Source: https://www.infinefeatheryoga.com/iff-blog/?offset=1539638079718
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 00:20:58+00:00

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Make the Transition from Summer to Fall with Ease!
The end of summer usually brings a melancholy feeling. There’s the excitement and anticipation of what autumn brings (cozy sweaters, pumpkin flavored everything, fairs) but also the end of those free-spirited warm months. It’s not a surprise we often fall out of routine and struggle to get back into the flow state this time of year. I’ve compiled a few suggestions to make the transition easier.
To begin, according to positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the flow state is a “complete immersion in an activity.” It’s “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost.” By implementing any of these suggestions, my hope is it’s easier for you to find yourself back in a flow state with less worry and a lot more ease.
1. Raise your vibration by doing something you love and truly enjoy for at least one hour a day. This activity will immerse you in the flow state and/or keep you present. Going to a yoga class, listening to music and cooking, working towards a goal, reading a good book, coffee with a friend, painting, meditation, working out, etc. Ensure that this activity is beneficial for your body & mind. Watching an episode from your latest Netflix show may be enjoyable but it isn’t necessarily going to raise your vibration.
3. Simplify your schedule by planning ahead. This will give you time to access your week, prepare, schedule time for yourself to rest/recharge, ask for help, etc. By doing so, you are also encouraging clearer communication to those around you, family, partner, etc. Set yourself up for success by making this a Sunday night ritual followed by an act of self care. No one wants to start their Monday off feeling frazzled and unprepared.
4. Meal prep! If you practice yoga, there’s a good chance you are mindful of your health. Nutrition is a major component to being healthy, feeling energetic and avoiding unnecessary stresses that come up when we are “hangry.” It doesn’t matter what day of the week you do this- although Sundays usually make the most sense. My favourite meals to prep that are quick & yummy include smoothies, soups, wraps, stir frys, cut up veggies, grab’n’go fruit, trail mix, and oatmeal/overnight oats. Imagine family dinners with half the stress and zero confusion as to what to cook, early mornings with a nutritious meal ready to go, and healthy snack choices. This will not only save you time but also money! Click the links to check out my favourite recipes.
5. Start every day with gratitude and a litre of water (maybe with lemon)! By pairing these two together as soon as you get up, you are encouraging a positive kickstart to your physical and mental health. Think of 5 things everyday you are grateful for. It can be as simple as a good cup of coffee, taking the dog for a walk or as large as your last vacation. Tip - fill your reusable water bottle up the night before and leave it in your bedroom.
At the end of the day, remember that what we are experiencing is simply an energetic reset and a slow seasonal change where habits are affected, and new schedules are upon us. It makes perfect sense that we want to be going strong 24/7 and falling right back into our usual mode of go-go-go but that’s not possible. Give yourself a break as we all transition through this temporary time together.
Please share on social media if any of these suggestions helped you get back into the flow of things this fall. Tag #IFFyogis and #IFFbackintheflow.
Meagan is a graduate of the In Fine Feather Yoga 200 Hour Teacher Training Program and an assistant Manager at the studio. Check out our recent blog post where she shares her IFF Yoga Journey. Come meet Meagan on the mat at In Fine Feather Yoga in Hamilton! Check out her bio HERE and find her on the class schedule HERE.
In Five Feather Yoga! Anniversary Party & Picnic in the Park!
In Fine Feather Yoga is turning FIVE and we want to celebrate this milestone with all of you! We are beyond grateful that we’ve been able to share five years of practice with the Hamilton community. Please join us on Sunday September 9th for a Picnic in the Park at Gage Park! Come to Yoga at 10:00am and after we will celebrate with prizes and giveaways! Let’s eat some sweet treats and just hang out all together! Please feel free to bring a blanket, some of your own snacks and invite your family. Maybe IFF is your family!! We hope to see you there to celebrate this occasion!
The owner and founder, Helena, wanted to share some of her thoughts!
