Circle of Knowledge and Practices Conference

I am honoured to be asked to teach at the the Circle of Knowledge and Practices Conference (October 5-6th, 2017, Winnipeg) hosted by the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre. As a gathering for discussing approaches to Indigenous education, honouring First Nation culture, and ensuring student success, a piece of that puzzle is drawing attention to the self-care of educators and leaders. Learning to take care of ourselves is the first step to learning how to take care of others, and yoga or any other awareness practice can play a pivotal role in cultivating physical, mental and spiritual health. I will be leading two breathing (pranayama) workshops on the morning of October 6th. As a simple, accessible form of yoga, breathing practices can be a way to work with anxiety, stress, insomnia, and depression. Basic breathing practices are easy to learn and to incorporate into day-to-day routine.

Further reading to inspire us in eating and living well!

Thank you to those that came to the second MindFULLness workshop!  We had handed out a list of books (non-fiction, cooking) for further education; I thought that I would include them here for everyone’s benefit.  May they inspire you to cook and eat well!

Don’t forget to sign up for our third (and last, at least for now) workshop on Saturday, January 28th, 2017 (3:30-5 pm, $35, Yoga Public)!  The topic will be “Plant Proteins and You” and will investigate how our food choices connect us to our environment.  There will be practical, simple ways to eat lower on the food chain, and a visit from a local farmer.  Hope you can join us!


Non-fiction books about the food industry, eating guidelines, personal health, and food’s relationship to the environment:

The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food
by Dan Barber
A chef’s journey to growing, cooking, and eating food that sustains and improves our environment.  Dan Barber’s dedication to his cause is infectious; his personal stories enlightening and engrossing.  Please read this book.

The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor
by Mark Schatzker
Having worked in the commercial food industry in another life, I was already familiar with the psychology behind the ways food is formulated on a large-scale to entice consumers to keep buying more – but Mark Schatzker shined a new light on all of this in his exposé on how flavour, human genetics, and the modern-day food industry interrelate.  I’ve read lots and lots of books on food over the years, and this one had a lot of unique insights worth knowing.

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual
by Michael Pollan
Since Omnivore’s Dilemma, I have greatly appreciated Michael Pollan’s inquisitive, balanced investigations of the food industry, and his pragmatic approach to improving how we eat on a day-to-day basis.  His 64 food rules offer a clear, manageable way to take baby steps towards eating in a way that is good for you and our planet.

Taste What You’re Missing: The Passionate Eater’s Guide to Why Good Food Tastes Good
Barb Stuckey
For the taste nerds out there (isn’t that everyone?!…maybe?!!?  Don’t leave me hanging) Barb Stuckey dives into the world of taste receptor cells, gastrointestinal chemosensation (basically, we have taste cells in our small intestine – so cool!!), and reminds us that when we know the ins-and-outs of how we taste food, we can savour it with deeper appreciation.


Cookbooks:

Oh She Glows Cookbook: Vegan Recipes To Glow From The Inside Out
Angela Liddon
I have to admit I was skeptical of this book at first, only because it seemed too popular.  Well, I definitely ate my words after making her lentil-walnut loaf; then chirped with appreciation after the taco fiesta potato crisps; and then finally raised my hands in complete submission after her crispy almond butter chocolate chip cookies.  Fact: I had originally bought a copy for my partner’s mother, but after cooking out of it, I kept it for myself and had to buy a second copy.  Yup.  Do yourself a favour and get this one.

The Ayurvedic Cookbook
Amadea Morningstar
One of my go-to resources for Ayurvedic healing through food.  Enough said.

VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00
Mark Bittman
I really enjoyed this clever approach that Mark Bittman developed for healthy eating, where you enjoy vegan meals before 6 pm, and then have anything you want for dinner!  Because let’s face it: we have less discipline later in the day as we get tired and run out of time, and in our culture, dinner is usually a celebratory meal when we like to indulge.  He includes simple, delicious recipes to help inspire you to make “VB6” your new mantra.

The Kitchen Shelf
Eve O’Sullivan and Rosie Reynolds
A beautiful book, with a beautiful message – stock your kitchen shelf with 30 basic ingredients and then buy two items from the store to make any recipe in the book!  A wonderful way to keep it simple, accessible, and quick.  It’s beautifully laid out with tons of pictures for inspiration.


This is by no means an exhaustive list; feel free to comment and share the title of your favourite book!

Lighting the Fire

I am honoured to be asked to teach yoga at the Lighting the Fire conference (May 11-13th, 2016, Winnipeg) hosted by the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre.  As a gathering for discussing approaches to Indigenous education, honouring First Nation culture, and ensuring student success, a piece of that puzzle is drawing attention to the self-care of educators and leaders.  Learning to take care of ourselves is the first step to learning how to take care of others, and yoga or any other awareness practice can play a pivotal role in cultivating physical, mental and spiritual health.  Maybe I will see you there!