Project Shakti
More Yoga, Less Drama - thanks Noah
And now Amy Ippoliti has decided not to renew her certification.
I've been trying to figure out not WHY they did but why has all of this created such interest within the yoga community and here's my two bits.....
Since 2002 I knew I was going to be a Certified Anusara teacher and in 2011 I completed that goal. It took 6 countries, 10 houses, and 2 kids before I was able to complete it but I did.
And yes, I am proud of that.
For the the small number of Certified Anusara teachers world-wide (340) and those working through the certification process know how incredibly challenging it can be, it can be pretty intimidating going through the video process and waiting for feedback. You come face to face with your secret closet of insecurities and nobody wants that door to open. However the process is meant to be empowering.
Guess what?
It is. Incredibly powerfully so, as you learn how to connect with your students and how to bring forth your skills as a teacher. You evolve through the process....it was designed this way and really isn't that cool?
It can often take years to become certified (case in point, moi), and it requires patience combined with the ability to look deep into the inner recess of the your heart and be okay with de-constructing old beliefs, often tired ones and re-design new ways of engaging with self and the world, new fresh ones!
So for many of us who have worked so hard to receive our certification, it seems inconceivable to choose not to renew certification.
I mean really, it took me YEARS, because a) I didn't live around any certified teachers b) was busy raising babies and c) had inner deep stuff to deal with and of course, we all know that doesn't go away. *but the tools of Anusara Yoga sure has made it easier!
I'm sure there were many of us who at one point or another questioned whether or not, to stay with Anusara Yoga. I know I certainly did and especially in the video process of being certified. Fortunately (although at times this made it harder) I had a certain founder watch my videos and I can tell ya, it was the most difficult thing EVER receiving feedback. But I stayed and am staying with Anusara because the good it has brought to my life has far out-weighed anything I thought was negative (which is really human personalities and nothing to do with Anusara Yoga or the organization)
I feel I can safely say this, because I've discussed this with John and heard him say it many many times.
It's not about being certified.
From what I've learned from the hundred of workshops hours that I have attended with John and discussed personally; it's not about being on the cover of yoga journal or owning a studio or selling out at Yoga Journal conferences.
Its about living from your Heart.
Yup, that's pretty much it in a nut-shell.
And it's about being happy and helping others to feel better about themselves. Its about connecting with Spirit, that amazing Presence that pulsates through us all and looking for the good first, in pretty much everything. How about being honoring all sides of the spectrum, light and dark too? Yup, that too and it's about being kind, gracious, and helping others.
It's about being a good person, period.
This practice of Anusara Yoga will assist with experiencing at the foremost, grand humility, to recognize that we are all human beings in this giant cosmos of life and we are similar (skeletons and bones) yet different (colors, races, creeds) with feelings, emotions and choices.
Choice. This is the crux of it, isn't it?
This practice allows us to discover 'choice' by it's very first principle 'Open to Grace'. O2G gives us a choice to align with something bigger then ourselves and so we come to the mat, soften our edges, take a breath and choose to open our hearts to the possibilities.
My understanding through listening to John while he teaches is that he wants you to be HAPPY in your HEART, Anusara certified or not.
We shouldn't be surprised that teachers may not be renewing their certification because we all evolve in life at different times and at different places. One of the great experiences of Anusara Yoga is to realize you have the power of choice and with that all it encompasses. This may mean pushing the boundaries of what you know and draw you closer to where your Heart resides and taking brave new steps, which for some seems unimaginable.
I feel that its important to note that no one is 'leaving' Anusara. They are simply choosing not to renew their Certification. This same choice is offered to everyone yearly who has decided to teach Hatha Yoga in the Anusara method. Every year we get to decide if this is the right path for us and any one of us at some point may decide its not right for us anymore.
*THIS IS IMPORTANT* It is not the organization that is making that decision for you, YOU are making that decision and I don't feel its fair or reasonable to give out to the organization that has wholeheartedly supported you along the way, or to suggest that the direction has changed. As far as I know, everything is ticking along same as always. You only have to call the office at any time and EVERYONE there is so darn nice, friendly and helpful. Really, try calling there sometime, even just to say hi. They are awesome.
