CHOOSING THE RIGHT YOGA MAT

My most recent yoga mat was in a state of disrepair when I finally parted with it 3 weeks ago in Bali. By that time, it had been ravaged by humidity and leaf-cutter ants in the Amazon, journeyed to Buenos Aires, Toronto, Melbourne and, finally, Bali, where whatever was left of it was even further shredded apart during a 1 month long yoga course. So it was time to say good bye to a long-time travel companion. It was time to purchase a new mat!

It's been a while since I've purchased a new yoga mat. I stockpiled them years ago for some reason and have always had a supply on-hand. But I'm overseas at the moment and don't have access to my inventory so I'm faced with some decisions. I'm hoping that by taking you through the process with me, I can help shed some light on the topic for when you go out and buy your mat.

There are a lot of yoga mats out there. But how do you know which is the right yoga mat for you? Well, there are some things you should consider before making that purchase:

• How thick should my yoga mat be?
• Sticky mat or yoga rug? Or both?
• What about eco-friendliness?

And, of course, cost is always a factor.

All of these questions boil down to personal preference. No one can tell you which yoga mat is right for you. But I hope I can help narrow down the options.

Sticky Mat vs. Yoga Rug

Most people who practice yoga practice on a sticky mat either made of plastic, PVC, rubber (synthetic or natural), jute, or cork. The non-slip surface of the sticky mat is great for downward dog and standing poses. Grip is essential in these poses.

The yoga rug, which is often used by Astanga yoga practitioners, is another good option. Why? Because it absorbs sweat (great also for Bikram yoga) and it offers a smoother surface when you want to practice things like Astanga-style vinyasa (ie. jump through and jump back). Additionally, you can use it as a blanket in savasana and it is easier to wash than a sticky mat.

I often will use both - the sticky mat first during my warm up, sun salutations and standing postures. Then I lay the rug on top of my mat to continue the rest of my practice from seated postures right through to savasana.

Thickness

Sticky yoga mats come in a variety of thickness. They can be anywhere from .5 mm to 1/4 inch (approx. 6 mm). Many are of the opinion that the thicker the mat the better because of the cushioning that a thick mat provides. However, I prefer the thinner mats. The extra padding makes me feel unstable in positions like downward dog or balances. I like feeling the floor. Also, as a traveler, I need a mat that can easily go where I go. In the supine positions, a thick mat is great but you can always had towels or blankets on top of your mat for added padding.

Eco-Friendliness

When deciding whether to purchase an eco-friendly mat, consider that you will not only be helping the environment, you will also be helping yourself. Inhaling the chemicals released from a synthetic plastic or rubber mat is toxic to your health, so why do it? Yes, these mats are likely to be slightly cheaper than those made with the environment in mind. But at what other costs?

If you decide to go completely natural with something like a jute or cork mat, keep in mind that these mats are made from porous plant material, which absorbs sweat which will eventually break down the fibres of the mat. But it's all-natural and biodegradable, so it's not a bad option.

Your other option is a natural rubber mat. These are made from renewable material and are not processed in the same chemically-hazardous way that the synthetic kind are. If you do opt for this type of mat, then make sure it is latex- and phthalate-free to avoid having to breathe in these harmful chemicals.

I would suggest staying clear of mats made from plastic, PVC and synthetic rubber altogether. Why? They are not biodegradable and they are made from chemicals that are released into the air which we breathe.

So which yoga mat or rug should you buy? You'll have to go out to your local yoga studio, sporting goods or big box store. Or hop online.

Here's the one I want:
Manduka Eko Superlite Travel Yoga Mat

An Afternoon in St. Kilda

I spent an afternoon with a friend meandering around St. Kilda the other day and thought I'd share.

(PS: I'm currently in Melbourne, Australia at the moment. Ok, technically I'm way out of Melbourne in a little country town called Pearcedale near the Mornington Peninsula. But that's a whole other story)

St. Kilda is a trendy boho suburb of Melbourne 6 kms south of the CBD (Central Business District). It's home to Melbourne's famous St. Kilda Beach, the iconic Luna Park (an old turn-of-the-century amusement park with a big scary moon face entrance), and the city's cake capital Acland St.

You can get there by taking the 16 or 96 tram outside of Flinders St. Station. It takes around 25 minutes from the station and, apparently, you're supposed to validate your Metro card when you get on the tram. Really? I didn't see anyone else doing that. Oops.

It was a beautiful day (though a little on the cool side ...It is July in Melbourne after all) so we decided to start our afternoon with lunch at Soul Mama, a "global vegetarian cafe" located at the St. Kilda Seabaths building. The restaurant offers beautiful outdoor and indoor views of Port Phillip Bay and St. Kilda Beach, with its open and airy inside dining room and an outdoor balcony patio. We opted for the outdoor patio to take advantage of whatever sun we could get.

