impRAWvise 

I find it hard to believe that yoga in and of itself can solve all of your problems or can magically calm you down, so that’s why I laugh when I hear people recommend me yoga for anxiety, because its just not that easy. Also, sometimes a specific practice or tool might work very well while other times it might not work at all, but that is also the magic of being alive, and being a conscious human being on its own unique life journey. I have started doing yoga more than 8 years ago, and it worked pretty well for me, but May 2017 was the moment when I actually decided to comit to a regular practice. Ive done yoga before and I have noticed the benefits, but it just didn’t stuck with me. Then, as the right time, so to speak, came, it did become a regular, daily practice for the next 5 years, so basically until 2022 / 2023. In 2023 I got my dog Maya, and since I was trying to make adjustments around the house, as well as around my schedule in order to accommodate her, my practice has changed. I also started going to a local studio for other classes in order to have more space, lets say, and be able to actually enjoy the practice, as Maya was just a puppy at the time and kept interrupting me, but then, I got back as Maya grew up, to my home yoga practice, its not so strict on a daily basis anymore but it is pretty consistent. This year has been especially difficult for me as I have been through a lot of changes and transitions but, things are gradually, slowly but surely starting to fall into place and for that I am deeply grateful. So that you be my yoga practice from a logistical perspective. Basically is my preferred form of body movement along pilates and stretching.

Now, from a mind and soul perspective, well that’s a completely diferent story. Of course yoga is great for flexibility and for body movement, it can be including all kinds of interesting forms of movement and combining exercises for all body parts, but that is not all about the philosophy of it. There is more to yoga than just the physical movement. For example, I love headstands, I ve learned them a while ago and I just love doing them. At first it was all about a bit of courage as well as persistence in order to be able to get into the shape and and then maintain it for a number of breaths, but, for me personally its not just that, its also a shift in perception, its a great exercise for both practicing flexibility in the physical body, as well as flexibility in ones mind, ones way of thinking and shaping its inner and outer world. It’s also a common theme in yoga that we do take with us in our day to day lives the lessons that we learn on the mat, and apply them in real life. Its not always that simple and that visible how one might affect the other, but for sure there will be signs of perhaps a subtle release on the grip of trying to control things, as yoga teaches us to surrender and let go, but also to trust and have faith in whatever might unfold. Yoga is also great to set an intention for our days, and not just that, but also to check in with ourselves and get to actually practice real time compassions and kindness towards ourselves on the mat so that we can then extend it to other beings off the mat as well. Yoga its amazing if you really give it a chance, its definitely not for everyone, as we all have tastes and preferences when it comes to moving our bodies, that might be different from one another, but if you really resonate with it, its just gong to make a huge impact on your day to day life, that’s for sure.