Whatever you decide to do, be within your heart when it comes to your choice, embrace it and make magic with it. I am choosing to renew my certification with Anusara Yoga when the time comes this year because it has had such a positive impact on my life. It has taught me to open my Heart to life, to heal my body with the UPofA and to align myself with something amazing, the energy of the Nature. My life is better because I am affiliated with Anusara Yoga; I am connected to people around the world and our global heart is strong in intention to celebrate Shri.
I love Anusara Yoga.
just saying....
So I leave you with the eloquent words of Noah Maze "more yoga, less drama."
MORE LEG, LOOK UP AND DO IT AGAIN!!
Lately I have been involved in a show-jumping league; it's been challenging, exhilarating and super fun. I've been doing this for about a couple of months now and absolutely love it. This past Friday I went into my usual height class, which has about 12-14 jumps and came out with double clears and another red ribbon (I'm becoming addicted to these) and decided to try for the first time, the next height class up.
Everything started off really good. Sage, the lovely horse I ride was working in a better rhythm and I was both confident and committed to the course. Jump 1, then 2 & 3 then the approach to jump 4......
....next thing I knew I was flying off the horse and thinking 'this is gonna hurt'.
It did.
How many times have you been in a yoga class and the teacher says "today we are going to do handstands".
You groan right? Unless you are an Anusara head and then cheer enthusiastically!
When I first started yoga, I certainly did not love handstands. In fact I remember the first handstand attempt, which fortunately for me, my teacher Frederick was quite handsome and strong. I do remember saying to him in all my naivety and young attitude "Bikram says we don't have to do handstands", you can also imagine me sticking out my tongue in defiance, (I didn't actually do this). Fortunately for Frederick, he persevered and held me upside down as I quivered and shook and practically cried the whole time. But I did it, massively assisted by Frederick and to this day, am so grateful for his persistence and belief that I could.
Having taught handstands in classes and workshops for some years now, I've heard every excuse from 'I fell on my head as a kid' to 'my bum is too big'. What stands out for me, is not the actually excuses but how l o n g we carry the excuses which sadly can limit us from experiencing freedom and the fun in handstands.
While it is important to honor our feelings surrounding the previous situation we also have to do as my trainer Louise says 'MORE LEG, LOOK UP AND DO IT AGAIN'.
This is where getting back on the horse can help.
When we fall we have to realize that it happens to everyone and this is how we learn. Can you think back to being a toddler? Kids are great for inspiration; they fall, cry and get over it! What we learn from them is that our attitude getting back up is paramount. While I don't know exactly what happened when I approached fence 4 that caused Sage to stumble or slip in an extra stride and sent me tumbling over, I do know my first thought after was 'I am going to have to get back on'.
But getting back up is not as easy as it sounds, anyone who has hurt themselves, whether its horse-riding or handstands can attest to this. And years can go by and we still carry the 'hurt/fear/anxiety' with us creating blocks and such....so not fun.
So what does one do?
We can remember our aids, or our alignment which hopefully you have gained in your Anusara yoga classes (finger pads down, legs strong, heart melted) and the second part requires some guts (aka courage combined with will). This is how we can create a new pattern of positive re-enforcement and begin to change how we approach every obstacle in life. Whether its horse-riding or handstands, we have to get back on the horse. Why? Because if we don't, how are we ever to experience what we are truly capable of?
Now, please note I am not suggesting reckless abandon when attempting handstands or jumping, I am merely suggesting that the most crucial part is to TRY again, with your aids, with your alignment and with your will, Iccha, or action of intent from your Heart. When you move from this place you can experience monumental achievements, even if its jumping cross poles for the first time or setting up for a second handstand.
