SAVAGEOM IS MOVING

Sorry for the radio silence...

savageOM is moving to a new home, STAY TUNED! 

COMING DECEMBER 2014 

NAMASTE, 

Kaitlyn x

GRATITUDE EPIDEMIC

Canadians love Thanksgiving. The combination of crisp fall air, cozy layers, bonfires, stuffing, hot toddies, and loved ones is like a drug that we anxiously wait to inhale all year. It is kinda like Christmas but without the presents and that absence of presents is precisely what makes Thanksgiving magic. The gift of Thanksgiving is GRATITUDE. If you don't practice gratitude daily,  start today. Be grateful for your full belly and your warm heart. Your family and your health. Be grateful for the roof over your head and the strength of your spirit. There are days when life will be overwhelming and other days when you are just too sad to let anyone in - these are the days it seems the most daunting and futile to practice gratitude but these are the days you MUST. Gratitude leads to feelings of love and appreciation which further open our hearts and help rewire our brains to fire in more positive ways. Like a yawn or a sneeze, happiness is contagious, so if gratitude breeds happiness ... it's simple math really. There is always something to be grateful for. Live it out.
K x

LISTEN UP: FLOW INTO FALL

There is something incredibly sacred about the change of season, especially the transition from summer into fall. As the days grow shorter, darker, and cooler, we begin to shift as well. Pay attention to these shifts, stay with whatever swells within and begin to take your gaze inwards and honour your spirit. Feed it. Nurture it. Love it. 

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, think about what it truly is to feel love. Surround yourself with friends and family that bring that love into your life without boundary. Let it in. 

Before leaving this page, consider three things that make you feel love. FRIENDS, MUSIC & YOGA   bring me into direct contact with love every day. What and who ignites that love within you? I assure you there are many, many things and people so don't stop at three, keep going...

On the heels of the most spectacular eclipse, i've put together a very special Fall Playlist: Flow into Fall is up on rdio now. If you're not a member you can still get a taste by clicking on the pic above. Find an hour in your day, roll out your mat, open the windows, light a candle (or 3), press play and invite your inner warrior onto your mat. Enjoy!

Happy Wednesday

xo

ON THE ROAD: ICELAND

Photographs by @lindsbanan & @menawill 
Words by @lindsbanban

Have you ever known you were meant to be in a certain place? Or felt an indescribable pull to a destination you have never been? That is how I felt about Iceland.  I have been daydreaming about Iceland and the prospect of seeing the Aurora Borealis with my own eyes  for years without any real research.  After spending hours searching pinterest and Instagrams many 'Iceland' hashtags, it was clear something was pulling on my heart so I had no choice but to follow my gut. As a result of my research I learnt that in order to get the true Icelandic experience, with the added ease of getting around, one must travel in summer for the beauty of the midnight sun and temperatures above 0.  Sold. I booked my flight for July 2014 and even though my chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis were slim due to the lack of true night, it was time. 

Leading up to the trip I had been focusing on the concept of right timing – letting things unfold as they will and being surprised and delighted at how perfect the Universe can be. After boarding the overnight plane to Reykjavik, I turned to look out my window and right there in front of me the green lights of the Aurora Borealis danced across the sky - pretty sensational  in-flight entertainment. Everything felt right. It was confirmed, the Universe had some glorious tricks up its sleeve for me and my gypsy travel companion.

Iceland is, hands down, the most beautiful country I have ever laid eyes on. The vistas are extraordinary and so varied, showcasing lush green fields, waterfalls around every corner, snow-capped mountains, lava fields, geothermal rivers, steep cliffs reaching out over the ocean, canyons, valleys, icebergs, and so much more. 

We spent our first day exploring Rejykavik and witnessed our first midnight sun that night before heading over to rent what would become our home for the next 4 days - a little Nissan Micra hatchback. We made a quick pit stop at Ikea to make our stay more comfortable and began our journey.. We drove north and realized that our guide book had been left behind. We were fending for ourselves, which fit perfectly into my right timing mindset. We stopped at a horse farm and bonded with some of the most beautiful animals I have ever seen, their hair was magnificent blowing in the wind.

The first waterfall we found demanded a stop. We pulled over, climbed to the top, climbed back down and continued further into the north towards the West Fjords. The roads turned into winding cliffs that dropped straight into the ocean.  

