Farewell to May

Greetings again from the Misty Isles!

Hope all is well on the East Coast I hear the weather is spectacular this spring. Christian, I imagine that you are experiencing the same climate in Bonny Scotland as we are here.

You know the rain here is different than home ….there is more of it but it is soft; a soft mist more than the driving rain that we see at this time of year in Guysborough. We get warm days here …comfortable but not Hot.
The evenings at our little cottage are deliciously quiet. No TV, sometimes soft music, the soft ticking of the clock, and sometimes the whispering hum of the clothes dryer. Evening walks to the Library, a stroll along the shore or in one of the forest trails or perhaps a game of cards and/or reading charges us up for the next day’s activities.

This week I started teaching a 10 session series of yoga classes. I am having an encouraging response and I truly enjoy the lovely yogis and yoginis that I have had the good fortune to meet here. Gotta love yoga peeps!

Speaking of yoga peeps I have been receiving mail from a friend who is volunteering and studying at Yasodhara Ashram here in BC. Jennifer I just love your updates! They help me to grow and in turn they also help my students too!

One I would like to share is the one following: Check out this link regarding the Chakras Something to chew on: www.yasodhara.org/about_us_kundalini.html

The picture I’m sending today is one we took on out morning walk with Isadore to the library. The blue building in the distance is The Living and Learning School, an independent school here in Charlotte. I got to visit the school last March (2008) when Jody was still working there part time.

Looks like the weather man is forecasting some sun for the weekend …

Hope we will be able to explore a new trail. So till next time…
Love and Light from the left coast
Chris

Moving On ...

Next week I will begin offering a ten session Yoga program here in Charlotte (on Tuesdays and Thursdays) What a wonderful way to get to know the yoga community here. Were I not giving the program I would take the session from whoever is here. It is always nice to experience the Sanga of a yoga community anywhere you go.
Sometimes I feel as if I’m just talking into space (which of course I am ) I would like to hear from you back home and how your practice is coming along. My address is on the website and any news (yoga or otherwise) would be welcome. If you are interested in looking at an article for inspiration check out the following website.

In fact if you were to cruise around http://www.yogajournal.com/, there will be something there of interest to almost anyone! Another good site is http://www.kripalu.org/

I’ll close with a few shots of my youngest yogi Isadore, prince of the Purple Onion Café. He keeps us pretty real and pretty busy too!

Life among the eagles and ravens

Ahh ... hope I’m getting a better grasp on the technology here. We’ll see if you get the pictures I hope to send. My yoga today comes from being able to hold space quietly while on the hike we are about to take. I’d feel a little less anxious if Sean had not said “We shouldn’t have to worry too much about the bears since we will probably be talking and and they won’t bother us if they hear us” Well we all know how I can talk did I ever think that that would keep me safe ….noooo

Life amoung the Eagles and Ravens

May 21 2009
Greetings from Haida Gwaii
This is not the land of the midnight sun but we are far north enough to enjoy more hours of day light than we see in Nova Scotia at this time of year.
The following pictures were taken around 9:00 PM . It is actually still pretty bright at 10;00! The sunrise and sunsets are beautiful.

So ‘ham
The meaning of this Mantra is “I am that”
“ A simple breath mantra. Repeat “so” on the outbreath then “hum” on the inbreath. When you begin, with each out breath, you may become conscious of the act of giving and letting go. With each inbreath you may be aware of receiving, of honouring the Self in this moment. Eventually, all intentions dissolve into the simple pulsation of the mantra’s sonic qualities, bringing stillness and peace within the rhythm that is like serene ocean waves”
-Christopher D Wallis (Yoga Journal May 2009)
Hummmmm Ocean Waves - The Ocean is different on the Left Coast so is the sky - in fact it is still bright at 10:00 pm where I am. The colors of the sky and the mountains are something you can’t feel on a photo and when you see the mountains you feel them. Feel the mountain when you practice tad asana. Be the ocean when you practice Fish !
Being blessed by the experience of feeling the salt water in my veins as a Nova Scotian and now tasting the salt of the Pacific rainforest on my skin my yoga practice is grounded in the knowledge of the connectedness of coastal dwellers.
People here are so friendly it is like I never left home - I do miss all you NS Yoginies out there and I think of you daily in my practice and I’m sure that I will bring home all the Lovely Yoginies of the west coast when I return in July.
I’m currently preparing to do 10 Kripalu Yoga sessions here in Charlotte during May and June starting May 26.
For the food network people at home I’ve connected with a network here who are working on the same issues we are at home and I hope to learn from them more about how that is unfolding here.
I live next door to a professional storyteller who is about to do a benefit show as a fundraiser for a festival that takes place here call “The festival at the Edge of the World” I’ll keep you updated on that since we plan to go.
The photos which follow are from a walk about of the village today. Hope you can get a sense of life here and its casual pace. Perhaps by the time I go back to Guysborough there may be folks here who would like to see the same photo journal of my home village
So’ ham
Find the mantra that works for you
Love and Light
Chris

