yogawithyordanka

WeekEnd and WeekBeginn with me at

You can finish off the week with me with a Gentle Flow every Sunday at 07:30 PM, and begin the new one with a Morning Flow every Monday at 07:00 AM.

This Gentle Flow prepares the body and mind to sleep. I like to blend gentle flow stretches, yin stillness, pranayama, and mindfulness techniques.

Morning Flow will wake you up in a mindful way. I like to include Kriya, Bandha, and Pranayama for increasing Agni Inner Fite in the morning, along with activating Asana and mobility drills.

captured by

Did you see the white dot?
That’s my head, relaxing in the water while doing some neck stretches and yoga poses.
You see, there’s always more to the picture.

Or, have you been so obsessed with the white dot that you forgot to see the details around?
(Think about this as a metaphor and a life wisdom.)

A healthy spine needs movement in all directions. Regularly. You need to twist and bend backward, forward, and sideways.
You don’t have to do one hour of yoga every day. (Who has the time for it!?) Especially if you are new to yoga or building a physical routine from scratch, think about something easy you can keep up with.

Spinal extensions (backbend) are the most intense, they activate the nervous system. In a backbend, the facet joints are squeezed, the space between them closed, which „massages“ the spinal nerve and blood vessels. (Told you is intense, don’t forget to breathe with awareness!)

Spinal Flexion (forward fold) is soothing the nervous system. Together with lateral flexion (side bend) and spinal rotation (twist) creates space between the facet joints. We spent a lot of time rounding throughout the day. Spinal flexion is not bad per se. It releases the nerves and the blood flow. It’s just important to counteract it!

(Keep in mind before deep backbends and forward folds you need a proper prep! As well as time in the neutral spine in between, before rushing in the other direction).

Side bends open the facet joints unilaterally, while closing the opposite side. Include them if you are preparing for a backbend! Among their numerous benefits are improving the breathing pattern by releasing the diaphragm and attracting the lungs.

Twists also decompress the facet joints and release the nerves and the blood flow. They massage the entire visceral system!
On a purely superficial physical level, I like to use twists and side bends both in preparation for deep backbends or forward folds, as well as part of the counterbalance afterward.

If you are a yoga teacher sequencing your classes, probably you know that. Here is my reminder once more, keep in mind you should move the spine in all planes. That contributes to the „wow“ feeling students have after the class! Working with the spine is working with their nervous system and is a responsible task!

If you are a yoga practitioner, toward the end of your intuitive flow, think about which direction you forgot to include and notice the difference in your whole well-being after you correct it. :)

My toxic personality traits: growing a mustache and showing off my cellulite one day (breaking news, many women have both. Public secret. If you didn’t know it, that’s because everyone hiding it so successfully), while at the same time ready to pause a stage class for an IG pic:

“Hold on everyone, the photographer is taking a picture of me. I need to smile. Otherwise, I won’t stop talking and the pictures of me are awful.”

The Ying and Yang of a modern woman on her quest for authenticity and keeping it „real“. Balancing the vanity with a dose of “I don’t care”. Which one is stronger today? Depends on the mood?! Or the intention!?

Reminds me of that American natives’ proverb:
„-In each of us live two wolves - good and bad.
- Which one is stronger?
- The one you feed!“

fotoagent_alex captured a moment from the big opening of Sport. Platz Wien on the stage of the earlier this month.

September is almost here and my schedule is pretty full of classes and courses.

My semester course for ASKÖ will be on Mondays at 7 PM at Leystrasße 163. Usually gets quickly fully booked but this time there are still seven spots open!

A semester course means practicing on fixed dates and times in the same group. That will motivate you to plan your time accordingly and make the space and time for you in your schedule because you have already paid for it.

Practicing in the same group means, less social anxiety from meeting new people every time, and more importantly - everyone learns, practices, and grows together. The classes will upgrade each other and if you come regularly, you will have the opportunity to deepen various yoga aspects.

Did you register already?