First things first, we ordered our drinks - a glass of the Soul Mama house red for me and the Soul Mama house white for my friend ($7.50 each). I also needed a warm beverage as I'm nursing a cold at the moment, so I ordered the Ayurvedic Vata tea of licorice, cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. There were some amazing juices on the menu as well (ie. Extreme C - apple, strawberry, guava, rosehip, and acerola berry) but I thought that maybe I should save room for solid food.

For lunch, you have 2 options: choose from the bar menu or the buffet. A legend accompanies the buffet and bar menu detailing whether an item is gluten-free, sugar-free, onion- and garlic-free, or vegan. While the bar menu did look appetizing, we opted for the buffet. For $15.50 you get to choose 3 items (hot or cold) from the buffet plus you get a generous serving of rice with your order. Everything looked appetizing but, in the end, I ordered the tofu with tom ka sauce, sauteed veggies, and the pasta salad. My friend ordered the soy "chicken" masala, sauteed veggies, and satay noodles. Everything was delicious! Even the fake chicken was actually very tasty. And I'm usually very skeptical of faux meat products as they often have a funny flavour.

The dessert case looked amazing but we opted to go somewhere else for dessert. We decided to take a stroll down Acland Street. I mean, what better place to look for dessert and coffee? This street is renowned for its countless cafes and cake shops.

We walked to the end of Acland Street to a place called Big Mouth, at the corner of Acland and Barkly St. It's an old Art Deco-style building with high ceilings and its original chandeliers in tact. The main floor is the Wine Bar and Cafe. Upstairs is the Lounge Bar and Dining Room. I've been here before. The last time I was here - we came for brunch - I recall the service being painstakingly slow. But today we are the only customers for the moment.

We ordered a flat white for me, a tea for for my friend, and an english toffee bread pudding to share. Very rarely do I get a bad flat white in Oz and this one was no exception. In fact, it was exceptionally good. Possibly a 9 out of 10. Maybe it was the locally-roasted Genovese coffee. Drizzled with warm toffee sauce and garnished with a sweet date, the bread pudding - which came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - didn't last very long. I even considered ordering another. All that AND the service was so much better than last time. I might just have to give Big Mouth a second chance at brunch. And maybe even try the upstairs room for dinner some time.

We had whiled away a beautiful sunny afternoon, eating, drinking and chatting. Sadly, it was time for me to make my way home. But not before my friend dragged me into one of his favourite shops on Acland Street, Urban Attitude. This fun little shop has 2 locations - one on Acland St., and another newer location on Chapel St. in South Yarra. Its eclectic mix of quirky housewares, personal accessories, and novelty gifts make it easy to lose track of time. My friend was looking for a gift for someone else and walked out with a set of measuring cups in the shape of traditional Russian matryoshkas ...for himself. You can even purchase things through their online store!

***Prices quoted are in AUD

An Introduction to Yoga for My Parents - Staff Pose

During this short visit back home, I'm teaching my parents some yoga that they can do on their own when I leave. They both have some physical ailments, my father suffers from sciatica and my mother has a very mild case of rheumatoid arthritis in her ankles and knees, so they asked for my advice on some yoga postures that could help alleviate discomfort.

My first lesson with them was showing them how to sit. The yoga asana, or pose, that is the foundation for all sitting forward bends is called Staff Pose, or Dandasana in Sanskrit. Done properly, one can yield so many benefits from this seemingly simple pose like improving posture. It's great for rheumatism of the knees and ankles, which my mom has, because it strengthens and tones the leg muscles, and lengthens the ligaments of the legs. It's great for my dad's sciatica because it helps to relieve strain in the back by toning the spine, chest, and abdominal muscles.

Truth be told, it's not the most natural way of sitting and therefore, can be very uncomfortable at first. It feels a little strange the first time you do it. I know my father has some difficulty.

If you are starting and don't have the strength of spine to remain erect, then you can do this posture with your back against the wall.

How do you do it?

1. Sit on the floor with outstretched legs. Legs should be touching and toes should be pointing towards the ceiling.
2. Move the flesh of the buttocks out to the side so that you're sitting directly on your butt bones. This will help with stability and balance.
3. Place your palms on the floor beside your hips with your fingers pointing forward. Depending on the length of your arms, adjust your hands so that your arms are straight - ie. You might have to move your palms either a little more forward or a little more backward accordingly. - I have short arms so I really have to lengthen my arms to reach the floor.
4. Lift your waist and ribcage.
5. Lift your chest to open your heart.
6. Roll your shoulders back and down to release the tension.
7. Lengthen your neck and spine by imagining a cord attached to the top of your head and pulling you towards the ceiling.
8. At the same time, press the bottom of your thighs to the floor and activate your quadriceps (this should already be happening because your toes are slightly flexed pointing upward. Don't forget!)
9. Relax your face.
10. And breathe!
11. Hold for 30 seconds... and relax.

