My Instagram Gallery

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

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

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

. WANDER...IN
Here’s to a love-fuelled weekend.
Wherever your wanderings take you, may you carve out a little space, to wander IN.
.
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.
.
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.
.
One breath. One moment.
One intentional choice at a time.
.
.
.
📷 @konjinius
#wanderin #wandering #lostandfound #yoga #trust #courage #sit #goin #practice #yamasniyamas #capitalYyoga #livingpractice #8limbs #love #practicelove #onebreath #onemoment #oneintentionalchoiceatatime

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

. QUIET BLESSINGS
When you get to share your sacred morning practice with this guy.
Quiet blessings.
.
.
.
#sadhana #practice #morningmeditation #tapas #onebreath #onemoment #oneintentionalchoiceatatime #showup #breathe #be #bestillandknow #gurumantra #love #thisisyoga #peace #shanti #blessings

$. PHY LOVE TRIBE WANTED Can you believe it, next week is August!! Which means I have the honour of guiding a very special practice, on my very favourite PHY day, once again, and it’s less than 2 weeks away. . WILL YOU JOIN ME? Wed. Aug. 8, 12-1pm I would be so grateful for a LOVE TRIBE to come out & DEMO with me, to share this experience with me & hopefully some of the other LYB teachers, grads & community. If it’s a YES, please send me your email by DM, FB message, or contact me in your preferred way so I can send you the plan. Not quite sure, check out the VIBE below. . THE VIBE It will be a slow flow style practice. Think of it like a mindful moving meditation, inspired by the @loveyourbrain program! Very similar to last year, if you were there. _/\_ Let’s call it a #LoveYourBrain inspired practice, in honour of: the TBI/Concussion/Brain Injury community, loving our brains period, this incredible organization LoveYourBrain & the wholehearted souls behind it, and the free 6-week Yoga, Meditation & Guided Discussion program that we get to offer at our generous partner studio @pranashantiyoga @lululemon this company is built/run by human beings cut from magical cloth, who choose to invest in community partners to help make miracles happen every day. These souls have been at the heart of my heart since the beginning of this journey, and we have some pretty big news to share thanks to some mountain-moving lemons!! . PARLIAMENT HILL YOGA For me, #PHYoga is a celebration of community & a celebration of love - the love we share for this path, this practice, this thing we call Yoga, for each other, for all beings, for ourselves, and this thing we call life. Here’s to 11 years of that. Hope to see many of you then! Hope to hear from those who want to be LOVE TRIBE DEMOers soon! Deep pranams, waves of love & rays of gratitude. xo _/\_$

$. ATHA YOGA ANUSHASANAM This breath. This moment. Now ... is Yoga Now ... is the Teaching Now ... is the Practice And NOW is when we begin. Again & again & again. . A continual return to my heart. . It has been such a rich journey working with ATHA {uh-thuh} in my own practice I had to share. Exploring the beginning of the beginning SUTRA 1.1 with our community in our collective, our shared practice, on the mat this week has been powerful beyond measure. Thank you, thank you, thank you. . Join me at @pranashantiyoga this evening 5:45pm for our last class with this SUTRA {for now}. On Friday, our journey continues on at @pureyogaottawa Centretown 9:30am ... . As we continue expanding what we understand Yoga to be... What is Yoga? When DOES yoga begin? When does it end? ... or does it? . . . 📷 @konjinius an epic yogi photographer on a day much like today, at the one & only @esalen. Thank you Nina!!! xo _/\_$

. NATURE RX
A lot of really
great
things
have happened
while
sitting
under a tree.
.
Just sayin’.
.
Feeling the sacredness of this oak tree.
.
This weekend’s suburbia pilgrimage
for water & trees,
for the Nature Rx,
uncovered more unexpected
places n spaces,
beauty n abundance,
where I once thought there was none;
more blessings & lessons,
where I once felt a sense of lack.
.
So grateful, so grateful.
Keep clearing the skies.
Stay open, stay open.
We don’t have to go far.
Cuz the grass
is always greenest,
on the
inside.
.
.
.
#naturerx #gratitude #santosha #whereeveryougothereyouare #practice #capitalYyoga #livingthe8limbs #boddhitree #boddhisatva #buddha #shift #mindset #perspective #peace #possibility #free #heartmind #treemusings

