Shell Andrea Yoga + Kirtan

Sometimes injury or chronic pain can leave us feeling broken or hanging by a thread.

If you have pain, injury or illness and you would like to know how Yoga can help, I am here! If you have wanted to try a class but you aren't sure, why not book a private session with me where we can talk about:
☑️ What feels safe for your body
☑️ What kind of practice would benefit you most
☑️ How to modify Yoga for your body
☑️ How to manage chronic pain with Yoga

You are not alone and it IS possible to change your experience of chronic pain.

Book a private session with me today either virtually or in person. One hour = $50. You don't need to keep managing it alone.

www.shellandreayoga.com

Today in our Yoga Philosophy class we talked about how Capitalism and Yoga/self-realization represent contrasting philosophies and sets of values and how this makes our journey more difficult.

1. **Capitalism focuses on material accumulation and profit:**
In capitalism, the primary goal is often wealth accumulation, profit maximization, and economic growth. This drive can lead to a relentless pursuit of material success, sometimes at the expense of other values.

2. **Yoga emphasizes inner peace and detachment:**
Yoga, particularly in its traditional and spiritual forms, emphasizes inner peace, contentment, and detachment from material desires. The focus is on self-realization, understanding the self, and achieving spiritual harmony rather than material wealth.

3. **Individualism vs. interconnectedness:**
Capitalism often promotes individualism and competition, where success is measured by personal achievement and economic status. In contrast, Yoga emphasizes interconnectedness, unity with others and the universe, and a sense of compassion and empathy.

4. **Impact on the environment:** Capitalism's emphasis on growth and profit can sometimes lead to environmental degradation and exploitation of natural resources. In contrast, Yoga encourages respect for the environment, recognizing the interconnectedness of all life forms and the need for sustainable practices.

5. **Value systems:**
Capitalism values productivity, efficiency, and economic success as measures of progress. Yoga values self-awareness, mindfulness, and spiritual growth as measures of personal fulfillment and happiness.

Overall, while capitalism focuses on external achievements and economic prosperity, Yoga and self-realization focus on internal peace, spiritual growth, and a deeper understanding of oneself and one's place in the world. These differing emphases make their main requirements and goals fundamentally opposite in many respects. So how do YOU cope with this? How do you live Yoga in a society which doesn’t support it?

I searched for “shopping” in my google photos and this was the only photo that came up. Pretty fitting?

Hands up ... who needed that reminder? Carrying a little neck tension from your day? Before you move onto your next task, take a breather! AAAAAAAHhhhhhh isn't that better?

Many students express to me how disappointed they are that life gets in the way from their yoga practice. What they aren't realizing is that Yoga practice is Life practice.

Why have we put "Yoga" into a box? Why are we beating ourselves up for "not practicing"? Because we are forgetting what Yoga is.

The goal of Yoga is to realize your True Self. This isn't done on solely on a yoga mat in a serene location with no distractions. It's accomplished by living your life with awareness and being present.

Can you be fully present while doing the dishes? Can you be fully present for your children? This is where we figure stuff out! And when we figure ourselves out, we are so much more peaceful, happy and balanced.

So whatever you are doing, take a breath, recognize where you are and what you are doing and pour yourself into it. If the result is in your favour, express gratitude. If the result is not in your favour, be grateful for the life lesson and move on. THAT is yoga. It does not require fancy pants, props and handstands. It just requires you to do the best you can with what is put in front of you.

Happy Manitoba Marathon Day!

A word about movement. The way we do asana (yoga poses) now in modern times has changed significantly. We have had to incorporate much more safety. This is an issue caused by our lack of movement and body awareness. How do we cultivate more awareness? By MOVING CONSCIOUSLY.

Your body is happiest when it is active. When your body is happy, your mind is happy. We, as a society are not moving in the ways that make our bodies happy. We are also not relaxing in the ways that make our bodies happy. We think we are relaxing, but we are slumped in strange positions on the couch, putting undue pressure on our joints, worrying about what we can't change. This is not relaxation!

But when we move our body with walking, weight training, Yoga postures, gardening etc, our body is happy becuase joints are lubricated and muscles are activating. AND... a muscle can relax better once it has been activated! So let's move, and then take time to rest properly for a happy, healthy body and mind.

