Let's try some blogging

Summer Projects 2024

Mon, 13 May 2024 05:22:18 GMT

Do you need a reminder to go to outs ide?

Here is mine: for Vienna locals, there are plenty of outdoor projects happening all summer.

Here are some by ASKÖ where you can find me teaching yoga:

Gesundheit erleben – einfach mitmachen: Yoga im Grünen

1030 Vienna, Arenbergpark

Dates: 08.05, 15.05, 22.05, 29.05

Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m

Jugendsporttag

1220 Vienna, Donaucity Sportanlage

12.06

Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m

SPORT.PLATZ Wien

The exact locations and timetable will soon be available. Save the dates: 07.08, 09.08, 12.08, 14.08, 19.08, 21.08, 23.08, 26.08, 28.08, 30.08

Bewegt im Park

1070 Vienna, Andreaspark

10.06 - 26.08 (in August lovely Sabine takes over the course)

Mondays, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m

Bewegt im Park

1220 Vienna, Kirschblütenpark

12.06 - 28.08

Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m

To be or not to be... a yoga teacher?

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 14:20:16 GMT

You ask, I answer

I get so often asked about tips on becoming a yoga teacher after the classes that sometimes I wonder if there are only beginners, yoga teachers-to-be, and nothing in between.

Don't get me wrong. It's a good thing that there are so many yoga teachers and yoga practitioners who want to contribute to spreading yoga to the whole world.

My point is directed at our "fight or flight" conditioning by contemporary society. We live to compete, compare, survive, perform, thrive, reach goals, and become "successful." (Where success is not being happy, healthy, centered, and having a meaningful job but an equation of money, power, fame, and ego).

We are sometimes so conditioned to think that the "best" living is to study, get a good job, marry, buy a car, house, raise children, go on exotic holidays, and so on, continuing on the ladder, that we bring that mindset in the yoga world too. There always have to be more.

The paradox of the story is that yoga used to be a teaching to transcend and defeat the ego, to help you discover your full potential, develop a higher state of consciousness, and connect to a supreme power.

Yet, we turned that spiritual teaching into an ego-monsters-making machine.

Yoga is not a game where you get more points if you beat the next level. You can enjoy the benefits of regular practice without being validated as a yoga teacher. It is not an exam to pass on to prove you are good!

It's ok to practice yoga (whichever of its aspects) and to be enough for you.

Being disciplined and consistent in your practice doesn't mean you have to bring it to the "next level" and take teacher training.

Taking yoga teacher training doesn't oblige you to start giving classes, or the investment in recourses would have otherwise been for nothing.

Making a living from yoga retreats or teacher training doesn't necessarily make you more "successful" than other teachers who teach from the heart but haven't turned yoga into a profitable business yet.

You can be a good yoga teacher without owning a studio to prove so.

You can be passionate about your yoga job and still rely on other job/s to pay the bills.

But if you feel passionate about contributing to a community's well-being with the tools of yoga, please go for whatever resonates with you! The world needs you!

Did I answer your question? Let me know in the comments!

Do you have more questions?

Yoga at Work

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 17:13:57 GMT

Yoga in a Business Suit

Simple yoga exercises can be done directly at the workplace, even in a business outfit. Together we can work on a tense neck, stiff shoulders, and aching back to improve your posture. We mobilize the spine and relax the mind through simple activities for which we don't need special equipment or much space.

Breathing techniques, relaxations, autogenic training, and guided meditations are possible in the usual office wear. All business yoga classes are designed individually according to our available space and time.

Do you have an empty meeting room available? Perfect! I come to your company and teach employees on-site. If there is enough space to unroll mats, we could have a lot of options for standing, sitting, and supine yoga poses. If we have one hour available and the employees bring sports clothes to change into, we could go for dynamic practice with deeper stretches and strengthening exercises.

If we don't have space for yoga mats, we could do chair yoga exercises - specifically designed for office employees. Ideally, during the lunch break, before or after work. It could also be within working hours, adding an extra "mindful break." I recommend an optimal time for a mindful break of 30 minutes, once a week, as a minimum length for having benefits of the practice.

The yoga units can also take place via zoom. The best time is in the morning, before working hours, or any time during the day if the employees are in a home office. After all, having company yoga classes is an investment in human recourses that pay off.

Regular yoga classes are an excellent benefit for the employees. They create necessary relaxation in the workplace (or at home office) to work effectively and efficiently again. We spend significant parts of our lives at work - so it is vital that employees are healthy, active, and satisfied.

Yoga contributes to the well-being of the employees, as well as their productivity.

I am happy to offer yoga as a workshop or team event at your workplace. If you are still determining whether regular yoga is something your employees will be interested in long-term. That could be an after-work event, team building, or a retreat - I'll design a feel-good program tailored to your needs. Feel free to contact me, and I'll handle everything else.

Yoga in the Workplace

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 17:13:54 GMT

Is company yoga for you?

More and more companies worldwide are actively assuming responsibility for employees' health. Over the past years, significantly in popularity is growing yoga in the wor kplace. Austria doesn't fall behind the trends

and yoga courses are part of workplace health promotion in many sustainable companies.

What makes yoga more popular and desirable as a team activity than even fitness or entertainment activities? The reasons are very complex, as yoga is very complex. Regular yoga courses in the workplace take care of the employee's physical and mental well-being, while at the same time, they are fun and keep the team spirit up.

I have been giving weekly company classes since 2021 and see their positive impact on the participants. I adjust the units according to the participants' level and wishes. Sometimes, the sessions are relaxing, including many stretches and gentle flows. If new employees are participating for the first time, I give easy-to-follow poses and techniques. If experienced yoga participants or sporty beginners join, the session can be dynamic and intensive, including strengthening poses and fluid sequences.

Some of the employees are interested in more than just stretching and strengthening, and then I offer short meditations, pranayama, and philosophy as a part of the session. If the participants want to avoid being bothered with abstract theories, we keep the classes rather physical, only using yoga asanas to work out and relax. I design all the courses individually according to the company culture and the employees. I curate every class individually for the participants on that given day.

I have developed various flexible programs that have already proven themselves. On request, I could take over the organization and help with internal communication if that would motivate the people and clarify the process.

I organize an individual event as a workshop to promote health through yoga in the workplace. If the employees like it and want to continue, we can schedule similar yoga events weekly.

If engaging with regular yoga in the long term is not yet for you, we can start with a 10-week course that employees can take part in voluntarily,

Since 2020 I also offer online live courses via Zoom and yoga videos.

If you are interested, you can contact me.

Business Yoga

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 11:16:25 GMT

Balance your Body & Mind with Business Yoga

With the development of human civilization and technology, more and more through the centuries, we have moved towards a sedentary way of life. We have invented various technical equipment to save time and physical energy. Cooking, cleaning, transportation, washing - you name it. Just look around yourself and consider how many items you can't leave without you will notice. Did your mother or grandmother have such?

Change in the way of life over the generations requires an adequate and timely readjustment in healthy habits. Nowadays, we sit longer, and we move less than our ancestors. We live more in our heads than in our bodies. Paradoxal as we are body-obsessed and body-centered, yet not body-aware!

Here comes yoga to help and bring balance between body and mind. Another paradox because yoga is ancient knowledge that we reencounter through the prism of our contemporary urban understanding. Thousands of years old practice comes to help us deal with the modern world.

Nowadays, millions of people perform a sedentary job, which often leads to problems with the back or headaches. Many office workers typically experience shoulder, neck, and lower back discomfort. Wrist pain, round spine, tightened hip flexors, and hamstrings can also be prevalent. With the help of targeted yoga exercises, we can preventively relax the body so that painful tension or malpositions do not occur in the first place.

That companies offer yoga for their employees is nothing new or unusual. In the US, this has been a fact for decades. (Indra Devi was conducting "yoga breaks" for factory workers in Dallas already in 1963). More and more companies organize physical or mindful team events to promote health amongst their employees and to keep the team spirit up.

Company yoga classes are not only for office employees. Restorative asanas, deep breathing, and relaxation exercises can benefit everyone, especially those with physically demanding jobs. For jobs with prolonged sitting, I recommend dynamic asana practice to strengthen the muscles and build strength as a counter to the working day.

Yoga reduces stress levels while increasing performance, essential for employees and employers to maintain a work-life balance. The modern disease "burnout," which was considered a managers' disease, is now widespread. Yoga's self-observations techniques help a great deal to doesn't get that far. Regular yoga practice increases sensitivity to one's body's feelings, which is necessary to perceive signals from the body early and take appropriate countermeasures.

As an employer, you can specifically promote the health of your employees with the help of weekly team yoga classes. Regular yoga sessions can do the following for your employees:

Strengthen team cohesion
Promote well-being and relaxation
Increase stamina and concentration
Reduce stress levels
Reduce sick leaves

How does business yoga work?

The classes can occur during the lunch break, in the morning, or the evening. They can be online via zoom or in person. In-person classes can take place in the office if a meeting room is available. (We can push the tables and chairs aside to make space). I can also rent a room in an easy-to-commute yoga/fitness studio where the team can exercise together.

Some clients prefer team classes outside the office - to entirely switch off the working environment.

The costs for business yoga depend on the number of participants and the location. I am happy to make a tailor-made offer that suits both sides.

I offer tailor-made solutions for every customer. We can discuss what suits you best, and together we will devise a strategy and set dates.

You can contact me at yoga@yordanka.at or +436765706388. I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Company Yoga

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 07:45:28 GMT

Team-Building Yoga Classes for Companies

Corporate yoga is more and more popular around the globe. No wonder - it has multiple benefits. Yoga classes in the office work as a team-building, promote health and well-being, its fun, and increase productivity. Yes, they do. Innovative and sustainable companies invest in preventive healthcare for their employees. Yoga reduces stress and supports relaxation, which could help prevent burnout and possibly reduce sick leaves.

The yoga classes at work can include physical practice (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama), meditation, and mindfulness according to the individual needs of the employees. They are easy and understandable for all participants. Both new to yoga and regular yoga practitioners can participate.

Through yoga, one can improve the neuromuscular connection (body-mind), gain self-knowledge, understand the body and one's limits, and be present in the current moment. The participants learn to take responsibility for their health and discover their full potential.

Amongst the multiple benefits of office yoga classes are the following:

keeps team spirit and improves the working atmosphere
promotes productivity and creativity
improves both physical and mental health
supports the immune system
learning relaxation techniques for daily use
reduces stress and tension
helps against burnout and depression

All you need is a suitable meeting room and yoga mats. I can rent a venue near your office if you don't have one or require more space. I can also ensure yoga mats if that's more convenient for you.

If you are interested, don't hesitate to get in touch with me at yoga@yordanka.at or +436765706388

Office Yoga

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 23:29:01 GMT

Impact and benefits of yoga in the company for your employees

Let's get in touch to coordinate an individual concept of how Business Yoga optimally supports the needs of your team. The primary purposes of regular yoga sessions for companies are to promote employees' long-term health and motivation, increase productivity, and improve their work-life balance. Employee investment is an investment in the company - it always pays off in the long term.

The classes are tailor-made according to the needs of the participants and their level. The duration can be 30, 45, 60, 75, or 90 minutes:

The most optimal length of the class is 60 minutes. One hour is necessary for a proper warm-up, building some intensity with strengthening poses and dynamic flows (if wished), cooling down with deep stretching, and finishing with a short relaxation.

Although, if there is not enough time, we can conduct a shorter 30 -minute session. For example, during the lunch break, if the employees want time left for lunch after class. In 30 minutes, we can practice breathing techniques, meditation and mindfulness, easy stretches for the shoulder and neck, and relaxation techniques. We can perform simple exercises on a chair without changing clothes or needing special equipment or room for it.

If only 45 minutes are available, we can cut off the intensity part and go for gentle stretches and slow flows to mobilize the body, improve blood circulation, and stretch. Or we could reduce the stretching and relaxation time and go for a quick power yoga session to knock out the stress from the body, making everyone feel the muscle burn and sweat.

If the class is a little longer and we go for 75 minutes instead of the classical one hour, we can get those extra 15 minutes to practice meditation, learn breathing techniques, or simply for extended relaxation.

As you can see, there is much to do during one yoga class! So much more than "just stretching." If you wish for a more extended class, we can conduct a weekly 90-minute session, like a mini-retreat, mindful oasis after work, perhaps in the middle of the week. I recommend only going for the most extended class if the employees are familiar with yoga and are interested in exploring various aspects of the yoga practice. After all, we want to ensure they will have a positive experience and won't be bored or challenged too much.

