Author: Molly Catherine

Costa Rica Garden

The Butterfly Effect

A couple of weeks ago I had the most magical experience. I rolled out my yoga mat to begin my daily practice, but the universe had other plans… I got through only half of my warm up sequence when the most beautiful Monarch butterfly came to play. She flew all around my mat, radiating love and light, eventually landing on my foot… And there she stayed. She stayed for what felt like an eternity as I grew more and more blissed out. It was as though an angelic presence enveloped my space, and I became giddy like a schoolgirl. The butterfly continued to dance around me as I giggled uncontrollably… while my husband sat back and watched with curiosity and love in his eyes. My husband was the one that realized this was a message from the Divine. He directed me to go into meditation saying that he thought it was an angel and I should see what she’s trying to tell me. I spent the next 15 minutes in silence, feeling light, almost as …

yoga school Costa Rica

My Experience at Yoga School

Good morning world, It’s been a very long time since I’ve felt the desire to share anything on my blog. But today, I feel compelled and excited to give some insight into the two beautiful weeks I spent at Bodhi Tree in Nosara, Costa Rica, attending Teacher Training at Marianne Wells Yoga School. There is so much I could say, but I think it’s best to begin with the three over-arching aspects of training that I’ll carry with me forever… Teach people not postures. No matter what ‘level’ of yoga you are at, in Marianne’s classes you will always be doing something. Simply skipping a posture and going into childs pose is not an option. Marianne watches and observes her students and provides the necessary variations to ensure her classes are accessible to all who are participating. She taught us in training that it’s really not about reaching the ‘full expression’ of an asana, it’s about doing the right amount for your own body, and knowing the difference between pain and discomfort. Marianne’s teaching style is inclusive …

Namaste TV Palo Santo Wood

Movement Fundamentals with Namaste TV

Good morning! Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been working through a new program from Namaste TV called Movement Fundamentals. The program consists of 10 ‘animal inspired’ movements i.e. frog, monkey, scorpion, gorilla etc. I actually expected it to be relatively easy for me to grasp, however some of the movements are a little bit complex and require some time and repitition to grasp. I’m still trying to nail the bear-crab roll, martial arts kick, and pistol squat! 😛 The two photos you see below are a couple of my favourite movements from the program- the top one is frog and the one below is gorilla! I included photos of level 1, but in the actual program you will see level 1, 2 and 3 demonstrated by the program leader Slava Goloubov (he’s amazing btw!). I also absolutely love the corkscrew movement… However I’m still practicing it so that I can work up to level 3, which is done with the use of no hands! I love this movement because as mentioned on the Namaste …

Vancouver Sunset

The Surrender Experiment

Good morning loves!! <3 I recently finished reading a book that touched my heart in so many ways. It’s called “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael A. Singer. My husband read the book a couple months ago and kept telling me how much I would love it, and he was right. I practically had tears streaming down my face through the entire book! And not because it was overly emotional or sad or anything like that…. It was simply because the author’s words touched me to my core. The only other book I read that had the same effect on me was “I Can See Clearly Now” by Wayne Dyer. And actually, these two books share a similar message, so perhaps this message keeps showing up in my life for a reason. In “The Surrender Experiment”, Michael Singer takes us through the journey of his lifetime. He decides early on in his spiritual journey to simply let go, and let life take hold of the reins. Wherever life decides to take him, he accepts it with …

Yoga Update + My New Fave Mat

Good morning loves, <3 There are quite a few advanced yoga postures I’m currently working on in my practice, so I thought I’d share a few with you (along with some tips) and perhaps you can relate it to your own practice. 🙂 The first posture I’m working on is king dancer! This pose seemed so far out of my reach even just a few months ago… But one day during my practice last month, I flipped my grip at the last minute and voila! I pulled it off… somewhat. 😉 King dancer is a very intense posture for me, so I make sure to warm up lots before getting into the full expression. I like to do lots of heartopeners and really focus on warming up my shoulders (lots of extended puppy) beforehand. You’ll notice a huge, positive difference in your ability to pull off ANY posture if you take the time to warm up and stretch first. I can’t stress that enough.  Another posture I’m working towards (and have been for some time …

