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A little photo diary. If you have the app, come play with me :: @kateUdurie

Pausing to capture a moment lights up gratitude. Real-time journaling is so liberating. xo

. NATURE RXs & SERENDIPITOUS REFLECTIONS
Today was {is} a true Saturday. The gift of simply BEING...without any set agenda or specific plan to really DO or ACCOMPLISH a n y t h i n g.
Our hearts were simply called by nature, by the trees, & their spectacular colours. The simplicity and power in mama nature’s capacity to recalibrate, restore, reset, recharge feels mystical, but yet is scientifically backed. So basically it’s as solid as it gets. ;)
We treasured every step, every smell, every sound, every sight, every sensation...moments of silence, memories, reflections, connection & all the spaces in between.
And of course I made a leaf nest.
And sat in it.
And laid in it.
Simultaneously rooted in present moment joy, while being transported back to my childhood.
This rich offering of white space also gifted me time for digestion, reflection, absorption & integration of moments & experiences, lessons and learnings. Little bits here & there. Sometimes these moments are fleeting, sometimes they stick.
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After our hike, I was soaking in a book & this quote serendipitously emerged:
"You must assume responsibility for being here.
You must make every act count,
since you are going to be here for only a short while.
Treat every act as if it were your last act on earth." - Don Juan
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It stitched together many little bits - including a powerful nugget from a beautiful conversation I shared with a friend in class on Friday, one that I had been reflecting on in Gatineau Park.
To make a long story short, this beautiful soul shared the following words “with every right, comes a responsibility.” In fact, she shared this within the context of an incredible experience in nature! .
In reflection the pieces came together like this:
Our greatest “right”, the one WE HAVE ALL be given,
is the right to BE. Alive. Here. On earth.
At this time.
HOW we live it...is our responsibility.
How we live this life is our responsibility.
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There is so much to unpack. So much more to say. But for now it calls me to the Bhagavad Gita, “When you know who you are, you will know what to do.”
Who
What
How
... and the journey continues

. GOING IN
This is a little love note to share my teaching schedule at @pureyogaottawa & @pranashantiyoga between now & gulp, November 30th. It’s s p a r c e ...
I would be so grateful to share a practice with you before I head off to Costa Rica with our YTT tribe for an intensive journey IN to this thing we call Yoga!
Possibilities for practice before I leave are::
FRIDAY, OCT 12
9:30am FLOW, @pureyogaottawa CT
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SUNDAY, OCT, 14
2:00pm FLOW, @pureyogaottawa CT
.
MONDAY, OCT 15
9:30am FLOW, @pureyogaottawa Westboro
12:00pm WARM FLOW @pranashantiyoga
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TUESDAY, OCT 16
12:00pm WARM YIN, @pranashantiyoga .
WEDNESDAY, OCT 17
9:30am FLOW/YIN, @pureyogaottawa Westboro
5:45pm YOGA+MEDITATION, @pranashantiyoga (not heated, very similar to my FLOW/YIN class)
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In the meantime, I am devoted to preparations and focus and doing what my brain needs to give this offering my whole heart and full presence.
Living my Yoga.
Well, let’s be honest I’m practicing.
Not easy.
Worth it.
This kind of work, these kinds of choices ... ask that we GO IN.
For me, they require that I do.
Even though I don’t always ‘like’ the clarity that I receive, with practice, I have learned to act on it, to trust it, to trust in this process, the process, and my own inner knowing.
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My first class back after the ones above will be FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 at @pureyogaottawa CT.
If we don’t cross paths in a heart-to-heart in the flesh kind of way before then ... may this weekend be full of THANKS, and may the weeks that follow be punctuated with moments of pause & moments of gratitude for all that we are, and all that we have.
One breath.
One moment.
One intentional choice at a time.
.
.
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📷 @konjinius xo
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. THE HE{ART} OF STILLNESS
On my last journey to Bali I found myself in search of silence, in search of stillness ... and ended up at a self-guided silence retreat centre of sorts. Twice, during the month long trip.
This sanctuary was nestled in the middle of ‘nowhere’, surrounded by rice fields, jungle and a monastery in the distance. An ashram style set-up and experience. Each guest staying different lengths of time, some a month or longer, some just a day or two, and everything in between, each of us on our own inward journey ... in silence.
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I always travel with a lot of books.
Serendipitously the book that emerged from my suitcase upon arrival at the Silent Retreat Centre was Pico Iyer’s The Art of Stillness. A gift from my dear mother, the goddess of books and literature. And I couldn’t have dreamt up a more divine offering for that very moment.
That moment, those feelings, that experience, those memories still near and dear to my heart and that book is being called to be read again.
.
“In an age of speed,
I began to think,
nothing could be more invigorating
than going slow.
In an age of distraction,
nothing can feel more luxurious
than paying attention.
And in an age of constant movement,
nothing is more urgent than sitting still.
You can go on vacation to Hawaii or New Orleans three months from now,
and you’ll have a tremendous time, I’m sure.
But if you want to come back feeling new - alive and full of fresh hope and in love with the world –
I think the place to visit may be Nowhere.” - Pico Iyer
📷 @konjinius .
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#goin #stillness #silence #theartofsilence #morningmusings #meditation #practice #mindfulness #loveaffairwithlife #love #onebreath #onemoment #oneintentionalchoiceatatime #thankyou #bali #bigsur #esalen #balisilentretreat #thecushion #sohum #me #purusha

