Luckily, the magic of yoga practice is that it effects transformation by asking you to move your body in new ways over a long period of time. When you do, your mind, being deeply connected to your body’s movement pattern, changes. As you learn to access dormant muscles, tissues, bones, and spaces in your body, you simultaneously learn to access dormant thoughts, emotions, feelings, power, and success. Kino MacGregor
Why Add Yoga To Your Life? CAILAN
FINLAY
Movement is medicine. There are numerous studies that have proven exercise is not only effective in managing the symptoms of disease, but also preventing them. This includes chronic illness such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer as well as depression, anxiety, mental health disorders and degenerative bone diseases. The modern world we live in is chaotic. Our lives don’t have an off switch. We’re over worked, stressed and distracted. Above all of this we’re expected to be good mothers/ fathers, partners, friends and family members, all while being fit and healthy, having hobbies and taking time for ourselves. You can see why this doesn’t always pan out, right? Unfortunately, the first thing we usually sacrifice is ourselves. We put our needs on the back burner and let the chaos control us. We are living constantly in our sympathetic nervous system, or our “fight or flight” mode. Overtime, this accelerated stress can lead to burn out, fatigue and exhaustion, even developing into more serious illnesses like the ones mentioned previously. We must give ourselves time to move into the parasympathetic nervous system – our “rest and digest” mode where our bodies are able to repair and replenish the cells of our body so we can continue to be capable of functioning at our full capacity. But how can we do that?
Add yoga to your lifeThe most common statement I hear when I tell people I’m a yoga teacher is “I want to do yoga but I’m not flexible enough.” Firstly, this is akin to saying, “I’m too dirty to take a bath,” but mostly, it’s the misconception that yoga is a practice about flexibility. This has been fuelled by the growth of social media and yoga influencers in arm balances and epic backbends, or the active wear world promoting photos of western women modelling yoga clothes in similar poses. It’s taken away the true meaning that is yoga. Yoga is first and foremost, a journey to self-realisation that it is available to everyone, regardless of their nationality, gender, religion, age or body type. As someone who comes from an athletic background and has practiced various modalities from bodybuilding to cross fit, I was thought same. I believed yoga was about flexibility and that they talked about setting intentions quite a lot. I had tried a few yoga classes and I usually walked out wanting more. What I didn’t know is under the right guidance, yoga doesn’t just bring you flexibility and strength, but understanding, purpose, compassion, inner peace and satisfaction. A chance to connect to your mind, body and spirit and allow yourself to repair. My journey with yoga began when I was seeing a remedial masseuse who happened to be a hatha yoga teacher. Every week he would tell me, “You need to come to yoga so you can stop paying me to fix you.” At the time I was training at the gym six days a week and thought yoga was a waste of my time – (how is that going to build my muscles?) but eventually I caved and attended one of his classes. I was mind blown. The class was hard! I didn’t know at the time my teacher also had a background in ashtanga yoga so it wasn’t your average beginners yoga class. I could barely do some of the poses. At the end of class, he took us through five minutes of Kirtan meditation and I felt the mantra hit deep within my heart. The bliss I felt at the end of that class was something I had never experienced. My body asking, “why haven’t you moved me like this before?” My mind felt calm and my heart felt full. That class tore apart the perception I had of yoga and I walked out knowing the peace and bliss I felt was what yoga was truly about. It started a journey that will continue for the rest of my life.
The purpose of yoga is union, the connection of linking up with the Divine. Through the processes of the 8 limbed yoga system such as pranayama (breathwork), asana (poses) and other tools, it helps to purify our consciousness so we can tap into our spiritual essence and begin our journey to understanding who we really are. The ancient Vedas of India are full of wisdom and knowledge, advising us how to live a life full of health, longevity and purpose and this wisdom is still applicable today. When one embarks on the path of yoga, it’s more than just simply moving your body, although the benefits alone from asana are huge. Purely from consistent asana practice one can experience increased strength, flexibility, improvement in muscle tone and joint pain, improved posture,
reduced risk of injury, increased awareness and mental clarity. Focus on the breath allows the release of stale energy in the body and nourishment of the cells by bringing increased oxygen into the blood. Deep breathing techniques move the practitioner into the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing the body to nourish and repair on a cellular level after the damage done from living our stressful lives. But yoga isn’t just a physical practice. It’s not about the toned muscles, the lithe body and the small waist that comes with consistent practice, nor is it about standing on your head or being the best in the class. At the end of the challenge that comes with the confronting poses lies the path of realisation. The ability to tap into the truth that resides deep within your heart – the truth of
existence, the path to the Divine and self-knowledge which has been passed down from teacher to student for thousands of years. Yoga teaches a path of right living, compassion, servitude to others and a way to unconditional love. For that is the magic of yoga. When you practice, and that is all this journey asks, that you practice, you begin to find long awaited answers to deep burning questions, happiness, peace, satisfaction, understanding and knowledge that has always resided within you.
YOGAYATRA MAY 2021| 10
So why add yoga to your life? We are usually drawn to this path for a reason, knowing that there is perhaps something more to what exists around us. The world is full of beauty, but chaos and deep suffering also exists within. You’ve likely seen by now that material possession is not bringing you lasting happiness and you’re looking for something more. Or perhaps you just want to find a way to relax, get fitter, find peace and have some mental clarity from the chaos that is life. Yoga, more than anything else, can offer all of the above. The proof of the pudding is in the tasting, so add yoga to your life and experience the benefits that comes from this ancient practice.
CAILAN YOGA TEACHER AND WELLNESS COACH
Yoga teacher and Wellness Coach, Cailan is known for her ability to make Ayurveda accessible to everyone living a modern life. She teaches people how to apply the basic principles of Ayurveda and incorporate lifestyle changes to help them achieve their ultimate state of health. Cailan is a certified Ayurvedic Wellness Coach, aiming to help people transform their lives and achieve their goals. Having walked the path of eating disorder recovery, overcoming selfsabotage and burn out, she is able to relate to people's journeys from a place of empathy and understanding. Passionate about the integration of Eastern and Western medical modalities, this yogi approaches health from a holistic perspective, encouraging healing from the root cause up, helping her clients experience breakthroughs in all areas of life. Cailan incorporates the powerful wisdom of the yoga system and mantra into her classes to give people knowledge, tools of personal growth, discovery and self-realisation.
The Yoga Journey KATERINA
KOSTKOVA
A few years ago I suffered from many problems... physical and emotional trauma – I did not even consciously know about them. The biggest healing journey started via regression therapy. It was through this modality that I started to discover myself from a different perspective. Physical yoga entered my life at the age of 15. I tried hatha yoga and I honestly didn't find it that interesting.Hot yoga came to me years later and gave me more benefits to my physical problems. I felt amazing and I was becoming more to yoga than I thought was possible.I remember watching the videos about people who studied at the school I chose speaking about the massive change of their lives by finishing those courses and I could not believe it. I went to Koh Phangan, Thailand - to study the Hatha yoga intensive program for 1 month. I stayed 8 months in the end. I finished 550 hours of TTC and it changed my life. I went back home and then after a while ocme back to Phangan and study more. I spent about 2 years on the island and I become more self-confident, more aware of myself and I started to understand the alchemy of Life. The journey began with so many colors. I finally felt free at the age of 28. I was living with an amazing community, studying deep profound yoga, and living a bit of a hippie life. I had a little jungle hut nearby the ocean, a beautiful dog, and a little scooter (for a school ride). What a life! Everything was happening on the beautiful tropical island.
