Viva La Lemon Wellness

09/15/2020

Here it is friends... Nicole Barclay Co.

09/15/2020

The time has come to graciously turn the page... on to a new chapter.
Vivalalemon will hold a special place in all our hearts. A story never to forget. An energy engrained in our deep connections. A place where we could embrace the lemons life threw our way and still find some zest for life....
For some the journey may end here and that’s okay. But for those who are along for this wild ride then stay tuned... a solo rebrand coming your way!

09/12/2020

All week I look forward to a visit with this soul sister. Countless times she has proved that true friendship encompasses a certain set of virtues and actions beyond what the eye can see and rather what the heart feels.
“The highest honor of friendship isn't getting invited to "that party" or out on a girls weekend. It's not clinking champagne glasses at fancy brunches or wearing matching shirts on a beach in Florida. That all is nice and fun and good and special, but it's not what it's about, not at all.

The real honor of friendship is being invited into someone's REAL. It's getting an invitation into the nitty gritty, the not-so-pretty, the hard stuff, the vulnerable stuff, the weird stuff, the unpolished stuff. It's being welcomed into a home where the sink is full of dishes and the laundry is covering the couch. It's entering the places of heart ache and pain. It's being invited to the hospital room when your friend is still in her mesh underwear from birth. It's sitting crosslegged in old sweats on the floor and laughing till you cry. It's carrying around secrets that you've been trusted to keep. It's listening and hearing. It's holding space for each other. It's answering phone calls just to talk something through.

The highest honor of friendship isn't found in beautifully planned events or brightly filtered photos.

The highest honor of friendship is messy and dingy and real. It's in unfiltered photos of laughing so hard your double chin is showing. It's loving each other's babies and holding each other while you ugly cry.

I can't stress this enough:

If you've been invited into even one person's real, you are blessed.

Cherish it.” — by Jess Johnston

I feel blessed to have a handful of these kinds of friendships. But today a special thanks to this beauty of a friend Cynthia, for always being there for me. no. matter. what!!! Every week you show up in my life. Every week you make me breath deep again. I don’t know where I’d be without you. I am forever grateful! 🙌🏻💞

Who’s invited you into their real realness? Tag them below to remind them of how grateful you are. 💛

09/09/2020

You know what else is contagious RN?!? Laughter. Giggles. Smiles. The big belly laughs that tickle your toes. The infectious smiles that brighten your whole day. It can be hard to find reasons to smile some days but like Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” So plant seeds of joy dear ones. Grow laughter. Spread joy all around you. And harvest all the love that comes with opening ourselves to the light while still tending to our shadows. Both are possible!!

What are kind things are making you laugh these days?? How are you harvesting love and joy from these Ed’s you’ve sewn?!!
Comment below ☺️👇

09/09/2020

Yoga for desk job folx (or anyone really):
As most office workers know (and feel), sitting over a keyboard for hours on end can contribute to tightness in the hips, legs, neck, shoulders and back. Camping out all day at a desk can also create an unhealthy posture. And sometimes rolling a yoga mat out at work just isn’t do-able. (I still stash one in my office in case I can squeeze in a few downdogs over my lunch break.) Another trick I use is setting an alarm at 10 and 3 as a reminder to stand up and stretch if it’s been one of those days with little movement. Here are a few of my favorite poses I use at the end of the day as an antidote for all that built up tension:
Child’s pose
Cobra
Downward facing dog
Low lunge with cactus arms
Lizard pose
Seal pose
Seated wide-legged forward fold
Fish pose
One knee twist
Not sure how to do these poses?! Try searching online at the yoga journal for guidance and modifications as needed.
Also one of my favorite things to do while in savasana lately is to listen to a yoga nidra on the Insight Timer app (free). I personally love the one called ‘𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘪𝘥𝘳𝘢 ‘ by Om People yoga.
If you’ve never tried yoga nidra give it a try, it’s a non-movement style of yoga that offers deep relaxation and rejuvenation! In my experience, yoga Nidra helps melt away any tension that was untamed by my yoga movement practice. And the best part... I sleep 10x better!!

09/07/2020

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” —Albert Einstein



Happy Labor Day loves! Have you filled up your cups this weekend?

09/01/2020

September always represented a ‘coming together’ for me. The excitement of going back to school to see friends, finding routine or a regular practice again. The commencement of a fall yoga series and fall workshops/ retreats where the yoga community would regroup again.
This year doesn’t quite have that same amount of energy. Coming together now has a much higher risk than it did before. Something I often look back at and notice how much we took for granted.
As I tread lightly into this new month I feel hesitant. So much noise out there about school. From one extreme to the next and everything in between there’s varying opinions on what’s the safest, what’s the best for the kids, the families, the communities. Everyone’s point of view is backed by their own perceptions and impacts they’ve felt from this pandemic. There’s no right or wrong way to feel.
We all have our own path we are walking. Nobody has walked in my shoes or yours. But I do hope that as we navigate this new season there’s still a sense of ‘coming together’ ...even if it’s different.
So I choose to remain optimistic, to not give up hope, to practice the fundamentals, and not feel helpless!! ......One day at a time!!
May this new month bring us all strength, courage, and a bit of togetherness again!
Stay safe dear ones! Cheers! xoxo

