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Rating: In 2011, I quit my job after 20 years of working abroad, 50 hours a week, and almost always traveling! Body and mind say STOP.
It's April, so the first few months are pure joy; I finally start doing things I never even imagined I could do. Spending plenty of time with my son, going for walks, hitting the gym, taking care of the house, cooking. But then autumn arrives, and the enthusiasm for this "freedom" begins to wane, the days seem endless, and I miss my office. In the morning at the gym, I start taking some yoga classes that have always fascinated me (I’ve also been a sympathizer of Japanese Buddhism for years). A world opens up to me in those sequences of very simple beginner positions, I realize there’s so much to know and learn. Above all, I feel better afterward. Boredom, apathy, and dysphoria vanish. I decide to delve deeper, I buy the monthly magazine "Yoga" which presents positions and sequences. The magazine always mentions a book "The Great Yoga Book" by Gabriella Cella Al Chamali”! I decide to buy it, and my life changes radically. The book is 800 pages long and contains truly EVERYTHING. Gabriella Cella Al-Chamali approached yoga in the Seventies.
Next to a very explanatory section regarding the history and "dangers" of yoga, there are in-depth looks at all aspects of this millenary discipline. I understand that yoga is a true cure for the body (inside and out), for the mind, and for the soul. For yoga (as with many eastern philosophies), past and future do not exist. Only the present moment exists, the "Here and Now," the only "moment" in which we're sure to exist. Although I later purchased many other books by great masters throughout history, this book remains an encyclopedia for me. I find everything there is to know. The book includes all certified positions (Asana in Sanskrit), plus positions certified by Chamali herself. There are sequences of positions that can be mixed after some experience, even alone, breathing exercises, nutritional advice, visualizations, and much more. She has now founded the school called Yoga Ratna and holds courses at her Ashram.
Many of you have asked me for more information about this discipline that I teach, and I'm pleased to provide guidance on how to start. I also invite you to try Yoga Nidra, there are tutorials available, it's simple relaxation!
Over these years, yoga has not only transformed my body (it's like dancing), but also my mind and relationship with others. I've stopped smoking and very naturally changed my diet, the book also offers many tips on what and how to eat. At 50 years old, after ten years of yoga, I can move as if I were much younger. My mood has improved along with great energy and inner peace.
Yoga not only relaxes but there are many types. I chose the slowest one. Ashtanga, for instance, is very aerobic, at the end of the lesson, you might even do somersaults from the adrenaline coursing through your body.
This summer, I became an instructor by taking an intensive one-month course, 10 hours a day. With the diploma, I can teach anywhere in the world.
I practice regularly with my class!
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