Sj Magazine Summer 2013 Issue

Summer 2013 Issue #1 ImagesLifestylesBusiness

g u a In

l a r u

ue s s I

!

Your Image Your Brand Book Review

Discovering My Purpose

Becoming A Student of Life

Summer Trends: Accessories that

POP!

Painting This Town RED

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CONTENTS 12

ImagesLifestylesBusiness

6 SJ Magazine is a division of Seventh House Publishing Arts. © 2013

Summer 2013 Issue No. 1 Founder & Publisher

Shelley Jarrett

IMAGE

Discovering My Purpose A word from Shelley’s desk Your Image Your Brand Why Shelley says YOU are important

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5

Becoming A Student of Life: A Book Review

by Andrew Terry Pasieka Never be Satisfied by Gloria Pierre A Healthy Way of Life by Mark Steele Yoga: Then and Now by Wendy Sammut

BUSINESS 10

The Design of Arts and Fashion by Andrew Terry Pasieka

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Painting This Town RED by Andrew Terry Pasieka Why John Bozzo & everyone in Port Credit love this colour

Feature

About the cover: Shelley Jarrett

Andrew Terry Pasieka Art Director

Sharean Edwards Fairman

LIFESTYLE 6

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Editor-in-Chief

Staff Reporter

Andrea Levy-Hudson Contributing Writers Shelley Jarrett Andrew Terry Pasieka Gloria Pierre Wendy Sammut Mark Steele

Photographer Lubin Tasevski

Publicity

Wardrobe: Ashley Stewart Jewellery: Maxx Accessories Photo: Lubin Tasevski Hair and Make up: GlamHer Studio

All rights reserved, no part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the written permission from the publisher. We make conscious efforts to insure complete and accuracy in all editorial content. However, we accept no liability for any inaccurate information. We do not necessary support any products or services advertised herein.

LIM Media Group

Website

www.sjimagecreations.com

How to Reach Us shelley@sjimagecreations

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89 Graphics & Printing

SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

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Shelley Jarrett, Founder and Publisher

The SJ Team

Shelley Jarrett is the Founder and CEO of SJ Image Creations, an image consulting company based in Mississauga Ontario. Launched in October 2011, SJ Image Creations strives to educate women on building their image, to look good, feel good and perform better in their work places and in their personal lives.

Shelley Jarrett has been in the corporate industry in sales and marketing for almost 20 years, and in that time has also accumulated expertise in the area of fashion and style. She created the “Confident U” workshop for women as one of the many outlets to provide simple tips on how to dress successfully and feel confident when presenting themselves in competitive job markets as well as business meetings.

Having a key eye for fashion led her to a recent venture of partnering with Jockey Person to Person, a fashion division of Jockey International, to provide exclusive and limited designer clothing for today’s women. And finally, her creative mind has led to her latest project, the launch of an online image, lifestyle and business publication called SJ Magazine.

Andrew Terry Pasieka, Editor-in-Chief Born in Toronto but raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Mr. Pasieka returned to Ontario in 1976 to pursue a Master’s of Science degree at the University of Toronto.

Since graduating, Mr. Pasieka has spent over thirty years in consulting, fundraising, sales, and education. During the 1990s, Mr. Pasieka was a freelance writer in the field of arts and entertainment.

He had 44 articles published. Prominent among the publishers is Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe & Mail, and Canada’s national music trade magazine during that decade, The Record.

He first became involved in theatre in 1983, and has remained active for 23 of the past 30 years.

Mr. Pasieka has nearly 100 productions to his credit, most of them covering the period from 1993 to 2001 in Toronto. During that time he worked in two acclaimed juried festivals, Summerworks and the New Ideas Festival. Mr. Pasieka moved to Mississauga in 2002, and founded Eleventh House Performing Arts in 2009. Praise House of the Arts was created at the end of 2011. Early in 2013, he registered an umbrella company for all his artistic endeavors, Seventh House Publishing Arts.

Sharean Edwards Fairman, Art Director Sharean is a graduate of Ryerson University`s Fashion Merchandising Program and has a passion for fashion and design.

