Day 105 - final prep

Wow, I don't really know where to begin to describe how I'm feeling. Generally, I feel relaxed and ready for the challenge ahead, but undoubtedly, I'm also a little nervous. I couldn't fall asleep last, although I think it had more to do with the noisy neighbours having a dinner party then nerves.

I spent the day planning out my practices in blocks of four hours. I'm not quite done yet, but I'm enjoying the process of visualizing the practice and thinking about which poses I will do when and where. I am going into greater detail than I initially planned because I found yesterday morning that the Guinness World Records actually requires me to count and document all the poses I do, which I didn't realize before. I think it's better I plan this out ahead of time. So, I need a bit more organization, but I think that's a good thing. Plus, when I get tired, I may loose creativity and will need some guidance.

I've been listing all the variations of the poses I wish to do (and trying out a bunch), because each variation counts as a unique pose. This is lots of fun. It's allowing me to stroll down memory lane and dig up ideas from all the workshops I've been to and all the teachers I've studied with from myriad traditions from Anusara to Bikram. I'm also using the Dharma Mittra and Yoga Journal websites for a little inspiration. I even spoke to Leigh at Sea of Tranquility bookstore and I'm going pick up DM's famous poster of 908 asanas from Leigh's store tomorrow so I can hang it in the studio for motivation during my 32 hour practice. Leigh is also lending me a large Nataraj (statue of Shiva) to put in the studio.

So, everything is under control. I know what I'm going to eat-- Vega smoothies, Vega bars, avocados, bananas, dates, maybe even oatmeal raisin cookies. I know what I'm going to wear-- lululemon offered me a couple of tank tops and I'll wear my favourite pants. I know whose going to be there-- as of Thursday evening, we filled our volunteer schedule thanks to Frances! I know friends, family and students are going to be there through out the practice to cheer me on. And in my heart, I know this is a beautiful transformational experience and one I am meant to go through.

(Thanks to Craig for sharing his perspective of these 108 days yesterday.
He's my rock, you know.)

* Want to sponsor my 32 hour yoga marathon and Guinness World Record setting attempt? Donations for the Stephen Lewis Foundation can be made in person at Om West on Aug 2 & 3 or online anytime until Dec 1:

http://stephenlewisfoundation.akaraisin.com/p/yasminyoga.aspx

Day 101 - dedicated to the ones I love

At this time next week, I will be done. That feels weird.

For the last 101 days my entire life has revolved around these sun salutations and this blog. What will I do with all my free time? It will feel great to have some leisure time, but I'm not hoping this will end quickly or wishing it would go on longer. I'm happy where I am right now and looking forward to day to come. Craig feels differently. He says he's really looking forward to "having his girlfriend back."

At the suggestion of my teacher yesterday, I am dedicating my practices this week to the people in my life. Yesterday, I offered each sun salutation to a specific teacher. Today, it was for the people in my community, to you, to those who have been part of my journey thus far. I visualized each individual beside me during the surya namaskar. This brought me so much joy. I felt I could go on forever. It's a beautiful way to practice ONENESS and will be very important during my 32 hour yoga marathon next week.

Day 88 - WORLD RECORD CHALLENGE

Soon I will be at the end of my 108 days of 108 sun salutations. It has been an unbelievable adventure and a very powerful experience for me. I have made deep connections with people. I have overcome injuries and many mental blockages. I have expanded my view of what is possible in this world and I have seen others do the same. I have opened my heart to many beautiful things and I am some much more aware of my rightful place in cycle of life. I am blessed to had the support of wonderful people around me during this time, and blessed to have the inspiration to continue.

My friends, I have decided to complete what has been an extraordinary three and a half months in an extraordinary way. On August 2nd and 3rd, I am challenging the current Guinness Book World Record for longest yoga marathon, which currently stands at 29 hour and 4 minutes.

This record has been broken several times around the world, but it has never been challenged by a woman nor a Canadian. I have been in contact with the people at Guinness for some months and they have agreed to open a new category for me: Longest Yoga Marathon (Female). This is huge, because it will invite other yoginis to attempt this after me. My goal is 32 hours.

I know that trying to break a World Record for yoga is not conventional in our teachings, but this is an opportunity to expose yoga a significant way using a new voice. I want you to know that this idea has come from my heart and is fueled by a sincere desire to promote yoga for all of us, to bring together our community and to demonstrate the divine balance of shiva/shakti, yin/yang, male and female energy. My challenge will require everything the practice offers: inner strength, mental focus, physical stamina, flexibility, patience, balance, grace, and a strong spiritual connection. This an opportunity for the entire yoga community to come together.

I will also be using this as an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, a humanitarian organization that works to prevent the spread of HIV in Africa.

