Day 64: Take a Hula-Hoop Class.

Posted on May 3, 2012 by LaLa

You spin me right round baby right round…  Imagine my delight when I discovered that people are now playing with hula hoops and calling it a workout.  Seriously!  I mean, I thought my dead simple ultra-vibe machine was kind of pushing the fitness boundaries, but this takes the cake.  With a name like Well Rounded Hoops, though, they just sounded so gosh darned down-to-earth and full of life, well, how could I possibly resist?

The first thing I noticed on their website was a short video interview with their founder, Sadie Yancey, who has a masters in Medical Biophysics, and who was demonstrating a few ‘easy’ moves with some hula hoops that simply boggled my mind – I think we’ve left the playground way behind, already:

Our saucy instructor Elena.

But, there’s no point in being fearful about learning something new, so I eagerly made my way over to the session, with a sense of playful anticipation.  Once I managed to find the upstairs classroom by using the metal fire escape stairs on the side of the building, I completed the waiver, and then gleefully accepted the large, shiny hula hoop being offered by our awesome instructor, Elena.  I was atingle with excitement!  It was as though I was back in elementary school, and the recess bell had just rung.  Wheeeeee!

We began the workout with an unusual warm-up routine, where we were blindfolded, and encouraged to freely sway our hips, open our hearts, and generally loosen up.  Next, we put on our smiley faces, and got right into the swing of things, so to speak.  A few glossary terms were clarified, and then we were ready to move onto our first ‘tricks’.  We learned to: walk and wave our arms around while the hula hoop encircled our waist; overlap with another hooper; and swiftly and saucily change direction.  We also tried to do a sassy butt bump kind of move, but it was clear that we needed to give that one loads more practice.

Surprisingly, towards the end of class, I found that I was perspiring rather profusely.  It actually is a proper workout after all, while at the same time, it remains fun, dynamic, creative, and oddly addictive.  It brings you right back to childhood, with a strong urge to single-mindedly keep plodding away until you master something completely kick ass!

My muse.

Purportedly, over the next six weeks, I’m only going to improve and learn plenty of fancy dancy moves in the process, including lifting, lowering, angling and dancing with my hoop.  Oh yeah!  And how will that be accomplished?  Well, with my brand new shiny adult-sized hula hoop, that’s how!  Best purchase of the month so far, hands down!  Those playful purple plastic circles from 15 or so years ago can stay in retirement amongst the junk carefully hidden beneath the stairs, as far as I’m concerned.  This new hoop is collapsible!  This fact alone significantly helps to lower my freak factor on the streetcar, as I will be able to handily disguise it in a yoga mat bag.  Already looking forward to practicing it for next week!  You’re never too young to have fun.

PS. In completely unrelated news, do you remember the other day when I talked about the crazy groups you can find in MeetUp? Well, here are some of my faves that I stumbled upon in the last day or two:  Depressed But Enthusiastic!, Landscape and Cityscape in Golden Ratio (WTF?),  One Night Stand Workshop Series, Moving Sanctuary… the list is truly endless!  Which, in a weird way I find inspiring.  There really is somebody, and even an entire support crew, out there for everybody.  Excellent news!

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Day 63: Soy Candle-Making Workshop.

Posted on May 2, 2012 by LaLa

Would you light my candle?

It’s been about a week since I made bath oils and scrubs at the Grassroots store on the Danforth, and frankly, that is just way too long to stay away from these good people.  I was delighted to learn that I hadn’t missed the soy candle-making workshop after all, since it had been rescheduled to this evening.  Without a second’s hesitation, I signed up.

Now, other than for the blog, you may be wondering… candle-making? Really?  And I would say, yep.  I’ve been fascinated with them since I was a child.  Okay, maybe more so with the flame, but let’s not split hairs.  I’ve always been curious about things that have been around for centuries with little innovation, as though they got it right the first time, and wanted to see the process for myself.

Before attending the workshop, though, I had a very important decision to make:  soy versus beeswax.  I mean, traditional paraffin wax was completely out of the question, as it is a by-product of evil oil refining, and releases soot into the air when burned.  But for an extra $5, beeswax seemed a bit extravagant.  Was it worth it?  Let me drone on about the differences between these two natural, clean burning types of candles:

  • Soy wax is derived by hydrogenating natural soybean oil from the soybean plant
  • Soy wax is vegetarian and vegan approved
  • Soy wax is water soluble, thus easy to clean up with soap and water
  • Soy wax is less labour and time consuming to harvest, thus conserving more energy
  • Soy wax does not put as much soot in the air, and is thus better for the environment
  • Beeswax is produced by exploiting poor little worker bees
  • Beeswax has medicinal properties, a natural fragrance, and is good for people with allergies
  • Beeswax helps to clean the air in your home by emitting negative ions, which ultimately strengthens your immune system
  • Beeswax retains oil better, making it slightly longer lasting.

