Gloria Latham

Who Have You Become?

Gloria — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:08:43 +0000

The distance between who you are supposed to be and who you’ve become is the amount of disease, suffering, and depression you manifest in your life to compel you to close this gap-Siri Atma S. Khalsa, M.D.

Be Yourself

Gloria — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:20:46 +0000

“As a physician, I’ve found that in the course of treating illness, it often comes down to the core issue of being oneself. We do not have to do anything to be ourselves; all we have to do is stop trying to be someone else. The secret is, don’t discover yourself, don’t transform yourself and don’t recreate yourself. Nurture yourself and see what you become.” Siri Atma S. Khalsa, M.D.

Preparation for Valentine’s Day

Gloria — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:48:18 +0000

When we think of love, we tend to think of the flow of love from another to ourselves but love is really a vibration that emanates from your own heart out to others. Love for another exits regardless of whether that other person does something for you or not.

There has to be an openness in the heart that allows love to flow between individuals, there has to be an openness and trust to love life.

Love is not about what you get from others rather it is about what you are willing to give.

If you give out your very best in every circumstance, you will love life. If every action is measured based on what you will receive back, that isn’t love, that is a transaction, some sort of deal you make with the universe and with others.

Do you stop loving your child when they’re having a bad day that affects your mood? Likely not, because you know you are forever bound to that innocent being. Yet, when it comes to others, we give our love and we take it away.

If someone is not loving towards you, it might be because of your actions towards them, or it might just be they are in a difficult space currently. When someone is experiencing their own difficulties, they may not be as upbeat or as generous as you would like them to be. That is not the time to withdraw your love. I certainly don’t advocate putting yourself in abusive situations so sometimes loving someone, means sending them loving kindness in your thoughts, from a safe distance.

Continue to send out your loving thoughts and make every action one of grace and kindness.

Love will then flow back to you.

It’s not about what you get; it’s about what you’re willing to give.

Today’s Vancouver Woman

Gloria — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:34:57 +0000

Profile: Gloria Latham

Owner Semperviva Health and Yoga Center

What book is on your bedside table?
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

How did you come across the book?
In one of my most favourite places to shop, the book store on Galiano Island.

Page-turner or doorstop?
Page-turner!

Would you put it on your Desert Island list?
Absolutely.

How would you describe the book in one word?
Spellbinding.

If you had to design a poster for the book, what would it look like?
It would be very similar to its beautiful cover which depicts a temple in golden sunlight.

What’s the main idea/theme of this book?
Shantaram is a spellbinding story of a man who is an activist with a strong social conscience. When life’s tragedies strike, he becomes addicted to heroin and ends up in prison. He escapes from prison and his story continues in India where he finds himself living in a slum in Bombay and operating a free clinic for the slum dwellers. His tale continues with involvement in the Bombay mafia, passport smuggling, gun running and drug trafficking. This book is certainly action packed, and fascinating because it is all true. Throughout the good and the bad events of Gregory David Robert’s life you can somehow still feel his innate goodness.

List three new words you learned in the book.
I’m not sure I learned any new words. The language is fairly straightforward and clear. I did learn some interesting new names though: Chula, Sapna, Prabaker, Jeetendra.

Who would you recommend the book to?
To everyone who loves to get lost in a story, and fall in love. By Erica Gehrke who bravely joined our Circus at SharedVision as Editorial Intern.

This Week’s Featured Vancouverite: Gloria Latham

Gloria — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:17:01 +0000

by Ehren Seeland in Vancouverites

Hometown: Vancouver, BC

How long have you been a Vancouverite?
All my life—I was born in Vancouver, at Saint Paul’s Hospital, and have spent my whole life in Kitsilano. It’s nearly impossible to move out of Kitsilano once you’ve spent time here.

Occupation:
I am the Co-founder of Semperviva Yoga along with my husband Scott Latham and also serve as the director of Semperviva Yoga Teacher Training.

Semperviva is a collection of five yoga studios which are based in Kitsilano and Granville Island. We run yoga classes 7 days a week, in all styles of yoga, and pride ourselves in having Vancouver’s most experienced and knowledgeable teachers, as well as a great community of students.

At Semperviva, we also offer Yoga Teacher Training five times a year, and host Yoga Retreats on the Gulf Islands and Greek Islands.

Favourite place in the city:
I love Kitsilano. I love that it is a real neighbourhood where you can park your car, walk everywhere and see familiar faces at every stop. It is a health conscious community with a multicultural vibe.

Kits also has great cafes (Artigiano is by far my favourite), restaurants, delis, bookstores, and all sorts of interesting shops. In Kits, it’s only a short walk to the beach, and it’s a great gift to be able to see the ocean and the mountains every day.

Best way to spend a Saturday in the city:
Most of my Saturdays are spent in our studios. It’s a great day to do yoga as most people are off and have more time to linger and chat before and after classes.

