A bit over a week ago I made my way to my second OM Yoga Show in London, one of the biggest yoga events in Europe. I was curious to see what is happening in the front of sustainably made yoga apparel, listen to some talks, meet friends old and new and also practise a bit of yoga.
Alexandra Palace in North London is an amazing venue itself. The show, as last years, was almost a bit overwhelming. So much so see and do! I’ll let the pictures to do most of the talking.
Big thanks to Nubyen Active Wear for my ticket to the show. I forgot to take a picture of their stand becaise we were chatting too much so here is another one of their beautiful yoga clothes!
Cyprus is the perfect place for weddings, wind(surfing), occasionally waves AND for SUP Yoga! I am currently on the Island for all of the above and will be teaching two more SUP Yoga classes this Saturday and Sunday at WindsurfCity Cyprus in Makenzy Beach, Larnaca.
So what happens on a SUP Yoga class?
In all honestly I prefer calling SUP Yoga as “yoga inspired” class rather than a “yoga class.” As the whole thing happens whilst floating on what essentially is a big surf board (just wider and longer) it is simply impossible to have as good balance as we would standing on the ground. Therefore all the poses we do need to be more or less adapted and some are simply out of the question. Sure we can go to Instagram and see people doing headstands and all that stuff on a board but just like the other fancy poses you see, they do not represent the reality.
If you feel slightly disappointed now, don’t! SUP Yoga will challenged you regardless, even if you are experienced yogi or have never tried yoga before, because of the Sea beneath us. The key is to let go all expectations and just focus on the moment – and trust me, a sudden movement of the sea, in the middle of calm, really brings you to the here and now. I usually start my classes lying down, tuning in and build the sequence up to hands and knees and eventually standing. There will be plenty of familiar poses to be experienced in a new way and you can also expect to feel and activate your muscles in a different way. Falling in also happens, it is part of the fun and a sure way of test where the Ego is. And of course there is Savasana at the end. Nothing better than Savanasa lying down on a board, in the beautiful East Med, under the morning sun!
Wear your swim gear (bikini, swimsuit, rash vest if you prefer complete sun protection, shorts…), sunscreen, sun glasses you don’t mind getting wet and maybe a cap or another type of hat. Just like in a regular yoga class, is always better if your gear does not have buckles, decoration, big buttons or anything metallic as we will be lying down both on our backs and belly and you do not want anything pressing against your body.
Please book your board in advance by dropping me or Margarita a text via this and this link – SUPping is very popular so we want to make sure everybody who shows up gets a board and nobody is left waiting because of no-shows and/or drop ins. The cost of the class is 18 euros and it will be in English (although I do speak very poor Greek too, occasionally.)
Last weekend the 2nd edition of the Balance Festival took place at The Old Truman Brewery in East London, just off Brick Lane. Last year it attracted 8000 visitors over 3 days and the organisers said the targer for this year was to double that.
I cannot tell if that target was met but what I can tell you it was massive, super well organised, a bit overwhelming and a lot of fun!
Unfortunately I did not have a chance to take part in many of the fitness and yoga classes available but there was so much else to see! I have never seen so much plant based products in my life! I wish all the best success for all the businesses that were present: I would love to see your products more prominent on the supermarkets, as well as with the independent vendors!
Now let the pictures tell their story.
Thank you Balance Festival for an awesome weekend! See you in 2019 I hope!
It is 100% true that to practise yoga all you need is the willingness and the patience to do so. The yamas and the niyamas are accessible everywhere, and there is no “wrong” way of practising them. Equally breathing techniques, pranayama, can be incorporated into everything, because well, it’s breathing! As for asana practise, a minimum amount of flat space is of course desirable but after that, the choice of outfit is up to each of us. Even the yoga mat is not compulsory – after all in the ancient times yoga was practised on the ground and the yoga mat as we know it these days is a fairly modern Western invention.