I assure you, I will not harm myself during this World Record setting attempt. I am well trained, and I was taught by some of the best yoga masters in the world. And now, after nearly 108 days of surya namaskar, I am even more prepared for this final challenge, but I can’t do it alone.

Please, I need your help.


In order to authenticate the World Record, Guinness requires the following:

• 16 witnesses for five hour blocks
• 16 timekeepers for five hour blocks
• 8 yoga teachers for five hour blocks
• 8 ‘stewards’ to manage the log books and volunteers
• Someone to be the official videographer
• Two stop watches down to the 0.01 seconds
• A big digital clock to hang on the wall (it needs to be in the video recording and in the photos)

I also need -

• Yoga participants and cheerleaders to practice with me and encourage me
• A food & beverages sponsor
• Financial assistance from Corporate Sponsors to help cover the costs of the event (Details below)

We have contacted different media outlets about this event and already there is a lot excitement. The Guinness Book of World Records may also use our photographs and video footage on their website, in their international television programs, in their books, and/or in their dvds. So, corporate sponsors of this event will have the opportunity for great promotion.

Our three top sponsors will have the opportunity to:
- hang their company banner on the wall in the location where I’ll be practicing
- place their logo on the clothes that I will wear during the challenge
- be mentioned in our press releases
- have their logo on our websites and Facebook page
- possibility be featured in one of the Guinness’ international publications

All funds collected after the initial cost of the event are covered will be donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. (The exact cost of the event will be determined in the next couple of days.)

If you would like to make a donation or help in any of these areas, please contact Frances, who is organizing the schedule. Her email: events@westislandyoga.com

Thank you Thank you Thank you

Day 87 - Some fun

Tonight I am allowing our dear Yasmin a respite from the blogging world and taking the wheel. I am Miranda, the illusive downstairs neighbour, who has now moved to St. Laurent, but continues to demand an audience with our blissful practitioner. I just had the pleasure of dining with Yasmin, her partner Craig, and a good friend of theirs, Warren, and saw the opportunity to release my duties for cleaning up and took over the blog instead (clever, eh?).

Three weeks from today marks the conclusion of Yasmin's 108 journey - one which I have been fortunate enough to participate in regularly. She bounded into my temporary home on day 21, and our friendship has grown through the sharing of sun salutations and sensational salads. Admittedly, I was intimidated by her mission at first, having only completed one set of 108 the day before I met her - irony at its pinnacle.

I felt compelled to join her on that second day of 108 for me, and the twenty first for her, appreciating the mindful meditation that 108 Surya Namaskar allows for. After completing my second set of 108 I discovered the transcendent power of her mission and I knew that my personal journey with Yasmin had only just begun. I lent to her fresh ideas and renewed energy, and she lent me an admirable and indomitable dedication. Practicing in my home, her home, parks, and roofs, a fortuitous friendship has emerged.

Today we practiced in my new yoga studio, pumping the ageless tunes of Cyndi Lauper, allowing the electric energy of the synthesizer and her timeless voice to invigorate and enliven our motions. I relish the experience of 108 because it is never the same thing twice; it is never a monotonous set of movements. I feel continuously inspired by the burgeoning friendship that has emerged from Yasmin's 108 and honour the unity she inspires throughout the yogic community.

Returning to my city of birth to open a yoga studio has been a daunting affair but Yasmin, true to her goal of creating bridges between all yogic traditions from the onset, has been a guiding light and ready advocate for my personal mission. I could not have asked for a better inauguration into this city and to the world of yoga in Montreal.

The photo today is Yasmin in the goddess pose, surrounded by the vibrant colours of the natural rubber yoga mats that adorn my studio with nature's inherent rainbow - a testament to the myriad ways in which feminine power can be manifested. Additionally, we recorded a video inspired by Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" - allowing for a playful and dramatic interpretation of the sun salutation. And, let's face it, we had fun!

Day 75 - Canada Day (aka la Fête du déménagement/ Moving Day)

Change is in the air and its kind of exciting.

It may be Canada Day every where else across the nation, but in Quebec, today is la Fête du déménagement, Moving Day. Apparently, approximately 120,000 Quebec households moved on July 1 last year and something like 70% of all leases begin or are renewed on this day.

In Montreal, this is a particularly interesting phenomenon. The city is 'moving and shaking' and the atmosphere is electric. Moving trucks, which almost double their prices at this time of year, pretty much take over my neighbourhood. At one point this afternoon, I counted four on my street alone. There is so much chaos on the streets and the alleys and sidewalks are full of unwanted furniture and all sorts of trinkets.

All four of my downstairs neighbors moved out. Miranda and Andrew have gone to an amazing loft on St Laurent where they will operate their Ahimsa Yoga Studio starting at the end of July. For fun, I joined them for took a walk around the block to see what people were tossing out. They snatched up a wicker laundry basket, some frames and cast-iron frying pan. I was under strict orders from Craig not to bring home "any crap", but I found a nice tin box to store pencils and pens on my desk.