. FALLING IN LOVE
As musical legends, The Rolling Stones, once said:
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes ...
You just might find
You get what you need.
.
This beautiful instrument I hold in my hands here is called a Harmonium.
It was love at first sight.
Many years ago.
I fell in love with her offerings from the very first moment I was graced with her vibration in a class that my bestie took me to in Vancouver. I remember @paprikamarika saying, you are going to LOVE Tina. She was right (always is!) Tina was a soulful creature AND began class with this beautiful instrument, something I had never seen or witnessed before.
Turns out it was a harmonium.
Fast forward...
A few years later, I unexpectedly stumbled into a chanting class w/ @janetstoneyoga at @wanderlustfest #Tremblant.
How? The class I registered for got rained out. Disappointed. Yes.
But, was being redirected, as is the way of the Universe & I ended up getting exactly what I needed.
Another encounter w/ this mysterious & magical instrument AND the opportunity to walk straight thru disappointment, straight thru fear & into love.
Janet guided us through a few chants.
Do I remember which ones? Nope.
Do I remember how the experience made me feel, yes yes yes.
In fact it created a magnetic pull, that drew me to find Janet again — eventually leading me to Esalen w/ her in June.
Where, yet again, I greeted the wisdom of the Stones’ lyrics in many shapes & forms:
You can’t
always
get
what
you want
But if you
[show up fully, stay open, & trust]
You just might find,
You get what you neeeeeeed
.
... out of which,
THIS moment emerged.
Not knowing, not expecting, that this training would include a lil hands-on experience w/ the mystical creation that is the harmonium.
The possibility lay resting on my Yoga #lifegoals list, but in no way did I imagine it was coming to fruition any time soon.
But then it did.
Thank YOU @janetstoneyoga, @natkendallyoga & @sitadeviyogini for sharing your devotion & love for this practice, for this magnificent instrument!
Much MUCH practice awaits me when my @ragamala_harmoniums arrive in August!!
.
📷 Frances Tutt ❤️

. BE THE LIGHT
Like mother, like son.
This guy ... our little sundial. Like a magnet, he travels around the house in search of the light, back to the source, again & again.
No matter how small the ray, he soaks it all in.
As Yogi Bhajan said, “Travel light, love light, spread the light. Be the light.” AND
Be IN the light? Whatever works, right!?
Solar powered. Just like his mama.
But let’s be honest, this guy is our guru in so so so many ways.
.
As I soaked in the wisdom & reminders & richness of this moment and the many teachings within in ... Dr. King’s words began to rise up from my heart.
Thanks for the divine inspiration Winston.
.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate:
only love can do that.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,
A Testament of Hope
.
.
.
#light #love #bethelight #backtothesource #youarelight #divinelight #purusha #shakti #guru #winston #martinlutherking #yogibhajan #solarpower #soularpower #gratitude #thismoment

. PEACE IS A POWERFUL THING
This space steals my heart, again & again.
The yogis I have the privilege of practicing with break my heart wide open, again & again.
.
Today we started our journey into SANTOSHA, right here, in this space.
.
Sunlight pouring in, wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, love & possibility. Each of us blessed by the grace of practicing Yoga:
on a Friday morning at 9:30am, together, in community, with minds open & brains able to steep in these teachings, with hearts willing to walk this path,
with bodies capable of these movements & lungs capable of breathing through them,
the means & resources to afford it, the will to choose it,
the time to invest in it
ALL THIS & SO MUCH MORE.
.
And yet, and YET...
And yet we struggle to feel content, at ease, at peace w/ ourselves, our moments, our lives.
I feel pretty confident in saying that struggle is real & true for all of us, every single one of us, perhaps sometimes, perhaps often.
But wanna know the incredible thing? It doesn’t have to be & that shift towards sometimes - towards less & less - is completely possible. What feels like a miracle (maybe even an impossibility) is completely, fully & wholly within you — right now.
And this, I know to be true.
.
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” - Wayne Dyer
.
Santosha, this beautiful jewel, the second Niyama on our 8 Limbed Path of Yoga, is the practice of contentment / an inner state of contentment, equanimity, ease, or peace. A state of mind, a state of being.
It’s subtle. It’s nuanced. It’s often misunderstood. It can feel complicated. Paradoxical. It’s countercultural. It’s many layered. Mmmmm of course it is, we’re talking about human consciousness, the deep layers of self, we’re talking about awakening our lives from the inside out, we’re talking about freeing our minds & our hearts, our lives.
And this journey just gets richer & richer w/ every breath, w/ every moment we devote to it, every moment we show up for, every choice we make w/ love, w/ presence, with curiosity, w/ intention.
.
I’ve been AND I’m being transformed by this practice. The journey continues. See you on Sunday! xo
.
.

