Welcome to Kelowna Yoga House!
We are so appreciative of your support and understanding as we navigate the ever-changing regulations around the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to understand you may not be ready to join us in-person quite yet, and will continue to offer a variety of online classes to ensure you can practice Iyengar Yoga comfortably, to your heart's content.
Please read on for exciting news pertaining to the Kelowna Yoga House, including a teacher feature interview with Laurie Longden, some tips for cyclists to stay limber and promote strong recovery and a delicious summer black bean salad recipe that is easy and delicious.
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Check out our new Fall Schedule and join our amazing teachers on the mat! |
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You may be seeing the new class names on our fall schedule and are wondering—why did they change them and where do I belong?
As of July 2020, the “mother institute” the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute (RIMYI) in India, set out new guidelines for certification. We have decided to change the class names to accurately reflect the level of syllabus we are teaching from. Your teacher will continue to teach at the level(s) they are certified for.
So what does this mean to you?
If you were taking “Beginner”, that is Level 1.
If you were taking “All Levels”, that is also level 1 or a level 1-2. You may be surprised to see just how many asanas are on the Level 1 syllabus! There are more than 70! And this includes the inversions we know and love like Sirsasana and Sarvangasana, plus all categories of poses, including abdominals , back bends and more. Lots of variety here.
If you were taking “intermediate”, that could be anywhere from Level 1-2, Level 2, to Level 2-3
If you were taking “advancing” or “2 hour Sadhana” that is equivalent to Level 2-3 and Level 3.
All specialty class names remain the same.
Please see the syllabus levels posted here to see a full list of the asanas and pranayama according to each level.
Happy practicing!
Krisna Zawaduk
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Have you ever tried to comb your hair using your left hand while you are right-handed or vice versa? Or in yoga, have you tried to kick up with the non-dominant leg in ADHO MUKHA VRKSASANA (arm balance)? Do you feel that you don’t connect with that leg while the connection with the dominant one is effortless? Have you ever thought of BALANCE? Balance not in the sense of “I can stand on one leg without falling down” but balance in the sense that both sides of the body are equal and used equally.
A month and a half ago I had a carpal tunnel operation on my right wrist. Very quickly I discovered that the left hand was unable to replace the right one. I started thinking of Balance in the yogic sense. BKS Iyengar, Guruji, in his book “Light on Life”, writes about BALANCE - that balance in body happens when both sides of the body are equal in strength, flexibility and dominance. He calls Balance “Evenness in Harmony”. In order to bring Evenness, we have to pay attention to how the body acts; it appears that the dominant side has all the qualities, meaning it is strong, flexible and quick. The other side is exactly the opposite: slow, awkward, weak, difficult to move and actually hides behind the dominant side letting it take the burden of the action.
How can we teach equilibrium to our body and thus create balance?
READ THE ANSWER AND FULL ARTICLE HERE!
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Teacher Feature with Laurie Longden |
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What brought you to Iyengar Yoga?
I suppose yoga has threaded itself through my life since my early twenties, when I bought a copy of BKS Iyengar’s Light On Yoga. I marvelled at how his body was able to take on such amazing ‘contortions’. In those days (1970s) there were mostly hatha yoga classes available and there were no standards for the certification of teachers.
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Enlighten Your Bike Ride With Yoga!
Yoga and cycling have more in common than you may think. Consider when you're climbing a particularily hard hill, breathing in the fresh air and focusing on your body as it moves to propel you forward, similar to your focus on the mat. Improve your ride with the flexibility, strength and uplifting benefits of yoga. Here are a few tips from our very own KYH Teachers Janice and Kari.
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See how Janice uses her bike to maximize her openness in Utthita Trikonasana! Light on Yoga states "this asana tones up the leg muscles, removes stiffness in the legs and hips...It relieves backaches and ...develops the chest (LOY pg 42-43). If you ride, you will LOVE this pose! Notice where Janice places herself against her bike to obtain optimal opening and support. Watch that you do not get your fingers caught in your spokes! |
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Using her bike as her prop, Kari, recreational cyclist and KYH teacher, is demonstrating how you can relieve some of the shoulder tension and arm/wrist tingling you might get from being hunched forward (or holding on for your life!) during a long ride. This variation is often used to as a modifciation for and/or to prepare the shoulders for Pincha Mayurasana.
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Janice, is demonstrating how to use your bike as a prop to practice asanas that will provide some relief after a hard ride! If done regularly, these asanas will may improve/contribute to your cycling performance!
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana 1 - Light on Yoga states "this asana makes the leg muscles powerful and the balance gives one steadiness and poise" (LOY pg 54).
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Quinoa & White Bean Salad |
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Make this salad ahead of time and keep in the fridge for a hot summer night. Only takes 30 minutes to prepare!
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed & drained
- Salt
- 1 540 ml can white beans, rinsed & drained
- 2 mini cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 5 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese
- ½ c. coarsely chopped fresh mint
- 8 kalamata olives, each sliced in 3
- 5 baby or grape tomatoes, cut in ½
To cook quinoa: In a saucepan, combine quinoa and 2 cups water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Using fork, fluff quinoa. Transfer quinoa to large bowl and let cool. (Make ahead: Can be refrigerated for up to 5 days). In same bowl, add beans, cucumbers, radishes, mint and feta. Drizzle with dressing and mix well to coat.
Maple & Balsamic Dressing (see recipe below)
In a bowl, combine 3 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar,2 tsp maple syrup, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 1 clove garlic, finely chopped. Season with salt & pepper. (Make ahead: Can be refrigerated for up to 5 days). Makes about 1/3 cup
(adapted from Canadian Living May 2021)
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If you haven't found us on Facebook or Instagram yet, come connect with us to stay up to date on more upcoming events and in-person classes! |
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“My Body Is My Temple And Asanas Are My Prayers”
BKS Iyengar
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1272 St. Paul Street
Kelowna, BC, Canada
V1Y 2C9
250-862-4906
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