Sharean has been involved in various projects from logo design, layout designer for cultural newspaper, flyer, program and ticket design to name a few. An emerging entrepreneur, Sharean recently made it official and started Sankofa Enterprises Inc. providing design and consulting services to small and sole proprietor businesses.

Blessed with four beautiful children, she loves singing, cooking and African culture. Sharean always has a smile and looks for the positive to every situation. A mantra she lives by is `Your attitude determines your altitude`.

Andrea Levy-Hudson, Staff Reporter Andrea Levy is an Honors Broadcast Journalism graduate from Seneca/York University and is the recipient of the Best Student Documentary Award at the Speak Up Film Festival, 2007. Andrea is a Playwright and the author of many works such as: The Interview, Judge Judah and Mi Left Eye a Jump.

Employed by Sunwing/Signature Vacations for several years as a Writer, Andrea recently became an Entrepreneur. Andrea is very active in the community. She serves on the Board of Directors and is the Communications Director for the non-profit organization, Embrace Women’s Services.

Andrea is also Praise News Writer and Director at her local church.

Andrea is the proud mother of five children, who loves to cook and enjoys watching reruns of Three’s Company. Although she is blessed with many gifts and talents, Andrea counts it her greatest satisfaction to share the gift of laughter.

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SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

From The Desk of

Shelley

“DISCOVERING MY PURPOSE�

Hello, dear readers and welcome to the inaugural issue of SJ Magazine.

K

nowing what you want in life is vital. It can take you a lifetime to find out why you are here in this world or what your purpose is. For me it took almost a lifetime.

Over the past I have learnt to take risks. I enjoy being myself and trying new things. I enjoy working with creative and inspiring people. By thinking outside the box and taking advantage of our creative abilities, a whole wealth of opportunities become available to us. We create our own reality.

I am here to say I am a woman with purpose. People sometimes tell me I am doing too much, but I believe I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Part of my purpose is giving back to society, using all my experiences, communication skills, gifts and talents to help others improve their lives. SJ Magazine is an extension of my love for sharing information and inspiring others to fulfill their dreams.

I hope the magazine will be an information tool that can benefit businesses, where aspiring male and female entrepreneurs are empowered to strive and succeed. I also want individuals to be given cause to attain their own spotlight. I am honored to have the opportunity of publishing this magazine.

A final word to you, our valued reader: remember that being creative and having the courage of your convictions, by staying focused and being true to yourself, all leads to inner peace.

Whatever you are looking for is right inside of you.l

A Special Thank You • Clearly Speaking (Gloria Pierre)

• Michael’s Hair Body Mind (Lina Lomangino)

• Edible Arrangements (Clarkson/Aziz & Fred)

• Motives by Loren Ridinger (Lydia Loo)

• GlamHer (Nadine)

• Mississauga Photography Studio & Gallery- MPSG(Lubin Tasevski)

• Gospel Café (Lorena Williams) • GSS/Gold Silver & Stones (Claris Minas Manglicmot)

• Spinzo Toronto (Arun & Joe) • Stella & Dot (Stacey)

• La Villa Fine Foods & Bakery (John Bozzo)

• The Emporium Loft Gallery (Karen)

• LIM Media Group

• The Mortgage Centre (Rossanna Go)

• Mama B’s Potluck (Andrea Levy-Hudson)

• Wendy Sammut

• Mark Steele

• 89 graphics & printing (Rickland)

• Matthew L Taylor (book “Student of Life”)

• …and the volunteers at the Launch Party (you know who you are!)

• Maxx Accessories (Maxine Thomas) • Metro (Clarkson & Port Credit locations)

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SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

Your Image Your Brand It is a fact that even in the professional world image is often chosen over substance.

By Shelley Jarrett In job interviews, decisions on hiring are often made in the first minute or two based on the way the candidate is dressed, how they walked into the interview room, and the first words out of their mouth.

Your image spoke for you even before your resume did.

It is a generally held consensus among major executives and decision makers that when making a first impression, over 50% is based on how you look and how you carry yourself, and less than 10% on what you say and what others say about you.

Jobs do not have the same meaning they once had; that has disappeared along with their security. So what are you left with? The ingenuity you possess to convince others there is something special about you.

