French Yoga Community

Recipe by Garlone Bardel author of the Yoga CookBook

A whole poem in the mouth and so simple to make… the ideal match. Avocado like banana are excellent nerve balancers, they decrease vata (air) but increase pitta (fire) and kapha (water).

Spices help to avoid their cooling effects. It is a very good breakfast or snack for young and old and especially in case of fatigue, convalescence or bone problems. This is a typically yogic recipe, yoga readily favoring fruits, raw and spicy notes, a combination favoring the expansion of the air and ether elements acting on the mind and sharpening our subtle sensitivity.

For 4 small bowls

In the kitchen: 2 min

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 just ripe banana
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• The zest of ¼ lime
• 2 black peppercorns, just crushed
• 1 pinch of freshly crushed cardamom
• ½ vanilla pod (or ½ tsp vanilla powder)

The preparation

Peel the avocado and banana, add the finely grated lime zest. Then add the finely grated lime zest. Then add the maple syrup, the vanilla beans scraped with the tip of a knife, the cardamom, the pepper. Mix all the ingredients together until you obtain an extremely smooth cream. Enjoy without further delay. If the cream is made a little in advance, set it aside in a large bowl with the avocado pit in it, so that it does not oxidize. Before serving, remove the avocado pit and divide everything into small individual bowls.

You will find all of these wonderful recipes in the book Yoga CookBook by Garlone Gardel, Editions Ulmer.

Credit @Thomas Dhellemmes

"I have been practicing Yoga for 5 years...and it has changed my life". These are the words of Juliette Buret, whom I had the chance to meet in Annecy at Yoga Searcher.

Since May 2016, she has had the wonderful opportunity to open a wellness studio and boutique for the Yoga Searcher brand. A former sustainable development marketer, she jumped at this great opportunity to work in the field she is passionate about. At the same time, she is training in Vinyasa yoga to teach and share this moment of happiness with her loved ones.

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?

Simply by making an appointment with myself, on my Yoga mat almost every day.

What practice for your well-being?

A Vinyasa flow and meditation.

What is the ritual of your practice?

I mainly like to refocus during my Yoga practice in tadasana with a little mantra: “I am centered, I am balanced, I love myself”.

What do you get out of it?

A real hygiene of life, a well-being, and a distance from things.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

A gourd, my mat and when I teach a statue of Shiva Nataraja.

What is your favorite object/accessory?

An ecoque mat that I can fold in four. It's one of the only ones with which I didn't slip out of my hands in downward dog pose.

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

I think having a good mat really helps you to be able to hold the postures and feel better on them.

Where/how do you practice?

Mainly at a Yoga Searcher studio, but mostly at home, with my flow.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

For more information: Yoga Searcher Annecy

Recipe by Garlone Bardel author of the Yoga CookBook

This warming soup is ideal after cold days, to invigorate the body. The sweet potato, astringent and cold, decreases vata (air) and pitta (fire), while it increases kapha (water).

Carrot, on the other hand, is an excellent intestinal regulator. Carrot, sweet potato and ginger strengthen us by stimulating apana, the lower abdomen and pelvis region and going from the navel to the perineum. The spiciness of pepper and tomato enhances everything. Pepper and tomato are foods that promote the expansion of energy by stimulating vyana the distribution force of the different energy currents in the body. Spices, particularly chili, ginger and paprika, provide energy in the form of an interesting "boost" in times of fatigue. Paprika is prepared from dried peppers and chili peppers. Its flavor is milder than cayenne pepper because it contains a lower dose of capsaicin, the compound responsible for the burning sensation. All these delicious spices should be used according to your tolerance to the spicy taste, which can vary from the mouth to the stomach: do not fail to be attentive to your sensations. This soup is a great accompaniment to a homemade Nordic bread roll, with which it goes wonderfully. Any other good bread, preferably made with ancient wheat, is also perfect!

For 4 to 6 plates

In the kitchen: 5 + 25 min cooking time

• 1 nice sweet potato
• 3 carrots
• 1 red pepper
• 5 very ripe tomatoes
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• ¼ tsp chili
• ¼ tsp paprika
• 2 cloves, finely crushed
• 1 l of water
• 1 vegetable stock cube (optional)
• 4 tbsp ghee or olive oil

The preparation

Peel the sweet potato and cut it into large pieces. Wash the carrots carefully and cut them into large slices. Wash the red pepper, cut it in half, remove the seeds and cut it into pieces. Wash and cut the tomatoes into quarters, eighths, depending on their size. In the casserole dish, brown all the spices in ghee or olive oil until they "sing". Then add the carrots, stir well for 1 minute, then add the sweet potatoes. After 2 minutes, add the tomatoes. Cover with 1 liter of water, add the vegetable stock and simmer for 25 minutes. Check with the tip of a knife that the vegetables are cooked and blend everything to obtain a nice creamy texture and a beautiful bright orange-red color.