. LOVE YO BRAIN
We are so blessed to live in a city that embraces so many incredible forms of healing. The places & spaces, the people & practices available to us is at an unprecedented high. We are living in blessed times. .
But navigating all these choices can be daunting, sometimes confusing, and often pricey. An investment in our most precious resource (our health, our well-being, our quality of life) is ultimately priceless, but not if we’re unsure what choice to make. The bills can stack up. Oye, right!?
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Hence why I’m so grateful that community leaders like @isospa, those that truly believe, that trust in the healing capacity of what they offer give us the chance to see & feel for ourselves.
Knowing that ultimately, healing is a personal journey. Not a one-size fits all. There’s also no quick fix. So if it’s a fit, the magic is in the consistency, a continued ongoing or regular practice...
(Although floating, for me, has immediate benefits, they do get stronger with time)
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Floating is an incredible healing tool for SO MANY REASONS (a topic for another post), and has been such a nourishing addition to my healing toolkit as I’ve learned how to provide my brain with the love it needs, so that I can live in harmony with this #TBI.
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Best of all ...
@isospa has been a huge supporter of @loveyourbrain Ottawa, providing many free passes and special discounts to our community. We’re so grateful for Mika & Jason’s support and generosity!! Thank you, we love you!!
And we hope many of our grads have found a new tool to help them take healing into their own hands! Peace IN, peace OUT. May the power of floating be with you...
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#isofloat #floatation #sensorydeprivation #meditation #whitespace #antigravity #pratyahara #healing #ottawa #loveyourbrain #concussion #tbi #braininjury

. THE PRACTICE
may you always
be the one
who notices the little things
that make the light
pour through,
and may they always
remind you:
there is more to life
and
there is more to you.
- morgan harper nicholas
.
.
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#thecracks #liftingtheveils #light #youare #weare #onelight #dividedbybillions #purusha #remembering #morningprayer #morningmeditation #practice #beherenow #notice #see #you #justkeepshowingup #perspective #shift #onebreath #onemoment #oneintentionalchoiceatatime
#winston

. A SEA OF HEARTS
Somewhere between holding on and letting go. Between earth and sky. Grounded and fluid. Centred and expansive. Together and alone. Embraced and free. Root and rise. Beginnings and endings. Inhale and exhale.
Is the heart.
What a powerful force.
Feeling into that very space as I reflect on another season of #PHY come & gone. The many blessings of this community. Of sharing this practice in such a powerful way. Of moving and breathing in a sea of hearts. Week after week. All in the name of this thing we call Yoga.
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
To the creators & makers @lululemon
To the teachers & guides
To the community & our raison d’être
May we be so honoured to reunite again next year

