French Yoga Community

I met Anne quite by chance in Annecy. She was sitting at the next table, in a restaurant with friends. And as always, I believe in beautiful encounters. Our conversations mingled and we talked about yoga. I immediately felt something special about her. Anne exudes a beautiful communicative energy, a beautiful light and above all an inner peace.

Anne Paysac is a Reiki master and yoga practitioner. Reiki is a healing method of Japanese origin, based on so-called energetic healing by the laying on of hands. One of the goals of Reiki is to relieve suffering, bring mental calm, inner peace and general well-being.

I asked her if she would like to answer my little questionnaire to share her yoga practice with you. Anne agreed without hesitation. So today, on this beautiful Easter weekend, I am sharing her experience with you.

How did you get into taking care of yourself?

I have always been a "helper". As a result, I tended to attract slightly toxic relationships (friendships, love, etc.) to vampirize me and to forget myself a lot. I gave a lot, certainly too much, or in any case, I didn't give myself
not as much. I was looking for love outside of me and not inside of me. I felt
a feeling of unease that made me start a lot of work on myself because I wanted to
understand, learn to love myself, be happy.

I have always been very attracted to all alternative and energetic methods
so very naturally well-being was at the heart of my research. This research has grown over the years and it was following a hypnosis session that everything began to fall into place. Very quickly after this session, reiki entered my life and I experienced an intense spiritual awakening. Reiki brought me a lot and allowed me to cleanse everything that was harmful to me, by refocusing on myself, aligning myself and focusing on my life mission.

This is how I headed, after a career in marketing in the
cosmetics, in hypnosis and NLP support after an intensive 2-month training in NYC during the summer of 2016. Beyond preparing for a
new career this training has enriched me enormously and made me grow in all the
levels of my being. All the pieces of the puzzle came together. I then
passed my reiki master level in November in Bali where I spent 2 months to
recover physically, emotionally and spiritually.

This is also when yoga really came into my life as a

necessary support for my development. I had already practiced but I
was not receptive to the benefit of this practice before. I was not ready.
Now I am. I met myself, I learned to love myself, to accept myself, to
to be more tolerant, gentler towards myself and to really take care of myself.

What practice for your well-being?

My practice must be filled with moments that recharge me and make me feel good.
overall, on a physical, emotional or spiritual level. Yoga allows me to do this. It
also allows me to be in listening, kindness, learning and laughter
also sometimes!
My first passion is traveling. I have lived abroad a lot and plan to go
soon on a world tour. Traveling allows me to feel things even more
intensely, to be in the here and now, to experience, to discover, to
to meet, to open up, to elevate myself. It is essential to my well-being.
Yoga offers me this escape. Each class is like a journey…towards me.
I like to be in movement and whatever the practice, there is always a
new teaching, a different flow, a rhythm to discover, an energy specific to
this moment, a new opening towards oneself.

What is the ritual of your practice?

Being a nomadic soul, I find my stability in instability, when I am in
outside my comfort zone, in the challenge and therefore in flexibility. So, I
prefer not to be attached to a ritual. I personally find a ritual alienating,
limiting. I think my real power, my potential is in expansion,
freedom and instinct. I remain open to all opportunities that may arise
present without depending on a place, a person, a structure, a
habit…
The first thing I learned in yoga is that my physical condition is
different for each practice. Not having a ritual therefore allows me to respect myself
much more, to understand my limits, to accept them or on the contrary to
push me, challenge me and in any case listen to me, be open and
benevolent.

What do you get out of it?

I get a great deal of adaptability from it. I feel a bit at home everywhere!
And above all, I learn a lot from it, I modify my practices as I wish.
of my intuition, of my desires, of my sensations, of the moment, of the energy of a
place, of a person and especially of myself.
I get a lot of freedom and fulfillment from it.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

The little traveling bird that I am tries to travel as light as possible.
moreover, for me, the practice of yoga rhymes with simplicity and being oneself. So I take
what I consider to be essential… a bottle of water.

What is your favorite object/accessory?