The Universal Principles of Alignment have taught me this over the past decade. Years and years of incorporating these 5 magical steps have become intrinsic to my body, mind and heart and have given me the green light to go ahead in anything that I do, or attempt 
So even when I'm totally nervous about putting a horse back into a jump, which I was after I fell; I can remember these Principles and find my way with some humility, guts and Iccha (fiery intent that envelops your whole body and drops you into your superhero suit creating the power to get back on that horse or push up into handstand).
So even when I'm totally nervous about putting a horse back into a jump, which I was after I fell; I can remember these Principles and find my way with some humility, guts and Iccha (fiery intent that envelops your whole body and drops you into your superhero suit creating the power to get back on that horse or push up into handstand).This was my translation of the Principles as I approached the first jump after I fell.
1. Open to Grace - Anusara
1. You can do this, TRUST - me
2. Muscular Energy - Anusara
2. Legs on, squeeze and stay on, dammit - me
3. Inner Spiral - Anusara
3. Sit back, sit deep - me
4. Outer Spiral - Anusara
4. Ride on, move with pelvis - me
5. Organic Energy - Anusara
5. Holy fuck, I did it! - me
Below is the link to my fall, should you want to see. Aside from a sore shoulder, all is well and I've got a riding date with Sage tonight, hoping instead of roses, we get the red rosette!
watchtahneehttp://youtu.be/OxuH1236Ns8
So I leave you with the great words of Louise;
"MORE LEG, LOOK UP AND DO IT AGAIN!!!!"
Back to the blogs....
It has been quite some time.
This I do know
and from other bloggers I have read, this is common.
To be completely honest, I haven't really known where to start back, because so much has gone on, so much I've wanted to write about but there is this elusive thing called Time, that seems to often elude me when it comes 'time' to sit down and write. I write whole blogs in my head, on my walks, doing laundry, shopping, on the yoga mat yet when it comes time to actually sit down and write.....nothing comes out cause suddenly I remember all these things I need to do (walks, laundry, shopping, yoga) and away I go and Time and I part company for awhile again.
So today I'm tanking up on coffee and DOING IT, DAMMIT!!
I will start off saying that I had the most amazing summer away and big shout outs to the Bliss family in Grand Cayman for being such amazing hosts. The workshops were great, the students so welcoming and eager to play. Janelle organized the most wonderful singer Natasha Kozaily to sing live which was spectacular. I highly recommend checking out her website and album, its on constant replay here.
www.natashakozaily.com
I also had a first visit to the Shanti Yoga Studio in Edmonton with the blossoming Anusara kula being nurtured so beautiful by Jana Derges and owner Rene and of course, being supported by the fantastic Joos crew in Saskatoon under Jan, my dear sweet friend.
Then I took a long break.
and am slowly coming back to the mat and to teaching life...
What I've found is while I haven't had (this actually reads as 'haven't made the effort') time to get to the mat, the yoga practice I'm cultivating is a daily engagement with a type of life-practice. All the time I spent on the mat over the past decade learning to be patient and finding my breath has lead into a deeper engagement with life, using those qualities I cultivated and am still cultivating on the yoga mat; patience, kindness,compassion and the bigger picture vision.
I may not be able to do 1min handstands (right now) but I am able to forgive when people do some pretty low-ball things, which has happened. It also doesn't mean that I need to forget, just like my body will remember that it can and has held 1 min handstands before and will again soon.
What is important to me, while I may not be daily on my yoga mat (or blogging weekly as I would like), is that I am daily engaging with life, with my yoga, that I am being kind and upholding the highest vision to Align with the Divine.
So when my Mom says to be me "well, Tahnee, you are kind" then I know my practice is working, especially since we were talking about bitch-slaping and I was suggesting it might not be the best way to deal with a situation....
Have a great week and I look forward to connecting again soon!
Cowboys are Tantric Superstars
If you've ever driven from Saskatoon to Calgary you know the importance of having music along for the ride; envision 6hrs on a straight.....................long.............................road....................
I did not have an ipod connector which meant I had the great pleasure (yes that was sarcastic) to filter through my lovely sister's scratched up, old and oddly titled cd's, such as 'nasty girl' and 'boitch'. I'll leave it up to your imagination as to the gems found on there. My challenge was to listen through each one.......like I said it was a
l o n g drive.