The reality is however that many of us do prefer to practise with some kind of mat, and if asana practise is part of your routine, you probably prefer having your own mat with you as much as possible. Making space for the regular 180 cm and two-three kilo mat is not a massive issue when traveling with a proper suitcase. In fact, it often has come in handy as it can add some much needed cushioning for the more delicate items, such as a dozen or so Cypriot olive oil bottles I have found myself dragging to various places.
Things get a little bit trickier though if you want to travel light with hand luggage only, a fact not helped by the fact that airlines (and airports) can have very different attitude towards bulkier items. About a year ago I invested in a foldable (eco-friendly and ethically made because these things matter) travel yoga mat and whilst folding the mat (instead of rolling) first felt like a sacrilege I did get used to it and seriously, this mat has been golden! It weights under 1,5 kilos (that’s 3.2 pounds), is about 2 millimetres thick and has the best grip of all my mats (mind you, the “normal” Jade mats also have a fantastic grip.) In my backpack I can wrap it around my laptop for extra protection, and I have also used it rolled up as a prop to open up the chest and as a picnic mat because why not?
Some of the mat’s recent adventures are here in the pictures. You can read more about different yogamats here.
The first time I heard about Magnesia Festival, a two-day yoga and heartful living event taking place on a small island in front of Helsinki, was in May when a friend was visiting Cyprus for a weekend yoga-intensive with me. She had visited the inaugural event in 2016 and enjoyed it a lot. Whilst I am not really a camping-in-tent-festival type of person, I do enjoy the more urban type of happenings where you get sleep in a real bed at the end of the day. Magnesia offers this and combines a lot of things I enjoy: Summer in Finland, seaside, islands and ferry rides, yoga and a chilled atmosphere with smiley people not making too much noise.
August is also the main holiday month in Cyprus whereas in Finland it spells the start of return to normal life. Therefore it made perfect sense for this year to plan my visit to the Motherland a little later than usual, and combine it to visit the day one of Magnesia yesterday.
The programme the festival offers contains different type of yoga classes, discussions about relationships, ayuveda and nutrition, dance workshops, tea ceremonies and lot more. With my one-day ticket I could pre-book one workshop of my choice, in addition to which it was possible to queue to other ones to see if there was space. There was also non-bookable programme on the main stage outdoor where you could also buy food and just chill. The ticket also included the 10-minute ferry ride to and from the Lonna Island where the festival takes place. It probably does not surprise anybody that this being Finland everything was super organised, hassle free and any question you could think of was answered online before you could even think of them. Queuing was done in order with strangers happily chatting to each other and the natural personal space of about 3 metres all direction each was cheerfully sacrificed by all to accommodate as many people as possible to the workshops.
In the morning I took Marta Janeczek’s back- and forward bends workshop. Backbends and forward bends have opposing philosophy and benefits associated with them (physical and emotional opening, defiance in the face of vulnerability, stimulation of the nervous system vs. introversion, cooling down, soothing of the nervous system.) Whilst some yoga styles link strong backbends with forward bends closely in the same sequence, I have always been taught to (and it usually feels better for me personally) to at least have a slower transition and/or neutralising pose or two (such as downwards facing dog or a twist) in between them. I was really curious to see what kind of workshop was build around this concept and I was not left disappointed with this one.
I did not know Marta before hand (quite frankly I know very few Finland based yoga teachers by name, let alone have taken their classes) but just based on this one experience I would recommend to seek her out in her Helsinki based yoga studio. She has a really calm, humble yet fun vibe to her AND manages to fill the space she holds with that energy – a gift not given to many. Based on her bio she has an Iyengar influenced background and the class had a lot of detail about the anatomy of the asana we were given, always a winner with me. Marta’s workshop really refreshed my appreciation for and detailed knowledge of many “basic” asana such as the cat and cow poses and just for that, I am grateful.