You will find all of these wonderful recipes in the book Yoga CookBook by Garlone Gardel, Editions Ulmer.

Credit @Thomas Dhellemmes

Let me introduce you to Mélanie, our Community Manager at Tayrona. A lover of nature and animals, Mélanie appreciates natural methods, and favors a healthy diet and everything related to it. She began studying biology which then evolved into sport. Energetic, she always needs to exert herself! She practices eventing and also skiing. However, she needs to take time for herself and especially to take the time for a great moment of calm and serenity, and that is what she found with yoga.

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?

I started yoga a few years ago now. I have always been attracted to yoga but had never taken the time to discover it… But a few years ago, when the opportunity presented itself, I took the plunge! After my first class, I already felt that yoga was for me and that I wanted to continue. Yoga brings me a lot and allows me to feel good in my body and mind, to stay fit and flexible.

What practice for your well-being?

Above all, I try to practice according to the present moment, how I feel at the time. I then adapt the session to what I feel the need for.

What is the ritual of your practice?

I like to do a few “sun salutations” in the morning before starting my day. This allows me to wake up my body, stretch it and feel ready to face the day. I also take the time to take a moment of calm by doing a few breaths. If I practice during the day, I prefer a more dynamic practice. Then, in the evening before going to bed, I like to do postures that allow me to gently stretch and relax to prepare myself for sleep.

What do you get out of it?

It allows me to be more in tune with myself, and to be able to make a transition between the different moments of the day. When I can't practice, I feel the difference. Yoga allows me to find my balance.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

My Manduka Prolite Yoga mat , and my water bottle!

What is your favorite object/accessory?

I don't really have one, but I love having my big scarf with me to put around me and stay warm after my Yoga sessions or during my relaxation sessions.

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

I would like to tell them to enjoy life and do what they love!

Where/how do you practice?

I practice most of the time at home on my mat or in the studio. I also try to practice when I have to travel (vacations or other). I also like to practice Yoga outdoors.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

I don't really have one, but I like to think that you have to enjoy life, not wait for it to pass and be yourself.

I really like this one:

Recipe by Garlone Bardel author of the Yoga CookBook

For breakfast or dinner, this crumble of character satisfies and awakens the taste buds. Celery is an excellent anti-rheumatic and liver drainer, in addition to being a natural tonic.

Astringent, cold and dry, it will increase vata, decrease pitta and kapha. Carrots, mushrooms and ginger stimulate apana, the energy located in the lower abdomen and pelvis, and give strength and endurance. Celery and parsley stimulate prana, the energy going from the navel to the throat. This is the force that makes air penetrate the body and regulates the heartbeat. Oatmeal and dairy products (ghee and parmesan) bring samana energy, located between the heart and the navel and circulating around the waist. This force, responsible for the assimilation of food, stimulates and controls the digestive system, the heart and the respiratory system. Note: this recipe can be varied with other vegetables. Be creative, depending on what you have in your basket… Soy sauce and sesame seeds are excellent replacements for table salt.

For 4 to 6 plates

In the kitchen: 15 min + 35 min cooking time

• 2 carrots
• 4 stalks of celery
• 12 button mushrooms
• ½ tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 25 cl of water
• 100 g of oat flakes
• 60 g of ghee
• 60 g of parmesan
• 30 g sesame seeds

The preparation

Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 6). Wash the carrots and celery and cut them into small cubes. Clean the mushrooms and cut them into small cubes. In a large frying pan or cast iron casserole dish, put the carrots, celery, mushrooms with the water and soy sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. In a large bowl, mix the oat flakes, ghee, grated parmesan and sesame seeds. Drain the vegetables and add the ginger and parsley. The vegetable cooking water is a delicious broth. Set it aside and serve it as a starter in a small glass. Place everything in a gratin dish and cover with crumble. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve this dish piping hot, straight from the oven.

You will find all of these wonderful recipes in the book Yoga CookBook by Garlone Gardel, Editions Ulmer.

Credit @Thomas Dhellemmes

Anouk Vinet is a teacher as beautiful as a star. Her smile, her kindness, her simplicity radiate all the people she meets. She left the Parisian effervescence for Hossegor and today with her surfer husband, she travels the world to discover the most beautiful waves in the world and surfing. Always between two places, she remains well anchored. The practice of yoga, a healthy diet and meditation are her daily rituals.

