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 We literally live 10 feet away from our neighbours … our Airstream is parked in their Oshawa Ontario driveway (courtesy shared parking). But with all of us having busy lifestyles, Dawn spoke about never seeing us, regardless of the fact that we are pretty much ‘roommates’ per se. So in order to play ‘catchup’, we had dinner together. What a truly lovely way to spend a gorgeous summer’s evening. Dinner with friends as the warm sultry air wafts in through open patio doors.
It’s been a really interesting few weeks of working on our newly designed yogaFLIGHT website and blog. Coming up with entirely new content (a rough business plan of sorts I guess you could say) has been a challenging experience. Top that with trying to accelerate our social networking presence with yogaFLIGHT and rV There Yet (both on Facebook and Twitter, with appearances on LinkedIn and Google + in the works), and I am pooped!
I find myself stumbling through the days with a bit of chaotic splash and splendour, no concrete plan written on paper, going from instinct and ideas, excited at the cre8tive process as it evolves. As Annie Lennox would say, “at a certain point you can’t really tell whether you have created the momentum or it’s creating you.” Not the best strategy going in to this with no siteplan (aka a graphic representation) or mind map, I admit, but at least its momentum. I’ve been dragging my feet on this project for way too long. I’d say that I am 75% close to our relaunch … just have to put together a gallery and clean up the coding and stuff. I am so very happy that hubby sat down with me and spent a few hours going over the content with a fine-tooth comb! I really look forward to everybody’s input when it’s finally online  .
Enthusiasm is the energy and force that builds literal momentum of the human soul and mind.
~Bryant H. McGil
One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.
~ Michael Korda
So how do you make a mind map?
 This article from Anthony Landale from the Illumine Training website lays it out really well. Why paraphrase him when he has it down pat? Go check him out … Thanks Anthony!
- Take a blank piece of A4 paper and turn it on its side.
- Start in the centre and draw an image that represents the topic you are working on.
- The main themes around the central image are like chapter headings.
- Draw thick lines which connect the themes to the main image and print one word associated with each of your themes in CAPITALS next to the line.
- Start to add another level of thought, using thinner lines, linked to each theme.
- These are your associated thoughts. Attach words or images.
Add your personal touch. Make your map artistic, colourful and imaginative. Add humour, exaggeration or absurdity wherever you can. Your brain will delight in getting enjoyment from this process.
Mind mapping is a technique that is proven to help learning, aid memory and is efficient in recording and storing information. Again let us consider note taking as an example. Typically note taking is a laborious process with an output which, let’s face it, is typically forgotten quickly if it is read at all. Why is this so? Because a page of text has almost no variety, no distinguishing features; nothing stands out and the brain goes to sleep.
slaDE has happily found a dropzone to work at for the summer. His goal, first and foremost, teach people how to fly, and secondly, earn some money throwing drogues. Layman speak: taking people for a tandem skydive. With the Sigma Tandem System that Skydive Toronto uses, slaDE must maintain a certain currency since his previous jump, all within a set time period set by Strong Parachute System.
A. If any currently rated Tandem Instructor has not made a Tandem jump in the preceding 90 days, he must make one Tandem jump with an experienced jumper acting as a student before taking a student student. The experienced jumper/ student must first be briefed on how to respond to Tandem emergencies.
 That’s where I fit in! For slaDE to become recurrent, it was time for me to make another tandem jump with him. I’ve been a passenger on about 20 different occasions, as an experienced jumper, filling the ‘student’ role for either a learning tandem master or for means of recurrency. Let me tell you, it never becomes fully easy and comfortable, that relinquishing of control. You see, I have over 1400 skydives, and on all solo jumps, I have pulled my parachute each and every time, saving my own life. However, with tandems, that’s another story. More often than not, there have been ‘chicken handles’ for me to access in case I needed to perform any of the deployment or emergency functions. However, in the previous 2 times that I have jumped with slaDE, there were no such handles, apart from the main tandem canopy deployment ‘golf ball’. Gulp! Although nervous and out of my comfort zone, I’m good with that option and choice. I have complete trust in slaDE and his abilities to land us safely on the ground.