Since finalizing my 200 TTC I started to give private classes, I was assisting in the school and slowly begin to teach on daily basis. I volunteered at many projects, teaching kids yoga and English. Taking care of the whole community events and did lots of Karma yoga. Another 8 months passed, my visa expired and I went back home for few months to teach (Czech Republic) After coming back home, I felt I would love to explore a bit more. I went to Gran Canaria, living and teaching there for 3 more months and afterward I get the offer to teach at one of the most luxurious hotel places in Zanzibar. I was teaching yoga, taking care of the therapy & healing center, organizing and creating the events of that place. What a wonderful life!
My visa and work contract finished and I went back home. I completed my training and became a regression therapist. For few years coming back home and leaving, I made a list of contacts and now have a space for my clients. With them, I do online yoga sessions and private regression therapy. Life changed with the lockdowns around the world and I settled in my own country while meeting my partner and rising our life here in Prague with so many visions and colorful days. The yoga life gave me so much freedom and flexibility I ever expected.
YOGAYATRA MAY 2021 | 12
Before this journey started I was a girl... Someone very shy, deeply broken without faith for better days. Yoga changed my life. The daily practice changed my life. Every day of practice is bliss! The bliss of opening, vibrating, sharing, shining. From inside out.
It is a real spiritual process. Real alchemy. The alchemy of Yoga.The goal (if there is a goal) of Your Journey should be about YOU.About understanding WHO YOU TRULY ARE, no matter which practice you chose or the path you have already chosen.
My life is expanding as I expand. I realized that everything from the inside is going outside. I feel my Self as a creator of my microcosm which expends and manifests to the macrocosm of the universe.
I remain convinced that yoga and spiritual overlap have saved my life. I would like to emphasize from that practice, practice, practice is the main key and cultivation of oneself. There is no need to follow dogma, to consider oneself immediately as a spiritual being (even though I believe that each of us is). Finding yourself step by step should be the guide andthe path from inhaling to exhaling
The moment when the mind drops and I flow from breath to breath is like heaven on earth without a doubt of being present by the Highest. The Love is pouring through me, there is inhale/exhale only. The hidden challenge to me is that no one tells you what is it all about. The Journey of the Self is not an easy one. It might seem, when you finished your TTC you get the best job on the planet and you become Someone. It is on your way if you believe it. But there is a BUT. To be really Someone is a thing. There might be challenges, spiritual tests, and lots of uncomfortable moments on the path of the Self. The deep cleansing includes many dark nights of the soul and experiences that are beyond logical thinking.
My inner tips would be: Cultivate gratefulness Meditating on WHO I AM Bringing JOY to the practice Making FUN of oneself – especially while going throw big processes or changes Practice Practice Practice Contemplat Sharing your insides/thoughts with a great Soul (where are trust and holding space) Having a therapist/mentor or friend on the same path/specialization Cultivating other movements/ sports/ dance.
@yogabykaterina
5 Reasons Why You Need To Start Doing Yoga Today SAMANTHA
DOYLE
Why should you practice yoga asanas? Why not jog, lift weights, do aerobics. Or maybe you get your exercise skiing, snowboarding or swimming. Of course other forms of exercise work your body in various ways, but yoga asana is a complete, systematic and time-tested form of exercise that complements your other activities. Then again, if you don’t exercise at all, yoga asana is the perfect way to start. It’s accessible for people of all ages and levels of fitness. The beautiful thing about hatha yoga is that it’s not competitive. You work at your own pace, listening to your body, gradually encouraging it to stretch and strengthen when it’s ready. But don’t think you won’t get a workout! You’ll push your limits but you will do it gently and safely. Yoga not only keeps you fit and firm, but provides innumerable benefits to the internal systems of the body as well. The many forward bending asanas, or positions, stimulate digestion and elimination. Twisting asanas and backbends stimulate spinal nerves, benefiting the entire nervous system. With a healthy nervous system, you’re able to relax and face life’s difficulties more steadily. Inversions and other asanas pump up your blood circulation. Breathing exercises bring oxygen to the blood, which then bathes the cells, rejuvenating the body from the inside out. Yoga asanas affect the glands and regulate the production of hormones. In fact, yoga does wonders for all systems of the body. Even a little effort at this exercise is repaid almost instantly with greatly increased feelings of wellbeing. With regular practice, you will quickly notice how your body feels lighter, livelier and more limber. Balance strength with flexibility. And more subtle forms of yoga like meditation relieve stress and benefit the body, mind and you, the soul. 1. More length gives you more opportunity for strength. 2. Stress less: inside and out. (muscles de-stress and the mind de-stress) 3. Improves neuromuscular awareness and coordination. 4. Makes you feel good. Releases feel good endorphins and hormones. 5. Helps to balance the nervous system and endocrine system: encourages sound hormone health, for better moods, complexion, menstruation, growth, repair. By Samantha Doyle, Yoga Therapist and Teacher Trainer, Gold Coast Australia.
Finding Balance For Good SAMANTHA
DOYLE
“I’m sorry, you probably wont be able to have children”. That sentence slapped me in the face. And hard. Hard enough that I finally realized I couldn’t go on like this. I was only 19, and to be told in my youth, that my life ahead would not include children of my own, was a shock - to say the least. The Doctor bluntly said, “if you do fall pregnant, you have a high chance of miscarriage.” “They don’t know what causes PCOS. But apply this hormone cream daily and it will help with your hormone levels.” I took the prescription; glad in some sense that I finally had a definitive answer. My ovaries were riddled with cysts. I saw it. It was real. And explained a lot. But no one could explain to me why I had it, so I walked home that day, a hot mess. I called my mum and blubbered, “I’m going to be a crazy cat lady with no kids *uncontrollable sobs* I can’t have kids, but it’s ok, I’ll just have lots of cats *sobs*.” I was always the eccentric one at school. I don’t think becoming a Cat Lady would have surprised or shocked anyone. When all this happened, the internet wasn’t widely available. You needed access to an office, school or library to research stuff on the net, so I couldn’t jump online and Dr Google my diagnosis. But I did have a large collection of health books that I’d been collecting from second hand stores over the years. I ran my fingers over the dusty spines of many nutritional books, mental health books, and vegetarian cook books until I came across a book on Ayurveda. It was like a magnet for my lightly shaking hands. I pulled it out and made myself a cup of tea with five sugars (yep, that’s what I did back then. A clue to my ill health maybe?!). I sat out on the balcony with my highlighter and started reading. After highlighting the entire first page, I put the text down, convinced that this book– this information – this knowledge – was meant for me.
It was like everything I read made sense, and everything I read was applicable to my situation. It wasn’t a diet. It wasn’t an alternative therapy. And, despite its name, it hadn’t anything to do with India, other than its origin. As I read on, I realized it was, simply put, the truth about life. It was the articulation of how stuff works in this world. Based only on a few easy to understand concepts that can be applied to anything and everything. I identified my issues, and felt so validated– excited, really. Not because of my compromised health situation, but because I found answers. And in those answers I found hope.
