At our Shala...

We are all  people with different works, some are doctors others are artists, teachers, musicians, students, and others dont have a job ....
 Independently of the background ,age, or religion after some time we all in some way start liking or loving the space the shala and the many the different altars that are inside these space 

Before i left to india i noticed how there were flowers, fruits,and other offerings being left in our altar .... I also noticed how after practice many of you would stay close to it or just look at it for a wile...

This made me so so happy :)


Because i love the altars,,, I myself leave there flowers candle and incense fruit and other things every day... 


 Why is the altar important...... Is it the religion behind it ??,, is it the gods?? .........what is it ?

The altar is just another tool for spiritual growth..... It represents the god the universe and everything there is.........
first its just a statue then it became a place where we take comfort and devotion where we like to go and where we feel more in peace............ after it goes with us everywhere ......in memory ....................but one only realizes the power of the altar ............
when one see's it everywhere ..


Everywhere you look Ganesha is there 

It can be any other god or element or just whatever you decide to create.

Something that is more powerful than you.... something you fully trust something or someone that the power goes beyond your imagination
 

....You are your altar and you can be more than you  will ever imagine....

 
Other people are the altar and you take care of them as you take care of your altar. 

...The world,....the full earth and all there is....... is the altar.....
and you love and respect and give flowers and clean and help and do anything

Because its your altar 

..Your words are  your altar ..
....Your thoughts are your altar ....

Durga is the altar 
The dog that bites you is the altar 


This is why 

the only way 

​
is
loving 



This foto was taken today by Mariana
Laura is her daughter 
and beautiful 
​altar 

Back at the most important Ashtanga yoga shala... where once i come in and felt all the mystic of being in the house of the family that passed on these practice....... 

I had been practicing for 4 years before i came here to mysore for the first time. 

When i arrived i felt really mystical about doing my practice inside these families house..... at the same time i was really intimidated by practicing along with so many more people..... My head was having so many thoughts and my thoughts looked like monkeys, jumping from one thought to the next.

But we  Ashtanga students are thought a tool that helps to abstract  from the out side and turn inward  .. these tool is called Drishti....
What is Drishti ??
Well......... most of you should know by now, .......  every movement and every asana has a specific place for you to look at. For example you have : Nasagra Drishti  (nose ti.. like in pic)

Drishti allows you to practice the redraw from the out side and allows you to concentrate inside... If you do the correct Drishtis during all the practice you are drawn inward and after some time its like nothing out side could disturb you.


So back to the main shala, in Mysore............. facing again a new challenge... now its only yoga teachers who are also dedicated practitioners and our Guru ( teacher ) Sharath Jois...  He is a sweet man ..... but you have to do practice correctly and be present and concentrated.... or he will get mad .... also if you are concentrated he will come and try to bring you out of your comfort zone and disturb your concentration...... an what to do????

You do Drishti :))

After knowing inside in detail the out side will not disturb you anymore.... :) 

I keep the image of our altar ... with Ganesha .........and i close my eyes at the end of practice .... and............... there she is.... 

​Back in school...

Hatha Yoga Pradipika... One of the most important books for a yoga student to have.....
It takes many life times to put in practice all there is in these book ..... But you can read it many times in one life time ...only :) 

Now its time to start learning in Sanskrit, the original ...... Here in the institute we are lucky to have the best teacher.. His name is lakshmi 

I am reminded ...
...........Once a student always a student................. ..

 

The first time i hear about tapas was two Sudu's in the north of india that told me :.... We go walking   Kedarnath... you come!!! ... We do Tapas .........After you..... feeling very good....( He said ) 

So i said:      Ok we go :))   ..... ( i didn't know he was talking about a place almost 300 km away )

After 10 days walking and sleeping out side i reach Kedarnath 

During the walk i missed my friends, my family, my bed back in my mothers home:) food, comfort......  etc ...

I realize all i had was so important to me and that before........ i had not given enough value to all i had. 




Today in India i was reminded of these tapas because i miss .... ( saudades )
And so i smile 
...Look up and say ...


Thank you for all i have 

Today i can only say that happiness sometimes comes with a photo ...... seeing you practice makes me smile and feel happy..