Through my travels, I have had special connections with certain objects.
These connections evolve as we meet people and learn from them....
I acquired a very pretty Mala with amethysts in Bali that I really like and that
I used it in meditation. I also wore for some time a medallion acquired in
an ashram in Bali, with the photo of my guru, a great spiritual master who taught me
learned a lot.
However, like rituals, I think it is limiting to put some of
my power in a fetish object/accessory. I am my own master and I have in
me all the resources necessary for my development, my protection, my
elevation. I try as much as possible to make these resources accessible to my
awareness rather than externalizing it.
So I try not to get attached to objects, but rather to the resources that
I have in me. However, I received a beautiful necklace from my grandmother,
years after his death and this jewel is very important to me so if I have to
to quote one it's this one :).

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

At the beginning of my practice I did not understand why the teachers did not help me
no longer correct me. It frustrated me. Little by little, and especially thanks to my training in
hypnosis and NLP and the support that I offer, I understood that a good
The teacher is not there to correct me, but to make me responsible, in my
feeling, my practice, my self-healing. So, it pushes me to refocus,
align myself, be in the present moment to feel the posture, integrate when the
position is right, in my body. He is the co-pilot, I am the driver.

Where/how do you practice?

Mainly in yoga studios/centers or during retreats for the
moment. I like to feel the energy of a group, to follow a teacher. I would like
However, slowly start practicing alone from time to time to
develop a more autonomous practice. This will allow me to take responsibility
as for the frequency of my practice I would like daily. It would bring me
also more freedom to be able to practice anywhere, even when traveling.
Nomadic yoga is definitely a yoga that suits me. So the appearance of
apps is great news for me :)!

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

It's a mantra that I discovered recently through a friend and which since
accompanies me daily. It is a powerful healing mantra.

The Medicine Buddha Mantra
Tayata
OM Bekandze Bekandze
Maha Bekandze
Radza Samudgate Soha
May the countless sick
be quickly freed from the disease
and may all the illnesses of beings
disappear forever

We continue our exploration of yoga as seen by experts. Today, we asked Lilian Durey to tell us about Vinyasa Yoga that I had the great chance to practice with him. A fluid, dynamic yoga, from ashtanga, on breathing that is a bit like a dance.

Vinyasa yoga is taught by many yogis, especially in fitness-oriented gyms that offer a variety of classes to appeal to yoga enthusiasts. While this is in response to demand and a real fad, the craze for this dynamic version of the practice is justified by its body and soul benefits through an essential awareness of breathing...

Vinyasa is a Sanskrit term that means synchronization of movement with the breath (two roots: "nyasa" which means "to place" and "vi" which means "in a specific way). Vinyasa yoga is defined as a sequence of dynamic movements, initiated and harmonized by the breath.

A bit of history…

Vinyasa yoga is a form of Hatha yoga. It comes first from the experience of Krishnamasharya who gives its first principles by following the study of the yoga sutras of Patanjali, the bagavad gita and hatha yoga pradipika. It proposes sequences of postures combined with breathing, which today constitutes the basis of the work of Vinyasa yoga. His disciples were Pathabi jois (Ashtanga Yoga) and BKS Iyengar (Iyengar Yoga) who in turn developed two methods of yoga with their own understanding of the sequencing, rhythm and content given to a yoga practice. What is called Vinyasa Yoga today is the interpretation of these methods and other forms of hatha Yoga by several generations of students and then Eastern and Western teachers. These adaptations are the subject of constant debate on the respect of the original teaching of yoga. This is also what makes this method popular and interesting throughout the world and history.

Breathe the “Prana Flow”

Vinyasa yoga coordinates movement and breathing in sequences of asanas. In Prana Flow, Shiva Rea's method, we pay great attention to the transitions between postures. The practice develops through successive waves of preparatory postures that are repeated and then accentuated. They allow us to culminate in key postures very gradually. The objective of the sequencing is a complete practice but committed to a theme in stages or Kramas. Awareness of breathing not only improves flexibility and strength but also helps to transcend the stress of daily life...

From “sporty” yoga to “artistic” ecstasy…

These vinyasa yogas are increasingly defined by the notion of Flow. The notion of flow refers to a psychological state marked by great concentration and therefore a strong presence in the task that one is carrying out. This results in an immersion in a state beyond time and bodily and mental limits. It is a state that can be compared to certain ecstasies described in texts related to yoga. It is also a state well-known to dancers during phases of improvisation, creation or performance.

