Thoughts & Reflections
Poetry & Wisdom
This month’s theme in our Embodied Yoga Philosophy course is the nature of the Self
I love this poem ~ for me it is such an eloquent pointer towards what yoga teaches about our true nature beneath all our roles
It’s also a topic that our teacher training students are spending a lot of time discussing together! There’s so much wisdom & beauty to unravel on this path…
Poem by Clare Harner (1934)
This month’s theme in our Embodied Yoga Philosophy course is the nature of the Self
I love this poem ~ for me it is such an eloquent pointer towards what yoga teaches about our true nature beneath all our roles
It’s also a topic that our teacher training students are spending a lot of time discussing together! There’s so much wisdom & beauty to unravel on this path…
Poem by Clare Harner (1934)
The Mind
Last month our 𝑬𝒎𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒀𝒐𝒈𝒂 𝑷𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒚 journey was all about the mind
The goal of the whole tradition of Yoga - with all its various practices - is to calm the wild waves of the mind to rest in an experience of stillness. In that stillness it is said we can glimpse our ‘true nature’ - and what exactly that means is coming up next month!
Together we’re exploring…
✨How to gain antaḥkaraṇaśuddhi (clarity of mind) in daily life
✨Meditation tools & teachings
✨Making the mind a friendly place
✨Patañjali’s traditional 8 supports to Yoga
…. & much more
To explore this more yourself, join us for:
✨ A Bright Mind: Meditation & Wellbeing Essentials (October)
✨Embodied Yoga Philosophy (next series in 2024)
✨ Portugal Retreat (incl. a full silent day) - May
✨ Slovenia Retreat - July
Last month our 𝑬𝒎𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒀𝒐𝒈𝒂 𝑷𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒚 journey was all about the mind
The goal of the whole tradition of Yoga - with all its various practices - is to calm the wild waves of the mind to rest in an experience of stillness. In that stillness it is said we can glimpse our ‘true nature’ - and what exactly that means is coming up next month!
Together we’re exploring…
✨How to gain antaḥkaraṇaśuddhi (clarity of mind) in daily life
✨Meditation tools & teachings
✨Making the mind a friendly place
✨Patañjali’s traditional 8 supports to Yoga
…. & much more
Why we don't use discount apps to sell classes
Most (other) Berlin studios sell spots across discount platform apps (eg. Urban Sports Club, Class Pass...)
We don’t ~ so our classes feel refreshingly different
These apps pay studios very little per spot, so studios have to pack in huge numbers of students to make enough 💵
We used to use them too but we saw how this format doesn’t provide a conducive environment for an experience of yoga - studios are usually packed, there’s little (if any) personal contact with the teacher, a huge rush at classes and a general sense of prioritising cheap consumption over meaningful well-being experiences 😰
✨Honestly, I’m so happy to have made this switch! I know everyone’s name and any injuries / pregnancies, there’s enough space to breathe and stretch out and there’s a (genuine) sense of community as regular students get to know each other over a tea
🫖 We talk to each other and take our time. Everyone is welcomed with a smile and …eye contact (!) I’m here for questions. We chat after class. Simple, valuable things.
🧘 My priority is that students gain an actual experience of yoga ~ quietening the mind for an insight of essence nature ~ coming home to ourselves. This is what yoga is meant to be.
Our classes have regular prices ~ with discount passes & reductions for those who need it
And - honestly - it is absolutely worth investing in yourself and your practice!
🙌🏼 THANK YOU all of you who make our classes such a friendly, genuine community
Last month we explored desire & desirelessness in our 'Embodied Yoga Philosophy' group
Exploring the wisdom of Yoga philosophy
Yoga teachings say that we all want to increase happiness & reduce suffering, yet we tend to look in the wrong places (again & again..). Replying on fleeting, changing things (money, relationships, status..) sets us up for disappointment when they inevitably do change.
We can get stuck in the belief 'I need x in order to be happy'
The goal is not to lose the pleasure of the things we want and like, but to lose our compulsive, stressful clinging to them and find inner sources of fulfillment
Life can flow in the direction it needs to when we wake up to the nature of change and attachment. Our clinging to external objects naturally starts to fall away. Or, as it is said in the tradition “viveka leads to vairāgya”.
Easier said than done, but an ongoing, life-enriching process that is supported and deepened daily by our practice & community
There's so much to Yoga beyond movement - thank you everyone exploring these deeper teachings!
✨Our next cycle of 'Embodied Yoga Philosophy' starts January 2023
The real meaning of yoga
The ultimate goal of Yoga is not to get very good at doing Yoga postures. The ultimate goal of Yoga is inner freedom.
The practices of Yoga (and any spiritual path) are tools to fulfil a purpose. They are not the end goal in themselves - just as a boat carries you to your destination and is no longer needed.
Keeping the wider goal of Yoga in mind transforms our practice; we are less concerned with ‘achievements’ on the mat and our practice comes alive with depth, meaning, richness & joy.
ॐ
Curious to know more? Explore the meaning of Yoga with us in a 6-month journey
EMBODIED YOGA PHILOSOPHY - starts Jan 9th -online / in-person
Sādhanā
... is a Sanskrit term from the Yoga tradition meaning spiritual practice
It refers to what we do - in a practical sense - to quieten our minds, unravel the knots of our hearts and come home to ourselves
Although there are many different sādhanās, the term implies consistency and dedication. The benefits come with regularity!
We’ve lost this a little in our sporadic drop-in-class culture these days - and it’s especially vital in unstable times to anchor ourselves with healthy, meaningful routines
Our regular series 'DEEPEN INTO YOGA' does exactly that. 6 classes with insights from yogic wisdom will provide your weekly home-base for a healthy routine and all the body & mind benefits of weekly yoga & meditation sādhanā
For our current series see ‘courses’
Info@yogainenglish.berlin to sign up or ask a question)
personal Yoga & Meditation
I’ve learned in my 12+ years of teaching that the most effective format is 1-on-1 sessions
Just me & you, your body/mind, your questions & your own dedicated time on the mat
In the past many students have booked privates to:
✨Personalise their yoga (dynamic / calm / a mixture)
✨Design a safe & effective home practice
✨Recover from injury
✨Work on essential poses to check they're 'doing it right'
✨Feel safe, supported & encouraged
✨Learn mindfulness meditation
&...
❓Are you struggling to commit to a regular & consistent yoga practice (& feeling like drop-in classes aren’t really serving you?)
❓Are you not-quite-ready for a room full of people, but feel lost practising alone?
❓Are you interested in taking your yoga practice to the next level?
I currently have availability for new private students - and yes I'm fully vaccinated (& yes you're allowed to ask :))
Get in touch to say hello & we can go from there 👋