The verdict?  Soy won out by a nose, possibly tied to the realization that the extra $5 could be put towards a yummy chai tea latte.  Woo hoo!

Okay, so with that decision out of the way, we got down to bee-siness in the workshop, which was led by Melissa Johari, of Positively Glowing Candles.  Melissa had already put several wax melting pots into double boilers on portable burners, to save some time.

The next nail-biter was whether to choose soy container wax or soy pillar wax.  Coupled with that decision would be our choices of container or mould, colour and fragrance.  I have not had to make this many decisions in a row in quite some time.  Oh, the agony!  Not only that, but we also had to partner up, so it was doubly vexing.  Fortunately, the sweet young girl next to me was happy enough to go along with my soy container choice, which was conveniently located directly in front of us, as well as citronella for the fragrance, which is ideal for keeping bugs away on my deck at dusk.  It’s all good, though, because I let her pick the colour.  See?  I’m cooperative.

The height of the waiting game.

Then it began – the waiting game.  The soy container wax needed to cool to 122F before the colour chips could be added, then heated up again to 125F to pour.  In the meantime, we chose our containers, and planted the wicks, trying to keep them as upright as possible with whatever means we could, including popsicle sticks.  Our wax turned out to be quite finicky, but eventually, we just threw in the bits of colour, stirred like mad, and then picked out the non-conformist bigger chunks that refused to blend in.  We then poured it into our containers, propped our wicks, and marvelled at the quasi-fluroscent shade of Tang we managed to create.

By this point, we were well over the allotted time for the workshop, so we arranged to pick up the larger candles, like mine, later in the week, giving them a chance to cool overnight.  I was a bit jealous of the smart girl across from me who opted to make the tea lights, which looked perfect.  Below are pictures of the lovely Melissa, showing us how to pour the wax (safety first!), my neighbour inserting wicks into her tea lights (which is done after pouring and letting a film start to form), and then finally, my masterpiece.  Beautiful, ain’t it?  Come on, you blood-sucking mosquitos – bring it on!  Unless you’re congested and can’t smell the citronella, in which case, kindly stop by a salt cave on the way.

    

And with that, I leave you with an obscure reference to the musical-turned-movie Rent (hmm… original idea, isn’t it, Mamma Mia?)… Would you light my candle?

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Day 62: Sit In a Salt Cave.

Posted on May 1, 2012 by LaLa

You know what time it is… voucher time!  Today, I tried something called halotherapy.  Contrary to what you may be thinking, it did not involve discussing my problems with angels, nor trying to become Ms. Goody Two Shoes.  Rather, it consisted of sitting in a Salt Cave for a treatment slightly better known as salt therapy.  Mmmmm… salt.

The deal offered a one-hour salt cave treatment with a resurfacing facial option, and, being all about the options, I also enjoyed losing some of the dead skin cells from the top layer of my face.  Where would you find a salt cave in downtown Toronto, you might be wondering?  On the Danforth, naturally, inside Amethyst Spa and Salon, a lovely place run by the very energetic Yvonne Wilson.  Sure, you could fly to Slovakia, Poland or the Ukraine to visit a natural salt mine spa, but being a mere subway ride away, this place can have you home in time for perogies at a fraction of the cost.

Still wondering what the heck a salt cave is and what it is used for?  So was I when I walked in there this morning.  I mean, I had read a little bit about it, but Yvonne filled me in on some of its more practical applications.  Basically, the idea originated from noticing that salt miners did not get any lung diseases, and that sufferers of the likes of asthma and cystic fibrosis were considerably better when they were next to the ocean.  Yvonne herself suffers from asthma, but by sitting in her salt cave 3 or 4 times a week, she no longer uses her inhaler at all, except when she travels, and she feels so much better without the side effects of the steroids.  Her doctor is simply astonished with her results.