Expert opinion: Testimony of Lilian Duray

It is on the basis of the teachings of Vinyasa Yoga and Western Hatha yoga of Lucien Ferrer (master at the origin of Energy Yoga) and with my experience as a dancer and athlete that I evolved from a purely yogic perception to paths of body and mind awareness in search of "universal" alignments of Flow and energetic perceptions. These "universal" alignments are very simple principles of posture and intention. During my few years of teaching, I welcomed a "beginner" to yoga at almost every session. I had to find fundamentals to offer a healthy practice to these "novices" and always interesting for other yogis.

I experiment and offer yoga in several forms depending on the audience, the seasons and the times of day. What I like to encourage is experimentation by oneself to embody and find "one's" practice. For this, I use the notions of pulsations or "body vinyasa". Pulsations are incidences of breathing in the movements of the body. They are used to highlight the expansion and retraction of the breath. Breathing induces movement and movement extends its action to lead to a transition.

In the sessions I also introduce the work of the senses common to Energy Yoga. Working the senses and their subtle parts called "Indryias" allows to obtain a significant concentration and an apprehension of fluids and energies. For more experienced practitioners, I introduce rhythmic breathing and learning the anatomy of the subtle body. The stages of concentration and meditation of yoga are thus proposed in each session, in movement or in meditation posture.

This yoga aims to remain simple and accessible to all. It promotes relaxation first and foremost, fluidity in the body and concentration in the mind.

The hybridization of these techniques allows me to teach a yoga adapted to people who wish to become adventurers of the inner world. It studies mindfulness inward for right actions outward, dispelling concepts to enter into a continuous sadhana and let oneself be carried by the flow.

Find Lilian Durey on FB

 

How did you get into taking care of yourself?

I have always been a "speed" person. Since I was a teenager, I have always loved sports, especially running, cycling, skiing... For a long time, my motto was: "Always faster, always further". Then, 5 years ago, I discovered Yoga.
Finally, I relearned how to breathe, to be present, to know and respect my body better. During my studies, I read a lot of books dedicated to the Slow movement, to degrowth, to ecology… All this accompanied me to decide to slow down and enjoy life better, by taking care of myself.

One of my biggest breakthroughs was understanding that to take care of others, you have to take good care of yourself first, and that it's anything but selfish to do so...

What practice for your well-being?

I practice and teach Vinyasa and Ashtanga for beginners. I also have a crush on Yin Yoga, which I practice more and more often.

What is the ritual of your practice?

At the end of the morning because I am not a very early riser and I often come home late from my classes, I go to the front of my mat and take long breaths in Tadasana. Then I start with a very gentle, very slow sun salutation. And I continue with several salutations, waking up and warming my body more and more. My sessions can last 10 or 90 minutes. Depending on my energy, my shape and my inspiration of the moment, I add the postures, pranayamas and meditation that seem perfect for this moment. And I always end with a looooong relaxation, curled up in my blanket, wrapped up in a sweater and big soft socks and with a lavender microbead pad on my eyes. It's my favorite outfit for Savasana, which made my classmates in India laugh a lot :-)

What do you get out of it?

I love dynamic Yoga practices that channel my mind and help me find inner calm and clarity. Yin Yoga helps me slow down, go into a deeper, more visceral practice. Yoga, in general, is an ally for me in the search for balance and on the path to joy.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

My yoga outfit, as simple as possible: leggings and tank top. A hair tie, a sweater, socks. And my new Manduka ProLite mat.

What is your favorite object/accessory?

My gourd with its bamboo lid, it creaks a little, but it is an object that touches me personally, that reminds me of the wood that I love so much and that is one of my dominant elements in Chinese energy :-)

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

I would advise Tayrona Yoginis to consider their Yoga practice in the long term. That is to say, to prioritize their health and to learn to know, respect and love their body, first, and then their whole being.
Our society feeds on an excess of performance, of speed. It encourages to privilege quantity over quality. Thanks to Yoga, we can meet our deep Being and dig into the most buried layers of ourselves, beyond appearances. It is extremely powerful and transformative.
My advice is therefore to practice for oneself, without seeking comparison with others, without having expectations. Just the pleasure of being alive and being able to discover this wonderful gift that is Yoga.

