Portrait of Maxime Furst, passionate surfer and backpacker

A passionate backpacker, Maxime lived abroad for 4 years, notably in Australia, Korea, Brazil, and most recently in Indonesia. He is a surfer and lifeguard on the Gironde beaches, and started yoga, as a complementary activity to surfing, when he was far from the ocean.

He started out practicing Bikram yoga, then his natural curiosity led him to experiment with other styles of yoga, including hatha, hatha flow, ashtanga, yin and vinyasa. Through his practice, he felt an intense sense of well-being and an improvement in his life balance, which he wants to share with others. He therefore trained as a yoga teacher in Indonesia, with Tomomi Kojima, and currently teaches in Bordeaux.

It was only natural that I asked him a few personal questions about his yoga practice, which I am sharing with you today.

How did you get into taking care of yourself?

In this constantly changing world, we are subject to many pressures (professional and personal), and to take care of myself, I have gradually refocused on 3 axes:

Focus on my first passion, surfing, in particular by getting closer to the ocean – I moved to Bordeaux 3 and a half years ago – and going into the waves as regularly as possible;

Practicing and teaching yoga, which has gone from being a one-off wellness practice to a real passion that I want to share with as many people as possible;

Taking care of my diet.

What practice for your well-being?

For my well-being, I practice meditation daily and I practice vinyasa, hatha and yin yoga with teachers who inspire me. Occasionally, especially in winter, I like to practice bikram yoga.

Beyond yoga, I try to go to the ocean regularly, to reconnect with nature and practice surfing/bodysurfing, and I practice swimming and running weekly.

What is the ritual of your practice?

I always start with a moment of meditation, sitting on a brick or a cushion. Then I spend a moment in balasana/child's pose, to focus on my breathing and enter my practice. The vast majority of the time, I follow a Yang/dynamic practice with a more Yin practice.

What do you get out of it?

My practice allows me to take time for myself which allows me to create mental space, to explore and connect with my inner feelings and to set my body in motion. After a practice, I feel lighter in my head and in my body.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

My mat, my yoga clothes, a water bottle and sometimes a towel (for intense practices: vinyasa and bikram), and my notebook – which I use to prepare my classes or take notes on classes that inspire me.

What is your favorite object/accessory?

I would say my backpack, which I use both for my travels and in everyday life for my yoga sessions, my swimming training or even for shopping.

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

I would like to share some advice that I myself received from my teachers, including:

• to listen to yourself, to practice for yourself, to base yourself on your own feelings
• but also to take time for savasana, the most important posture of a yoga session.

Where/how do you practice?

I practice both in the studio with teachers who inspire me, and at home.

My practices are quite varied and depend in particular on my mood/desires/needs of the moment. I always try to listen and be in tune with my body.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

My favorite quotes are:

"There were two roads before me, and I took the one that was not going well, and I knew all the difference." - Robert Frost

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maximefurst/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/maximefurstyoga/