Stephanie Spence's Blog, page 6

Dr. Christa Schwind, Vice President of Standards, Yoga Alliance

Activism involves putting yourself out there to effect change. Change is hard, even under the best of circumstances. I've recently opened up a line of inquiry into how we, as yoga teachers, can help sherpa the ongoing conversation of the evolving heart of yoga. The amount of posturing and arguing on some social media sites seems to me like everyone has an opinion, but I'm not seeing many ask "What can I do?" or "How can I help?" as a way to be an  active participant in the ongoing global evolution of yoga. Instead of debating about how yoga has "changed" and "what is yoga", I decided to reach out to a knowledgeable luminary and find out how yoga teachers can help evolve the heart of yoga. I was inspired to reach out to Dr. Christa Schwind, Vice President of Standards, Yoga Alliance after I read that she was going to use her academic and professional background to uplift the voices of a wide spectrum of teachers and help elevate and evolve teaching standards. I'm excited to share with you our Q&A. Congratulations on your new position Christa. Tell me a little bit about yourself and you got started on your yoga journey? Thank you! One of my greatest joys and accomplishments is being mom to two amazing young boys: Luca (7) and Soren (3). Other than #momlife, I hold a PhD in Comparative Religions and am a yoga scholar, practitioner, and teacher. I have a dedicated yoga practice of over 15 years and am an educator of yoga asana, history and philosophy. Before becoming Vice President of Standards at Yoga Alliance, I was a professor of Comparative Religions and Ethics at the University of Colorado and of Wellness Studies at the University of Denver. I am not only a modern yogi (in almost all definitions of the word) and academic, but to my knowledge am the first person to produce scholarship on the identity of American yoga. I’m pretty proud of that! I also am currently co-authoring a textbook on yoga that will address its multiple histories and definitions as well as the complexities of contemporary practice. I look forward to sharing that with the yoga and academic worlds. I started studying yoga philosophy and South Asian Religions back in 1999, which is also when I began my personal asana practice. While I was still a student, as many of us can relate, I traded front desk time at a gym with a free membership. That is when I became serious about exploring yoga both from an academic and a deeper personal practice. Over time, I asked myself if anyone was studying this particular moment of culture and yoga and the mix of branding and business and practices and commodification and sincerity, even. I spent the next five or so years writing my dissertation on this topic while also teaching yoga myself. Today I remain part of the academic conversation of yoga as I serve on the steering committee for the American Academy of Religion’s Yoga Theory and Practice group. I ended up at the Yoga Alliance through a rather serendipitous route as I attended a focus group on the Standards Review Project (which you can read more about at Yoga Alliance Standards Project). I had a discussion with the Yoga Alliance’s Chief Yoga Advancement Officer, Andrew Tanner, which led to me interviewing and accepting the role of Vice President of Standards. I feel very passionately about yoga and being part of Yoga Alliance’s mission to serve our members and elevate the discourse of yoga. What do you see as the vision for Yoga Alliance? Yoga Alliance’s vision is ultimately to see a world engaged in higher levels of human consciousness and with yoga being a vehicle for that achievement. Our role in that quest is to support, educate and advance the schools and teachers within the industry through accountability, leadership and service. How can a Yoga Alliance (Registered) Yoga Teacher (RYT) become involved with helping you fulfill that vision? RYTs already do so much with respect to contributing to higher consciousness by being students first and foremost, and by sharing their knowledge of yoga with their students. So RYTs – keep up the good work! That said, over the last 18 months, Yoga Alliance has had increased dialogue with our members, and one thing that keeps rising to the top is the idea of building community within the membership. We look forward to facilitating communities that enable yogic networks to address and solve for teacher issues; while also elevating yoga at the local, regional, national and even global levels. What can we, as teachers, do to help spread that vision to our students and community? One of Yoga Alliance’s core values is that of Inquiry. So again, one of the greatest things teachers can do is to approach their personal practice and teaching with the mind of a student first. This includes being aware of conversations happening within the yoga community, such as as anti-harassment, sexual misconduct and teacher-student relationships. We’ll be releasing an updated Scope of Practice and Code of Conduct this year which will address these concepts and help RYTs know what they can and cannot do and even should and should not do as yoga teachers. Moving forward, Yoga Alliance should continue to be present in and a platform for these critical discussions with our membership so that schools and teachers can share these learnings with their students and communities. For example, something simple like alerting students to the fact that they control if and when they want to receive physical adjustments - and offering a tool like assist chips – is an easy way to start this awareness. Do you feel fitness and/or body focused asana practice in the West is diminishing the ancient system of living - this whole body way of moving through life - or is it helping bring more people into a yoga class who may eventually learn about all 8 limbs of yoga? And if neither is “a over generalization of the current state of yoga in the West” what is Yoga Alliance doing to steer the future of yoga as we know and practice it? The body-focused asana practice that is prevalent in the West is both changing the definitional quality of yoga and also (as you mentioned) providing an opportunity for people to experience and eventually deepen their practice beyond the physical. Because 75% of yogis in the US, for example, have been practicing for less than five years (according to the 2016 Yoga in America Study conducted by Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance), it will be very interesting to see if these beginners will move toward an understanding of all 8 limbs of yoga. It has been my personal experience of being in the yoga industry for a long time that people begin with the exercise or body focus of yoga and then the process of mind/body integration that happens naturally awakens a curiosity in them that moves them further down the path of learning. Yoga Alliance is committed to honoring the contextual, historical, and philosophical pasts of yoga while also remaining open to its inherently multiplicitous nature. Where do you see yoga is the United States in 10 years? Is it moving towards something we recognize as we now practice it today? If not, what do you see it being? The popularity of yoga in the last 10 years in the US has grown exponentially, and I see the next 10 years of yoga as continued growth, in the number of new students but also in the depth of understanding of current practitioners. Furthermore, it will be fascinating to see how yogis continue to develop their practices according to the needs and demands of contemporary culture. I think that we will see a practice that is still recognizable but has become even more niched to accommodate special and diverse populations within the realms of healthcare, school systems, body positive movements and prisons to name a few. Something unique or unusual about yourself that you would like to share about yourself so we can get to know you better? What are you passionate about outside of your yoga life? Something unique about myself is that I spent my middle and high school years in London, England. It was an international school that sparked my love of global culture, philosophy and history. As far as passions outside of yoga, I am a lifelong athlete. I have been, at one time or another, a competitive dancer, a division one soccer player and a sponsored snow boarder. I was even certified by the Royal Windsor Horse Society of Britain in dressage and jumping! I love to move, and I balance my yoga practice, and all the time spent reading, with lots of time in the gym and out in nature. Visit Yoga Alliance for more about Dr. Christa Schwind or Yoga Alliance. Namaste, Stephanie