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?

It's interesting to see that we easily take care of others, of those we love but less of ourselves. Health problems in recent years have been the trigger for this awareness. Don't wait for a glitch to listen to yourself and pamper yourself. You deserve yourself as much as your loved ones.

What practice for your well-being?

Yoga and meditation every day. The duration can vary depending on the hazards but moving my body and calming the "crazy monkey" in my head is like brushing your teeth morning and evening.

What is the ritual of your practice?

I haven't really had a home for 2 years so I don't really have a ritual, although I always start with sun salutations (A and B) and between the 2 uddiyana bandha; (it's a ritual with one of my ashatanga yoga teachers in Hawaii)
And always a meditation before or after practice depending on my form.

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

Follow the incessant movements of life. Everything moves around us, all the time. It's scary sometimes but I think we have to embrace these changes, climb on their backs and see where they take us, like a flying carpet. Resisting the changes that life imposes is creating a lot of suffering for ourselves! Not easy, I grant you!

What do you get out of it?

Instantly it puts a distance with everything around me, as if I were in a decompression chamber. Ideas and emotions become clearer. This chamber also allows me to connect with the simple pleasures that we forget like a soft ray of sunshine through the window or even the sound of rain, the feeling of the body relaxed after a physical activity….

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

I need to practice in comfortable clothes, I am very sensitive to materials, I always have soft and cocooning clothes... (Yoga Searcher).

What is your favorite object/accessory?

My scarf! At the end of a session I love to wrap myself in my scarf, either as a shawl or spread over my entire body from head to toe.

Where/how do you practice?

I moved around a lot these past 2 years so I practiced where I could, no excuses, in the hotel room or Airbnb, in studios sometimes, outside in the forest… And mediation the same, sometimes even sitting cross-legged on the train or plane. Recently in the car during a family weekend.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

I discovered it this winter and I love it

“ We don’t know enough to hope to worry ”

Terence Mckenna

(We don't know enough to hope or worry.)

Recipe by Garlone Bardel author of the Yoga CookBook

This herbal rice is a simplified version of an Iranian recipe… Cooking creates an irresistible crispy crust, thanks to the flavor of the infused herbs. Rice, whose energy in Ayurveda is sweet, contains energetic and astringent properties.

It is consumed with its cooking water, in which fresh herbs and ghee simmer over low heat, to fill it with nutrients. Rice is a samana type food, the energy located between the heart and the navel and circulating around the waist. This force, responsible for the assimilation of food, regulates and controls the digestive system: stomach, liver, pancreas, intestines. It also acts on the heart and the respiratory system. Samana foods include whole grains that balance, and specifically rice, which is also considered, if it is suitable for the metabolism, as the basis of a vegetarian diet. Parsley, coriander, dill and chives act together on several levels: mobilizing toxins from the body, this delicious mixture promotes their elimination, facilitates digestion by acting in particular on intestinal fermentation and provides powerful antioxidants to the body, which fight the formation of free radicals due to stress and toxins. Fresh herbs, full of chlorophyll, promote prana, the energy located in the chest, responsible for breathing. At lunch, you can add slices of fried tofu (marinated for a few minutes beforehand in olive oil and soy sauce).

For 4 plates

In the kitchen: 20 min + 30 min cooking

• 200 g of half-wholemeal basmati rice
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 4 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 4 tbsp chopped coriander
• 4 tbsp chopped dill
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp ghee
• unrefined sea salt

The preparation

Rinse the rice in a colander, place it in a bowl, add 2 pinches of coarse salt and 1 liter of boiling water. Leave to stand for 10 minutes and drain. Meanwhile, chop all the herbs, place them in a bowl, add 2 to 3 pinches of salt and mix well. In a saucepan (with a lid) about 20 cm in diameter, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of water and place half of the rice. Then, place the herbs in a layer that covers the rice. Then, cover the herbs with a layer of the remaining rice. Melt the ghee and sprinkle it over everything. Add 20 cl of water, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.

You will find all of these wonderful recipes in the book Yoga CookBook by Garlone Gardel, Editions Ulmer.

Credit @Thomas Dhellemmes

Corinne Leroux is one of those humble and reliable people. She is the Director of a Rescue and First Aid School (ESSO) which trains around 300 first aiders each year. Passionate about dance, stretching and relaxation, it was quite natural for her to choose the Hatha Yoga Teacher training course with Shri Mahesh (FFHY, French Hatha Yoga Federation).

