Tag: yoga

“I don’t want to see your body doing asanas. I want to see your mind doing yoga.”

Kathrin3 Comments

What drives you? Wanna reach a certain posture? Get ‘better’? Babe, honestly, that’s not what yoga is about. Who cares if you can do Garbha Pindasana? Does it change who you are, if you can bind in Marichyasana D? Is it important? Nope. It’s just your ego complaining and trying to convince you that you’re not good enough. Your ego telling you, when you can do this posture, you’ll be happy.

Yoga is not just physically. Be prepared to struggle and questioning yourself. From time to time you might think, that you’re slipping back into your old story. But this is not even possible, as you have changed, there is no back! There might be battles with your thoughts and old demons – yep, this is exactly the way to grow.

Some time ago I wrote a post about my learning that stiffness is rather in my mind than in my body – when I reached Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana. I was not aiming to go into this posture, surprisingly I just did it, with some adjustments from my teacher. Of course it felt amazing and I was so happy I can do it (hello ego!), because it was such a surprise. But you know what? It’s not important, a natural development, just this.

Allow your mind doing yoga. Quieten your ego for a while and be happy without a reason. Allow your body to move and improve in its own pace, without forcing anything. Let it happen. Breathe through your practice without expectations. Stop the ego talk and start riding the flow. Enjoy your practice. Without any additional effort, your body will change, your flow will get more fluent and easy, your breath deeper. Allow yourself to be yourself, exactly where you are in that precious moment.

Next level

Kathrin4 Comments

Puh. Whatever this means! Just received my confirmation: I’m a RYT 500 now! Huuuuuuhhhhh…. And you know what? It feels amazing. Yes, surprisingly different. My knowledge in terms of anatomy and Yoga philosophy increased a lot and finally settles in my head.

Today I teached first time since I’m back from India and my students mirrored why I love teaching so much. Their faces are adorable – I’m so grateful for getting so much back 🙂

What’s next? A Yoga shala in my garden for workshops? Yeah! Teach more classes in Yoga studios? Yep, I’m ready!

Hiphip hurrahhhhh!

Mind stiff, not body.

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Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana – I tried them long ago and wondered how this should be ever possible. It felt as if my arms were close to break! Meaning most times, I skipped them or tried half-assed, of course without any effort.

Some weeks ago, my teacher pushed my shoulders down, closed the gap between arms and legs and I could walk my feet forward. No pain at all. Ups. So simple?

Next step, Supta Kurmasana. Turn the arms, palms face up, a strap to help, walk the feet in, cross and head down on the mat. Ups. Here we go. Easy.

What? Hold on! Easy? Ok, my feet should be behind my head for full posture in Supta, but hell, I’m quite close! And babe, this is an excellent example of how my mind stopped me, while my body can do. My teacher showed my body how to go into the posture, my mind in awe-stricken silence.

Let’s allow our bodies to work and send our minds into a well deserved break while practicing!

No time to practice? No worries!

Kathrin1 Comment

Yesterday I was so in a rush and my body told me stop, I need some practice. I knew, my body needed to stretch and sweat, I knew my mind needed some rest.

So babe, first of all, there’s ALWAYS time. It doesn’t has to be a full primary series, it doesn’t have to be a full hour or even more. You don’t have to rush into a studio. Get your home practice started!

This was my quick practice yesterday, and it felt amazing:

  • 5 Sun Salutations A
  • 3 Sun Salutations B
  • 5 Sun Salutations A
  • childspose with open knees (to catch the breath and additional stretch)
  • 3x plank, holding for 10 breaths (for not just my core working, I put a block between my legs, so my thighs had some fun too)
  • 3x planks on elbows (hello core, hello shoulders)
  • 1 side plank each side (hmmmmmm, getting loooong)
  • headstand for 20 breath (to find my center and yes, to turn the world upside down, loooooove it!)
  • Yoga mudra (to turn everything back and rest a moment)

Done!

Even less time? Skip the 2nd round of sun salutation A and go with this first series of plank only.

Easy. Efficient. Fun. No excuses any longer babe.

What has Aparigraha to do with happiness?

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I’m sure you’ve heard about the Yamas and Niyamas. The ethical and spiritual observances that should help us develop the more profound qualities of our humanity. They represent a series of “right living“, kind of rules or guidelines within Hinduism and Yoga. They were first detailed in the Upanishads and then Patanjali describes them his Yoga Sutras some years later.

One of the Yamas is Aparigraha. Which means nonpossessiveness, detachment.

On the mat it could be translated into „let go“. Let go of expectations. Let go of your desperate desire to master a certain posture. We’ve got the tendency to „hold“, particularly when it gets challenging. Either active, when it’s about holding the breath. Or more passive, when it’s about holding any emotions that manifest into tension and stiffness. When practicing asanas, try to not just push and stretch, but be aware of what’s going on in your body AND in your mind. Release and let go of what you are afraid of. Be careful and easy with yourself. Let it flow and follow your breath! Our hips are well known as a storage for emotions. So hip opening postures are quite useful, practicing with the appropriate intention and breath.

