My yoga path started in 2012 just from the curiosity of trying out yoga. I still remember walking into a class that had more than 40 people in it. Everyone seemed to move so fluently in and out of postures, while I was struggling to find where to put my hands and feet, and remember to breath in the between as the teacher instructed. At the end of the class there was a total relaxation, which felt weird to get into first, but after few minutes I was suddenly aware of my whole body and how I was feeling. I felt calm, focused, had a sense of ease and peace. This one posture made me go back time after time.
After moving to Enschede I found a kind and compassionate teacher with whom I practised astanga and vinyasa yoga until she relocated. She inspired me to practise at home and to get to know other teachers. Since there was no-one nearby who was teaching yoga in English, I travelled to Utrecht to practise at YogaMoves and attended their Going Deeper-course. This course helped me to understand the meaning of yoga practise for myself.
However, in 2016 I suffered a severe burnout since parts of my life were out of balance. I worked like I had infinite energy, put tons of pressure on myself, and let other people’s opinions and words affect me. During the recovery I found the healing breath work Max Strom teaches. It helped me to destress, regain my energy and opened a door to my inner world which I had kept close even from myself. Inspired by Max's work, I attended his yoga teacher training in Utrecht in the spring of 2018. Like Max says: crisis is the axis of transformation; and having a burnout gave me an opportunity to step closer towards who I am, and what I value and want in this life.
One of my values it to help others. To destress, gain control of their mind, feel at ease and be happier. How we feel inside is everything. It determines how we can enjoy the company of others, how to care for our loved ones, how we perform at work and how we make decisions about our life. Breath work and mindful movement are powerful tools to change our inner weather and have more sunshine in our lives. My wish is to offer an umbrella to take cover from the rain and help to blow the clouds away.
Take a breath.