"You gotta find a way to heal so you can help others" Samantha Doyle
YOGAYATRA MAY 2021 | 15
What is Ayurveda ? SAMANTHA
DOYLE
Ayurveda is the natural healing system of India, as stated by Dr. David Frawley, a distinguished commentator of Ayurveda. It traces all the way back to ancient times, as far back as 4000 BC, originating as part of “Vedic Science,” the understanding of the universe: matter, mind, and consciousness. In ancient Sanskrit, “Ayur” means life, and “Veda” means “knowledge” or “understanding.” These two components, and the entire system of Ayurveda, are usually translated to meaning: “the science of life.” Ayurveda is a system designed for healing both the mind and body, with the ultimate purpose of practically supporting us on our journey through life. Ayurveda teaches us how to live– how to coexist amongst the forces of nature, how to create balance in our minds and bodies and how to transform our consciousness. Rather than just trying to make us “thin” or “happy” as many modern diets/systems have tried to encourage, the system of Ayurveda creates harmony in the entirety of our being. It focuses on the whole. And like I said, it does this through diet, yoga, meditation, herbs and lifestyle, focused on balancing your three “doshas,” Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Doshas are some of Nature’s primary forces. They determine the bodily processes of growth and decay, a.k.a, body/mind feel good or body/mind feel bad. And each person has a dosha/doshas they associate with the most, which governs how we eat and live, and balances us.
It took months after learning of my Vata imbalance (think nervous, anxious, spacey), before I could sleep through the night and eat three to four meals a day. I took up walking, yoga and meditation, and continued enthusiastically reading and applying the concepts of Ayurveda and Vedic teachings. One of the points that jumped out at me was that: Ayurveda doesn’t see illness as a ‘disease,’ rather a chronic state of imbalance. So throughout my healing journey, in my mind I was working towards reining in my imbalance, and reinstating homeostasis, or ‘balance’. It took a massive amount of effort, support and commitment to take up those practices in hopes of doing so. After 4 months, still no menstrual cycle. But my weight was healthy and my skin was glowing. I was able to sleep, bouncing out of bed at 5am every day ready to seize it. I kept going with my Ayurvedic plan I’d set up for myself, and added some herbs and spices. I started yoga teacher training, and then a relationship. At this point, I was 6 months recovered and well on the road to feeling balanced.
this point, I was 6 months recovered and well on the road to feeling balanced. The relationship was serious. We’d made the commitment to each other and said yes to kids. Only, I most likely wasn’t able to. It wasn’t long until I got my first period. YES!! This is a sign! A symptom that my body is on its way back to health! And then, nothing. No period the next month. Nor the next. Nor the next. I decide that perhaps I need a detox. My tummy was feeling tight. I had a few random symptoms, but everyone kept commenting that I was glowing, so I probably just need a little reboot/detox to help things a long their way. Before I bought my Detox kit at the local health food store, I hovered my hand over the pregnancy tests at the chemist. I chose the cheapest one and ducked into the shopping centre comfort room. It was horrific. Dirty, small, smelly, dingy. I peed on the stick and the double lines (meaning pregnancy positive) popped up almost immediately!
YOGAYATRA MAY 2021 | 16
I’m pregnant?! Noooo. No. Nope. Not me. Silly cheap test. I walked to work. Shaking. Get to lunch. Do the other cheap test. Double lines again. Noooo. No. Nope. Couldn’t be. *sprints to the store and buys most expensive pregnancy test* *pees on stick and holds upright for precisely three minutes as per instructions*. *Sits down. Shaking*. I was pregnant. At 22, and just a year or 2 after being told I was basically infertile! Long story short, I head back to work and chat with my boss who happened to be an ex-midwife. I tell her my symptoms and she lays me on the floor to assess my abdomen. “Sami!!! You’re at least 18 weeks pregnant!”
Within the next 3 days, my pregnancy was confirmed– at 20 weeks! (no wonder my high-waisted skirt felt so tight) From there, I needed nothing more to convince myself, that Ayurveda and Vedic teachings were the an incredibly profound and effective foundation for health management. The new life inside of me was the emblem of health, vitality, harmony, and healing. Aligning my mind-body-spirit complex with Nature offered me a first-hand experience of the power of Divine grace and shakti. The fruits of fertility - the ultimate biological manifestation of creativity – were made manifest physically, emotionally and spiritually, through a beautiful balance of effort and surrender. What I learned through this process of healing was so much more than ‘how to be healthy’. It brought me closer to the Supreme and back into the warm embrace of Mother Nature. 10 years down the track, and I’m a happy, healthy mother to four spritely children. No miscarriages, no signs of new cysts, and all hormone levels are balanced. I have scar tissue on my ovaries from previous cysts. I have scars on my arms from my past mental health situation. And they remain tangible markers (and reminders) of where I’ve come from.
Ayurveda and You Everyone deserves peace of mind, and we too, deserve bodily peace. Not only do we want to feel splendid emotionally, but also, rest easy at night knowing our bodies are getting what they need, and wake in the morning ready for life. The easiest way to get started is to pay greater attention to our eating habits. But without just concentrating on “what” we are eating - we also need to consider “how.” It’s important for us to feel comfortable and harmonious when eating. Like I said before, we should be striving for peace of mind as well as bodily peace. Overall harmony leading to a successful, nourished, happy self. Ayurvedic expert Atreya writes of mindful eating and the Ayurvedic key factors affecting the process of eating and digestion. By making a small change in the way you eat, you’ll immediately notice a difference in yourself. Changing “how” you eat could lead to weight loss and cure digestive problems. What we need to pay attention to while eating is as follows: • Mental attitude toward eating • Environment • Company • Amount of attention paid to the process of eating • How it’s prepared • Eating order • How you eat • Amount eaten • Kind of food • Quality of food To make sure we are bettering our health, it is important to take note of each of these factors and make an effort to implement this process of thought into your daily diet. Before suffering with an illness, I had been body and diet conscious, but in the ways of “this is low carb,” “this is said to make me lose weight,” “I need more green vegetables.” I didn’t spend time thinking about what really mattered in life, listening to my body’s needs as associated with the environment around me. Changing my attitude to adopt a more holistic approach to eating was one of the first health principles I embraced, even before changing the foods I ate.
As I said before, Ayurveda is the science of life, and in our lives things change. Ayur, a synonym for “life,” is also a synonym for “life-force,” which in ancient Sanskrit is also called prana. And life, prana, is always in movement. It is never static. Therefore it is always changing. Author of Ayurvedic Healing for Women, Atreya, says that “ayur implies a changing and living system, one that embraces life, not one that reduces life to a category or fixed concept.... and respects the most fundamental fact of being alive– change.” The elements of nature exist and are at play constantly. It is up to us to learn about them, so we can embrace and harmonise with these natural laws – and this is essentially how we can reinstate our natural state of balance. And when we do, our lives change forever. Every sector of our life is affected - “the knock on effect.” These laws don’t just apply to human health, but to the way the world works: nature, relationships, the way we think and feel. There are unlimited amounts of diets, exercise regimes, pills, potions and products that can improve your health. But how do you know which is the right one? How do you know what’s right for your body; your unique situation? By learning the concepts of Ayurveda (which is essentially ‘how to stay in balance throughout all the changes in our lives’), we can all learn to understand ourselves better, so we can make healthy, educated choices, based on what’s right for us– instead of dogmatically following the latest health trend.
What I learned in the process of recovering balance was:
Critical Thinking– Western Medical professionals don’t have all the answers, or the full picture. Doing our own research allows us to ask better questions, and take responsibility for our situation, as opposed to relying soley on limited, external sources.