A salt cave for halotherapy consists of a room whose floor and walls are covered in salt particles, but, most importantly, where a formulation of salt aerosol is misted into the air for patients to inhale, in a concentration similar to natural levels found in salt mines, except without the pick axes and manual labour.  The salt particles alleviate bronchial inflammation, remove airborne pollens and clear mucus from the airways:

  

It can be used to treat all kinds of respiratory and skin conditions, and has even been featured on CNN, in the Wall Street Journal and on BBC News, so you know it’s legit.  Since it is an all-natural treatment, there are no drug interactions or side effects.  Personally, I have had some sinus problems over the years that I thought could benefit from the treatment, plus I could also check it out for my asthmatic brother.  And who doesn’t love salt?

Before I entered the cave, I donned some disposable booties over my socks, along with a hair net, which is all the rage in Paris (you can keep your regular clothes on besides that).  I then relaxed into one of the three comfortable lounge chairs in the room, which tilt back into a restful napping position.  A blanket was provided in case I got chilly, which I didn’t use until nearly the end of the session.  Soothing music was piped into the room, which did a decent job of concealing the sound of the halogenerator.  It was very peaceful, and conducive to napping, which I foolishly did not take advantage of, because I became engrossed in a magazine, as I tend to do whenever I enter a spa, silly girl that I am.

When the main light in the cave came back on and the halogenerator ceased its hum, I have to say I was a little sad to return from my mental vacation, as somewhere in my mind, there was the recognition of being with Suzy selling seashells at the seashore.  But my blues were swiftly obliterated with the calming facial, so it was all good.  The salt air does seem to have cleared up some of my sinuses.  I could also see how it would alleviate stress, not that I have any hint of that left in my current life of leisure.  Would I do it again?  Absolutely!  And maybe sneak in a little margarita to sip on the side.  Hold the salt on the rim, though, because, you know, that would just be a touch too much, even for moi.

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Day 61: Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy.

Posted on April 30, 2012 by LaLa

I come from a very musical family – I mean, not like the Partridge Family, or the Von Trapps, who really existed, by the way – consider your mind blown!  We’re talking more about individual talents, such as my grandfather, who was a musician who happened to tune pianos in his spare time.  And my father, who can reproduce pretty well any tune he hears on the piano by ear, along with my mother, who plays the double bass in her local symphony orchestra, which is always kind of funny to watch, because she is only 5’3″.  My brother and I both took up several musical instruments when we were younger, mostly because we thought that was a perfectly normal thing to do.  Ah, good times.

So when I saw a voucher for something called Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy (VAHT), I was immediately intrigued.  A musical massage?  That’s like two of my favourite things put together.  Sign me up!

Now, if you have not heard of VAHT, you are definitely not alone.  There are less than a hundred practitioners of it throughout the world.  The theory behind it goes something like this.

A harp is hooked up to an amplifier that is attached to a vibrotactile chair or pad which the client is sitting or lying on, and through which they feel the sound vibrations.  Each client uniquely feels different tones in the areas of their body where they hold tension.  The practitioner then plays live harp music that emphasizes the tones that resonate with that particular person.  It is important for the client to be properly hydrated both before and after the session, which lasts about twenty minutes.

VAHT was brought to Canada by Kate Kunkel.  Kate acquired her first vibroacoustic equipment from a chiropractor in the US who had successfully used it to help his patients relax before treatment.  Kate is also a harp teacher, Reiki practitioner, and an editor for an industrial magazine.  As if that weren’t enough, she is also assisting in researching the effects of low frequency sound and photonic light devices to help reduce pain with her colleagues at the Millennium Health Institute, which is where I met her earlier today.  Here is Kate explaining the practice and an example of a VAHT session:

After drinking a mug full of water, I laid down on the plushly padded table, which can be adjusted into either a bed or a chair, as there are some patients who cannot fully extend.  We briefly chatted and reviewed my paperwork to highlight specific areas of tension and health concerns before we began.  Kate then plucked one harp string at a time.  For the first half-dozen or so notes, I didn’t feel a thing, and started to wonder if there really was anything to it; but then it happened.  Several of the notes sent a vibration across my shoulders and upper back.  It was an incredible feeling; I loved it immediately!  It felt like a hands-free massage.

Kate was satisfied that she had identified several notes that resonated with me, and then began to play the heavenly harp.  With just about every note, the bed beneath me vibrated as though I were at a rock concert, lying on top of a gigantic speaker that was wrapped in a really thick duvet.  In a word?  Awesome!  It was hard not to let my mind wander and even nod off a little bit, as the music was so soothing.  I imagine this is how babies feel when they are placed in their car seats on top of a dryer to help them sleep.  I’m also fairly certain VAHT is the real inspiration for the tune Good Vibrations.

