Swami Kripalu-inspired yoga in Thornhill and Richmond Hill, Ontario

Feb 2026 “I cannot keep my mind still,”  says the student.  “Excellent, you’re seeing impermanence in action,”  says the teacher.   Our mind is a prediction machine.  When we hang on to our mind as the final authority on anything, we find ourselves trying to control our experience to make our predictions turn out to be true.  Thereby, we get locked in, and set ourselves up for insights that are devoid of the heart connection.  The challenge here is that when we are guided exc

With the arrival of a New Year, many of us take some time to reflect on the gifts, opportunities and challenges of the past year. We may discover that we want to bring more order into our lives, or be more spontaneous and less concerned about always following a schedule.  We may want to challenge assumed rules that don’t serve us.  We may be drawn to making renewed promises of self-betterment.  These can range from a daily commitment to yoga and gratitude practice, to diving

“Mindfulness is a pause - the space between stimulus and response: That's where choice lies” ~ Tara Brach   For many, this time of the year can be particularly challenging. Memories, and experiences from the past may more easily rise to the surface of our awareness, and we find ourselves slipping into avoidance or distraction. In these moments, if we notice our breath, and simply pause between the inhalation and the exhalation, we can more easily see what is indeed clear, rea

A Prayer of Gratitude   Creator, I give thanks for the many, many blessings in my life. For life's sweetness and life's sorrows. For lessons learned, and lessons still to come. For the limitless opportunities that are there when I open my eyes and heart to notice.   I give thanks for love and for loss. For a life richly lived.   Thank you for watching over me and for standing by my side. For being there even when I am blind and especially when I am lost.   Thank you for alway

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to spend 6 days in Algonquin Park with three other fellow paddlers and yoga enthusiasts.  This park is a beautiful treasure that some wise folks in 1893 recognized needed to be protected from unregulated logging, so that generations to come would enjoy the phenomenal abundance of Nature and her stunning beauty. The endless lakes, ponds, and streams of this area are best explored by canoe or by foot.  We chose to use our trusty canoes. 

Earth’s Quilt   Lichen and moss Grasses and sumac Spruce and maples Pine and oaks Junipers and birch Ants and spiders Snakes and toads Eagles and mink Birds and fish Moon and rain Sun and wind All exist All belong All are welcome Each a block on the quilt of the Earth Where are the humans - the ones who care, the ones who treasure, the ones who behold the beauty, and place it all on the altar of creation? They are here, right here They breathe because the Earth exists They br

For many years, Don Stapleton was a resident and senior teacher at the Kripalu Centre in Lenox, Massachusetts. He, along with other devoted practitioners and followers of Swami Kripalu's, are responsible for continuing this timeless lineage of compassionate, non-judgemental self acceptance. I'd like to share one of his many insights, which he eloquently shared with thousands of his students. He is no longer on this Earth, but his wisdom lives on. I hope his words serve to hel

The Dance of Our Lives   Each of us comes into this life with unique expression, individual gifts, our own rhythm.   We dance through it in our own way, touching lives and impacting the world as only we can.   We are not here to be like anyone else, for their rhythm does not match the beat of our soul.   It is our quest to deeply tune in, to connect to what is inside and outside of us making us whole and complete.   To find what brings eternal peace, deep satisfaction, pure c

Reflection on the Four Immeasurables Compassion Kindness Joy Equanimity    I invite you to pause, sitting or lying down, and reflect on the above four states of being.  These are from the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.  They are a wonderful complement to the study and practice of Kripalu yoga.  Perhaps spend a minute or two on each one by placing one hand on your heart and another on your belly, and asking the following questions:   Who am I when I am imbued with compassion?

We evolve, grow and change with the cycles of Nature, but also with the thought patterns that fill our days.  Our bodies, minds, and hearts are a reflection of all that we pay attention to, as well as all that we experience. We are in charge of what we think.  However, as members of present day society, we are easily flooded with distractions, which may make us feel that our thoughts aren’t even our own.  We can easily be drawn into the drama of issues that catapult us into t