I advise my corporate customers to begin with one weekly 60-minute evening class after work. We can do the session in the meeting room or a specially rented for the purpose venue nearby. The employees must bring comfortable clothes and change for the yoga session. After class, they can go home immediately and continue the evening without returning to the office. This way, they entirely switch off after the working day.

Impact and benefits of yoga in the company for your employees:

Improving stress management

We intervene in neurology and effectively direct the energy system with targeted breathing techniques and mindfulness exercises. Especially when employees meet high demands, they need to learn how to cultivate a positive mental change and prevent burnout states.

Increasing energy level and productivity

Mental recovery phases are essential to staying productive in the long run. Employees develop mental alertness to direct their energy consciously. Regular yoga practice increases long-term productivity, motivation, quality of life, self-confidence, trust in one's potential, and satisfaction, and is a way to happy and resilient employees.

Improving body posture and physical health

Staying healthy is a present condition and an ongoing task. We have to keep taking care of it. Physical yoga practice (asanas and their connection into "flows") counter the sedentary working day. The employees learn the necessary movement sequences in yoga to strengthen the body and develop stable body awareness.

Team-Building

It's fun to exercise with your colleagues and see them in a different light. Sometimes, that's the only place employees from various departments can get in touch and even get to know each other! The chit-chats before and after class grow cohesion in the team for a better working atmosphere. The people will also have different work-related things besides work - such as... yoga at work! During yoga classes, there is no hierarchy. Team leaders and team members practice the same poses. Yoga is no competition, so the bosses can drop their superiority and practice the second warrior pose with their employees.

Do you have any questions about prices , the process, or the next steps? Contact me, and I will happily create a concept for your company after a personal conversation.

yoga@yordanka.at

+436765706388

Yoga Etiquette. Part 1: Community

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 01:50:22 GMT

Everything you need to know before taking a yoga class

Ok, only some things. I promise to cover the most critical topics to my own understanding. How to behave, and what should you consider before taking a group yoga class? Make sure you will have a positive experience, feel part of a community, and save yourself the award looks, the feeling of doing something wrong and not being accepted.

In part 1, I talk about why we want to fit into a yoga group in the first place.

Satisfying the need for belonging comes straight after physiology and safety, even before esteem. The human is a social being, and as such, it needs to be connected to other humans. (Check The social animal by Aronson. Old but still good.) To feel accepted, liked, loved, and part of a community is essential to feel happy and complete and to acquire Maslow's self-actualization.

That means even if you say you don't care about the opinion of others and you are fine by yourself, deep inside, you have rooted the need to be part of something bigger. A tribe, society, community, gang, party, club, or whatever, where you can interact with people who can understand you and you share similar values. Even Wednesday softened at the end. (That's my Netlifx recommendation if reading is too much. If you stop here, my blog is still not for nothing.)

A yoga community provides an opportunity to connect with other yoga practitioners and share how it is going on with your practice, where you experience benefits, and what difficulties you meet. What makes the yoga communities unique is the people. Everyone there might have a different background, occupation, life standard, etc. Yet they all are united by their love for yoga. For some, it is just a hobby; for others, it is temporarily trying something different; for many, it is a way of life.

In a yoga community, you can often meet people you otherwise won't get to know in your daily life and circles. That enriches your point of view, and you can become more open-minded. After all, this is how we grow, expanding the borders of our comfort zone of what we accept as usual. You can learn something new about things you have little knowledge or experience with.

In yoga communities, you can also network. No wonder you meet mind-like professionals in various fields where you need contacts.

When you take a group yoga class, you should know that your overall experience will also depend on the people around you. How you feel surrounded by a bunch of yoga strangers could be as important as how good the class is. Think about it, when you enter a restaurant or a coffee place, you quickly look at the people already sitting inside. You won't stay if you perceive them as awkward, disturbing, or inappropriate. Your favorite places to go out will be where you like the atmosphere. After all, you eat out to be surrounded by other people. If you want privacy, you will order takeaway or cook for your friends and stay home,

As a part of a community, you are sharing your energy and contributing to the atmosphere. If you feel well in a group of strangers, there is a chance you can quickly establish contact with some of them. (Emotional intelligence by Daniel Goleman is another classic I want to make you read.)

There is also the other side of the story where social anxiety and personal insecurities can make one avoid group classes. Both home self-practice and learning from a teacher in a class have their benefits. They complete each other. You don't have to choose.

Having an established personal practice means you have already developed discipline and endurance. You can still benefit from learning with a teacher and participating in a community. Yoga is not only going to be enjoyable and easy. As you deepen into your regular practice and inner work, there will be periods when you will want to quit for various reasons. That's when the teacher and community can support you and motivate you.

How many times did it happen in your life that you went through something you felt embarrassed or scared to talk about? Until you find out, someone else had a similar experience, which is entirely normal. Did you find something insignificant to be proud of? As a result, happy moments passed by without even being spotted or appreciated. Worries and troubles settled down without being shared cause you didn't want to bother someone with your little issues? That's all things from life when a connection to another human being would make the difference.

Practicing yoga for the first time is a new area of your life where you need new social skills. The opportunity of meeting other yoga practitioners can help you understand yourself better. It can motivate you to be regular in class and inspire you to keep up with exploring your home practice.

It would be a pity to miss all of this only because you are scared of group classes or because you feel you are doing something wrong and the others don't accept you.

So, let's talk about minimizing the social discomforts in the shared yoga space, whether it is an indoor, outdoor or online class.

To be continued... Part 2 is coming soon.

Yoga at VIVObarefoot

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 17:51:17 GMT

Excited to share my new collaboration. Workshop Yoga & Feet at VIVObarefoot

On 15.02.2023, Wednesday, from 08:30 to 09:30, I will be giving a workshop at the VIVObarefoot store (before the opening hours) at Neubaugasse 12-14, 1070 Vienna, Austria. You can book easily at https://www.yordanka.at .

Have you ever heard about barefoot shoes? That's minimalistic shoes whose purpose is to strengthen the feet naturally. The wide toe box and the thin, flexible soles are characteristic of barefoot shoes. The feeling of freedom as if you are walking barefoot.

I used to wear very tight shoes, believing that's supporting my foot. I was very disturbed if there was space in front of my toes. Sometimes I would even put cotton to fill the gap. I used to believe that a good shoe also supports the foot's arch.

Eventually, I developed Hallux Valgus and flat feet. The reasons are not clear. It could be genetic because I have relatives with the same issue. Wearing tight shoes didn't help me much, for sure.

Barefoot shoes are not penicillin for every foot pain but, in many cases, can help. Of course, I recommend a physician consultation if you have foot issues.

Watch the video to discover why your favorite conventional shoes might be wrong for your feet.

If barefoot shoes are for you, then you can rely on professional and attentive customer service at the VIVObarefoot store at Neubaugasse. They are patient and take the time to advise, explain, and answer questions. Especially if you are getting your first pair of barefoot, you should get a consultation at the store. Only purchase online after you try.

There are different shapes of feet and various types of barefoot shoes according to individual ne eds.

In this workshop, we will explore how yoga contributes to foot health. Traditionally, we perform asanas barefoot, which, as you can imagine, provides an opportunity to strengthen the feet muscles naturally.

On the other side, strong and healthy feet are a good foundation for all the standing and balancing sequences. We explore classical asanas with more awareness of building posture from the feet.

We will also go through backbends, forward folds, and seated poses. You will be surprised how much those asana groups also have to do with foot placement and awareness.

In this one hour, we will practice things such as Pada Bandha (feet lock) and cultivating qualities of grounding, stability, and safety. We will focus on foot health, strengthening, and stretching. We will explore the connection between the feet and the pelvic floor, as well as the importance of feet alignment for correct body posture.

A limited number of participants. Only with pre-reservations. Bring your yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes. Suitable for all levels, also beginners friendly.

Book your class easily at www.yordanka. at

WhatsApp me in case of further questions or if you need help booking.

From Patanjali to Mindful Yoga Workout

yoga@yordanka.at (Yordanka Naydenova) — Sun, 15 Jan 2023 22:40:51 GMT

What do I mean by Mindful Yoga Workout?

Mindful Yoga Workout is my teaching style. I have chosen the words which best describe what I am doing and what one should expect when coming for the first time to my classes.

I call it workout because the focus is on the physical part of yoga practice. It's an asana-based class. It's still yoga. Asanas are our primary tool to explore the body-mind connection, to stretch and strengthen. It needs to be challenging to tap into the present moment. Being here and now, consciously moving with control and awareness through the asana sequences. That makes it mindful.

I want to distinguish from the HIIT and bodyweight workouts where the focus might be burning calories, simply toning specific muscle groups, cardio, or getting tired. I don't want to say yoga is superior to any other physical routine. It is just different. As we like to say in Bulgaria, there are passengers for every train. Yoga can be as challenging and exhausting as other physical practices, but this is not our primary goal.

I chose to call my yoga style the simple and modest "workout" cause I think that it can prepare the new yogis for the upcoming challenge. Many people think yoga is something relaxing and is only stretching. Yes, yoga can be both. There are way too many yoga styles and passengers for all of them.

The more modern yoga increases its popularity globally, the more new yoga styles will be developed. The practice for someone in tropical summer might be different than in Scandinavian winter; let's start from here. Teenagers and seniors can also benefit from regular asana, but their practice might differ. Pregnant women's bodies will have different needs than professional athletes who want to try yoga. Busy urban minds may proceed with information differently than someone living in a quiet town. Office employees will enjoy other types of yoga than physical workers at the end of their working day, yet they all can do yoga, and there is something for all of them.

Yes, yoga is changing. As B.K.S. Iyengar said, yoga is a science and an art, and they both develop. Contemporary yoga, the way we know it today, has been developed mainly over the last century. Yoga used to be a spiritual practice for renunciates on the path to enlightenment, the "real yogis." T. Krishnamacharya, "the father of modern yoga," first spread some yoga aspects to householders, people like you and me, living in that material world, being attached to possessions, chasing goals, and thinking about the purpose of life.

As you can see, yoga can be for everyone, regardless of their way of living and where they are on the spiritual path. Yoga can be everything, but not everything is yoga. The lack of clarity on what yoga is about might stop someone from trying it, or too many expectations can turn the first class into a disappointment.

With the simple "yoga workout," I want to clarify that you need to do some physical work when you come. Don't expect to only stretch on the floor for 60 minutes. (For this, google Yin Yoga classes near you. Different styles, different tools). It sounds superficial to do yoga as a workout, especially to someone primarily looking to learn more about chakras, to deepen into energetical aspects, philosophy, chanting, and meditation.

Yes, I also teach elements of more subtle yoga practice, even in the regular group yoga workouts. Yet, this is more of a secondary topic, completing the class. 60 minutes is way too short of teaching everything in one yoga class, especially if it is an open group session with a lot of drop-in students every time. For this purpose, deepening into a specific aspect of yoga, you can look for workshops, master classes, and courses or simply the right "yoga style" for you.

If the Mindful yoga workout sounds like something for your body and mind, I look forward to meeting you on the mat.

The pictures are taken at Mudralina Mindful Living.

Zoom Yoga Teachers

yoga@yordanka.at (Yordanka Naydenova) — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 11:40:50 GMT

The new yoga - ONLINE YOGA

The "new normality" affected maybe all areas of our lives, and it didn't skip yoga as well. Online yoga is the new yoga. That is not a substitute for the in-person classes and cannot be, but it is a totally different service with its pros and cons.

I have just turned one year as a yoga teacher, so I wanted to write about it and share some impressions. I realized most of it was yoga in lockdown, so I was mainly an online yoga teacher.

I started teaching exactly before the corona exploded. It was a dream to teach yoga one day, and I have accomplished it right in that year that changed everything. Beginning a new job as a freelancer in a foreign country is overwhelming enough. Not to mention the big yoga concurrence in Vienna. Teaching yoga is already challenging enough when you have just started, add the administrative work connected with accounting, marketing, preparing the classes, and so on. There is a lot of work behind one hour yoga, but I assume it is like that with anything you would do as a freelancer.

Starting something new in 2020 mean you have to learn and adapt very fast - learning the old rules and adapting to the new ones at the same time.