In order to perfect her knowledge, she is currently training in Yoga Therapy with Doctor Lionel Coudron, founder of the IDYT (Institute of Yoga Therapy) who was President of the FFHY from 2000 to 2004. The content of her courses is based on the alignment of postures where the energy of the breath, concentration, self-introspection and the search for letting go are integrated.

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?

A classical dancer from my early childhood until I was 22, I slipped into stretching to arrive at Yoga. Thanks to my 2 herniated discs, I was able to study in depth the benefits of postures, breathing and mediation, all based on "Ahimsa".

What practice for your well-being?

It can be postural (based on Iyengar), pranayama, meditative, one then the other. It all depends on the feeling and the need of the moment "T".

What is the ritual of your practice?

Every day a session at dawn between 45 minutes to 1h30-2h00 depending on needs. It is by listening to my body and my mind that I start a day of work in relaxation and kindness towards myself and others. It has become vital for me in the same way as drinking, eating, sleeping.

What do you get out of it?

This practice allows me to unite my body and my mind and thus maintain this harmony during the day.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

My Manduka Superlite travel mat or 1 or 2 bricks and sometimes 1 strap . I have to make sure to keep my back free to move.

What is your favorite object/accessory?

I don't need a fetish to feel good about where I'm going.

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

You are looking for a healthy lifestyle through your diet, your sleep, the clothes you wear... don't forget the center of your body which needs to balance itself with the world around you.

Where/how do you practice?

I practice anywhere, every morning is personal sessions then during the day, group or individual YogaTherapy classes provide me with a regular resource.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

The Gayatra mantra, the om, the invocation to Pintenlgali accompanies me day and night.

For all information on Yoga Chabili in Montesson and Rueil-Malamaison

Recipe by Garlone Bardel author of the Yoga CookBook

Ideal for fall-winter, this comforting recipe, thanks to the sweetness of the squash, provides a nice amount of energy for all tissues.

Indeed, like pumpkin, pattypan squash or zucchini, squash has nutritional properties, but also diuretic and… sedative. Suitable for all doshas, ​​it should be noted that it reduces pitta (fire) but increases kapha (water) and vata (air). It is excellent in cases of fatigue, sleep disorders, constipation… Squash, vyana-type foods, the energy that coordinates, distributes and regulates the other pranas throughout the body, are fortifying and stimulating. For a full meal at noon, accompany it with a small bowl of rice or a nice slice of spelt bread. And for the evening, the solo plate is very good for a light and easily digested meal.

For 4 people

In the kitchen: 15 min

• ½ to 1 butternut squash (depending on size)
• 6 tbsp cashew nuts
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• the juice of 1 lemon
• the zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• crushed pepper (an idea: mix different types of pepper in the mill tank and the flavors will be even more varied and refined)

The preparation

Cut the squash into large slices, neither too thin nor too thick. Cook it in the steamer basket of a steamer for about 10 minutes. Check with the tip of a knife that the flesh of the squash is just tender without falling apart. While it is cooking, very roughly crush the cashews, place them in a saucepan with the maple syrup and brown everything over medium heat until the cashews are coated with the syrup (barely 2 minutes). Prepare the dressing in a small bowl by adding the oil, lemon juice and finely grated ginger. Divide the hot cooked squash among the plates, sprinkle with the maple syrup-coated cashews, pour generously the lemon vinaigrette and sprinkle with chopped coriander and parsley. Using a microplane grater or a very fine grater, grate the lemon zest onto the plates. Add a pinch of crushed pepper and serve immediately.

You will find all of these wonderful recipes in the book Yoga CookBook by Garlone Gardel, Editions Ulmer.

Credit @Thomas Dhellemmes

Happy parents of 2 boys (7 and 10 years old) Amaury and Isabelle are lovers of the great outdoors, yogis and hummingbirds, painters, poets and great athletes. Moving towards positive parenting, zero waste, voluntary simplicity and veganism. In a word, supporters of more love!

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?

Isabelle: We discovered yoga when our eldest son was sick and hospitalized. Yoga then became essential to our lives: a therapy, a philosophy of life and of course, also a set of movements that keep us fit!

Amaury: I started yoga a few years ago and then I stopped. Except that at 39, I had sciatica which really affected my mobility and also my summer vacations. I told myself "you're only halfway through your life, if you want the second half to go well, take care of your body".

What practice for your well-being?

Amaury : For my well-being, 15 minutes of yoga every morning of the week, when I get up.

Isabelle: I practice 30 minutes every morning of the week and between 45 minutes and an hour on Saturday and Sunday.

What is the ritual of your practice?