I want to extend a huge thank you to our community members, our friends and family for so so so much support over the last five years! In Fine Feather started out as an idea and has grown into this vibrant, connected community of people. I don’t even know where to start with how I feel! Honestly, I’m still in awe of how this all happened. Thank you for seeing my vision, trusting in my passion, showing up on your mats, telling your friends about this cool new little studio you found, for riding your bikes to class, hanging out on Ottawa Street and making it the new hip place. Thanks for chatting with new students and making them feel comfortable. Thanks for being the welcoming faces at the desk and inviting people into our warm space. Thanks to all the gifted instructors that show up to class and bring forward their most genuine selves and teach with incredible talent. This is the driving force behind IFF, a commitment to the health and happiness of our community; everyone involved. It’s been so wild watching my studio baby grow, I have made so many life long friends and even if I don’t see you all the time, I honour your place in supporting my life! I really wonder what the next five years will bring, but if you know me, I’m always planning the next thing and have some big ideas. Much love and mad love to all of you.
Prenatal Yoga at In Fine Feather. A Testimonial from our Community Member, Jenn!
This April I got the exciting news that I was pregnant! As exciting as this news was I found out very quickly that being pregnant, as amazing as it is, is not easy. There are so many things you can’t do or even eat when your pregnant and so many things in your body are changing every day. Being someone that has been practicing yoga regularly for the past 2 and half years I was immediately concerned about how this was going to change my practice. For the first few months not a lot about my practice had to change but shortly into my second trimester when my belly started to show more and more every day things started to get more challenging. This summer I finally decided it was time to start prenatal yoga and I’m so happy that I did.
One of the biggest difference about prenatal yoga is the beginning portion of class. At the start of each prenatal class the students are given a chance to introduce themselves and share where they are in their pregnancy and how their feeling. I absolutely love this part of the class! Before I started prenatal I thought this part of class might be a little awkward but turns out it’s one of the best parts of the class. I can’t explain how nice it is to not be the only pregnant women in the room for once and being able to talk openly about what I’m feeling and what I’m going through is amazing. This being my first pregnancy there’s so many things happening in my body that are brand new to me and a lot of the time you feel like nobody understands how you feel or that they’re sick of hearing you talk about being pregnant all the time so just having the chance to talk without feeling like that is something I’ve really been loving. I also love hearing about what the other women are experiencing, especially when they are further in their pregnancy than me because it gives me an idea of what may come as I get further along. Also, sometimes while sharing others students or the teacher might end up having a suggestion on how to help deal with whatever it is you’re going through at that time. This part of class is one of the things that keeps drawing me back to prenatal.
The other thing that’s difference in prenatal is that pose are modified and the sequences are based on building the strength needed throughout pregnancy and labour. The sequences are also designed to help relieve aches and pains that are common through out pregnancy. I noticed there is a lot more emphasize on leg strength and most pose you do a lot more swaying than you would in a regular flow.
One of the other great things about prenatal yoga is that there is so much opportunity to tune inwards and connect with your baby. I find when I’m doing a regular flow class my brain is always going to baby because not only do I want to make sure the poses I’m doing aren’t harming me or baby but during yoga is when I notice the most how in the way my belly is getting. Being in a class that brings attention to this is pretty awesome, I’m less worried about how I look or whether or not the pose I’m doing is okay for me while I’m pregnant.
I will definitely be going to as many prenatal classes as I can before baby is born.
Yoga in the Park at Gage Park!
We are so thrilled to be hosting Yoga in the Park again! Each year this event becomes more and more powerful. With yogis coming from all over the city to enjoy one of Hamilton's most beautiful spaces; Gage Park. Our first session is on Sunday July 8th at 10:00am and will include live music with Normando Jones. This is a beginner class and everyone is welcome to join. We meet every Sunday in the summer just by the Rose Gardens. Be mindful of the sun, bring water and try to find a shady spot by the trees. This is a pay what you can class! We can’t wait to see you all there!
2018 Yogis in the City Photo Contest with IFF!
Calling all Yogis! In Fine Feather Yoga is hosting their 6th annual photo contest, Yogis In The CIty! It’s simple…Bring your yoga practice into the city, snap a pic in a pose and send them our way. We will be looking for creative submissions of all of YOU doing yoga all over YOUR beautiful city!
Submit your pics online and tag In Fine Feather on Instagram or Facebook, hashtag #YogisInTheCity or submit through email at info@infinefeatheryoga.com. The IFF team will be re-posting your submissions daily, so get involved, let’s make it FUN!