Where/how do you practice?

I practice mostly at home, near my large bay window, with a view of the trees below. I also like to practice in the park, at the beach, even if the noise around me can sometimes distract me.

I also love practicing in the studio, under the guidance of colleagues, Yoga teachers. I regularly participate in classes or workshops, especially on weekends because my weeks are generally very busy between my classes, my blog, the support I offer, etc.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

“You can do anything!”

This is what a stranger I met in front of a church in Lyon told me a few years ago, when I had just left my old job and started my own business. This sentence has carried me a lot and continues to carry me whenever I need it. And I often repeat it to those around me to encourage them :-)

Many thanks Patricia for this interview in which I am very honored to have participated.

Tayrona yoginis can find Claudia Martin on her blog YogaPassion and on her Facebook page

The teaching of yoga according to BKS Iyengar is based on the in-depth practice of asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (yogic breathing), all carried out in the search for rigor, intensity, alignment and precision. If the demands of this approach may seem daunting at first, it is not without interest for working on the physical and psychological level...

Rigor… with flexibility!

This rigorous method is characterized by:

• attention paid to the alignment of different parts of the body in space
• the organization of postures into sequences
• the use of supports ( straps, bricks, bolsters, blankets , chairs, ropes, etc.)

These basic principles help develop a better physical and mental balance and provide all the benefits that yoga promises. The teaching is progressive and adapted to the physical abilities of each person. The use of supports facilitates the learning of postures.

An expert's opinion

Trained in Ashtanga Yoga, Bénédicte Peroz had the chance to discover Iyengar Yoga in Bali over 20 years ago. Very quickly, she felt its beneficial effects on her body and her mood. A feeling of lightness while working intensely.

If my yoga path led her to discover many practices, at each crossroads Iyengar yoga caught up with her, with the impression of being in the right place at the right time, in perfect harmony with herself.

So, she naturally felt the need to share all this incredible magic of the inner encounter. Today, she teaches a yoga very inspired by the Iyengar method, nourished by magnificent encounters: Faec and Corinne Biria (Paris), Usha Devi (Rishikesh), Judith Adank (Switzerland), Christian Pisano (Nice), June Whittacker, Caroline Boulinguez (Paris)….

Her teaching is therefore a gentle blend, spiced up by the philosophy of Christian Pisano , the heightened creativity of Caroline Boulinguez, the wisdom of Godfrey Devereux and the love of Mooji. "I try to bring gentleness, humor and love to a practice sometimes considered austere," says Bénédicte Péroz. An invitation to follow her to discover the benefits of this inner experience...

To learn more

Meet Bénédicte PEROZ in a “special back” or “Postural alignment” course, or during an immersion weekend open to all, from April 14 to 17.

www.yogasearcher-hossegor.com

 

A discipline that harmonizes body and mind, Yoga has become a very trendy sport! This mix of postures, breathing exercises and relaxation comes in different forms, more or less rhythmic. If most of us have heard of Hatha Yoga or Ashtanga, there are other practices to discover to vary the pleasures!

YOU WANT TO SURPASS YOURSELF: TRY “BIKRAM YOGA”!

Classes : Based on the teachings of Bikram Choudhury, a great Indian yogi recognized in the United States, this yoga includes twenty-six dynamic poses, which are performed in a specific order. Warning: this choreography is performed in a room heated to around 40 °C. Reserved for people in good health!

The virtues : it improves flexibility, strengthens muscles, relieves tension and facilitates the elimination of toxins. The body becomes slimmer and toned to give you a beautiful, slender figure!

YOU ARE SPIRITUAL: DISCOVER YOURSELF WITH “KUNDALINI YOGA”!

Classes: This practice works on the different levels of being through series called "kriyas" using breathing, rhythm, dynamic or static postures. This yoga integrates relaxation and meditation sung with mantra or silent. It is a particularly powerful experience in its effects, recommended to those who are looking to work on themselves...