Amaury: I have 5 videos of 15 minutes, one per day. And every week I redo them.

Isabelle: At 5:20, I get up, walk through the sleeping house, finish everyone's lunch boxes while the wifi starts up. I roll out my mat, choose my online course and off we go!

What do you get out of it?

Amaury: A routine that meets the needs of my body. For example, on Fridays, I do a session dedicated to the neck and shoulders. After a week sitting in front of a computer, I really need it.

Isabelle: For me, yoga is much more than a sport, it is a philosophy of life. Yoga led me to veganism, positive parenting and non-violent communication, among others.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

Amaury: My ecoyoga mat from Tayrona. ;-) in coral color

Isabelle: my purple ecoyaga rug , a piece of wood found in the Somme Bay which I use as a brick.

What is your favorite object/accessory?

Amaury: My Eco Yoga Coral mat . It's the one I see every morning when I wake up. It's the one that motivates me for my session. I chose one in a rather bright color to brighten up my start to the day.

Isabelle: My EcoYoga Lavender mat ! I really like the feel of the jute under my hands. I find its grip and size perfect.

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

Amaury: Adopting a 1/4 hour ritual per day is doable. And the well-being in your body is worth this small investment in time. Afterwards, if possible, do a long session on the weekend.

Isabelle: Yoga is a life story. Nothing is impossible.

Where/how do you practice?

Amaury: At home, when I wake up, in the living room, watching a video on my cell phone.

My wife does the same but we don't follow the same videos. When we're traveling, I like to take a few classes at a local yoga studio.

Isabelle: Same! But what I prefer is when we are traveling and we create sessions for each other based on our favorite sequences.

As soon as the temperatures are mild, I like to practice in the garden even at night. I hear the hedgehogs busy, the birds chirping and the trees rustling.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

Amaury: A healthy mind resides in a healthy body.

Isabelle: Be the change you want to see in this world

To follow Isabelle on social networks

blog:https://lathelize.blogspot.fr/

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

Recipe by Garlone Bardel author of the Yoga CookBook

This vegan burger has it all: easy to make as well as tasty. It comes with a salad, but without fries.

The ideal is to choose a very good bread that is gourmet but organic and preferably prepared with sourdough, which will promote the digestion of cereals. Tofu, on the other hand, will provide a light source of protein and its digestion will also be promoted by the spices. If your intestines are tired, prefer a pancake made with vegetables. Goat's gouda is optional. With, it's even more flattering. Without, it's even better for digestion (depending on temperament). Plants that contain chlorophyll, sprouted seeds, aromatic herbs but also ginger, bring prana energy. Going from the navel to the throat, it is the force that makes air penetrate the body and regulates the heartbeat. Whole grains are of the samana type, the energy located between the heart and the navel and circulating around the waist. This force, responsible for the assimilation of food, stimulates and controls the digestive system. Samana-type foods have a balancing effect on the body.

For 4 burgers

In the kitchen: 20 min

• 4 wholemeal and organic burger buns
• 1 block of tofu of 400 g
• 4 handfuls of salad (mesclun or other)
• 1 handful of sprouted seeds, alfalfa type
• 1 mini cucumber or ½ cucumber
• 4 slices of goat gouda (optional)
• 4 tbsp chopped herbs (coriander and chives)

FOR THE MARINADE:

• 10 cl of olive oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp grated fresh turmeric
• 1 tsp crushed cumin seeds

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1 tsp sesame puree
• the juice of ½ lemon
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 pinches of freshly ground pepper

The preparation

Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 6). Cut the tofu into 4 thick slices and place them in a large deep plate. In a bowl, mix the marinade ingredients and pour it over the tofu slices. Rinse and dry the salad in a clean tea towel. Rinse the cucumber and cut it into beveled slices, neither too thick nor too thin. Prepare the sauce: in a bowl, put all the ingredients and emulsify them with a small whisk to obtain a smooth and creamy mixture. Put the burger buns in the oven for 6 to 7 minutes, just long enough to heat them without drying them out. Then spread some on one of the insides of the bun. In a hot frying pan, place the tofu slices with the marinade and heat them for 2 minutes on each side, over a fairly high heat. Then place on each bun base: a little salad, 2 to 3 cucumber slices, 1 slice of fried tofu, goat's cheese, alfalfa, mesclun and chopped herbs. Finally, place the burger hat on top. Serve and enjoy without further delay. This burger is delicious hot. Guaranteed success with young and old alike!

You will find all of these wonderful recipes in the book Yoga CookBook by Garlone Gardel, Editions Ulmer.

Credit @Thomas Dhellemmes

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