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What if I told you...you probably don't know how to breathe...
In the fall of 2018, I prepared all the last minute details for a trip to Tanzania and a climbing adventure to Mt. Kiliminjaro... I had a forward thinking trainer at the time who had me climbing endless feet on a Jacob's ladder with water in my mouth and nasal breathing all the way... I did high intensity interval training, again using the nasal breathing techniques that simulated high altitude. But once on the mountain, I soon realized I was in trouble. No amount of breathing seemed to help me up the mountain. No amount of breath work helped me with an evening panic attack at 15,600 feet. I was sent down the mountain with altitude sickness and not able to summit. That sense of incompleteness lead me down a 'breathing' rabbit hole of more questions than answers. I train an athletic style of yoga that has sections of breath work focusing on breath as a recovery tool and using breathing cues to find more usable ranges of movement. I work with the EDH (Every Day Humans) and those same touch points focus on stress and the importance of 'diaphragmatic belly breathing' to bring calmness and balance to our nervous system. I teach in schools and the focus can be about athletics or using our breathing tools for self regulation. But I wanted to KNOW MORE.. I wanted to LEARN MORE about how our performance can be effected by our breathing. I wanted to UNDERSTAND MORE about why some people can't breathe properly. I wanted to LEARN MORE about how breath relates to overall health. I wanted to DO MORE so that clients could take what they learned and use it in their every day lives. Books and podcasts. Inquiry and study. Open to new thoughts and ideas. Looking through course curriculums trying to find a good match. Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable... That brings us to the here and now and putting the final touches on the certification requirements. Very soon SELFignition will be adding Breath Work Coaching to the list of services, All breath work practices are scientifically based, safe, simple and effective! Nothing extreme, no hard to pronounce sanskrit names, no chanting, just easy to follow lessons and practices for all ages. Stay tuned!
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 In the middle of a Pandemic I receive a call from Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press. He wants to know if its true that I've been training some of the highest paid athletes out of my basement in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The answer is yes. Photo credit: John Woods https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/sports-editors-picks/search-for-self-improvement-leads-to-joga-570226622.html  Come Support The Chain of Love!
I will be coaching a JOGA session for Amy Tung's August POP UP SWEAT SESSION! If you don't know Amy, you can follow her on Insta @I_am_love_project This month's charity: The Rising Stars Foundation is an official Manitoba non-profit corporation. As illustrated in their official logo, they stand for the foundational principals of our province. At the heart of their logo, and their organization is the Medicine Wheel, a symbol utilized by communities of Anishinaabe people in our territory. The Medicine Wheel represents that all people must come together for humanity to find balance on earth. In Amy's words: Join Jodian Self from JOGA 204 as she helps you take your game to the next level. She will guide you through a a practice that incorporates the discipline of yoga combined with The Science & Biomechanics of Movement. All bodies and all fitness levels are welcome. Move your body in a way that's appropriate for you! Sunday, August 25th The Golf Dome 1205 Wilkes Ave Winnipeg, Manitoba 8AM-10AM Tickets $20 Our events are curated with love and with the support of our local businesses. Besides offering a powerful and restorative workout, everyone will receive a complimentary Freshii meal, Cranked Energy bites, I AM LOVE cookies and so much more! Hope you can join us!  A number of years ago I wanted to put a little more meaning into the holiday season and BE Present for December was born. It was a fun way to recognize the little things in our lives that brought us joy when we weren't looking. Looking for positivity when we least expected it. I continue to spend December looking for the greatness in the season rather than focusing on what is not right in my little world. This year, the family project is a bit different. The focus has become less about what is under the tree and more on what MAKES the holiday season so special. So many friends talk about the crazy stressful feelings brought on by the holidays. The "should" and the "have to's " are constant words describing the season... I really should.... do a little more shopping, do a bit more baking, get another gift for, put up the rest of the decorations, get the lights up, send the cards, plan the menu, write the letters to Santa ;) and let's not forget the I have to... get a Secret Santa gift, take treats for the weekly treat day festivities, get an ugly sweater, go to the office party, and make sure you look like you are enjoying EVERY minute. Why