Celine Dion didn't make the cut.
Somehow (desperation?) I got through them all but sadly or fortunately some now decorate the highway (see above selection). With no choice left but the radio, I tuned in to some good ol country radio stations. It only seemed appropriate as I was passing tractors on the road, tractors driving in the fields, passing grain elevators, cows, trucks, cows, tractors, cows, grain, fields, cows, tractors - you get the idea.
After listening for 4 hours straight of country music (right now, some of my closest friend's jaws have just hit their computer keyboards) I realized that cowboys are tantric superstars.
They call it as they see it.
For example;
"Rain makes corn
corn makes whiskey
whiskey makes my baby
....a little frisky"
I mean really, how rad is that? Luke Bryan is my new favorite cowboy tantrika, he completely understands how Nature works and how to align with it....
Tantrics historically were ordinary people as opposed to Brahmins (like priests or scholars, an upper caste and considered hoity-toity). Tantrics worked the land (like farmers and cowboys) and were hairdressers (I'm assuming), who lived in harmony with their environment. They supported another, worked together as a community and understood the importance of their relationship with Nature was vital to their existence.
Tantrics and cowboys have gotten a bad rap in the past: tantrics for seeking beauty (most people focus on the the Kama sutra, it's an aspect of tantra but not what tantra is all about) and cowboys for enjoying the simple pleasures in life.
Cowboys all along have been doing their thing and from a yogic perspective I think they have it right.
Cowboys worship their women (Shakti, feminine aspect), love their trucks (tools), their whiskey and beer (gifts of the goddess in the form of nectar), experience heart-ache regularly (not afraid to love) and enjoy driving or riding their horse along the long road heading to nowhere (svantantra - freedom).
The philosophy of Anusara Yoga (tantric based) has helped me with re-discovering what is important in my life.
1. love of Nature, God, Grace, Universal Energy - whatever you want to call it, but that Big Old Pulse that connects us all.
2. to seek beauty and goodness first, key teaching from John Friend.
3. stay humble by looking at the world through fresh unclouded eyes (trying not to judge, as I did for many years of country music, yes you could say I thought it was lame....except for Willie, I never ever thought Willie was lame)
4. down-sizing my shit and being simple, knowing what I have is always enough and being happy with that.
5) play, fun, laughter, love....if we don't see that life is a dance or a two-step, then how the hell are we going to appreciate what we are here for???
Cowboys understand many aspects to life that many of us have forgotten; to appreciate simplicity within day to day existence; in their eyes it all comes down to their women, beer/whiskey, open roads, dogs and or horses, open plains and open skies, loving, laughter and living. And they share their love of life through music....perfect for spinning a few hours driving down the long high way along the prairies.....seems damn good to me.
Take for example the above picture. Pretty simple right? You might even say boring? Just a picture of a trailer? Depends on what YOU choose to see.
Do you see the wide open blue skies which represents unlimited possibilities....or the beautiful hidden moon reminding us of the vast cosmos we are apart of...... saddles which actually gets me pretty excited cause that means horses and riding feeling both power and freedom, majesty and grace. The truck and trailer heading (somewhere?) on a highway driving along expansive plains of the prairies......seeking adventure and liberty? The potential for beauty is endless when we choose to seek it from our humble and cowboy hearts.
This picture represents pure Ananda, pure bliss because I got to take this picture as I drank wine out of a dixie cup, smell the sweet scent of the land, watch the horses and marvel at the splendor which was being presented in each moment. This picture reflects beauty in the most uncomplicated of ways and is filled with simplicity; a truck, a trailer, the endless sky, the amazing land. We just have to be open to see everything..... which is why I'm rolling country tantra yogic-style.
Now if only Willie was there to serenade me....
Cowboy boots, a dash of attitude and a whole lotta YES.
A year ago, I would not have worn country boots, listened to country tunes or have entertained the thought of anything country.
Not my style.
Or so I thought.