09/01/2020

“Grief can’t be fixed. It can be tended to and held, then eventually it becomes easier to breathe.” — Angela Morris.
You want us to be okay. We know this.
Believe me when I say, we want to be ok too, but pushing us to “feel better” isn’t how grief is tended to. That just signals us to burry our pain. You can’t fix grief, and you can’t silver-line your way around it; you have to breathe into every inch. We get to decide when and how much – not you. Even if it makes you uncomfortable. It’s a process. Our process.
So if you are grieving now dear one...when you have the capacity, take as deep a breath as you can. Whether you are grieving the loss of a loved one, a job, an old way of life, or some other meaningful thing; know you are not alone. Even though grief feels like a lonely place at times. Some days are darker than other days. You don’t have to explain or compare. Keep tending to your heart, take breaks when you need to, find people that can be there to hold you as you fumble your way around. And for goodness sake quit letting society place unrealistic expectations on you to be ok. Sorry bright-siders but what works for you doesn’t always work for everyone.
So for those who desperately want to feel okay again... I hope you have support. I hope you can find your way out of the dark when you are ready. I hope the breaths become deeper. I hope this broken heart of yours will piece back together again. Because that’s how grief works. It’s a process.

08/30/2020

The best part of my week...
Sunday:
~sleeping in (thanks ),
~lazy morning family cuddles,
~forgetting the world is a mess for a sec,
~the yummiest breakfast with my most cherished humans
~and a relaxing bubble bath just for me.

How are you taking care of yourself?

08/29/2020

Who can relate?!?

08/29/2020

Hi friends!.
You may notice it get quieter over here at VLL as I focus + shift more needed energy into my public health nurse role during these trying times for our region. This doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about the viva community! Quite honestly I think about you and our connections all the time. These mostly virtual connections now are ones that brighten my day. So just because it’s quiet doesn’t mean the door is closed. Keep practicing self-care, staying connected, and reaching out if you need to!!! Because the door is always open.
Let me know in the comments how I can show up for you in a meaningful way in this virtual space so I can curate my time a little more as our classes remain on hold. Want yoga tips? Mindfulness posts? Meditation videos? Live yoga reels? Mantras? Inspirational or simple reminder posts??
I can’t guarantee I have capacity to meet every request but I can try!!!

Stay safe dear ones.
Much love,
Nic
💗

08/25/2020

For years Yoga has been a tool for me. A coping mechanism to carry me through the dark and the light. It literally crushes me to stop teaching again. Not just for the practice but for the community. That collective energy felt when you practice together – Ugh I’m going to miss it so much. Especially during these times riddled with fear & uncertainty. I feel my heart aching as I know you all need this as much as me. But I want to think of this as an opportunity to grow our home practice. To practice svadyaya - a niyama that means self-study, to go inward and customize our own practice based on our individual needs. To practice tapas - a niyama that means discipline and regular self-care. To create routine and rituals for a more structured practice that can be flexible along the journey but there for us nonetheless.
So if you don’t already have a regular home practice here are some tips to get you started and build not only your confidence but also strength, endurance, and flexibility!

•START WITH QUIET•
Before you dive into a sun salutation or a specific pose, start in a comfortable seated position or even lying flat in savasana. When you begin with stillness, you can see how your body and mind feel and then decide what to do based on that.

•PICK A STYLE•
This should depend on how you feel. If you’re tired + pressed for time, choose a short restorative practice. If you’re raring to go, opt for a more vigorous practice. If you need grounding + stability, focus on standing poses. If you need energy, incorporate backbends. The more you use your practice to take care of your immediate needs, the more strength and energy you’ll have in the long run.

•SET AN INTENTION•
This simple suggestion ensures that you’ll use your time—no matter how short—constructively.

•PICK YOUR POSES•
Choose ones you love!! But try at least one pose for each direction the body moves—leaning side to side, forward and back, twisting, and turning upside down (which could be as simple as downward dog). If you incorporate all directions you have a more complete practice. If you are not sure try an online class. (Visit our YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX3FfZ7vtW8KDPOAdOOdtPA).

•KEEP GOING•
Grab a buddy and check-in daily to keep yourselves accountable. Put a ✅ mark on your calendar or agenda every day that you get on your mat (even if it’s not on your mat - I practice at my desk in my office every noon hour). And just keep going. Have an off day and miss a practice. That’s okay start again. Don’t beat yourself up. Just keep going!!

And of course share your practice and your journey with us here at VLL.
Someday (hopefully soon) we’ll regroup and rally our community together for practice again.
Until then, namastè dear ones!!

08/22/2020

Loving this custom handmade Mala for a special someone heading back to school to teach our little ones soon!!! Thank you for leading with courage in a time of uncertainty. Your work is essential and the souls you touch help to make our world a better place! 🙌🏻 May this Mala bring you strength, courage, protection and cultivate harmonious positive grounding energy as you head into the unknown. .teach.repeat much love 🖤

08/22/2020

Due to the increased restrictions in PMH as of Monday (and the increased workload of my day job as a public health nurse) I have decided to call off the last week of Yoga in the Park. I will eventually end up back at the auditorium at St.Pauls but working on dates and will factor in restrictions as well. Stay tuned!
Safety is a top priority. 2020 has been a whirlwind but we will still have each other! And in the meantime head on over to the Viva YouTube channel {link in bio} Be sure to tag us/ send pics of you on your mat and help us all stay connected!!
Thanks for your support and understanding!
Much love as always,
Nic

08/21/2020

🌻 Gifts from nature. 🌻
Admiring all the pretty things to remember pretty things exist all around us, even when s**t gets ugly.

08/19/2020