<![CDATA[Heather McCullough - eMOTION & sheMOTION movement classes, coaching & counselling - COMMUNITY]]>Tue, 23 Jul 2024 21:18:07 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Fall 2023 is Tribute Season at sheMOTION]]>Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:37:46 GMThttp://www.heathermccullough.ca/community/fall-2023-is-tribute-season-at-shemotion
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 Fall 2023 Class Schedule

Th Sept 7 - Th Dec 14  (15 classes)
5:45 - 7:00 PM
Maa Yoga & Wellness Studio
 (489 Dollarton Hwy N, North Vancouver) 

Drop-in, 5 class card, 10 class card, 20 class card, plus membership options available.

]]><![CDATA[A Mini Retreat with Heather Sat June 3rd 7:30 PM]]>Sat, 27 May 2023 21:02:46 GMThttp://www.heathermccullough.ca/community/a-mini-retreat-with-heather-sat-june-3rd-730-pm
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Sisters!

The legendary full moon ocean dip is making a comeback, this time with sheMOTION and a sister circle to psych ourselves up physically, mentally and spiritually!

7:30 PM - sheMOTION & sister circle at MAA Yoga Studio
9:15 PM - promenade to the water (or carpool)
9:30 PM - full moon ocean dip

Wear a bathing suit under your exercise clothing for the sheMOTION portion of the evening or change afterwards.  For the dip, water booties or beach shoes are recommended.  A robe and bath towel will keep you comfortable post-dip.  TOE DIPPERS and INTERGENERATIONAL SISTERS WELCOME!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

Heather
heather@heathermccullough.ca
 
]]><![CDATA[sheMOTION - Thursdays 5:45 - 7:00 PM - Monthly registration]]>Thu, 22 Dec 2022 17:11:46 GMThttp://www.heathermccullough.ca/community/shemotion-movement-with-heather-at-maa-yoga
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Sisters, sheMOTION is a conscious movement class that has been thoughtfully curated to create physically accessible, fun and transformative experiences for women!  sheMOTION frees the life force of the divine feminine with immersive soundscapes and energy-liberating practices such as kundalini and tantra-inspired yoga, expressive mind-body meditations, breath work, woman-centric core awakeners and guided relaxation for inner-care. sheMOTION isn't fitness, but it is life force liberating. sheMOTION isn't therapy, but it is therapeutic. Surrender the struggle, release the resistance, and move into your power – free, connected and fully alive!   With Heather McCullough at Maa Yoga & Wellness.

​Thursdays 5:45 – 7:00 PM
Pre-registration for monthly series required (no drop ins)

Jan 5, 12, 19, 26 = $100.00 (sold out)
Feb 2, 9, 16, 23 = $100.00
Mar 2, 9, 23, 30 (no class Mar 16) = $100.00
Apr 6, 13, 20, 27 = $100.00
May 4, 11, 18, 25 = $100.00
​June 1, 8, 15 = $75.00
]]><![CDATA[eMOTION Movement - Sundays at 8 AM - Drop in or Register]]>Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:29:47 GMThttp://www.heathermccullough.ca/community/emotion-movement-at-maa-yoga-with-heather-mccullough
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eMOTION is a conscious movement class that has been thoughtfully curated to create physically accessible, fun and transformative experiences for everyone!  eMOTION elevates your entire being with immersive soundscapes and energy-liberating practices such as kundalini yoga, expressive mind-body meditations, breath work and guided relaxation for inner-care. eMOTION isn't fitness, but it is life force liberating. eMOTION isn't therapy, but it is therapeutic. Shake off stress, release energy blocks and move into your power – free, connected and fully alive!  With Heather McCullough at Maa Yoga & Wellness.

​Sundays 8:00 – 9:15 AM
Pre-register for monthly series ($25.00 / class) or drop-in ($30.00)

Jan 8, 15, 22, 29 = $100.00 
Feb 5, 12, 26 (no class Feb 19) = $75.00
Mar 5, 19, 26 (no class Mar 12) = $75.00
Apr 2, 16, 23, 30 (no class Apr 9) = $100.00
May 7, 14, 21, 28 = $100.00
​June 4, 11, 18 = $75.00
]]><![CDATA[The Mini: 30 Minutes of Guided Meditation with Heather]]>Sat, 18 Sep 2021 01:22:50 GMThttp://www.heathermccullough.ca/community/the-mini-30-minutes-of-guided-meditation-with-heatherPicture
 
Start your day or end your evening with a MINI!

