Iedere maand zetten we één van onze docenten in de schijnwerpers. Dit keer interviewden de beurt aan Ozlem Peker over het onderwerp “Ontvangen”.
Ozlem about receiving
‘To be able to receive, you need to pay attention to what is coming to you. You can receive everything, but some things are not good for everyone. Be aware, what your needs are and try to be open to what people are giving. Giving and receiving are interconnected.
There is a lot of connection between receiving and yoga. If your mind and heart are open to yoga, you can receive the teaching. You can receive from breath, from asana, your feelings, feedback from the body and what the teacher is telling. It is important to get into the right mindset to receive. When you are tired, or your head is spinning with thoughts, nothing comes to you.
I teach ashtanga yoga. The class always starts with meditation for about ten minutes. That gives the opportunity to connect with yourself and to understand that it is not only a physical practice. You have to ground first, open your heart and feel what is happening. As a teacher, I invite students to focus on their own breath and the body-mind connection.
After meditation, we practice the asana flow. During the flow, I give adjustments with my voice and touch. Receiving the instructions and doing the asana’s, is only possible when your mind is calm and you are able to focus on yourself. It’s important not to judge yourself or look at what the other people in the class are doing.
Ashtanga looks like a physical practice, but it is much more. It starts with the breath and the body. When the body understands what to do, the mind realizes its powers. There are different levels in ashtanga (beginner, intermediate and advanced), but the sequence of the movements is always the same. It can be compared to life. Every day you wake up, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, go to work, etc. But every day is different. The asana practice is like that: today you feel might feel stiff, but maybe tomorrow you feel flexible. You learn from what you experience during the asana flow.
As a child I always moved: I danced, was sporty and tried different forms of yoga. But during my first ashtanga class, I was blown away. My experience was so deep and strong, so I decided to follow this path. The combination of the meditation and the strong asana flow really suited me. Probably because I like to challenge myself.
I always teach what I have learned myself. I strongly believe that everyone has the opportunity to be strong, but you have to guide yourself. You need to develop your own power. Everything is already inside you.’
Ozlem geeft 12 Asthanga- en Pilates lessen op dinsdag t/m zondag bij Yoga Spot Buitenveldert.