As for Canada Day, I did not partake in any celebrations. I was supposed to help out at the Om West booth in the Pointe Claire Village, but after four mornings of 6am sun salutations and a full teaching schedule, I desperately needed to rest, so thankfully, my wonderful admin staff agreed to manage the festivities without me. And tonight, I have vowed to be in bed before 10pm, so unfortunately, I will also miss out on fireworks.

I'm feeling pretty tired from getting up so early all week, but I am focusing on eating well ,which makes a difference, and it feel great to do my 108 outside with my students first thing in the morning. Today, being a holiday, the dock was full. I think we were 11 or 12 people. It was a fun practice and also nice to share breakfast together afterward.


PS Craig would like to wish Canada a happy 132nd birthday.

Day 72 - 2/3 done!

Since April 18, I have now completed 7,776 sun salutations. It's hard to imagine. I can't believe I'm already 2/3 done. The days are going by so quickly now and I'm starting to think about what I'm going to do on the 108th day of my mission, which will be Aug 3, particularly because people keep asking me about it.

I really don't know yet, but we threw around a few ideas at Anthea '"last supper" send off dinner. (Anthea is my beloved neighbour and practice buddy, who is moving back to BC tomorrow.) Anthea wanted to know how I plan to celebrate its completion, as she's been a big part of my 108x108. I told her I'd keep her in the loop and we talked about how cool it would be if we could practice together via live video recording. After all, nothing's technically impossible these days.

I am really going to miss Anthea. Since the inception of this project back in December, she's been so supportive and encouraging. It feels weird to think that Anthea's moving and on Thursday, Miranda and Andrew are leaving too, although they won't be too far. Life is change, change, change...

But regardless, I still have 36 days left and I will continue to focus on one sun salutation and one day at a time.

Today, I started my annual morning program by the lake. So, I led three sets of 36 sun salutations from 6 am - 9 am. Normally, we are outside, but it was raining today, so I lit some candles, brunt some incense, and we practice in the studio. It was lovely.

Day 68 - St Jean Baptiste Day

It's Quebec's "National" holiday today. It's a time to reflect on our Quebec-ness and celebrate our unique culture. Typically, nothing is open and most people are off work for the day.

I am not, and neither is most of my staff. We celebrated St Jean Baptiste in the studio preparing for the inauguration post-renovation's party. However, I did wear blue and white for the occasion, and not much was going on in our little Village, so we had relaxed day. The woman who will do henna tattoos for our guests tomorrow night came in this afternoon and decorated our hands and feet, which was fun. I also had a reiki session with Real, one of my students. It was a really powerful and amazing experience that I haven't yet digested. So I can't really write about it yet, but I think my shoulder feels better.

I'm now at home, sitting in my living room. There is a mix of loud music coming from various St Jean festivities on Parc Ave. I love summer holidays. I remember how exciting St Jean was for me as a kid. It marked the official beginning of summer vacation. I was so happy at the thought of having two full months off of school and eagerly anticipated all the great adventures that lay ahead. My friend from across the street usually had a sleepover birthday party on this day. After the BBQ and cake, we would all walk down Cedar Ave in our pajamas and watch the fireworks explode over the lake.

Unfortunately, I won't make it to the fireworks tonight as I still have 90 sun salutations and a bunch of other things to do. But I hope to make it out to the Canada Day celebrations next week.

Je vous souhaite tous une joyeuse St-Jean! J'espère que vous avez passé une belle journée en bleu et blanc!

------------------------

Post-practice note 11:45pm---

I struggled to get into my practice, so Miranda and Andrew from downstairs came up and joined me for 18 sun salutations. (We're in the hallway in this photo, because there isn't much room for three people to practice in my apartment.)

Day 21 - Meet the neigbours

I messed up yesterday and I need to come clean.

I was writing my blog after dinner last night and mentioned that I still had 27 sun sals to do, but I was going to wait until I digested my meal. Well... I got caught up watching a movie and I forgot to do them.

I hope I didn't let anyone down. I felt pretty crappy when I woke up and realized I neglected to do that last set before bed. But, there's nothing I can do about it now. I have no choice but to accept this slip and move on. A poll amongst friends concluded that I would be forgiven, so as long as I made them up today, which I just did, completing a total of 135 sun salutations for the day. I think I'll sleep well tonight.

This morning, I did the 108 practice with my downstairs neighbors. It was fun to do the whole series with a group of experienced yogis. I have done yoga many times with Anthea, a BC native who teaches yoga, dance and is a massage therapist, and her dog Sasha, but I had never with her roommates before.

