If not now, then when?
What happens when you spend a whole summer in your favorite country? Yogaspot teacher Rik Siere did it. He stayed for three months in Portugal. And he learned that yogi’s dont need language because we can communicate without words.
“If you practise what you preach, you better start living the life you want right now. That is why I stayed this summer in Portugal, the country that I love so much. I made all the preparations and took 3 months to live my passion. But Portugal not my only love. Yoga is the other one. Since I was in another country for so long, I wanted to follow some good yoga classes. So what did i do? I went to a local yogaschool and selected a class and a teacher. I showed up on time and then I waited. Little did I know the classes were 100% in the Portuguese language. A beautiful language I unfortunately don’t speak (yet). When you are in a yoga class in an unknown language, something interesting happens. You start listening differently. The first thing you find out is that the Portuguese word ‘respire’ means ‘breath in’ and ‘expire’ means ‘breath out’. Just because is coincides with the sounds of the breath. That is about it. The rest of the words you start to understand by looking at the teacher and the other students and than you simply copy. And then you realize spoken language in yoga is largely overrated. In fact you don’t need it. We communicate with all our bodyparts so much more precise than we can with words. In Amsterdam, I am always a little confused when teachers use the sanskrit asana names. Maybe because I was taught to use the more simple English names; Downward Dog pose instead of Adho Muka Swanasana. Or Lizzard pose instead of Utthan Pristthasana. Side plank instead of Vasisthasana. Sanskrit terms have no meaning but English words do, is usually the main argument. Now I was in a class where only the sankrit words meant something to me! I was happy with every sanskrit term I heard!
My whole Portugal experience taught me that yoga is a universal language in itself and that yogi’s can understand eachother without talking. We can connect with people all over the world without words, because the yogaposes we practise are the same all over the world. Yoga is a universal language in itself. Amazing, but a little Sanskrit no wand then really helps. And another lesson I learned is also written on my t-shirt. Don’t wait for the things you want most. You are worth it. Right now. Because if not now. then when?
Je kan de les van Rik volgen door in het rooster van Buitenveldert de woensdag 19.00, zondagochtend 9.45 of maandagavond 21.00 uur les te reserveren.