. ALL THE FEELS
Some kinda combination between ...
Your first kiss
AND
Christmas morning
Butterflies in your belly, heart racing.
Nervous, excited, brimming with anticipation, possibility, unknowns, and sheer joy.
Baring witness to the wonders of being human coursing through your veins is such an incredible thing.
.
Months waiting while she was being lovingly & masterfully created, constructed, built, dried, tuned, & prepared for her journey.
As her final journey began, delivery notifications teased me for days. India. California. Ontario. Ottawa. And all the rest stops in between.
At long last, the final notification...
Today marked my pilgrimage to the post office.
Then, a day of errands w/ the unopened box sitting in the trunk. A deep practice of patience.
Finally home.
The feeling of opening the box. Holding her. Setting her down at the altar, in front of my meditation cushion.
Our journey together began.
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This picture was taken with her, my beautiful Harmonium, mmmmm two minutes later. .
Moments after that, notes from YTT with @janetstoneyoga pulled out (she gifted us with an unexpected Harmonium lesson w @natkendallyoga & @sitadeviyogini - vision board/life goals/bucket list moment)
Little pieces of paper cut to place above each key marking C, D, E, F...
A few deep breaths.
We have a long journey ahead of us, I whispered to her.
Keys depressed, bellows engaged.
My heart remembered, & would guide my practice.
We played & chanted.
My mind was stiff, thinking hard. Fingers where again?! My notes are not as detailed as I remembered! C E G, then C F A, then...What!? Where?! Start again. Why doesn’t this sound right!? How do I pump the bellows again!? Maybe she’s out of tune? My fingers and wrist already hurt.
But slowly, my mind began to drop into my heart. Moments of remembering through feeling. Glimpses.
More will come.
Thinking + heart wisdom will travel this path together. Eventually m’heart, soul, feels & the vibration will lead the way. One breath, one moment, one intentional choice at a time.
To keep showing up.
To keep practicing.
To keep learning.
To keep walking this path...of love & devotion. With love & devotion.
I can’t with to share it! xo

. SIT
Just keep showing up.
Add a few drops of svadhyaya, and it will unfold.
Ditch the mind’s deep desire to make it complicated. Once your practice is deeply rooted, there will be plenty of space for that (should YOU desire). Simply start by showing up, every day.
Forgive yourself, fully, when you don’t.
Svadhyaya instead.
Waste no time in judgment.
A little bit, a lot of days.
The journey of a lifetime.
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#athayoganusasanam #svadhyaya #livingthe8limbs #practice #sit #meditation #mindfulness #love #yogachittavrittinirodha #peace #possibility #whitespace #justthis #sohum #pratyhara #dharana #dhyana #showup #sadhana #onebreath #onemoment #oneintentionalchoiceatatime

$. ROOTED Sometimes firmly rooted in. Sometimes firmly rooted down. Sometimes firmly rooted out. Sometimes a little of all three. . But, is that possible? Do roots work that way? Can we feel rooted in those ways, in all of those ways? Separately? Together? What does it mean to feel rooted, be rooted? . Sometimes what feel like branches become roots, and roots become branches. Sometimes we get disconnected from the whole, we lose touch with our roots, whether we have roots, whether we’re rooted at all, or unsure what we’re rooted into, whether the nutrients are getting through, wondering where we’re truly rooted, and maybe even why. . Sometimes we get uprooted. Sometimes partially. Roots pulled on, loosened. We lose the firmness, the groundedness, the sureness, the solidity of me. What we thought, what we knew, making space for something different, something new. Sometimes FULLY. Roots pulled right out. No ground. The big ones, the holyshifts, the falls, the setbacks, the breakdowns and breakthroughs, the endings, transitions, losses and change, the lessons and learnings, the rememberings, re-learnings, awakenings, that can hurt on a different level of pain. . And all of it is perfect, and possible. Rooted in all directions. In a moment. Then it changes. I touch in, I root down, I share out. From where? The only still point there is. . . . 📷 @konjinius _/\_ xo . . . #morningmusings #purusha #soul #onelight #dividedbybillions #divine #truenature #meditation #rooted #yoga #love #thepath #home #omnamahshivaya #all #in #livingthe8limbs #practice #onebreath #onemoment #oneintentionalchoiceatatime$