Virginie has been doing yoga on and off for three years, and has recently dropped out of veterinarian school because she realized becoming a veterinarian in our culture means euthanizing more animals than healing them. So, she has decided to pursue the arts instead.

Miranda is new to our building. She is also a hatha yoga instructor and doesn't eat anything that comes in packaging. This means no soy milk, no cereal, no commercially branded food. She and her partner are in the process of opening a yoga studio called Ahimsa Yoga on St Laurent near St Viateur, ("ahimsa" means "non-violence" in Sanskrit). Miranda has a blog where she features interesting eco-friendly recipes: www.aravindayoga.wordpress.com

We were also joined by Miranda's friend Brandon, a translator and moksha yoga enthusiast. Brandon has been practicing yoga for about two and a half years and today was the first time he attempted 108 sun salutations. He said it was a lot easier than he thought it would be.

Here's how we organized today's practice: We began with a 10-15 minute meditation, which was great because it allowed me to settle into my body and assess how I was feeling. I led the first 12 'opening' surya namaskar-- the half salute, the sphinx, cobra push ups, all the ones I highlighted at the beginning of my blog entries. We did simple surya namaskar A for the next 24, taking turns counting and holding downward dog for five breaths every sixth sun sal. We then mixed it up with the sivananda salutation, surya namaskar B and some standing postures from ashtanga. It was a good effort. We were done our relaxation by 10:30 am.

Surya Namaskar Recipe: Day 21 - Do-it-with-friends Salute

* Thanks to Craig for waking up early to take pictures of us practicing and for the homemade kamut pancakes!

Day 14 - Garage Sale Bonanza + a Walk down Memory Lane

The garage sale is an amazing event: It signifies the official beginning of summer. It's a great way to meet neighbours. It's a wonderful opportunity to support the process of recycling, repairing and reusing. And it's an incredibly nostalgic experience.

Today, Craig and I found ourselves in the epicentre of garage sale mania. We were in Dorval picking up my forgotten computer and happened to see a couple of garage sales side-by-side. We decided to stop and have a look. I bought a $1 Thai cooking book for my friend Julie, who did an exchange in Bangkok. We then turned the corner, only to discover bumper to bumper traffic and a whole street of drive ways selling boxes of basement artifacts. Even though we both agreed that we absolutely cannot afford space for anymore junk, we had to stop and see what this suburban street party was all about. Apparently, this is 31st annual event and more that 40 Dorvalians are participating, which, one of them pointed out, is less than last year.

We were immediately sucked in and spent close to two hours wandering the neighbourhood, stopping at about 24 different drive ways, and I'm not exaggerating. We saw VHS tapes galore, tons of tole painted crafts, numerous empty cages and aquariums of long-deceased pets, and out-of-fad exercise gimmicks (remember the ab roller?). We had so much fun, we complied a list of useless items people were peddling, as well as a list of the coolest stuff we found.

The Top Ten Useless Things found at a Garage Sale
10- A portable NBA basket ball hoop with smashed backboard
9- A beaded necklace decoration thing for wine bottles
8- A 15 piece 1973 Tupperware set
7- A deflated pogo ball
6- A hammock with a big hole in the centre
5- A square pot with a lid that looks like a drawer
4- Three finger hockey gloves... for a Ninja Turtle?
3- An extra small Pet-Saver life jacket in case a yappy little dogs falls off a boat
2- One flip flop
1- AND a 1339 page book of Brian Mulroney's memories (it was clearly unread)


The Top Ten most interesting or coolest things found at a garage sale
10 - The C.S. Lewis Narnia collection
9- Superman comics from 1979
8- A Barbie jumbo jet with accessories sold to the mother of a really excited six-year-old
7- A 1984 Honda C74 motorbike (I don't think this should be on the list, but Craig insisted)
6- 100-year-old screw on skating blades
5- A functioning gramophone from 1905
4- A four sided Lite-Bright cube
3- A lavalamp with CD holder
2- The complete Time Life Library of Photography for $8
1- And an all-in-one TV/Radio/Flashlight/Siren/Lamp thingy with AC adapter, which the vendor pointed out is "ben important pour le camping."

In the end, we were out $17. Craig bought the Time Life Photography series, and I got the aforementioned Thai cook book, a fantastic red folding chair for backbends and a vintage Avon tin, which I plan to use as a pencil case. (The photo below is of me demonstrating how I will use the chair. The seller, who was standing next to Craig, was clearing confused.)

Ok, and now the sun salutations. I managed to convince Craig to do 54 with me this afternoon and then I finished the rest on my own. Here's the yoga photo of the day along with a video we did to demonstrate a new sun salutation.

Surya Namaskar Recipe: Day 14 - The Knuckle Salute