Your spine should be straight. Your legs should also be straight and exactly perpendicular to your torso. An old yoga teacher of mine would tell us to imagine we were Barbie dolls. Remember Barbie? She could only hinge from her hips. Otherwise her spine was completely straight and her legs (separate from her torso) were also completely straight. That's the idea.

That's a lot to remember, right? Hence the reason why I'm teaching one pose at a time to my parents.

One of my yoga teachers in India says, "If it's easy for you, you're not doing it right." He's right. For every "simple" posture, there are a myriad of things to focus on, while breathing and staying relaxed.

For my parents, it's a step by step process whereby I'll teach them a new pose everyday until I leave, which will give them a sequence to practice on their own. Staff Pose will likely be a pose in any yoga sequence that you do. But you can also do it on it's own. My mom says that she does something similar in the office when her legs are getting sore. She sits in her chair and lifts her legs into Staff Pose. She already intuitively does this pose. It just goes to show that yoga is everywhere and we all have the ability and intuition to practice. Doing it with mindfulness, awareness, and intention is the key.

Lessons in Life

Maya Angelou said that "making a living is not the same as making a life". I think Winston Churchill before her said something similar. I'm sure these words have been reiterated in some form or another over hundreds of years by insightful people who recognized a truth about human nature and the world we live in. Wise words. And food for thought. They are words that I've been pondering over for the last three years since quitting my full time job to pursue ...Life.

We have what seem like tough choices to make as we continue to be bombarded by the restrictions that society straps us down with. And by society, I essentially am referring to anyone and anything around us that communicates a message to us. That's pretty much everyone and everything.

My entire life was filled with ideas about what I "should" be doing. Nothing out of the ordinary. It's the same message we all get. Get a good degree. Get a good job. Get a good husband/wife. Buy a good house. Have some good kids. Make some good money. Have a good retirement. I was always on the fence about what to do.

As a young girl, I wanted to be a Buddhist but decided to sneak into dance clubs instead. And eventually, I got the degree. I got the job. I never quite got to the other parts. But I was still of the age where it wasn't deemed necessary ...yet. I was definitely getting close or at the point of my life where I was feeling the pressure of finding a suitable mate, buying a suitable house, and having suitable kids. I was uneasy about the whole thing. It seemed like a pretty long commitment, all these "things". And I wanted to see the world and continue to learn, without these constraints.

I took matters into my own hands. I took a drastic leap of faith. I left my job, packed up my apartment, and went to India. Three years and one Australian boyfriend later (we're still together), I've had the privilege of living in four very different countries - India, Australia, Peru and Argentina - where I've had the pleasure of seeing some of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. But more importantly, I've had the honour of learning some of the most important lessons I've ever learned. Namely, how be happy, how to forgive, how to trust, and how to love (myself and others). Basically, I learned how to live.

....Now I just need to learn how to make a living through Living. I'll let you know how it goes.

Packing for the journey

In preparation for my first backpacking trip through Europe (10 years ago!), I had absolutely no idea what to bring. I had never been abroad on my own longer than a couple of weeks. I actually brought an upright on wheels and had to lug that thing up and down the numerous (and often steep) stairways and inclines of Europe. Not the wisest decision. But I definitely learned my lesson. I didn't actually invest in a proper backpack until about 4 years later when I took a holiday traveling through Egypt with my roommate.

My friends at home are often amazed that I'm able to pack up my life in a bag (sometimes 2). They say that "courage is the power to let go of the familiar". The more you purge, as scary as it can be, the freer you are. You realize how much you don't actually need and you don't even miss it when it's gone.

However, that being said, this is still a continuing challenge for me. My partner is MUCH better at minimalizing (is that a word?) and purging than I am.

My packing process always involves making a list. I am a HUGE proponent of lists. Perhaps a little manically so. I thought I might share my current packing list for a couple of reasons:
a) it'll be useful for me - I can refer to it again
b) it might be useful for someone else

So here's the laundry list for this upcoming South American sojourn (the rugged Peruvian Amazon followed by the sophisticated city of Buenos Aires in Argentina). I think the list is pretty adaptable for other tropical warm-weather locales. Always bear in mind the cultural context of where you will be and be respectful of that (ie. in a conservative country like India, I would bring more conservative clothing). PS - Being a woman, what I feel I need to bring to be comfortable is more extensive than what my boyfriend would pack (his bag is half the size of mine).

What I do is start packing a week before I have to leave. I do what I call a "vomit" and just throw everything that I think might be useful into a pile on the floor. Once it's all on the floor, I weed through the mess, paring down until I have just the bare essentials. I then do a "test pack" and if it doesn't fit into my pack, I do another purge and continue to do so until it all fits. It's a bit of a process but I always feel good about what I've packed in the end. Oh yeah, always leave room for extra stuff that you'll end up gathering along the way.