$. BE Y O U This practice will look different for each of us. . . . The Bhagavad Gita teaches that “Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” . . . That freedom is something we get to explore, learn, bump-up against, greet, face, observe, witness, practice, and practice, and practice ... again & again, every time we step on the mat. Every time we open to these teachings, in any aspect or area or moment in our life. On or off the mat, on or off the cushion. . . . So, as you know, I teach a lot of warm & hot practices, but if HOT or WARM yoga ain’t yo’thang ... Join me at @pranashantiyoga on WEDNESDAY evenings at 5:45pm for a FLOW/YIN style practice in regular air room ;) ... it’s called YOGA + MEDITATION. But it’s mostly just a slow, mindful, meditative Kate-style practice. . . . Embrace YOUR path, on the journey home! . . . Wanna go deeper? Join me in Costa Rica this November for a @pureyogaottawa 200hr Yoga Intensive with @tiffaniharrisyoga!! Let’s explore this capital Y Yoga journey in the jungle, by the ocean, together. We’re keeping it super small & intimate to REGISTER NOW to reserve your spot! katedurie.com/workshops for deets, links etc xo _/\_$

$. AH-SA-NA We couldn’t help ourselves. Somehow {& I swear we didn’t plan it} @pureyogaottawa sisters @ashewch & @jackiebeaudoin & m’self all showed up to the studio on Friday in matching gear. Soooo, we memorialized it, with this straight up asana shot. ;) LOL L O V E Y O U ! Have I mentioned how grateful, blessed, and grounded I feel to be home with my yogi family, this incredible community ... !? home IS where the heart is xo _/\_$

$. THE ORIGINAL OG Who that be, you ask? It’s Mother Nature, Mama Earth, Divine Mother. The original OG, the most ancient guru. . This past month was such an honouring of our most beloved OG AND an honour - It was a true honour to celebrate, to experience, to observe, to witness, to learn from, to cherish, to reflect, and to simply be with her wisdom, her grace, her teachings. . But the thing is, we don’t have to go very far to do this. We can practice & connect with the most ancient guru, anytime, anywhere, and in any moment. . Yes, there are many powerful & breathtaking places to pilgrimage and explore, ashrams, temples, spiritual centres studios, shalas & the like to visit and practice in ... this waterfall for example which was nestled deep in a beautiful red wood forest, or the sacred grounds & spaces of Esalen being another. Tots! But, as a documentary I recently watched expressed so clearly, she {Mother Nature} will always remain the most sacred place on the planet. . Her reach is profound, her offerings (her resources) touch every aspect of our life, and her wisdom eternal. She’s unable to ask for anything in return, but if we listen, if we cultivate clear seeing...we know there is an energetic exchange that may be out of balance. With a guru like this, one can’t help but be inspired, perhaps humbled, deeply grateful, and taken over by a sense of love & devotion. . At least I am. Which has brought up some yummies for reflection. A few of the many questions I’m pondering are... what is my relationship with her, how will I continue to learn from/with her, how do I practice my devotion, gratitude, knowledge, how can I be in conscious exchange with her, how can I integrate this into my life practice (thought, word, action, choices), how can I translate these teachings in my life (asteya, brahmacharya, svadhyaya, just to make a few...)? To honour the original OG, the one who so selflessly honours you & me. xo _/\_$

$. THIS | WE'RE GOING IN This magical {ocean side} jungle that our @pureyogaottawa family has fallen in love with is the home of our first destination YTT intensive! • JOIN @tiffaniharrisyoga & I in Costa Rica this November 2018: https://www.pureyogaottawa.com/workshops/pure-yoga-200hr-teacher-training-intensive-in-santa-teresa-costa-rica-with-kate-durie-tiffani-harris {clickable on FB} • IS THIS FOR ME? Although our 200hr YTT's *are* Yoga Alliance Certified ... and *will* absolutely prepare you to step onto the path of sharing this incredible thing we call Yoga (Jai!!), this journey is by no means designed exclusively for the yogi who wants to teach... You *may* want to teach: immediately some day, never, or who knows. And each of these possibilities are PERFECT, could change, and will evolve as we walk this path together. • Yoga is a LIVING PRACTICE ... and whether we teach in the formal sense of the word or not, deepening our practice, deepening our connection to these teachings, deepening our understanding of the full breadth of capital Y Yoga, deepening our connection, understanding and clarity of self -- we become a teacher simply through how we live our life. One breath. One moment. One intentional choice at a time. • I am SO STOKED, SO HONOURED to be your guide alongside Tiffani, and the wisdom of this sacred space/place we get to practice in. We're keeping this YTT small, intimate, hands-on, magic. So, if you hear the WHISPER ... ANSWER THE CALL ... you won't regret it! I can attest to that first hand 🙌💕✨ _/\_ OM NAMASTE xo • • • #pureYTT #pureyogaottawa #yttcostarica #ytt #ottawayoga #practice #goin #capitalYyoga #awakening #thepath #answerthecall #liveyouryoga #onebreath #onemoment #oneintentionalchoiceatatime$