The name of the intellectual template utilized to successfully employ this process is called branding.

How you present yourself is how others will see you. If you own a business, your organization is a representation of all that you are. Your “brand” is about what you bring to the table--your leadership skills and your principles are ways your reputation is established. However, the way you visually put it into practice every day is the way your image--and branding is cemented. With the prevalence of social media these days, it can be a major component of your branding campaign. l

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SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

5

Lifestyle

Becoming a Student of Life Author Matthew L. Taylor shares the lessons that improved his quality of life and if you’re willing to receive and apply the knowledge, it will improve yours too.

by Andrew Terry Pasieka

I

f you begin to analyze the components that go into creating your image, you come to the realization that the result is as much about how we react to things that happen to us and around us, as it is to what we project ourselves. One might conclude that this heightened selfawareness is like a study of life for as long as you are alive.

Since we are constantly evolving and changing because of what life throws at us, we need to become students of life.

It is in this train of thought that we draw your attention to a book we recently came across that talks just about that.

Student of Life: My Lessons Are Yours is about helping you discover your strengths and using them to change your life.

It’s about showing you how to bring those strengths to the surface so you can discover your true value and potential.

It’s about learning what it takes to create the circumstances that you desire even when it seems like the odds are against you. It’s about re-programming yourself to eliminate what will not improve your life and to embrace what will.

Matthew’s adolescent and young adult years consisted of some bad and good experiences.

He was kicked out of high school a few times. However, during that same period he also travelled North America playing soccer, eventually becoming a champion and instilling in him the habit of practicing discipline. That same discipline is what helped him hone his writing skills significantly in the following years.

He went on to work with some of the best talent in the country and abroad, but mistakes made due to the

Student of Life: My Lessons Are Yours is about helping you discover your strengths and using them to change your life. It’s about showing you how to bring those strengths to the surface so you can discover your true value and potential.

Student of Life: My Lessons Are Yours shines a spotlight on the issues, thoughts and fears of one individual trying to make it in today’s world. The individual is Matthew L. Taylor. His experiences provide motivation, inspiration and guidance. He shares the lessons that improved his quality of life with the hope that if you are willing to receive and apply the knowledge, it will improve yours too.

Matthew L. Taylor is a young man who grew up on the east side of Scarborough, Ontario. By the age of 6 years old he was already writing poems, composing his own songs and winning trophies for playing piano. Known for his gift of gab, it was said that he’d be a lawyer, but his love of creation, encompassing writing and music, proved to be Matthew’s ruling passion.

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pressures of being a young father forced Matthew to do some soul searching in order to fulfill his potential. He went to college as a mature student in 2008; little did he know his powerful essay writing was the beginning of his transition to becoming an author.

Now at 29 years of age, he owns three businesses, spends time talking to youth, and hopes to inspire individuals from all walks of life to become their own student of life. l For more info on Matthew L. Taylor, go to www.MyLessonsareYours.com Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Feb 25 2013)

SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

RED

FEATURE

Painting This Town

by Andrew Terry Pasieka

M

ississauga grew up as the bedroom suburb of Toronto.

When the conglomerate of communities from Lake Ontario on either side of Highway 10 were amalgamated to become the City of Mississauga, a number of the quaint villages with the strongest identities found ways to retain some sort of independence.

One of the proudest and most refreshing of these communities is Port Credit, which has become the City’s culinary and entertainment hub.

A big part of Port Credit’s activities is the summer festival line up. They include the Mississauga Waterfront Festival in June, the Port Credit Busker Fest in August, and Tim Horton’s South Side Shuffle Blues and Jazz Festival in September. However, probably the biggest extravaganza in Port Credit is on Canada Day and is known as PAINT THE TOWN RED.

SJ Magazine had an opportunity to speak with the face of this festival, John Bozzo. We sat down with him one morning in the customer seating area of his very successful business at the eastern edge of Port Credit, La Villa Fine Foods & Bakery. We talked amid a cross-section of heavenly baked aromas!

