Top 5 things to get your gal, MOM

1. Choose from a beautiful selection of inspirational books, candles and luxurious creams at Spynga North $20-$40

2. New Spynga black performance tank with the ultimate wicking system for $38

3. Reserve a spot for mom in our first super deluxe restorative yoga workshop on June 8^th for $45

4. A Cozy Spynga Sweatshirt for spring evening walks! $95

5. A 5 class pack for her to use whenever she wishes $80

A message from Liz Rykert  

Sometimes you stumble upon inspiration when you least expect it.

Regan Leader looks like  many of the  young women I spin with at the cycle and yoga studio in my neighbourhood, Spynga. She is fit, focused on her ride, and a regular. Like me, she spins most mornings at 6:30 am. Just before the holidays she approached me after class:

“Are you Liz? Do you do the Ride to Conquer Cancer?”

“I am Liz and yes this will be my third year riding. Are you doing the ride?” I asked.

“Yes” she said.

“Are you riding for someone?” I asked. She paused, and quietly nodded yes. I felt her hesitation. I worried I may have over stepped my bounds.  Then she asked me:

“Are you riding for someone?”

Smiling, I said: “Yes, I ride for my husband John who had lymphoma, and over the years I have also ridden for a group of other people  we know who have also been diagnosed with cancer.”

“Lymphoma? What kind?” she asked. I gave her the details: large B cell non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. A kind that is readily treatable. I shared how lucky we were that John responded well to the treatment. She listened carefully and then quietly remarked, “I am riding for myself. I had lymphoma too.”

With those words Regan shared, in a public way, that she had had cancer. In fact she had only recently completed her final rounds of chemo and radiation. She worked out at Spynga all the way through her treatments, doing what she could to keep fit and deal with the stress and anxiety of it all. I could tell she was shy to talk about it but once she started, the flood of positive energy and pure excitement about the ride was palpable.

“It feels so good to be channelling all my energy into something so positive,” she said. “I would love to be able to talk to you as we get ready.” In the darkness of an early winter morning we bonded.

Regan and I now chat regularly about training and fundraising and what bike she should buy. It felt like we were destined to meet. She too is a social worker and works in health care. Over the coming weeks her full story emerged. I had only just decided on the theme for my stories this year – Inspiration – and here standing before me was a person who embodied inspiration in every way.

In her early thirties, Regan is married with three kids. Her youngest just turned two. In the recent past she has lived through the illnesses and death of a number of extended family members especially her mom. Regan first started feeling unwell when her youngest was about six months old. It began  with night sweats. She took herself  from  one specialist to  another. They noted inflammation in her blood, but diagnosis wasn’t easy. It was not until some months later that she found a lump in her throat and went for a biopsy that things got serious. The scan and biopsy did show additional swollen lymph nodes but the results were inconclusive. The waiting and not knowing were fretful.

Time passed. She continued to feel unwell. She went for a second biopsy. The call from the doctor finally came when she was home alone. The second biopsy confirmed what she had suspected for a long time – she was sick with cancer, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It was clearly in her lymph nodes and had spread to the bones in her back but not the bone marrow. Chemo was scheduled to start almost immediately. She needed twelve rounds, and since treatments were two weeks apart, that lasted more than six months. After the first treatment she felt better almost immediately.

Her husband Daniel was a trooper. He juggled childcare, attended every treatment with her, and helped her when she needed it - but most importantly he was able to treat her normally through it all. “He was really in tune with me, he took care of me and I let him. He was super positive the whole time and never treated me as a sick person. He didn’t want things to change.” She said she was inspired by his ability to be so strong and so sensitive at the same time.

And for Regan her determination and deep sense of family gave her the inspiration to stay focused on what was important in the moment. That ability served her well when one month into treatment she got the news her mom had also been diagnosed with cancer of a different kind. It was surreal. They sometimes found themselves scheduled for chemo at the same time. But from that moment on, Regan was able to find a continuous source of inspiration from her mom’s strength and bravery. She found a way to make sure her mom felt loved every day. She set aside her own tiredness and the side effects of treatment and did what she could to help her mom. They were a team, just as the members of her family and her close friends were a team. Together they got through the hardest parts.