Online yoga is nothing new. Best yoga teachers in the world (or at least the most popular) were selling their services online for a long time. This was a convenient option for anyone who couldn't afford the time or costs of traveling for a workshop or training. What happened was that most of the yoga teachers had to move online if they wanted to continue teaching. In Austria, yoga studios were closed from mid-march to the beginning of June 2020. Then, from beginning November, already a fourth month. The country is in the second lockdown, and they talk about how to avoid the fourth one, but the yoga studios are still in the second one.

I started teaching at the beginning of February 20, and a bit more than a month later, I had to adapt my teaching through the screen. Of course, I didn't have many customers back then. Anyway, I didn't feel like doing business during a crisis, so I chose to give some free classes for friends mainly and anyone else who wanted to join. I have tried WhatsApp, skype, messenger, but the zoom was the most convenient. It is still the most preferable for most teachers to give live classes if they want to see their students. Many chose YouTube. They are streaming their classes private or unlisted for their students. I chose Zoom because I want to see my students who keep their cameras on. Zoom meetings are very convenient. They allow small communities to stay in touch, to have a conversation, get feedback, exchange information, and simply see each other. For me, as a teacher is foremost to see my students. I am adapting this way the speed and the level if necessary. For private sessions or small classes, Zoom or similar apps makes it possible to see and correct your student. This makes it possible for people from different countries to join. That creates a sense of unique community when people situated in distant parts of the world practice yoga together at the same time.

Many people prefer home practice. They only practice with YouTube or other videos, and they don't feel so comfortable in studios. I was also practicing by myself for years before I find the motivation to start visiting local studios. For me, yoga was a private experience that aimed to prepare the body and mind for meditation, and this I could do just fine by myself.

Here is to mention that I was visiting meditation and pranayama workshops and seminars. Single events with hundreds of people, but this was "learning" and the practice I would do by myself. It is just that yoga can be so different. People have their understanding of how they should practice, and that is just fine.

The first Asana class I took in 2014 and was so different than I expected. Candles, gentle music, relaxed people. I dived fully into the present moment. I did not know what to expect, and I didn't get to choose the next pose. Surprisingly for me, people there were not flexible, and the teacher was not a hippie. The most astonishing was that I was in a much deeper state than in my home practice. Sometimes, guidance is what we need, to not control and to not think about it.

Then I realized, there is no better or worse yoga. There are just different ways to practice. A teacher is needed, even if it is not to teach you something new. Just to be there for you, giving you some energy and pushing you forward.

I also know people who don't want to practice at home at all. Solely in a studio with a teacher. Some people like crowded studios, where you can barely unroll your mat. They find it motivating to be surrounded by many people. Others prefer it in a small, intimate environment, a "safe bubble." Many people would never go to a studio, unlike others who cannot get the motivation to even attempt yoga at home. Many people like yoga, yet they don't think it's worth paying for it or cannot afford it. Many others would spend a lot of money on their hobby for expensive mats and clothes, special workshops, classes, and memberships. Some yogis only practice with recorded videos. They can watch anytime and pause if needed. Many yoga practitioners would only take live-streamed yoga classes because it is "more real." Some will avoid booking and making appointments. Others need a structure and plans in their daily life. Luckily, there are enough possibilities according to taste. See, yoga can be so versatile, and we don't even talk about styles and levels!

Switching to Yoga at Home can be both challenging not only for teachers but also for students. They have to find space to unroll the mat undisturbed for one hour. Maybe they also have to get a yoga mat, yoga blocks, or other props accordingly to the practiced style. Then, they will need a device with a big enough screen to see the class. So, it requires some preparations. At the same time, some yogis are glad they don't have to travel to the studio. They can take a class with the favorite teacher while enjoying the privacy of their own home.

My advice is to prepare a small yoga corner. Maybe add some candles and lights, listen to relaxing music or so. You can charge that little spot with positive energy, even if not by doing yoga. Maybe sitting in peace having a tee or anything else that you like. Slowly, you will develop a habit, and then it is easy. You don't have to make the decision every time to practice. Simply when you look in that direction, you will desire to jump on the mat. After the first class, the mind will create positive associations, and then you are unstoppable. I hope so, I can't promise you, but I believe you can make it if you want it. Maybe it would also help you if you book in advance. Then the decision is already made, and you should just not doubt it. For my online classes, I started offering recordings to the participants. The minus here is that some of the yogis stopped showing up in class regularly and prefer to watch the recording. For other yogis, the recording doesn't matter as they simply want to do live. As a student, recordings also don't work very successfully. If I

stop to go to the toilet or to check my phone, maybe I won't continue. And if I continue, then I am already cooled down. But if I cannot attend an event, it is practical to have a recording. I am curious about what did I miss, and I am happy to catch up.

Driven out of a desire to create a solution for everyone, I started a small YouTube channel - something that I thought I would never do. Someone couldn't join the Zoom meeting and asked me if I could record a video and send it to them. Some participants found it hard to stick to a schedule. I thought it was a good idea to record the class, and maybe someone else would also like to do yoga with me. Yoga is about energy and frequency. A small YouTube could also help potential students to decide if they want to join my live classes. It took me a while to decide to expose myself online. I always thought this was not new yoga, so why should I post the same thing everyone is posting. There are enough yoga videos and workouts in the internet space. I thought if I post, this would be like spam if it is not unique content. Now I am happy I did because even if the only handful of people but there is someone who wants to hear the down dog explained by me or do a short flow with my guidance. Surprisingly for me, I even inspired some acquaintances to try some yoga with me. Even people who I didn't hear of for years saw my videos on social media. They were watching and attempting some poses and sending me pictures. It was great to reconnect and stay in touch. I was even astonished when I heard that my amateur YouTube brought me some customers in the studio later on. Once we reopened, I was using the platform YouTube to upload some short tutorials for my regulars. They could deepen into alignment of a new posture if they missed a class. I also recorded a few workouts if they want to practice with me when I don't have a scheduled class. During the lockdowns, I was motivated to record workout-videos also for people who liked my in-person-classes but cannot afford online yoga right now.

This Channel began more like an experiment. I took an online course for Social media marketing manager during the first lockdown, and I was encouraged to try. I was a freshly newbie-yoga teacher, and I am still not so experienced, but I have a lot to share. By now, I have uploaded 118 videos on YouTube. Some of them I even streamed live. I started only 2-3 months after my first class as a teacher, but I got the confidence to do it because time is not a measure of experience or competence. This is why I was never hiding that I am a new teacher. I know it might even sound like I am showing off. I was posting on social media about it, didn't cut it off of my marketing. Teaching yoga is a beautiful journey to a self-exploration, self-expression, a vocation, connecting with people, inspiring and aspiring. You see yourself in a new light, and this process needs to be observed and cherished. This is why I encourage other new teachers to be proud that they are passionate and dedicated, brave to begin something new that can be life-transformation for them and their students. I think everyone has had at least one of those super experienced but demotivated teachers. The most boring subjects in school, right? Now you know what I mean. Young teachers, on the other hand, are often pupils' favorite ones. Children don't doubt their teaching skills, but they like the subject if they like the teacher. Maybe yoga is also like that. Teaching is finding the balance between confidence that you know what you are doing and doubting if you are good enough. If you never question yourself, you will not develop, and we know that only dumb people never doubt themselves. So, head up if there are some newbies (no matter in what skill) reading this right now.

Not a professional channel, still trying out different devices and playing with settings. Learning how it works - part of the "new yoga" or the yoga of the new normality, more and more digital.

I was also one who was against social media and wanted to "keep it real." A year ago, like many other people, I still believed that online services were beyond my level and are no worth it. We had to change our mindset, learn to adapt and adjust. Zoom, Moodle, Teams, Skype, and WhatsApp had done just fine when there was no better option. Or no other at all.

Zoom might be the best for online yoga communities, but it can cause you a Zoomache, a bad one. Especially if you don't know what you are doing and why they are changing something all the time and making it more difficult instead of easier. Some of my customers even refused to join my online classes because of Zoom. They have never used it before, and they didn't want to try it, so they preferred to do yoga with me on YouTube. I get them! I couldn't find a better substitute for Zoom, and I didn't want to make people download and sign in for more apps. Some already struggle with the booking software eversports I am using, add Zoom meetings, too many links, and usernames.

I was already very close to giving up on Zoom because I was not happy with the video quality, but eventually, the issues were solved. I will share below how. Maybe there is someone else who is struggling with bad video quality on Zoom. I know that many people are happy with Zoom, and they never had any issues, especially the old accounts. Many yoga teachers are frustrated because of the bad quality of the recording. I also thought this was the maximum Zoom would allow you to record (640x320). For a year, many yoga teachers recorded their zoom meetings with QuickTime. (For Mac, it uses the same camera and microphone, no need for extra equipment, but one hour class is approx. 3GB big in 720p and takes forever to be uploaded). I was also thinking about the creative solution as many other yogi hosts. To record the video with my phone and then only to use the audio file from the zoom recording, put it together with an editing program, and then upload it. Some are using screen recorders to record the meeting separately. In general, a lot of work for one yoga class. Of course, quality matters and pays off, but for me, it was simply frustrating. On YouTube, I got a decent quality with the same equipment just like that, but on the paid version of Zoom, I got a blurry video.

I was only giving online classes during the first lockdown. Then, I stopped in the summer because everyone preferred to enjoy the outdoor activities. After being locked down, fresh air and nature were much appreciated when possible, especially for yoga together. I had to continue with the Zoom classes once the second lockdown was announced at the beginning of November. For some reason, my "old" zoom account didn't accept the payment anymore, so I had to make a new one. I don't know if the issues with video quality only apply to new accounts. I know some old users who are very happy with Zoom. I came across Facebook discussions of teachers who have just started with Zoom and were for a solution with the recording.

During the first lockdown, I was ok with the video quality. At that time, I also didn't have high expectations. I was only thinking about the sequence. Also, the setting and equipment were different. This lockdown (I mean the second for the yoga) I decided to stream from the studio to keep it more professional. I am renting it on an hourly basis. It is very cozy and relaxing, and I love the energy and atmosphere there. As I was collaborating so well with the studio owner, I also wanted to support her. In those difficult economic times, you get to choose which business to support. It matters. Many of my students took the decision to carry on with me. When they could simply watch professional videos of yoga vloggers or take an online class of someone else with more experience. (ok, "many" is maybe not the right word as they are not soo many, but everyone is so exceptional to me, and I love them so much that it feels like I have a whole division.) I am very grateful to everyone who decided to contribute to my small dream coming true and keep practicing. I chose to keep streaming from the studio instead of from home. I also want to bring a little bit of the studio atmosphere to my students' screens so that they can forget for an hour about the new normality (while being part of it). The owner was so kind to lend her 4K streaming Logitech Camera, one of the best models on the market. I have equipped myself with a wireless microphone, and I thought nothing will stop making great videos. Wait for it, you gonna have fun.

In the beginning, there were issues with installing the Internet. I don't know why it took Magenta so long and why they couldn't make it properly. I had to every time take the mobile internet cube from home and plug it there. And how many times I thought now should be good with the new WI-FI, but then I had to give a hotspot from my phone because there was no connection at all. Eventually, I was streaming the Zoom classes simultaneously from the computer (Wi-Fi) and from my phone (mobile) to ensure that the connection will run uninterrupted. But the worst thing was the video! So blurry and unclear, you don't need 4K for this. My students were happier with the front camera of the iPhone, so you can imagine.

Many people complain about Zoom video quality. I came across Facebook groups where yoga teachers claimed it is not possible to enhance the video quality. I found even tutorials on YoutTube on how to record a Zoom meeting with another program. It turned out I was not the only one who could not use Zoom properly. This is why once I found a solution, I wanted to share it immeadiately so that it can also help other people.

The thing is, even if you see yourself clearly on Zoom, doesn't mean that the people will see you like this and will receive that image. Highly possible is that the participants will see the quality of the recording. Miracle steps that improve it immediately is to select speaker view and full screen. At least one attendee must be in full-screen mode in order for you to be able to send HD quality and to be able to record the meetings with decent quality. Ideally, all of the attendees need to be in full-screen and active speaker mode so that they can receive better video quality from you. This means, The quality of your videos and your recordings as a host will also depends on the participants. You need to have at least one eligible to receive HD in order for you to be able to send it and record it. It sounds awkward because if you don't know the people who will join and if they will select full screen and speaker view, maybe you wont be able to record the meeting in a good quality for someone who is not able to join live. It is like this. I have tried a few times. You can also try for your yourself.

If activating Full-screen mode and speaker view mode doesn't help, maybe you haven't enabled the Group HD video setting.