Liesing heute kommen wir zu dir! Wir freuen uns sehr auf einen SPORT.PLATZ Wien Stopp im wunderschönen 23. Bezirk. 🏃‍♂️

Heute bringen wir beim SPORT.PLATZ Wien Event powered by WIENER STÄDTISCHE den Stadtpark Atzgersdorf zum Beben.

📍 Ort: Stadtpark Atzgersdorf, 1230 Wien
🕔 Zeit: 17:00 – 19:30 Uhr
💪 Mitmachen: Tanz Dich Fit, Yoga & HIIT

Bewegung ist IN – für jede und jeden ist etwas dabei! Bringt eure Familie und Freunde mit, wir freuen uns auf euch! 🙌 Außerdem zeigen euch die ihre Sportart Rugby oder ihr schnuppert beim Line Dance hinein.

September is around the corner and so is my new schedule at

Sundays, starting from 01.09, at 19:30 90-minute Gentle Flow. Soothing class at the end of the weekend to recover the body, calm down the nervous system, and prepare for the upcoming week. A blend of gentle flow stretches, yin stillness, pranayama, and mindfulness techniques.
If you wish to dedicate time and space in your routine to embodying beyond-Asana elements, this class will provide you with practices for patience, concentration, relaxation, and self-observation.

Morning Flow every Monday at 7 AM. One-hour energizing practices, including Kriya, Bandha, pranayama, and waking up Asana.

So, you can finish off the week with me with a Gentle Flow and begin the new one with a Morning Flow. :) (And in the night dreaming about yoga, yoga Nidra lol)

Outdoor morning yoga in Rudolfspark on Thursdays at 9 AM, as long as the weather allows us to do so.

This Friday, 23.08 & next, 30.08, at 4 PM are the last Vinyasa Flow which I am subbing for lovely who is having time of her life in Mysore.

Looking forward to yoga together. Classes are available to be booked on ’s Website via and also via .

Photo by

https://www.svobodnaevropa.bg/a/zasegnat-uchitel-lgbt-propaganda/33070868.html

Иван, учителят. Какво е да си едновременно гей и преподавател след новия закон срещу ЛГБТ хората Един нов закон отдели част от българското общество в група, за която е забранено да се говори в училище. Какво ще се случи тогава със самите учители, ако и те са част ....

Carpe Diem, and if you don’t succeed, seize the sunset.

https://www.askoewat.wien/de/fuer-sportlerinnen/sport.platz-wien/newsshow-die-sport.platz-wien-jubilaeumstour-ist-erfolgreich-gestartet

Die SPORT.PLATZ Wien Jubiläumstour ist erfolgreich gestartet Zum 15. Mal tourt SPORT.PLATZ Wien durch die Hauptstadt und hat mit einem fantastischem Kick-Off (powered by Wiener Städtische) am 7. August am Wiener Rathausplatz den Startschuss für eine Reihe kostenloser sportlicher Aktivitäten gegeben.  

Can you be deliberately happy? Don’t know, I can try.
Is „good vibes only“ all the time possible? I don’t think so.
Is „good vibes only“ possible for some time? Truly believe so.

One „good vibes“ exercise I practice from time to time is to turn positive facts into positive experiences (credit The Buddha‘s Brain book).

Any little things, casual and unimportant, can do the job, even duly trivialities left unnoticed and unappreciated. Rather than focusing only on big goals and milestones, remembering that coffee I had, a delicious breakfast, a smile from a stranger, a nice gesture from a friend, an enjoyable walk in the city, restful sleep, whatever, can be very uplifting.

Recalling everything that didn’t receive its time to be fully enjoyed before the next thing from my day consumed my attention. Kind of similar to gratitude in some ways, but more simple. Recognizing all these minor moments of positivity, living them fully, giving them time and space to expand, and allowing the facts to evoke positive feelings and turn them into an experience. Eventually, it creates a state of happiness.

I practice it by sitting still with closed eyes. Sometimes, I implement it as part of mindfulness meditation when teaching classes, works well for some people.

