And so it began: the first scratch of the ego

My First Encounter with Yoga

In 2019, I was dragged to my first-ever Yoga class by my mother: Yin Yoga (the Yoga of surrender and acceptance). In those 60 minutes, I experienced the most bliss I had ever felt (and at the time, I was working as a diving instructor in the Red Sea... which is already pretty blissful). My soul had found its place... but the ego was rebelling like a little b***h. After class, the teacher came to me and said that I did really well (the aim in Yin is to hold a pose for an extended period of time, accepting the discomfort without fidgeting, wiping, scratching, moving... surrender, let go, accept, just be in it), and my response was, "I don't need this stuff. I dive 2-3 times a day; I am totally relaxed."

Thinking back to that moment, the look on her face said it all: "Oh, you poor thing, you have no idea!" But Yoga also teaches not to judge, not to force, and to accept that whatever happens, happens for a reason. And the little minds that we have—let me repeat that: THE LITTLE MINDS—have no clue about the greatness of the bigger plan. The universe has been moving and flowing for billions of years. Do we really think that we can possibly fathom its greatness and complexity? Surely not. And yet, we keep resisting its flow.

I’m blabbering, let me get back to it...

The Ego vs. The Soul

I did not continue Yoga; I was very resistant because Yoga, to me, was a "super flexy, slender chick in a tiny bikini OR a super toned and tanned dude in shorts, both wearing feathers in their hair and posting acrobatics on Insta." If you think that has anything to do with Yoga, you have the "wrongestest" idea, I promise.

It took me a few crises and struggles before I found myself meditating on the floor, as there was no deeper level to go. (Did you catch my double entendre... deeper as in the floor is already the lowest point, but also deep within?).

After that initial resistance, I began to explore what Yoga truly is beyond the surface-level misconceptions.

Yoga and Its True Meaning

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

So, what is Yoga, actually? According to one of the scriptures (the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, in this case), Yoga is composed of 8 simple limbs. These limbs suggest a way to attain liberation from the false self-identification.

How many of you think you are the body, the mind, the personality, the job, the given name, the hair color, the IQ... well, let me give you an identity crisis: YOU ARE NOT THAT. That is all something happening on the outside of you. But your TRUE SELF, your TRUE NATURE, is actually the soul (or any name that resonates with you: Essence, Source of Self, Higher Self... so many words for the same thing).

Please repeat silently in your mind, "I want ice cream, I want ice cream, I want ice cream." Are you aware that you are in control of that thought? You are creating that thought; it's not happening on its own. So, you cannot be the mind.

Please move your left index, your right pinky, your right ear (yes, I can do that 🐒). Are you aware that you are in control of that body? You are creating that movement; it's not happening on its own. So, you cannot be the body.

Please think about when you willingly (or not) changed your hair color. Did the hair color change you, your essence? Maybe you had some emotions towards it, but you remained you. So, you cannot be the hair color.

Please think of the time someone said, "Oh, you are so funny/nice/serious/annoYing..." Did that word change you, your essence? Maybe you had some emotions towards it, but you remained you. So, you cannot be your personality.

Do you see where I am going with this? So, what is Yoga? Yoga is the way home to you. It's the way to live a simpler and happier life that does not need external compensations/rewards and does not falsely identify with "things." Yoga is actually NOT the physical exercise. That is only 1/8 of Yoga. And the physical part has the purpose of "stilling the fluctuations of the mind" so that you can sit in meditation.

Meditation: The Path to Self-Awareness

What happens when you meditate? Here’s some "data" for the scientists // for the blondes like me, but let me share my findings:

• Challenges do not seem so challenging.

• Triggers do not seem so triggering.

• The monkey mind (Citta vritti—they even have a term for that) becomes tame.

• Better sleep.

• Capacity to be in uncomfortable situations and not blow up like fireworks.

And I could go on and on...

Walking the Talk

And now I am a Yoga teacher. The course was 6 months long. The amount of information was insane. The emotional rollercoaster was enthusiastically nauseating... and utterly life-changing.

Infinite gratitude to my two splendid Teachers for creating a safe space for growth, discipline and freedom.

Yoga (capital Y, not Insta y

oga) will confront you with your emotions, patterns, ego, and programming. And once all these things surface, it's like a piece of 💩 floating on water; you can look away, but it will always float around. 😅🙊

I practice Yoga daily (Asana, Pranayama, Dhyana and more). One cannot teach something without practicing it first hand. 

P.S. Age is not a limit. The oldest student in class with me is 83 years old. The fittest students are ladies and gents in their 60s and 70s. P.P.S. No, not everyone needs to practice Yoga, but everyone should become aware of the chitter-chatter in the mind, how the thoughts are sucking energy out of your life, and how the thought process looks something like: "I wonder what I will eat for dinner... Ohhhh, I must buy this pair of shoes... Should I go to the sea… I haven't seen The Lion King in ages... I must call my mother... Do I have milk in the fridge? I am soooo bored... I want a dog... I want to ride a seahorse... Uhhhhhhh, ice cream."