$. BLISSED & BLESSED Wednesday’s are special days. First, I have the honour of guiding a dreamy 9:30am FLOW/YIN practice at @pureyogaottawa Westboro. Second, I switch gears into student mode & head to {Yoga Church} for 12:00pm aka #PHY. Today was extra special - practicing with my first teacher, @blissology aka Eoin Finn, who joined us from Vancouver!! The #Blissologyisms & LOVE & PLAY & invitations to step into our joy body were in true form. Thank you Eoin, thank you @lululemon!! Third, I give myself the gift of white space & get my silent cocoon on until teaching my one & only evening class - this pause is an essential ingredient in the delicate & sacred art of brain love. And last, I head to @pranashantiyoga to guide my LAST PRACTICE for a week, essentially a FLOW/YIN kate-vibe class called YOGA + MEDITATION at 5:45pm. Looking forward to sharing this dreamy practice, a divine bookend to a most special day ... AND It marks a powerful choice. One that feels like this picture! Practicing my power to choose LOVE. To love my brain, even when it’s hard. Which is my invisible & full-time job. I’m taking a week off from teaching to give my brain what it needs to focus, to do JUST ONE THING, which is give my whole heart, my full presence, my undivided attention - quite literally - as literally as possible ... as I prepare for our 200hr YTT to Costa Rica in November. I am SO STOKED!!! These choices, that in the making, so often feel like no’s {but are actually yes’s}; they are NOT easy. But time after time, when I trust in love, when I make the loving choice - even when it’s hard, especially when it’s hard - I am always served with grace. Not easy, always worth it. It’s a practice. And I AM practicing. xo _/\_$

$. BE STILL MY HEART We walk around every single day, in a living temple. In fact, WE ARE walking miracles. Every single one of us. We don’t have to peel back the layers very far - quite literally we just have to look in, beneath the skin - to awaken this awe, this wonder, to see the sheer living miracle that is our body, our brain, our heart, our mind; this divine being, this life. . We are a living temple. We are a walking miracle. And...how quickly, how often, we forget. . This practice helps me remember. And it is the great blessing of my life to share it. . My heart is still feeling tender, my soul is still feeling the resonance from our #PHY practice on the Hill 2 weeks ago. To share this practice. To share this remembering with YOU. I felt your hearts. I witnessed your temples being nourished with love. It was a great honour to bow to the miracle that is YOU, this, us. . Deep gratitude is owed to mama nature (no rain!) & THE LOVE TRIBE - making this special edition #PHY pure magic! . We celebrated this thing we call Yoga. We celebrated community. We celebrated @lululemon who makes offerings like this possible for our community. But in particular, we celebrated the human beings behind the scenes at @lululemon who have been instrumental in supporting, cheering, inspiring, guiding, & funding this dream to bring the @loveyourbrain program to Canada, to Ottawa since the beginning. Years in the making. We celebrated our 1st FULL YEAR runnin the #LYB program at @pranashantiyoga, a place where explore the healing powers of yoga, meditation & guided discussion for people who have a #concussion or #TBI! AND We celebrated the single largest DONATION to date. That donation came in the amount of $10,500! ! ! From @lululemon...funds from #internationalyogaday. A day lulu boldly chose to donate all profits to their #HeretoBe partners & programs. & SOME HOW, thanks to power of LOVE & movers of mountains some of those funds made its way to us! Ultimately, we celebrated what I believe lives at the heart of this practice, at the heart of this community & at the heart of the great teacher {my #braininjury} that led me to this path... L O V E . t h a n k y o u _/\_ xo$

$. PEACE IN PEACE OUT The divine soul behind @womandivineskincare is one of those humans who has tapped into her dharma, her calling, her purpose; in service to the world through her own unique expression of this offering. . I feel so blessed to have found her. Thanks to @ambular80 & @ashewch who both radiated about their experiences with Magdalena. Both loyal, long term clients. After my first experience with Magdalena many months ago, I couldn’t stop talking about it ... and in conversations, especially with fellow Yogi’s like @tiffaniharrisyoga and many more, I realized she has quite the fan club. Each with their own unique love story about their experience. . Her treatments are pure loving self-care. Rooted in deep wisdom traditions, practice, passion, years & years of training, this woman continues to soak-in knowledge & teachings & learnings by following her heart and what speaks to her soul. This healing lab, as she calls it, is just that. Peace in Peace out . This particular yogi is floating out of her oasis this afternoon feeling so grateful!! . AND, under Magdalena’s guidance & care, I got off a prescription medicated face gel I had been on for a decade or longer, as well as other yucky products ... it’s been a long journey transitioning to more natural products for my body & skin. Lots of trial & error. Falling on & off the wagon. But I have been solidly ON this new regime since starting with @womandivineskincare and am adding a new element to my skin care ritual as of today. The journey continues. One loving choice at a time. . Thank you Magdalena!! You are a magical soul!! And thank you Amber & Ashley for paving the way here _/\_ xo . . .$