$. ONE - OH - EIGHT One hundred & eight, 108 ... a most auspicious number on this path we walk. This morning I was soaking in the memories, integrating, and remembering all the ways we toured & explored this energetic mandala of sorts during our many weeks at Esalen with @janetstoneyoga. ** see below for the 3 highlights ** • INTENTION | INTEGRITY | INSPIRATION + INTEGRATION at hOMe These 3 words formed the theme that was oh so subtly woven through our journey, and so, is something I am sitting with & weaving into my integration process. This morning it became manifest when I did the math - say what!? Okay, first, I found myself chanting the Gayatri Mantra when I woke up this morning... Humming it, chanting it, silently repeating it. Mmmmm. All morning long. As I prepared for my commute {something I have been working on learning to love & adapt to}, a flash of insight arose. My drive is about 25-30 minutes. And I can recite the Gayatri about 4 times in a minute ... soooo ... 4 x 27 = 108 Right!? And so, I began. Again & again. I chanted. Just me. All the way to town. And. It. Was. Magic. Thank You Janet - for gifts known & unknown & yet to be discovered. • NEW MOON SUNSET MEDITATION We chanted the Gayatri Mantra 108 times, as the sun was setting...Janet leading the tone & Sita Devi (on drum) leading the pace. • JAPA MALA MEDITATION Many mornings, after our 24 minute silent sits, we would chant & invoke Ganesha, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Hanuman...with their mantra 108 times, using the aid of our mala beads to help us keep track {yes, you will find 108 stones or crystals or seeds lovingly knotted on your mala, w/ one guru bead at the centre + other embellishments perhaps}. • PRE-SUMMER SOLSTICE PRACTICE As part of our morning practice we expanded our sacred 9 into 108 sun salutations/prostrations - in honour of the impending summer solstice, the new moon, the wisdom of Nature (this cycle of beginnings/birth/creation, life/sustaining/maintaining, endings/death/loss, rebirth/transformation/change), and to celebrate the returning of light, to celebrate the light of consciousness within each of us - which gives birth to our potential to awaken. Again & again. xo _/\_$

$. THE JOURNEY CONTINUES Join me back on the mat ... starting tomorrow {schedule below}! So stoked to be reconnecting with this community, this practice, this place I call hOMe. YOU, ME, WE, US. Mmmmmmm _/\_ xo$

$. THIS HAPPENED Although I was not yet fully integrated into email & social media land to share this proactively ... I still feel deeply called to recognize & share my awe, reverence & gratitude for those who stepped into the light in such transformational ways - big & small - to honour all that stands behind & within this International Day of Yoga, June 21. • YOU. Each of you. All of you. Waves, rays, ripples, beams, & vibratory currents of love flowing to you. It was happening e v e r y w h e r e _/\_ Visibly. Invisibly. Collectively. Individually. So much was happening. So much continues to happen. That’s the power of a ripple, of awareness, of community, of generosity, of service, of dharmic action. • Right here in Ottawa:: 8 different studios opened their doors & offered yoga classes free of charge! Two of which are the studios I am so blessed to teach & practice at: @pureyogaottawa & @pranashantiyoga! • And then locally + globally there's @lululemon! I mean holy hannah, geez louise, brother bear, m’heart = blown wide open! Leaders in community & creators of a most epic program called #HereToBe, stepped forward in a very bold & impactful way — donating 100% of yesterday’s profits (16% of total sales) from all stores to the Here To Be social impact program. HTB = a program that funds at local & global levels, working with over 300 non-profit partners to create access to yoga as a tool for well-being. Boom. P.S. @loveyourbrain {a free 6-week Yoga, Meditation & Guided Discussion program for the TBI/Concussion community} is one of those partners!! And has been supported both locally & globally by this program. Gratitude. Awe. Inspiration. Possibility. _/\_ • If YOU didn’t have a chance to help create this change & feel called to support the LoveYourBrain Ottawa program, we welcome your support with open arms & grateful hearts. LINK TO DONATE IN BIO above. OR https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/1291921 xo$