After hours in the car, our achy bodies were yearning for some relief -  step in Universe - not 5 minutes later, geothermal community pools appeared before us overlooking the ocean. What a wonderful way to relax and reflect before curling up on a cliff under a waterfall by the ocean for bed.

The next day we debated waiting for the Museum of Witchcraft and Sorcery to open in Holmavik but decided it would be best to be on our way. We headed east and found ourselves amongst expansive canyons and interior rocky roads. Every turn brought something more beautiful than the last. We drove through the valley of the canyons (this was our name for it) and made it to Akureyri, the city in the North, to enjoy some local cuisine and live entertainment at a family festival. We decided it was only fitting to sleep next to Godafoss, the waterfall of the gods, which made waking up a surreal experience, especially because it was just us. Not another soul in sight.  

Next stop: Detifoss. We didn’t account for the fact that it would take hours to get from one waterfall to the next based on the distractions along the way…  craters, volcanoes, steam rising majestically from the earth, an idyllic natural grotto, and a powerful geothermal pond.  We arrived at Detifoss, with a couple of hitchhikers in tow and were taken aback by its sheer force. It is the most powerful foss in Europe and it was truly incredible.  It is amazing to see that Iceland has not exploited it’s beauty, there is no cheesiness that surrounds these natural wonders - no big box restaurants, no casinos - nothing disrupts its beauty. The daylight lasts long so we were able to pack a lot in. We kept trucking until we found a spot to stop for dinner, that just happened to have a sweat lodge and a geothermal pool to soak in after supper. The restaurant is also a tannery and created handmade leather wares. At 11:30 pm the sun set casting magical fluffy pink clouds across the sky, tinting the snowcapped mountains with a rose glow. That, and a brief sighting of the Icelandic version of Channing Tatum made for the perfect end to the day.   That night we slept by the beach listening to the waves crashing on the black beach shore. This drive honestly felt as though we were in a movie, like The Neverending Story meets The Land Before Time. 

We drove into a little sea town named Hofn, for a fresh and delicious breakfast before driving through lava fields on our way to  take in the magnificence of the Glaciers and Icebergs at Jökulsárlón. We felt privileged to be able to see these incredible earthly creations. The danger they are facing and the rate at which they are melting make it likely that generations to come will never get to see them with their own eyes. It was an indescribable experience and it was hard to tear ourselves away. Moving on we found our self at Skogafoss. This is probably one of the more famous foss's in Iceland but to be honest, we were fossed out. We were also hatchback hoteled out so we got a room and slept in a bed - it was wonderful.

Feeling rested and refreshed we made our way back to Reykjavik and returned our tiny home.  We found ourselves in the midst of a long weekend so we freshened up and headed out to dinner and as they say in Iceland we partied til the sun went down. Get it? It doesn't!

We saved the best for last and headed to the Blue Lagoon on our final day in Iceland. We indulged in water massages and ate a three course lunch in our lagoon robes before heading straight to the airport. With hearts full of gratitude, we boarded the flight home. Iceland was full of impeccable beauty, wonder, magic, twists and turns. Thank you Iceland for sharing your beauty and thank you universe for unfolding exactly as you should. 

______________________________________

About lindsbanban 

Linds lives in Toronto. She is a daughter, friend, sister, lover, and magic maker with a deep appreciation for local food, delicious wine and anything that encourages dancing. When she is not busy planning events, she can most likely be found somewhere in Trinity Bellwoods; drinking coffee; nuzzled into a good book; or here - as a featured writer for savageOM. 

BECOME THE CEO OF YOUR LIFE TODAY

the always changing, always inspiring savageOM headquarters

IF YOU COULD DO THREE THINGS DIFFERENTLY TODAY, WHAT WOULD THEY BE? 