Enjoy 30 minutes of guided meditation, manifestation,  
 and relaxation practices for a magnificent morning and / or a magical end to your day! 

Join a 12 week series or  test out the mini with a free sampler class.  To register, click on your class / series of choice below (highlighted in yellow):

​
Morning Sampler Class (Tues Sept 21 at 6:30 - 7:00 AM) - Enter FREEMINI at check out!
Evening Sampler Class  (Tues Sept 21 at 7:30 - 8:00 PM) - Enter FREEMINI at check out!

The Mini: 12 Week Morning Series (Tues Sept 28-Dec 14 at 6:30 - 7:00 AM)
The Mini: 12 Week Evening Series (Tues Sept 28-Dec 14 at 7:30 - 8:00 PM) 
$120.00 / series
]]><![CDATA[SPRING FLING - 3 classes for $15]]>Tue, 16 Mar 2021 20:36:19 GMThttp://www.heathermccullough.ca/community/spring-fling-3-classes-for-15Picture
Would you like to sample Heather's spring online class offerings?

Sign up for the Spring Fling and receive access to the following 3 live stream classes (plus recordings):

Monday Night Yoga (April 5 at 7:00 - 8:00 PM)
Bliss Morning Yoga (April 7 at 9:15 - 10:15 AM)
Empower Hour (April 9 at 9:15 - 10:15 AM)  

Can't make the live stream times?  No problem.  
Spring Fling registrants will have access to all 3 class recordings (expires April 18th). ​​
JOIN
]]><![CDATA[WINTER SOLSTICE CLASS: A free online event for all! Dec 21]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:36:37 GMThttp://www.heathermccullough.ca/community/winter-solstice-class-a-free-online-event-for-all-dec-21Please join Heather on the darkest night of the year to fire ourselves up and dance in the coming light!  More party than practice, this class will feel like a dance - yoga - rock concert!  The music will be powerful, the movement will be emotionally clearing, and the after glow will be a total body, mind, and spirit elevation!
  • Have fun with "flashback" fitness & exuberant dance for a heart-pumping, body-strengthening & sweat-inducing surge!
  • Ground, centre & expand from the inside out with a firelight yoga flow.
  • Release stuck energy and clear out emotions such as fear, anger, frustration, and grief with Heather's embodied practice called E-Motion Movement.  
  • Renew and replenish with a guided relaxation.
  • Send a healing wish into the world!
                                                          It will be a moving experience!

REGISTRATION REQUIRED!
To join, please visit the schedule on Heather's website and click on the Winter Solstice Class to register.  

BEFORE THE CLASS
* Clear a space in your home worthy of a dance party!
* Invite your family members to join in or claim the time & space as a gift for yourself!
* Have a yoga mat near by and a candle to light or turn on!

ENHANCING YOUR ONLINE EXPERIENCE
* Utilize the fastest computer / laptop that you have available and position the screen at the front of your mat for straight ahead viewing.
* Upon arrival, your video screen will either be set to SPEAKER VIEW (the desired setting where my image will take up the bulk of your screen) or Gallery View (for when you want to see me & all the other participants in little boxes covering your screen). The Speaker View / Gallery View button will be located on the top right hand corner of your zoom screen.
* Please turn your zoom video camera off during the class.
* You will be muted upon arrival.
* You can turn up or down the volume of the music that will be streaming through your computer speakers.

JOINING THE CLASS
* Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email.
* Two days before and 20-30 minutes prior to class time, you will receive a reminder email containing the zoom link to your reserved class.
* When it is close to class time, click on the zoom link in your reminder email or you can log in to your Punchpass account and join your live stream class from there!
* Check-in early!  Heather will open the virtual studio doors 5 minutes before class.
* If you are running late for the class or need to leave early, no problem.  Doors will remain open for the duration of the class and you will be able to slip in & out without disturbance.

AFTER THE CLASS
Registered guests will have exclusive access to the class recording and playlist!  The recording and playlist will be uploaded to your personal account with Punchpass and will remain in your library until Jan 3rd, 2021!  Please note, the recording will feature only Heather teaching the class to the music; you will not be able to see yourself or the other guests in the recording. 

QUESTIONS?
heather@heathermccullough.ca
www.heathermccullough.ca]]><![CDATA[Blessing For A New Beginning]]>Thu, 21 Nov 2019 23:42:41 GMThttp://www.heathermccullough.ca/community/blessing-for-a-new-beginningIn out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.