John Bozzo is a quiet, unassuming man. His personality may belie it, but he has been the perfect leader to take Port Credit successfully through the frantic pace of the weeks leading up to each July 1st.

The first PAINT THE TOWN RED was held in 2003, making this year’s event ten years old. We asked John about how it all started. John smiles, “well, a number of us were sitting around this bar…” He goes on to say that himself, Tommy Donnelly and Jesse Collins came up with the catchy moniker. The obvious connotation was the aim of the organizers: to “paint” Port Credit with as many red Canadian maple leaf flags and to encourage as

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SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

many residents and visitors as possible to “wear the red.” Port Credit graphic artist Frank Bailey designed the original logo that is still used to this day.

The main highlight is the Canada Day parade which was added to the line up of activities in 2010. It is marshalled at the Port Credit Harbour Marina, and runs east along Lakeshore Road from Stavebank Road to Wenonah Avenue almost 2 km away. John says that the 2013 version will have over 70 separate

the response of Mississauga and the GTA to PAINT THE TOWN RED. You can hear the pride in John’s voice when he told us, “we didn’t know what to expect, but we had 30,000 attend our first event.” John says that in recent years, attendance over the entire day is closing in on 50,000.

entries and will take about 60 minutes to pass any one point.

Lakeshore Road will be closed around 10 am and will re-open around noon after the parade. A grand fireworks finale takes place shortly after 10 pm in Port Credit Memorial Park. In between there are multiple staging areas with all day entertainment for the entire family. John Bozzo claims there will be a big 10th anniversary surprise, but “you will have to be there to find out what it is.”

As a long standing member of the Port Credit Business Improvement Association, one of the most proactive BIAs in all of the GTA, John is quick to give the BIA Board credit for being the founding organization and anchor over the years. He may be the leader, but it takes a team to create an event big enough to PAINT THE TOWN RED! l For more information about the day go to www.paintthetownred.ca.

And let’s not forget the cake. We at SJ Magazine are not ashamed to admit to our occasional sweet tooth craving, so we had to ask: the cake is comprised of forty 18” x 26” slabs, and is 8 feet by 16 feet overall!

Over the years it has been vanilla/lemon or chocolate.

It weighs 900 lbs., which includes 180 lbs. of blast frozen butter cream icing, to keep the cake outdoors for four hours and prevent it from spoiling. It takes the staff at La Villa seven days to bake, shape and finish this piece de resistance. When cut into regular pieces, there are upwards of 2500 servings.

But even the gargantuan cake pales in comparison to

SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

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The Design of The Arts and Fashion Somewhere around 2400 years ago, a certain Greek doctor famous for the medical Hippocratic oath, said: “life is short and art is long.”

Hippocrates could have also been talking about life and fashion.

by Andrew Terry Pasieka

O

ver the centuries, from ancient Greece to now, what we call fashion is not only the result of a design of an original creation, but of re-introductions and makeovers of styles from generations (and lives) long in the past.

Sometimes fashions are re-invented more than once, and more often than not, it is the remounting of some stage show or a movie that is a catalyst in bringing this to pass. One of the best examples comes from the celluloid.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, and almost ninety years later, is still being hailed as “the great American novel.”

It has spawned four movies and one made-for-TV flick, but two of them, 1974’s version with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, and this spring’s remake, with Leonardo DeCaprio and Carey Mulligan, have created and are creating fashion that are throwbacks to “the Roaring Twenties.”

Forty years ago, Ralph Lauren was the label that brought a retro Jazz Age Collection back into fashion.

This year, the labels which are giving the period yet another life are Brooks Brothers and Prada. In fact, Prada boutiques are opening this summer in more than one location across the GTA. In this case, being on the cutting edge of fashion has meant “making old new again!”

Other instances of Hollywood influencing fashion were defining moments in the decades when they were introduced, but have since grown or lingered on in a succession of variations. One early example was the introduction of women to slacks in the 1930s and 1940s through the strong screen and off screen presence that was Katherine Hepburn.

Then there was the 1950s emergence of t-shirt and jeans, almost equally credited to vehicles starring Marlon Brando or James Dean. What was considered strictly work wear before is now being presented as casual wear for an informal evening out. Today, electronic and print ads have dared to market them as an attraction.