With time, I’ve noticed it becomes easier to turn positive facts into positive experiences with opened eyes, while walking, waiting for the bus, watching the river, and even interacting.

Would you give it a try? Do you practice something similar?

In nur 3 Tagen ist es soweit! Der große Kick-Off von SPORT.PLATZ Wien am Wiener Rathausplatz startet und wir feiern 15 Jahre Bewegung und Spaß! 🎉

📅 Wann? Mittwoch, 7. August, 16:30 Uhr
📍 Wo? Wiener Rathausplatz - auf der Bühne des Filmfestivals

Freut euch auf:
- Frauen-Power Bewegungsprogramm 🕺
- Tanz Dich Fit mit Stargast Conny Kreuter 🌟
- Break Dance Show von Indeed Unique 🤸
- Rollstuhlparcours des WAT IB♿
- Yoga mit Yordanka Naydenova 🧘
- HIIT & Kräftigung mit FIT easy mit LISI 💪
- Trampolin Show von WAT Brigittenau 🎪
- Smoothie Bike Station 🚴‍♂️

Kommt vorbei und bewegt euch mit uns! 💪

Der heutige Wetterbericht schickt uns viele schöne Sonnenstrahlen. 🌞🌞🌞 Darum achtet bitte darauf euch gut auf die Hitze vorzubereiten. Trinkflasche & Sonnenschutz bitte unbedingt einpacken. Und nicht vergessen die Yogamatte für unsere Yoga-Session mit yogawithyordanka mitzunehmen. 🪷

Wir freuen uns auf euch! Um 16:30 Uhr geht es los! 🔜

https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/30/netherlands-child-ra**st-olympics-steven-van-de-velde

Why the Netherlands seems unfazed by sending a convicted child ra**st to the Olympics | Renate van der Zee Differences between English and Dutch law might be part of the reason why Steven van de Velde is seen differently at home than abroad, says Renate van der Zee, a Dutch writer and journalist

https://www.svobodnaevropa.bg/a/boks-olipiada-parizh-interseks-sport/33059483.html

Мъж, жена или нещо друго. Как участието на две боксьорки в Олимпиадата повдигна въпроса за честността в спорта Жени, мъже, трансджендър, интерсекс, правила на различни организации. Всичко това се събра в перфектна буря заради една случка на Олимпийските игри. Участието на дв....

Once I told a Buddhist monk that I have anger issues. He replied: me too. The other monks started laughing, from which I concluded he said the truth.

He then raised one hand and showed with the other hand how anger spreads like poison from the fingers through the arm to the shoulder and you should stop it in time before it consumes you. Bit by bit he removed invisible pieces from the “infected” arm.
I loved that metaphor.

He then talked a lot about greediness, envy, cravings, and more. At first I thought he misunderstood my question, as I asked specifically for anger. To be honest, I expected more practical tips, such as meditation techniques or chanting mantras.

It took a few months until I understood not only the words but also the message. He advised me to be happy for other people, to see through their eyes and smell through their noses as if we were connected. To feel your happiness and joy as if I were you.

If you get a bigger car, for example, instead of me being unhappy with my small car, I could be happy for you! Makes sense, not an easy practice though. The human wants to live as an independent individual but remains a social animal. We are connected, aren’t we?

I guess modern psychology would also find interconnections between various feelings so probably it is not always possible to dissect one and disconnect it from the others. I’d rather perceive my inner world as a tasty cocktail. According to the day, might be an exploding chemistry test tube.

My practice is to turn a dangerous reaction into a delicious treat. :D Call me a mixologist.

I can still remember that grumpy face I used to do when I was younger and I took an „easy“ yoga class. I was „so much better“ than everyone else, so I had to show the teachers that I was bored in the class and that they didn’t do a good job of making me happy.

So, I kept looking for hard classes, with more “challenges”. (That was until by chance I landed in Ashtanga’s second series class and the teacher was casually demonstrating both legs behind the head and then doing some awkward stuff in the pose.)

