La ForasteraI have been very excited to write my first post-blog in english. This is a topic that I really love and I want to share with all of you.
If you came here for the first time, I’m La Forastera and this is an article about Yoga, something that saved my life in many ways.
It’s important to say that I’m not a teacher, I don’t call myself as an influencer of yoga, and of course I’m not a professional. But, why yoga and not another sport or activity? Well, I did yoga for the first time in 2017, and the only thing I know is that I wish to have started doing this since I was a kid. I started doing yoga in Bogotá, Colombia guided by Johanna Camargo, a Master’s teacher of Sales and Marketing. I was inspired by her, she used to tell me to do some short exercises in the morning or at night, and I always remember she said yoga modified her character and her way to communicate with people at work, at family, etc.
I remember Johanna invited me to the International Day of Yoga at Simon Bolivar Park, a free event, where people could choose plenty of yoga classes by teachers from all over the world. Then, I went to my first yoga retreat in La Calera, pretty close to Bogotá. That was a revealing experience because I drafted a mandala by my own idea and I felt very proud of myself. Personally, this was a huge reveal because I felt that yoga would be a tool to find myself, but also to connect with my emotions, and find some answers to my life.
Paradoxically, 4 years later I’m more and more interested in exploring about being an autonomy student of yoga. That’s right, there were 3 situations and/or changes in my life between 2019 and 2021, that made me feel strongly uncomfortable about EVERYTHING. In my case, the feelings’ storm was high when my Dad passed away. However, I’m pretty sure there was a lot of rain for years and years, but I never wanted to get myself out from the umbrella.
When your body talks, you feel uncomfortable because the pain on your neck is strong, because your knees feel hard, because your back is making more weird sounds at work and so on… What is that? Where is the pain coming from? Why I’m not feel 100 % active? I was really tight, I was really upset at myself, and I didn’t even know why. As I see it, that was a sensitive gift Yoga gave me: to listen to my body, and I’m working very hard on it.
Also, a big change in my life was being moved to a new place. I thought I was a well adapted person who doesn’t care where I go, I will be fine, but that wasn’t really true. Actually, I realized the more impatient I am, the more impulsive. This is an important point because nowadays a lot of people asked me how to be very calm. But I doubt that somebody looks forward to learning something they already know. This is a way yoga have change my life, by using my breathing every time, not only at my classes, but also out, being awareness of this precise moment, when I’m typing on my computer, when I’m listen my english classes, and when you are reading this post, so this technique is something that you keep learning the whole life, and certainly doesn’t have an ending. That’s awesome!
By last, once, not too long ago, my personal and professional goals were truncated. I was feeling discouraged, very tired and lazy. At the same time, I was anxious for no reason, and I couldn’t even write again like I used to be.
After many months I came back to write, and I won’t lie, this has been uncertain training, making a number of mistakes. I don’t know if it was a sign from heaven, but, the harder I learn more yoga, the better I feel about life’s issues. Life is not about having a happy ending, or about how to be successful, or who is the winner… Life is to live the moment and not the past.
A couple weeks ago, in a online class, I listened a life motto from Patry Montero (yogui), and hopefully it will make sense for whoever are able to open their eyes to a new and favorite way to find themselves as I chose:
No matter if the world is upside down, if you keep calm, such as in an inverted position, you will find the way to your body come back to the up straight.
You remember the three situations I talked about above? If you find them, I want you to remind them when you feel uncomfortable, sad or going downhill with something or somebody. First, listen to your body- second, breathing and take awareness, -and third, accept your process and BE part of it. I’m pretty sure you will find your own way to save your life, just make sure you have listened carefully to your heart and body.
Me encanta leerte, en inglés y en español, además de emotiva, inspiradora.
While I was reading this article, I realized that you are very right in every word you wrote. I liked the part where you said that we must BE part of our own process, no matter how bad or good it may be, it will always leave us an experience and we must move on, get out of the umbrella like you did. I congratulate you very much, and I hope you continue writing more articles like this! God bless you! NAMASTE.
FORASTERA…..While I was reading this article, I realized that you are very right in every word you wrote. I liked the part where you said that we must BE part of our own process, no matter how bad or good it may be, it will always leave us an experience and we must move on, get out of the umbrella like you did. I congratulate you very much, and I hope you continue writing more articles like this! God bless you! NAMASTE.