Tag: yogaywg

How long have you been practicing yoga for?

About four years. I started doing Eionn Finn videos with my wife (so much time looking between my legs at a laptop wondering “eka pada what?”). We spent a bit of time trying iyengar yoga, but it didn’t really interest me. And then we found this crazy $5 drop in class at Moksha Donald where this small crew would be doing such amazing, stunning, floating stuff. Knew that I had to do more with this. Especially when the weekly themes would be about “adventure” or “fun”, or things that just really resonated with me.

What brought you to yoga for the first time?

My wife (to be) brought me in. We did a few classes at different places, but it didn’t really spark with me. It wasn’t until I got the idea of flow classes that I really started to get into it. The feeling when both strength and flexibility starts to build in your body is so hard to describe.

Barre or Hot Yoga? What is your jam!?

I love hot flows, but also love the flows in the nonheated rooms. Prana, Ashtanga, core flow… I always try to let people know that these amazing classes are available.

What pose are you currently working on?

I’ve been totally neglecting my yoga and pushing some unrealistic cardio goals for the past three months. Refocusing in two weeks, and want to finally be able to FLOAT like all these magical yogis I see!!

What are three things you would tell your friend before their first ever yoga class?

1. It will be harder than you thought.
2. You’re probably going to surprise me because everyone has some (often unrecognized) gift they bring to their practice.
3. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Favourite Post-Yoga snack or meal

Anything, as long as I have the company of my beautiful yogini sweetheart @toniaberger

What’s your favourite part about being an Energy Exchanger?

I find the space so serene. You have to work hard to make everything clean between classes, but it’s really calming at the same time. Love the feeling of going home knowing you’ve left it ready for the early morning crew the next day so they can start their day in the best way.

Did you know that 452 people suffer a serious brain injury every day in Canada? This amounts to one person injured with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every 3 minutes!

Raising awareness about the importance of brain health, brain injury prevention, and supporting people who have experienced a TBI, from concussions to severe injury, is extremely important and meaningful to me because in 2010 I sustained a severe traumatic brain injury myself which left me in a coma for 3.5 days, retrograde amnesia, notable post-traumatic amnesia and a long road of recovery ahead.

How did I rehabilitate and heal?

I used the physical and mental practice of Yoga as my primary healing modality. Not only did Yoga help me heal, but the therapeutic effects of regular practice, in addition to meditation, considerably improved the quality of my life to wondrous, unprecedented levels. Isn’t it beautiful the plasticity of our brains!

Years later, I’ve now been teaching Yoga for 6+ years who have recently completed my LoveYourBrain Yoga teacher training. The program is a FREE, evidence-based and community-driven, 6-week Yoga and meditation series designed to support people who have experienced a TBI and their caregivers.

With this training now complete, I’m thrilled for the opportunity to give back, be of service and begin teaching this research-based program sometime soon, which Modo Yoga runs four times a year! Learn more and support this amazing non-profit organization at loveyourbrain.com. The best way to connect with me is online at pangyoga.com or on Instagram at @pangyoga.

THE INTENTION

You are your own highest authority.
Do not place your source of authority outside of you.
Go within to see if the truth you’ve found is in
harmony with the truth you find in your heart.
-Neale Donald Walsch-

ON THE MAT
Our teachers are here to guide the class and ensure everyone is being safe in their movement. But, at the end of the day all the teachers do is offer up cues. You are your highest authority. Take in the cue with your breath and feel it within. Is it in harmony with your body today? Without comparison to yesterday’s practice and without judgment, you keep checking in.

From this place your practice has the chance to let go of preference of teacher or type of class. When you tap inward and realize that you are your highest authority, it doesn’t matter who’s teaching. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing Modo or Modo Flow. You just keep showing up, tuning in and growing your practice.

OFF THE MAT
When we practice going inward on a regular basis during our practice, it starts to connect to our life off the mat. We have experience tuning in to our truth. This is important because because everyday we make choices that create the life we want to live. And the more those choices are in harmony with the truth you find in your heart, the more authentic your life becomes.

So keep showing up. See you on your mat!