Oasis Institute - Yoga & Meditation

Plan to include in your business meetings, yoga stretch breaks to improve member focus, clarity and stamina. - ORCA chairperson, Jill Davies comments, "these yoga mini breaks help you feel rejuvenated so you feel refreshed in the middle of a long day of meetings".

[ Anyone can practice this yoga. You don’t have to be young, fit or supple. You start from where you are at this moment. Each individual works within her/his own level of comfort, listening to the messages from their own body. It is completely non-competitive. Each person is coming to yoga for his or her own health and well-being. There is pressure on us to be competitive in all sorts of areas, and it is a great relief and pleasure to find a style of exercise that is loving and nurturing, that connects us to a source of stability and peace within, that truly gives us “time-out”, a break from the cares of the day, time to just be ourselves and feel energized, calm and focused.

[ People are drawn to yoga for various reasons; many first come as a way of improving their body’s flexibility and strength. Others come seeking help or relief for a specific complaint, like sore joints, asthma or tension. Whatever your reason, this ancient system of natural healthcare may give you what you came for…and more.

The delight of yoga is that it is suitable for people of all ages. Whatever your level of fitness, you will be able to make real and lasting improvements to your well-being. This is achieved with a series of low impact breathing and stretching exercises which work the body and focus the mind. After these exercises there is a relaxation period which calms the body and mind which helps to relieve stress.

In Sanskrit, the word yoga means union: ‘ha’ means sun and ‘tha’ means moon. Therefore, hatha yoga means a balanced union. Yoga joins body, mind and spirit into a balanced whole. The word yoga, as well as, the word religion, means the union of the human soul with the Universal Soul, i.e. the union of human being with God. Although, yoga is a product of Indian civilization (records dating back 5000 years) and has influenced all religions of that land, it is a practical, spiritual science that does not belong to any particular region or religion.

[ Astrid has been practising a gentle style of hatha yoga – ‘restorative’ - for over 25 years and teaching for over 15. In 1995, she spent seven weeks in India practising with different teachers. While there, she also studied Feldenkreis based “movement integration” which is used for spinal alignment in back care. In 1996, Astrid achieved basic level certification in acupressure from the Tao Centre in Montreal. Astrid studied anatomy at Queen’s University and received fitness instructor training from the YMCA in 2001. In 2004, Astrid started to train with Daniel Odier in the school of Kashmiri Yoga (body-sensing yoga in the non-dual tradition - www.danielodier.com). This ongoing learning has deepened her understanding and practice.

A nutritionist and chef by profession, Astrid uses yoga as a means for teaching how to transform tension and as a tool for focusing, often hired as a presenter to demonstrate and lead groups in organizations. Many physicians & chiropractors also recommend regular yoga practice.

Asana: a restorative yoga class is not a huffing and puffing ordeal. It’s a slow, thoughtful system of stretching & balancing poses called asanas. Stretching the body in different ways, each person will stretch to their comfortable maximum in each asana; hold the position breathing steadily and then release when they are ready. The asanas work systematically on all parts of the body, strengthening and toning muscles & ligaments, keeping spine and joints flexible and improving circulation. Along with these are breathing techniques and deep relaxation.

Deep breathing: yoga teaches you to breathe fully and rhythmically, making use of all, not just part of your lungs, to increase intake of oxygen. Some breathing techniques are energizing and stimulating; some are cleansing, while others are relaxing and calming.

Meditation: yoga releases tension in the muscles so your body can rest in deep relaxation, making meditation possible - without judgment - letting go of thoughts and emotions. You feel calm but energized.

A goal of yoga is to return to good alignment as the natural way of being. It’s not enough to know what good alignment is, since the stiffness of overworked muscles and the weakness of underused ones, makes it difficult to maintain that posture. Our muscles need to be stretched, toned, strengthened and taught to work in a balanced way. That kind of work is what hatha yoga is all about.

Astrid teaches at the Village Healing Centre, 240 Roncesvalles Ave., Toronto, ON M6R 1L3