My friend recommended an intuitive writing and yin-yoga workshop she had taken last year so we both had registered for that one. It was held in an old mine storehouse (in the olden days the Lonna island used to a mine clearing spot) with soft sunlight sweeping through the small windows in the sealing – and packed with people. I felt the class was maybe 10% writing and 90% yin but since you cannot really go wrong with yin, I was very happy to bliss out with the practise. I can always write at home but I cannot make that kind of unique setting with loads of people happen at a will.
The rest of the day we spent just bumming around the grounds, watching a flow yoga practise taking place at the central stage and enjoying the sun and soft sea breeze. The weather was absolutely gorgeous yesterday that was appreciated by everybody, as the summer in Finland has been extremely rainy. Big thanks for all the Magnesia crew for putting out such a beautiful event – I will definitely do my best to come back next year!
Since 2015 the 21st June has not only marked Summer Solistice but also the International Day of Yoga, as agreed (by an unprecedented consensus) by the United Nation’s General Assembly in December 2014. The idea to observe Yoga Day came from India’s Prime Minister Narenda Modi who at the time stated:
“For us in India, respect for nature is an integral part of spiritualism. We treat nature’s bounties as sacred. Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change and in bettering our well being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.”
Ever since its conception Yoga Day has been embraced internationally with mass yoga sessions across the world, from Times Square in New York to events hosted in rural villages. The latter is exactly what took place in Cyprus this year. For the 3rd International Yoga Day the High Commission of India to Cyprus organised a sunset mass yoga practise in collaboration with the Community of Platres, a village situated some 1000 metres above the sea level in the Troodos Mountains. It was a beautiful event with great level of participation, definitely worth the drive up the mountains.
Here are some pictures from the event.
No Commandaria for me!Not even falling rocks could have stopped me!
There is a lovely yoga boutique in Paris called Yoga Concept (123 Rue Turenne.) It was small but packed with brands hard to find in Europe in stores (like Teeki and Alo Yoga) and on their website they make a commitment to work with small quality brands, as well as local designers. In addition to clothes they also sell yoga mats (Manduka and Jade were on offer, I wrote more about these mats here), blocks, socks, DVDs… Admittedly the stuff they sell is not the cheapest but I had a quick chat with the lady who was working there on the day I visited and we both agreed that a good product is exactly that – something that is comfortable, functional, stylish and most importantly lasts.
I did not take a picture of the Yoga Concept store so have a picture of the sky on Rue Turenne instead.
From clothes to food, around the corner from Yoga Factory there is a small café called “Detox Delight” were I went for breakfast after my morning yoga class. Everything they sell is vegan and gluten free. I picked up things that I would never make/buy for home: green juice and mango-some-vegan-yogurt mix with its granola. I am yet to find a green juice that I would genuinely like but I trust they are good for me and the one I had was not the worst I’ve had. The yogurt thing was actually really nice. And coffee. Thankfully they had coffee too!
On a more personal note, I was once again bowled over with gratitude for the friends I have. I stayed with and met several people I had not seen for some time (read “in years”) and with every single one of them I felt so comfortable, catching the conversation like we had met yesterday. As friendships are always two-way streets, this aligned energy that you can have with some people felt so powerful and nourishing. No stress, no demands, just easy and loving.
I was also reminded that nice people usually have nice friends. A true virtual circle for good times and I am thankful for this.
It was not sunny in Paris but it was perfect nevertheless.
Coming back from a break this nice can always be a bit of an anti-climax so I have struggled a bit this week get back to the groove of things. I did feel bad about it, trying to force myself to perform as I would have wanted. At the end of it the best thing to reboot was to spend hours in front of Netflix, binging on series (anybody else seen The OA?!) and just going “f**k it.”
All is good, all is well.
