Tee-shirts from Los Angeles brand, “Love Yourself” have been flying off the shelves here at Spynga.  Not only are these tops as comfy as long-loved favourites, they also feature a unique message.  Slogans include, “Team Me,” “Love Yourself Is the Secret,” and “I Heart Me.”  Recently a Spynga guest half-jokingly said her husband would never let her live it down if she wore such a thing.  This got me thinking about these shirts and the message they convey.  With a greedy, consumerist, individualistic, “I deserve everything” culture all around us, interpreting these shirts as just another cog in the self-importance machine is pretty easy.  But what if we use these shirts to open a dialogue about the importance of accepting ourselves as we are in order to open space for greater compassion for others?  To say, “I love me,” even though we are flawed and nervous and insecure and grumpy and silly and crazy and weepy and bitter and strange can be extremely difficult.  But vitally important.  When we acknowledge that we are deserving of love in spite of our perceived shortcomings, we see that this translates to all other beings, no matter how different or angry or strange they might seem at first glance.  The Spynga guest with the doubting husband had already discovered this truth through her yoga practice – a wonderful way to explore and deepen self-acceptance and compassion.  In fact, the shirts are likely so popular with our clientele because so many of you are already walking the path toward greater acceptance and love of all those around us.  So continue to love yourself – it is the secret – but perhaps even more importantly, gently, compassionately share the true beauty of this secret with others who may still have their doubts!

I think if Spynga has an unofficial motto, it would have to be “Bounce/No Bounce!”   For those yet to experience this particular cue during a cycling class, it refers to alternating between letting the body be loose and, well, bouncy for a length of time, and then, upon the “No Bounce”command, tightening the core to slow the legs down and still the upper body.  It’s hard!  But the stillness feels pretty great after all that goofing around, just as the bouncing feels pretty joyful and delicious after that kind of discipline.  So it struck me recently — is it possible that Bounce/No Bounce provides us with a useful metaphor for the well-lived life?  Aren’t there many times in life when we tense everything up and try to control things when it would perhaps be wiser to let go and just bounce?  And what about those times when we know we need to hunker down and do some serious, committed hard work – disciplined work that will feel great once we’re in it – yet we’re flitting all over the place, procrastinating, prioritizing poorly, getting distracted.  Wouldn’t it be nice if Joanna called you those days and shouted, kindly yet firmly, “No bounce!”  until you finally just got down to it?

The first time I tried this class at Spynga, I was scared about holding the poses for three to five minutes.  Would my body be able to handle it?  What would I think about?  I had no idea I would come out of there feeling totally chilled out for the first time in a long time.  I’d never sat with a stretch for so long, and it’s amazing what comes up in the brain in terms of memories, images, emotions…I am a very brain-oriented person – one of the reasons I try to do yoga is to get a little more into my body.  But yin yoga brings it all home – body, mind, they are all the same guy.  They are you!  So get in there, stretch it out, face your fears, and leave feeling like a billion bucks! JT

I know for me, when my legs are flying, my heart is pumping, the Madonna’s blaring, Casey’s cheering me on, and I think I’m not thinking at all…blammo. Idea town! Whether it’s a creative solution to an issue of family dynamics, clarity around a niggling decision I need to make, or an artistic breakthrough, the missing piece of the puzzle so often strikes like lightening in the middle of my ride. So what’s happening there?

My theory is that I’m so engaged with my body that the parts of my brain I usually put fences around are able to run free. What do you guys think?

There are many natural ways to boost your immunity this winter (without taking the flu shot - which is controversial, not totally researched, and has side effects)
Dr. Larry’s MAIN TIPS to stay healthy and strong this winter:

1. Eat your anti viral foods - Garlic, Onions, and chilli peppers are great cupboard basics to kill any nasty bugs; (garlic and onions also have the added benefit of lowering blood sugar and stimulating digestion)

2. Use SEA SALT - it can take up 72 hours for a virus to proliferate; the main areas of growth are the nasal cavity and mouth. RINSE your mouth with sea salt and water every day to prevent proliferation; you can also use a neti pot (what the ancient yogis did). to rinse the nasal passages with sea salt.  If your not up for that….just dip a q tip in sea salt and water and clean the nasal area

3. EAT your vitamin C - start each day with juice of half a lemon in warm water - eat at least 3 servings of fruit and veggies/day - kale, spinach, brocolli, kiwis, grapefruits and apples!; if you feel something coming on; supplement your diet with at least 1000 mg of vitamin C (emergen C packets are great!)