You need to do that three times. From the app settings on your desktop, from the profile settings, and from the account settings. If this doesn't help as well, then you have to contact customer support.

Here is to mention that Zoom ha amazing customer support! They reply fast and are very attentive, Just make sure you explain your issue as detailed as you can.

On Zoom website claims that 720p is the maximum that you can get with a pro account but only in a meeting of 2 participants. It also says that you can enable it from your desktop app. I did, but it was not enough, so I contacted support. If it says it is possible, but it's not, then is something wrong, right? They told me I have to enable Group HD from the account settings. Not only from the client and from the profile settings. Account settings are at the highest level. If it is not enabled there, you will not get it. I did, but it was still nothing changed. Then they activated it for me.

I understand that if everyone enables HD video, we might not be able to use Zoom anymore. For many people, the video quality doesn't even matter as long as they don't have to see small details. For many types of meetings, the quality of the image is not important at all. If the light is good enough, then the image quality will also be clear, even if it's only SD. If you find the best settings for your camera, even 640x360 might also be enough. I have seen good videos, and I couldn't believe it's only 640x360. So, it all depends on you, your setting and equipment, and your needs.

I am not an IT or Zom customer support. I am just sharing my experience. Maybe it will be useful for someone. I couldn't believe that so many people struggle with Zoom, and they accept it as ordinary. Are you one of those lucky guys that never had an issue with online meetings, or you are struggling like me? Comment below, and share with me your experience. I'd like to hear from you!

At first, I thought the issue is because of my old computer or due to the camera, or simply setting. Maybe it was all together. I have no idea. Windows can also contribute to making it more complicated getting a good video.

I started from scratch. The last update was more than ten days ago, so I started fresh with a clean installation of Windows. Then I modified the registry and downloaded all recommended codecs. I have even upgraded the RAM by myself.

During the first lockdown, I was learning SEO and how to push my website on google. During this lockdown, I went even further and unscrewed my laptop to increase the RAM. Things we do for yoga.

Philips 0 was the necessary size. Finding the correct screwdriver took me more time than finding the matching RAM. I purchased a whole set of screwdrivers in case I decide to unscrew something else.

Those are some of the challenges we the online yoga teachers are facing. I wanted to share because it might be useful for someone else. We all learn together with the help of google and social media. Exchange can always speed it up finding a solution or, at least, will create a feeling for support. You are not alone in this. If experts are reading, their feedback will be much appreciated.

Quick about the microphone. Jelly Comb Wireless 2.4G. Nothing special, for sure you get a much better one but if you are in a search for a priceworthy solution, this one I can recommend. I got it three months ago and so far I am very happy. Very easy to use and the sounds are good. I chose it because of the color if I have to be honest. I was not sure which one should I get so I took one which looks pretty. Was not a bad decision in the end. It has even included an audio adaptor for Mac or iPhone 6. For iPhone X you can get an extra adaptor (the small white cable above). Charging is easy with a USB Cable. You can check the audio quality on my YouTube channel. I am using it for most of my recent videos. For example that one below.

The audio quality of yoga classes is maybe even more important than the video if you have to choose which one to focus on first. Some of my students even said that is not so important if the video quality is blurry as long as I am explaining well, they don't even look at the screen. It seems like this budget microphone saved my online yoga classes when I was struggling to achieve decent video.

Maybe the next one I will get will be the so popular Rode Wireless Go but for now, this Jelly Comb will do the job.

Online yoga is easily being booked online. I am using the eversports software. It's a bit pricey for a freelancer who only has a few classes per week but is good. It offers a lot of features for yoga studios and is easy to use by customers. What I find very convenient is the new video library. I just started working on that and putting some content there.

https://www.eversports.at/s/yoga-with-yordanka/recordings

This how I adapt to digital yoga. Thanks to exchange with other yoga teachers (online) we can grow. If you like, share below in a comment how are you doing it.

Yoga in the park & ONLINE @yogawithyordanka

yoga@yordanka.at (Yordanka Naydenova) — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 19:38:29 GMT

Yoga in 2020

I wanted to write a short blog in August about outdoor yoga in 2020, but I never finished it. Before the year is over, I should have this done, what do you think?

This post meant to share some pictures and some moments from the yoga summer. What happened was that we continued the outdoor classes till October (we were lucky with the weather this year). I wanted to add some more pictures and then post them, but then I was overwhelmed by organizing indoor classes, then the sudden lockdowns again destroyed all my plans. Even if I expected it, and it was just a matter of time, still hearing the final decision was not pleasant. Living with all of this uncertainty was hard for most of us. Here comes the biggest lesson for me: don't be a control freak.

Let's go quickly through the whole year - my first year as a yoga teacher. I started teaching in February at the Cultural Space of The Vienna Academy of Visionary Arts. That was a cozy place in the seventh district, and I loved the location so much. The Academy was in a historical Otto-Bauer's building. Thick walls, a lot of windows, big spaces. The yoga classes were taking space in a gallery. I was not very aware of what visionary art was but had the honor to visit the exhibitions during teaching. Both rooms had this overwhelming energy, calm, and relaxing.

Sadly, this lovely location couldn't make it through the first lock-down, as they were mainly relying on international students. They took the heavy but maybe a wise decision to close down forever. I've been only teaching there for a month and a half, but I was already attached to it. Choosing the right place for me was a long process. Searching was longer indeed than I was using it! At least I had the opportunity to start B.C-19 (before COVID-19). See that picture. Yogis just coming and throwing their mats on a random spot, not measuring a social distance, but having enough space to spread their arms without hitting their neighbor. It was even possible to sneeze, cough, clean your nose if you need, without been thrown! (Just don't read if you don't have any sense of humor).

I started by giving two weekly classes Hatha Yoga for beginners. By the end of the first month, the style was already resembling Hatha Flow and Vinyasa. I had mainly student visitors who seemed to like more the dynamic yoga, so I was adapting fast to their needs. Plus, the groups were mixed, and I had to provide a challenge for the experienced yogis.

Initially, I wanted to teach traditional yoga. I must say I had the opinion that Ancient knowledge was better than our understanding of yoga nowadays. But even in India, we've been told that yoga is to serve people and not the other way around. So, yoga also adapts to the needs of people. It depends on the teacher you find. I know some people return from the East completely brainwashed. They listen and repeat without ever doubting what they say. That is what I wanted to avoid. I also didn't want to become like the commercial western yogis who treated yoga as a good workout and a great business opportunity. I decided that I would give myself one year to develop my style, and I will not rely on yoga as my head income. At the end of the year, I am happy with that decision. That allows me to measure results in happy people and not in numbers.

Anyway, the first lockdown found me unprepared and gave me a lot of time to overthink. My mind was so not ready for this. I can't even go back to the blog I posted at that time. Sure I will be shocked by the written.

As you can imagine, there were not so many studio classes as virtual and outdoor this year, so this is why I kept the name of the Facebook group of my community Yoga in the park & Online @yogawithyordanka .

I've been giving classes on WhatsApp, Messenger, Skype, Zoom, Youtube. Only on Instagram, I didn't stream live. I didn't find the motivation for this. There were so many teachers going live (and some still do). I understand it is also a good promotion for them and a great tool to expand their network, but it seems like most of them were doing it out of good human nature. They just wanted to spread yoga knowledge and to help people feel better in those difficult times. What happened was that there were so many yoga classes for free that nobody wanted to pay for virtual yoga classes anymore. That left a lot of yoga studios, who were relying on their customers, without any income. People who believe in good causes and want to spend their money with awareness, not thinking about what they get and if they could get it any cheaper or even for free, those rare individuals will still choose to support their favorite brands. Thanks to them, yoga can go on.

During the first lockdown, it was a bit early for me to understand it, but during the second and the third, I had a supportive community my own, for which I am so grateful!

That was my second class in the Park. Full house. There was a limit of ten people at that time (including the teacher).

My first professional yoga photo-shooting was made by Anna Metton soon after the first lockdown was finally over.

The Yoga brunch at Das Brunchhouse am Irissee - was a highlight! Incredible location, outstanding kitchen. They opened during the crisis in 2020, and they were exploding! You can imagine why - they are so good.

Having the opportunity to collaborate with them in my first year as a teacher still warms my heart. I am so grateful that they put trust in me. They gave me a lot of freedom to choose the teaching language, the style, and even the schedule, and the exact spot.

Yoga Brunches can be an incredible opportunity to expand your network, meet people with similar interests, and have a tasty breakfast. The contemporary yogis can have different jobs and backgrounds, but they are all united by yoga and the need for a healthy, conscious life. That is what makes the yoga community so charming, the opportunity to grow together.

Besides the outdoor classes, I was also giving indoor Hatha in Atelier Innere Mitte . Much smaller location than the Cultural space, but the size is not all that matters. The Atelier is a very well designed and equipped boutique studio. I just fell in love with it. In the Summer was not a queue for indoor yoga (not only because of Corona), but in Autumn I, had to deal with a limited number of participants. I was giving three classes in a row to fit everyone. I had even already planned the fourth one when they announced the next lockdown. All the time, new restrictions, new rules. It was harsh, but they say challenges make you grow. Plus, all of those restrictions made us go out in fresh air and reconnect with nature.

Put a finger down if Corona didn't change your plans for 2020. It did, I believe, everyone's but let's think about the positive sides. For me, doing yoga in the park is one of the pros.

If it was not the Corona, I assume I would not put my classes outdoors, but since we didn't have any other choice, everyone went to the park. The studios remained closed for two months and a half, and till the last moment, we didn't know if we will be eligible to reopen soon at all.

Somehow, I have never before taken the outdoor yoga classes seriously. I thought you could go to the park, and you could do yoga, but why together? I always liked doing some stretch outside from time to time, but I can't call it yoga. There was usually somebody staring, somebody discussing, making noises.

Outdoor yoga in a group? That I didn't even consider as an option. It was interesting to me. I have never before even joined an outdoor class. I started teaching in the park because I didn't have another option, and for me, this was a substitute for the yoga studio. Soon, I began to understand why so many people would prefer to do yoga in the park in summer rather than staying indoor.

It's so beautiful to do yoga while being surrounded by greenery, birds twitting, the smell of fresh grass under the feet.

Sometimes, I even do yoga without the mat. Nature provides the best yoga mats.

I thought that in a yoga studio, you had a more intimate and private atmosphere. Candles, scents, lights, background music, the whole atmosphere, everything contributes to your well-being.

I also thought wrongly that outdoors you couldn't find your balance, and you couldn't look so deep inwards as in the yoga studio.

It's easy to find and to keep your balance when you have the perfect circumstances. Enough sleep, healthy food, friendly colleagues, good family atmosphere, paid bills. You come on your mat, and the only thing that bothers you is if you can touch your toes in Trikonasana and if you could do one more of this Chaturanga.

However, when you are out of your comfort zone it is the real challenge to find your balance, and then you will need it the most.

Maybe you heard the stories about Indian Gurus meditating in caves. First of all, this brings me to the memories of my trip to India. Flashback to the Sunday when we visited the Vashishta Cave on one Sunday. I've just closed my eyes and dived into the meditative atmosphere (or at least I thought so). That was the cave where Vashishta Sage reached Samadhi (enlightenment briefly said.) It has significant importance for the Hinduists. Everything went smoothly until the moment when somebody started to laugh for no reason. To make it more difficult, some more people from our group started to laugh. That was very challenging for me, as I knew if I open my eyes, I will start laughing with them. If somebody is laughing, I can't help myself. We spent in the cave maybe 10-15 minutes. Somewhen, I lost idea about the time. I made it to focus inwards, even though I was just so curious about what is going on. It turned out that my dear friend Solange couldn't hold her laughing when she was looking at the chanting Brahman. She said he had those big eyes, and he was staring at her, as she was exactly next to him. Luckily, I closed my eyes immediately as we entered the cave, and I tried to be spiritual. I was so proud of myself that I made it to keep them closed during all this intensive experience. Sitting with closed eyes and doing nothing is difficult. It is not meditation, though.

I don't want to know what our teacher experienced with us. He was either too polite to share or just used to experiences like this.