As I write this I know Regan, her husband and her three little ones are off on a beach in the sunny south. She is on the other side of her diagnosis and treatment now, and she is finding ways to look after herself and the people around her. She is also getting ready for the ride and I can’t wait to sweep up beside her and push out a bunch of kilometers together. Together we will feel the freedom of the road and the wind in our hair as we make our way to Niagara.

When I interviewed Regan for this story I sent her a quick email afterwards thanking her and telling her how lucky I was to have met her. Her response was “I feel like I’m the lucky one Liz. So glad to have met you. Really…..YOU are an inspiration.”

I think we’ve inspired each other.

Regan is one of a number of people I will be writing about this year as I prepare for the ride. To learn more about Regan you can visit Regan’s Ride to Conquer Cancer page is: http://tinyurl.com/827nv2j

If you want to make a donation of 100.00 or what you can afford please follow the link below. Many thanks to the people who have already done so! John and I touched by your contributions, words of encouragement and support. 

Onward, Liz

By:  Tanya Carinci

Its 6 AM, the alarm clock rings and the snooze button is oh so tempting…but the morning grind must begin and with it, the daily checklist: Kid’s Breakfast. Check. Make Sandwiches. Check. Pack Backpacks. Check.  The list goes on….

But where does “ME” time and exercise fit into this equation?

As a mom of three kids (all under the age of 7), I know what it’s like to multi-task and the importance of being efficient.  I need to squeeze in as many things as I can in a short period of time.  Exercising is one of them.

For me, nothing beats the benefits of an indoor cycling class for a high intensity workout. More importantly, there is no better way to enjoy cycling’s benefits than being in a fun and supportive group setting, led by energetic instructors, with motivating music to push you to your max.

Whether you are just starting an exercise regimen or you are an advanced fitness enthusiast, a cycleBands class gives you the cardio fix & and an opportunity to sculpt your upper body muscles and ultimately muscle burns more calories. If you are looking to shake up and reinvigorate your workout routine, give this a go! 

This combination of indoor cycling with the use of resistance bands, targeting specifically your shoulders, back, and arms,  providing you with a total body conditioning opportunity that few classes provide. My need and love for multitasking in daily life makes this work with resistance bands on a bike, a wonderful workout strategy for me.  While utilizing the resistance bands, your body demands that you use your glutes, core and legs in order balance, all the while strengthening them. 

Other benefits that I believe and have experienced include;

A Stronger You: Resistance training is second-to-none for building bones

More Calories Burned: The calorie-burning payback of even the shortest resistance training sessions continue long after you’ve finished your workout.

A More Flexible You: As your muscles shorten over time, flexibility is the first thing to go. Using resistance bands allows the muscles to work through a full range of motion which will keep you limber.

Strengthen Your Heart: Regular resistance training strengthens your most important muscle—the heart—and improves the health of your entire cardiovascular system.

What are you waiting for? Just Band it!

This is an ideal class for those who want to see more rapid results with limited time and a busy schedule; I promise….you won’t want to hit that snooze button!

I’ve always been an perfectionist. For seven years through my late teens and early twenties, this trait manifested as a roller coaster of yo-yo diets, disordered eating behaviour and punishing workouts, in an endless pursuit of my own concept of the perfect body. Four years ago, on the verge of starting yet another diet cycle, I discovered an online community of people who believe in size acceptance and Health at Every Size (HAES), drastically shifting my goals and my frame of mind.

HAES posits that pursuing improved health outcomes can occur independent of deliberate changes in body size. In other words, healthy behaviours like eating well and exercising have value whether or not you become thinner as a result of these behaviours. From its website (http://www.haescommunity.org/), HAES encourages:

●     Accepting and respecting the natural diversity of body sizes and shapes.