The virtues: it acts on the circulation of vital energy, called Kundalini by yogis, for a better physical and mental balance. This improves the functioning of the body, vitality through muscular work and emotional balance through learning concentration and meditation conducive to serenity. At a more advanced level, Kundalini Yoga is a tool for elevating the soul…

ARE YOU PRONE TO NERVOUS FATIGUE: RELAX WITH “VINYOGA” OR “RELAXATION YOGA”! 

Classes: simple postures teach you to relax with awareness of breathing and sensations. Exercises, often on the floor, allow the body to regain good balance thanks to good breathing reflexes.

The virtues: it provides well-being and allows you to reconcile with your own body. The perverse effects of stress (bloating, oppression, back pain) disappear over the course of the sessions. A gateway to meditation for those who are open to spirituality.

ARE YOU EXPECTING A HAPPY EVENT? GENTLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO “PRENATAL YOGA”! 

Classes: Here you will discover positions that facilitate labor and delivery. Breathing and relaxation techniques promote the calm and relaxation essential during pregnancy. This yoga is probably the best preparation for giving birth with confidence and presence of mind. It is recommended for a beginner to start the sessions from 3 months of pregnancy after consulting a doctor.

The virtues: these exercises prevent or relieve physical discomforts such as nausea, back pain, sciatica, etc. Regular practice restores energy and reduces fatigue. You will also find a psychological benefit since these sessions also aim to strengthen your confidence and prepare for the arrival of your baby in style.

Stephanie Zeitoun

I dreamed of meeting Charlotte Saint Jean because her personality, her charisma and her reputation in yoga have made her one of the essential personalities and teachers in the world of Yoga. And thanks to two friends who are dear to me, the meeting took place in Annecy. Originally from England, Charlotte has been teaching Yoga in France since 2002.

With a first professional experience in marketing and in commerce, she decided to break with stress and professional travel. She now devotes her life to a truer balance and a simpler happiness in the mountains with her two children and her partner.

Through the various teachings of the Sivananda Vedanta School and retreats that she has been doing for years, she teaches her own style of yoga, inspired by vyniasa, while respecting ancient traditions.

His practice and teaching reflect a healthy life, full of gratitude, joy and the search for well-being .

The meeting was therefore magical and full of surprises and it was quite natural that Tayronalife.com joined forces with the Val d'Isère Yoga Festival which it is organizing from April 28 to 30 in Val d'Isère.

I couldn't resist the temptation to ask him a few personal questions about his yoga practice, which I'm sharing with you today.

How did you get into taking care of yourself?

The body sometimes sends signs – life too, for that matter. A hard journey with myself and a beautiful body battle, a difficult separation, a job that was too demanding, stressful, a move from England to France and one business trip too many.

My body one day told me to stop! When you are faced with some health realities and when you live every day with pain that bends you in two, at some point or another you have to do something. I started yoga quite naturally. I continued to practice it in hotel rooms as a salesperson and finally I decided that I had to take all this in hand more seriously. I left my job as Sales Director in Southern Europe and I devoted myself entirely to a new life of yoga, well-being and health.

What practice for your well-being?

Every day I meditate, do kriyas and pranayama exercises and practice asanas. Not necessarily 3 hours a day but every day.

I also do outdoor sports almost every day; I run, ski, telemark, and cycle and I love swimming in the summer. Once a month I get a massage and at least once a week I take a bath with a glass of red wine!

What is the ritual of your practice?

This is a sacred moment for me. It is often early in the morning because I have two children and a lot of classes. So, I stand in front of my beloved mountains before the sun rises or sometimes outside if the sun and I are in sync.

I sit cross-legged and breathe. I always start with an intention – a Sankalpa. I place the frequency of my day there; how I wish to be, live and communicate. Then either I start on my back with slow movements that harmonize with the breath, or I stand towards the front of my mat and start in Namaskar to the Sun or the moon if my practice has shifted or doubled in the evening (often the case).

Then, I let myself be carried away by the feeling of the moment, I let the asanas come as my body wishes to experience them. I always end in meditation where I return to my Sankalpa.

What do you get out of it?

A nice dose of inner peace and calm. If you knew everything I do in a day, it is not at all a given. Then a powerful energy for the day ahead of me.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

Nothing, just my mat, I rarely have accessories.

What is your favorite object/accessory?

