradable. I choose to include 20 wipes together instead of offering individually wrapped wipes which saves on packaging.

With the launch of the recent Stirlen Home line, we offer 2oz condensed cleaning products that need be added to a 16 oz spray bottle and filled with water. Two ounce condensed cleaning refills saves on overall packaging waste and cost. Since only condensed versions of the Stirlen Home products are offered, shipping costs are saved because water isn't being transported.

Have you always been an eco-nut?
My parents are both teachers so I grew up in a household where my mom washed out ziploc baggies, saved pop can tabs and recycled pop cans. While I've been practicing yoga for nearly ten years, it wasn't until I quit my corporate job five years ago and took seven months to travel around the world that I really opened my eyes to needing to doing my part to contribute to a cleaner world.

Where can we find your "goods"?
Online at StirlenChi.com

Thanks Selena! Namaste, yoguestyle.