freedomasana

YogaWisdomOfTheDay ~ freedomasana = no comparing, judgments, anger, regrets, worry, blame, guilt, fear. SMILE. #love #smile #yogajourney #yogalove #yogalife #yogainspiration #yogaislife #yogajournal #yogadaily #yogaasana #yogafam #yogagram #yogaaddict #yogisofinstagram #myyogalife #author #yogagirlsdaily #YogaWisdom #goals #lifegoals #quotes #inspiration #motivation

dwellasana

YogaWisdomOfTheDay ~ dwellasana = open mind. open heart. the possibilities are limitless. #love #smile #yogajourney #yogalove #yogalife #yogainspiration #yogaislife #yogajournal #yogadaily #yogaasana #yogafam #yogagram #yogaaddict #yogisofinstagram #myyogalife #author #yogagirlsdaily #YogaWisdom #goals #lifegoals #quotes #inspiration #motivation

fearlessasana

YogaWisdomOfTheDay ~ fearlessasana = banish any internal critic. it's not real. #love #smile #yogajourney #yogalove #yogalife #yogainspiration #yogaislife #yogajournal #yogadaily #yogaasana #yogafam #yogagram #yogaaddict #yogisofinstagram #myyogalife #author #yogagirlsdaily #YogaWisdom #goals #lifegoals #quotes #inspiration #motivation