Until I arrived back to where the land is as living as the sky and is home to the prairies, big ass trucks, grain elevators, hockey, spitz, Pilsner beer, ball caps, quarter horses, juicy rib-eye steaks, caesars (and no, not the salad), & lake living, eh?
And I found myself rocking a pair of cowboy boots the other day, quite happily while singing (ahem, blasting) along to Taylor Swift's song Mean (um, I kinda like that she vented to millions through a song - you go girl).
Yep, I have crossed over to the other side of the tracks, and no...not that kind of tracks.... 
One thing (of the many things) I have learned from my dear teacher, John Friend is to look at the world with 'beginner eyes' which is to stay humble, open and don't limited yourself by having one view. I also liken it to mean GET THE HELL OUT OF YOUR BOX AND TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS AND DON'T BE AFRAID IF IT SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF YOU!!
The first Universal Principle of Alignment from Anusara Yoga, 'Open to Grace' is exactly this, 'Say YES and trust in the unknown but from a place of connection to the most important muscle in our bodies, our Hearts.'
Right now, I'm saying YES to all things country and friggin loving it! What scares me is I hadn't had said yes....what would I be missing out on then? My heart feels fuller, my body more expanded and all because I said yes to something I had previously said no to.
YES.
Trust.
Open.
YEEHAW!!
This is how are yoga practice serves us; we say no to a pose like handstand because we feel that particular pose should be left in our childhood. With steady determination, practice and facing the unknown (and hopefully with some good teachers) we find we slowly begin to get the pose till over time, it becomes our favorite yoga pose.
A year ago, I said 'no way' to cowboy boots and by incorporating the very poignant and sweet first principle of Anusara into everything I do (YES, GODDAMMIT) I am embracing new frontiers and expanding into the unknown.
Having a YES party on the trampoline....
So get those boots on, add a dash of attitude, a whole lotta YES and I'll see you for a wild ride on the country side!
Love and boot-full blessings,
Tahnee
Have you been hugged by your tick lately?
Saskatchewan. Home of the prairies, wide expansive skies dotted with fluffy white clouds, dry sizzling air and acres of trails to walk beside gorgeous flowing rivers and lakes.
This is what I've been doing since I arrived. Walking, walking and walking. Usually with my friend and his two dogs, Doc and Princess, a cheeky jack russell and a sweet lab cross; perfect companions for a day out in the fields.
Today was no different; leave city and head to the country side to walk some more. The prairie sun beat down with a searing heat and after a long damp winter in Ireland I could feel my bones drying out.
A few boats fishing on the lake and the sound of birds chirping with the rustling of the wind through the trees. Just a gorgeous walk beside the lake, pure nature, pure bliss.
Till. I. Looked. Down.
and saw my shoes infested with TICKS!
Then the day went rapidly down-hill fast. Off came the shoes, the socks and I stood in bare feet in disbelief, shock and disgust (hey I like bugs just NOT ON ME and especially ticks). Poor Doc being practically 2 inches of the ground was an open invitation for those ticks, he was covered so straight to the water we went, dogs and shoes IN. "drown those bitches" was going through my head....not very yogi on me I KNOW, but seriously when there is over 20 everywhere I'd like to see you gently and lovingly remove them.
After picking ticks off dogs, inspecting shoes for any hidden ticks and trying not to gag came the realization came that I have to put lake soaked wet shoes back on?? And there was no chance of walking back through tick-forest and the only other way back to the truck was about 5 km on a gravel road??
Insert appropriate use of swear words here.
I will admit I tried to walk the gravel road in my bare feet uphill until I decided that was crazy. On went the soggy and previously infested runners. Lovely.
As we were about halfway back, at this point trying to laugh about what had just happened. We were in the middle of fucking no where and we stepped into what was obviously a tick breeding ground. All we needed was a bottle of whiskey and some country tunes to make it complete when I felt the drip drip drip on my arms.
I. Looked. UP.
Really? REALLY??