Today was no different … the skies were a startling clear blue colour and the temperatures were invitingly warm. With the opportunity to skydive from the Cessna 182, I felt right at home, enjoying the ride to altitude as we circled a 4 square mile area around the urban airport. Our dive out of the airplane was poised and perfect. The canopy ride, stealthy (I love the Icarus canopy!) and the landing, perfection. Another jump lived, loved and shared with my husband. What a beautiful day!
This is a REALLY cool vintage heavy-duty lunchbox based on an all-time classic Airstream. Oh how I love our trailer! I would want to memorialise it as well as a piece of art if I could, and take it with me to work every day .
I love how he made the propane tanks out fo 35mm film canisters. Talk about upcycling .
It sits at 15.5″ long x 8.5 tall” x 5.5 wide”. Maybe not big enough for my lunch, but I wouldn’t care!
From Paul’s Flickr page ….
  Thanks to Facebook, last Saturday I haphazardly stumbled across a listing for a fantastic workshop to be taught at the Yoga Loft in Lindsay by World Renown Ashtanga Yoga Master, Shamanic Practitioner, Prana Facilitator, Philosopher and Musician, Danny Paradise. The thought of attending a class inspired by him had me beyond excited at the thought of slaDE also experiencing the style and teachings of this truly talented Yogi. You see, although Danny is a fellow Canadian, his workshops usually have him travelling on a whirlwind schedule (8-9 months of the year — he’s been globe-trotting since 1979), leading workshops and holidays in exotic locations. He pretty much leads the dream life I aspire to, of travelling the world, spreading the love of Yoga, healthy living, and Prana, returning to his roots in Hawaii and Canada on his ‘down time’. To give you an example of his amazing lifestyle and itinerary, he’s in: USA – August; Spain – September; Germany, Spain & Greece - October; UK – October-November; Thailand – January & February; Israel – February; Bali (the Spirit Festival!) – March; Thailand – April.; Brazil – July, and full circle back to the USA in August 2012. This dear readers comes solely from the scheduled events posted on his website. Whoa!!! Sensational .
 About 6 years ago, I had the privilege of participating in a day long workshop led by Danny at a yoga retreat in Goa, India (I spent 4 months there, discovering yoga in exchange for my web design services) as well as doing a photoshoot on the beach with Danny and friends. This was my first introduction to yoga in the ‘wild’. WOW! The strength, the beauty, the form. In addition. I thought Danny was a fabulous teacher. At the time, I had little to compare his level or style of instruction to. I was a fledgling yoga student and had no idea what the practice of yoga would truly mean to me and my life. Of course, one can’t predict the future, but yoga in itself has been as instrumental in an extreme change through my life progression as was my introduction to skydiving, 20 years ago.  Fast forward 6 years to Lindsey Ontario … after experiencing many years of a wide variety of yoga and teaching styles, I was extremely excited at the thought of sharing in this workshop with slaDE~. And that we did. What started as an initial 3 hour afternoon sojourn at the Yoga Loft turned in to a 4 hour class with a lovely evening meal attended by Danny and friends from the studio. Danny did not disappoint. To this day, I find him an incredible teacher, displaying a chill laid-back humble style that is intuitive, knowledgeable, educational, entertaining and extremely valuable.
What I truly loved about Danny’s compassionate and playful afternoon Ashtanga workshop was his provision of a reading list along with notes on and time for a full Pranayama practice. He spent a good 45 minutes discussing what yoga, shamanism, prayer, meditation and healthy living has meant to him throughout his yoga lifetime (he started in 1976 with David Williams & Nancy Gilgoff). Throughout the rest of his Ashtanga (Primary Series) class, Danny skillfully guided and encouraged us, his students, to empower our minds and make a daily practice of yoga that is “sacred, safe, meditative, healing, joyful, expanding, energetic and pain-free — modified where necessary” (whether it be pranayama, meditation or asana). Many a wonderful quote and inspirational message came from Danny. His personal thoughts and interpretations on yoga expressed the practice as being about (as transcribed from my hectic scribblings during the class):
- consciousness and self-understanding
- evolution
- healing
- soul work accessing deep levels of the brain
- reconnecting
- body and spiritual purification
- aging with vitality, grace, health and clarity
- an ancient tradition as old as the human race that delves in to the understanding of human consciousness
- one way of eliminating fear, anxiety, disease and stress
- grounding in the present (the only place where true healing can take place)
- communication with spirit
- a way of understanding aging and death
- a gateway for emotional release
I desperately needed this reintroduction in to the magical world of yoga’s realm. Sometimes I find myself losing sight of the possibility of such presence and strength in my life, especially when my body feels weak, unforgiving and judgmental. It’s at times like these that I need Yoga most. Yoga is indeed a truly personal and private journey towards liberation. And I am most grateful for this opportunity in my transformative and educational journey.