I took my first studio class ten years ago, in 2014. By this time I have already established some decent beginners practice. I knew many foundational poses and their Sanskrit names (although later on I found out I had very poor alignment in most of them), I was familiar with Patanjali’s concept of eight limbs and some mindfulness techniques were already part of my lifestyle for years.

Practicing yoga with all its aspects was for me a private, almost intimate experience and I hesitated for a long time until I entered a public class. I started with beginners’ classes, which very quickly became boring. Although, I still remember vividly some of the techniques I learned and I teach them in my classes up to today.

Of course, I can recognize that bored look here and there when I teach a beginner class and there is a lost Chaturanga princess. Yes, I give options, yet of course, the class is oriented to the majority of the participants‘s level. If I have a mainly new to yoga people, someone who came for the sweaty workout (or perhaps an asana performance and awesomeness demonstration) might be disappointed to not have that platform to shine.

If you by chance have experienced the feeling, that class doesn’t suit your level, or the yoga style isn’t your thing, or the class description doesn’t meet imagination, or that teacher isn’t as good as your favorite yoga teacher or whatever, know that you are on a great point to begin your yoga journey!

Now that you have learned some asana, you can begin to cultivate a yogic mind by concentrating on Breath, Bandha, Drsti, creating space for exploring the deep layers of your mind. Treat every pose as a meditative pose. Smile

https://www.yintherapy.com/writings/bandscheibenvorfalle-schmerzen-und-yin-yoga-lehrer-die-neuen-therapeuten

YIN THERAPYBandscheibenvorfälle, Schmerzen und Yin Yoga Lehrer die neuen Therapeuten? Ein Bandscheibenvorfall ist ein Riss des Faszienrings der Bandscheibe, die den Gelkern umgibt. Dieser Riss kann z.B. durch Degeneration oder Überbelastung entstehen. Durch diesen Riss kann der Gelkern auslaufen und die Bandscheibe wird dünner, bis sie vollständig austrocknet. Die Wirbelkörper r....

I am a boring tourist.

Wake up at 6 AM to take a Mysore class and don’t like to go out and drink in the night before. :D My daily schedule is planned around my yoga practice and the energy I have left after it.

I do need time off from the thought of yoga sometimes, but when on holidays, I like to prioritize self-care and do things that make me feel good, like in the long term.

There are newer, more therapeutic, more functional, and „better“ deviations from Jois‘ teaching. I keep on wondering why. The Ashtanga method was never only a sequence and included more than just poses, it includes those deviations.

I don’t know where that common misbelief came from, that every Ashtanga practitioner should do all the poses in the same way (and every day) as if there is only one way to do them.

I mean, we humans misunderstood religion and started wars and killing people for it, no wonder we misunderstood a yoga style. :D

I guess those misunderstandings originated from practitioners and teachers who were not deeply rooted in the tradition and started teaching their superficial understandings.

I love to listen to interviews, and podcasts, and read articles and books by Jois‘s students. Whenever possible, I take classes and workshops with them or with their students.

The Ashtanga sequences have changed, in terms of adding more postures and in some ways changing the structure of the sequences. That alone proves that the style is not about a set sequence.

The sequences were adapted to serve the communities that practiced them.
Ashtanga yoga was also meant to be therapeutic. There are stories about sick people who got healed through the practice with Patthabi Jois.

He also individually curated sequences, so some people in the room might have practiced different things, from what I’ve heard.

Makes sense, it is not a secret that the bone structure, joint structure, fitness level, and pre-existing health conditions are all factors that require an individual approach.
Not possible, and not needed for everyone to fit in the same box of a sequence.

For example, not a very common approach, but have you known that Jois‘ Ashtanga also included holding the postures longer than 5 breaths (such as 10 breaths), and also emphasized the pranayama?

The amount of information adolescents are consuming and processing every moment is enormous. Way too many stimuli and things going on.

When I work with that age group, I try to select carefully the information that I provide them and not overload them. I am also careful with the philosophical input - they are still developing their mindset.

