Funny faces of Vio

Celebration!

 I'm officially certified yoga teacher!!!
Vio happy!

 It's only the beginning of the yoggi's path. I feel hungry for more practice, more knowledge, more experience. I's nice effect of the course :-) And at the same time I feel very ready to finish it and move on. You know how sometimes we can have the sulky feeling that sth is over. I have non of that :-) On the contrary, I'm eager to carry on with my own path.

 Kranti organised for us a lovely graduation party with friends invited. I was thrilled as Christiane and Helmut were there with me! It's so nice to have family besides you at such moments. Especially when this family are your friends that you choose as family :-) 

Cecile stays here this week and is very eager to practice. We might have a nice week of self-disciplined practice :-)

And in my free time now...I can turn my attention into something else...

End of yoga....

I'm very happy with the experience during this course. There were many moments when I was discouraged or frustrated (Indian organisation and timing...). But especially these moments taught me a lot about myself. I needed to re-frame my expectations, adjust to what there is and take the most of it to go forward on my own path. I don't feel that the teacher challenged me enough or even corrected me. Since he's pretty destructed, telling him something was without any echo.

I went deeper into myself then and became my own point of reference. Well, I don't know how long I could keep it this way. Luckily we found each other in the group and created a sub-club: the 4 or 5 of us helping each other getting into a posture, encouraging and finding the challenges :-) The last week it was really fun yoga!

 Yoga is also fun! :-)
Jane in a posture reciting a poem :-)

We had quite serious exam on theories and another one on practice.
Ben teaching our Indian friend Tolasana :-)
Rupesh, without any practice, just sits and does it...

 After the practical, the teacher asked if I'd like to teach in his shala one day... I take is as a high mark on my exam :-)

 Prashant, our lovely cook that spoiled us every day with his original Euro-Indo-Organic treats :-) 

Friends, friends...

 Christiane and Helmut have arrived!!!

I was so touched to see them! People who are close to my heart. And they are here - in India :-) We will catch up with Lizz at some point and go sightseeing a bit.
Jo, we are missing you here!!!

My home in Patnem beach :-)
It will be hard to leave this paradise...

Scooter is sooooo much fun here!!!
Zooming with Cecile to another beach :-)

Yoga - Week 4

Week 4 of yoga course. 

The changes are very clear, both in my body and in my mind. 

The 3rd week was very tough. I cracked into tears just like that after the hip opening class. My body ached to the point that i felt my joints as I lied in the bed and basically was just collapsing every evening. 

Today the ambiance in whole shala has changed. Everybody was zooming through self practice very concentrated and precise. It was great to find my body back and the stability in my mind. Especially after Barb's departure.

 On Tuesday is my evaluation yoga lesson - keep your finger crossed!

Sorry, no colours and pictures today. Next week, as I will collect them from other people. When I'm standing on my head it's difficult to take a photo, especially of oneself ;-)

ouch

The time runs quickly - Baska's left yesterday. And I can't find my place...

Yoga - Week 2

 

Over 2 weeks down the line...

 

I love my yoga course! 

 I've become very conscious of my body. Not because I'm so enlighten in the awareness but because every part of my body aches. The work out is tough and adjustments of my teacher even tougher... 

See yourself.

I do a lot of practice - i feel how I'm getting stronger although not so much getting forward with the postures. Kranti, the teacher, doesn't challenge me enough. Luckily we have a bunch of nice people here with whom I push a bit the currant boundaries of my body, having a lot of fun at the same time :-)

 

 

 

What is very precious for me here is what I'm learning about everything that is connected to the physical practice, what creates yoga all together. Philosophy is fascinating. We have also Sanskrit, mantras, pranayama and anatomy.

 

 

Baska had hard core introduction to yoga, as she was doing the first week with me...
She liked it though 'cause she took the second week just the morning pranayama and practice.
Now she's into yoga  :-)

Monkeys on the trees in our shala :-)

Goa - Yoga course at last :-)

 We've arrived to paradise :-) white beach, beautiful sky with bright sun, little basic hut as our home and yoga every day! Vio happy :-)

 

It quickly turned out though that yoga would take my entire day in this paradise ... From 7am till 5pm with a break between 10am and 12.30 for a swim, sunbathe, breakfast/lunch, shower and run back to the shala. Plus twice a week a yoga film evening...

I know that Vio is running in Bxl like a headless chicken getting from one activity to another     all week round. And Vio is not proud of it! On the contrary - Vio would like to change it. But here it is not even my fault! Is it my fate to be always so busy? Shall I just accept it? But I have no energy to keep up! 

That's our puzzle activity on iPad.
Don't you just love this little Apple thing....

Barb does the yoga with me... Brave girl!
The rest of the time she has to find some occupation for herself. As you can see, she's got no problem with that.... :-)

Goa seems to be a place on its own in India - a tourist enclave or a British-Russian colony, if you prefer. The nature here is untouched - green, blooming, full of palm trees, little villages with not that little houses sometimes. And on the beach front it's white occupation. Everything is set up for our comfort. Every day the boys bring out the beach beds in front of the cafes. You can use them as you wish, no consumption required. Every evening they put the tables closer to the ocean and lit the candles to have the ambiance for the crowd. They walk up and down the send with drinks and food. They sleep under one blanket on the terrace of the cafes. And still an impatient whity would shout after the boy "i told you i don't want ice in my drink!". The shops are open till 11pm...

Of course they earn they living. Most of them come from other states or even from Tibet and Nepal. Everybody works hard, we, in the so called West, as well. But sometimes it just feels so unbalanced...