Pariisin matkailijoille jotka ovat kiinnostuneet joogasta suosittelen putiikkia nimeltä Yoga Concept (123 Rue Turenne.) Kauppa on pienehkö mutta valikoima on huolella valittu ja heillä on myynnissä merkkejä joita on vaikea löytää Euroopasta kaupasta, kuten Teeki ja Alo Yoga. Myynnissä on myös joogamattoja (mm. Mandukaa ja Jade Yogaa joista kirjoitin aiemmin täällä), joogatiilejä (hah, korjausohjelma ehdotti joogasiiliä!), luistamattomia sukkia, DVDeitä… On pakko myöntää että myynnissä olevat merkit eivät ole sieltä halvimmasta päästä. Jutellessani kaupassa olleen myyjän kanssa olimme kuitenkin samaa mieltä että hyvät tuotteet ovat hintansa arvoisia: mukavia, tarkoituksenmukaisia (kuka haluaa jatkuvasti kiskoa vyötärönnauhaa ylöspäin joogatunnilla?), tyylikkäitä ja ennen kaikkea kestäviä.
Vaatteista ruokaan, kulman takana Yoga Factorysta (jossa kävin aamujoogassa) löytyi pieni kahvila nimeltä “Detox Delight.” Tarjolla oli vegaanista ja gluteenitonta aamiaista ja lounasta. Valitsin aamiaisen jota en ikinä kotona tekisi: vihreää mehua ja vegaani-mango-jugurttia granolan kanssa. Suoraan sanoen en ole vielä löytänyt vihreää mehua jota voisin sanoa hyvänmakuisesti mutta tämä ainakin meni kurkusta alas ilman suurempia irvistelyjä ja oli varmasti terveellistä. Jugurttiannos oli yllättävän hyvä ja täyttävä. Paikasta sai myös kahvia, onneksi. Tämän tosi tarkistin heti kun pääsin ovesta sisään. Ei aamiaista ilman kahvia!
Kahvia ja pullaa. Mysliä ja mehua. Ja kahvia.
Asuin Pariisissa ystävien luona ja tapasin kavereita joita en ollut nähnyt muutamaan vuoteen. Oli ihana huomata jälleen kerran kuinka elämässäni on ihmisiä joiden kanssa olo on kotoisa, rauhallinen ja juttu jatkuu kuin viime tapaamisesta olisi ollut vain pieni hetki. Ystävyyden energia on aina kahden summa joka sekä antaa energiaa ja ideoita että luo turvallisuuden tunnetta ja luottamusta elämään. Sain myös muistutuksen siitä että ihanilla ihmisillä on yleensä ihania ystäviä joten Pariisin reissuni oli kaikin puolin kovin onnistunut.
La Seine!
Takaisin paluu kivalta matkalta (vaikka kotona on myös ihanaa) voi olla aikamoinen antikliimaksi ja menneellä viikolla inspiraatio olikin sitten kadoksissa (vaikka ideoita sainkin matkalla, en tiedä minne hibernaatioon ne vetäytyivät.) Koitin pakottaa itseäni tehokkaaksi mutta loppujen lopuiksi paras tapa päästä takaisin koti-rytmiin oli viettää useampi tunti sohvalla Netflixin parissa sarjoja katsellen. Onko kukaan muu katsonut sarjan “The OA”? Olen tykännyt Brit Marlingin tuotoksista tosi paljon ja tämäkään sarja ei pettänyt. Olokin on nyt täysin rebootattu.
Originally I had planned to go to an advanced level vinyasa class on my last full day in Paris. With all the walking done over the days (and long dinner on Tuesday on Tuesday evening) I however started feeling like something mellower would be a better fit for the day. As mentioned I had really like the energy at Studio Keller the day before and I quick look at their schedule showed there was an afternoon all levels vinyasa class (vinyasa tout niveau.) I was really curious to see an all-levels class by another teacher as it is common for most teachers to have a class with people of different abilities and it can be challenging to keep it interesting and challenging enough for everybody. The afternoon class was also Studio Keller’s weekly community class so it was priced only at 10 euros. What’s not to like!?