Gina Caputo

Gina Caputo is an enthusiastic and passionate yogini who believes that life is an evolutionary journey of discovering one's limitless potential! Her inspirational style of teaching is a balanced fusion of vinyasa yoga, empowering insight and humor. She is an uplifting, empathetic teacher known for her clear and playful style of encouraging you to fearlessly navigate your edge, open your mind and boldly explore what's possible! SS: What was the moment for you when you knew you wanted to be a yoga teacher and why? Gina: The first class I taught was a favor - they were in a real pinch for a sub and they knew I was always there and that I wasn't shy, so they asked me to teach, just that once. The moment the class was in Savasana it registered how much I really enjoyed the experience and how natural and rewarding it felt. Shortly thereafter, they gave me the class and the rest is history! SS: How did you get started on your yoga journey? Gina: In college I was taking some last elective credits and was in a class called "Weight Training". There was a woman in the class, slightly older than the rest of us, and she asked the muscle-bound teacher if she could start every class with some yoga. And he said yes! So we'd start the class on these big fat foam mats doing sun salutations. The first time we did tree pose, I felt my mind go quiet for the first time in memory and that's when I knew that this yoga was something special. Retelling that story just reminds me of how easily I could have not started on this path too. Yoga was nowhere near as popular then so I'm incredibly grateful to that woman for putting it out there and to the teacher for valuing it enough to say yes. SS: What has yoga taught you about yourself and about life? Gina: Two of the most potent teachings for me have been understanding impermanence and the kleshas, or hindrances - in particular raga (attachment) and dvesha (aversion). Understanding the impermanent nature of all things has helped me deal with everything that arises with a bit more grace and made me much less likely to cultivate attachment to things being a certain way and aversion to the way they show up, whether that’s in my body during practice, my mind, my relationships or my work. Absolutely priceless jewels of wisdom! SS: What would you say to someone who has never tried yoga? Gina: In my teacher trainings I ask the students to develop a broad and deep repertoire of ways to talk about what yoga is particularly because so many people who have NEVER tried yoga have a wrong impression of what it is. So they can't rely on little catchphrases marketers and advertisers use, they've got to really be able to expound on it while meeting that person where they are in their understanding. What I would say to the person who has never tried it is to first let go of any preconceived notions that might be preventing you from trying. Then I'd ask if they're at all interested in transformation, of any kind? And assuming they say yes, I'd explain that yoga is a holistic transformative practice, meaning, you're not just thinking about change, using the intellect, but that its a WHOLE BEING experience, every cell of your body on board with activating change in your life via this journey we call Yoga practice. You can begin that journey exactly where you are, knowing that change is inevitable and that change in your body and change in your mind go hand in hand. In my opinion, a key yoga practice mantra for everyone is "Relax around your process..." We really must value the process, not any particular destination, physical goal or superpower. SS: How do you use yoga when you are facing a challenge? Gina: When I'm challenged, I go into warp speed! I don't do well in limbo so I blast off in the direction of resolution. But along with that drive also comes incessant mental processing and myopia. So stepping onto my mat or meditation cushion or taking a moving meditation hike opens up space again in my mind and helps me zoom back out and see things more panoramically. Without it, I'd lose sight of everything but the desired resolution and I'd be missing so many important things and relationships. And that's no way to live fully! SS: Final Thoughts? Gina: I fully believe in putting yourself out there to the world, just as you are. It’s easy to put things on hold until.... or succumb to the When/Then syndrome: "When X is just so, Then I'll do Y" and I think that's an insult to the life force, this current running through us that indicates our vitality. When we just show up, without reservation, shame or excuses, things happen. When you drink the nectar of life in this way, you end up deeply nourished. Oh, and always keep your sense of humor. I think it’s the antidote to fear!” Connect with Gina here: Her website: https://www.ginacaputo.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/yoginionthe... FB: https://www.facebook.com/yoginionthel... Namaste, Stephanie.

attentiveasana

YogaWisdomOfTheDay ~ attentiveasana = my intuition is a key to the vast wisdom of the universe. I AM listening. “There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own Soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” ― C.G. Jung Curiosity is the essence of human existence. ‘Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?’ ~ Within each of us is a light, awake, encoded in the fibers of our existence. I’ve come to think that vitality consists of putting yourself in situations in which you lose self-consciousness and become fused with other people, experiences, or tasks. It happens sometimes when you are lost in a hard challenge, or when an artist becomes one with the brush or the pen. It happens sometimes while you’re playing sports, or listening to music or lost in a story, or to some people when they feel enveloped by love. And it happens most when we connect with other people. Happiness isn’t really produced by conscious accomplishments. Happiness is a measure of how thickly the unconscious parts of our minds are intertwined with other people and with activities and with self-awareness. Yoga can give you the tools. Yoga establishes you in the Self: you feel a sense of belongingness with everyone and everything in Creation. You are then at peace with yourself and everything around you. The secret of awareness is to just watch everything that is going on in the body and mind ~ as a witness. Do not resist, just watch. Make your life a celebration ~ with yoga. Namaste, Stephanie. #writer #amwriting #book #screenwriter #yogini #yogateacher #yogaeveryday #om #bliss #peace #love #travel #artist #yogainspiration #yogajournal #namaste #inspiredyogis #zen

Safety in the Studio!