Instead, I focus on making the classes fun, entertaining, interactive, and easy to follow, yet with some good challenges. I’d like to repeat some of the elements and build upon them.

Not necessarily very physical, but considering the majority don’t suffer from knee and lower back pain (like we do :D), there is a wider choice of what to do.

A yoga class for adolescents should provide the opportunity to calm the mind - as with adults, just slightly varying in selecting the tools.

Those pictures are from Jugendsporttag in June, which was visited by 2000 young people!
The atmosphere wasn‘t typical for yoga - was loud, some people were disturbing the class on purpose, a group was playing soccer next to us, and we had a whole audience who commented on us. :D

On top, it was cold and windy, has rained in the night and we didn’t have yoga mats. :D
The group was mixed, and most of them hadn’t tried yoga yet. Yet, in the end, they could all sit down and find stillness for a few minutes in all this craziness! (Well, only to find out after we stood up that our butts were wet :D)

I believe mindfulness techniques are a necessity for the young generations to live a balanced life (with less blue screen time whenever possible) in the quick-paced contemporary world.

Do you work with adolescents? Do you have your favorite principles to follow?

On Sundays, you can do yoga with me at (1080 Vienna):

10 AM Gentle Flow & Meditation
12 AM Vinyasa Flow

We are alternating with so you can find me there on the following upcoming dates:
14.07
28.07
04.08
11.08
08.09
15.09
06.10,
and you can practice with Sophia on the rest of the Sundays in between. :)

Yogaria has a strong community of regulars keen to deepen their practice. If you are looking for a place to practice with a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and an opportunity to connect, you might like it there.

Currently, the yoga scene in Vienna is full of what I call yoga nomads, jumping from studio to studio like a monkey from tree to tree, exploring and trying out, and seeking entertainment with various classes.

This all sounds like a lot of fun but could be a little limiting for yoga teachers who dedicate their lives to teaching yoga beyond chaturanga and other asanas, yet they have every time in the class a whole new group of people who want to get a glimpse and sense of their teaching style only in one hour.

So, might be a bit limiting for the regular participants in the class as well, who can’t get the full experience of a Taylor-made class with their favorite teacher who has to keep the class a bit mainstream for the drop-ins who only come to try cute poses, and have no much interest in understanding the essence of yoga.

Of course, that’s only my perspective of teaching yoga, and there are as many perspectives as people are. :)

Does yours resonate with mine or are you inclined to differ? :D

Have you ever wondered how much time you need to become good at something, like super Profi, world-class, exceptional?

One month? One year? 20 Years? A lifetime?

It’s 10000 hours!

„The emerging picture from such studies is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert —in anything,“ writes the neurologist Daniel Levitin. „In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again. Of course, this doesn’t address why some people get more out of their practice sessions than others do. But no one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.“

What are your thoughts on this?

Of course, more factors contribute to „success“, yet to become world-level good in something you do need practice, as talent and luck are not enough.

So, if you have just completed a 200-hour YTT or a weekend training in something, perhaps even a university education, yet you still feel not good enough, know that it all comes with practice. :) We do not need to become the best and calculate the thousands of hours. Yet, that’s a confirmation that hard work might pay off.

Keep going, keep practicing.

After dancing class trying to do the straight spine so hard till it feels unnatural. :D

34 Today (birthday cake emoji) Please wish me.

https://youtu.be/r3neFV38TJQ?si=IBf-nTCia9sIIrFV

Meditation's Impact on the Brain | Documentary Clip This is a clip from the feature documentary "A Joyful Mind".You can find the full documentary here: https://youtu.be/r3neFV38TJQ and more information at www....

https://youtu.be/10J6crRacZg?si=sQToDFmvIhTWotNJ

Superhumans: The remarkable brain waves of high-level meditators | Daniel Goleman | Big Think Superhumans: The remarkable brain waves of high-level meditators Watch the newest video from Big Think: https://bigth.ink/NewVideoJoin Big Think+ for exclusi...