“Though Yoga is an ancient teaching it is open to interpretation in all eras and by everyone who enters into the exploration of finding who they really are and what is their ever-evolving place in this endless creation.”
From Danny’s website, here are a few more personal impressions :
- Everyone is born to follow their dream.
- Borders were created by narrow-minded men {not women!} to divide and control people, but God created a world and a universe without borders, without limitations…
- Only a person with a tiny mind wants to lock people out or in.
- Death is just another stage of evolution.
- Love is an endless well available at all times from the Great Spirit…no charge!
- Go organic! Stay Flexible…
- Find out what’s really going on….Travel!
My thoughts exactly! What do you think? What does yoga mean to you in your life?
As the fluid business of the past week settles in to my core, and I sit with the experiences of our Acro Yoga intensive 4 days, I listen instinctively to the valuable lessons that i’ve been blessed with. The biggest being:
 Happiness formula = Doing MY best and feeling good about it whilst finding the value in my worth and efforts.
Unhappiness formula = Comparing myself to others. Or as Baron Baptiste has said: “when we focus on the things we can’t do, we lose sight of the things we can do”
The leaps and bounds in improvement and stability of my acro yoga (aka yogaFLIGHT) skills has been tremendous and somewhat overwhelming. If I were to compare myself and technique to others that participated in the throwdown, I was truly ‘nothing special’. A beginner at best. However, I still view the time spent with Eugene and Jessie and their acro crew and talents as inspirational models of beauty, grace and flight. I so admire their years of hard work in getting to where they soar effortlessly and beautifully. They are indeed all magnificent!
- Acro Yoga may look easy and fluid, but only because there has been much repetition, learning and practice (and perhaps falls from great height).
- engagement of the core and extension through my extremities makes all the difference
- by coming in to my centre, both physically and mentally, I am able to focus and shift any energies of fear and discomfort
- hand to hand does not equal death grip
- Acro Yoga maneuvers with a broken finger is not the best of ideas (although I wasn’t going to let it stop me!) — see the hand-to-hand point above
- success with Acro Yoga is similar to being on the Slackline. One needs to find both stillness and breath to keep balanced and focussed
- it’s okay to stay true to my desires and needs
- remember the laughter, the fun and the play! oh yes, and the FLIGHT!!!!
- from the acroyoga.com website: “In the pursuit of excellence we sometimes lose sight of why we were attracted to something. The joy and excitement we experienced can easily be replaced by obsessive striving, and a strong desire to ‘strike the pose’. In so doing we move away from our innate sense of discovery in favor of our attachment to completion.”
 To come away from the experience that I did with such a wealth of knowledge and new friends was a priceless adventure well worth the commitment which I at first feared due to injury. Do you have any experiences that you pushed yourself beyond your comfort zone but were grateful to have participated in?
  What a joy it was to sleep in this morning. The temperatures of the past week had waned, and a cool morning breeze filled the room and warmed my soul. I couldn’t help but wake with a smile, thinking of the past month here in Montreal. So many amazing and diverse memories, all involving flight and wonderful connections. The joy in life really seems to be all about connecting. Without that strand of humanity to link one experience with another, life would feel incredibly empty. Here’s a similar analogy that resonated huge with me this week. Kate “B-girl Lynx” Alsterlun extended this analogy as learned from Eugene Poku: In yoga, the breath is like the string of a pearl necklace. The pearls are the asanas and the breath brings the asanas full circle and keeps the practice together, continuous and circular.
  The morning was spent with Paul teaching us some tricks to strength in Chaturanga, Downward Dog and jump forwards, linking the Sun Salutation together as a fluid strong movement. I felt very blessed to witness his teaching style and to learn some pointers for my own practice and teaching. Before we knew it, we were on our way back to Verona for a visit with slaDE~s Mom. It would be so good to arrive back at our Airstream, to sleep succulently sound in our own bed.