The only dark gloomy and mean looking cloud in the whole damn sky was directly above us, there was not another cloud in the expansive sky of this same color scheme. It meant business and dammit, it unleashed its business on us right then.
Soggy wet shoes, poor dogs with ticks, sunburn on shoulders, soaked with rain and all we could do was laugh and laugh and laugh.
This is why I practice Anusara yoga and love this method.
Many people might consider this a shitty adventure out but we were amazed by everything that had happened and just marveled at nature. She is un-predicable, she is fierce, she is beautiful and she is always waiting for us to see her magnificence, which often comes covered in black wrapping paper. Anusara Yoga has taught me to seek the good even in the darker times, when life doesn't seem so fun (like tick infestation). It has taught me to seek beauty first and when I do that, it allows for an opening within where I feel really grateful for each rich and abundant moment (like tick infestation).
Yes it was a bummer to be picking ticks off dogs but they had a great time outside running around smelling the bounty of nature and so did we. Yes, wearing soggy runners sucked when it pelted rain on me but it was cleansing and cooling after the heat of the day. I felt refreshed, alive and it added another element which made for greater appreciation of nature has to offer. I realized that it was these moments that make me love life. The wildness of nature (ok so I get we only ran into ticks and not a bear) but hey, it caused some excitement, it made me laugh and I felt lighter in my heart which is what I really need right now. So those pesky ticks were a slightly demented gift from the Universe but I opened my eyes to see the play (lila) in it. This is the practice; to recognize that everything happening is a Divine gift that comes in all sorts of colored wrapping paper and we need to release our judgements and or perceptions to see the beauty in each precious and delicious moment. It's there and I highly recommend heading out to nature to see what gift you will receive. Please let me know what color wrapping paper yours came in, I'd love to know....
What wasn't fun was going for Mojito's after and they were out of mint???
Now that was a problem.
The beauty of the moon woke up my heart
This morning I awoke with a fright.
at 4am.
Not fun.
I remembered my dream where a dream friend (someone you either don't know or can't remember who they are) was telling the piranhas to stop eating my other dream friend's feet.
Didn't make sense to me either.
Then I looked up out the window into the space between the blind and the ledge, where 2 inches of the outer world can be seen and what I say moved me beyond words.
The beauty of the moon woke up my heart.
Perfectly full, luminous, radiant, moving, bright, effulgent and whole.
Everything that we are.
Within our hearts.
Let nature inspire you to see your fullness within, let other people see your luminous spirit shine through your eyes and smile. Experience life by seeking the beauty first...allow yourself to awaken early so you can see the gifts the Universe is giving you.
Let the beauty of the moon awaken you to the beauty you hold in your heart.....
SOFT MOON SHINING
My beloved Divine Mother
Dance with me
under the soft moon shining
in the wide open fields
far beyond the toil and trouble
of my busy mind
Dance with me
before the night grows old
while the winds of love
still bow the grasses
and the coyotes howl for you
to step their way
Dance with me my beloved
while the Mystery's Edge
still flirts in the shadow
of your radiant lightEthan Walker III
I really like this....but I didn't write it.
Sometimes when you are feeling your
lowest, the Real You is summoned.
And you understand, maybe for the first time,
how grand you are, because you discover that
vulnerable doesn't mean powerless, scared doesn't
mean lacking; and uncertainty doesn't mean that you
are lost.
These realizations alone will set you
on a journey that will take you far beyond
what you used to think of
as extraordinary.
There is always a bright side.
Kali is my bitch
I have not been blogging. Obviously.
This is the first time in a long while that I've sat and tried to articulate what is going on in my life. It has been difficult to try and assemble my thoughts and un-package them in an orderly way. Really, it's only Ikea that does it best.
Life has been tough. Dammit.
It has also been inspiring, scary, nerving (nervy?) unsettling, draining and uplifting.
Lately I've been thinking I was a witch in a past life and am currently being bound and burned at the stake again. Except this time, there are no actual flames and the only thing that is binding me to the stake is myself.
Everyday I am thankful for the practice of yoga. It is currently saving my ass.