Jumping to the 1970s and 1980s, two eclectic musidramas were responsible for two fashion fads that, even though are no longer at their peak of influence, still permeate in some styles today. Saturday Night Fever defined the disco era and brought the very visible three-piece, open-neck shirt suit into a “fever

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SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

Period pieces or historical dramas have proven to be the best settings for fashion statements.

Many of the latest styles in Elizabethan fashion; indeed, several of Queen Elizabeth I’s formal gowns, were introduced in Shakespeare’s plays. During Henry VIII’s reign in the next century, plays illustrated the king’s sumptuary law, whose purpose was to regulate dress by social class.

pitch.” In the following decade, Flashdance exposed the world into the focus of unisex fashion, sloppy street/workout styles.

And of course in looking at music itself as a fashion influence, one can name a long list of supernova singers whose wearing apparel (and hair) have conquered generations. Starting with the Fab Four of fifty years ago, the Beatles were original trend-setters.

Since then, artists such as David Bowie, Madonna, Beyonce, and Justin Bieber have started clothing and/or hair trends.

The influence of the theatre stage has been altogether different. Any trends have not been credited to stars as such, or even the story, but more in the setting of the play. It is here that art and fashion have been most intertwined.

Over time, the costume department of the top theatre companies have housed technicians who are, for all intents and purposes, fashion designers, or fashion preservers. The alternate title may be more appropriate, since the view in modern theatre is that any play set at least one generation in the past (to the early 1990s or older) is a period piece.

In the same way, one could make the argument that fashion designers are a type of visual playwright or screenwriter, their team the production company, and their models the cast. Major clothing events showcase fashion operating in a framework of the performing arts. The movement of models on runways are becoming choreographed like a performance of a production. Often the music is deliberately chosen to embody the styles of clothes being modeled.

The intertwining of art and fashion is a marriage of the performing arts and the visual arts. l

The reason is that because performances are live, and the audience has to suspend belief in what they are seeing. Even with the most elaborate of sets or dinner theatre concepts, live performances mean that the audience is “the fourth wall,” and cannot be fully integrated into the play. Film and TV has no such problem, unless the TV show is filmed before a live studio audience.

SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

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Lifestyle

Never Be Satisfied

How To Achieve Beyond Your Potential

by Gloria Pierre

T

here are people who use what they have achieved as stepping stones to future successes.

Two examples are people like Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey. They are always looking for more opportunities, hungering for more challenges. They are always re-inventing themselves and/or using innovations to push themselves and their businesses beyond their perceived limitations. These people have achieved beyond their potential or their capabilities.

Examine their lives and you’ll find three common traits: they are intensely passionate about what they do, they have goals that set them on fire, and they focus on making it happen – no matter what.

``Three common traits: they are intensely passionate about what they do, they have goals that set them on fire, and they focus on making it happen – no matter what.`` but not the passion, you will not achieve the success you desire. In other words, don’t become a painter just because you know how to paint well. Become a painter because you can transform any project you start to something special.

If you have the passion but not the ability or capacity, you can still succeed because you can learn. If you can’t get enough of the fashion industry but hate working in a retail store, consider training to become a fashion designer or a model. Don’t discard your dream of working with palliative patients if you have the passion to nurture and care but don’t have the skills because training is always an option.

Vivid goals that set you on fire People who achieve beyond their potential have goals that light up in full technicolour instead of fading quickly like a firefly. It is so vivid that they can touch it, taste it, see it and smell it. It’s like falling in love.

You can’t get enough and you can’t get it out of your mind. It dictates your waking hours; it may even disturb your sleeping hours. You know it is right for you.

Passion Were you ever told you have unlimited potential? Did you ever capitalize on opportunities that appeared, only to discover at the end that you weren’t as successful as you expected? Success is more likely if you are passionate about the area where you have potential.

Honestly assess your ability or capacity to reach your potential. Are you truly passionate about this area?