My Mala, even if I don't do Japa often (meditation with the Mala, that said, it happens to me). For me, it's important to have it by my side

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

To practice regularly and set a positive intention before each day. I hear too often “I should but I don’t have time – work, kids, life….” We are all busy and yes, it is hard to find an hour and a half or more in a day for yourself. But 20-30 minutes, every day deserves more than once in a while. It is not selfish to take out your mat and practice. It is just essential, in order to do everything else, to be all the people we need to be in a day.

Where/how do you practice?

Often at home, when I can. Outside in the sun, but I can practice anywhere. I roll out my mat, stand on it and start.

And how? I take my temperature or emotional vibration of the moment and I listen more and more to the needs of my body. I do not impose a strict series, limits or barriers on myself, I follow my instinct.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

"We cannot do great things, only small things with great love" Mother Teresa

I met Roland Granottier during a yoga retreat. He was at a crossroads in his life and his desire was to become an entrepreneur. A dream that he put into music around his passion for yoga. Roland is someone you can count on and who listens to others. And he combined these two great qualities with yoga. He trained to become a "coach" and yoga teacher. Today, he supports companies with his company " Inspire&co " in stress management, professional projects and team cohesion. He makes performance rhyme with balance.

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?

Passionate about sport since my childhood, I have always been attentive to my body: health, diet, energy, balance...

Yoga came at a time in my life when I was under a lot of professional stress. This stress was exhausting me: it was devouring my physical and mental resources. And sport was no longer able to bring me the well-being and balance I needed.

My ^first yoga class was a real revelation: a lot of things happened in my body and mind, perspectives opened up and the course of my life changed. In 1h30 of yoga!!! I entered as a senior executive on the verge of exhaustion, I came out a future yoga teacher! Magical, right?

What practice for your well-being?

On the yoga side: "well-being" rhymes with balance and diversity. I like to put a lot of variety in my personal practice and in my teaching. I try to include in each moment of yoga (whether it is 10 minutes or 2 hours) the largest "color palette".

My special “well-being” posture? Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (the half-bridge). Radical effect on my brain and my stomach!

But my well-being also comes from my diet, the mountains, sport, meditation, my family and my friends.

What is the ritual of your practice?

"I get up every morning at 5:30 to meditate and practice for 1 hour." That's what I would have liked to tell you to fit in with the Epinal image of the perfect yogini! ;-)

But in reality, my yoga practice has to coexist with my life as a father and entrepreneur.

I actually practice very intuitively: I try to listen to my body and give it the postures it needs at the moment.

I don't have very specific schedules either, although I really enjoy practicing around 9 a.m. in the morning and at the end of the day.

What do you get out of it?

From my personal practice: a feeling of appeasement, of returning to the essential, of self-respect.

But the richest and strongest part of yoga is to offer it and share it with others. Giving a class is therefore for me the most extraordinary part of yoga: seeing the faces of the students at the end of Savasana, their looks, their expressions, it is truly magical.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

My mat of course: a Manduka eKO Lite mat made from natural rubber .

My smartphone and its Deezer app for practicing with music.

My bottle of water and a bag of almonds.

A relaxation book and a yoga book (at the moment, I'm rereading "In the Forests of Siberia" by S. Tesson and the Bhagavad Gita).

What is your favorite object/accessory?

My Moleskine notebook where I write down my thoughts, sequences and lessons.

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

Be curious!

Yoga has a thousand facets: don't lock yourself into a practice or a dogma... experiment, change, share! Yoga is life!

And listen to your body and your desires!

Where/how do you practice?

I am a nomadic yogi! I practice at home, in my office, on my terrace, on a pontoon by the lake or at the foot of a climbing route!

I practice very often before my classes at Satiam Academy or in companies. It is my moment of calm and concentration.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

This is a quote from Gandhi (a great lover of the Bhagavad Gita, by the way). It pushes me to action every day.

Here is the portrait of a happy and philosophical yogini, a Tayronalife.com customer. I met Nancy through email exchanges. The first were requests for advice, then requests concerning her delivery and finally the latter sent this photo where she was very happy and proud to discover her new yoga mat ordered on the site. And there, I was dazzled by her radiance.

