It is a pure Joy to practice Yoga but first we should learn  to accept our body (and body limitations) as it is , which is not easy. I know.
“You have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first”.
How many times have you heard a flight attendant to say exactly these words?
And why is this a universal policy in air traffic industry?

The reason lies in the fact that if we help ourselves first – we will be able to help others.
Yoga is a way of living but also a powerful tool to help people who are simply in one or another way thrown out of balance.

 As a teacher my vocation is to help everybody to find their own balance, to accept their own body and what they can do with it. Moreover – I want my students to start loving themselves just the way they are. I also want to inspire my students to do more, to feel the Edge, to stop right there when they feel It, to enjoy the moment… and to try to find a new Edge some other time.

Please take a look at these 3 photos - different body types and the same flexibility in doing 'Mermaid Pose'. The point is - there is no excuse. We can do Yoga. All of us!

Then, when we accept present moment and who we are – we can “put oxygen mask" on somebody else in need.





By Maya Toracki, Yoga Teacher

Lately I am reading a lot about Vanda Scaravelli and her Yoga Journey. I am ‘following’ her students, and I am so happy to say that I had a chance to be thought by one who belong to Scaravelli lineage – Patricia White. 

Imagine woman, concert standard pianist, who at her late 40s started her yoga practice, lived with it, introducing modifications and her own views on yoga and marked the history of yoga. Her book "Awakening the Spine" (published in 1991) had huge impact on today’s yoga practice... She died at 91 (1999).

She was introduced to BKS Iyengar by the violinist Yehudi Menuhin and soon after she was thought by Desikachar, son and student of T Krishnamacharya whom she had known earlier in her life through her father. That is how her Yoga path started.

What a great way to start a day! 

You just press your palms together and place to the heart and beautiful series of asana can start. It is a wonderful way to awaken your body, to stretch, to say good morning to yourself and to the world.

The sequence in Surya Namaskar is perfect.
Each pose has a different meaning designed to center you in your heart, to focus your mind, to energize and to give you strength.
It’s a great workout for the whole body – you stretch, you flex and you tone your muscles but you also express your gratitude to the Sun, our basic source of life!

It started 2000 years ago when Hindus started honoring the Sun through the dynamic asana sequence knowing today as - Surya Namaskar (Surya = sun, namas = ‘to bow to’) so naturally the best time to do Sun Salutation is in the morning, in the direction of the sun, on empty stomach, however – in my opinion – it can be done anytime during the day. The fact is that it will always have positive effect on you! 

I do minimum 6 sequences. I start slow, sometimes staying for 2 breaths in one pose with a deep concentration. Then I move little bit faster, with inhale or exhale assigned to each pose, except downward dog where I like to stay for 3-5 full breaths. If I decide to do more than 6 repeats, I go with 10 or 12 and then I make my sequence faster; they become like a beautiful flow. Breath is definitely effective tool to follow while mind is settled but strong. You are – present and peaceful.

It can be combined with other asana but in each case it should be done under supervision and under the guidance of a trained and experienced yoga teacher.
By practicing every day you can reap benefits very quickly. Just be gentle to yourself and being gentle you are practicing ahimsa (Non – violence)

Although many variations have evolved over the years there are 7 basic poses (some are repeated) and each has different meaning.
1. Mountain Pose  / Tadasana  - centres you
2. Forward bend / Uttanasana – relaxes you
3. Flat back / Ardha Uttanasana – energize you
4. Plank and Chaturanga – makes you strong, powerful
5. Cobra or Upward Facing dog – energize your spine 
6. Downward Facing Dog – relaxing, grounding pose 
7. Flat back - brings confidence 
8. Forward bend – relaxing pose
9. Tadasana – seals the sequence.

My Advice:
- Be gentle to yourself
- If you have back pain or back problem it is always good to consult a Doctor!!
- Respect and LOVE your body – do not imitate your Yoga Teacher or anybody near you. LISTEN your body and do what you can do. There is always another time!!!

Namaste.
Maya T.