For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.


It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.


Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.


Though your destination is not yet clear 
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire.


Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.


- By John O'Donohue]]><![CDATA[The Chakra Classes - Review & Recommended Readings]]>Mon, 13 May 2019 19:01:11 GMThttp://www.heathermccullough.ca/community/the-chakra-classes-review-recommended-readingsRoot Chakra 
Ecology: We Are Family
Element: Earth
Location: Base of spine & pelvis to feet
Physical governance: Bones, joints, blood, immune system, skin
Human right: To be here & the right to have
Counterforce: Fear

Mantras:
"Safety"..."I am safety"..."I take safety wherever I go."

Books:
Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self by Anodea Judith, Ph.D.
All Is Well: Heal Your Body with Medicine, Affirmations, and Intuition by Louise Hay & Mona Lisa Schulz, M.D., Ph.D.
Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home by Toko-Pa Turner
If Women Rose Rooted: The Journey to Authenticity & Belonging by Sharon Blackie
When The Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress by Gabor Mate, M.D.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind & Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.
The 8 Human Talents: Restore the Balance & Serenity Within You With Kundalini Yoga by Gurmukh
Yoga Skills for Therapists: Effective Practices for Mood Management by Amy Weintraub


Second Chakra (Belly)
Ecology: Sweet Fluid Power
Human right: To feel & the right to want
Element: Water
Location: Belly & sacrum
Physical governance: Reproductive organs, bladder, hips and low back
Counterforce: Guilt

Mantras:
"I move easily & effortlessly"..."Life is pleasurable"..."I deserve pleasure in my life"..."I absorb information from my feelings"..."I embrace & celebrate my sexuality"..."My sexuality is sacred."

DVD & Books:
Shiva Rae: Fluid Power - Vinyasa Flow Yoga (DVD)
Healing Back Pain: the Mind-Body Connection by John E. Sarno, M.D.
Goddesses Never Age by Christiane Northrup, M.D.
The Secret Pleasures of Menopause by Christine Northrup, M.D.
Pussy: A Reclamation by Regena Thomashauer

Free Talks:
Food, Health & Mental Wellness with Psychologist & Chef Dr. Theresa Nicassio
Wed, May 22nd  7 - 8:30 pm
Lynn Valley Public Library
Free, but registration required (www.nvdpl.com)

LGBTQ+ Awareness for Parents with Michele Fogal & Caroline Wedderspoon, RCC
Thur May 30th  7 - 8:30 pm
Lynn Valley Public Library
Free, but registration required (www.nvdpl.com)


Third Chakra (Solar Plexus)
Ecology: Lustrous Gem - inner authority; mastery
Human right: To act & the right to be free
Element: Fire
Location: Solar Plexus
Physical Governance: the digestive system, adrenal glands, pancreas, kidneys; weight problems & addictions
Counterforce: Shame

Mantras:
"I love & approve of myself"...."I am doing the best that I can"..."I am good enough"..."I don't have to overwork to prove my worth"..."I choose to see my self-worth"..."I nurture & support others as much as I nature and support myself"..."Life agrees with me...I assimilate the new every moment of every day"...
"I am at peace. I am calm.  All is well."

Books:
The Second Brain: Your Gut Has A Mind of Its Own by Michael D. Gershon, M.D.
Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders & Jill Enders
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction by Gabor Mate, M.D.
Open Heart, Open Mind by Canadian Olympian & Bell Let's Talk Mental Health Spokesperson Clara Hughes
Politics of Love: A Handbook for a New American Revolution by Marianne Williamson
Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem by Gloria Steinem
Outrageous Acts & Everyday Rebellions by Gloria Steinem


Fourth Chakra (Heart Centre)
Ecology: Sweet Emotion 
Human right: To love & to be loved
Element: Air
Location: Chest, upper back, arms, shoulder girdles, hands
Physical Governance: the heart, the lungs, the breasts
Counterforce: Repression / suppression of emotions, particularly anxiety, depression, anger and grief.

Blessings / quotes:

"May I be grateful for what I have,
 May I bravely acknowledge what I need, and
 May I wisely know that the path to a peaceful heart requires both." - thank you Lesley Arnould

"Be still beloved heart and know that you are safely held" - Swami Kripalu

"My beloved child, break your heart no longer.  
 Each time you judge yourself, you break your own heart." - Swami Kripalu

Let The Past Be The Past Meditation Mantra (scoop water over shoulders):
"I release all things
 That no longer work for me.
 I release all things
 That no longer serve me."