The anticipation of experiencing an exceptional yoga class is like paddling out in the ocean on your surfboard. You’ve caught good waves often enough you yearn for it. You know it like you know what sunshine is. As I pack up my yoga mat and head out the door, I know in every ounce of my being that I always get what I need. After almost forty years of practicing, I can count the number of times I disliked a class on one hand. I know of nothing else I’ve experienced that passionately and positively, so I return again and again. However, over the last ten years in the United States, I’ve experienced an escalation in dangerous sequencing. If you are new to yoga, that simply means the order in which a yoga teacher takes your through the poses. Teachers are also leading students through twice, and sometimes three times, as many postures as what I was taught in Yoga Teacher Training was appropriate for a normal class. I’m also witnessing an ever-increasing speed at which teachers are moving students through the poses. Unless someone is an extremely fit and/or advanced practitioner, most people don’t have the understanding of the poses, core strength and/or shoulder stability. The combination of (1), the sequencing (2), the number of poses a student is expected to safely execute and/or move through, and (3) the speed of the class is coming across as more of a fitness class. But it’s actually a bigger than this. The bigger issue is that it is clear to me students are not getting multiple things: 1. Instruction on how to do the poses– Most of the classes I’ve attended, it’s commin to see people struggling to keep up with little, or no, feedback from the teacher on alignment, breathwork, or more complicated instruction in more advanced instruction (for example Moola Bandha). 2. Individual attention. It could be the sheer number of people in a large room or an inexperienced teacher who is talking so fast and moving so quickly they barely look around the room and single someone out with an adjustment and/or a cue as to the correct way to execute a pose. Add to this, the shortening of classes from an hour and a half to an hour (or fifty minutes) I’m concerned for the safety of the students around me. As a teacher, I know and understand the modifications that I need to make to ensure my own safety. More than motherly concern, I’m wondering about how many people will physically be able to practice yoga as long as I have. This makes me incredibly sad. I recently sent a private note to the manager of a local studio where I have seen incredibly dangerous sequencing only to receive a very kind note saying each teacher was certified. It was a very professional blow-off. Here’s what you can do: 1. Speak up. Have you been in a class yet where the teacher asks what the class would like? Have you made a suggestion? Have you ever raised your hand or spoken up in class and asked for clarification? You can talk in yoga classes. Of course it’s important to respect the many people who have all come for a great class, but love yourself enough to get what you need while there. 2. Private If You Can. If you’re uncomfortable speaking up in class or feel it’s disruptive somehow, privately tell the teacher your concerns. You can use that time to also ask for extra attention in a class you’re confused and/or struggling in. In yoga, the only challenges should feel like a “growth” challenge, not a negative challenge that needs to be overcome somehow. The best teachers point the way for you to come to your own realizations. 3. Alternatives. If you have the least bit of concern, try another class, another style, another studio, or if you have a gut feeling that you keep hitting a wall and may not go back to yoga, then I implore you to consider why? Everyone can do yoga. Yoga is for everybody. 4. Try the Buddy System. If you feel unsafe physically, emotionally or personally tell a friend, tell the studio owner or do not go back. There have been recent reported abuses on people who somehow felt unable to speak up. If your boundaries have been crossed, take every action to protect yourself. 5. Smile. You should look forward to going to yoga. If not, there’s a problem. Make sure and ask for what you need. We all come to yoga for different reasons, but there are some unifying ideals that should feel inclusive, safe, healthy and be joyful. There’s no reason to deny that yoga is fun. Perhaps it makes you feel sexy, brave, confident, carefree, empowered, fill in the blank, and or is just a really good way to relax. Whatever you need, it should meet you there. If not, get to another class. Yoga is a body, mind and spirit practice. If your class is only all about the body, it simply isn’t a yoga class. It could be a hybrid, fusion, or some other style of a fitness class where they are doing “yoga looking” body movements, but it’s still not yoga. There is a parallel with attention getting “fun” classes like yoga with animals, yoga while drinking or eating something, and/or many classes where something could be included to bring a sense of newness to this ancient science. Those classes will come and go, like Yoga on a surfboard – which is a blast, by the way, but there still needs to be a place where someone can learn yoga. The body, mind and spirit yoga. Call it real yoga, traditional yoga, or by a name branded by someone who carved out a new, unique variation that still holds it principles in traditional yoga. I always profess that any time someone new can be introduced to yoga, it’s a great day. No matter why they come. But if the teachers neglect to also offer a safe sanctuary for someone to come and learn what yoga is all about – the body, mind and spirit yoga I keep falling in love with over and over again then for many it’s simply going to be an app that fell out of style. The least we can do isn’t acceptable. The best we can do is honor a guiding principal of teachers the world over, to teach in a way that does not harm but instead instructs, uplifts, elevates, educates and inspires. Namaste, Stephanie. #love #smile #yogajourney #yogalove #yogalife #yogainspiration #yogaislife #yogajournal #yogadaily #yogaasana #yogafam #yogagram #yogaaddict #yogisofinstagram #myyogalife #author #yogagirlsdaily #YogaWisdom #goals #lifegoals #quotes #inspiration #motivation