The Healing Capacity of Our Bodies through refining our intuition and our inherent understanding/knowing of what we need to maintain balance, our bodies may play an active role in our health and life journey.
Strength in Simplicity Finding and maintain balance is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. But once you get it, it becomes your foundational understanding for everything, and you come out of it stronger than ever. The process is simple, but not easy, and takes long term commitment. With all that said, let’s get you on your own journey back to balance.
Your Journey The most important thing to remember is that this is your health journey. You are responsible for how it unfolds. If I could stress one key point to anyone wanting to improve their health, it would be to take it one step at a time. The concepts of Ayurveda are simple and highly effective; however, learning anything new is a process that takes discipline and patience. If you are desiring to make changes to your health, I recommend starting by making a list of a few things that you know you can add to your life right now. Maybe it’s adding a daily walk, or perhaps it’s adding more wholefoods or vegetables to each meal. My favourite habit to start with is getting to bed earlier so you’re getting good quality sleep, which helps to balance hormones, stress, and may help us make better decisions throughout the day. Change is a process. Don’t be put off by stumbles. Don’t think of a minor failure as the end of your journey. Success in anything comes from consistent effort, and getting back up every time we fall. And remember that you and your body are completely unique - what works for others, may not be right for you. Getting to know your body takes time, but the more you are able to be mindful of your body’s needs, the easier it will become for you to make moment to moment choices to attain and maintain balance and harmony. And remember: You are not your body. You are not your mind. You are spiritual in essence. You have a body and a mind that can be used as tools to help you live a life of purpose, fulfilment, and happiness.
Samantha Doyle Bio Mother of four, yoga therapist, and Ayurvedic wellness coach, Samantha Doyle, is known for her gentle, simple, and effective approach to behaviour change. Samantha is the founder of Live to Serve Academy, a health and wellness platform which aims to educate and inspire people to live a vibrant, meaningful life. Having worked with thousands of women, across 10 different countries over the past decade, her offerings aim to serve the whole person - helping people find life and purpose beyond their health challenges. Her unique method has shown notable success with healing emotional eating and other complex patterns of behaviour. Samantha has shared the stage with influential industry leaders such as Dr. Robert Svoboda, Amadea Morningstar, Dr Vignesh Devraj, and MC Yogi. Access her free Ayurvedic Wellness Guides here and start your holistic health journey today. https://www.livetoserve.com.au/about/ https://www.instagram.com/samanthadoyle_/
Yogini Interview PETRONELA CHALUPKOVÁ
YY: Years Teaching/Practicing PETRONELA: My yoga practice started around year 2012 I just tried it for fun. Yoga seemed very easy for me, so I started practicing, but as I was directing a big company, I had no time to visit any studios. I decided to become an instructor. Just for myself. But the story was different. After finishing my course, I started do give classes and few years later, opened my own studio YOGA SPACE. Now I am an owner of a studio / online platform with 10 yoga instructors and at the moment I enjoy creating and managing my company, travelling, and also giving yoga clases. YY: Instagram Handle PETRONELA: @petronela_chalupkov YY: Certifications Power yoga instructor Pregnancy yoga instructor Other courses
YY: What do you love about teaching / practicing yoga PETRONELA: I love the ceremony of the class. The beginning, the active part, savasana. I love the feeling of strong and flexible body and I love how i relax. Both, practicing, and teaching gives me energy and calmness at the same time.
YY:What drew you to yoga? PETRONELA: I guess it just came as a thought. Like evenry important thing in our lives, it just happened. I did not even notice and I was led here. And I feel good here, having yoga as a part of my life. YOGAYATRA MAY 2021 | 21
YY: Where can we find you when not on your matt PETRONELA: You can find me working in the studio, chilling at home, or travelling the world. I also like fitness, snowboarding, horse riding, music and movies, and all the nice and beautiful places. Cafés, restaurants, fancy hotels, unforgetable beaches. I love food and good company. But also I feel great at home, with my 2 maine coon cats couple. I am more about “with whom” than “where” type of person. YY: Favourite yoga pose PETRONELA: Any heart opener, any flexible pose. King pigeon asana feels like home to me. YY: Can’t live without PETRONELA: I can live without anything, but it is hard to imagine living without some people, family, my cats, coffee and feeling of freedom and posibilities. And my iphone. YY: Ideal Person PETRONELA: I try to be the ideal person myself, that is the way I attract people into my life. Truth, loyalty, respect, responsability, love and compassion, freedom, joy and fun are the qualities. I also like touch of modernity, attractivity and progress.
YY: FAVOURITE DESTINATION PETRONELA: In next months or years I hope to visit Zanzibar, Bali, Italy, and any island in Mediterrian sea in summer. Menorca is my favourite. I also like beautiful places in Slovakia. At the moment, it is a dream to visit Maldives.
S pozdravom Mgr. Petronela Chalupková YOGA SPACE Founder petronela@yogaspace.sk 0948 383 250 www.yogaspace.sk
SAMANTHA DOYLE BIO: Mother of four, yoga therapist, and Ayurvedic wellness coach, Samantha Doyle, is known for tle, simple, and effective approach to behaviour change. Samantha is the founder of Live to Serve Academy, a health and wellness platform which aims to educate and inspire people to live a vibrant, meaningful life. Having worked with thousands of women, across 10 different countries over the past decade, her offerings aim to serve the whole person - helping people find life and purpose beyond their health challenges. Her unique method has shown notable success with healing emotional eating and other complex patterns of behaviour. Samantha has shared the stage with influential industry leaders such as Dr. Robert Svoboda, Amadea Morningstar, Dr Vignesh Devraj, and MC Yogi. Access her free Ayurvedic Wellness Guides here and start your holistic health journey today.
Website: https://www.livetoserve.com.au
YY: How you are introduced to yogic lifestyle & Ayurveda? SAMANTHA: I was struggling with life in general. Things didn’t seem to add up – there was so much suffering, so much pain everywhere around me – I didn’t understand how people could be happy. I was so desperate to know what the purpose of my life was; and life in general. After years of searching, and nearly giving up on life, I found yoga. My teacher at the time was my age (19-20), and at the end of every class, she would read short, excerpts of scripture – either the Bhagavad-Gita by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, or texts from Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa. Everything I heard seemed like simple, practical answers to the questions that no one in my life had ever been able to answer. From there, I was hooked. I loved the yoga wisdom, the lifestyle, and mantra meditation. It slowly became my life, and 15 years later, I’ve never looked back.
YY: Where did you teach and how did you get you started? Samantha: I was very fortunate to meet a senior yoga teacher who mentored me one on one for about 3 years, and is still a close mentor in my life today. I underwent my foundational Yoga Teacher Training with Veda Yoga Training, here in Australia. And from there, taught for the Australian School of Meditation & Yoga in Sydney. I was so captivated by all facets of the yoga process that I was practicing pretty enthusiastically on a daily basis. My practice included asana, mantra meditation, reading/hearing yoga scripture, and trying to engage in service at the yoga centre I was teaching at. I was so young (only 21), and at the time, ‘yoga’ wasn’t popular in Australia yet. This was just when social media was coming out, so things weren’t as common and competitive. A lot of people in Sydney still hadn’t even heard of yoga before! Trying to start teaching at 21 – I had so much self-doubt, and felt like, “Who would want to learn from me? I’m so young, and inexperienced.” So it was quite daunting, but my lovely mentor encouraged me with some great advice that has stuck with me for my entire teaching career, and that was, “You just need to know enough to care for them. Caring for your students is the most important thing.”