I once had a running hobby and send best wishes to all the marathoners this morning! I really lucked out that time that I got the number 21441 - it's... like... my 3rd favourite number. 🤪

Come to class with me - let's move properly and rest properly. www.shellandreayoga.com

This week in our classes and in our daily life, let's work to stay in the present moment, without comparing ourselves to others or to our previous abilities.

When we practice this skill of being in the here and now, we can let go of what's behind us or in front of us and stop the inner dialogue of comparison.

When we compare, we are saying, "That person is different than me. I want what they have". Or sadly, like what is happening in the world today, we adopt a "me vs them" attitude.

Are you still with me? 😂

When there is division, we invite dis-ease. This depletes our sense of peace and contentment. When we stop looking for differences, we start seeing the similarities and we begin to gravitate to that idea that we are all in this together.

Let's start looking for similarities and celebrate togetherness.

What a beautiful day out today! I went to my google photos and searched the word "Happy". I was so pleased to see how many photos came up of people with huge smiles, including my own.

I have been so blessed to have been able to find happiness even in unhappy times. As they say, happiness is an inside job.

Take a moment and remember a time when you felt happy. Notice what you were doing, who you were with, your surroundings. And then notice what the memory of it does for you. Are you a smidgen calmer and happier just from the memory of it? That's a small taste of the power of your mind.

This is me in one of my happy places as a child - having just splashed around in some water and drying off on the lawn chair!😁

Can you think of a memory from your childhood that brings you joy?

Meeting someone new in your life can be exciting and rewarding, especially when you take time to reflect on how you want to show up in that relationship.

We have all learned from past mistakes of people pleasing, ignoring red flags, and lack of boundary setting, but each time we build a new friendship, partnership or relationship, we have the opportunity to express and assert our needs. The key is that we are clear in our mind about what we want.

So take time to reflect.
✨What kind of communication is important to me?
✨How do I want to have fun?
✨How do I accept love and feel loved?
✨How do I prefer to receive feedback on my own behaviour?
✨What is my idea of respect?
✨How much can I give and how do I receive?
✨What are some boundaries I need to set for my own mental/emotional wellbeing?
✨How will I practice standing up for what I believe in and speaking my truth?

Yoga is moving more and more toward clarity in the mind and helps us in all aspects of our life - not just in our physical mat practice! This clarity allows for confidence and trust in yourself so that you can really enjoy the company of others in a positive and joyful way. It also shows you who you would like to surround yourself with 😉😉😘

Reunited - first photo is from 2011 and second photo is yesterday. I’m so grateful to be with the South Okanagan Yoga Academy (SOYA) community this weekend. It’s been 13 years since I took training with Mugs and it changed my life. If you have taken training with me, you will remember me talking about Mugs! Teacher/student relationships are so important to me - they keep me humble and credible on this path.

It has been a year and a half of reconnecting with the teachers who have made a huge impact on me in my yoga path, and I am feeling so blessed. Thanks to all the organizers of the retreat including Rebecca Stone - so grateful for your hard work!

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Erika Rodeck for a podcast, giving an overview of the concept of Nada Yoga. Have a listen!

What is Nada Yoga? Podcast interview with Shell Andrea A quick chat to talk about what Nada Yoga is and how this practice can help us!

Worth a re-share: 5 Things writing Yoga Teacher Training Curriculum did for Me:

💫Deepened my Resolve
The enthusiasm for bringing practices to you made me deepen my own practice! Planning for topics such as Mudra, Bandha, Chakras, Pranayama, Mantra meant that I was practicing these to a different level! Having to write curriculum invigorated my resolve to live a Yogic lifestyle.

💫Reviewed Those Notes (Finally!)
I have 10 notebooks, with EVERY page FULL of notes from my esteemed teachers and bites of knowledge. Writing curriculum made me review these notes and made me feel like they were not wasted. I felt a deep connection to my teachers and all they taught me over the years. And what’s more beautiful is that there is something new every time you come back to it.

💫Organized My Brain
Writing the Curriculum for the program allowed me to organize all the things I have learned into a way that my brain understands it better. I previously felt scattered at times, but now I feel there is a bigger picture and I see the connections between all the practices!