Don’t jump at a promotion in one area just because you have leadership potential, when you would prefer a similar promotion in a different department, one where your true passion lies. If you have the ability 12

Make it happen – no matter what When you dream, you see the end result as huge as a billboard. When you step back into the real world, transform your dream into a tangible step-by-step plan and then be patient. Think of your goal as a magnet. When you are intensely focused on a goal, it magnetizes your thinking and attracts opportunities, ideas and people related to it. To leverage them, stay focused. Accept that there will be many roadblocks and that achievements won’t occur overnight. Know what you are willing to give up and what risks you are willing to take. Constantly check in with yourself to ensure the passion is still there and that the goal didn’t change.

You know yourself better than anyone. Don’t let complacency fence you in and never be satisfied. l Gloria Pierre is President of Clearly Speaking.ca and the author of five books.

SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

Now I can succeed!

Strategic Communication Training at its best.

Communication is the one skill everyone uses regardless of their status.

At Clearly Speaking, we understand that every situation is a potential communication challenge and that your success hinges on how well you communicate. Our clients develop a stronger self-image that enables them to express themselves more clearly, more confidently and more concisely.

Women entrepreneurs are the fastest growing business segment in Canada.

However, women in business are more likely to experience difficulty in negotiations, emergencies, conflicts, speaking in groups and being assertive.

Clearly Speaking’s training and workshops break down language barriers, cultural differences and communication challenges to provide a proven approach to helping today’s professionals, entrepreneurs and businesses.

For more information, please contact: Gloria Pierre Speaker, Coach, Author, Presenter & Consultant

(416) 756-4926 info@clearlyspeaking.ca www.clearlyspeaking.ca

facebook.com/ClearlySpeaking @clearlyspeaking ca.linkedin.com/in/gloriapierre

Stacey Enge – Independent Stylist # 153408 416-428-5829 engecrew@gmail.com www.stelladot.com/staceyenge

SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

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Fitness: A Healthy Way of Life Imagine this: you’re half way through your favorite recurring dream featuring you and that gorgeous star from the movie you can never remember the name of on that exotic beach from Discovery Channel you have forgotten the name of. Just as the best part of the dream approaches, you are startled out of your sleep by the piercing screech of your alarm clock. The time is 6:45am.

by Mark Steele

A

fter spending the night on the internet and getting to bed too late again, you tossed and turned in bed just enough to get 5 hours of sleep. That gives you just enough time to get dressed and drag yourself to work.

You think about having breakfast like that trainer, Mark something, recommended, but as you are rushing around still sleepy you check the clock and decide “no time, no energy!” You opt for a coffee and get on your way.

An hour into your work day you feel hungry, so you reach for the bag of chips you’ve had stored in your desk drawer since that company party last week. You’re satisfied, for now. As lunch time approaches you rush to the nearest fast food restaurant, devour the quickest, greasiest, happiest meal they have to offer, and head back to your desk to get more work done before the day is over. You stay late again

once was. With a wealth of distractions screaming for our attention, health and fitness has been pushed far down the priority list. Many of us rationalize “I don’t need to exercise” or “I’m not fat,” or “but these common excuses take away from the importance of maintaining a strong body and mind. Overall health means not just physical fitness, but proper diet as well, and is crucial in efficient functioning for everyone. Can Fit Pro, the largest provider of education in the Canadian fitness industry, outlines the following benefits to overall health: • Reduces the risk of premature death: This means that active people live longer with a better quality of life • Reduces the risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease: This strengthens the heart, cardiovascular system, and respiratory system to help fight cardiovascular disease • Decreases body fat: This means overall health reduces the risk of major life-threatening diseases, including diabetes • Increases muscular strength: Meaning an improvement in your ability to perform daily activities with less effort • Assists in stress management: This means that everyday life becomes more enjoyable because the person has a positive way to deal with stress1

finishing up so you don’t have to carry work over into your already busy weekend partying schedule.

On the way home you think about stopping in at that fitness club because that trainer, Mark Force or something like that, suggested scheduling regular exercise into your week. Again you decide “no time, no energy!” Does this sound like your day-in-the-life?