YY: What benefits/ impactful changes do you experience through Ayurvedic lifestyle? Samantha: I think main thing is that it takes the guess work out of health and wellbeing. It’s such a practical science that gives you the knowledge to make smarter choices for life. There are no fads of gimmicks, so once you get the hang of the principles, the impact is that you’re pretty much set for life in being able to make smart, sensible choices when it comes to health and healing. The other thing I’ve found quite profound is how it allows us to understand ourselves, and others too. Learning about the tendencies that are inherent for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha as they manifest in the mind and body allows us to be a little more aware and accepting of our differences (as opposed to being frustrated and judgmental – “why does he/she behave/think like that?!”). I think overall, these two things bring a greater sense of balance and harmony to life in general, with the main benefits being related to feeling more grounded, aware, and relaxed.
YY: Where did you learn yoga and Ayurveda? Samantha: I learned Ayurveda from Atreya Smith, and studied via his school, the European Institute of Vedic Studies. Of course there have been many teachers along the way (and currently) that have greatly impacted the way that I practice and teach. I’m very fortunate that my yoga studies began in the traditional way – hearing wisdom from great saintly personalities, learning under my mentors, and from there going on to formalise my yoga teaching studies with Veda Yoga Training. I also recently completed a diploma in Yoga Therapy with a Melbourne based school, The Australasian Yoga Institute. YY: How was your life as teenager? What difference you find when compared to nowadays especially in lifestyle? Samantha: My life as a teenager was pretty standard in many ways. I was into sports, had a love-hate relationship with school, and had a nice group of friends.
However, from about age 14 I started getting up to no good – boys, drinking and drugs, dropped out of school early. I think it was all symptomatic of the same thing that led me to yoga – no understanding of self, and therefor low self-esteem, and confusion about the purpose of life. I very quickly spiralled downwards, and went from being a straight-A student while training 25hrs a week as a gymnast, to all of a sudden, not being able to see the point of anything (which was later diagnosed as Anxiety and Depression). Within a couple of years, I was battling an Eating Disorder, had been diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (and told I’d never have children), and was working as a bartender in a strip club. Life felt so heavy, beyond what I could stand. By about age 19, I started heading in a suicidal direction, and ended up in hospital a few times. Honestly, I think going through all that as a teenager was a bit of a blessing. If things’ hadn’t gotten that bad, I don’t think I would have looked so hard for the Truth. Finding the yoga system at such a young age set me up for the rest of this lifetime being pretty sweet! Even in the inevitable hard times; in the ups and downs of life; yoga – connection to the Supreme – even the hard times are sweet as they bring us closer to God’s embrace. So now… life is a little different – I’m happy, healthy, and content. As a mama to 4 kids, my life is pretty settled, and I’m honestly just so grateful for this journey of self-discovery. I hope to share it with as many people as possible so they can feel the joy and benefits too.
YY: What do you love about teaching? Samantha: I love to help people feel good, and to help people establish healthy habits. I also love, love, love movement and really love to give people an experience through movement that allows them to feel balanced and a little more in touch with themselves. I’m also an extrovert, so I really love the connection element of teaching – getting to connect with others.
YY: Where can we find you when you’re not on the mat ? Samantha: On my computer – pretty much my favourite place to be! haha I love my profession so much, and most of my work involves me being on my computer. Researching, writing, coaching, training – Live to Serve Academy is such a big part of my life. Other than that, I home-school my kids, so I guess when I’m not on the mat, I’m pretty much at home most of the time – schooling and caring for the kids, and running my business.
YY: What advice would you give to someone that is new to the practice of yoga ?
Samantha: To see yoga-asana (the physical practice) as an entry point to yoga in its truest sense. Yoga has so much to offer, from meditation, to guidelines for living, culminating in the highest rung of yoga – love for the Supreme. When we start to develop our relationship with the Supreme, that’s when we start to experience happiness and fulfilment beyond the mind and body. Enjoy your yoga-asana practice, but be curious about the other limbs of yoga, as they have so much to offer, too. YY: Favourite Travel Destination Samantha: That’s a tough one! Probably Rajasthan, India. YY: Favourite Book Samantha: The Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
YY: What is your favourite Asana and why ? What benefits does this Asana provide? Samantha: I would have to say Handstand! I have been a handstand addict since I was a kid. So naturally, when I found yoga, I was so delighted that I had an outlet for Handstands. As a pose, it has so many benefits – it’s great for developing over-all strength, balance, and coordination, plus it bathes the brain in fresh blood supply. Seeing as it’s more of a difficult pose, and not one that everyone will practice or achieve, I also want to share some of the benefits of trying to learn Handstand (even if you never fully master it). Learning to Handstand is like learning to walk. Once you master it, a whole other world of movement patterns, beliefs, and opportunity opens up. All of a sudden, you can sequence, balance, and ‘see’ things in ways you’ve never been able to before. The journey to Handstand offers so many fruits. You’ll build strength in areas of your body that have been asleep for most of your life. When learning Handstand, you’ll learn how to fall and fail, and accept it as part of your progress. One of my favourite benefits of practicing Handstand is that it helps you tap into a deep level of relaxed focus that will become an asset to all areas of your life.
YY: What does it mean to you, to align mind, body and spirit? Samantha: My spiritual teacher, Jagad Guru, taught me that union in mind, body, and soul is something that begins with a loving connection between atma (individual soul) and Paramatma (the Supreme Soul). When this connection is made and cultivated, then one can begin to dovetail their life in such a way that they live in this state of union – action of the mind and body is guided from within, leading a person to live a life of contentment and fulfilment. Without that connection to Paramatma, a person will be lead by the mind and body (and the senses), influenced by environmental factors, stress, desires. All of which lead to feelings of disharmony in mind, body and spirit.
Thank you for having me! I love to meet new people, so if anyone reading this wants to get in touch, I’d love to connect. You can reach out via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samantha.doyleLTSA Or come practice with me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJIurQHlYHyoCqLPxX7pc oQ
VERONIKA MAHASHAKTI YY: Dear Veronika, I would like to start your very personal relationship with yoga.
VERONIKA: I grew up with yoga and it probably saved my life. laughs .... In any case, as a child I already sat in Hanumanasana every day and the king cobra was my best friend too. I could touch my toes with my tongue and just loved yoga. I had completely independently drawn my own yoga series with stick figures on a piece of paper, which I had put together with a friend and I then practiced this every day after school on the floor in front of my desk on a thick green mat made of fabric. And whenever I was in some spooky "contortion", I would call my sisters into the room, who were always very scared. So I had a lot of fun and I also remember that I liked to stay tuned when it was tough or tough. Incidentally, I only remembered when I was a yoga teacher in 2002 that I had already been practicing yoga as a child when we were practicing the king cobra. At that time I had this dèja vu and it fell like scales from my eyes, because I didn't even know that it was yoga and that you were practicing a certain series.
YY: So it was already subconsciously in you. Generally you are a very intuitive and spiritual person. Have spirituality and meditation always been part of your life? VERONIKA: I meditated as a child. I sat there forever and stared at one point. My mother thought it was funny and rather questionable, but let me do it. It was somehow inside of me and was good for me. Today I would say my soul already knew all of this. And then she chose an exciting home for herself: with a Roman Catholic religion teacher as her mother and a mathematician and physicist as her father. That's how I grew up with spirituality and quantum physics. Both of these were not really strange to me later during my yoga teacher training and it was easy for me to understand everything.
