live simply.

Nectar Splatters

2010-08-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

After a perfectly blissful birthday (yesterday!) I am still riding the wave of peace and love after day two at Yoga Festival Toronto, an inspiring gathering of local yogis and practitioners who create my beautiful city Sangha

Susan Richardson guided my body to embrace the delicate interplay of breath and alignment
as though I was an unfolding origami paper...
I entered class with all my complexity, my form and structure firmly entrenched in my mind.
My creases straight and my angles sharp, holding space.
The expression of my postures on the surface of my body;
the blooming gardenia in two dimensions.

Close your eyes.
Allow the back of your neck to soften.
The inner ear elongates.
The root of your tongue soft, all the way to the base of the clavicle.

Breathe into the void behind your heart.
The empty space in the body.

Breathe.

Into the void.
The emptiness.

Open to possibility.
Dimensions rather than layers.
The ebb and flow of asana taking form around the breath.

"(s)He is the real Sadhu, who can reveal the form of the Formless to the vision of these eyes"

Kabir. The son of a weaver.
Spider Clan.
Kindred souls meeting after 600 years

Chetana Panwar opened my heart to nirguna bhakti.
Formless Devotion
Discovering the ocean contained in a single raindrop
Within each cell the infinite resides without rules, without boundaries, without perception
Allowing my Self to experience embodiment of the Divine
on my own terms
as part of the whole
earth
air
fire
water

Closing my eyes
Dropping in to experience
Sweetness of the Nectar on my tongue
My body is my fullest expression
Without thought
or effort
Without interpretation

"Like a mute person who tastes a sweet thing ~ how can it be explained"

Moving into the flow of Shakti
Exploring the forms of the feminine with Karusia Wroblewski
Letting go of what my body knows and wants to know.
Creative passion, sexual, primal, necessary
Moving to the heartbeat of the drum
Swaying hips
Breasts lifted and proud
Eyes glittering

I am dancing the Divine
Durga the destroyer; fear my power
Lakshmi the provider; I am abundant and eternal
Saraswati; my lessons and learnings are gifts to share

"Behold my heart dances in the delight of a hundred arts and the Creator is well pleased"

I am born anew
I am only who I am at this moment
Free from the past,
Gone before the future arrives.

teaching for my students, not myself

2010-08-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

I reluctantly dragged myself to consciousness this morning feeling like I'd been on spin cycle for most of my night. Cold sweats, headache and nausea greeted me as I woke up for the 4th time in as many hours.

I realized I had set my alarm clock to go off an hour later than I needed it to, and by sheer good fortune, my discomfort woke me up on time to head out the door and teach yoga.

Oh god.

As I stumbled through the darkness pulling clothes out of my drawer (who knew what sort of crazy outfit I was putting together?!) my mind churned over all the reasons I could give for just not showing up. People would understand, I told myself. Everyone gets sick. What if I throw up in class? It's better that I just don't go...

What got me out the door was the small voice (of reason) in the back of my head that reminded me how much I love what I do. What a gift it is to be able to share something I love so much. How my role as teacher isn't about me, or how I feel, or what I think. It is about showing up and being present for my students. In tantric teachings we learn that the body is our vehicle to enlightenment. That through our physical experience we are given the gift of understanding suffering on a visceral level. By opening ourselves up to that experience we gain a deeper understanding of joy.

So my choice this morning was to be present with my experience.

As I rode my bike through the early morning light I took deep breaths of the cool, fresh morning air.
I enjoyed the empty streets and the silence of the city, broken only by the occassional car or fellow cyclist, and the ecstatic singing of hundred of birds welcoming the sun.
With my head pounding and my stomach churning, I hummed mantra.

When I arrived at the studio, I was given the opportunity to accept the compassion of others ~ my 2 students were agreeable to ending practise early and wished me well, sending me home with "drink lots of liquids" and "go back to bed"

Which I did.

I woke up at noon and was thankful that I had started my day with yoga.

walking on the earth

2010-08-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

I have spent this past year cultivating my yoga practise, or, more specifically, my teaching practise...