After the session and  another mug full of water, I had a chat with Kate, who was simply delightful.  I was struck by her ardent drive to bring awareness to the practice, as she was describing some of the amazing results they have had, in particular with Parkinsons patients.  I always enjoy talking to people who simply light up when they are truly passionate about what they do.

There’s a reason that trips to heaven in the movies tend to be accompanied by harp music.  It possesses a certain angelic quality that seems to be extremely healing.  I floated my way back into the city, oblivious to the traffic, relishing in the newly found space between my shoulder blades.  I turned up the music on the radio.  Life is indeed sweet.

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Day 60: Drink Wine From a Cheese Glass.

Posted on April 29, 2012 by LaLa

Happy two month anniversary!  It’s incredible to me how quickly these first couple of months have gone by, yet I have managed to pack in 60 new things already, full of fabulous people.  Who knew that there were so many good peeps all around us!?!!  We just need to take the time to introduce ourselves.  That has to be the single biggest unexpected benefit of this entire project so far: all the new connections with wonderful people that I have made.  I feel extremely lucky and blessed.

So tonight, I decided to toast them by realizing an idea that has been stuck in my head for several years now.  In fact, it germinated from a book called ‘Sleeping Naked is Green‘ by Vanessa Farquharson, who wrote it based on her experiences of adding one new act of green to her life every day for a year.  On day 213, she marvelled at how brilliant it was to have ice cream served in a cone instead of a disposable cup, and how it must be possible to extend this idea of serving food in an edible receptacle to other areas, like being able to drink wine from a cheese glass.

Having had some time to ponder this, I had worked out two basic approaches on how that could work:

  • Choose a firm cheese that you could turn into a wine shot glass by cutting out a large cube and hollowing out its inside; or
  • Choose a cheese that you could melt down and then pour into a glass-shaped mould that you could then set out to solidify (or freeze) to use as a wine glass.

The contestants.

Coming from a culture of instant gratification, not to mention limited time after an exhausting yet rewarding weekend workshop, I naturally chose the first option, although I do fully intend to explore the other option at some point in the not too distant future.  I mean, for some reason, we happen to have a glass-shaped mould ice cube tray in our freezer I would say just for this specific purpose, so why not, really.  In any event, here are the steps that I followed to realize the dream:

  1. Make sure you have wine.  I recommend a nice red, or even port, to accompany your cheese.  There are a few exceptions to this rule, but why complicate things?
  2. Pour yourself some of the wine to sip while you are preparing the cheese, just to be really sure that it is yummy and drinkable.
  3. Pour some of the wine into a smaller glass for the end product, so that you can feel free to top up your own glass at will.
  4. Select your cheese.  If you have none, then don’t worry.  You still have your wine, so you are more than fine.  And now you have an excuse to try again tomorrow.  And the next day.  Until you finally remember to buy some cheese in the first place, which may be never.
  5. Your cheese should be firm but not crumbly, and have a fairly strong flavour.  For this experiment, I tried two different kinds:  a goat milk cheddar, and Baluchon, a firm yet creamy Canadian cheese from Quebec.
  6. Cut good-sized chunks of cheese that you can firmly grasp between your thumb and index finger.  I would suggest at least 2 inches square if you can swing it.

    There's a hole in my bucket...

  7. Take a spoon or melon baller and scoop out the inside of the cheese cube.  I opted to simply carve it out with a knife.  This worked fine on one of the cheeses, but was a bit of a disaster with the cheddar, as it was too crumbly.  I ended up having to eat all the chunks that fell on the plate.  Ya, sometimes it is pretty great to be me.
  8. Pour the wine from the smaller glass you had set aside earlier into the cheese glass.  (See?  Aren’t you glad you kept it separate from the now nearly empty bottle?)

    Bottoms up!

  9. Raise your cube, drink it down, and enjoy!  Then refill it until the wine is gone.  At that point, feel free to take bites from the cheese cube itself, and notice the flavour of the cheese, now that it has had a chance to integrate the wine.  Pretty spectacular, right?

And that’s it!  Best invention ever?  Probably not so much, but it sure as heck doesn’t suck…  And on that note, raise your glass and celebrate with me, and hope to still see you here in another couple of months.  Cheers!

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