do we feel this way? Simple. Because we are doing the majority of the holiday 'stuff'! What MAKES the holiday season special? WE DO! Now since this is my story, I get to choose the project theme! If you haven't read The Five Love languages by Gary Chapman, go get it. This is not just a book for couples, this is for every relationship in your life with those that you are close to. Understanding how you give and receive love, as well as those around you is eye opening! I have learned am an Acts of Service kind of gal. Small Deeds, Big Love. So, what does more focus on the holiday season mean to me? It means all the little things that get us to an enjoyable celebration. Now that the kids are older, they can take on more responsibilities. The more on my plate, means please pick up the slack. Appreciation for everyone's contributions, however big or small. That means, recognizing the part everyone plays in the weeks leading up to the Big Day. The little extra effort everyone takes when no one is watching. 'Cause let face it, I am watching! The acts of service that will make me enjoy the shopping, the cooking, the wrapping, the decorating, the baking, and the rest of the holiday stuff that MAKES it enjoyable. What do I want for the holiday season? I want to know I am appreciated. I want people ( my family) to see all the little things that go on to make the holiday season enjoyable. I would like nothing for Christmas... except small deeds.  Time to open your hearts and your wallets to support a GREAT grassroots cause! Come out to a donation based JOGA session on June 3rd, 2018! What exactly is a donation based workout? Come workout, donate the amount you choose. Put your monies in the jar, find a spot for your mat and enjoy! 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the charity. That's the give back part... All proceeds from the evening will go directly to the charity and you pay what you want to donate! THE CHARITY One year ago, I put out a call looking to help a charity that met a certain criteria... They had to be completely volunteer-based and all proceeds were to stay in our LOCAL communities. It was so nice to be connected with Be The Reason for a couple of reasons.... 1. This not for profit charity is so grassroots, it’s literally a ONE PERSON show. A person who, from personal tragedy decided to help those who had once helped her. 2. A charity that receives no outside funding or sponsorship from ANYWHERE. 3. A real live person who spoke to me on the phone and told me their story. 4. A charity that does year round donations that go directly to the underserved. THE LOCATION San Vito Coffee House is a locally owned coffee house in St. James, Winnipeg. Jill and Geordie Wilson opened the doors in 2009 with a goal of providing their neighbourhood with an environment that feeling as good as hanging out in someone's kitchen would be AND giving back to the community here in Winnipeg and in the Costa Rican communities where the coffee beans are sourced. They pride themselves on serving fair trade Costa Rican coffee, delicious sandwiches with in-store' cooked meats, homemade chocolate chip cookies and more! When you don't see them in the Coffee House, you can find them giving tirelessly to grassroots community efforts. Check out San Vito to cater your next breakfast or lunch, as well as fundraising needs. JOGA + SAN VITO = BE GOOD. TAKE CARE. GIVE BACK.  Does this image look familiar?
It should because it was the start of an idea I had last year to re connect with people. It then turned into a blog post entitled I LIED. So,here I am again, Mid December and no Christmas letters have gone out... and, truthfully, no guilt either. I have only planned to send one card this year. Yep, set your expectations so they are achievable... Hopefully, that goal gets a big check mark before the week is up. Anyways... I want to connect. Again. From last year's post I had great conversations with folks in person and virtually through FaceTime. What a pleasure it was speaking to people who I am connected to but had not CONNECTED WITH in awhile! We lunched. We sipped drinks in coffee shops. We lunched... We spoke over FaceTime and virtually sipped as well! My goal for 2018 - to use social media to be ‘social able’. Again. It still amazes me how it can be months before I talk with certain people and sometimes more! It usually goes something like this... " Omg, I haven't seen you in so long.." "I know, we really should get together!" "But I SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA that you did this and that and went here and there." "Yes, and you did that thing and the other thing." Well, we really should do something and catch up FOR REAL." "Yes, we should, okay I'll call you..." "yeah, lets do something." "okay. for sure." and....nada. zilch. nothing. zero. So here goes… If you live in the fine City I do, lets have coffee, or a walk or maybe even lunch. We pick a date and put it on the calendar, even if its months in advance. If there is physical distance between us, we can Facetime, Zoom, or use another method of video conversation…I will drink tea on my end and you can have a coffee if you like. I'm looking for a few people who want to get back to being sociable.  It’s that time of year!