Off the mat, it’s also about letting go of your attachments. On a rather material level, think about cleaning out the clutter by getting rid of all the things you don’t need anymore. Make room! Get rid of any weight! In your relationships, it might be about forgiving others and with this, free yourself from resentment. If there’s anything dragging you down, ask yourself „is it really about me?“, I beg it’s not.

Make happiness your attitude. Life on and off the mat is so much easier and effortless when you’ve found YOUR happiness within yourself. Independent of any possession, independent from anybody’s mood or even appreciation.

Read more about it in my happiness post on my other blog love.breathe.shine.

Practice Aparigraha and keep on rocking your happiness yogis!

Anniversary! Let’s celebrate!

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My students rock!

What a ride this year! I lead my first class exactly one year ago, I really can’t believe this. Making me quite nostalgic, hahaha. One full year teaching and it feels bloody amazing. Whatever mood I’m in, however I feel, as soon as I’m in front of my students, I’m just there, in this moment, nothing else matters. There’s a very special feeling deep in my belly, sending out a huge inner smile. How blessed I am!

My students are growing with me and I appreciate their trust, their dedication and their huge openness. Not to mention their lovely feedback – never stop that please! I can’t imagine any better or easier start into the world of teaching.

My dear students, you rock! I love you!

(Illustration by Patrick Müller, ptm-finearts.com)

My dear yoga teacher

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Yes YOU. I know you know. You saw it in my eyes. You felt it. But sometimes we all need to hear or read it. YOU changed my life. Well, I changed it, but YOU made it possible. I’m so lucky, that I had YOU as my teacher. It’s time for a huge THANK YOU!

When I was in Zanzibar recently, I felt so grateful for the lessons I learned and I thought about the key things I learned from all my yoga teachers. Each of you had something really special for me, something that I had to learn from you and just you. But each of you ‘infected’ me badly with the yoga virus 🙂

Anna – the first one! After your first lesson, my brain felt like washed with soap. I didn’t had a clue what happened there, didn’t I just do some work out? I had to help my arms lifting to reach the steering wheel… No way back, my yoga journey started.

Erin – the best online classes ever, you helped me a lot to establish a proper home practice! And yes, I am a bad yogi per definition.

Geri – you are the yoga goddess and your attitude should be modeled by many!

Steve – your humor even made anatomy talks ‘easy’, haha….

Bea – even if Aerial yoga was rather an excursion for me, you showed me my acrobatic potential! But there’s more. It’s called trust.

Julia – you woke up a sleeping dog – Ashtanga? Hell, no! Oh yes! How did you get all this into my body and into my mind? You can’t imagine how happy I am, having you as my main teacher again for the next big step!

Upendra – OM shanti, shanti, shantiiiii. I am shiva. Your teachings have been really different and worth every single second. I experienced my subtile body!

Magda – backbending…. Yes, I’ve got an idea now, constantly opening and one day, I’ll be there too!

Kranti – Indian adjustments. And I will probably get more of them in a couple of months! Can’t wait to be back in the shala….

Moisés – yes you! Headstand! Not just technique, you made me believe in myself.

Ronald – Alignment. Pure. The spiritual element can be bodywork too, no limits, it’s all one. You called the Ashtangis in the group and I was wondering, huh, is it me too? Yes, it was and it felt amazing!

Ashling – you beautiful soul! Your adjustments helped a lot, but much more important, although I was your student, you made me feel being part of the yoga teacher community!

It seems YOU did an amazing job, as I’m a yoga teacher too now (still can’t believe it!) and will always be a student same time, keen to learn. THANK YOU. For your lessons, your patience, your help. Thank you for being YOU. Giving is a gift, receiving is a miracle!

What does yoga teach me?

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When I applied for my 200hrs teacher training, I didn’t expect to become a yoga teacher. My aim was to just fully immerse into all aspects of yoga. Jump into the sea of yoga, swim and dive, all day long, every day. I went to India full of fear and self-doubts – I’m too old, my asana practice is not good enough, I won’t pass the exam…. And finally I didn’t had much time to think about these doubts, I just did it. It was tough, but I enjoyed every single second. I came back as a teacher, teaching 2 classes per week since then. And I can’t believe it, I LOVE teaching.

Yes, I prepare my classes, but I allow myself to be flexible, add things or remove, change the plan on the ride, just following my students and the energy of the day. I surprised myself, I didn’t know that I can do this. I didn’t know that it’s easy to not comparing myself to other teachers, but just give the best I can and let it flow.

No, it’s not about having a huge experience, but a matter of confidence. Let love guide me, breathe, smile, get soft and just do whatever feels right in this moment. Then my mind is doing yoga. Priceless.

So, what does yoga teach me?

In 3 words: TO LET GO. Let go of everything. Expectations, limitations. Emptying myself and forget about everything I know. Because all my learnings are within, in my cells. They will guide me anyhow, without me even be aware of them. Allowing my knowledge, experience and intuition to merge; this is exactly what makes me act authentic, following my own truth.

By the way: this doesn’t stop when leaving the mat!

Yoga in all its gorgeousness has got me hooked. Going back to India next year for my 500hrs teacher training. Another chapter to start. Sooooo excited!