Funny thoughts....

I am still practicing the physical part of Yoga which is Asana. However my thoughts are struck in my head, completely moving every where.

I am caught with bad thinking about what I am reading on Facebook or Instagram or others blogues.

As a Yoga Teacher or Pilates Teacher or Holistic Guide/Teacher, or whatever the name you are giving to yourself, I completely understand in order to "survive" or to make a living with our knowledge at one point we need to commercialise ourself.

However I do have problem on how the merchandising is done.

So in order to solve this there are bunch of people who are willing to help you, to guide you, to give you the key of success, to show you how to expand yourself, to explain you how to reach your goals.

Basically they are creating a new demand. 

How by downloading a guide in PDF from internet will someone become successful? There is no guide for success.... and especially when the person who is "selling" his secret is not even well known. At least if someone like Kim Kardashian is selling you her guide to success then okay she has probably something good to share about it because she is the proof that with not much talent you can become very successful.

Why people need to rely on other to gain their own trust?

Can you just trust yourself and do the best you can do. If your passion is to become a musician then practice your music and try to become the best as you can, but you will need to practice a lot and to commit yourself into your passion. The PDF guide will not be helpful at all...

So instead of losing money by attending workshops where the topic is "how to become a successful Yoga Teacher" or else, first practice, then dedicate yourself to your practice, then start sharing what you know, start teaching it if it is your wish but do not wast your time and money by depending of other "guide". Just TRUST YOURSELF!

No one has the recipe and if someone has it then he can share it for FREE, that will be completely "Yogi Style"!

Be happy, you are the BEST, you are BEAUTIFUL, whatever you want you can GET IT (but you will have to work hard and commit of course), RELY ON YOURSELF, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE OF YOUR OWN HAPPINESS, TRUST YOURSELF because YOU ARE THE BEST!

- Namaste -

Mysore Practice - New York

Nothing special to say about it. My body was little bit grumpy but I managed well. Nice practice, smooth and relaxe. Did not do all Janu Shirshasana, I am in "economy mode" for my knee as well same as Marichy did not the last one. 

Rest of the practice was nice. I am back on my mat and not in competition with myself, I have nothing to prove, my goal is to practice with a peaceful mind and not hurting my body as I've done it before.

Right now is Pancake time :-)

Led Primary Series - Eddie Stern, Yoga Brooklyn New York

Starts: 9.30 AM
Ends: 11.30 AM with pranayama
Only 8 Sun Salutations

It has been 3 full weeks since my last practice. This morning when I woke up, no jet lag. 

Practice was actually really good, I can feel that I have lost some flexibility but it will come back soon, however Kurmasana was good, no pain at all in the lower back of at the back of my legs.

Left knee was easy to deal with, so far it is not painful at all, will see tomorrow.

Eddie Stern is smaller that I was thought ;-)

We did a pranayama at the end, a baby Nadi Shodi, 5 to 6 breathing with the left nostril then close then same with the right nostril.

For a come back it was really good, will see how my body will react tomorrow morning. I will go back to the Mysore Class starting tomorrow and this until the end of the week.

Then Sharat by October 5th, 2016. Happy!

- Namaste -

Brooklyn Yoga Club - Here I come!

I am finally reaching the end of my vacation and will be back on the mat by September 18th under the guidance of Eddie Sterne at the Brooklyn Yoga Club in New York.

I am very happy to have this opportunity to practice with him. Hopefully my body will respond well after weeks of non practice. At least I do not have any pain in my knees so stopping the practice for 2 (or maybe 3) weeks was good for it. 

Next update, next week after my practice :-)

- Namaste -

Lost my Tapas..... feeling guilty

Absolutely, while in vacation I completely lost my tapas and my practice. It has been almost week that I have been on my yoga mat and I have the feeling that I won't go back to it until the next 10 days...