At the end of the contest, the pic that receives the most likes….WINS!!! The winner will take home a FREE $50.00 gift card to In Fine Feather Yoga and an incredible wellness gift from Love My Mat and more!
The contest starts on May 20th- June 10th! You have three weeks to get your pics in! We can’t wait to see what you all come up with, There are so many beautiful spaces in this city, so get out there and happy posting!
Included in Costs: -Unlimited Yoga -Welcome Wellness Bag -Weekly Inspirational and Educational Emails from the Team -Challenger Exclusive Classes -Closing Party with Prizes and Giveaways!
For more information or to register email info@infinefeatheryoga.com.
Yoga and Wine event with Between the Lines Winery!
Shake Your Asana Party!With Between the Lines Winery and In Fine Feather Yoga!
When: Saturday, January 13th. BTL Back Barn Check-In from 5:30 pm Yoga Begins at 6:00 pm Tapas, Wine, and Music: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Cost: $45 includes yoga, food, wine and a BTL Gift bag.
Join BTL and In Fine Feather Yoga for an energizing start to 2018. It's Yoga + Dance + Great Food and Wine. After you arrive at BTL, Helena from In Fine Feather Yoga will lead you through a fun and electrifying flow practice with a live DJ under the twinkling lights of the Back Barn. This practice will be invigorating and an empowering way to bring in the New Year! Each student is encouraged to have a fun and playful practice, try new things, dance to the playlist and celebrate the joy of new beginnings together!
Following the Yoga Session, we will turn up the music and the evening continues with our abundant appetizer bar and delicious BTL wines. You're welcome to continue to dance or bring a change of clothes and sit back and relax. Namaste!
In The Practice of Practice: A Note on Community This morning, I am sitting on the front porch of my little Hamilton home with a steaming cup of startlingly black coffee, a blanket wrapped around my body to ward off the morning chill, and a heart filled with gratitude. You see, I moved to Hamilton just two years ago with my husband: away from our Albertan friends, family, and community; so that we might take a risk together and start a new adventure on this side of the country.
I moved to Hamilton as a ‘seasoned’ Yoga practitioner. What I mean is, I have spent countless hours in seated meditation, at least double as many hours in physical asana practice, and had an encouraging and dynamic community of students and teachers back in Edmonton. I was comfortable in a Yoga collective that was supportive, stable, strong, and stimulating.
I moved to Hamilton knowing no one; I was sidelined from Yoga and physical movement due to a debilitating back injury that forced me to spend sleepless nights on the floor, and kept me away from participating in most things I loved. This physical pain, and the restrictions that it imposed, took an emotional and spiritual toll as I battled feelings of depression, anxiety and helplessness.
I moved to Hamilton as a bird with its wings clipped. I treated my body as a piece of clothing that was not fulfilling its purpose. It was used up, ripped and filled with holes; unwanted. My Yoga practice was a facsimile of what it had been; a shell of something that was strong and had given all it could. All the words that I had spoken as a Yoga teacher to my students of “treat your body with grace”, and “reacquaint yourself with your body every practice” sounded hollow and meaningless as I battled through my practice in a haze of anger.
I wanted to share my story because before this adventure of injury - and if i’m honest, a bit of a loss of identity - I understood my practice to be bound within certain physical guidelines of strength and flexibility. After undergoing rehabilitation, and building back my practice layer by layer through careful work at our lovely yoga studio on Ottawa street, I have come to truly value being in the practice of my practice. For me, what this means is treating my Yoga as a mark that is never fixed - it bends, moves, stretches, contracts, changes - and that is ok.
I wanted to share my story because in our lovely yoga studio, our teachers meet students every single day with their stories imprinted on their bodies: stories of injury and rehabilitation, of triumph and of success. As teachers, we also have our own stories embedded in our bodies, which then allows us to communicate with you in a shared language, textured in the discourse of experience. When we share our practice together, we are truly in the practice of our practice. So, on the days where you limp, drag, push, pull, saunter, skip, or run to class; know that you are met, and know that you are seen. Rest, as I did, into the expression of community in our space, maybe let yourself be held by the rituals that accompany it, and know that we are doing this good work together.

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