This website has a few articles on detox, on the debate about whether yoga is dangerous or not, and also about yoga retreat vacations (something I know a lot about). I will be checking out this site as it continues to grow.

Check it out: Brampton Yoga Studios

The idea behind Matheson Enterprises came from the fact that over the past few years I started becoming apart of new initiatives and ventures. It actually became a bit addictive! It started with wanting to purchase some land in Costa Rica, but then developed into owning a Yoga Retreat Center, and now a new business in Jamaica. My goal is that every venture I become a part of will significantly give back to the communities involved…that’s the plan anyway. Obviously I can’t do this alone so Matheson Enterprises (ME) symbolizes that there are many forces behind the creation of any endeavour. Individual skills, people, and other influences contribute to the growth of every project.

I’m excited to be on this new path. This website will still exist but there will definitely be some changes.

Stay tuned to Matheson Enterprises which will be launching soon(ish) and in the meantime follow me on Twitter.

Costa Rica is also a very Eco-friendly country. Approximately one quarter of the land is dedicated conservation land and they plan to be carbon neutral in 10 years. They focus on eco-tourism in order to preserve the country but also encourage visitors and tourists. It is a very safe and politically stable country and has been military free since 1949 in order to allocate more money into their healthcare and education system.

What has also been growing in popularity in Costa Rica over the past decade are health and wellness retreats. Costa Rica is the perfect place to visit for:

1. Surfing Camps
2. Yoga Retreats
3. Yoga Teacher Trainings

Make a green choice when traveling and vacationing in order to promote sustainable tourism. It’s not just a marketing tactic.

A number of very happy new yoga teachers have been leaving rave reviews on Trip Advisor about their experience which has given Anamaya number one status for hotels in Montezuma, Costa Rica. Here are some of the reviews:

“I just returned from a month at Anamaya and it was well beyond my expectations (I had very high expectations). I didn’t think it was possible but the view from their infinity pool and the yoga area was well beyond what I had seen in photographs.”

“I got back from the Sept Yoga Teacher Program at Anamaya Retreat Center where the staff become your family away from home. They are very accommodating, the food is wonderful…and the training program was awesome?”

Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica is big business these days but the benefits for Anamaya have more to do with providing aspiring yoga teachers with a program that is top quality and to give them an experience that will change their life. You’ll be very surprised how incredibly reasonable the prices are considering how luxurious Anamaya is but the costs include much more than what you’ll find at other Yoga Retreats.

Anamaya offers a number of different retreats to suit everyone’s needs. There are a number of different Yoga Instructors all with a program that is unique to them. This offers a versatility that makes training at Anamaya very appealing. The demand for the Yoga Teacher Trainings have created a requirement for Anamaya to triple the amount of trainings they have every year.

If you want a month away in paradise and either want to become a yoga teacher or just enhance your practice through some additional intense training, then please check out Anamaya Resort and Retreat Center. You’ll be blown away!

“Before you’ve practiced, the theory is useless. After you’ve practiced, the theory is obvious.” David Williams

Melissa Jane Shaw (aka MJ) is a choreographer, yoga teacher, actress, & fitness professional who brings the most amazing energy with her wherever she goes. This women is truly amazing. MJ will be hosting a Flirty Girl Fitness retreat at the stunning Anamaya Resort & Retreat Center next month. November 5 - 12 to be exact and there are still a few spots left.

Take advantage of this package - it’s going to be one of the best weeks of your life!!! Yoga, chair dancing, pole-dancing lessons, swimming in the ocean, eating organic food, being surrounded by paradise…what an opportunity.

Anamaya is known for their Yoga Retreats, Surfing Camps, and Yoga Teacher Trainings…and now they can add Pole-Dancing to their list of unique retreats and packages.

For more info on the Yoga and Pole Dancing Retreat, please visit Anamaya - the resort that takes care of the Body, Mind and Spirit.

Something that has just come up via Groupon was a Juice Cleanse. I never thought I’d do a Cleanse of this kind but I was intrigued so I purchased the 2-Day Cleanse. After checking out the Total Cleanse website it looked as though a 3-Day program would give me the most benefit.

So I spoke with Rebecca Malen who is one of the Founders of Nimdiet and we put together a 3-Day plan. I pick up my freshly pressed Juice on Wednesday Sept 28, 2011 and start my cleanse Thursday morning. Depending on how it goes, I’m hoping to possibly get Rebecca on board to host a detox retreat at Anamaya one day.

Please follow my Juicing Journey on Twitter. It’s sure to be a VERY funny ride!! However, I’ll also let you know exactly what I’m experiencing, facts about Juice Cleansing (the good, the bad, & the ugly), and hopefully give you some insight into this type of detox program.

Wish me luck…I THINK I’M GOING TO NEED IT

Kelsey

In addition to the Flirty Girl Fitness Retreat, Anamaya is host to an extensive list of retreats. Also new to their schedule this year is a Yoga and Indian Dance Retreat. This special retreat practices Shakti Yoga, Temple Goddess Workouts and Odissi Dance. It promises to slim down, tone up and feel amazing. Surf Retreats are also very popular in Costa Rica and in places like Montezuma and nearby Malpais, surfing is truly a way of life. Anamaya currently has two surfing retreats to choose from. The first one is available this year from August 6-13 and is called the Surf, Embodiment and Empowerment Retreat. The focus of this retreat is to examine the love and passion for surfing and how it can empower and improve daily life. It sounds very intriguing and unlike most surfing related programs. The primary Surf Retreat offered by Anamaya caters to beginners and virtuosos alike, and is a great combination of surfing and yoga. It is called the Soul Surfer Retreat and runs quite frequently throughout the year. Detox Retreats are also very popular and most clients escape to exotic destinations for these types of getaways. While Anamaya is putting themselves on the map for offering unique and eclectic types of programs that focus on physical exercise, it also hosts a number of different Detox Retreats that help to lose weight, purify the body and reduce stress.