Books: 
More Beautiful Than Before: How Suffering Transforms Us by Steve Leder
The Smell of Rain On Dust: Grief & Praise by Martin Prechtel
A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are by Byron Katie
A New Earth: Awakening To Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
Love, Medicine and Miracles by Bernie S. Siegel, MD
                            
                    
Fifth Chakra (Throat)
Ecology: Truth & Reconciliation 
Human right: To speak & hear the truth
Element: Sound
Location: Throat
Physical Governance: The mouth (teeth, gums, jaw), throat (thyroid), and neck
Counterforce: Communication struggles; lies

* Problems in the mouth are often found in people who have a hard time expressing and dealing with
   personal disappointments.
* People with thyroid problems are frequently very intuitive but are unable to voice what they see
   because they too often struggle to keep the peace or win people's approval.
​* Problems of the neck are often found in people who - even if they have flawless communication skills
   on a regular basis - become inflexible and frustrated when they are unable to control the outcome of
   a situation.

The Serenity Prayer
​"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
 courage to change the things I can;
 and wisdom to know the difference."

Books & Movies:
All Is Well by Louise Hay & Mona Lisa Schulz M.D., Ph.D.
Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judity, Ph.D.
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
They Called Me Number One by Bev Sellars
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese (also available as a movie)
Occupy Women: A Manifesto for Positive Change In A World Run By Men by Maureen Fitzgerald, Ph.D.
I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up For Education & Got Shot By The Taliban by Malala Yousafzai

Canadian Indigenous music featured in class:
Tanya Tagaq (Inuk throat singer from Nunavut)
Jeremy Dutcher (classically-trained tenor & composer)
Buffy Sainte-Marie
A Tribe Called Red

Britain's Got Talent Auditions (youtube):
Susan Boyle singing "I Dreamed A Dream"
Paul Potts singing "Nessun Dorma" 
Kyle Tomlinson singing "Hallelujah"


Sixth Chakra (3rd eye)
Ecology: "I once was blind but now I see" - line from the song Amazing Grace 
Human right: To see
Element: Light
Location: Space between eye brows; pineal gland
Physical Governance: Eyes, ears, brain
Counterforce: Illusion
Practices: Intuition, insight, visioning, imagination, dreaming, meditation, visual arts

The health of the sixth centre depends on how well you take in information from all realms - both earthly and mystical - and use this information in your life.

Books: 
Awakening Intuition: Using Your Mind-Body Network for Insight and Healing by Mona Lisa Schulz, M.D., Ph.D.
The New Feminine Brain: Developing Your Intuitive Genius by Mona Lisa Schulz, M.D., Ph.D.
Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead by Tosha Silver
Life Visioning by Michael Bernard Beckwith
The Inner Life of Asanas by Swami Lalitananda
Fierce Medicine: Breakthrough Practices to Heal the Body and Ignite the Spirit by Ana Forest (The Braid of Three Truths visualization)
​Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
Horse Sense For People: The Man Who Listens to Horses Talks To People by Monty Roberts

The Divine Light Invocation
While standing in Mountain Pose, mentally repeat the Invocation:

I am created by Divine Light.
I am sustained by Divine Light.
I am protected by Divine Light.
I am surrounded by Divine Light.
I am ever growing into Divine Light.

- The Inner Life of Asanas by Swami Lalitananda

Seventh Chakra
Ecology: Spiritual healing
Human right: To know
Element: Thought
Location: Crown; cerebral cortex
Physical Governance: Chronic and degenerative disorders and life-challenging illnesses
Counterforce: Attachment

Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds by Kelly A. Turner, PhD
Dr. Turner is a researcher, lecturer, and consultant in the field of integrative oncology​.  Her specialized research focus is the radical remission of cancer, which is a remission that occurs either in the absence of conventional medicine or after conventional medicine has failed.  In her book, Dr. Turner gives the reader the results of her research on over a thousand cases of Radical Remission - people who have defied a serious or even terminal cancer.  Here are the nine key factors that Dr. Turner found among nearly every Radical Remission survivor she studied:

1. Radically Changing Your Diet
2. Taking Control of Your Health
3. Following Your Intuition
4. Using Herbs and Supplements
5. Releasing Suppressed Emotions
6. Increasing Positive Emotions
7. Embracing Social Support
8. Deepening Your Spiritual Connection
9. Having Strong Reasons for Living

The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest by Dan Buettner
Over the course of five years, explorer, educator and author dan Buettner took teams of scientists to places in the world where people have lived the longest and healthiest lives.  Buettner food five 'Blue Zones' with relatively high percentages of centenarians: "where people live 10 years longer, experience a sixth the rate of cardiovascular disease and a fifth the rate of major cancers."  