Tulum, Mexico

Tulum, Mexico

Good morning loves! <3 It’s been a few weeks since we arrived home from Tulum and I wanted to share with you some of my favourite photos from our trip! Our experience in Tulum wasn’t perfect by any means… we had quite a few hiccups and some challenging moments. But all in all, I’m so grateful to have gone through those moments with some absolutely beautiful souls. Remember that in life, everything is perspective. Sometimes our expectations are not met completely… and that is totally fine. We have to learn to flow with life and take each moment as it is. That’s why it’s so important to surround yourself with positive, loving people. I hope you enjoy the photos! And if you plan on visiting Tulum anytime soon and would like some tips, feel free to shoot me an email. 🙂 I hope you have a beautiful week! Sending lots of love. Namaste, <3 Molly xx __________ “Even if things don’t work out as you thought they should for you, they do – in their …

Yoga Inspiration from Tulum, Mexico

Good morning! <3 I truly hope you’re all doing well and are excited for the beautiful things to come in the last quarter of 2017! I personally love this time of year… For me, it feels like a new beginning. Autumn is almost upon us, the air is fresh and crisp, the kids are back to school… It’s quite a nostalgic time really. 🙂 Irek and I arrived home from Mexico last week and are still getting back into the groove and finding our way back into our daily ‘routines’! I’m so grateful that we got to spend some quality time with our good friends, Amy and Carlo, in Tulum… and although the trip didn’t go exactly as planned, we bonded on a much deeper level and to me, that is worth so much more than a ‘perfect’ vacation with no hiccups or obstacles. I plan on writing a blog post soon dedicated to our Tulum trip where I’ll share some tips and tricks to help you if you do plan on visiting the area… But …

How I Maintain Healthy Skin & Avoid Breakouts

Good mornings loves! Recently, I’ve been receiving quite a few questions regarding my ‘skincare best practices’… Since I’ve personally gone through quite a transformation over the past few years with my own skincare routine, I thought it may be helpful to share some tips with you guys. Hopefully you’ll see positive results as well! <3 Eliminate animal products from your diet. There is nothing worse for your skin in my opinion than dairy, and meat products. Before I became vegan I used to break out quite often (and usually after eating a big cheesy pizza). So, if you are an omnivore, try even just eliminating animal products for a week or two- so you can see for yourself. I guarantee you’ll notice less breakouts, and more radiant skin almost immediately. Increase your water intake. As soon as you start drinking more water and filtering out all those toxins, you allow your skin to breathe again. I drink 3 litres of water everyday and this definitely keeps my skin healthy and glowing (not to mention all the …

Find Meaning, and Move Along

Good morning loves, <3 Today I want to share a little bit about dealing with people and situations in your life that don’t necessarily match well with your energetic vibration… As you know already, yoga and meditation are a huge part of my life, and for me, they really are the key to sustaining balance and peace in my heart. But regardless of how much you meditate, or how peaceful you are (or at least try to be), situations will always arise that test your resolve and your ability to keep the peace. I don’t often have much negativity surrounding me but it does happen from time to time. I think the number one lesson I’ve learned when challenging experiences arise, is that you always have to come back to your heart… Come back to that quiet place within you, that knows the truth. <3 I find it very difficult to sift through intense, conflicting emotions because I am usually in such a loving state… So, the only thing I can tell you is that …

Back Bend Yoga Pose

Discovering and Embracing Our Oneness

Good morning everyone! <3 I wanted to start the week off with a bit of a reflective post, relating to a beautiful quote I read the other day by Black Elk. If you keep up with my Instagram page, you’ll already be familiar with my love for beautiful quotes and inspiring messages… So, let’s stick with that theme for today’s post. 😉 “The peace which is the most important, is that which comes to the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe.” -Black Elk I fell in love with this quote because I feel it to be an absolute truth in my own life… Once this peace came to me, this understanding (of the ‘bigger picture’ so to speak), my life and perspective was forever changed. Now, this doesn’t mean that my everyday is sunshine and lollipops, but it does mean that I understand things have meaning. Coincidence does not exist. Everything in this life is a lesson… and sometimes it takes a lot of reflection to find a …