The stars aligned to liberate me from my job after I completed my Moksha yoga training, which meant I had plenty of time, and a refreshing amount of energy, to dedicate to my studios and students.

Walking into the studio as a teacher for the first time, and knowing that I was finally walking the path I am meant to be on, left me in awe of myself. How did I finally manage to pull this all together?! I felt as though a journey that I began when I was 16 had finally come to an end. I was no longer trying to get anywhere. I had arrived.

Of course, it was just the first step on a whole new journey...

Arriving here, now, is pretty hard. My life is a story that I've made up in my mind. Every morning I get out of bed a new person, but I convince myself that I am still who I was last week, or last year, or last decade.

As I explore the teaching of embracing the present, I have hit a lot of stumbling blocks.

My body is one of them.
My mind is another.

As I strive to understand my self, I embrace the idea of living simply in a very different way.
So now I move forward, leaving my soapy posts in the ethereal dust.

My intention for this blog is to share what I see, hear and feel as I wander the path of goddess tradition, yoga and opening my heart to the abundance of the universe.

Summer in the City!

2009-06-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be starting my Yoga Teacher Training in just 5 days... lucky for all the Simply. fans of the world, Joanna, my new partner in craft, is ready to take the wheel! Her first batch of Lavender soap is successfully curing in the basement, almost 100 bags of body polish line the shelves and body butter tins are stacked and ready to go!

I feel so honoured to be "passing the torch" to the third mom in the history of my company - I started simply. when I was trained by a mom-at-home who crafted soap...

Along the way I have had the ongoing help and support of a number of moms (my friends and family!) and it is amazing to me that I have this Circle of Women who are so enthusiastic and encouraging! It really speaks to me of the importance of human connection in this time of the "information age" - as I sit here blogging I imagine myself chatting over a cup of tea with my mom.

There is so much in my business that relates back to women and the connections we have with eachother - whether we know it or not! An example of this is the women we support in Togo - they are the primary caregivers for their families, and have a tradition of farming shea nuts to bring home income, but also to heal their communities. I have never met any of them, but we share a common goal - to work as part of a community for the greater good. In Togo, the communities I buy Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter from are building schools, digging wells and enabling their communities to continue a way of life that is healthy and connected to tradition.

Here in Toronto my community of women is doing the same - founding schools, starting businesses so they can be home with their families, and supporting a way of life that respects eachother and the planet upon which we dwell.

I am thankful for Simply. and what it has taught me, and I look forward to growing my business with Joanna, and with all of the women who I know, and don't know - we are all connected...

we all come from the Goddess
and to her we shall return
like a drop of rain
flowing to the ocean

hoof and horn
hoof and horn
all that dies
shall be reborn

corn and grain
corn and grain
all that falls
shall rise again!

Springtime Soaping!

2009-02-23T09:14:00.000-08:00

Well, we're not there quite yet, but with the sun streaming through my window as I type this it's not hard to think Springtime thoughts!

As little seeds begin to soften and leaves unfurl, I always feel a sense of anticipation in the spring... What new projects will burst forth with renewed energy? How will I grow this year?

To help get everyone started with a spring in their step, I have a full roster of workshops coming up, scheduled to take place at Nathalie-Roze & Co., my fave indie boutique and D.I.Y hive.

http://www.nathalie-roze.com/

Breastfest Filmfest

2008-11-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

I have been invited to speak at the screening of Toxic Bust, a look into the environmental links to breast cancer, at the Breastfest Filmfest taking place in Toronto this weekend. http://www.breastfestfilmfest.com/

While I am far from being a medical expert, I do take great pride in living a lifestyle and running a business in a way that is not only environmentally friendly, but in a way that (I hope) serves to educate and inspire. I am so excited to have this opportunity to share what I have learned along the way.

Living a healthy lifestyle is so much more than the food you put in your body or the (fair trade, organic) moisturiser you use on your skin. It is empowering yourself and those around you to bring about change - locally, nationally, globally - to the way that we perceive ourselves and our interaction with the world around us.