Health and wellness vacations are increasing in popularity and even though Zumba Retreats and Pole-Dancing Retreats seem to be more dedicated to the “vacation” aspect of traveling rather than the focus on “health”, in reality they are symbiotic. Health retreats come in all shapes and sizes so there is definitely something for everyone. Another aspect to the appeal of wellness retreats is the power in being with like-minded people. The energy of participating in a retreat with a group of people who are looking for similar experiences offers is an important added benefit.

So if someone is looking to lose weight, practice yoga in paradise, learn how to surf, become a Booty Beat instructor, or have a life changing adventure then it is worth having a look at all the various retreats that Anamaya Resort and Retreat Center have to offer. There truly is something for everyone.

Surfing and yoga may seem to be diametrically opposed to one another. Surfing is seen as intense, thrilling, and adventurous, and yoga as tranquil, controlled, and meditative. The fact is that they complement each other very well.

Surfing is a very popular sport but with any sport certain areas of the body will be more engaged then others. An additional form of exercise, like yoga, that focuses on flexibility and strength is recommended for surfers to balance their bodies. The benefits that yoga offers surfers are quite substantial. Yoga will help to prevent injury, increase body awareness, improve concentration, and allow more agility. They are a perfect combination that offers freedom for the mind, body and spirit.

Learning to surf for the first time can also be quite frustrating at times. Yoga can help build your patience levels. Through practicing COSTA RICA YOGA at Anamaya Resort you will learn the art of breathing properly and reap the benefits of meditation. Both will help minimize tension, improve focus, and maximize oxygen intake, which will boost your energy. Falling off the board or missing a wave is a big part of leaning how to surf, but if you can stay calm and focused then you’ll enjoy yourself regardless – and that’s what surfing is all about, having fun!

Check out all of Anamaya’s great retreats.

This DETOX RETREAT will cleanse your body of harmful toxins and will nourish the body while bringing balance back to your body’s chemistry.

The Retreat Includes:

• Kidney & Liver Detox
• Gentle Yoga
• Ample alkaline micro-clustered antioxidant water from the New Alkal-Life 7000sL
• Ozone water - for oxyginating the blood, deactivating harmful chemicals & killing pathagens
• Health education discussion and research
• Informative DVDs on a multitude of health oriented subjects
• Infrared Sauna sessions for breaking up fat cells and speeding detox
• High quality natural vitimin and mineral suppliments to nourish and balance the body
• Chlorella - to assist the body in cleansing heavy metals like murcury and lead
• Fresh wheat grass juice
• Rejuvilac drink to replenish the healthy intestinal flora
• Herbal parasite cleanse - to get rid of those life draining critters
• Fresh organic juices and light foods

For more info and retreat updates, please click HERE.

I spent the day this past Friday looking for confirmation that Incendies was opening at the Bell Light Box on October 21st - which I had heard during our FWC Board meeting.  Bell Light Box did not have it listed on their online schedule (although there was a poster for it up at the theatre) and the Distributor has it listed as opening in English Canada in January (although there is an ad in NOW magazine saying it’s opening on the 21st).

CONFUSED ANYONE?  I certainly was.

Luckily one of our Board Members was seeing a film at the Bell Light Box that evening so when he went to the ticket counter and asked if the film was indeed opening on the 21st they said “yes”.  One would think that would be the final answer - they had the Incendies poster proudly displayed so why would you question that?  There’s even an ad in NOW magazine so it seems pretty cut-and-dry, no?  Well actually…no!

The Distributor had it listed on their website as opening January 2011 so I felt that that would be the most accurate information.  I dug deeper and found out that the Oscar nomination screening of Incendies was held last Friday and the decision to bump Incendies to January most likely happened at the beginning of last week after they received feedback.  So this would have been too late to pull any advertising and apparently the news hadn’t trickled down to the box office at the Bell Light Box yet.  You see - if we get the Oscar nomination for Incendies then they would understandably want to screen the film after some Oscar buzz and closer to the awards ceremony.  Fingers crossed we get the nomination!!!  Let me say that I haven’t spoken to anyone directly at eOne yet about all of this - I’m mostly speculating (but I’m extremely confident that this is the case).

So our Board Member asked the people at the box office to make a phone call to find out for sure because he was extremely confident (based on our back-n-forth emails discussing this all afternoon) that the poster should be taken down and the box office should be updated on the status of the film.  The box office made a call….and the poster was taken down.

Just another good days work

All that being said - this movie is a MUST SEE!  I saw it at TIFF and I plan on seeing it again when it’s released in English Canada.  If you’re in Quebec it’s currently playing in theatres.  There’s a reason why it’s Canada’s choice for the Oscar nod.  Check it out.

See you at the movies!