Yoga is known to do great things for the mind, body and soul, and with a booming yoga community here in Ottawa, there is certainly no shortage of places to get your vinyasa on. Even more so when the warmer temperatures hit and our outdoor grassy spaces transform into giant yoga mats at popular events like City of Om and Parliament Hill Yoga. We caught up with some off-duty yogis and asked them to share what the practice means to them.
“Yoga to me is freedom – the freedom to move into various shapes and stretches with ease and grace, and the mental freedom to step outside of the constant chatter in our minds to remember we are more than our thoughts.”
WHO: Paula Monroe, practices at Yogatown and Prana Shanti
FAVOURITE POSE: Savasana
“Yoga is life and play. It’s an opportunity for me to breathe and slow things down in a world that encourages me to rush through life. Life requires strife, love and inevitable twists and turns for balance. Yoga has taught me to trust the journey – one breath at a time, one spoken truth at a time, one moment of humility at a time.”
WHO: Lizl Fleury, owner of Elevate Yoga
FAVOURITE POSE: Pigeon
“Yoga helps us relate to ourselves in a peaceful, non-judgemental way. It’s helped me deal with severe anxiety and through daily practice, I’m a calmer and happier person. Yoga reminds us that we’re more than our bodies and we’re more alike than different.”
WHO: Laura Kidd, teacher at Shunnya Centre
FAVOURITE POSE: Archer pose
“Yoga to me is the ability to slow down and focus inward and breathe through difficult situations. This applies to all areas of life. When my practice is off, my ability to be present, with my nutrition, health, relationships and life in general, becomes difficult. For this reason, my favourite pose is savasana. Being still sometimes is the biggest challenge.”
WHO: Daniel Gomez, practices at Pure Yoga
FAVOURITE POSE: Savasana