Portrait of a yogi addicted to yoga: Julien Levy

Julien Levy is a certified vinyasa and Acroyoga teacher, body therapist, book author and columnist for the yogic press. He transmits these arts in courses in France and Switzerland, but also through the music he composes (Jiven Nithaya) and painting.

His approach "Free the body, soothe the mind" is one of the bases of his personal development method. A former martial arts practitioner, yoga is for him a metaphor for life: postures are as many situations in life that we tame through breathing. He emphasizes self-respect and awareness of movement .

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?

When I was 8 years old, doctors discovered that my back and leg pain was due to a spinal malformation called spondylolisthesis. Very athletic and quite a daredevil, despite regular osteopathic and physiotherapy sessions, I suffered enormously from my back until the age of 25. That's when I was referred to an extraordinary physiotherapist who practiced the Mézières method, based on stretching synchronized with breathing. This "yoga without saying it" led me to the practice of yoga, which saved my back! And opened the way to an initiatory journey that is still ongoing.

What practice for your well-being?

Yoga, acroyoga, meditation, slackline, karate, composing wellness music, painting, writing… They all have one thing in common: balance and connection.

What is the ritual of your practice?

My only ritual is listening to my needs. My practices are therefore very varied: dynamic or very gentle yoga, meditation, activations of various energy systems, chanting mantras. This can be early in the morning before writing, in the evening before going to sleep, while driving my car...

What do you get out of it?

Inner joy, without external reason, a feeling of space and freedom. A liberation of the body which, when I do not use it, tends to seize up quickly. A calming of the mind that allows me to let the flow of my creativity flow freely through the spaces found. And by slipping into these luminous interstices, the possibility of connecting to the magic of life, which I like to thank every day.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

My breathing, music to listen to and play (ukulele, melodic percussion, etc.), a mat and a block .

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

Yoga postures are just pretexts for more connection to the body, the breath, the Self and the magic of life through them. Whether we place our leg behind our head or not, the important thing is what we feel and how we welcome and soothe what is present while we have our leg behind our head (or not).

Where/how do you practice?

Anywhere, anytime, awareness of breathing is possible. It took me a while to understand, but yoga is not limited to asanas on the mat.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

By learning to move our limits, rather than exceeding them, the whole field of our inner potential opens up, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. For this, I call upon

Ganesha: Om gan ganapataye namaha !

Find him on his Facebook page: Julien Levy