I have found that exercise is less common today than it 14

All of these benefits stem from the maintenance of a regular exercise routine. The narrative that opened this article is a live account from my very first client. She never had time for exercise, simply because she didn’t make time for it; eventually this led to having no energy for anything. But when she scheduled activity into her life, she slept better, she ate better, her energy levels skyrocketed, and every workout became an anticipated experience, rather than a chore. l http://www.humankinetics.com/exerpts/the-importance-ofhealth-fitness-and-wellness

SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

I

t is difficult to pinpoint exactly when yoga began. It is believed the roots date back 5000 years to the Indus Valley of South Asia, through oral tradition in the form of hymns and chants known as the teachings of The Vedas, an Ancient Sanskrit text. These teachings began the evolution of yoga as we know it today.

Early instruction was on devotional practices and meditation. The work was restricted to religious devotees and aesthetics, lessons were passed down from teacher to student (guru to disciple): to do one’s duty to the best of your ability, be unattached to the results, and to develop an understanding of the soul.

Around the second century AD, Pantajali composed The Yoga Sutras (sutra being thread or pearl) which is a collection of 195 aphorisms, pearls of yogic wisdom. It is within the Sutras that the Eight-Fold Path of Yoga were written. They outline the basis of current yoga practices:

Yoga:Then and Now

The word yoga means to yoke, to join. To practice yoga is to join body, mind and spirit; bringing all aspects of personal being into a place of harmony and balance.

by Wendy Sammut The long term physical benefits encompass the toning and strengthening of muscles, reclaiming a flexible spine, improving circulation, warming and lubricating your joints, increasing lung capacity, improving digestion by hastening the elimination of toxins and waste. Long term mental benefits include teaching the body and mind to work as one, increasing one concentration capabilities, and learning methods for handling stress with calming techniques.

Chris Di Tecco (Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner) validated these benefits by stating:

Yama – Our attitudes towards non-violence, truthfulness (the power of words), non-covetousness, and moderation; Niyama – Our attitudes toward ourselves, including personal cleanliness, cultivation of contentment/inner peace; self-inquiry and devotion; Asana – The practice of body exercises (hatha yoga); Pranayama – The practice of breathing exercises; Pratyahara – The restraint of the senses; Dharana – The ability to direct our mind (beginning of meditation); Dhyana – The ability to develop interactions with what surrounds us; Samadhi – Complete integration (enlightenment, bliss, Nirvana).

In the 1960’s and 1970’s interest in Eastern Philosophy exploded. Those searching for peace, love and happiness embraced this alternate school of thought drawing on the principle of non-violence to create a different kind of rebellion. Societal responses included vegetarianism, free love, and women’s liberation. A hedonistic and open culture resulted, peaking with Transcendental Meditation.

The work of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi became the fashion, spurred on by his association with The Beatles.

“As an acupuncturist I often recommend yoga to patients as either a lifestyle choice for a positive impact in overall health and well being or as therapeutic exercise following an injury or protracted illness. There are many similarities shared between yoga and traditional Chinese medicine and integrating both is natural and easy. With any patient asking for recommendations for exercise I always suggest yoga whether it be for stress management, injury recovery or even for a restorative program to bring back health and vitality after a protracted illness.”

Dr. Shaun Demeris, (Doctor of Chiropractic), had this to say in corroboration: “After 10 years of practice, I see that balanced exercise and good nutrition are key to maintenance of health. I believe that yoga has a very positive impact on the health of many of my patients. I recommend it on a regular basis, as people of all fitness levels can participate in this activity. It aids in the balance of muscles, increases core strength, and is very relaxing for patients. I continuously recommend yoga to back pain patients for the physical aspects of it, but I also see great benefits to patients that struggle with anxiety and depression. It has had an excellent calming effect. I personally feel that yoga can be a component in the maintenance of good health for people of different fitness and health levels.”

There are many styles of yoga teaching available. Take the time to do some research, and ask questions of the instructors. Try a few classes, and find a practice that feels right to you. It should be one that supports any injuries or limitations you might be working with and one that meshes with your personality. It could well be the best decision you’ve ever made. There’s a reason why this 5000 year-old practice is still around and growing: it really works! l

SJ Magazine | Summer 2013

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20 SJ Magazine | Summer 2013