It is incredibly easy to waste away hours of our lives travelling down the internet rabbit hole, spending too much time with toxic company or puttering around our homes. The majority of the time, these habits leave us feeling anxious about all the things we should have been doing. The shame spiral. The shoulda, woulda, coulda blues. This is especially easy to fall victim too if you work from home, own your own business, or are a student - why? Because no one is watching you. You are your very own chief executive officer. I just so happen to fall into all of the above categories, and then some: self-employed, work from many elusive places, yoga teacher, student, exceptional procrastinator and pro-chiller. I made a huge transition in my life, committing to pursue education towards a career that is meaningful to me, run my own business, live a lifestyle that feeds my body, mind and spirit, and to fulfill my dharma (aka my cosmic job description). Since this radical 180, I have felt a waterfall of emotions - freedom, strength, confidence, fear, doubt and of course, shock (What have I done!?!). All of these emotions and feelings move and morph day-to-day so I give them little weight of worry; however since my big change I have felt at the mercy of everyone else’s priorities and this is not good. What I have learned very quickly is that without the big boss watching over me, I quickly lost track of my boundaries, my energy, my time and my priorities. In order to take back control, I decided to step into my new full-time job as CEO of my very own life. When you are accountable to yourself, to running your business, and staying true to your vision you must CONSCIOUSLY be the CEO every single day or else bad habits, energy vampires, and other peoples priorities will run you. Regardless of what your current job title(s) are, I have a new opportunity for you as CEO. Are you ready to step up to the challenge? The rewards are beautiful. Trust me.

I started to think of my own bad habits and how I could change them into new positive, successful habits. My list went on... and on. So I decided to start with the three listed below. And here comes your first assignment:

DITCH THREE BAD HABITS AND CREATE THREE NEW SUCCESSFUL ONES

DITCH IT: 

> Staying up until the wee hours of the morning in expense of much needed rest. 

> Staying in bed and skipping my 7 am morning Yoga practice. 

> Wasting hours on Pinterest, blogs, and other thrilling internet drama. 

ADOPT IT: 

> Take care of your precious self (think quality sleep, nourishing foods, daily movement)  

> Surround yourself with other heart-centered, driven, passionate savages.

> Say NO to everything that doesn’t align with your vision and priorities. 

Your turn. It’s not easy and it’s definitely not fun thinking about what we give our precious energy too. If you feel embarrassed about the amount of time that is lost on meaningless things in your life, do not despair. CHANGE something today. Just do it. Reward yourself with a couple squats or an Americano, or even better throw on some Beyonce and dance a little :)

Final savage tip for the week: Schedule a weekly meeting with your CEO. 
See, the thing about meetings with the big boss - you can’t cancel. You cannot show up late and you sure as hell better bring your BEST self forward. Weekly check-ins will help you stay you track, keep you energized and prepared for the next big adventure. Win a little, fail a lot, but never, never, EVER give up.

TAKE ME TO THE RIOT

Two things you should know before continuing to read: I LOVE live music and I LOVE Toronto. Okay, lets go. RIOT FEST rocked Downsview Park this past weekend. The line-up was on point, catering to music lovers of all types, from the overly discerning it-takes-a-village-for-me-to-tap-my-foot hipster to the M-is-my-bff-happy-to-dance-my-face-off-to-the-sound-of-crickets EDM lover. Side note, I am writing this post while sitting across from my childhood BFF aka the math guru aka lead singer of Goodnight, Sunrise (SO spotlight) who so eloquently captured what I couldn't in the above sentence and just so happens to agree that we may be over festivals of this grandeur. Hence why this post was originally going to be called 'Riot Fest: A Coming of Age Story'. I digress... when the line-up was revealed back in May, I was not convinced until I rolled my cursor over two of my favourite bands scheduled to play day two, Toronto born and raised, Metric and Stars - SOLD.  I give myself absolutely no permission to blast my opinions of the festival as a whole on here considering I was only there for one day and truly, to see four bands nestled into the monstrous line-up. With the weather on our side, day two was, simply put - sensational. 

One of four stages at Riot, creatively named, not so strategically placed... ROCK, REBEL, RIOT & ROOTS

The Head and the Heart, played beneath a cloudless sky. They are truly, truly talented people. Sharing vocals, creating stirring harmonies, guitars, drums, violin etc... they were the full package, even when competing with the booming beats that wafted over from the Rebel Stage. Unshaken, they played their albums title track, Let's Be Still, without skipping a beat. Love.

...what's a festival without a selfie with my better half at all things music @lindsbanban

Torquil Campbell & Amy Milan of Stars image: instagram.com/blogto

Stars took the Rock stage just before golden hour, kicking off their set with none other than,  Take me to the Riot - adorable. They gave the crowd everything they wanted and more. Showcasing two songs from their much anticipated new album, No One is Lost, coming October 14, peppered amongst fan favourites like Fixed and We Don't Want Your Body. The setlist was flawless. Torquil Campbell did not disappoint, offering up his loveable, always entertaining fevered tirades about our glorious city. Amy Milan and Evan Cranley's adorable daughter danced her little heart out behind the band accompanied by Milan's BFF and former BSS bandmate, Emily Haines. It was really, really good. 