The five populations:
1. In the highlands of the Italian island Sardinia
2. On the archipelago of Okinawa in Japan
3. At Loma Lina with the Seventh-day Adventists in California
4. On the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica
5. On the island Icaria, Greece

Nine best practices:
1. Move naturally
2. Eat a plant-based diet
3. Stop eating whenever the stomach is 80% full
4. Drink moderate amounts of red wine
5. Release stress & downshift every day (meditation, pray, afternoon nap, happy hour)
6. Have a sense of purpose / a strong reason for living
7. Daily spiritual connection
8. Engaged in the care of loved ones and experience more social respect as they age
9. Have a circle of healthy friends

Other book recommendations:
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body & Mind to Face Stress, Pain & Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D.
Heal Your Body: The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Metaphysical Way To Overcome Them by Louise Hay
Man's Search for Meaning: The Classic Tribute to Hope From The Holocaust by Viktor E. Frankl
Conversations With God: An Uncommon Dialogue by Neale Donald Walsch
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
Dying to be Me: My Journey From Cancer, To Near Death, To True Healing by Anita Moorjani
Climbing The Blue Mountain: A Guide For the Spiritual Journey by Eknath Easwaran
Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
To Bless The Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings by John O'Donohue
Walking In Wonder: Eternal Wisdom for A Modern World by John O'Donohue
Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home by Toko-Pa Turner
Eastern Body Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self by Anodea Judith
All Is Well: Heal Your Body with Medicine, Affirmations, and Intuition by Louise Hay & Mona Lisa Schulz]]><![CDATA[International Women's Day March 8th, 2019]]>Tue, 26 Feb 2019 06:57:46 GMThttp://www.heathermccullough.ca/community/international-womens-day-march-8th-2019Feminist Fortune Cookies
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality & full humanity of women and men.”
- Gloria Steinem

"For there is always light / If only we are brave enough to see it / If only we are brave enough to be it - Amanda Gorman

"love yourself first and everything else falls in line.  You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world" - Lucille Ball

"When I dare to be powerful - to use my strength in the service of my vision - then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid" - Audre Lorde

"Does my sexiness upset you? / Does it come as a surprise / That I dance like I've got diamonds at the meeting of my thighs?" - Maya Angelou

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” - Gloria Steinem

“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” - Gloria Steinem

“Women may be the one group that grows more radical with age.” - Gloria Steinem

“ I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career.” - Gloria Steinem

“We've begun to raise daughters more like sons...but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.” - Gloria Steinem

“When humans are ranked instead of linked, everyone loses.” - Gloria Steinem

“In the world of the feminine, everything you feel is right.” - Mama Gena

“ Reinvention is our birthright and our obligation.” - Mama Gena

“Women are the greatest untapped resource on the planet.” - Mama Gena

“When she designs, and then lives, her own destiny, a woman naturally sets right everything wrong in our world.” - Mama Gena

“The feminine is the feeling part of us, our deepest intuition, our sense of community & connection. Additionally, it is a sense of spiritual morality and consciousness. The feminine is life. It may shock you to hear that she does not care about production, accomplishment, domination, assertiveness, or winning. Those are masculine values. On the contrary, she favours enjoyment, inclusion, surrender and sustainability.” - Mama Gena

“The world is designed to take the wind out of a woman's sails. To fill her with fear about all the ways she is inadequate. We each need the focus and determination of warrior women to fight the tide of self-hatred that comes from living in a culture that devalues us.” - Mama Gena

“I had never considered myself beautiful, but I decided that I could change my mind.” - Mama Gena

“Extremists have shown what frightens them most: a girl with a book.”
- Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize, age 17

“Well behaved women rarely make history.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

“Anger is one of those emotions that's been long-stricken from the social palette of acceptability. Especially for women, who are taught that being angry makes you unlikeable, and being unliked is a kind of rejection from femininity itself. But a terrible thing is lost in the suppression of anger – your relationship with one of your greatest allies: Instinct.
- Toko-Pa Turner, Author of Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home]]>