Time to open your hearts and your wallets to support a GREAT grassroots cause! Come out to a JOGA session on December 20th in support of Be The Reason! All proceeds from the evening will go directly to the charity and you pay what you want to donate! This summer I put out a call looking to help a charity that met a certain criteria... They had to be completely volunteer-based and all proceeds were to stay in our local communities. It was so nice to be connected with @bethereasonwpg for a couple of reasons.... 1. This not for profit charity is so grassroots, it’s literally a ONE PERSON show. A person who, from personal tragedy decided to help those who had once helped her. 2. A charity that receives no outside funding or sponsorship from ANYWHERE. 3. A real live person who spoke to me on the phone and told me their story, not just directing me to a website to donate. 4. A charity that does year round donations that go directly to the underserved. So come out and sweat a bit! ‘Tis the Season to BE THE REASON 🎁 picatic.com/BETHEREASON What exactly is a donation based workout? Come workout, donate the amount you choose. Put your monies in the jar, find a spot for your mat and enjoy! 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the charity. That's the give back part...  It's been awhile... We've been so busy learning to find inner peace, connecting with ourselves, and spending time 'belly to belly' with folks, that it's time to roll out something for others. Our motto at SELFignition is: Be good. Take care. Give back. So, we present - Sweat in The City 2017 A series of donation based outdoor JOGA workouts that are taking place through out Winnipeg. We will be teaching the NEW Foundations program, which is perfect for everyone! If you have never heard of JOGA, head over to our JOGA section for more info. If you are curious how we started up here in Winnipeg, then find out what being a JOGI means to us! What exactly is a donation based workout? Come workout, donate the amount you choose. Put your monies in the jar, find a spot for your mat and enjoy! 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the charity. That's the give back part... We have partnered with Be The Reason, a local grass roots charity that is completely volunteer run.  Be The Reason is a non-profit organization that was created in August 2016. They are devoted to passionately advocating for the homeless, displaced, our communities most vulnerable and politically under-represented members of our city. This very young, Not-For-Profit has humble beginnings... "I started Be The Reason because I knew I had to give back to an amazing city. An amazing city that came together regardless of social status to help find a family member of mine when he went missing back in February of 2016. From the businessman in his 3 piece suit, the Middle Class families, the entire Bear Clan Patrol, to the homeless with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the “Missing” flyer in their back pocket. It was this last group that created a profound effect. I figured if someone who has absolutely nothing can help my family, I needed to help them. With $25, and a phone call to James Favel of the Bear Clan, Be The Reason was born. In September of 2016, I created 40 Care Packs and handed them off to the Bear Clan Patrol to hand out on their nightly patrols to those in need. A great partnership was formed and I have never looked back!" At Be The Reason, they create and supply Care Packs filled with Personal Care and Hygiene items. Your donations will go directly towards providing much needed monies to fill the gaps where direct product donations are not enough. Where to find us? Session 1 Tuesday July 11th, 6:30 pm St. Vital Park -190 River Rd, Winnipeg RESERVE YOUR SPOT-CLICK HERE Session 2 Tuesday July 18th, 6:30 pm King's Park - 198 Kings Dr, Winnipeg RESERVE YOUR SPOT - CLICK HERE Session 3 Tuesday July 25th, 6:30 pm Bruce Park - 154 Albany St, Winnipeg RESERVE YOUR SPOT - CLICK HERE Look for the JOGA and #JOGA204 banners! Bring a yoga mat, water, and your donations :) All workouts are weather permitting. The RED X marks the closest approximation of where we will be!  map to St. Vital Park location Session 2 Tuesday July 18th, 6:30 pm King's Park - 198 Kings Dr, Winnipeg  map to King's Park location Session 3 Tuesday July 25th, 6:30 pm Bruce Park - 154 Albany St, Winnipeg   I am a JOGI, not a yogi.