$. LIFE & LOVE CELEBRATED This is something we practice every day... celebrating life, celebrating love (at least we do our best aka we’re wholeheartedly committed to the practice that’s forsure)! BUT this weekend was a special edition celebration of LIFE & LOVE. I had the privilege of celebrating THIS GUY’s life. Sharing another year together is a blessing that I do not take for granted!! This is why life & love needs to be celebrated in the spaces {in between}. In the moments. The seemingly mundane, every day ones. That’s the real gift, the practice. And that takes practice. Carving out these special edition moments are so crucial. Birthdays, and all important holidays, serve as spiritual punctuation marks, potent reminders, sparks, sacred pauses ... tuning us back into the energy behind that celebration, reconnecting us with the thread that we intend to weave into our tapestry of how we live & love each other throughout the year. It’s a BOTH/AND situation. . For this particular special edition life celebration — a decadent staycation at the @andazottawa felt like the most divine way to share the greatest gift we have ... Time, time shared. In love. We want to share experiences. Being tourists in our own city. The most epic sunny weekend. Walks through the market, along the river & locks. Over-the-top service at @feastandrevel & #thecopperlounge! Sublime views from our dream suite. Rooftop sunset. Fireworks show. And. So. Much. More. Honestly, The Andaz is filled with incredible humans, passion, creative details at every turn, thoughtful & top notch service. Again & again. This is the ‘secret sauce’ in my books & my favourite kind of business to support + spend time at. . Back to THIS GUY @jason_welyki$

. WANDER...IN
Here’s to a love-fuelled weekend.
Wherever your wanderings take you, may you carve out a little space, to wander IN.
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On some level I think we’re all trying to find ourselves. Looking for ourselves. When the truth is, we’ve been HERE all along. We don’t have to go anywhere. For the most part, we just need to stop looking out there. There’s really nothing to ‘find’ - YOU were never lost. You’ve been IN here the whole time. Beneath the layers & the untruths. Beneath the histories & the stories. The hurts & the fears. The distractions & the noise.
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Wanderin’
WanderIN
W A N D E R I N
.
This practice, this path, this thing we call Yoga hands us the roadmap, the guide, the tools, the practices, the teachings to do just that. To tap into the ‘YOU underneath the you’ — we learn how to find, how to see, how to know, how to love, how to be, ourselves.
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One breath. One moment.
One intentional choice at a time.
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📷 @konjinius
#wanderin #wandering #lostandfound #yoga #trust #courage #sit #goin #practice #yamasniyamas #capitalYyoga #livingpractice #8limbs #love #practicelove #onebreath #onemoment #oneintentionalchoiceatatime

$. HANDS UP HEART OPEN ALL IN Hold it right there. The LAST 2 SPOTS in our @pureyogaottawa YTT INTENSIVE in Costa Rica this November are going to fill fast! These 2 spots just came ‘back up for grabs’ & there’s lots of interest flowing in. So... . If you’ve been holding your breath & living on a prayer. Waiting for that just right moment. For all the things to sort themselves out. For work & home to calm right down. For the bank account to flesh out. For that special sign, that tingle, that little whisper that says ... NOW. I get you. I was you. I am you. This is huge! A huge investment in YOU. And it’s our human nature to do & think & feel all these things. And.... . You might just keep waiting. And waiting. OR You might need to wait. OR Maybe, THIS. IS. IT. Often we realize all those things never happen at once. At least not on their own. When we just KNOW on a heartNsoul level, we figure it out. We find a way, and the rest of it works itself out. Sometimes to step into the deep YES’s, there are some challenging NO’s & choices along the way. Sometimes that takes time. Maybe you’re planting those seeds now, maybe you’re ready. If THIS is for you ... let’s make this step on your journey come true. Message myself or the incredible + Santa Teresa/Costa Rica guru @tiffaniharrisyoga with questions. Email kristen@pureyogaottawa.com to talk registration & put that deposit down to claim your spot / talk payment plans, etc + more deets on @pureyogaottawa’s site under Workshops & Training . My hands are up, My heart is open, and I’m ALL IN!!! Can’t wait to go on this journey together! xo _/\_$