●     Eating in a flexible manner that values pleasure and honours internal cues of hunger, satiety, and appetite.

●     Finding the joy in moving one’s body and becoming more physically vital.

For me, all three are inextricably tied to my physical and emotional well-being. As a former competitive swimmer and someone who needs a constant challenge to stay interested, finding ways to incorporate joyful physical movement into my life has been a moving target. I’m not a natural athlete. I get bored at the gym alone on a treadmill or elliptical. I’m not interested in classes strongly marketed as weight-loss solutions, like fitness “bootcamps.” I need variety, motivation, and a supportive and compassionate environment to keep me coming back. (I’m sure you see where this is going.)

I admit it. I was terrified to try spinning. I live thirty seconds (I’m not kidding) from the studio, but it was only after I saw a FabFind coupon for five classes at Spynga that I decided to give it a try. My first class was a one-hour ride and pump on a Saturday in November 2010 - probably not the best class for a first-timer. I spent the hour fighting not to slip forward off my saddle and praying for the class to end. I could barely walk the next day. But I had four more classes on my account, and I do have my pride, so I came back a week later for a Spynga flow, thinking I could handle 30 minutes of spinning and would just grit my teeth through the yoga. It went well enough to have me come back again, and then again … and it was in that fourth class that something clicked. The rest, as they say, is history.

In my first year as a Spyngaee (Sari’s term), I’ve learned to jump, sprint, climb, and, yes - downward dog. I’d thought my size and my lack of flexibility meant yoga wasn’t for me. Of course, I was wrong. There are modifications and adjustments for all kinds of bodies, and everyone has unique challenges when it comes to physical activity. Sure, I can’t do a shoulder stand (these 38DDDs would choke the life out of me!), but I’ve got a super-solid crescent lunge these days. On the bike, I’m not the fastest sprinter, but I can climb in third forever. Spinning and yoga both have the perfect blend of individual and group mentality for me; there’s no competition, but there’s mutual encouragement. There’s a “we’re all in this together” factor that pushes me to my edge without pressure to compare myself to others.

Everyone has their reasons for engaging in physical activity. I understand and respect that for some people, weight loss or weight maintenance is a priority. I deeply appreciate that at Spynga, there is no assumption that this is everyone’s reason for being there. The more I move and challenge myself, the better I feel. In turn, I feel more motivated to nourish my body properly and to respect my shape as acceptable and beautiful. It’s so empowering to see your body as strong and capable rather than something to be molded and fit into a template.

It might seem a little unconventional, but I feel healthier and happier in my size 16 body than I ever did in the years when I struggled to maintain a size 8, and I feel respected and supported without judgement at Spynga. I’m hooked - and I can’t wait to see what heights I can reach in the next year.

Julia Horel

If you’re here, on this website, chances are you already spin.  But maybe you’re just thinking about indoor cycling.  And maybe you are scared.  I wouldn’t blame you.  The first time I came, I was scared to death.  I was also embarrassed.  Would I really be able to take this seriously?  A preacher-woman yelping over throbbing pop to sprint like I meant it?  To “get to the top” of an entirely fictional hill?

Well, I emerged a little queasy, sweaty from eyelashes to forearms to knees, and a TOTAL CONVERT!! 

There is no better way than indoor cycling to plunge directly into your body, fast  fast  fast!  The music blurs your thoughts right out, endorphins flood your bod, suddenly Katy Perry’s the most meaningful thing you ever heard, you truly believe this wild-child on the bike up front, shouting that you can do anything.  You can!  It’s a beautiful feeling – cinematic, inspiring and fun.  Not to mention the calories burned and the myriad muscles strengthened, including the all-important heart!  

Even if you expected all that, nothing can prepare you for the post-spin high!  It’s better than three beers in your backyard.  Or whatever floats your boat.  It’s better!  Suddenly, you find yourself craving that high, not being able to wait to get back in that saddle! Melodramatic, I know, but so is indoor cycling!  Melodramatic, fun, wild, highly addictive and crazy good for you! 