  Today began with learning a complex and long performance flow created by by Eugene and Jessie. Layer upon layer upon layer of seamless dynamic moves and intricate weaving of acro yoga techniques with a dance and yogic flair. Sutble, fierce, challenging but oh so beautiful. I partnered up with the beautiful and talented Laurence … so competent in fact that she was equally skilled as both flyer and base. Working with me (an inexperienced acro flyer) is an incredible challenge as it is … but Laurence was patient, kind and solid as a base. Although I have dabbled as a base the past four days, I am nowhere close to providing the necessary caliber of stability needed to safely hoist people through such maneuvers as ‘Star’, ‘Around the World’, ‘Ninja Star’, etc. The trick to getting to this level is practice, practice, practice. Wish I had someone more my weight and height to play and experiment with on a regular basis. The afternoon revealed a mini-workshop with Jason Nemer of acroyoga.org on the basics of successful handstands. Again, lack of mobility and strength in my shoulders left me wanting for more …. I’m learning that both daily core and shoulder strengthening and building is becoming necessary in this lifestyle of more advanced acro yoga (or what we call yogaFLIGHT). Time to redirect my focus.
The ending of our weekend climaxed with a boy vs girl Creative Process. With a quick 30 minutes to prepare our staged act, we stepped in to ‘the Cypher’ and rocked our performances with giggles and fire … the penultimate throwdown before an informal acro-jam.  Personally, I was hoping for more flow practice after the throwdown with Eugene and Jessie. But as with all endings and beginnings, the flow of their structure is what I make of the time and interaction within the context. So perhaps I was expecting more of myself. However, feeling somewhat reticent with my new-found knowledge and skills, I sat back shyly whilst the more experienced acro-yogis soared through delicious flows and experimental flights in their acro-jam. Sometimes just watching can be enough. I am however yearning a deeper connection with an acro community. Time to investigate the Toronto scene whilst we’re in the area for a few months!
 The evening was spent cooking and dining with our hosts at ‘Chateau Yogi’. Paul and Bryce had the perfect kitchen and patio space to enjoy a twilight potluck of personalities and stories. Of course, I enjoyed finding the beauty in photographing shadows, light, people and textures.
  Morning review, B-girl afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed the morning review. The past two days have literally flown by, with so much to remember through each flow sequence, let alone a whole day of advanced learning and techniques that can only be felt through experience and not specifically a workbook of moves. It’s been quite the blessing to have such high caliber of instructors, teachers, trainers, acro yogis (both base and flyers). To learn from the best has been phenomenal but also a frustrating and sometimes emotional experience for me. I am the least experienced flyer here and the advanced level of the manoeuvres we have been doing has challenged me beyond any expectations of what I came into this throwdown with. My ego took quite the brutal turn today and that’s where the emotional aspect came into play. I felt quite unworthy and inadequate with what I’ve brought to the table. The beauty and grace and skill of the people we’ve met is phenomenal. I feel somewhat out of my element, but have always been encouraged through this process by Jessie and Jill, two sensational instructors. Collin and slaDE have also been encouraging , and it’s been great to fly with other people as my base. I’ve even grown more comfortable in my skills as a base. Something I wasn’t certain I’d ever see … I suppose you can say that my tool-belt per se has expanded considerably! And the friendship base of our craft has grown exponentially. Today I really learned the importance of providing a safe effective spot vs a reluctant uncertain spot. The role of the spotter is imperative to the safety of the base / flyer partnership, especially with such advanced asanas as we’ve been trying. And regardless of the skill level of the duo, a spotter has been used 98% of the time here. I certainly find safety and comfort in that backup.
The afternoon brought its own set of challenges. I discovered that B-girling wasn’t really my thing (break-dancing). I was quite klutzy and clumsy in my dance efforts, and felt the need to step back from the less than joyful break dancing strength routines. My shoulders have certainly proven to be a painful challenge from the beginning of this intensive 4-day workshop. slaDE fell naturally into the rhythm and moves of this genre, and I enjoyed photographing the others in the throes of their bliss. It was truly lovely to watch, but finding the desire and need for my own space, I managed to steal away for a walk amidst the Place des Arts, photographing the people immersed in the ‘Just For Laughs’ festival. A fitness contest called ‘The Ego Games’ was especially amusing to film. Some great photos from a Sunday afternoon follow.