Settling in ...

Hello folks in Blogland,
We are settling into life on the islands. And being introduced to the realities of of life that changes islanders! All food is brought in on the BC ferries thus almost everything is expensive even the Dollar Store reflects this - most items are $1.50 instead of $1.00 . We have to do as Sean suggests and shop smart …buy only what you need and don’t look at the price. I guess it’s a trade off for the peaceful life here. Yesterday however that ferry broke down -there will be no ferry or food delivery till Wednesday so by supper time last night, milk, bread and a lot of other staples are lost in the rush of panic purchase. The Fortunately we bought our groceries in the morning before any one knew about the breakdown.
On to more positive things we visited the Kaa Center (Haida Heritage Center )and enjoyed talks given by a group of graduate students on forestry and its effects on society and life here on Haida Gwaii. We can see that here, as in many small communities people wear many hats volunteering is a necessary element to make life happen.
Today Sean is taking part in a volunteer fire training session and we are preparing for a community hike at Anvil Point ….report and pictures to follow.

Wow what a forest and what a trooper little Izzie is. He spent the two hours of the hike humming and telling himself little funny stories and Laughing (at his own jokes) .The trees in the forest here are massive some of the trees are actually growing out of trees that died and rotted many of years ago. It is mind boggling to stand at the base of a tree that was a seedling 800 years ago.

Stay tuned more to come by the end of the week.

Flying to the West

Hi folks
We are currently in flight. To say that the day got off to an early start is an understatement. I think that I had about 45 minutes sleep last night and we were dressed by 4:00 am. Christian has landed safely in Scotland, Daniel is now in Calgary and heading for Athabasca for summer planting.

Note for the Yoginies in Canso I’ve started on my work sheet hope this works out well for all of us ….let me know how you are doing ….even if you only get to fill one small section in …a day ..that’s a start.

Note for the Dream work participants ..Thanks for the support in coming to the workshop during what I know is a very busy time for everyone. You made it a heart warming success. Keep up your journal and watch what happens.

For my younger friends Hope spring is Yummy for you and I look forward to seeing you when I get home. Did you check out the pictures in the Gallery of this website …maybe you were there!

More blog pictures will follow soon.

Oh BTW we've landed safely and you will hear from us soon I hope.

Love and Light to all
Chris

The journey begins

Baby Steps ...

Well folks, this is my first foray into the open space of the cluttered mind. Not only am I opening the top of my brain to the world; I'm trying to use a technology new to me at the same time. ie getting used to a very small key pad of a reduced size lap top.

How much stuff do we need in our head and our life to seek an adventure on the left coast?.....that is the work of the last hours in our beloved Guysborough. Pack, unpack, repack,tie up loose ends and say good bye to our friends.

Take time to breathe and practice what I preach. The Muises are all off on an adventure. Christian left today for Scotland for five months of study. Dan is off reforesting ...planting trees in Alberta. Tara begins a new chapter in Ottawa and Sean and Jody are about to experience their second year of parenthood with Jody going back to work ...Hope we can help a bit by holding space for them at home with Isadore and connecting the links of our family from east to west.

We managed to squeeze 2 yoga mats in and hope to keep the practice alive on the west coast ..I'll keep you posted !
To all my yoga students and Companions on the Journey - I'll offer intention for you and your practice this spring and ask you to do the same for me.

Namaste
Chris