Krishnamacharya (1888 –1989) is the founder of contemporary Vinyasa yoga. He was the teacher of Pathabi Jois (who spread the Ashtanga yoga), Iyengar, and Indra Devi. He has spent many years meditating in a cave, but then he was advised by his guru to get married and create a family. He has been told only by living in the material world he could understand better the needs of humanity. It must have been more challenging for him to meditate when the kids were crying, his wife needed attention, and so on. It must have been easier to meditate in the cave, what do you think? Besides, he needed to cover the bills and ensure the food for the family. Finding inner peace within those circumstances was not so easy as in the cave, I imagine. The result was that Krishnamacharya became one of the most influential yoga teachers, often referred to as "the father of modern yoga." Well, he married an 11-old girl, so here is where my desire to deepen in spirituality fishiness. Please forgive me.

So, finding this inner peace outside of the ideal circumstances is more difficult, but it should still be possible, no?

Our classes took place at Jesuitenwiese, which happened to be one of the most popular Wiese (meadow). Everything happens there.

At first, I thought this spot was unique as I just chose it randomly. That was the middle of my running track, and I thought it was a proper location as there was a shadow under the trees like a lot of sunny meadows around. As you already know, I am not the typical park-person, so I didn't even suppose this is a very popular meadow where everything happens. In particular since Corona.

I was running in the morning, so it seemed very peaceful and quiet. However, the evening was not the best yogi atmosphere. Different kinds of music are coming from all edges of the park, and you need to have fast reflexes to escape on time from the landing balls around.

What a surprise for me when once, at the end of a yoga class, some students told me it was so relaxing. "Wait, what about the noises, wasn't disturbing for you?". "What noises? I didn't hear anything." Then I knew outdoor yoga worked well.

Guess what, you naughty students, who were paying attention to the disturbing surrounding atmosphere. See now, that was all your fault! (just kidding, again)

Do you love nature, or you take it for granted? For somebody who grew up in a small village, nature is a must, part of the exterior, nothing special to look for in your free time, which defined my hobbies. In the cities, I always wanted to use the privileges of urban life. There is so much to explore living in a big city. My attitude towards the big parks was like for any random sightseeing where I am both an inhabitant and a tourist- been there a couple of times, have seen it, very nice. Since the lock-down, I experience urban nature in a completely new way.

I began to run only not to be locked at home all day. The first run to nature felt like a paradise on earth for my eyes. Soon I brought my self yoga practice in the park, and the lock-down had a new dimension for my consciousness. I was enjoying it, no kidding!

The connection to mother Nature is crucial.

You can see plenty of pictures on FB and IG

The yoga studios were closed from mid-March till the beginning of June. Two days before reopening, we still had no clue when we will be able to do so.

Then, at the beginning of November, followed the second lockdown, followed by the third. No yoga-reopening in between. That means, four months and a half in 2020, there was no indoor yoga in Vienna.

That made us appreciate even more every in-persin class, I believe. Good, we got some photos. Some experiences are becoming special once they become memories.

"Yoga Wheel Fun" also took a place a couple of times.

Most people don't like virtual yoga classes so much. They prefer YouTube because it's for free. I understand this point of view, but I also see great potential in online yoga. For example, this allows me to take online classes with my Indian teacher from my living room. There is no need to travel for a month and spend a shit lof of money. Of course, it's not the same, but it is an extra opportunity to improve. That's an additional service, is not a substitute. For example, I also took online workshops about the yoga wheel. I have joined my favorite Kino's classes. Without Corona, not everyone would even reconsider online yoga as an option.

I find it very cool that some of my students join my Zoom classes from their home countries. 2020 made everyone more open to opportunities on the Internet. I see that as a pro.

I am grateful to get to know so many beautiful souls in 2020. All of this is thanks to yoga in the year of self-isolation. Can you believe that?

I finish the year being grateful for all the support from all the people who decided to give me a chance. That means the world to me! Thank you, guys!

Let's see what 2021 is going to bring us! Are you excited?

My trip to India

yoga@yordanka.at (Yordanka Naydenova) — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 22:11:30 GMT

My yoga teacher training in India

It`s been more than six months already, but I decided finally to sit down and write about it while I still have some fresh memories, and I can also compare how I developed meanwhile.

People often ask me how I decided to go to India for yoga teacher training. The funny thing is, I don`t even remember how and when exactly I decided I want to do it. I assume I planted the seed for this decision when I first started reading about yoga and practicing, and it was growing ever since. I was 15 years old when I started developing my interest in meditation and eastern teachings. I count myself as a lucky girl because my first meeting with yoga was exactly with traditional Raja yoga and not just with the physical practice of yoga that many only know.

Additionally, I was reading the journal "Yoga for every day" while I was still in Bulgaria. It was a monthly edition which was offering quality articles on all possible aspects of yoga and alternative way of living. At the end of it, there was often the story of a yoga teacher who spent a month or few in an Indian Ashram, obtained his/her Sanskrit name, doing Seva cleaning the whole place, and so on. Some of them shaved their hairs. I was observing with interest that some people on the pictures didn't do it, so I was hoping I don't have to shave my head if I go to India one day.

I was happy to see that Julia Roberts didn't have to shave her head either in the movie Eat, Pray, Love. She had to wipe the whole floor kneeling even though. I was relieved to find out that you can only go for a teacher training course in India, without having to do the dirty job. You pay (a nice amount) and what you are going to do all day is yoga, eating vegetarian food, meditating and a little bit of sightseeing. Now, tell me, doesn't it sound to you like a dream holiday?

I remember, already in 2015, I was telling the people that this is my dream, and I want to do this one day. For different reasons, I was postponing accomplishing, there was either no time, no money, or both, but besides that, I had my concerns connected with health, hygiene, pollution, and climate in India.

Before the trip, I was looking for a blog post like this. I wanted to read about the experience of somebody else who did a yoga teacher training course in India, but I couldn't find exactly this. For sure, there must be plenty of them, but Google didn't show me. I hope my story will provide some answers for another modern spiritual seeker. I will try to keep it detailed but not watery for you.

What defined the final decision was the fact that I didn't have a healthy lifestyle before the course. I was smoking, drinking, eating junk food. At least I was vegetarian, which was good for my mind, but slowly I was reducing the sports activities and limiting the yoga practice to a little bit of stretching from time to time till it was completely absent. I had a stressful job which I didn't like. I was tired of working something only because it was well paid because the working times suit me or just because I had to do something. I just wanted finally to do something that I like. I had to take my health in hands as well, as I developed some issues with my feet, and as a result, I had pain in my knees and back. I was so stiff and stressed out that eventually, I had pain all over my body. Just before the course, I realized that I was not able to do the dancer pose anymore. I couldn't center my mind, and I couldn't keep any standing balance. I couldn't lift myself for the wheel pose. There was no strength, and my spine just felt like a big brick. It was painful and frustrating. The postures I did once to warm-up as a yoga student while waiting for the teacher to come in were not accessible to me even as peak poses anymore. Attempting arm balances were a mirage, and sitting in lotus was just a memory.

So this is the law of Murphy. All these years, I was waiting to be in good shape, becoming an advanced yogi and then accomplishing a teacher training, but instead, I went to India in my maybe worst ever physical state. Life makes its plans. We are all students anyway. Moral of the story so far, you shouldn't wait too long if you want to do something.

In my case, the pain was a blessing. Besides the pain all over my body, I have experienced disgusting migraines. When I started accepting them as something usual in my life, it was just clear I have to change something. Migraines are often the sign for discrepancies between one`s material and spiritual world. The way of life might not correspond with the inner beliefs, and this was just my case. I booked a flight ticket to Delhi in a moment of despair, and then I had to live with the decision analyzing if it was correct or not. One month after the spontaneous booking, I had to be in India, and I had no clue how many preparations still had to fulfill.

Booking everything was the simple part, but I thought this was pretty much everything. So, I booked the connecting flight from Delhi to Dehradun, the taxi, and the training course. Choosing and adjusting dates, times, prices so that everything can fit my calendar and pocket. I decided to arrive just one day before the training started, and leave on the day after as I thought it should be just fine. Then I come back and continue working immediately on the next day.

Indeed, googling took me the most time for the preparations as I wanted to do the things right, and I was scared to not miss out on something important. Now it doesn't seem so difficult, but there was just the fear of change that was disturbing me on each step.

So, I had to ensure the Visa on time. I have been advised to do plenty of vaccines in the Tropical Institute, which were all expensive. I hear many people go away without them, and they are just fine, but I was scared about my health, as I mentioned above, it didn't feel very stable at that moment. I was in the hospital a few times over the past years, so I was scared, and all possible scenarios were coming to my head. I did health insurance and bought a big bag with medicine. Both of them, happily, I didn't have to use.

There must be something else I forget right now, but, yeah, I did a lot. I admire people who are brave enough and don't overthink. They solely go somewhere and do what they want to do. Anyway, those layers of fears and anxiety were gradually vanishing as I settled slowly down in Rishikesh and started getting used to the new daily routine.

I remember being scared to not touch anything already on the plane to Delhi. Luckily, I slept most of the time. I landed in the morning and had to wait for the internal flight to Dehradun. I was sitting lonely and thirsty at the airport in Delhi, waiting for the delayed connection. I've brought my bottle of water, but eventually, I've finished it, and I was scared to refill it with the filtered tap water. I was observing the locals drinking gracefully without touching the bottle to their mouths. It looked easy, and I decided to give it a try and bought a bottle of water. I spilled it immediately. Till I left India a month later, I was still not able to drink from a bottle without touching it to my lips. I had to either get wet or risk my life.

After the water, I had my first masala tee at the airport. The trip advisor was recommending me to go for hot beverages as it was safer.

From the Airport, in Dehradun, they picked me up with a new and clean taxi, with air conditioning. I was happy it was not a rickshaw, a motorcycle, or who knows what. I was relieved but not for long. To my surprise, in the middle of the road, the driver just stopped, and with bad English, he told me that I have to switch to another car that was waiting for me. The new taxi didn't look so spectacular, and I was a bit concerned about where are they taking me as the new driver didn't speak English at all. To complete my horror, he was stopping the car from time to time and talking to me something in Hindi, which, of course, I didn't understand. That 20 km was very long. It took almost an hour through the mountain dirt roads, and I was not sure yet if I had taken the right decision to make this trip. Eventually, I found out the driver just wanted to show me beautiful views, and he was only stopping for me to take a picture! I think so. I also think he was also a bit concerned with my anxious behavior.

Rishikesh is an astonishing place situated in the foothill of Himalaya along the Ganga river. Simple but colorful life. People seemed happy. There were, unfortunately, a lot of street dogs, but they were all behaved and quite, from which I did the conclusion they don`t face much aggression from the people. The attitude towards animals can say a lot about society. If you don`t know about the Bulgarian street animals, it is better for you to not find out about it at all. (But if you change your mind go fund Animal Rescue , Bulgaria. It will be appreciated.) During my stay in Rishikesh, I have seen few times a local hitting a street cow or his donkey with a stick or trying to scare a dog or a monkey. I hope those were exceptions. Hope dies at last.

The name Rishikesh comes from word Rishi which is a word for enlightened Hindu, somebody who reached Samadhi, a holly person. However, even locals joke with the name of the town as Rishi-cash, so commercial it is nowadays. Many "gurus" will sell you everything in exchange for some cash. The whole Rishikesh seems to survive mainly from tourists. So many young, lost souls go in Rishikesh to seek for themselves, smoking weed all day and believing they are spiritual. Compared to most European countries, it is super cheap in Rishikesh, which local merchants use very well. Most of the shops don't use price tags, and you will evaluate you first. They always ask you first from which country you are from, especially they like to here the US or UK, but Germany and Switzerland also sounded good, in my opinion. I always said I come from Bulgaria I avoided to mention I live in Austria, it was just cheaper. I preferred to visit one same shop with fixed prices, where the merchant didn't seem so into playing Robin Hood game. I think it was also cheaper if you shop in a group. They can get a bit confused when so many nationalities enter the shop at once, but if we enter separately, then we all get a different price. It is somehow ridiculous, but maybe somebody who likes negotiating would appreciate this experience.

I have arrived in Rishikesh in the Evening on 31st October. It was almost 24 hours since I had left home, and I was tired, sleepy, hungry, and thirsty. I didn't sleep so well during the night on the plane, and I was careful what I am drinking, eating, and touching. Besides, I was in a culture shock.

People were super friendly and polite, which is something I haven't experienced in any other culture, but before even I reached the school, I got triggered by the poverty and contrast of life in India. I was surprised to see with my eyes that the caste system still exists.

