Portrait of a yogini entrepreneur: Maija Airas-Ceri, founder of the yoga app Gotta Joga

Let me introduce you to Maija Airas-Ceri, who was a wonderful encounter during the development of my site. With an engineering degree and an MBA in marketing, she left her native Finland in 1998 to settle in France in 2013. A great traveler, a regular yoga practitioner and with experience in the field of mobile telephony, she launched the concept Gotta Joga! A mobile application that allows you to practice yoga at home. Its goal: to democratize and facilitate access to yoga.

Tayronalife.com is very proud to be a partner and supplier of this great application. And I won't hide from you that I use it every day, in the morning, when I wake up happily and it brightens my day.

Maija created Gotta Joga with her friends Anu Visuri (yoga teacher in Munich, Germany), Claire Reynaud (developer, France) and Blandine Soulage Rocca (yoga teacher and photographer in Lyon, France). Gotta Joga is a Hatha yoga app. It allows you to strengthen and refocus, both mentally and physically. Gotta Joga offers yoga lovers a unique experience inspired by the Scandinavian state of mind. Gotta Joga classes adapt to the rhythm of the day: basic postures in the morning, more dynamic during the day and specifically focused on relaxation in the evening.

Gotta Joga is available for iPhone and iPad: www.gottajoga.com

The app can be downloaded for free and contains 7 yoga sessions and 4 postures to try. Access to all sessions and postures is via a subscription (1 month, 6 months and 1 year). Gotta Joga is available in 4 languages: French, German, English and Finnish.

So I naturally asked him a few questions about his personal yoga practice.

How did you get into taking care of yourself?

I had my children at 36 and 38. I did fitness and group aerobics classes to stay in shape. With the children and working full time, I needed something different, with a fitness side and an anti-stress side. Thanks to Anu Visuri who started giving yoga classes to a group of Finnish women in our mother tongue, I finally tried yoga, simple and effective, without the Indian "religious" side that didn't interest me. After a while I also added running, to have my half hour of peace outside (and an aerobic exercise).

What practice for your well-being?

I started with Anu Visuri , still in Germany, with the hatha yoga style (sivananda, then anusara), the one we offer in Gotta Joga today.

In Lyon, I love the girls from OYoga Studio : Vanessa De Haas (the yoga teacher from our Gotta Joga Prenatal app), and Julia Barnes, with their Anglo-Saxon vinyasa yoga classes, and the male instructors Stéphane and Max with their ashtanga-inspired vinyasa. I also recommend the Onlyoga studio in Lyon, which specializes in Iyengar, which is great for finding your alignment.

What is the ritual of your practice?

During the week, as soon as the family has left the house, and before I start work, I roll out my yoga mat on the floor and do a yoga session, between 20 minutes and an hour. Often I do Gotta Joga sessions: "Self-Confidence" or "Flexibility and Strength". I combine this with the 5-20 minute meditations by Sally Kempton or Rod Stryker (and soon Gotta Joga with meditation and pranayama classes). On the weekends, I do some running. In the winter, we spend every weekend in the mountains, where I do a stretching yoga, "Runners' Morning", after the ski day.

What do you get out of it?

It helps me warm up in the morning, open my chest, find my posture and center myself before sitting down at my computer. In the evening it allows me to relax and stretch before going to bed.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

I travel with my Manduka Superlite Travel Mat, which I use everywhere (tayronalife)! It's lightweight, foldable, and easy to use on top of another mat.

I use the Soothing Roll-on with Pure lavender essential oil which I put on at night to sleep well or before my savasana for relaxation!

I also have a Manduka blanket made of recycled wool (tayronalife), two wooden yoga blocks from Gotta Joga and a Tayrona strap. A mat, 2 blocks and a strap are the essentials to be able to practice anywhere.

I love having my Manduka round bolster with me, I take it when I travel by car!

Finally I have a yoga outfit from Lululemon. I wash it carefully so that it lasts a long time. Sometimes when I travel I practice in pajamas ;-).

What is your favorite object/accessory?

My Ouraring connected ring that measures my activity, my heart rate, my temperature and every morning gives me an analysis of my sleep. I pay attention to sleeping well because it gives me energy, a good mood and a clear head for my day.

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

Yoga brings something different to each of us. Listen to your inner intention. Why do you want to practice yoga?

Everything you do starts with an intention. This intention keeps you motivated and passionate about your practice. Then, by keeping a beginner's mindset, even with an intermediate or advanced level, you will have the opportunity to learn more about yourself, and grow as a conscious human being.

To practice in good conditions, you will first need comfortable clothing and a yoga mat that does not slip.

At home, you can develop a practice with a support like Gotta Joga. It is still better to go from time to time to practice with a real teacher who can correct your posture and with whom you can exchange.

Where/how do you practice?

I practice at home in a quiet and closed space. In the mountains, in hotels, in the garden, in nature, on a ski slope… With my Gotta Joga app. When I come back to Lyon I always go to O Yoga Studio.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

And that's what you're looking for

(Don't Lie Down Under Fire), by Tuntematon Sotilas (Väinö Linna, a Finnish writer)

What this means to me is that you always have to keep moving and learning without being afraid.