I asked him to share with us his enthusiasm, his advice and his practice through a few personal questions about his yoga practice that I share with you today.

And in all humility and sincerity, she lent herself to the game of the Proust questionnaire. The result is full of wisdom, freshness and clairvoyance. I hope that this initiative will begin a long series of portraits of satisfied and philosophical tayronalife.com customers.

How did you get into taking care of yourself?

Two very basic pieces of advice were given to me a few years ago and it literally changed my life:

1. “It is not by running away and going to the other side of the world that you will feel better. The problem will continue to follow you anywhere if you do not solve it within yourself.”
2. “Don't care what other people think of you.”

The first one is more than true : a little less than 10 years ago I felt depressed, lost, I wanted to move far from the city where I lived. I followed a psychoanalysis to better understand myself and this advice is one of the best that my shrink gave me, even if it took me a few more years to really understand it...

The idea is that only by putting fertilizer in your little inner garden can you achieve happiness and eradicate problems. Happiness depends only on us.

To explain my thinking: I have been experimenting for a few years with finding the positive in every situation I experience, in every moment of happiness but also in every problem I encounter. At first, I felt like I was behaving like a Care Bear, but little by little I felt deeply happy and fulfilled. It didn't come from anyone but myself and it had a pretty powerful effect. The happier you are, the more happiness you share and the happier it makes others.

The problems we encounter can be approached in two ways: either by seeing only the negative of the situation and therefore creating stress for ourselves. Or by taking a deep breath and doing a little visualization work: list what is positive in your life, but also try to approach your problem by visualizing it in what it will produce positively once it is resolved. Every experience sooner or later serves as a lesson for us to grow, so we might as well welcome your problem in this way. Stay calm, take a deep breath and force yourself to be a little patient. Every problem eventually finds its solution!

Finally, the 2nd piece of advice is simply not to attach importance to what others may say about us. Criticism is always good to take as long as it is constructive. Except that most of the time we find ourselves faced with judgments based on preconceptions. We rarely spend more than a few minutes or hours with others. In this short period of time, it is difficult in the end to really know who the person in front of us is, their beliefs, what they think, what they have experienced or other. It is therefore very easy to fall into the trap of a judgment based solely on a few words that this person will have told us or simply their appearance.

This advice allowed me to detach myself and feel more at peace with others. Of course, you have to stay open to others, but you also have to know who you are and what you want. The main thing is to feel in tune with yourself and respect yourself. From there, you take care of yourself.

What practice for your well-being?

Physical activities in general (dance, swimming, yoga, crossfit) are the basis of my well-being. Moving, reconnecting with your body and giving free rein to our movements brings me a deep well-being.

And in yoga I found a whole: a practice that is both physical but also respiratory and meditative. When I started a few years ago, I didn't think I would become so addicted and discover such a rich practice! At first, I only saw the asanas, but little by little I became aware of the power of pranayamas and chanting (mantras). Now, when I'm stressed, I breathe, I focus on my feelings ("I feel stressed, can I feel it somewhere in my body?" Try it, it's magic!) and if necessary, I practice a few postures.

What is the ritual of your practice?

Hydrate and practice slowly! I like to start a session without being thirsty. It gives me the impression of being able to go further in my flexibility but it also offers me a feeling of detox. I also like to take the time I need for my sessions, I never have the time next to me when I practice because I listen above all to the sensations of my body and my mind: do I still feel tension in this posture? Do I feel completely relaxed? Do I enjoy it? The sessions can last 5 minutes or several hours!

What do you get out of it?

I simply feel better about myself. I come out of each session much more relaxed and happy than usual. It's a ray of sunshine and a real break in my days.

What do you carry in your yoga bag?

I don't travel much but I think what I couldn't do without are some essential oils! Lavender is the most important to me: soothing, healing, keeps away critters and its smell is a little Proust madeleine for me, it reminds me of walks with my grandmother when I was a child, we often went to pick lavender!

What is your favorite object/accessory?

I have a fairly minimalist lifestyle and regularly give away what I have to charities. So I couldn't choose a favorite object because I don't think I have one, at least nothing comes to mind.

What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?