I was so looking forward to spending a month eating tasty, mainly plant-based, Indian food. I have tried many times to change my diet, but so far, I couldn't make it to quit eggs and diaries for a long time. Somehow it didn't correspond to my state of consciousness, and it was difficult to change eating habits. Usually, people choose this way of life for animals. They say, accepting the lives of other living beings as less valuable than ours was the deep root for world suffering.

A significant percent of the Indian population is vegetarians and vegans, so I thought this influence their minds in a positive way. I was looking forward to getting in touch with this enlightened culture, but its social stratification made me doubt.

So, I didn't have it very easy in the first few days. People who regularly travel to exotic destinations and meet distant cultures for sure adapt easier. I believe my second trip to another continent should cause me much less anxiety. I was just not ready in my mind for the first one. It was so sudden and spontaneous that it felt as somebody had taken the decision instead of me. At first, I wanted to go to India in a group but plans changed, and I couldn't travel with the others. I believe it was for the best as a solo trip provides many more opportunities for growth and self-awareness.

Things must be lighter if you arrive with an open heart. My upper back felt so stiff that I couldn't do any back-bends. As soon as my stereotypes started to fade away during the training, I also started to experience relief of the back stiffness, and I felt the opening of the heart center. Even now, when I allow myself to be stiff in my mind, and I don't accept other opinions, I feel shoulders dropping down, back rounding, heart center closing. Back-bends in those days are not pleasant but help to deal with unprocessed emotions and impressions.

First few days, I only saw the dust and mold everywhere and cow excrements on the streets, which was synchronous with my hostel room (they called it "hotel"). They accommodated me in a moldy, cold room without direct sunlight. Something I didn't expect was that I could feel so cold in India. The room was on the first floor, at the corner with a new building under construction, facing the mountains, so there was no direct light coming inside. The window couldn't close properly, so it was cold day and night, from outside was smelling like cow shit and from inside was smelling like mold. The washed clothes couldn't get dry. When I arrived the first night, it was everything so dusty that I had to wipe for hours before going to bed. Then I wanted to take a shower after this long day. There was a problem with the hot water, so I had to shower with a cold one. It was so hot during the day in India, but at night felt chilly. I was not happy with the accommodation, but after crying on the phone with my boyfriend, I felt a bit better and decided finally to sleep. To my surprise, I couldn't find the cover for the blanket anywhere. The woolen blanket was warm and soft, but there was no cover for it, and I couldn't believe everyone had to sleep with the same one without covering it. Something made me doubt they wash it after every guest. It was already 2 AM, and I had to be awake in a few hours. I didn't sleep very well, as you can imagine.

The next morning I asked already at breakfast some of the other students if they had blanket covers. They explained to me here it was not provided. Some of them were prepared and brought their own, but others seemed not disturbed. I thought maybe something is wrong with me and I should complain less. A strange thing that I could not find this information before the trip considering I was googling day and night. Never before in my life happened to me to go somewhere and do not have bedclothes, even in cheap hostels, but I accepted it might be common for some parts of India.

I also thought I should be modest and less sophisticated. Wasn't this trip was about spirituality and growth and not about the comfort of the material world? When they told me there was no other free room, I wanted to believe I should live in simplicity for one month and meditate more. Tapas, one of the Niyamas, is referred to as discipline and enduring difficulties.

What bothered me was that I asked them per email, if possible, to have a room facing the river. I went to this school by recommendation of one of my Bulgarian teachers. She advised me to ask for a room facing the river because those facing the mountain are cold and wet, and the clothes get moldy, which is why I insisted prior the course to have one of those rooms. However, I arrived last, and I got the basement (this is how I called it).

I was just scared for my lungs because I had many respiratory diseases in the past, and I was worried this mold might not cause me good. Besides that, outside was dusty because they don`t have many roads. The main street serves as well as the pedestrian area, market, natural habitat for the street cows and dogs, and my smoker`s lungs were having a hard time.

Something important I learned in India is that Ahimsa, non-violation, the first Yama, always start from ourselves. All these years since my first meeting with yoga philosophy, I thought Ahimsa was only being a good person and not hurting other living beings. I remember so many situations in which I was struggling with a decision, not hurting somebody. I would suppress my anger, or I would compromise with myself to make somebody happy. Truth to be told the opposite, to only act according to your interests, will only turn you into egoist. Balancing assertive behavior and empathy is the key. The thing is, all those cliches how you should love yourselves first and so on are easier said than done. Many people, for example, force themselves to become vegans or vegetarians because they read or heard somewhere it was for the animals. However, if this change does not come from inside, it is violence according to one's nature and thus will not cause good to him. Another thing I have learned is that it is not always wrong if you experience Santosa (contentment and satisfaction) from material goods. We live after all in a material world. Being spiritual is good, but something needs to ensure the food and pay the bills. Besides, the inspiring job of a yoga teacher requires expensive training. Something for which even Wolf of Wall street was right is that if you want to do something good with a significant impact on the world, usually you need money. For example, yoga schools in India increase the price all the time. If they want to educate teachers who will spread the knowledge of yoga around the world and thus create it a better place, why they all the time want to charge more and more like a good business instead of keeping it accessible? For a good education you need to pay, and it's worth it, this I respect, and I understand very well, but in Rishi-cash there are so many yoga schools, that I doubt all of them are good quality. I also tend to doubt that employees' salaries increase progressively with increasing the course fees. Do you know The Monk who sold his Ferrari? In our case was: the guru who bought a Mercedes. Literally.

We live in a modern world. Yoga has changed over the millenniums, but so has humanity as well. I thought traditional yoga is the best, and I was not so open to its contemporary modifications, but not everything ancient is applicable or beneficial to people nowadays. We should keep the tradition and cherish the experience of our ancestors, but we should not underestimate the power of current generations to create the traditions. Yoga is good for life, but life is not only yoga. I think we should be stable grounded to reach high. I have also seen people who tend to forget themselves and sink too deeper into spirituality. I think we should also be able to doubt things, not everything we hear even from a specialist is genuine, and not everything which works well for somebody else is valid for us. A reason for me to start smoking again at the end of the course was that I was not sure anymore if I was finding or losing myself. I did quit smoking one more time when I got back home but, see, not the trip to India itself is the life-changing experience. It is more like, in my opinion, the willingness to adopt new habits, the desire to get answers. Yoga philosophy gives answers, but we all understand them (or not) according to his own experience. So, you should also not believe everything I am sharing here. That is just my experience, my opinion, my point of view. Sometimes, it is good to think paradoxically and change thinking patterns.

For me, the trip became enjoyable after the first few days when I was finally able to change the room. I had to pay for an upgrade to a room with AC, which I didn't need because AC in India only blows cold, and in the night I was cold anyway, during the day, I was not much in the room, and it was not so hot in November. The room was facing the river, and it was bright and dry, with a breath-taking view. Even though it didn't feel somehow right for me to pay extra only to accommodate in an ordinary room, but I was scared to not getting pneumonia again, and I didn't have much choice. I didn't want to risk my health. Besides, the view was just worth it. The rooms next to mine didn't have an AC, and they had the same room view, but lower price. It was not that the case, it was just frustrating to me because I asked for something in advance, and it was important to me, not just a caprice. It was not only ignored, but I got the exact opposite result. I assume I sounded like a spoiled European girl who had to meet the real-life or maybe just the communication between the school and the hostel was not proper. Whatever, you should be prepared for surprises.

I was so happy with my new room. It was dusty, of course, so I had to wipe a lot, but I was just fine. Anyway, I like to touch and clean everything with my hands, cause then it feels like it charges with my energy. There was just a little bit of mold, but everything is just a matter of perception. Amongst all, I think the most I was enjoying the monkeys coming on my balcony.

I could watch them all day. Monkeys were my mediation. I was not scared, and I was enjoying their presence. Sometimes, instead of monkeys, I found only their poo, but I was just fine with that one as well. If you have a pet, you need to clean after it. I am just kidding, of course. Wild animals should belong to nature. I was struggling if I should feed them or not but decided not because I leave soon, and they would continue to come back and look for food, but maybe the new guests would be not happy to meet them. Hotel staff was using a gun to scare the monkeys when a guest complained there was one on his balcony.

For me, their visits were a blessing.

Those little guys can be very nasty. I think they like to play and make jokes with people. When one of my shoes disappeared in front of the Shala, not only I was not angry, but it was even somehow funny. I traveled light, I went there with only 11 kg luggage for one month (but I shopped a lot and came back with more than double, oops, not so minimalistic anymore) so I only had one pair of sneakers and was only wearing them. I didn't feel comfortable at first to switch them with sandals because of the dusty roads. When I finally did, I was even happy that a monkey stole my shoe. India is not India if you don't wear sandals/flip-flops.

Unfortunately, I was a little bit sick. I thought first I was coughing only because of the dust or just my lungs were cleaning because I quit smoking there, but it was getting worse, and I was a getting worried, but once we had the first day off, I was able to spoil myself, relax and then started recovering. You know I arrived there very tired, and I had to dive in immediately into the intense daily schedule, which is why now I know its better to get there a few days before to get used to the time zone, to the climate, and the culture. It would be good if I would have also given myself a few days off after the course to remain there and proceed with the impressions or do some sightseeing without time pressure. I wanted to speed it up the trip, but I have met my experience for the next time.

The schedule was very intensive. We started at finished with the classes when it was dark outside. We were beginning the day with mantra recitation. I like listening to mantras as well with their singing so I would enjoy longer chanting sessions. However, for some students, even this length was too much. We were a very mixed group of many nationalities from all over the world. We all had been going through different yoga styles and systems. Some of the students never practiced meditation before, another never attempted cleansing procedures or pranayama. There were experienced teachers besides almost newbies. Even though I think we all enjoyed the course and we took the best out of it. The material was thaught detailed, gradually, so everyone could progress with his temp. However, those who didn't have experience with yoga philosophy were having a harder time when preparing for the exam, but everyone made it even though. As I shared already, I arrived in India in bad physical shape. I was not practicing for a while, so I had a hard time adapting to the intensity of the practice, but at least I was familiar with the alignment of many postures. My sports education was also making it easy with yoga anatomy. After the first week, I started to recover my flexibility when I was well warmed-up, and I was getting on fire. I was practicing even during the breaks. As a result, I injured myself and had to take it slowly until the end of the course. It was the only lesson for my ego, which was craving approval and admiration of the outer expression of a practice which was determined to the inner world, calm, modest, and rational mind. It was also a significant experience for my future work as a teacher, knowing what people in pain go through.

After learning mantras in Sanskrit, we continued with Cleansing processes. We performed Jala Neti by the river. For most of the people that was already too much. Later on, we added Vaman Dhoti. It was quite awkward to perform those procedures in a group, but eventually, we got used to it. Sneezing, squeezing, spitting, puking was just the usual start of the day. I remember once an angry woman whose room view was exactly us cleansing our noses, opening the window, and screaming that she couldn't do this anymore and that our noises were a bit disturbing for that time of the day. Sorry for her and many others who didn't even complain.

When we tried the Sutra Neti (cleansing the nasal passages with the help of a rubber catheter) it was the highlight of the day. It was ecstatic whose Nadis (energetic channels) are clean. It was not so easy as it seemed, but with the right amount of dedication, it was possible.

Something I find very funny, long time ago when I first started reading about yoga, I ended up exactly on material for Shatkarma (cleansing processes) but the hardcore. I remember not finding enough info about yoga on Bulgarian websites (at that time, yoga was not such a trend in my country) so, I went for Russian portals. I assume, because I didn't understand free the detailed texts, I accepted those procedures as something usual and essential on the yoga path. Before the course, they sent us an email with instructions from the school about what to bring. There was "an open heart" on the list. They mentioned we would perform ancient cleansing procedures and that we should be open to the different cultures. I recalled the drawings of yogis from the Russian websites swallowing a cotton strip and then taking it out. We only had to do this with our noses, that was just fine. I was happy I didn't have to shave my head.

After Shatkarma, we proceeded with Pranayama. Breathing with clean nasal passages was a thing! We were welcoming the sunrise during the Ashtanga class. After an hour and a half Primary series, we had an abundant breakfast. I felt awkward that I was awake for four hours, but it was only 9 AM. Everyday. Eventually, my biorhythms adapted, and I was waking up before the alarm, but it was still painful. At that time in Austria was a bit after midnight - the time I usually go to bed.

You see in the picture above: Breakfast in silence. Don't trust that. We only succeeded for a meal and a half.

