Photo by Tit Košir
Ashtanga week with Laruga
The intention of Yoga Hrvatska is the creation of events where we will come to learn something new, whether skills, concepts or fresh, unique insight about our body-mind. Almost all we want is to learn more about ourselves, and retreat is the right place.
The other, also essential aspect of the retreat is connecting with a like-minded community. Nothing is more impressive than seeing new friendships unfold between ladies who never met before. It’s a week of sharing love, thoughts, questions, emotions, vulnerability, and honesty. We are here to create the space for openness, starting on the mat and spreading beyond; as we know, there is no place for illusions on the mat.
Seeing our lovely ladies so thankful to have the occasion to learn directly in person from their beloved teacher is my highest and warmest reward. My main intention when creating yoga Hrvatska was to create events of direct teaching and sharing experiences of those best in the field. There is nothing as powerful as in-person teaching; no zoom call would replace it.
Because it is in the community that inner miracles happen.
And why is ashtanga so ‘love or hate’ method?
We all want to learn basic yoga from the source and will choose the ‘non-corrupted’ knowledge direct from the source. We like to learn from those who have dedicated their lives to diving deep into the subject with persistence and permanence.
In learning any methods, we are all met with various suggestions: Look this, but, yes, this can be made differently. It is where our ego jumps in. In ashtanga, there are sequences to follow without add-ons, detours, or shortcuts. Each and every asana is there with an exact purpose, although we are offered modifications to meet our present needs and conditions.
This method is an ego burner. Step on the mat to discover it.
Photo by Tit Košir
Therefore, our practice will only unfold from a humble space and with an open heart in affronting our inner soul shadows. When you bring them to the light, they will lose dreadful menace of the hidden unknown.
FULL MOON
Somehow retreats always happen under celestial support. This year two retreats were during Full Moon, and we know how it affects our feelings and emotions. It makes our intentions magnified, and efforts eased.
But, the full moon also unfolds our shadows bringing them up to the surface to make us deal with. Most of us will sense our energy uprises what is nicely balanced through our grounding practice supporting us in releasing unwanted emotions.
Researchers nowadays have proven physical spots in our cells where our traumas and unpleasant emotions hide. Intentional and mindful moves will regain balance in our body-mind.
Tuning into the stillness will ease our perception of this moon’s subtle tendencies.
Photo by Tit Košir
Photo by Tit Košir
What have you discovered on the mat during the retreat?
I have my morning personal practice, an everyday practice not bound to any specific lineage. It is a mix of all I have learned along the way. My curious Vata mind takes me to explore various things. I only recently naturally tend to follow my body and not any method in particular. And if I tell you that years ago, I started with classic hatha asanas, tried dharma yoga and went to many studios in the town.
I have recently started to practise ashtanga and tried very creative Mukthi energy yoga work with great Ashtangi in Split. I love rituals and joined in Jalas and chanting, went to Satsang, got Guru mantra twice, do some kundalini with the most lovely teachers, and finally studied and practised vinyasa in one of the cutest yoga destinations. So, quite an eclectic approach! Just as my mind is.
My body needs lots of practice for stability and strength in both hands and legs. These asanas require more effort, which I tend to avoid naturally and flow into more fluent asanas for my body. I need many hours of training to obtain sthira and sukha in the first series. I accept my naturally tight hamstrings and then modify some asanas, or there are still some asanas that I partially avoid. For example, in Paschimottasana, I bend my knees and almost often skip Garbha Pindasana or Kukutasana as too much at the moment for me. Or I just don’t understand asana.
However, I will step daily onto the mat and I will do the practice as it is best from me, on the certain day.
Photo by Tit Košir
Yoga is really for everybody, regardless the age.
We are all invited to the mat. The beauty of Mysore classes is that valuable space of free expressions of our subtle variety.
Maybe, a younger practitioner will step in Samstitihi first thing in the morning, and I will mostly need to come half an hour earlier to stretch and warm my joints up.
So we adapt our bodies to have our daily practice balanced and healing.
Yoga is a dance between effort and release, inhale and exhale, up and down, bend and flex, right and left.
We have all our life for this dance.
Photo by Tit Košir
And not less important, it is always overwhelming to see this beautiful bunch of ladies so eager to learn about their bodies and mind, manage new skills, and tame their egos by adopting new skills that will help them feel and do better. Ultimately we all strive to live our lives with less stress and damage to us and our loved ones, to perform better in whatever we choose to do and to live more peacefully. So yoga it is the right path to follow for each of us. We are those who believe that the world would be a better place is yoga is widespread practice.
Photo by Tit Košir
Big thanks to our dear partners YOGALINE
with Vanja who prepared fantastic gifts for our participants and small pop-up shop with all yoga gear you can imagine.
and ORNAMENT ZAGREB for the best decorations and fragranced incense and many more Indian goodies.
Big thanks to our dear photographer TIT KOŠIR who made amazing photos with zero preps.
Grateful for the beautiful pottery of PEPEL ZAGREB for our tea break goodies.
And the biggest warmest thank to dear Laruga for accepting invitation to join us in Croatia and share her so valuable knowledge with us. We all feel privileged and blessed to learn from the source knowledge, to admire her life dedication in learning and sharing this powerful wisdom.
As it goes, every ending is the new beginning.
Photo by Tit Košir
Rid your body of its impurities, let your speech be true and sweet, feel friendship for the world,
and with humility seek wealth and knowledge.
-Tirumali Krischnamacharya
CONNECT TO YOUR HIGHER SELF
The practices of yoga and meditation can help us know our higher self a bit better. Taking time to retreat helps us profoundly understand ourselves so we can have the life we dream of.
Our dreams can manifest from imagination into reality.
I invite you to bravely stand up to the parts of you that hold you back and go to that Retreat.
Your soul will thank you.
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