A toxic chemical plant in California is affecting us here in Toronto. Women exposed to harmful substances in the workplace overseas are affecting all of our communities for generations to come.

Rethink Breast Cancer is an organization aimed at educating and empowering - not just funding research by big pharma - and I am very pleased to be affiliated with them at this event.

Great shopping for the Holi-daze!

2008-11-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

Come and visit the simply. booth at Crafternoon Tea - Toronto's finest indie craft fair for over 5 years!

I love doing this show. It is inspirational to see what a vibrant and eclectic community of crafty people can get up to in Toronto. It's cool that many of the exhibitors also share their talents in the DIY-hive and it always makes me feel that I am a part of something very important - LOCAL TALENT being supported by a community that doesn't want to support big biz.

In these times of global uncertainty, it's nice to know that connection matters.

WHEN: Saturday November 29th (11am - 5pm)
WHERE: Queen Street East Presb. Church, 947 Queen St. East at Carlaw

Hope to see you there!!

The Sustainable Style Show

2008-11-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

This coming Saturday, November 8, simply. will be exhibiting at the Distillery District's Fermenting Cellar in a fabulous new show!

The Sustainable Style Show is part of Fashion Takes Action - a not-for-profit that is dedicated to bringing the worlds of great style and ecolocially aware consumption together. Sounds crazy, eh?

The show is going to offer up the best to be found in Toronto when it comes to beauty and fashion, and I am very happy to be among the exhibitors selected who meet their high standards of ethical and sustainable production.

For more details about the show and the evening Gala visit http://www.fashiontakesaction.com/

simply. is nuts for Pistachio!

2008-10-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

A new eco-store is opening in Toronto, and it's called Pistachio.

They chose to feature simply. soaps in their grand opening gift bags - so fingers crossed you'll see my soaps in their stores soon!

If you happen to wander in - ask them where you can find your favourite bars and butters... Or just buy them on my etsy site - it's almost done!!
www.simplybyamanda.etsy.com

Anywhere else you'd like to pick up my products let me know (and tell them, too!) It doesn't seem fair to keep such a good thing to ourselves!

FSC certified labels!

2008-10-02T17:42:00.001-07:00

I am very pleased to announce that I have started working with a new printer in Toronto - Taylor Labels - who have Forest Stewardship Council(FSC) certified labels.

This means that the paper used is independently certified to assure consumers that they come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. And the adhesives are recycling compatible, so if you don't have a chance to return your box for re-use, you can feel good knowing it won't gum up the recycling plant!

This is such an exciting step for me, and I would like to thank Lloyd for buying my soap at Grassroots and suggesting that we work together to bring my company one step closer to being the cleanest, greenest soap on the market!

My Etsy Site

2008-09-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

I am working on getting my soaps onto my etsy site for all of the wonderful customers who supported simply. at the Newmarket Farmers Market all summer!

My mom loves being there every Saturday morning, and is looking forward to the big christmas market in December.

You still have time to pick up a few bars from her before the market ends for the season, but don't worry - you can always get more by shopping online!

Lather up at the Toronto Yoga Festival

2008-07-29T05:59:00.000-07:00

Simply. is pleased to be contributing our soaps to the Toronto Yoga Festival ! The gals at 889 Yonge (889yonge.com) are working hard to "green" the event. Locally made, organic handsoaps were on their list - so all the fortunate festival participants get to try out simply. soaps (and avoid that weird liquid in the dispenser) during their 3-days of blissing out!

I am especially excited about this because I will be there, too!

It really makes me happy that grassroots efforts like this are taking place. Too often the option to support 'local' and 'eco' is bypassed because people say it's not relevant. But this is not true - we are all connected on so many levels, and the land we share is just a part of that. The communities we are a part of are integral to bringing about change. Through sharing our beliefs and passions we build strength and then anything is possible!

~ Namaste

Welcome!

2008-07-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

The simply blog is now up and running. We'll be posting information about workshops, events, media appearances and more!