By 9:30 AM, usually, we were done with breakfast, and we had two free hours, which was the time for the first nap/self-study/coffee/tee/shopping/laundry or whatever you want. At that time, the sun was still hiding behind the Himalayas, and it was chili and fresh, sometimes even cold. It was such crazy weather, so cold in the night and so hot in the afternoon.

After the first break/nap/self-study/masala tea, we continued with philosophy. Sanskrit and Yoga Sutras were challenging enough. Add Indian English, and I wish you good luck. I learned fast, and after one week, I noticed myself even pronouncing English words with an accent, skipping definite articles and pronouns here and there.

I was not even hungry, but I was happy the philosophy class was over, and I was first for lunch.

However, philosophy classes had an impact on me as we were able to ask questions, get answers from the teacher, and discuss with each other. A book itself is not enough if it is ancient knowledge, not fully applicable to contemporary people.

After lunch, we had Yoga anatomy. It was just basic of the basic but presented interestingly. I was surprised to see that Ayurveda had such an understanding of the human body already thousands of years ago. It is just after lunch was so hard to keep my eyes open.

The afternoon break was the time for the second nap/self-study/coffee/tee/shopping/laundry or whatever you want.

Very often, we just did yoga pictures.

At first, I was going to my room for a nap, but then I hat to live the nightmare of waking up again, and then I was so stiff for the Hatha yoga class. My dear friend Solange (with the white blouse above) taught me that going for Masala tea is the better option. Immediately I was into creating memories instead of oversleeping them.

We were meeting the sunset during the traditional Hatha Yoga class. The day was short but not for us. It was only hot for a few hours at that time of the year, so that the earth couldn't absorb the heat and the nights were getting colder and colder. I wanted to be summer all the time, but during the day I was wearing a T-shirt, so it was summer for me.

We were only doing yoga all the time. The break from yoga was often yoga. We improved a lot together. It was funny in a group and always wanted to try something new or to improve the alignment of some posture.

I've learned a lot from both Ashtanga and Hatha, regarding correct alignment and leading a class, and I was looking forward to implementing it in my self-practice

I was wondering how we are going to spend one hour meditating, but the first time I slept so well during it, that I was not worried about it anymore. I was imaging something else, sitting one hour in silence, without changing the position. We didn't go so far. We did soft modifications for urban, busy minds, a lot of relaxations, guided mediation, yoga Nidra. I was so tired sometimes that I learned to sleep in half lotus. (Some say you mastered the pose when you were able to fall asleep in it)

When in Savasana, it was just usual to hear snoring from time to time. Sometimes a tired soul continued sleeping after the class finished, and we had to wake her/him up for dinner.

After dinner, we would sometimes go for a tee, walk. We didn't have those special activities according to notice, so I was relieved, but some students were disappointed. Even without extra activities after dinner, I went to bed after midnight. Stay in touch with friends and family, playing with my phone, washing clothes, reading. Time flies.

Food was one of my highlights. I observed the change in my mind according to the food I am taking. I also noticed the reverse process, a change in my mind would define the food choice. You are what you eat. Inner motivation might determine the change in eating habits, but a change in eating habits might cause a shift from inside. It is necessary to put effort, but you should also not be harsh to yourself. I know that it is a sensitive topic, so I hope I do not hurt anyone's feelings, it's not meant like this, just my opinion.

We had sattvic (nature, essence, vital), simple, plant-based food for a month, and I loved the way it made me feel. I even enjoyed more than food in five stars hotel.

You know, cows in India are totem. People usually don`t eat them. Cows are everywhere undisturbed, so I always thought you are lucky to be a cow in India. However, as always, things are not exactly what they seem to be. Cows on the street often belong to nobody anymore. If they cannot give milk anymore, their owners cannot afford to feed them anymore, so they set them free. I have seen them eating trash from the bins, plastic, anything they would find. Their destiny is similar to street dogs`, but only with the difference, they are bigger and holly. In contrast with cows, dogs are perceived by people as dirty and unworthy (kind of like pig in Islam).

We had Sundays off, but except the first one, as we had to catch up with the material. So, the first day off was after ten days. I needed some quiet, and I was still sick, so I used to have a good rest. Second Sunday, we spent outside Rishikesh. The school organized a trip to Vashishta Cave (Vashishta Guha Temple). It is named by Vashishta Rishi, who meditated there for a long time and eventually reached Samadhi (oneness with the object of the meditation, union, the goal of yoga, and not, as you ideally shouldn't be attached to a goal). After a short meditation in the holy cave, we took a dip in the Ganga river. The water there looked clean, as it is close to the source.

What I like the most is that the course was so well balanced and suitable for all levels. We had excellent teachers who were patient for all stupid questions, but who could also give challenges for the more experienced. We were a very diverse group with a completely different experience and background.

People often ask me if this course is suitable for beginner yogis or you need to be very experienced to go there. I try to explain that you don't have to be able to put the legs behind your head (I still can't), but the previous experience is a plus. Everyone learns according to his/her understanding, so when the starting point is different, also the result will be different. If you have a base, you will be able to upgrade it. If not, you might only come home with the foundation and miss out on a lot of substantial details for which just the mind is not ready to accept and proceed. It is too much information if you are new, but we had people who never did yoga before or just a little bit, and they learned so fast and determined that they showed deeper understanding than more experienced.

A thing I loved in India is colorful clothes. Walking on Rishikesh streets felt like a fairy tale., a completely different feeling compared to urban, European life. The pace of life in Rishikesh was slow, no rush, no public transport, nobody seemed to be stressed out in a hurry. Locals said it was not so easy as it looked like and that living there was not so pleasant as being a tourist, which I tend to believe. Even though people seemed happy and they were always friendly and polite. Sometimes even too much, the Indian men can be very annoying but, luckily, I only experienced this online after I came back from India when unknown Indian men started to disturb me on Facebook. I made the mistake of accepting strangers' requests, but then they were texting and calling. I had to block them. Since then, no more Indians on Facebook. If this happened to me before the trip to India, I would never go there. Luckily, I didn't have any problems in India, except that once I tried to meditate by the river and within 20 minutes, four people came to talk to me and interrupted my meditation.

I didn't try to meditate in public anymore.

The views of Rishikesh are incredible. I enjoyed them from my room, from the school, from numerous coffee places, all of them facing the Ganga river. The combination with Himalaya is breathtaking.

The weather was quite good. It was getting colder at the end of November, but it was still sunny most of the time. Only at the end, it was raining. It was in unison with our moods. Most of us were sad to leave but nostalgic at the same time.

I had a healthy lifestyle in Rishikesh. I didn't smoke, didn't drink alcohol or a coffee for a few weeks, and we prominently had healthy food. It was not difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle in a holly town. Felt like a saint. However, despite the alcohol and meat prohibition in Rishikesh, some locals were importing meat from other places nearby. I was shocked, but as I mentioned above, eating habits change is something that should originate from inside, in synchrony with the state of consciousness.

I was very happy to meet people from all over the world. Now I have friends from almost all continents. I have learned a lot about different cultures. It's interesting how the way of life might determine our experience, but not who we are. Different people with a completely different background and lifestyle might share similar or the same moral values. The other way around, different situations and circumstances might cause the same feelings and experiences.

People sometimes ask me if it's OK to do yoga if you are not Hindu, for example, if you are a religious Christian. The topic of religion is even more sensitive than all mentioned above. There is no bad or good religion, wrong or right, in my opinion. All religions teach you to be a better person and provide you with answers science or the material world cannot. However, fanatics is something that scares me a lot. Being dogmatic, understanding words, but not sentences. I see it's easy to slip and stick to a believing system that will give you answers and will make you feel stable and secure.

Some of my students were even scared to chant OM because they knew somebody who went too far in spirituality. What I usually say, you should always be stable grounded if you want to extend high.

I need to tell you that I know religious people who practice yoga without any doubts. After all, isn't the religion of love universal?

I went to India to get the paper I wanted finally to become a legit teacher. When I got the certificate, I already had so much from the trip, that obtaining a document itself felt meaningless.

Anyway, nobody ever asked me about it.

If I didn't have the goal to finish a teacher training and get a certificate, I assume I would not allow myself this holiday. The busy mind always wants to have goals. Without an objective, in the end, there is no motivation to walk the way. This unsatisfactory cause burn-out and crown-chakra blockages. It's good to stop for a moment to appreciate and be grateful for everything so far.

So, this was more or less my experience. I didn't want to describe details about Rishikesh that you can read on Wikipedia ot Trip Advisor, but to share my impressions and how this trip affected me.

If you have any further questions that I didn't answer I would be happy to see them in comments and give you my answer.

Plase share what do you think about my experience.

Have you ever been to India? What is your experience then?

Are you dreaming of a trip to India in future? I hope travel ban fall and can accomplish it soon!

Maybe you are some of the skeptics?

You didn't read, and you only scrolled through the pictures? There is a video for you:

Pandemic or PanDUMBic

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 23:41:10 GMT

Just my subjective opinion About some Things recently

The World is on stand-by, with all the good and bad consequences and there is not so much to do but to wait. We are facing a dangerous pandemic but the pandumbic of misinformation and hatred is also not harmless.

It's been 5 weeks since my last post on Friday, 13th of March). Back then I was more optimistic. Like many other people, I also believe in conspiracies and at that Moment was still hoping that a vaccine should be released sooner than in reality will take. I thought whoever created the virus, must have a cure and vaccine as well, just waiting for the proper moment to release them on the market. As the government announced the lockdown, we could calculate that a month is the minimum that could have any impact, even though they first only announced it for a week (in Austria). Two weeks after closing is necessary for the freshly infected people to show symptoms and two more weeks approx. since they get healthy (or die). Then we would need one more month at least to keep that plateau. Right now, the situation seems under control in Austria. Shops up to 400m² reopened, there are many more cars on the roads and many more people on the streets. But we will continue to spread the virus and soon we might have again boom.

So we knew there is a lot of time necessary but most of us refused to accept it. My mind couldn't imagine how from one day to the other almost whole the world could lockdown. Most of us didn't see it coming with such a huge impact and we refuse to believe that it could last so long.

In January I was still supporting the conspiracy that Donald release the Virus as a bioweapon against China. He is evil and ruthless enough to do so, but, still, could he sacrifice the lives of thousands of US citizens just like this? Then, at the beginning of March on the Internet were circulating some new speculations involving Bill Gates' name, chipping of everybody on Earth, control and new world order. People still share those. Soon after Europe and the US locked down, I heard the situation in China is back to normal and people live like before. Meanwhile for us was just the beginning. So I thought we better start learning Mandarin. China owns pretty much big parts of the world, so many countries are owning Money to China and so many economics are dependant on China. The virus could be a convenient tool for them to deal with overpopulation in a spartan way, "clean" from the old and sick people while keeping the workers. There is the virology center in Wuhan, so if somebody could find out the virus has been artificially created, there could be always an excuse for accidentally releasing, but releasing a mortal virus by mistake also doesn't sound plausible, right? Now on the Internet are getting viral other stories, that China was covering deaths only to show how good is the country doing, compared to the US and Europe, but indeed they were dying millions of People. Who knows what is happening behind the coulisses while we deal with assumptions and conspiracies. This is why recently I avoid digging in corona related news and keep my mind clean if possible from all the trash that everybody is spreading. I am only checking the statistic and here and there some qualitative articles. I think that many people are doing the same, the initial shock is over and slowly we learn to let go, we can't control, we find some coping mechanism and try to accept what we cannot change. Many of us I believe in the good side of the lockdown.

We observe a clear, blue sky even in the big, dirty cities all around the world and cleaner rivers. Pictures from Space are showing clearly that the Planet is having a break from our urban life. We all knew that we were not going in a good way. We were reading about bad prognoses for the future and natural disasters that the next generations might face but we didn't do so much to prevent them. Maybe a little bit here and there, a but if recycling, reusing, maybe some of us are living in a more minimalistic way. There are numerous inspiring people out there who are dedicating their lives to change the world but it is not enough. We all need to change something to impact the nature on a global level. I may sound like Great, I am telling you, I don't like her so much, as well with anything too radical, fanatic, dogmatic, but at least she is going something and most of us are not. We are only doing enough to satisfy our guilty conscious. Each year the world goes in eco debt earlier and earlier but it seems that we just accept this statement and wait for somebody else to do something, for the government to change it and hoping that nothing will happen and that it's not concerning it. Now the government is doing it, even though not with that one goal particularly, but that is the result. Better earlier, than too late. If we manage it to save the planet for the future generations, maybe our suffering as individuals through this Corona era is worth it.