YY: So as a child you already did yoga and meditated unconsciously. Did you have other childlike approaches to your spirituality back then?
VERONIKA: As a child I always talked to my angels - they were always around me and gave me “advice”, in a certain way that is still the case today. Today I no longer necessarily refer to these helpers as angels, but rather as Universal Power or Higher Knowledge with which I connect. Some also call it opening the Akashic Records. I have been meditating regularly for 30 years. Energy work, spirituality, meditation and yoga are the tools in my life that I love most and that I use almost every day in some form. I even wanted to join the monastic order with Sivananda and as a child I wanted to become a nun. I couldn't walk past any church, synagogue, or mosque without entering. I especially love Hindu temples and the many beautiful gods and animals that adorn such a temple fill and lift me up very much. But I am just as worldly and live both. I have decided to pass on spirituality in a “worldly” form, which I think is important nowadays. Combining everything with one another in equal parts is what I feel is my way.
YOGAYATRA MAY 2021 | 29
YY: What is your path in terms of yoga routine? Do you have a favorite flow, a favorite asana? VERONIKA: I start the day with energy work, still in bed or sitting on the floor. I flow through my physical and astral body with light, clean my chakras up to the 12th chakra, build up light and protection for myself. Around noon or in the early afternoon I have been practicing the Ashtanga primary series for myself for several years. By the way, I don't practice Ashtanga because I like it so much, but because I go out of my comfort zone and have to or may build up strength. I overcome my inner resistance and the need to have it just pleasant and easy.
YY: That means you consciously deal with your deficits? VERONIKA: I've always been a rubber doll by nature and my middle name was the splits. That's why I practice what I need to balance: strength and self-discipline. As a result, my flexibility has unfortunately deteriorated for the first time. But that is exactly what yoga is for me: also coming to terms with it and observing what this experience does for you. Very exciting! And yes, there are still asanas in the first series of Ashtanga, which I am glad when they are over. For example when I go to Utpluthih again for 10 breaths at the end. But when I do it, it's not that bad. It's more the thoughts before it. This is the way into moving meditation and clearing up obstructive thoughts. As I said: this is yoga for me. YY: Are there any asanas that you don't really like? VERONIKA: In general, you can say that I don't like to specifically practice individual asanas in order to be able to do them. I've never done that before, it's totally alien to me and not my understanding of yoga. That's why I never do the handstand for myself. Something in me generally rejects this handstand practice. Even if I can do it myself, which I notice when I show it for hours. Because it actually belongs to yoga and I don't want to withhold it from any of my students. YY: What else is important to you when dealing with your students? VERONIKA: In my lessons I always say a homogeneous mix of flowing, static, challenging but also very gentle asanas. It is important to me that everyone in the group reaches their limits and possibly shifts them a bit and thus takes a new impulse with them. But also that everyone can really relax and a lot of calm and serenity can be felt even in challenging asanas. In general, it has always been very important to me that the focus is on feeling emotions, the body, dealing with oneself and others in the room. Practicing on the mat for real life - that's what I like to call it.
YY: How are your students supposed to implement the practice on the mat in life? VERONIKA: They should learn to observe whether they can still breathe calmly and calmly in the asanas, which are challenging. In the same way, you should stay in focus and in the moment in quiet asanas and not start thinking about what to eat afterwards. It is important to me to convey tension and relaxation as a unit so that you can deal better with stressful situations in everyday life and learn yourself to change certain behavioral patterns over time. For one, it is rather difficult to dare to do something, for the other it is actually difficult to lie quietly and relax. Both aspects are important in life and we practice that on the mat. In the group I try to treat everyone equally and have no “favorite students”, even if I have known some of them for very, very many years, of course. I try to help everybody but also leave them alone and only verbally correct from every now and then. Everybody shall feel comfortable and in a safe and loving space.
YY: Is that why you decided to become a yoga teacher in order to do it differently yourself? VERONIKA: I did the yoga teacher training in 2002 just for myself because I loved yoga. I had the time and the money - it had been four weeks in a row, and that doesn't always work. A decisive experience brought me to Buddhism and transpersonal techniques, regardless of my early experiences as a child. In my early twenties I had extreme physical pain and high temperature for a whole year and could not work. Since conventional medicine couldn't help me and after two months in Großhadern still nobody could tell me how to treat what I had and I was stuffed with beta blockers and a lot of extreme drugs, I then decided to take the alternative Healing done. As a result, I have tried out many of the holistic alternative healing techniques that I also offer today, one after the other. Since most of it had made me a little healer, I did one training after another in these fields. YY: Sounds like your job as a yoga teacher means a lot to you?
YY: How exactly did you come into contact with Buddhism during this time?
VERONIKA: A friend at the time took me to a “Buddhist seminar” at an ecumenical center because I told him that I was interested in Buddhism. That wasn't really common in the early 1990s. Yoga & Co. were anything but trendy. I thought it was an introductory seminar. It then turned out that it was a “Zen Sesshin”, i.e. a 10day seminar in silence: the strictest form of meditation with around 8 hours of sitting meditation and 2.5 hours of walking meditation - and always being silent. You were not allowed to look at each other while eating and one hour of karma yoga per day was compulsory.For a young girl it was a very intense experience, but it was also very formative and healing. When I later got to know pranayama in yoga and did a lot, I became completely healthy and painless.
VERONIKA: Yoga with all its aspects has healed me and still helps me to get through everyday life and my life healthy. On all levels, for body, mind and soul. I pass on what has made me healthy and still helps me a lot in everyday life. That was the reason why I founded the MahaShakti Yoga Studio. It is very fulfilling to have a job that, on the one hand, feels like a calling and, on the other hand, can also help people. My students leave the lesson with thanks and a smile. I know you have received tremendous added value for yourself in just those 90 minutes. Because yoga really helps to get and stay healthy.That's right, yoga is a real all-round talent and keeps you mentally and physically in balance.The greatest good is health and it makes so much sense to invest in it. I used to have other jobs too. Many made me sick or I felt the work was not honest. For example, I was very good at selling expensive watches, and I did that for six months. Ultimately, I find them fascinating too, but at the end of the day it doesn't make anyone happy in the long run. Neither selling a 50,000 EUR watch, nor actually owning a watch. Perhaps proud, but it's not fulfilling. It will never bring that feeling in which we can arrive in meditation, yoga or healing work.
WHAT IS MEDITATION REALLY AND WHY DOES THE WESTERN WORLD STILL FEAR SO MUCH? Meditation opens the mind by emptying it of what is considered heavy by awakening our inner self (subtle energies) bringing us back to the current dimension in a conscious way in a renewed relationship with ourselves and with the environment around us
Meditation was born to face what, in daily life, makes the human journey difficult, anxious, fearful, suffering. Put simply, it was born to act as a shield against life's adversities. It took years (and I believe still many) for this concept to be absorbed by Western culture. The term Meditation is one of those special terms that do not have a corresponding translation meaning. Each language has untranslatable terms that I can make sense of in the idea, in the context, but lacking a literal translation. There are words belonging only to the language of origin (Portuguese, for example, has many. Among these we find SAUDADE. This, however, does not mean that it cannot have an equivalent in another language because it has no meaning but because, mysterious unspoken of this word, cannot be transported into another language). And it is precisely in that unspoken space that that meaning takes shape. Therefore, it is possible to give a series of translations but it will never be possible to translate the Heart: the Essence.