11 years of yoga later I am able to stand tall (though sometimes barely) while the raging inferno flickers and dances around me; its like a steady stream of bleach is being shot at my heart wiping up the malas clean (malas are dust on the mirror of the heart) and I have to grin and bear it. My goal is that I emerge like the phoenix bird rising free and radiant out of the ash, ready to fly high but it's not easy.....nope not at all.
This is what our yoga is about. Preparing and training for when the shit hits the fan and your world explodes around you. How do you handle the carnage?
If it wasn't for yoga, I'd be at the Snake Pit on Melrose ave in Los Angeles with a bottle of tequila and some scary new friends.
Instead I hit the yoga mat and breathe and pray and stretch and pray some more.
There is a gorgeous (taste is relative) Goddess Kali who dances on the prone figure of Shiva. She used to frighten me with her necklace of skulls, her far-reaching tongue, her swords and fire and chopped off heads. People would say don't invoke Kali as she will fuck your life up, destroy all you know to be true and leave you for dead.
Fun. Right?
These days I'm rolling tight with Kali because this Goddess is about Love, for absolute hair-rising and totality love for you. She is the Mother Bear who is going to protect you but also petrify you into opening your heart to receive her wisdom. She de-constructs the bullshit that we wrap ourselves in and instead rips our world apart, severing our ignorance and egotistical ideals so we can emerge again from the truth of who we are.
Kali isn't going to mince words; she is going to make you work but she doesn't bring anything that you cannot handle. And when you think you can't hang out anymore remember she is a reminder to find inside of ourselves what is truly important.
We are Love. We just don't want to believe it all the time.
I'm learning now.
This process may not be easy but there will be an end result if we look for the good first through the difficulty. My advice: so be a warrior, do your ecstatic dance, stick your tongue out and be scary, be wild, be passionate and let Kali take you back home deep into your heart, where everything is ok. Trust me.
If not, there's always the Snake Pit.
Driving Donuts around Dubs, Tips for Irish Motorists to stay sane
From many years of tackling freezing and snowy winter weather, here are my tips to get you through...
1. Head south for winter.
2. If option 1 isn't an option, then buy a truck, preferably a Toyoya landcruiser and learn how to drive it properly. If unsure, ask a Canadian.
3. If option 2 isn't an option, then invest in importing winter tires or all winter tires as a business. I'd say both the Irish economy and Irish winters are going to continue to freeze; this way after you sell out all your tires you will soon be able to choose option 1.
4. Start your car 15mins before you have to leave the house. Do not forget to put heater on and defrost on high. Trust me, if you have leather seats, this is especially important for you and certain bits of the male anatomy.
5. Buy anti freeze for your car, this will help keep the windshield clear and you stop looking like an eejit using your plant watering can to defrost your window, course my Irish husband does this, hmm....must remind him about option 4.
6. Keep a full tank of gas. You cannot successfully complete option 4 if you on an empty 
7. Take it handy or find a Canadian to drive for you.
8. Gear 2 is your friend in this weather, especially when you want to turn gracefully around the corner as opposed to sliding and crashing into your neighbor's stone gate.
9. Find a Canadian to drive for you.
10. Pump the brakes when slowing down, DO NOT JAM ON YOUR BRAKES!!!! Unless you deliberately want to do donuts in which case also pull the handbrake up and weeeeeeiiiii (best to attempt when no other cars or people are around)
11. Marry a Canadian who actually who can deal with driving and walking any weather conditions.
12. Feck the honda civic and buy a toyota landcruiser (see option 2).
Most importantly, if you are uncomfortable driving in these conditions, DON"T. See option 7,9, and 11. They will happily get you around while driving the speed limit.
Thanks for reading, I'm available to answer any questions or drive (for a fee of course) as I'm working towards option 1.
And don't feel bad, Canadians living in Saskatchewan have to look forward to temperatures of -30 up to -50 with windchill which is why I live here now.
Most importantly breath, slow down and enjoy!
Snowy blessings,
Tahnee
Tahnee Fournier, RYT
