My path to yoga - the classic love-hate relationship

My path to yoga – the classic love-hate relationship

Yoga and I didn't like each other for a long time. We often tried it together and then quickly gave up because of irreconcilable differences. We met in Elizabeth Gilbert's novel Eat, Pray, Love. Not a particularly happy start, as I put the book down halfway through. The middle part, which took place in India and dealt with the spiritual development of the protagonist, was far too boring for me. Nevertheless, I somehow felt like giving yoga a try, especially because I really liked the film that accompanied the book.

"At that moment I started to really hate yoga."

A short time later I started my semester abroad in Bali. This was THE opportunity! But somehow it wasn't meant to be. Whenever I got around to looking for a yoga studio near me, it was either closed due to overcrowding or there were no classes taking place. At some point both the desire and the courage left me. Back home in Germany, I resumed my plan. My mom had a DVD with video instructions at home, so I grabbed a discarded sleeping pad and got to work with great motivation. Maybe I could have guessed that I wasn't exactly setting myself up for my first yoga class in the best possible way: I would periodically twist my neck to see what I had to do next on the television and slip up in the process the smooth mat across the living room. At that moment I started to really hate yoga.

And so I put my career as a yogini on hold again until about six months later, while on vacation, I held the book “Yoga Girl” by Rachel Brathen in my hands (yes, books seem to have a very decisive influence on my life ). I really wanted to give yoga another chance, which was certainly partly due to the beautiful photographs from the Caribbean. I wanted to learn more, so I bought another book that explained asanas for beginners in detail and started practicing. It worked so well that I kept going even after the vacation - quite irregularly, I admit, but somehow I've always been drawn back to yoga even after long breaks. I now have several hours in yoga studios and a wonderful retreat behind me and I can no longer imagine life without yoga.

My path to yoga - like an interpersonal relationship

Looking back, I find it almost a bit funny how stubbornly it persisted in my life, even though I didn't want it at first - like an interpersonal relationship with a lot of initial misunderstandings and too high expectations of the other person. And that's something I absolutely love yoga for: it teaches me things about myself and life.

I started practicing to get fitter and somehow happier (whatever I imagined). I had absolutely nothing to do with spirituality at the time and meditation was simply a way for me to be less stressed. I have now realized that although a toned body is a wonderful side effect, it is actually about something completely different for me. (And this is also a realization: Yoga is something different for everyone.) I learned so much about myself, questioned old values, accepted new ones and completely turned my life upside down because yoga not only changed my body feeling, but also improved my overall feeling about myself. This means that I now know what is important to me, what I need when and that it is absolutely good that I am the way I am. Yoga is the best tool I know to slowly explore your own personality. All you have to do is try and try new ways if one doesn't work.

"Our breathing is so powerful and so simple at the same time that I'm surprised it doesn't get more attention."

At the beginning of 2018 I trained as a breathing course instructor, which gave my own practice even more depth. On my blog Yay For Today , in addition to inspiration for a more sustainable life and vegan recipes, I share my experiences and simple breathing exercises. I believe that we don't need much to live a more mindful, fulfilling life. In order to initiate a positive change, sometimes it is enough to take a deep breath and regain a clear view of things.

Our breathing is so powerful and so simple at the same time that I'm surprised it doesn't get more attention. I want to change that with my work. That's why I'm offering breathing courses online from 2019 - as a single lesson or a whole course. And who knows whether yoga teacher training might be coming up soon? After all, yoga and I are now inseparable.

Would you like to know more about people and their personal path to yoga? We have put together all the articles on this topic for you here: Why yoga . We also let yogis present the values ​​of our society and our coexistence in the series Yoga and Values , conduct exciting and inspiring interviews and introduce you to great yoga projects with heart . Enjoy browsing!

And if YOU have something exciting to tell about yoga and would like to write a blog article for us, then write us an email to mail[at]findedeinyoga.org . We look forward to hearing from you!