So even if the first time you almost barf, the next day your butt’s on fire, and you have shame-memories of losing yourself in the Rhianna, I know you’ll be back.  You’ll need another hit.  Before you know it, the pain will fade, you’ll wonder how this ever made you queasy, but the endorphins never quit!  Basically, the perfect high! J.T.

Outdoor yoga at Spynga is possibly one of Toronto’s best kept secrets – an experience to be cherished in these fleeting summer months.

Scott Petrie, who teaches mindbody outdoor yoga flow Thursday evenings, thoroughly enjoys the vibe on the terrace.  “The greenery, the trees, and the wood of the deck help you feel more connected to nature,” he says.  “Taking a deep breath of actual fresh air, or hearing the birds tweet during savasana…those are things I don’t take for granted given that I’m almost always practicing indoors.”

As one happy Spynga client concurs, “There’s nothing like being outside, watching the clouds go by and the trees swaying as you do your tree pose.”

This observation reminds us of the Sanskrit meaning of the word “yoga” – to yoke, to unite, to forge connection.  According to the ancient texts, yoga is about letting go of the self and allowing the deep connection between all and everyone around us to reveal it.  As we stand, swaying gently, could it be that we are indeed the tree and the tree is in fact us?  As the clouds placidly dance, the leaves wave hello, the wind whispers encouragement, as we allow our own breath to join the party, flowing in and out of the body as we move with power and grace, this deep connection has a chance to reveal itself almost effortlessly.

With three classes offered outdoors per week, there’s something for everyone – greet the sun in Sari’s vigorous power flow Saturday mornings at 9:15 -10:15 am and to stretch out the weekend, catch Sarah-Jane Sunday afternoons detox flow @ 5pm, & enjoy Scott’s unique, relaxing approach on Thursday nights @ 6:15-7:30 pm.  See you on the terrace!

SpyngaCrowd, we want YOUR design for our next round of apparel that includes tees, tanks, hoodies, & sweats! Come up with one OUTSTANDING design; submit your artwork to sari@spynga.com in a jpeg format to be posted RIGHT HERE on our Truth Talk Blog and the Spynga community will vote! The winner will see their design in lights as well as on our spyngawear! The best part? Winner will receive 3 months of unlimited classes! Stand on your head to get those creative juices flowing and go! Submissions due on August 5th and winner will be announced in our September newsletter.

Ok…We are up to 12 reasons. Ever left a juicy yoga class and thought, hmmm… I wish I could teach like that? Ever had an inkling to inspire and move people back to themselves through breath and a spirited flow called yoga? Here’s your chance!

1.       You love yoga so much you want to share the love with others!

2.       An opportunity to study and learn about anatomy (in a fun way of course!), yogic philosophy, meditation, breathing techniques that calm and energize, and how to get in that very twisty pretzel pose that eludes you. See curriculum here!

3.       Learn about yourself and take a trip on a remarkable transformational personal journey

4.       Immerse yourself in a community of like minded people who can sit and talk about the minutia of posture alignment all day!

5.       Discover the impact of teaching, inspiring, and touching people’s lives daily and what that does to your soul and the soul of others.

6.       Work with a fantastically experienced faculty!

7.       Free Yoga for 5 months (it’s included!)

8.       Learn how to make a passion of yours a real live business and you are the BOSSS.. .yogi-like of course!

9.       In need of reinventing your career

10.   You get to get to walk around in Lululemon apparel all day and its ok!

11.   Once you finish, you have the opportunity to make people happy and get paid for it!

12.This 225 Hour RYTT Yoga Alliance Certification Program® is a Federal Government of Canada Private Educational Institute. We are a Yoga Alliance Certified School which allows you to teach anywhere in the world. All tuition and educational books will be tax deductible.