My Students, My Inspiration

I received a beautiful gift, all the way from Tbilisi, Georgia this morning. 

The 5 beautiful souls that were in my teacher training last Fall, got this pendant custom-made for me. It spells my name in Georgian. I am so touched that they remembered me asking how to write my name in the local language when we were having our last team lunch together back then. The thought and the gift are indeed very special, and something that I will cherish dearly.

Fast forward to the present, these ladies have grown by leaps and bounds, found their authentic teaching voices and let their inner confidence shine. They truly are a capable bunch (and I'm not talking about getting into extreme poses like putting one leg behind the head either). I love their efforts to support each other in their yoga practice, and the community programs they have in place, to bring yoga off the mat... and in a country that they do not even call home.

There is certainly no better reward than to see them blossom in their yoga journey and in life. 

They inspire me, and they make me a better teacher.

Thank you, Eniko Pianovszky, Katarina Skogen, Hilary Adams, Diane Delpozo and Kate Smart.

May your inner fire continue to illuminate others on the path of yoga.

Om Namaha, Gratitude and Blessings.

When Every Opportunity is An Opportunity for Change

I recently spent 3 weeks leading a Yoga Teacher Training in a far flung place called Tbilisi, Georgia, where Sun Yoga has a second shala. 5 inspired teacher trainees from the USA, Hungary and Kazakhstan spent 8-hour days with me, exploring the techniques and depth of yogasanas, Pranayama and bandhas. Our days would start with a 75 minute Led practice at sunrise, followed by 3 hours of intensive asana work, and finishing the day with the art of sequencing a yoga class and teaching practice right until 5pm (and sometimes beyond).

Summer had stretched into October, of which I was greatly appreciative of (seeing I'm not too fond of the cold) but the Universe had to throw me a curve ball, and I was given a rather 'cold welcome' on the first day vis-a-vis an icy cold shower on an 18°C morning! The water heater wasn't working! Great! Needless to say, it was the fastest shower I had ever taken in my life (and yes, I managed to wash my hair and all essential body parts!). There was even a funny moment of me blowing my toenails with a hairdryer as they had turned bluish-grey from the cold water! 

Teaching trainees in a different environment away from home base, is challenging nonetheless. There's so much diversity at stake here : culture, yoga styles, level of practice, personalities, language and expectations to top the list. Egos clashed all the time (theirs and mine!) and the first few days saw emotional volatility at its peak as we placed vulnerabilities out in the open and went through a 'life conditioning' period. Tears, outbursts, and the occasional swear word were all part of the daily special in the room. We are, after all, human beings with flaws.

I found myself sleeping less and less as I lay in bed, thinking of ways to bring out the best in each individual. I sought solace at the end of each long training day in a late evening practice when the shala was quiet, trying to find a state of balance. The irony about balance is, (and so relatable to everything else in life) you actively seek balance only when your life is in a state of fluctuation. 
More often than not, Yoga tests our ability to stay present, and when we allow ourselves to be swept away by these fluctuations, we lose sight that every opportunity is an opportunity for change... and change itself is a huge part of the practice.

As the days pass, and I watch the trainees slowly blossom in confidence and sound 'less like a Mini Me' and find authenticity in their teaching voices, I am reminded by the saying "To learn, read. To know, write. To master, teach". I cannot teach them everything. I can only help them discover it within themselves.

How apt - message in my Yogitea 

Packing for home, I notice the shift in weather, bringing about rainy afternoons and windy nights. Summer had transitioned into Fall, and just as the leaves fall off the trees and onto the ground, it is time to turn inwards, let go of triumphs and old attachments, and create new spaces to grow.

As we said goodbye, I reminded the trainees, "Your greatness is not what you have. It's what you give".

Me and the Sun Yoga Tbilisi teacher trainees - Oct 2012

When a teacher teaches, two learn. I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to learn as much as I have shared these past weeks. It has been a beautiful adventure... and the beginning of many to come.

Love & Light.

Inhale. Exhale. Repeat

With an exhale, came the month of May... along with sunny skies, evening thunderstorms and unpredictability on the mat.


It's been 2 weeks since I completed Module 1 of the Tripsichore-Jiva Yoga 500 Hours Teacher Training, and I'm still reeling from the beauty (and complication) of the Tripsichore Vinyasa practice.


As a 'newbie' who has never attended any of the Tripsichore workshops before, I came in 'cold', leaving behind any expectations (and judgement), and armed with only determination, an open heart, my mat and lots of towels.  


Tripsichore Yoga (pronounced "Trip-Sic-Uh-Ree" in the same sing-song tone as 'choreography') is a modern, contemplative style of Vinyasa Yoga that blends the movements of dance and theatre, with choreographed, intrinsic techniques and disciplines of yoga. The result? A beautifully fluid and artistic balance of breath, movement and asanas.

Edward Clark, founder and creator of Tripsichore Yoga led the training, together with his assistant Nikki Durrant.  Having only seen pictures of Edward on the internet, meeting him up close and personal on Day One was a rather intimidating experience.  He struck me, firstly, as an acrobatic performer as his toned and supple physique implied such.  His lean, well-defined, sinewy body and his wild shoulder-length blondish-silver hair suggested a visual oxymoron of 'modern-eccentricity'.  His accent was somewhat American, married with the vocabulary of an Englishman.  As a teacher of asana, he demonstrated more than just physically-demanding and challenging asanas, but a Teacher Training Program that was intensive and steep in the practice of mindfulness in the transition of the breath.  As a teacher of philosophy, he had a fresh, respectful yet unorthodox intake on Yogic Philosophy, which I found surprisingly insightful (especially having studied under old school Indian yoga masters where you would be struck by lightning if you were to merely giggle during a Philosophy class).


Module 1 carried on for 7 days, and with it, a practice that tested my endurance and tenacity.  It brought about the initial frustration of not being familiar with the different sequences (talk about unlearning the learned, and undoing the do!), but also a welcomed light at the end of the tunnel, when I was presented the opportunity to push new boundaries, and try new things I otherwise might never do.  

Eventually, when I started thinking of where I was "working toward" with the breath rather than just "going for the tricks", I started to embody the practice, and the initial struggle and feeling of 'woodenness' was replaced with a repertoire that was creatively fulfilling and expressive.  I started with an exhale.... and the breath simply led me to where I was heading.


The next couple of weeks will be full on practice, practice, practice, as we prepare for Module 2 which starts on 29 May.  I will probably be slowing down my entries here as I revert to good ol' pen and paper, as we're required to keep a Daily Journal as part of the training program (read : got to dust the covers of my Gita!!)


Curiosity only killed the cat, but if it gets better of you, and you'd like to sneak a peek into the monkey tricks I'll be trained in, in the Tripsichore circus this year, you can purchase a copy of the Tripsichore Yoga Uniquely Advanced Vinyasa with Edward Clark DVD available at www.pranamaya.com

Tripsichore Yoga
Uniquely Advanced Vinyasa with Edward Clark

Fun, tumbles, love and light always.
xx