Ariele Foster

Dr. Ariele Foster (E-RYT 500) is a physical therapist, yoga teacher, anatomy faculty for yoga trainings, and environmentalist with a passion for intelligent, creative instruction. Ariele grew up practicing with her grandmother (who still teaches yoga in her late 80s!), and started teaching yoga in 2001. Her interdisciplinary classes (trained in Kripalu, Anusara, Vinyasa, and Therapeutics) are enriched by biomechanical smarts, great playlists and humor. Dr. Foster specializes in manual and orthopedic physical therapy, incorporating yoga into rehabilitation plans. She treats patients in Washington, DC. SS: What was the moment for you when you knew you wanted to be a yoga teacher and why? I am not sure I did at first. I kind of fell into teaching. Just after finishing college, I was in a small yoga class with a teacher who was a friend of mine. I showed her a simple alternative way to do a pose, when I saw some students struggling. She invited me to take a teacher training with her later that summer and asked me to sub for her. SS: How did you get started on your yoga journey? Unusual for a childhood in Virginia in the 80s, I had many yoga teachers in my life growing up: first and foremost, my grandmother (an amazing gem of a being who also is a Holocaust survivor) with whom I have always been close, my music teacher Carlos Pozzi (Integral yoga teacher), my high school English teacher Rebecca Jones (where I got PE credit for taking her yoga class) and others. SS: What has yoga taught you about yourself and about life? This answer is impossible to summarize. However, generally, I think any introspective practice -- like yoga -- that puts you in the studentship of graceful mentors and a kind community will lead to deep self-acceptance and growth. That is part of what yoga has done for me. SS: How do you use yoga to overcome challenges? One of the reasons that I believe asana can be an effective tool for growth is because it is challenging. The idea is that while we are practicing these challenging shapes, we cultivate the inner witness. That witness watches our minds wander, judge, tense, and revert into cruder tendencies when the going gets tough. We learn via the practice, sadhana, to see the reactive mind for what it is, laugh at it (or with it). It is this consistent, purposeful PRACTICE of challenge that maybe allows us to be less reactive, more purposeful in our actions and emotional alignment when we face challenges off the mat. SS: What’s one thing you know for sure about yoga? You can start from anywhere. But if you don't start, nothing shifts. Namaste, Ariele. For more information, see  http://sacredsourceyoga.comand follow at http://facebook.com/SacredSourceYogaand http://instagram.com/ariele_superstar Namaste, Stephanie.