THE LIST

• 1 dressy outfit (just in case)
• accessories (belt, jewelery, bandanna, hat ...for the sun, wrap ...for the cool & the sun, small purse/bag/pouch)
• bag protector (for when it rains)
• bath stuff (creams, foot scrub, liners, tampons, diva cup, nail clippers, nippers, file, razor, scissors, soap/body wash, toilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, tweezers, wipes) ...make sure it's all biodegradable!!
  
• bathing suit
• bed sheet (you never know when this might come in handy)
  
• binoculars (not necessary but would be great to have in a natural environment)
• bottoms (jeans, leggings, shorts, skirt)
• bras (a variety of styles - ie. strapless bra - no more than 3)
• chargers and cables
• citronella (a great natural alternative to chemical repellents)
• converter/adapter
• sundress
• first aid stuff (bandages, disinfectant cream)
• flashlight/torch (a head torch is your best bet)
  
• footwear (always a tough one for women ...sandals, walking/hiking shoes)
• hair stuff (anti-frizz, comb, elastics, clips, hairband, shampoo, conditioner)
• insoles
• light jacket
  
• locks and carabiners
• make up (baby powder, brushes, bronzer, pencils, eyelash curler, sharpener, shadow, lip gloss, lip moisturizer, perfume ...just in case)
• mesh laundry bag (great for the delicates if you're not handwashing)
  
• plastic bags (for all sorts of reasons)
  
• camp shower
• rainboots (or as my boyfriend would call them - GUMboots) ...It's rainy season!
  
• raincoat (gumcoat?)
• sarong
• socks
• tops (long sleeve, tank)
• towel and facecloth
• travel pack (PASSPORT and copies, visa, any other paperwork, itinerary, hand mirror, lip moisturizer, hand cream, book, journal, pen, camera, ipod, earphones, netbook, sunglasses, tissue, bank card, credit card, insurance info, flight itinerary, ginger tablets for motion sickness)
• underwear (enough for the week)
• yoga stuff (clothing, mat) ...because that's my practice

You may have noticed that there are some key items missing from my list, namely a mosquito net and a variety of pills and other medication (ie. malaria pills, immodium) for travel. The mozzie net is actually very useful, however in my case, not necessary as the place I'm going supplies nets. As for the medication, it's a personal decision whether to bring these items or not.
Do your research and use your judgment. I always see a travel doctor before I leave for an exotic adventure ...but I don't always take their advice. Experience and education will guide you in your decision.

...Now I've got to try to stuff everything into my pack! Wish me luck...

Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world

Social philosopher and psychoanalyst Erich Fromm says this:
Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be. Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before.

I've spent the last two years on a journey of self-discovery that has taken me to India with side trips to Australia and Sri Lanka, and occasional visits back to my hometown of Toronto, Canada. It's in India (primarily Mysore and Dharamsala) that I was really able to delve into an intense yoga and meditation practice. I also discovered a strong affinity for Buddhism and its ideologies.

My journey continues as I venture off to South America, specifically the Peruvian Amazon to meet my partner who has already been there for 3 months having his own spiritual awakenings through the guidance of the mystical shamans of the region. This should be interesting.

What was I doing before all this? Well, prior to this, I was on a very different journey which mainly consisted of career (I was a marketing and public relations manager for a fashion company for 6 years), partying (aka "networking"), and just general excess and accumulation. It was fun for a while but never really satisfying, and eventually I just got tired of the hamster wheel. I just could not figure out what I was doing this all for.

So a couple of years back, I took a huge leap of faith and quit my job, got rid of my apartment, packed my bags and made a break for India. Without any real expectation of the road ahead.

It's a little Elizabeth Gilbert, yes I know. My partner is an Australian who lived in Brazil (not a Brazilian who lived in Australia), and I've never been to Bali (perhaps Peru is my Bali ...I guess we'll see). And unfortunately, I don't have a bestselling book on the market that has made me a household name thanks to Oprah. But I guess what I've realized is that my choices in the recent past are much more common than I thought. People question their life choices all the time and make decisions to re-direct their journey on a course less traveled but more fulfilling for them.

This blog is about attempting to unravel -- learning to focus on the journey not the destination. It's an exercise in letting go .... of expectation, of fear. What I mean is this.... by providing an outlet to share my experiences, I allow myself to be exposed. This is a frightening thought to me but I do in some way feel that there may be benefit not only for myself, in freeing myself, but also for anyone who might venture to read this. Also, some of my friends have suggested that I start a blog so they can track me on my travels ;)

There's no real direction or objective for this blog. It's simply a journal of a journey.

And the journey continues...