New year new challenges

2017 began with some unexpected changes and new challenges.

The first unexpected news of the year: I need to find a new place to finish my yoga course in Seville — in 4 days. Why? Because Personal differences between the two owners caused their spontaneous decision to close the whole center, where I offered my yoga classes. But after the first shock and taking an everything-will-flow-attitude, it wasn’t hard to find a new room. Luckily in Seville everything is quite spontaneous. So we moved into Estudio 22, run by the cute Mexican girl Ana.

Since January I am also officially an entrepreneur. Yeah. Sounds glamorous — but my daily job with yoga turned out to be mostly paper work, learning about tax system and business law. Awk. Not the most exciting, but indispensable part of becoming a digital yoga nomad, living independence and freedom. But the hippie dream never becomes reality without a good portion of discipline and pragmatism. So no complains, I have to get through there. How sevillan people say: “Es lo que hay” (That’s what it is).

Next challenge was waiting in February. My yogis (mostly international students) finished their semester abroad and returned to their countries. New people are arriving. Time to attract new students. That means, writing new ads, printing flyers and posters and publish in social media!

Inbetween this bunch of tasks: me, earning some money of my classes while I am still getting my online business up and running. Keeping the balance between both isn’t easy. My personal yoga practice is missing out at the end of the day. In busy times it’s hard to make time to stay connected.

Between yoga love and profession

I love yoga and strongly believe in what I am doing. But I also need to pay my bills. That’s when the limit between profession and passion gets fuzzy. When you want to live from what you love. Musicians and artists know what I mean. You are passionate to play the next concert and want to invite everyone for free. Well, similar is it with my yoga love. I’d love to invite everyone to my next Yin Yoga Workshop. But at the end of the month I need to pay a rent and food. Sometimes making your passion your job also has reverse effects. Then suddenly Yoga as my personal shelter disappears between the pressure of everyday labour.

One afternoon I was on my terrace doing my personal Yin Yoga session. And instead of enjoying the practice and surrender completely (oh how I love it!), I found myself thinking about „work“. Doing the dragon pose I checked how to include it into my next class. Oh my yogi, things are going badly wrong. I lost my deep connection to myself in my private yoga session. Changes urge!

Remembering the three Anusara A’s

The Anusara Weekend at the beginning of February turned up just in the right moment. And helped me to reconnect. In class teacher Patricia always remembered: Cuál es tu actitud en la práctica? Estás apegado a los frutos de tu acción?

What is your attitude in the practice? Are you attached to the fruits of your action?

I have been aware about the loss of connection to why I do what I am doing. Lately my fascination about the power of yoga to heal has been covered by economy and business. Instead of simply doing what I love, I thought about the price policy, the next promotion and how many students I am going to have next month. And there it is: I have been focusing on the fruits, controlling that everything turns out correctly. My attitude suffered. Lately, existential fears have been more present than my yoga love. With the words of Anusara: I lost my alignment.

Anusara speaks about three A’s: Attitude, Alignment and Action.

Anusara’s philosophy is based on the three A’s:

Attitude: which mindset do I bring into class? On my mat? In life? A happy, serving attitude, grateful and out of love? Or a controlling attitude, resulting from my ego and out of fear?

Alignment: Alignment has to do with the knowledge of your true self, of your inner voice. In Bhagavad Gita Krishna tells Arjuna that his Dharma is being a warrior. So he simply has to serve his Dharma, without being attached to the result of its action. In life it’s the same:  Am I aligned with my Dharma? With this inner truth and my higher (divine) self?

The highest intention of practicing Anusara yoga is to align with the Divine. 

Action: Action is the simple manifestation of your attitude and alignment. If your attitude comes from fear you might protect yourself, try to control everything around you. But if your attitude comes from love, and is aligned with what simply is and your true self, the action will be different.

Well, in my case: My attitude was driven by ego — out of fear. I lost my alignment (and surely not for the last time — life is a constant balance). When I keep my loving attitude to offer and share yoga, then I am aligned with what I feel that I have to do. Then my action will be the simple result of doing what I love and what I believe in — not of what I control. And then everything flows. Because your thoughts and actions enter in resonance with your environment. People will feel when you do something out of convictions and love or out of desperation and fear.

But how did I change my attitude, my alignment and following my action?

Realignment and change of my attitude

The attitude you have, is connected to what happens in your mind.

So I needed to create a positive mindset again, feeling happy about what I am doing and grateful. How did I do that? Create moments where I feel blissful and connected. How? — simply doing what I love: Yoga.

I started my day again with the sun and Surya Namaskar on my terrace.

During the day I always make some time for meditation — even if it’s just a few minutes.

And before every yoga session I take a moment of interiorization to attune myself for the class.

Besides it helps to cultivate Pratyahara and Dharana:

• reduce noise of the outside: avoid distractions of media, compare to others
• withdrawing my senses and canalizing: focus on myself and personal aims
• Concentrate on my own, now and here. Stay present.

However I know, that realizing my personal dream of a digital yoga nomad isn’t done in one day. And probably I will have more moments of fear and despair. Then I’ll try to check the three Anusara A’s and connect with my yoga love. There will always be distractions and confusion, but I think at the end what lasts is the ability to reconnect. And that’s what I practice everyday.

Did you like that post? Sounds familiar? Let us know in the comments! Maybe you also struggled personal challenges? Are you trying to get your business up and running? Share you experience right here below. Can’t wait to hear your opinion.