At the start of the class the teacher greeted returning students by their names, went through all the new people to get their names and introducing herself. She also checked who was new to yoga and maybe most importantly, if anybody had any injuries or restrictions on the day she should be aware of. Unfortunately this is not a question you often hear at classes although especially in the case of people new to asana-practise it allows the teacher to modify the poses based on whatever issue a practitioner might have. I get that in a big class giving individual attention to everybody is simply not do-able but if you have to choose who you are going to give it, this is probably the best way to find out.
The actual yoga was great although personally it was not the best practise I have had. Variations for the vinyasas were given (one being staying in child’s pose) and all the instructions were clear to follow for everybody (which did not stop me from getting confused between right and left but that happens to me everywhere, in every language) and there was a lot of humour. There was a really warm atmosphere in the room that goes to tell a lot about the quality of the teaching. Highly recommended!
There are numerous other yoga studios left to visit so do let me know what are your favourites in the comments as I hope to go and visit the City of Lights again later this year!
There is a real yoga scene in Paris and as I was due to visit my old hometown over few days I naturally wanted to check out what is on offer. Cue a message to the “Finnish people in Paris” Facebook page (note to self, 1am on a Saturday morning is probably not the best time for any question) and googling along the lines “best yoga classes in Paris.”
First impressions? The prices! Apparently you can charge 35€ for a class (and not a workshop, a 60 to 90 minute class)! Average seemed to be around 15€ to 20€ a class but as there is a lot on offer it was worthwhile digging a bit deeper. Most places offer the first visit at a reduced rate and there are several more moderately priced options.
Second impression? Booking in advance online was required for most places. I had sort of forgotten that this is the norm in most big places (Cyprus, as a country, has 1 million people compared to almost 10 in Paris) as a class can easily be 40 people. On the Island we call that a festival! But I suppose booking things before hand can help you get organised with your life so I can definitely see the benefits of it too.
Just a random happy cat on the streets of Paris.
I was determined to start as I meant to go along so for my first class I booked a 8 am “Rise” session at The Yoga Factory (Metro Oberkampf). The name had popped up on most of my searches, the morning classes were prices very reasonably at 7 euros and you did not have to book. I found the place without too much trouble (but did walk past it once before turning back), filled in the form at the reception and was directed to the changing room. The place had a cool industrial vibe to it (hence the “factory”) and was busy even at the early morning.
Now two things happened that I take full responsibility of. Firstly, I somehow managed to omit the fact that The Yoga Factory is all about hot yoga, and in every class the room is heated to +28C. I was a bit surprised by the temperature in the room when I first walked in but hey, I was after new experiences and to be completely honest, I would have probably never entered the place had I known it was about hot yoga (yes, I am that open minded.)
Yes it says “Hot Yoga” on that thing on the door. I noticed it too when I left.
The other thing was that for some reason I had thought the class would be some kind of Hatha variation, nothing too crazy. Obviously I had not bothered to read the class descriptions either. Well, hatha it was not. “Rise” at The Yoga Factory was a full-on 60 minute vinyasa flow like I had not experienced it in several years. To give you an idea how fast paced it was, the 60 minutes included a generous pranayama practise at the start, at least 6 (I lost count) rounds of full Sun Salutation variations, 5 different warrior poses, half moon pose, a whole bunch of the most common standing poses, bakasana (crow pose) as arm balance, tripod headstand for inversion, full bow pose and savasana. All tied together to form a continuous flow that did not stop for a second.
I had said I was after new and different experiences so I was truly served with this one. It could not have been further away from my regular practise! Whilst I did find the class a little bit too fast and “full” for my taste it was also fun and surprisingly energising. With no booking and the 7 euro price tag for the morning and a 17:15 “Happy Hour” class I happily go back to the Yoga Factory when in Paris next time. I will also take my towel with me.