Jasmijn Koelink

Trained in social and organizational psychology, Jasmijn was thrilled to discover yoga in her mid twenties. A few years later she completed the vinyasa ashtanga yoga teacher training (300+ hrs). She has been teaching yoga ever since: vinyasa flow, slow flow, yin yoga and yin flow. Her teaching style, both in intensive vinyasa and yin yoga is centered around the breath. Jasmijn inspires self-care by offering intensive individual guidance and modifications in accordance with students’ physical capabilities. Emphasizing breath-work, her classes are both intense and relaxing. She integrates meditation in her classes by allowing space for stillness in and between poses. The art of yoga fascinates and inspires her. That is why she regularly attends trainings and workshops with different teachers to deepen her insight and practice, as well as her teaching skills. She is flattered to share this meaningful practice with you. SS: What was the moment for you when you knew you wanted to be a yoga teacher and why? Jasmijn: I started with an 'Introduction to Yoga course' - how to practice yoga safely and with enjoyment. Sounded nice to me. I remember always practicing in the back of the room - a mixture of always being late and not wanting to be in the first row, afraid to do yoga the ‘wrong’ way. I had my eyes closed during these first classes. By the end of the introduction course, my teacher came up to me and she whispered in my ear: "you can practice with your eyes open". I wasn´t aware of that. This was a powerful moment of waking up to my practice and my body. Yoga opens up space for me - physical space in my joints, muscles, and also emotional and mental space. It allows me to learn through my body. To me, the alignment that yoga offers reveals the importance of structure and at the same time the freedom it provides - exploration within my body. Yoga connects me with my physical capabilities and limitations. In doing that, it helps me relate to my own being with confidence, insight, gentleness and courage. Additionally, I notice that the way I handle my body mirrors how I act mentally and emotionally in life. This is what makes yoga a full life practice for me. It supports everything else in my life. It fascinates and inspires me -and I like to share this meaningful inspiration with others. My teachers' observation was not only the first step of waking up to my practice and body, also of becoming a yoga teacher. Four years later, I teach the introduction course as she taught, at the same studio. SS: How did you get started on your yoga journey? Jasmijn: I shut my eyes down, closed my heart and seal my mind. I felt disconnected with my body. I was recovering from an eating disorder, stressed out from a new job as manager, working seven days a week while following a study at the same time. I was result oriented, harsh to myself - not giving myself the opportunity to enjoy my learning process. I felt never really in the moment - always with my mind in the past or in the future. It felt I lost my capacity to love and care about other people and my capacity to not be afraid - to trust myself. I needed to open my eyes, sharing my heart and free my mind. My sister pointed out this introduction to yoga course. I joined with a friend. From this moment on the light of awareness shines over me. I see more clearly what is there, be more awake and willing to use this information skillful. I began to think of my life and also embodying life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently. My interest in yoga is ever expanding since then. SS: What has yoga taught you about yourself and about life? Jasmijn: Most of all, yoga told me the meaning of impermanence. That everything is moving. That the essence of life is fleeting. My thoughts are changing, my body is changing, emotions and feelings are rising and falling. Yes, this life, being alive is so amazing, and at the same time it's very painful, vulnerable, fragile and impermanent. First it freaked me out. With support of my yoga and meditation practice I feel the reality of it. It is good to realize that I will die, that death is right there on my shoulder all the time. It allows me to wonder. And help me to practice the willingness to die over and over again - like in the pose savasana (corpse pose), which heightens the sense of gratitude and preciousness. Letting go of everything and surrender in - what you do, who you are, who you wanted to be. Yoga taught me more how to relax, and stay open and humble to what's happening - in my life, in that of others and in the world - and experiencing a sense of wonder. SS: What is the one thing you know for sure about yoga – the ONE thing you are insistent that you share. What would that be? Jasmijn: Yoga provides self-knowledge. It is a practice of being honest to yourself; no matter how rigid or supple, limited or unlimited your physical capabilities appear to be. Yoga is for everybody and every body. SS: How do you use yoga to overcome challenges? Jasmijn: As Pema Chödrön (one of my favorite Buddhist teachers) puts it: "To live fully is to be always in no man's-land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh". Each out-breath could be the last, and each out-breath can be an opportunity to fully live your life. The power of breathing exercise helps me to related with my anxiety, or grief, or any other emotions. It grounds me. Also the fact that I am not there for the yoga path, yoga practice is there to support me. I use this practice to step into no man's land. Through yoga, I learned to be aware of my inner landscape, body sensations and how it affects my breath. It taught me to related to that, to move towards it, instead of push it away or neglect it. That also means doing things that scare me, or that makes me feel uncomfortable. Yoga teaches me to sit with it, listen to it, be with it, and appreciate it, whether it feels painful or gives me pleasure. This is how I can learn and use yoga to overcome challenges. SS: Something you would like to share about yourself? Jasmijn: I believe in (self) inquiry or investigation. It is a way to end confusion and to experience internal peace. It is about realizing that all the answers you ever need are always available inside you. Say what you have to say, do what you have to do - trust your own process. Although you want to know the outcome, or grasp to things or be attached to it, without inquiry, without time and space (yoga) - there is no honest and humble ability to transform and grow. I want to share a poem with you: "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase "each other" doesn't make any sense". ~ RUMI Let's meet each other in that field :) With love and blessings. Namaste, Jasmijn. Connect with Jasmijn when you are in the Netherlands or at via jasmijnyoga.com via Twitter @JasmijnYoga via FB https://www.facebook.com/jasmijnanne.... via Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jasmijnkoelink Namaste, Stephanie.

newperspectiveasana

YogaWisdomOfTheDay ~ newperspectiveasana = the best teacher tells you where to look, but not what to see #love #smile #yogajourney #yogalove #yogalife #yogainspiration #yogaislife #yogajournal #yogadaily #yogaasana #yogafam #yogagram #yogaaddict #yogisofinstagram #myyogalife #author #yogagirlsdaily #YogaWisdom #goals #lifegoals #quotes #inspiration #motivation