MEDITATION IN TIME Meditation had different places and men of origin so that, based on the culture and the root of that particular place and man, it took on different baptisms:
YOGA: (About 1500 BC) - The oldest written testimony on meditation appears within the ancient Hindu scriptures (Vedá), very ancient sacred texts in Vedic Sanskrit transmitted by the Aryan peoples who invaded Northern India around the twentieth century BC. they founded the Vedic religious civilization by tracing the first lines of thought that are the basis of Hinduism and all the religious doctrines and beliefs related to it. From the Indo - Aryan root, Veda is formed from the term Vid (to know) deriving, in turn, from the Proto - Indo-European Weid (to know - to know). Each Veda is divided into different sections: Mantra (initial and oldest part), Brahmana, Aranyakes, Upanished (final and female part). The yogic tradition is still alive and thriving through infinite lineages and schools including Hata yoga (yoga of movement), placing its own practice on Asanas and breathing exercises. In South Asia, paintings of people sitting in meditation with half-closed eyes have been found
YOGAYATRA MAY 2021 | 33
TAOISM: (600 - 500 BC) : born in China through the Chinese sage Laozi to eliminate falsehoods by finding harmony through Nature (Tao), energy (Qi) and balancing yin and yang JANISM AND CONFUCIANISM (about 5000 3500 BC) : Jianism is based on nonviolence and its founder was Mahavira. The Janist monks walked in a group with a small broom in their hands to clean the path they traveled, thus avoiding to step on, involuntarily, any form of life. Confucianism was born in China and was founded by Confucius. Both of these forms of philosophy develop approaches to meditation such as soul penetration and sitting in silence
BUDDHISM (600 - 500 BC): founded by Siddhartha Gautama who later became the Buddha after Enlightenment, he left his privileged life in search of awakening and, it is thought, that he learned meditation through yogis. Later, He moves away from this tradition by creating his own methodology by founding the four defined principles: four noble truths (SUFFERING, DESIRE, NIRVANA or MOKSHA, NOBLE EIGHT THOUGHT)
GREEK PHILOSOPHY (20 BC 300 AD) : Philo of Alexandria and Plotinus, developed meditation techniques including concentration without embracing early Christianity. The influence of Eastern thought and contemplative traditions in the West ended with the rise of Christianity in Europe. It is believed that the military exploits of Alexander the Great towards the Indis put the Greek philosophers in contact with the Indian sages and yogis. The Greeks developed their own forms of meditation such as navel contemplation (omphaloskepsis) or a particular Hesychasm meditation during which Hesychast monks are thought to have received influence from Sufis or Indians
CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM (500 - 600): meditative practice of Lectio Divina characterized by the rule of St. Benedict widely practiced today by Benedictine monks SUFISM (about 600): originates, most likely, during the early Islamic period. The followers of Sufism, Sufi, developed practices based on manta and breath influenced by Indian traditions. The heart of their practice is the connection with God (Allah). Samazen (dynamic meditative form) is still practiced today in Turkey SIKHISMO (1400): founded in India by Guru Nanak. Forms of meditation through which the presence of God is perceived. Even today, these practices are applied by the Sikh communities JEWISH KABBALA (1200): handed down, originally in oral form, it was collected in a group of texts (Zohar). This meditative method is based on the profound contemplation of philosophical principles such as God and the Tree of Life CURRENTLY, Meditation is very widespread and is becoming so, fortunately even if in a not strictly oriental way, also in the West. To practice it, you don't need any kind of particular creed
Anna Ferriero @realbeauty_love94
Nangeli
Story From Past
“Mulakaram”, Tax for Breast If Never Paid, Let Them Bare Believe it or not, during the early 1800’s, in the area over, a “Mulakaram” or “Breast tax” was imposed on women in the state of Travancore. The area was one of the 550 states in India controlled by Britain.
The magnitude of British demanded for local kings in the plains of India forced the kings to rack their brains to find a way to fulfil the colonialist’s wishes, even if they had to make it difficult for their people again. The main victims targeted woman from Sudra caste as the lowest caste in India. They were prohibited from covering their own breasts if they did never practice mulakaram or breast tax. The women of the Sudra caste were forced to be bare chested (without any clothes). Royal officials would go to each home to collect this tax from any lower caste woman that had passed puberty. The tax collector determined the amount based on the size of the breasts by touching them with bare hands.
This tax was created with the sole purpose of humiliating lower caste residents. Upper- class women did not fall under these restrictions of this tax and were allowed to cover their breasts. At that time, the social status of a person was determined by their caste, which required clear identification in correspondence with how they dressed. Apart from seeking additional income through commodity taxes, mulakaram was intended to insult the lowest caste with a further split in the fabric of local Indian society. How were women from other castes allowed to cover their breasts without being burdened with mulakaram? The purpose of the breast tax was to maintain the caste structure and nothing else. Clothing was considered as a sign of wealth and prosperity, so that the poor and other lowest castes were never entitled to garment.
This period saw the emergence of the Roman Catholic and Syrian Christian community. As the system became increasingly oppressive, conversion into Christianity was seen as a ticket to a better life. Christian women were allowed to cover their breasts with a jacket- like blouse known as the “Kuppayam”. Yet, they were barred from wearing the upper-cloth the way Nair women did, who wrapped the cloth around the torso in a specific style. This was to keep the hierarchy between the two distinct and obvious. The Christian Nadar women were not entirely happy with this proposition and demanded that they be allowed to wear the upper cloth the way Nair women did. As the influence of Christianity increased, the resentment that the upper caste held for them also grew. This culminated in a series of violent clashes in the Travancore region of Southern Kerala in what came to be known as the Channar Revott or the the Channar Lahala. Churches and houses were burnt down and women who wore blouses were stripped in public.
YOGAYATRA MAY 2021 | 35
Nangeli, a name that means ‘The Beautiful One’, later succeeded in changing the story of the rebellion by sending a shock signal throughout Southern India, not only in the Travancore Kingdom. Nangeli was a woman who came from a lower caste. She lived in harmony with her husband in the chertala area, a quiet town far from the center of the crowd like in Kerala at that time. She worked as a labourer in a farm. Nangeli was a woman who fused with the rare combination of beauty and brain. With her boldness, she was a class apart among the lowest castes.
Her death ignited the rage in people, eventually resulting in huge protests against the king. In 1924, fearing for his life and Madras Presidency pressure, the king allowed all women to cover their breasts. The sacrifice of Nangeli destroyed heinous tradition. The place where she cut off her breasts is called Mulachiparambu.
However her beauty became a source of disaster through the treatment of lewd people from the upper caste. Harassment, both verbal and nonverbal, was often experience by Nangeli. This sort of treatment never made her inferior from protecting young women in her own environment and community from being exploited by the upper caste.
Nangeli decided that,”Enough is enough”, and attempted to stop injustice. In 1803, Nangeli challenged state rules on mulakaram. She demonstrated in public how she started wearing a top to protect her breasts. Her attitude made a great stimulation among members of the upper class. Nangeli was then summoned to face to be forced to publicly remove her own robe.