We also host many master yogis from around the globe, so I often play tour guide on Saturdays after our workshops have wrapped up. Showing visitors around our beautiful city helps to give me an even greater appreciation for where we live.

Favourite Vancouver restaurants:
I visit East is East almost daily because I love their green tea chai. East is East has a very casual atmosphere where you can share your table with others, make new friends, and easily meet up with old friends.

My other favourite is Piato restaurant, which serves up modern Greek fare with a fun and healthy twist on traditional favourites. Piato features live music on Sunday nights, so this is my favourite night to go there.

Top insider tip for visitors:
Vancouver is the best place to be during the long weekends. The city empties out and those who stay behind move at a slower pace. You’ll see tons of people out walking and having conversations. It allows you to really be in the moment and appreciate this beautiful city.

COMMITMENT

Gloria — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:03:15 +0000

“Put your head underwater and keep it there for a while.

You’ll soon realize that you’re 100% committed to breathing.

Notice that you don’t make excuses not to breathe. Notice that you don’t worry about motivating yourself to breathe. Notice that you don’t need to justify your desire to breathe.

You just breathe.

Commitment is action.

No excuses. No debate. No lengthy analysis. No whining about how hard it is. No worrying about what others might think. No cowardly delays.

Just go.”
-Steve Pavlina

LIFE’S ESSENTIALS

Gloria — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:50:50 +0000

Boarding a flight last weekend, a fellow passenger, looked at the mat I was carrying and commented, “I see you’ve brought your essentials.” It made me stop and reflect that my yoga mat, which represents my yoga practice, is a life essential. You’ll often hear me say, “yoga is my life line.” Yoga gives me the deepest appreciation for life and all that it holds, whether the lessons are prickly or joyful. Years ago, if I was having an “off” day, my kids would ask me, “mom did you go to yoga today?” It’s impossible to hide that I react differently to stress after I’ve practiced. If I can’t find the time to do yoga for myself, shouldn’t I at the very least find the time to do it for the people I love.

WHY RETREAT?

Gloria — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:37:49 +0000

¹re·treat

noun \ri-ˈtrēt\

Definition of RETREAT

1) : an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable

2): a place of privacy or safety : refuge

3) : a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, or instruction under a director

I’ve blended the definition above to come up with this definition:

RETREAT: The act of withdrawing from what is difficult to a place of refuge for self-study.

Traditionally, we have always had periods of work activity followed by periods of rest for reflection and self-renewal. Today, however, it is rare to spend even one full day a week disconnected from all aspects of our work obligations. Be honest, when was the last time you spent a full day logged off the internet.

IT TAKES COURAGE:

Maybe it’s time to stop being busy just being busy.

It takes courage to stop everything, step back and choose to examine how you are moving through the world. Are the choices you make day to day, consistent with a lifestyle that promotes health and well-being on all levels, mind, body, and spirit?

Here is what a yoga retreat can do for you:

Give you a full week of a twice daily practice of yoga and meditation.
Daily practice will help you cultivate the desire, willpower, and tools to help you maintain a practice when you return home.
Nourish your body with healthy meals.
Encourage rest and relaxation. In between classes, there is time to just be. Do you even remember what that feels like?
Create lasting friendships. Yoga retreats are a great place to meet like-minded individuals.
Explore a new culture
Reconnect with nature

When you’re ready to stop all your “busyness,” we’ll guide you through a transformational journey that will connect you to nature, community, and your true self.

Let the natural detoxification process of yoga practiced in majestic natural settings begin.

See you at the beach, the jungle, the forest, and on the mat.

Costa Rica, Galiano Island, Kithira Island Greece, http://www.semperviva.com/retreats/

Depth

Gloria — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:48:20 +0000

I woke up this morning at the cottage and was desperate to get outside. I’m not a fan of cold, grey weather but
I layered on all my wool sweaters and headed outside with my yoga mat and my bare feet. Each time I came up from my sun salutes and looked out at the bay, I was awestruck by the depth of my view. I had spent so many hours looking into flat screens from laptops to iphones to ipads that I was losing depth in my vision and quite possibly depth in my life. I was stunned at how impactful it was to look out and see not just what was right in front of me but layer upon layer of rich, natural beauty. One tree standing in front of another; behind the trees, the bay; at the end of the bay another island and then more trees and more. Not just a flat image, not just a flat life!

There is a depth of experience and feeling that the virtual world will never give us. An “I love you” posted online is nothing compared to how that feels when you are looking into the eyes of a loved one. An email from a friend is beautiful but we can’t hear the subtleties in their voice. Interactions become as flat as the screen despite all the smiley faces, and exclamation marks. If a friend tells you “I’m ok” online, you leave it at that. If you hear that friend’s voice you’ll know by their tone whether they really are ok or not. Instead of sending out thousands of messages to your virtual friends, maybe it’s time to meet up for that cup of coffee. Make more time for your friends, make more time for life!

Gloria — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:19:10 +0000

“Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” (unknown)