Be curious! Meet people, try several forms of yoga but also several forms of activities, sports or cultural. It is only by opening yourself to the different universes that exist that you can enrich your practice. Yoga is not just a series of postures to relax but rather an opening and a perpetual learning. It is something very subtle and difficult to explain but which is done by listening, by experimenting for yourself.

Where/how do you practice?

I mainly practice at home. I moved a lot, so it was difficult to invest myself properly in a course. I still took a few courses in dotted lines with several teachers in order to have a correct foundation.

Then recently I met a Vinyasa yoga teacher (the yoga I like to practice the most) about thirty kilometers from my home. I really like her personality and I started with her in September at the rate of once a week for the moment, hoping to gradually be able to see her more often.

I am also curious to try a course or a retreat. And who knows, maybe meet my “yogi master”! It would be a dream to experience that, like in the movies!

In the meantime, I practice daily at home: sometimes 5 minutes in the morning simply doing a sun salutation in my bathroom to wake me up and reconnect with my sensations and come out of sleep. Sometimes, by doing a big, more traditional session. Sometimes, just meditating in the evening to calm myself down. And sometimes all of this in the same day. Each day is different and is never scheduled. Yoga comes by itself according to what I need.

I also use the Instagram network a lot. I recently discovered a “trend”: challenges launched either by yoga teachers or by brands offering products for yogis. Each day a new posture to work on is proposed, you can take pictures of yourself and freely exchange with the community that participates. It is these challenges that have pushed me to deepen my practice of asanas recently.

What is your mantra/favourite phrase?

“If you don’t do it, no one will do it for you” but also “time will tell” . These two thoughts have been pushing me for years to do sports, to dare to go where I want to go, to overcome my shyness.

 

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.

Here are some tips for beginners because all yogis were once beginners.

I have gathered these tips by slowly and daily evolving in my practice and from my various readings. They come from my own experience as a beginner. I wanted to share them with you. Never forget that at the center of yoga, there is first of all you.

Yoga will help you build harmony between your body, mind and spirituality to bring you more calm, joy, happiness and strength.

• If you are a beginner, start your practice slowly.

• Be humble with yourself, find your balance. It doesn't matter if you don't hold a position for long, or if you don't succeed.

  It is by advancing gently in your practice that you will achieve this. There is no hurry, the movement is slow, the breathing is long, and the relaxation is deep.

• When you go to class, the yoga session will often start with a short meditation. First, sit comfortably. For a better seat, don't hesitate to use a cork block or a folded blanket that you can slip under your buttocks.

• Close your eyes for your concentration and focus your attention on your inner body. This will allow you to see how your body feels in the present moment.

• Place your hands in prayer in front of the heart in “ATMANJALI MUDRA”. Leave some space between your palms. This “mudra” harmonizes the two hemispheres (right and left) of your brain.

• Next comes the recitation of a MANTRA (MAN means spirit, TRA means instrument). The most popular is OM (pronounced; a-au-m). The repetition of this vibratory sound connects your thought with your mind.

• In Yoga the positions are called "ASANAS", these positions are synchronized with the breath. Observe your body and repeat the position as often as it is good for you, do not forget to do the same on the other side for your balance.

• Be comfortable, yoga is a joyful practice. Remember that you are your own teacher. Listen carefully to your body. You are not here to hurt yourself.

• Practice on a good non-slip yoga mat , suitable for your practice. There are packs suitable for beginners .

• And above all BREATHE, when you practice. Your teacher will guide you in your breathing.

• In yoga breath control is called PRANAYAMA (PRANA means universal energy and YAMA means control). It is a good way to reduce stress.

• You will see that some positions require you to fix a point to increase your concentration and stabilize your position. This point is called DRISTI.

• Last tip, you have to focus on your alignment and a straight back. Don't hesitate to use straps and yoga bricks in your practice. This is how you will progress the best.

• Finally, your teacher is there to help you in your practice and if you want to practice at home, there is a very good application from Apple called Gotta Joga , it is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the names of the different positions.

Good practice.

Namaste

Patricia Nagelmackers

Photo credit: @P.Ubertti

There are hundreds of models and brands of yoga mats, all different. Those who practice Yoga know that not all Yoga mats are equal.

And choosing your yoga mat is not a simple thing.

Which brand to choose, here are some tips.