10% in your life is what happened to you and 90% is how you react to it.
~ Lou Holtz
     
From there, our group shifted to the home of Jessie and Eugene for an evening potluck extravaganza. A delectable yummy assortment of food and people. But as I find happens when good times are had, the time flies by, and with a 45 minute + commute back to our host’s place, I was wanting to find time for a cold shower to reduce my core temperature, and make my way off to bed before midnight. 6am comes awfully early and quick with less than my desired 7 hours of restful sleep.
 Day 2.
 What an incredible creative process today was! We were given a partner to work with as a ‘chameleon’ within a set time frame of 25 minutes, coming up with a routine of sorts that contained spontaneous acro yoga moves that made our heart sing and worked with both partners strengths and weaknesses. I’m learning that being the base on some of these intricate looking transitions is actually attainable to me. Like a shoulder stand. Sha-wing! Today my body is extremely sore and weary, but my energy levels far exceeded that of yesterday. The afternoon workshop on Acro and Capoeira was fascinating. Capoeira is another form of dance that seems way beyond my level of experience and strength. But at the same time, it’s still so neat to witness the combination of martial arts, dance, athleticism and music intertwine with the skills of acrobatic flight.
 Being today was our monthly mas-iversary, Hubby and I ate at an amazing Thai restaurant in a Mall food-court, as recommended by Eugene. Who expects to find stellar food at a food-court within a Mall? Not I. But a highly unexpected treat to be sure. If in Montreal and craving yummy and fresh Thai food, made to order, go check out ‘Restaurant Cuisine Bangkok‘ @ 1616 Sainte-Catherine Rue West. Authentically delicious!
The Acro jam in the park was very educational for both slaDE and myself. I finally feel as if I am understanding the beginnings of the move otherwise known as ‘Ninja Star’. Eugene and Jessie spent time with us, breaking each move down in to pieces. I’m enjoying the more advanced moves so much more now that I am feeling confidant in my abilities with each passing day. Hallelujah!
  
  Day 1 at the Acro Yoga Fusion Throwdown should instead be called Acro Yoga Bootcamp extraordinaire. WOW. I am so out of shape, but I simply adored and loved every moment of flying and the body aches. Today I learned the valuable lesson of having a spotter …. it makes all the difference in safety and confidence, for me, in performing these highly advanced acrobatic moves.
What an incredible day! A vibrant, body wrenching, core engaging, spirit flying, confidence building, soul-inspiring kind of day. I surprised myself today by pushing my perceived limitations and thoroughly immersed myself in the acro yoga challenges gifted to us. I flew slaDE really well, surprising myself at the diversity of postures we attempted successfully and achieved wholeheartedly and with beauty. It was an incredible experience to delve in to the realms of such advance postures … shoulder stands, etc. I made the error of not snacking enough during the morning, so by lunchtime, my body crashed and I was oh so tired during our lunch break. Nourished, we returned to the studio and I spent a good long savasana revitalizing my spirit before the afternoon ramped up our energy levels. I’m finding that my body feels weak and weathered through much of the strength moves, but I am pushing my envelope and taste-testing the challenges thrown our way. The afternoon ended with a surprising burst of aerobic strength moves rattled off that pushed my limits of strength and agility. I was so weary. But despite my fatigue, I still found incredible joy and energy in photographing the unfolding events in the ‘Place Des Arts’ square where the ‘Just for Laughs’ festival was in full swing. I love the colour and character of this city … Montreal, the home of never-ending summer festivals!
  Although I craved to attend the acro jam in the park this evening, my body declined the invitation and instead decided to shut down regardless of wants or desire. We returned to our hosted haven with a throbbing heat hanging heavily in the air. Despite the intense temperature, we both literally collapsed in to a deep comatose sleep for several hours. It felt amazing to listen to my body’s needs. My shoulder is suffering greatly (thank goodness for ice packs and arnica), and the pain of my broke finger is outrageous. It felt like a crazy maneuver to indulge a steaming hot epsom salt bath in 33 degree Celsius weather, but the healing powers of the salts were dearly needed. An ice pack on the head helped to keep me cool thankfully.
Trying to be present and in the moment, so I am taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and letting the moment of flow guide me from one moment to the next. We’ll see what tomorrow brings! Time to crash and rejuvenate for tomorrow’s exciting challenges!
      
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