4. OIL OF OREGANO - tastes yucky, but works wonders!!! - 1 - 2 drops a day during cold/flu season will ward off any buggers!

5. DRINK GREEN TEA - green tea boosts the immune system( it is also antioxidant, boosts metabolism and has l theanine - calming to the nervous system; energizing and calming!! what could be better?)

6. sweeten you green tea with UNPASTEURIZED BEE POLLEN HONEY - antiviral, sweet and energizing!

7. DECREASE STRESS - stress increases cortisol which depletes the immune system - SPYN, YOGA, MEDITATION and BREATHWORK will keep your nervous system in check

8. Decrease toxic and cortisol producing foods which wreak havoc on the immune system -  SUGAR, coffee, processed foods, chemical sweetners,

9. Take an immune boosting herbal combination supplement - Deep immune by st francis is the best recommendation!

10. Take Vitamin D - at least 1000 IU/day - we dont get enough sunlight in TO in the winter - we need all the help we can get; take at least 1 tsp of fish oil or flax oil/day - this helps the brain and the immune system (cod liver oil is one of the oldest tricks in the book for immune boosting and flu prevention)

for any questions - please email me! drjodi@spynga.com

HAVE A HEALTHY WINTER SEASON!

Halloween Party Mix

DIRECTIONS
1. Toss pumpkin seeds in small bowl with oil until coated. Spread seeds in skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Cook 3 minutes, shaking skillet constantly, or until most of pumpkin seeds swell and pop. Transfer to bowl.
2. Add pine nuts to skillet, and cook 30 seconds, shaking skillet constantly, or until golden flecks appear. Transfer to bowl with pumpkin seeds. Stir in dried cranberries, cocoa nibs, cayenne pepper, and salt, and mix thoroughly. Season with more salt, if desired.
ingredient list
Serves 6
•    ¹⁄8 tsp. olive oil
•     ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
•    ¼ cup pine nuts
•    ¼ cup dried cranberries
•    ¼ cup cocoa nibs
•    ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
•    ¼ tsp. salt
Nutritional Information
Calories: 161 per serving
Total Fat: 13g
Protein: 5 g
Carbohydrates: 9 g

What does art have to do with Spynga? Everything.  Art is imaginative, an expression, a release, Like yoga and cycling, art evokes emotion and levels of energy that create a vibration collectively with breath and movement. We believe that individuals are continuously painting in their lives with every motion and every reflection.

“Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.” ~ Danny Kaye

Check out our beloved in-house veteran artist, Patrick Kerney this weekend, Saturday October. 3rd 7-10 pm  on your Nuit Blanche trek at 52 McCaul Street, Toronto  www.patrickkerney.ca

Do you ever notice that when you are feeling sincerely grateful there is this softness to your current space and time.   When we take the time to stop and notice and are grateful for what is in front of our eyes, we instantly step out of our bubbles and connect with a higher means.  When we are grateful, we shift out of our own hurts and acknowledge what the universe has provided.  If only momentarily.  What would happen if this genuine feeling of gratitude was to expand where we experience thankfulness and appreciation in every bone in our bodies.  And - not just think it and say it but envelop ourselves in gratitude.  Can you imagine the bright beings we would all become?
When we are feeling grateful, this creates a surge of good emotions that begin to flood the body and elevate us.  As we stack the gratitude continuously, we can create momentum and feel better all the time, on most days and not sometimes.  Start stacking today. sn

In a world where we are surrounded by so much happening, so many choices, it is nice to find some regular time for yourself. Even nicer once you learn how to use this time to truly unwind your mind instead of finding new ways to occupy it and keep it busy. When we learn to meditate we are rediscovering a place within us that is free and innocent, unencumbered by the weight of responsibilities and expectations and untarnished from past experiences or future anxieties. A place where we heal and grow and learn to stay balanced under any circumstances. JC

Our hips are more than just a part to be shaken and as Shakira says, they never lie. Our hips house lives to be born, the heart of our spine, and major operating systems of our temple. Our hips can be tight, overwrought, loose, sweet, tense, and sensual. Energetically, our emotional; pleasurable & painful feelings dwell here. This second chakra (energy wheel) is called Svadisthana, meaning “one’s own place”; one’s own place of movement, sexuality, creativity and desires. Our sacral area has the feminine qualities of openness and relaxation and engage in our God give right to feel! Through movement, breath and awareness begin to meet your hips as pathways to balance out our water chakra that may be excessively charged or stagnant.

Check out Tiffany’s Hip Hop Opener workshop this Monday @ 7:30pm