There is a difference. Joga is a modality of yoga that has been specifically designed for the athlete. But it's also designed for people who have tight muscles, past injuries and frankly those that just can't move the same way other folks move. If you are someone looking for an athletic style of yoga, then this is for you. Actually it's perfectly suited for someone like me. Somedays I am straight up Tinman. So allow me the time to share why I practice JOGA. It's absolutely personal.... This has nothing to do with yoga not being a good fit. This is about JOGA being the PERFECT fit. I have realized that I don't want to disconnect, I need to be fully connected and engaged. No incense, no candles and definitely no pan flute music playing in the background. If I'm going to make the time, I need to see that it is time well spent. Please don't put me in a room and turn out the lights, if I wanted to sleep I can do that at home. I don't want to clear my mind of all distractions, I have far too much to get done. Maybe it's a personality thing.. Maybe it's an analytical thing... Maybe it just all the reasons why I have taken such an interest to JOGA. Here are the others... I am an athlete and JOGA speaks my kinesthetic language. From a training perspective, I've always wanted to work hard, train hard and be efficient in the time I spend doing so. JOGA is super efficient, as hard as I want to make it and has measurable benchmarks that help me in every other aspect of my life. It can be tailored by each individual person as they progress through the sessions. It has strength, stability and mobility. On the flip side, it has a relaxation component that I find myself using daily. My Story Why share a back story? I think it's important to know a person's history, so you know where they are coming from and how they move. I've had my share of injuries, aches and pains. For the last thirty plus years I have moved my body through some kind of athletic movement or another. Trying new things, and sticking with old favourites. I played rugby when it wasn't mainstream for women to do so. To this day, the game of rugger would be one of my life long favourite sports! I actually wanted to play tackle football growing up, but that's another story and another time period that my young tackle football playing daughter does not understand. I've played european team handball since I was a teenager, and continue to do so today. Never heard of it? Use the magic of google to check it out. I played field hockey at the university level. Damn those short sticks...Nothing like being a left handed shooter in a game favouring 'righties'. I have played all kinds of sports, ran half marathons and became an IDFA Figure Pro at the age of 47. Talk about crawling out of the comfort zone. And in the last 10 years I have cycled over 4500 Kim's through out Europe. All of my athletic life experiences have had a cumulative effect. Some of it can be seen in the way I move, or more so in the way that I don't move.Some of it can be seen in the imbalances and tightness throughout my body. I believe it to be true that learning to move correctly is like learning to read. I also believe that the body will detour and adapt when faced with a challenge. The Good, The Bad and The Better The good news is that our bodies are amazing structures that can adapt. The bad news is that all that learned movement dysfunction can lead to tightness, injuries, and poor postural movement. The even better news is that we are always learning and can always improve. How? So, in walks JOGA.... Call it fate, divine intervention or just being in the right place at the right time...I signed up to take a JOGA training because I couldn't find anywhere in the Winnipeg area where I could try out the program. From the first day, I felt comfortable being uncomfortable. That's what athletes do. That's what people do when they want to make changes or improvements. They get uncomfortable. But it was also the how... That uncomfortable feeling was from a mechanical perspective. Immediately my imbalances and weaknesses were evident. I could see how my inefficiencies effected my everyday movements and ultimately my athletic movements. A checklist was forming and a solution right in front of me. A solution that with practice, has yielded great results. That's what everyone wants! A system of checks and balances to measure progress! A movement system designed so each individual can see measurable improvement! The program was designed to fit any body and how we move. Never once did I feel a position was contraindicative nor something I could not do at some level. It combines the biomechanics of sport into a system that matches everyday movements and movements that we all use over and over again. It cues into positions that have real life applications, building strength, stability and mobility. Let our bodies be the guide and inspiration. Jodian teaches JOGA in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She teaches JOGA for Health and JOGA for Athletes. Teams and private sessions available. Connect with her for more info. More info about the Joga Program can be found at www.jogaworld.com |
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