My Ashtanga yoga story
Since I started practicing Ashtanga Yoga my life completely changed.
The physical part of the practice was really appealing since I was pregnant and I wanted to stay fit and healthy through my pregnancy. As I had my first child my practice completely changed. It was a sacred place for me to connect within myself, a place to find kindness, patience, surrender to something that was so much bigger that I ever thought it could be possible.
After 3 kids my practice is a solitary one; it starts at 4 A.M. before teaching my Mysore program at 6 A.M. I have found not only devotion to the system but a inner strength to continue despite the tiredness of family and work life. I want to spread the message of Ashtanga yoga to as many people as I can. This system changed my life. It has made me strong to face life in the ups and the downs. It has allowed me to find grace in chaos and light in the darkness.
My relationship with the system of Ashtanga Yoga is built on the deep respect I have for the lineage; the system of passing on the information thru generations with out altering the essence of it. My first trip to India to study with my teacher Sharath Jois taught me patience and devotion. Nothing comes easy in India. Ones must work hard to peel the layers of fear, self doubt, anger and ego just to name a few. The vigilant eye of a Guru is something that can only be experience by being present in the moment. It's no 200 hours teaching certification, no fancy clothes, no music, nothing to entertain you. It's a raw practice.
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With time I developed a relationship with my breathing that it took me to spend quite some time on learning the insides of the pranayama techniques. The insides that I learned from that woke up the curiosity and the possibility of starting Meditating. I was lucky to find the right teacher who not only taught me several different approaches to Meditation, he taught me patience. Nothing needed to be achieved or rushed into. I developed a sitting meditation practice that was way more powerful and daring that any yoga physical posture. I found home there. That home can be cozy sometimes and extremely scary and uncomfortable other times. But it's home!