I decided however to pay a bit more attention to the next class I was booking. I figured that with all the walking around the city I could do with something more restorative so I booked a Meditation and Yin yoga class for the next day at the Studio Keller (Metro Voltaire). I had heard great things about this place and they offer an introductory class for 13 euros. After the booking they send me an email with the codes to the building (another thing I had forgotten, the door codes in Paris) and at the door naturally I tried them in the wrong order, the last one letting me in through the first door. Good thing I was on time.
Studio Keller is another beautiful place if a complete opposite to Yoga Factory. This one had a more traditional yoga-shala-meets-old-Parisian-apartment vibe to it with wooden floors and light colours, mix and match props and a lot of light. The class was divine, also pretty busy for a Tuesday morning but very relaxing and calming. After the 15 minutes or so (?) meditation at the start the teacher was very hands on with the asana practise, offering adjustments, helping with the props and to get deeper into the poses in an effective way. Just wonderful!
I liked the feeling of Studio Keller so much I decided to go back for more the next day but about that in the next post.
I’ve been spending the last few days in London, making the most of the yoga classes the City has to offer. My goal was to try different classes and get inspiration from different teachers.
Olen viettänyt pari viimeistä päivää Lontoossa. Muiden asioiden hoitamisen lisäksi suunnitelmani on ollut käydä erilaisilla joogatunneilla ja inspiroitua erilaisita opettajista ja heidän tyyleistään.
A friend and a fellow yoga teacher in Cyprus recommended TriYoga so that has been my first stop. I LOVE their Camden location (there are 3 other locations in the city) which has a relaxed and complitely non-pretentous vibe in it. Even more, it has four or five yoga studios and a ton of classes to choose from. My first stop after five hour flight was “Restore and Relax” community class during which we did not stand up once. Perfect!
TriYogan tunteja suositeltiin minulle joten suuntasin suoraan lentokentältä heidän Camdenissä olevan studion tiloihin (TriYogalla on kolme muuta studiota eri puolilla Lontoota.) “Relax and Restore”-tunti oli juuri oikea viiden tunnin lennon jälkeen! Tunnilla ei noustu kertaakaan seisomaan vaan kaikki liikkeet tehtiin lattialla maaten.
The next day I tried out Jivamukti. I have been curious about the system but had not had an opportunity to try it out later. The teacher came recommended so 7:45 morning class it was! I really enjoyed it, we started off with 7 minutes of breathwork, followed by some chanting and a physical practise. The sequence was pretty intense for the morning but I got some hands on adjustments that I found good. The instructor also played drum’n’base during the asana practise and savasana which was a nice a chance to what I have been used to lately.
Seuraavana aamuna menin 7:45 alkavalle Jivamukti-joogatunnille. En ollut aiemmin kokeillut tämän suuntauksen joogaa joten olin innoissani uudesta kokemuksesta. Tunti alkoi 7 minuutin hengitysharjoituksilla jota seurasi mantran laulu. Itse asana-harjoitus oli intesiivinen varsinkin tuohon aikaan aamulla mutta erittäin hyvä. Opettaja kiersi luokassa ja paransi linjauksia tarpeen mukaan. Taustalla soi drum’n’base musiikki josta pidin myös. En yleensä käy tunneilla joilla on musiikkia (enkä sitä kyllä oikein kaipaakaan) joten tämä oli mukavaa vaihtelua.
I have also been observing few pregnancy yoga classes as this is a part of my ante natal yoga teacher training. Both teachers I contacted welcomed me with open arms to join in the class, much appreciated. The second class I attended was in this cute boutique gallery that runs different yoga classes also in the weekends.
Olen myös ollut seuraamassa muutamaa raskausajan joogatuntia joka kuuluu omaan antenatal-joogaopettajakoulutukseen. Opettajat joihin otin yhteyttä toivottivat minut kummatkin lämpimästi tervetulleeksi, on aina mukava saada positiivisia vastauksia pyyntöihinsä. Toinen tunneista pidettiin pienessä kauppa-galleriassa jossa on useita erilaisia joogatunteja iltaisin.
…and tomorrow there will be another new yoga class!