Stars image: @lindsbanban

Emily Haines image: instagram.com/blogto 

As The National finished up their set on the Roots Stage, the crowd quickly shifted one stage over to eagerly, and very pushily, wait for Metric. I cannot say enough about the experience of Metric. You have to feel it for yourselves. The energy they bring to the stage is infectious. Taking your eyes off of Emily is near impossible, unless of course, Jimmy Shaw has the spotlight. Kicking things off with Empty set the bar high but they carried it through, unbroken. After a sweet tribute to a close family friend of Haines' the band closed their set with Breathing Underwater, transitioning to acoustic half-way through. It was actually really emotional... I mean standing in a sea of people sharing this moment was pretty amazing...

Metric; image: @lindsbanban

As we made our way off the grounds, City and Colour seemed to be serenading us the whole way out. And that my friends, was how we did Riot Fest, potentially for the last time. As much as I loved every second of it, it was a big, young crowd and the sheer scale of it made me long for the smaller more intimate scene at festivals like Hillside and Field Trip. Big thanks to @lindsbanban for being an exceptional wingman, for screaming loud, dancing hard and constantly reminding me how amazing this life is and to Toronto for celebrating live music and culture.

Sun sets as the moon rises ushering in the final bands of the day... thank you Riot Fest, thank you Toronto. 

Listen to savageOM's VIP playlist on rdio featuring Metric, Stars, The National & City and Colour. 

LABOUR (DAY) OF LOVE: PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY

image: lindsbanban

I have been very lucky in my life to have many rural sanctuaries, which have provided me the essential soul asylum from the mayhem of the city. When I was growing up it was the beach in Maine, the lake in Memphremagog, and the farm in Caledon, then came my parents earthly paradise on Lake Muskoka, but it wasn't until about four years ago that I earned my green card at my besties Mum's lake house in Prince Edward County. I am usually drawn to the most remote locales when escaping the hum of the neon lights. I almost always prefer rugged terrain and secret beaches to the prim and proper - choosing unwashed hair and a make-up free face and the quiet of nature. A hammock, my yoga mat, a fire and wide open waters is truly, all I need. And then there is the county and the bounty that it holds in it's soil, in it's people and on the shores of it's elusive beaches. It has now officially become tradition that I spend labour day at the lake house soaking up the last drops of summer with late morning coffees, long paddle boards, lazy afternoon naps, breathtaking sunsets, delicious wines, local produce, and fabulous company. This weekend was no exception. So as we all prepare to get back to our "routine" take a moment to look back and relish all your blissful summer moments had near and far, in parks and on beaches, in laughter and in light!

Every labour day weekend Vicki's Veggies hosts their annual
Heirloom Hurrah Tomato Tasting with over a 100 different tomatoes and so much more.
Local farmers bring their finest to compliment the 50 foot table of heirlooms.
My favourites this year: Jaune Flamme, Nebraska Wedding, Black Cherry.
We left with our fair share of bounty and headed home for an evening of Panzanella and county wine. 

After Vicki's we headed over to County Cider to escape the humidity.
After a fleet of cider's, we settled on the County Classic Apple.
Light, refreshing, just the right amount of sweet and chilled to perfection.

Morning Yoga: My mat travels with me wherever I go.
This is one of my favourites places to practice alongside some of my favourite people.
There are few better ways to start the day.

image: normanhardie instagram

My three favourite selections from the man himself, Mr. Norman Hardie.
County Chardonnay, Calcaire and of course, the County Pinot Noir.
After an insanely busy weekend of tastings, pizzas and oysters, Norm's team
is gearing up for what promises to be yet another amazing harvest. 

My happy place. Sky above, Water below, Fire within...

As summer comes to a slow, steamy end, close your eyes and relive your BEST moments - the smells, the tastes, the sounds and the laughter; the late nights, camping trips, and moments of pure bliss. Write it all down so you can revisit your words when the earth freezes over. Practice gratitude. After all, sweater weather is not so bad...