Thanks & Regards Ramya Assistant Professor & Tribal Researcher Department of English
The story of Nangeli’s resistence spread by word of mouth, until Parvathiyar or tax collector came to her house accompanied by royal soldiers. They informed the total amount of taxes that must be imposed on Nangeli. The only option was to pay or face more severe consequences. She looked calm and entered into the room to prepare what was forced. Instead of placing the money in a plantain leaf, she cut off her breasts with a sickle knife and presented it to him. Her body succumbed to the excessive bleeding because she sliced one of the breasts. She fell unconsciously and died. In protest of the breast tax, her husband Chirukandan jumped into her cremation fire out of grief, committing suicide. “Nangeli’s story is unique also for the fact that it is the first recorded instance of a man committing Sati”
P.K.R Arts College for Women Tamil Nadu Mail:ramyaindia1947@gmail.com
Yoga and Corona YORDANKA
I was so unhappy that had to cancel the yoga classes because of the coronavirus. But I assume this decision is for the best. I've just started teaching last month and was feeling on fire. I didn't want to give up. Anyway, classes became smaller and it was just a matter of time till I cancel them. I thought that my yoga is not so bad for spreading the corona, because we are such a small group and yoga is one of the best tools for boosting immunity. That was it with optimism and pink glasses. More or less I didn't want to cancel because I didn't know what to do for two (or more) weeks. I am currently unemployed and was using the opportunity to focus on my hobby - yoga. I was also scared that if I cancel, I will lose the very few customers that started becoming regulars. If it was on me, I would maybe continue, but since the government took serious measures and almost everything got closed, so followed those rules as well the Cultural Space where I am having the classes. I assume, it's for the best and I am happy that they did so, otherwise, the stubborn Yordanka would continue spreading infections. It's so creepy the whole situation outside, everybody's buying food like there is a war. Almost empty streets, the very few people are running away from other human beings. There is a lot of fear in the air and especially- the fear of the unknown and what is going to happen.
We don't have another choice than to be minimalistic - to buy less, to crave less, to stay at home, to talk less, to cut unnecessary social contacts, to focus on the important things. It's a very bad time, knowing that so many people might die and we are afraid to not lose our beloved ones. The collapse of economics, globalization and social life. Many people will lose their jobs and some companies might get bankrupt. Trips get canceled, plans get screwed. I think many people are not so happy with this quarantine and accept it as a punishment, comparing it with imprisonment because don't want to stay home. You know, those rebellions, but they get less and less every day. Many people who were still "cool" last week and were convincing me to not give a fuck, now are paranoid and I should
calm them down. Within all this nightmare we don't have a big choice but to accept that we should stay at home as much as possible and use this time to rethink and focus on what really matters, reconnecting with our inner self and reflect. For many people this is a longing holiday for somebody who is at the edge of burnout, this is a necessity and welcomed break. So, if the circumstances allow, we should take the maximum out of it and really focus on minimalism this will create new horizons and perspectives. When people are feeling insecure, they are buying like crazy. The supermarkets look like battlefields. Empty shelves, people hurrying up to take it first and to get as much as possible.
YOGAYATRA MAY 2021 | 37
I saw pictures on the Internet with ladies fighting for toilet paper. A whole cashier till wrapped with nylon foil in the shape of a tunnel. A guy covered with nylon bags from the bottom to the top, so only the eyes are visible. Some actions look a bit exaggerated and make us laugh but some fun is good for the immune system. Hypochondriacs get crazy and the people with vulnerable health. It's not a joke but I don't know if there is something that you could do to prevent it 100% and we might be meanwhile all contagious. There is nothing we could do than waiting for the storm to pass, hoping for the best and of course wash our hands thoroughly. On the internet, there are so many speculations. You don't know what to believe in. One thing for sure - don't believe anything 100%. Everybody reads a lot of news, but everybody has a head on his shoulders. Getting quality information nowadays is not so easy as it might look like in google. It feels like finding a pearl in an ocean of trash. I try to avoid discussions with people who only read one article and now trying to convince me in the truth of this source. My "favorite" is: I am not afraid because this is only dangerous for old people or people with chronic diseases. Yes, young, healthy people might be immortal for the moment but they still spread the virus to the next one.
In two weeks so many more people will show symptoms. I don't want to imagine what is it going to be like. Survivors of the COVID-19 share on the Internet that it took 10-16 days to get over it. So, after two weeks incubation period it would take approx two more weeks till the contagious get healthy (or die, sorry to say, but it's also a highly possible result.) Simple arithmetics - in one month according to my calculations we would be still under quarantine but I hope we will reduce the spread meanwhile.
I also hope they will release the vaccine meanwhile; the latest till the end of April. There are outnumber speculations and theories and different theories about the origin of the Corona. God punishes us; aliens want to kill the weak amongst us while forcing us staying at home so we have nothing else to do than babies and they could make experiments with us; Donald Trump wants to punish China; Bill Gates is behind the virus, he and his wife donated few millions (of their pocket money) to support discovering of antivirus but this is all set up and in fact, they will just take the money for the vaccine; in Uhan recently were installed 10 000 5G antennas so this is why people there got sick; the virus was released out by mistake from the virology center in Uhan; the pharmacy; it's just from the nature like the pest and many other deceases that originated in the human history, "natural selection"; Illuminati; new world order. I don't know about you and I don't want to convince anyone but I will share my subjective opinion. I believe in the theory that this is really artificially created biowarfare. A perfect weapon, spreading fear all around the globe, killing the old and weak and only proving us that we are just pawns in the game and some powerful people decide for and instead of us. I don't know about the names, if it's Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Illuminati, the whole pharmaceutical industry but I somehow believe that whoever is behind releasing it, has also the vaccine prepared. Every winter we have new flues and very soon we get a vaccine against them. Although naturally originate new threats for o ü weakened bodies, due to the fact we get further and further from nature, still believe that the worst evil on that planet is us, the people and we hurt each other. Moral of the story, life is hard, love each other (but from a distance), wash your hands, hope for the best and don't spread the virus. Stay healthy!
@Yogawithyordanka
Biodegradable Yoga Mat developed by 6 young girls from Assam (India) may save lakes from water hyacinth menace A biodegradable and compostable yoga mat developed from water hyacinth by six young girls from the fishing community in Assam could turn this water plant from a nuisance to wealth. The girls belong to the fishing community living in the fringe of the Deepor Beel, a permanent freshwater lake in the southwest of Guwahati city, recognised as a Ramsar Site (a wetland of international importance) and a bird wildlife sanctuary. The lake has been a source of livelihood for 9 villages of the fishing community who shared this biome for centuries, but over the years suffered from excessive growth and accumulation of water hyacinth. The innovation by the girls, whose families are directly dependent on the wetland for survival, could contribute significantly towards the environmental conservation and sustainability of Deepor Beel and also ensure local livelihood. The mat called ‘Moorhen Yoga Mat’ will soon be introduced to the world market as a unique product.
About the Mat:
The ‘Moorhen Yoga mat’ is named after Kam Sorai (Purple moorhen, a resident bird of Deepor Beel Wildlife sanctuary).
It is a hand-woven 100% biodegradable and 100 compostable mat developed from water hyacinth. The mat could improve the aquatic ecosystem of the wetland (Deepor Beel) through removal of water hyacinth, help sustainable production of utility products with community engagement and generate livelihood for indigenous communities to become completely 'Atamanirbhar’.
Source: PIB
YOGAYATRA MAY 2021 | 39
LIANA SCOTT