💫Focused Concentration
My husband said he hasn’t ever seen me concentrate like I did when writing the manual for YTT. It’s true – I was completely focused and felt passion for what I was doing. I felt the concept of Dharana often, where everything else fell away.

💫Continued Clarification and Study
The biggest and most important result was that I really clarified some topics for myself by researching, reading, practicing and asking my teachers questions. This is called Svadhyaya! If I’m going to teach something, I better know it. And actually, for me, the way for me to know something better is to force myself to teach it.

We will never know all there is to know about Yoga - it is so vast. But these small steps are never wasted. And there is no benefit to holding onto knowledge without sharing it, so I hope you can join me this Sep 2024!
www.shellandreayoga.com/teachertraining (Link in Bio!)

Being content with what we have is a simple concept but a challenging practice when our society is built on the foundation of consumerism. 💲

💅 We receive messaging from childhood and on that we aren’t good enough until we have this thing, this look, this life, and there is always another thing that you are missing.

😯 But what is really missing? Something that can’t be bought. A connection to who you are. Our study of the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita tell us much about our inability to see our Selves and our struggle to regain that connection through external things and experiences.

❓ Where does real change happen? It starts with the mind. Sometimes a quick perspective change is all we need in a moment of feeling lost.

Come study Yoga with me for the next Self Development & YTT program starting September 2024 for some huge perspective shifts amongst the support of like minded folks 💜

What a pleasure to meet you .das.108 🙏 Let’s do it again sometime! For those of you in Winnipeg, our next home kirtan is June 23! Message me to save your spot ❤️

Plain and simple - come practice with me!
Wednesday 7 week session cost: $91
Thursday 6 week session cost: $78
Drop ins are only $15!

You've heard us talk about Sangha (community) before. We are wired for connection. We need to be around people, and the benefit of being with like-minded individuals with shared good intention is incredibly powerful for our healing.

It changes our brain. It changes us right down to our physiology. Being with others can uplift and encourage us to achieve our goals and help get us out of our conditioned thinking minds into the unlimited Self.

Indigenous cultures have known the healing benefits of this for ages. I am so grateful for the group of Yoga seekers, friends and family that I am surrounded with. Thank you for choosing to spend your precious time with me in connection and practice. I love you!

Pictured: Shell teaching an Asana class with her beloved Sangha at the March Nada Yoga Retreat.

This is the person I consider as my Yoga Ma. I began my more serious studies of Yoga because of Sandra, but aside from that, she was the conduit for healing myself from the inside out. During the most challenging time in my life, she gave me the unconditional love and support I needed. Because she is in BC, I got small doses, but they were concentrated with love, encouragement, techniques to release emotional blockages and push me forward. How amazing to spend another weekend with her and to be reminded about how far I’ve come on my journey. She continues to inspire us by her diligent continuous work on herself at 82 years old and gave us a message this weekend - there’s lots of time. Keep doing the good work you’re doing. Invite grace into your life and work. I think this message relates to all of us. Keep going, you’ve got this.

Ever have to stand in line for something? Have you ever been in a waiting room? How did you feel? Back sore? Fidgeting? Sighing, and getting anxious or angry?

When you try to settle a child, often you encourage exercise or even an impromptu "shake your sillies out" moment to release energy. Though it may not be appropriate for us adults to start flailing and shaking body parts at the doctor's office waiting room, (hmmm? 🤔 ok, no.) we can use yoga asana daily to move and shift our energy in preparation for these life situations.

If we have an itch that we don't scratch, and then expect to sit down quietly, that itch will just get more intense if our mind isn't able to ignore it. So before your quiet and still moments - watching a movie, waiting in line, sitting at your desk etc etc... why not move your body a little, so your mind doesn't have to deal with all the discomforts that pop up physcially?

A body that moves is one that can settle better. A settled body can help an unfocused mind. Cause/effect. So let's not expect to sit down in still meditation for the first time for 3 hours and have a great experience mmmkay?

PS: Did you know that opposite is true too? A focused mind can settle us physically too! Oh, Yoga, thank you for all your connections and truths.