Today at our shala ......   the students keep practice 

Ola Miguel , Ola Alex ,Ola Jacinto, Ola Goncalo, Ola Aimee :)

Ola Hanuman 

Ola Mariana .. ....  Obrigado.... 


Beijinhos e abracos a todos ... boas praticas 

Tomorrow i have the first conference with Sharth... Today already meet some good Friends ... After tomorrow i start Practicing at Main Shala .... Led Class :)

The real teacher is inside :) 

Keep practicing 

Do you know about the Tali ?

It's the most typical indian dish, a veggie version of our "bitoque".
Chapati (rotii) is there, lentils are there (dal), vegetables are there, soup is there, curd is there (yogurt), curry is there ,  rice is there , sweet is there ( punjabi ball )

Eating with the hand is there   :))

different cultures but we all have to eat...

different people but we all have to love 

different paths but we all are right 

"keep practicing all is coming" Gurujii

What is practice after all...

Life is practice   

Respecting life respecting others and everything 

is happiness

​2:30 am can't sleep 
1st i feel meditation is coming after yoga practice is coming 

The dog hides like if he was saying... are you crazy its 2 :30 am !!!!

...Yoga Finishes around 5am...
​but Practice continues 

Today i chose...... respect  
 

Today i chose to be happy  

June 27th

One of the things that made me the most happy as a yoga teacher was watching how the students started to meditate before taking yoga practice.... just siting, quiet with their eyes closed.... all ages different backgrounds slowly observing ... and many of you for a long time... :)
We often spoke on how this simple action makes you more happy .. and how it seamed like a magic trick

The dog inside all of us

The dog is the humans best friend, loyal and protective. He often reflects the personality of the owner  almost like a mirror... dog trainers often say they :.... the problem is not the dog!! .......but the owner :) ...

As we meditate we learn about us, how we are, who we are, how we are feeling and also about the bright side of us as well as the dark side of us..

Meditation makes us love....  

Nevertheless,....... Fear is there :)  .... one day comes when your fears will rise and then you chose to avoid them or look them in the face :) .. i am talking about your worst fears.... for example , death or looking at your darkest side..

A big strong dog that is always wishing for some love, can also be a killing dog full of furious hunger* ready to kill and protect.
Is the dog a bad dog for having both sides ?

 Is the dog inside of you a bad dog?

who are you?   the dog or the owner ?

light and darkness come together and one lives of the other.

Here in india  the dog needs the owner to survive  and the owner needs the dog for protection.

 like day and night.

A perfect circle..

I will miss my house and all my friends. I am referring to our studio and to us yogalisboa family. 

I am looking forward to be just a student and to have some time after practice to do shavasana... feel a bit nervous and anxious when i think of leaving. It has been the the first time in many years. I've stayed  in the same place just teaching and following a routine for the last 3 years.

I learned that when you stop moving nothing stops or ends, instead other things, and people around move and come to you. You stop being attracted and you build something that attracts.

But most of all and independently of what i have built or attracted I feel our space was a conjuncture created independently from my will, like a magnet which attracts good people all the time into the same area in Lisbon. All together, these people are able to create such beautiful  moments.  ( Durga the cat is included ) :)

As a teacher I spend many moments just observing... I have seen and watched many of you being something that you never imagined you could be. Doing postures that you never imagined you could do (that I never imagined you would do lol :) ) and also having moments of happiness or just clearness that had been long time, or that never happened before. 

With this though and with no expectations I will live and go back to my teacher in Mysore, India. 
I will try to write down what I experience as a student and to describe such moments to you all.

I feel this way we will all be closer. The Shala and our Ganesha altar will always be present. 

I will take some pictures and notes to make my writing a bit more interesting ;( don't worry :) I will also write it on paper and just scan it cause i don't like computers :)  this way you all get some ugly drawings to laugh about :) 

Oh, i almost forgot... love the studio while I am in india. It has become a good place for all of us and the main reason is because we all have brought  so much love, devotion and respect to this place. 

Even the neighbour's cat likes it more than her own house. Jai Durga Jai Jai. 

Happiness is there :) 

Sending you all good energies