I feel deeply sorry for everyone who lost somebody because of the pandemic and anyone who has sick relatives in a serious condition or is himself fighting for life, for everyone who is in the risk group and lives in fear that might fall sick tomorrow. I also feel sorry for the People who lost their jobs, their incomes, their business. Maybe even homes. I assume the number dying of starvation people in the developing countries will keep on increasing because of the disability to earn their daily wages and provide food for the family. Does even somebody can track those numbers? People who live without the Internet cannot join our discussions to tell us that they think about the coronavirus. They can't tell us how bored are they and wonder what to do all day while getting fat from overeating. If you have food, family, home, do you realize how blessed you are? They are funny memes on the Internet about reach people in crisis and average people in crisis. Let us not forget if you have all those things above, you are rich for somebody out there who can't afford proper health care.

COVID-19 comes to show us how connected we are and how the globalization works. Everyone is exposed to the risk of contamination, despite social status and nationality but not everyone has same the right to seek for medical help. The measurements for spreading the contamination as well can vary in different countries. Now the borders are closed, not so much globalization anymore, more or less the Internet and phones are connecting us right now. Even this proves that borders are artificially separating the people and telling us what to believe, what language or dialect so speak, what religion to have and what to believe in. Sometimes separating the same nation in two different countries and then splitting them apart, implying they are different from each other. As an idealist, I hope one day everyone should be close to getting the maximum benefit out of the globalization, including having equal life standard.

I've seen some people on social media presenting themselves as heroes simply because having to stay home. It's hard not to be judgy. I'll do my best here, in the public space. I keep on telling myself that you can't judge somebody if you are not in his shoes. Out of their perceptions, maybe they are heroes, facing their everyday difficulties, canceling dreams and events, changing plans or just not having any. This state in which we are currently is triggering all hidden emotional problems we were managing by now to keep away. No more distractions. You can still keep on running away from the reality, but your buried fears will continue chasing you. I believe people who tend to depressions or anxiety are having an even harder time now. As well as hyper-social people who miss being the center of attention - now they can only stream live from home.

Feels like somebody pressed the "pause" button. We are in an unknown, uncertain state, not knowing how long is going to continue and what might happen after that. We can't make plans, hard to think about the future when knowing that the world will never be the same as before. The whole 2020 is going in a randomly chosen direction. Recently, I even think that the virus might be originally from the nature. We are weak, we are so far away from the nature. What we call "alternative" way of living, eating, medicine only shows how far we are from the natural way of living. Don't get me wrong. I am aware that without conventional medicine, we are lost nowadays. We would die from trivial for us diseases, but mortal for few generations ago. In the era of globalization, the spread would be unstoppable. Neither am I against the technological progress of the urban civilization. What I mean is that the virus might found that one weak spot, caused by nonstop usage of technology, living inside of the smartphone and being exposed to radiation of 3G, 4G, 5G and so on. Currently, there are also lots of debates about the relation between coronavirus and installation of the new 5G networks.

On the other hand, is somehow difficult to imagine for me that one sick bat could cause the global lockdown. Or that this lethal virus will originate exactly in a region with virology center. What a coincidence that should be?

So, I don't know what the origin of the virus might be, did it come out of a bat or an evil genius, and I don't know if we will ever find out. Again, a lesson to accept and let it be if we could call it like this. Diving into the unknown presence and future.

As for me and my quarantine, I was already unemployed so at least I didn't lose my job if that is a good thing. {a joke}I wanted to give myself a break for 2-3 months before starting work again. It's been 6-7 years when I was last unemployed. I have faced some changes recently in my life and was planning to face so more, so I thought time for recovery is highly needed. I quit in January and at the beginning, it was tough for me to not working, I was feeling useless and lazy, and I still have this urge to something important, to use the time, learn, work, do something with my life. I can't have a proper break before doing something "useful", getting tired first. So, when they announced the Lockdown, I was already getting crazy and I wanted to do something and get a job soon. Without this crisis, I would not allow myself to be a lazy count for such a long time. Yeah, if you listen to this, you might think this is the secret to success in life, right? Sounds very inspiring. Well, it didn't bring me so further in life. Still, depends on the point of view and the personal goals. If you dream to become rich, manager or owner of a big company, superstar or at least average famous, then I failed. But if the criteria are being a happy, conscious living being, kind to other living beings and environment, then maybe that's more highly possible to be achieved. So, I also had some anxious time due to the coronavirus, but excluding it, I am enjoying the break and using the time to develop new skills or just learn or try something new.

I had to cancel my yoga classes, of course, which was deeply frustrating, but I am exploring the opportunities of live streaming and embracing the technical possibilities.

More than ever, maybe, now is the time to be grateful for what we have and to enjoy the simplicity of life.

I hope everything will be as close as fine as possible for everyone.

Yoga and Corona

Sat, 14 Mar 2020 14:23:35 GMT

My second blog post

I was so unhappy that had to cancel the yoga classes because of the coronavirus. But I assume this decision is for the best.

I've just started teaching last month and was feeling on fire. I didn't want to give up. Anyway, classes became smaller and it was just a matter of time till I cancel them. I thought that my yoga is not so bad for spreading the corona, because we are such a small group and yoga is one of the best tools for boosting immunity.

That was it with optimism and pink glasses. More or less I didn't want to cancel because I didn't know what to do for two (or more) weeks. I am currently unemployed and was using the opportunity to focus on my hobby - yoga. I was also scared that if I cancel, I will lose the very few customers that started becoming regulars.

If it was on me, I would maybe continue, but since the government took serious measures and almost everything got closed, so followed those rules as well the Cultural Space where I am having the classes. I assume, it's for the best and I am happy that they did so, otherwise, the stubborn Yordanka would continue spreading infections.

It's so creepy the whole situation outside, everybody's buying food like there is a war. Almost empty streets, the very few people are running away from other human beings. There is a lot of fear in the air and especially- the fear of the unknown and what is going to happen.

We don't have another choice than to be minimalistic - to buy less, to crave less, to stay at home, to talk less, to cut unnecessary social contacts, to focus on the important things. It's a very bad time, knowing that so many people might die and we are afraid to not lose our beloved ones. The collapse of economics, globalization and social life. Many people will lose their jobs and some companies might get bankrupt. Trips get canceled, plans get screwed. I think many people are not so happy with this quarantine and accept it as a punishment, comparing it with imprisonment because don't want to stay home. You know, those rebellions, but they get less and less every day. Many people who were still "cool" last week and were convincing me to not give a fuck, now are paranoid and I should calm them down.

Within all this nightmare we don't have a big choice but to accept that we should stay at home as much as possible and use this time to rethink and focus on what really matters, reconnecting with our inner self and reflect. For many people this is a longing holiday - for somebody who is at the edge of burnout, this is a necessity and welcomed break.

So, if the circumstances allow, we should take the maximum out of it and really focus on minimalism - this will create new horizons and perspectives.

When people are feeling insecure, they are buying like crazy. The supermarkets look like battlefields. Empty shelves, people hurrying up to take it first and to get as much as possible. I saw pictures on the Internet with ladies fighting for toilet paper. A whole cashier till wrapped with nylon foil in the shape of a tunnel. A guy covered with nylon bags from the bottom to the top, so only the eyes are visible. Some actions look a bit exaggerated and make us laugh but some fun is good for the immune system. Hypochondriacs get crazy and the people with vulnerable health. It's not a joke but I don't know if there is something that you could do to prevent it 100% and we might be meanwhile all contagious.

There is nothing we could do than waiting for the storm to pass, hoping for the best and of course wash our hands thoroughly.

On the internet, there are so many speculations. You don't know what to believe in. One thing for sure - don't believe anything 100%. Everybody reads a lot of news, but everybody has a head on his shoulders. Getting quality information nowadays is not so easy as it might look like in google. It feels like finding a pearl in an ocean of trash. I try to avoid discussions with people who only read one article and now trying to convince me in the truth of this source. My "favorite" is: I am not afraid because this is only dangerous for old people or people with chronic diseases. Yes, young, healthy people might be immortal for the moment but they still spread the virus to the next one.

In two weeks so many more people will show symptoms. I don't want to imagine what is it going to be like. Survivors of the COVID-19 share on the Internet that it took 10-16 days to get over it. So, after two weeks incubation period it would take approx two more weeks till the contagious get healthy (or die, sorry to say, but it's also a highly possible result.) Simple arithmetics - in one month according to my calculations we would be still under quarantine but I hope we will reduce the spread meanwhile.

I also hope they will release the vaccine meanwhile; the latest till the end of April.

There are outnumber speculations and theories and different theories about the origin of the Corona. God punishes us; aliens want to kill the weak amongst us while forcing us staying at home so we have nothing else to do than babies and they could make experiments with us; Donald Trump wants to punish China; Bill Gates is behind the virus, he and his wife donated few millions (of their pocket money) to support discovering of antivirus but this is all set up and in fact, they will just take the money for the vaccine; in Uhan recently were installed 10 000 5G antennas so this is why people there got sick; the virus was released out by mistake from the virology center in Uhan; the pharmacy; it's just from the nature like the pest and many other deceases that originated in the human history, "natural selection"; Illuminati; new world order.

I don't know about you and I don't want to convince anyone but I will share my subjective opinion. I believe in the theory that this is really artificially created biowarfare. A perfect weapon, spreading fear all around the globe, killing the old and weak and only proving us that we are just pawns in the game and some powerful people decide for and instead of us. I don't know about the names, if it's Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Illuminati, the whole pharmaceutical industry but I somehow believe that whoever is behind releasing it, has also the vaccine prepared. Every winter we have new flues and very soon we get a vaccine against them. Although naturally originate new threats for o ü weakened bodies, due to the fact we get further and further from nature, still believe that the worst evil on that planet is us, the people and we hurt each other.

Moral of the story, life is hard, love each other (but from a distance), wash your hands, hope for the best and don't spread the virus.

Stay healthy!

My first blog post

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 00:41:32 GMT

Or let's try something new (for me)

One year ago I was still trying to do FB detox (deleting the App all the time.) And I was refusing to get an IG again. Till the 30th of October, the date of my flight to India. I can't say I was happier or unhappier without them. I think I was just fine but in my current opinion, a bit of social media is necessary for a healthy social life.

Four months later after I got my IG I end up with an FB page, website, Twitter, Tic Toc, Google Business, a new LinkedIn and a "business" email. Who's addicted now?

I'm still learning how to use my first Smartphone. (OK, the second one. After losing the first one in 2010, I accepted it as a destiny's sign to not become one of those zombies who can't even find the home without GPS) Apparently, Social media is not under my level anymore and now I'm like a baby giraffe learning to walk. Things we do for YOGA.

So, before my Yoga teacher training course, I was thinking about keeping all the impressions and share some photos online but couldn't make myself do it. My boyfriend encouraged me again to blog while sending me to the airport. I told him this was not gonna happen. I couldn't imagine myself writing online.

I am a very private person (usually) and thought I don't need this show-off. If I want to share, I do it personally. I am a shy girl and I didn't want to invite all kinds of gossipers, stalkers and so on in my private life.

Haha, I told him, if I wrote something good, nobody would read it but if I posted something embarrassing, maybe it would get viral.

What changed? First, I wanted to keep my closest people updated and since the different time zone and my busy yoga student's schedule were not always allowing me to do so, I was just posting the pictures with the cows in IG. I also wanted to keep some kind of diary for me, to have the pictures organized. First 24 hours I was just dropping some pictures there without any filters, hashtags or descriptions. My life changed as soon as I arrived in Rishikesh the next evening and had to sleep in a moldy, basement-like room. The windows couldn't close properly, it was windy (also inside) and, of course, there was not a heater. Hot India can be quite cold in November nights, especially if you sleep in a basement. I couldn't make it turn on the hot water in the bathroom. It was a refreshing shower and I was scared not to intake a drop of water through my mouth while showering and die there. After dusting off the whole room with wet wipes still couldn't become sleepy. As to add to the picture, there wasn't a bed cloth for the blanket. There was a blanket but it was not covered with a sheet and I was scared to pull it close to my face because I didn't know how many stinky asses had been already wrapped with it. As to add to the picture, it was my first period day. I was in pain, was tired because didn't sleep much in the plane previous night and had to wake up at 5AM on the next day. Was already 2AM, I folded the blanket double so it gets warmer, put on few sweaters and few pairs of socks, cried a bit more and only after I've written my first Instagram post, could finally fall asleep.