I am on holidays travelling in Italia, the menu is very simple Napoli, Roma, Siena, Florence and Venice - in  between pizzas and pastas. A lot of walking, it is the least that I can do for my body but for the rest all resolutions are gone, all practices are over and my yoga mat is resting in peace.

Stef in Italy - but still feeling guilty ;-)

Do I feel guilty about it? Of course, big time! BUT as the picture is showing with a big smile :-)

So let's say that I am taking a break for 2 weeks, a full break without any practice and by September 12th I will be back on my mat, but right now enjoying everything and hopefully be able to prepare myself for October in Mysore.

- Namaste -

Hatha Yoga..... is hard!

Absolutely.

In Hatha Yoga the asana are kept for 9, 12 or 16 breaths. Trikonasana is then very different from 5 breaths to 9 breaths. Instead of going right away grabbing the big toe I do it gradually, 3 breaths bending on the lateral side with the hand above the knee, 3 breaths below the knee and 3 breaths grabbing the big toe.

With longer breath I can feel the stretch of the side of my body. In Ashtanga with 5 breaths I first grab the big toe then adjust the asana but it is not that deeper as it is with Hatha Yoga.

For Uttitha Hasta Padangustasana 9 breaths is then also very hard and it can be complicated if I reach the end of the asana right away, so I do the same, I am sequencing my breath and then my asana, furthermore I do really enjoy the "reseting" pose such as Tadasana between the two sides.

I am also practicing asana that I do not practice during the Ashtanga Primary Series.

I am almost "mastering" Shirshana without the head touching the floor, yes almost because to go up I still need the wall, I first start with the normal Shirshasana head on the floor then I touch the wall my left feet, lift my head up, bring the back of my skull up to my thumb and then find my balance without the head touching the floor, using a lot of core and belt scapula to stabilise it. So far I was able to stay for 9 breaths, was very happy about it.

To my very big surprise Pincha Mayurasana is also coming very nicely, I still need a wall as a psychological support but now I do not need to touch it to lift my legs up, I can also find my stability, then suddenly my brain got disconnected and send the information to my nervous system such as "danger you're gonna fall", then I have to touch the wall...... which give a result of a twisting pelvis and so I loose my balance....

All the previous practice I have done is the result of my new practice. However I know I have to go back to the Primary Series as by October I  will start to practice with Sharat.

But so far a lot of improvement, mentally and physically. Mentally I am more stable, less pissed off for nothing and physically I have gaine weight.... but I have gained muscles and especially around my buttock region, before it was flat now a "bump" is slightly showing :-)

Still happy to practice in Paris and of course still in love with Asana.

- Namaste -

Practices in Paris - August 2016

I did not really stop the practice. I was supposed to stop for a week but then I have been practicing on July, then I travelled and have a break of real non practice for 2 days then I went back to the practice.

Actually we are running a Hatha TTC in Paris and as the studio we are renting is big (because we are having 25 students) and also because it is a danse studio there are some curtains that prevent the mirror. So what I do during the morning practice that Rakesh is teaching I am doing my personal practice behind the curtains.

I started with 54 Sun Salutation then the standing series avoiding Ardha Bada Padotanasana because my knee is still in recovery mode, then once I reach the sitting pose I stop practicing the Primary Series but do a lot of back bend series, core centering and "guts" exercice.

I am really enjoying it. Next week will do only back bend with core exercice.

I did not manage the 108 Sun Salutation because I can not count them, so I did practice half an hour of Sun Salutation but I am not able to know exactly how many I do. As I am not in competition with anyone I have decided to stop the struggle of counting but just do.

Practice is good, I have to be ready for October as I am starting the practice with Sharat.

Not to mention that my diet has completely changed since I am back to Paris, I eat salad every day, so happy, not that much of cheese and croissant in the morning. Right now I do not miss Indian food at all and don't think I will miss it in the near future.

Enjoying life, practice and our new students, life is definitely goooooood :-)

- Namaste -