Katy Scherer Yoga

It’s time for students and teachers to stop hiding behind yoga to justify unhealthy lifestyle habit’s especially around the topic of body image. I really wish more of our yoga community could understand that healthy looks different on different bodies.
What do you think?

Fear as a Teacher. - https://mailchi.mp/efbb9a6b4b06/whats-been-going-on-and-what-coming-up-8324925

If it’s:

🌟A flamboyance of flamingos
🌟A smack of jellyfish
🌟A pandemonium of parrots
🌟A parliament of owls
🌟A Conspiracy of lemurs
🌟A Sparkle or Fireflies

Then what could be call a group of Ashtangis?
Suggestions below in the comments.

Practice doesn’t need to be painful.
If you practice anything physical long enough it’s inevitable that you will hurting yourself one way or another. I always like to use walking as an example. The injuries I have hurt myself more times than I could count simply trying to put one foot in front of another!

Over time you wise up and take precautions. You change the shoes you wear, you don’t walk around watching your phone and not the pavement trying to be more aware of your surroundings and try your best not to rush and hurry. All these things you learn through self experience and common sense!

I like to think of my practice the same way. Through my own experiences I learn what I need to do, need to change and need to prioritize in order to move safely and efficiently with the body I have. Just like walking I have learnt that If I want to get from A to B through my life as pain free as possible then sometimes I have to use my common sense and make some changes.

“The purpose of fear is to raise your awareness, not stop your progress.” — Steve Maraboli

Fear has been a topic on my mind lately. I see it on a daily basis whilst I teach and I feel it at least once a day during practice. Sometimes it’s a fear of falling, a fear of embarrassment or a fear of injury to name but a few.
Regardless of the trigger, fear is inevitable in the practice of Ashtanga Yoga and comes with a beautiful opportunity for growth on a physical, mental and spiritual level.

I often joke with my students that if there is a hard way to practice an asana then its probably the ashtanga way. This challenge presented to us by the practice is not designed to chisel our abs but instead offer us an opportunity to strengthen the mind by raising our awareness and fear can be the key to this process. Sometimes fear comes out of the blue but over time as practitioners we begin to join the dots becoming aware of our conditioned personality traits. Sometimes the fear of headstands stems from the fear of loosing control or the fear experienced in backbends are reminiscent of old school-time traumas of venerability. There are connections to be made everywhere if we are aware and open to see them.

I feel this is one of the main reasons leave the practice, facing your fears everyday all before 8am is not for the faint hearted! For the few of us who seek personal and spiritual growth fear becomes our guide and a constant reminder that we are on the right path. So maybe the next time you experience fear during your practice you will be able to look at it differently and even embrace it as a vital part of your ashtanga journey.

I had to giggle today during my Mysore class. A few of my lovely students were making some pretty funny noises and faces during practice. These bi-products of hard work and effort can be very normal in Ashtanga yoga and disappear over time but they reminded me this morning of how important being uncomfortable is.
During our Asana practice there are many moments where we are very uncomfortable but we practice finding comfort in the discomfort. The noises and faces of discomfort go over time as we learn to accept the situation and sensations that we do not like and instead we lean in and learn that it’s okay to be uncomfortable.
🥰❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️🥰
If your in Cologne and fancy practicing with me then you can join me .to.the.people on the 8th of June for a Specials class!

Same post every year ❤️

Instagram vs Reality.

Despite what my Instagram feed might suggest I am not a a particularly extroverted or social person. I don’t love to have my photo taken, I get very uncomfortable when I receive praise or compliments and I can be awkward in social situations. This is probably why I like social media 😝

Social media for me can be an opportunity to contribute to a conversation and interact with lots of people without all the anxiety. This is something I discovered on my last trip to Mysore. It was a tough season for me and I had a few weeks or real struggle where I felt myself withdrawing more than normal. My headspace was not great for a moment but creating and sharing memes gave me a way to express myself through my humor.

Fast forward to today where I still create and share my memes because I like to. I love seeing you all interact and share them and the idea what I get to contribute to a little joy and laughter to the online world brings a smile to my face. Long story short, the memes are here to stay!

Looking for an Introduction to Mysore workshop but in Retreat format? If so join me this September in Italy 🇮🇹
I’m very lucky to be returning to for a week long retreat designed for students who are interested, new or just beginning their journey into the world of Ashtanga. This will be a fun week where we will explore what it is to practice Ashtanga yoga as we delve into the Mysore practice each morning and tackle some of the fundamentals in the afternoon workshops.
If you are interested in joining me please get in touch 🥰 This will be my last retreat of the year 😩

As a parent and an Ashtangi I often struggle with the idea of modifying my practice to fit around my life. I often want to give everything to my Sadhana but find myself adapting and compromising so that I can be a parent first. This takes a certain level of flexibility and not the kind that most think of when we talk about Ashtanga.
As parents and practitioners we have to remain flexible with routines, schedules and have to be able to deviate from plan A to plan B in a split of second. We might have planned to do an early morning practice but a sick child during the night means sleep has to take priority or we might have to cut our practice short in order to make the school pack lunch. There are hundreds of examples, these two just happened recently so are fresh in my mind.
This flexibility is much harder to cultivate than than it’s physical friend and this is why we call practicing whilst be a parent the 7th series. It’s not for the faint hearted but nothing good ever is.

That’s a wrap! What a wonderful week in Scotland! Thanks to the people who trust us enough to travel all over the world with & .a
See you all and a few more old friends in Mexico!

Cold sunny days in Scotland where a 15km walk is just a stroll through the woods to the most beautiful lake.

Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Guatemala 🇬🇹 Italy 🇮🇹
Our annual retreats have become a really highland in my calendar and it’s already time to look ahead to 2025 so where should and I go next on retreat?
Suggestion time in the comments 🥰🥰🥰

Views of Scotland from my bedroom.

Learning to say no and watch it unfold.

So far this year has been my year of saying no. I have had to say no to a few big things that I really wanted to do. A retreat at my dream location, a yoga festival where I would be the only Ashtanga representative and an immersion that has been on my bucket list for years.

I hate to say no, I always struggled with the idea of lost opportunities and possibilities which is just a fancy way of saying I get FOMO but In Scotland we have a saying, ‘‘What’s fur ye’ll no go by ye’ which translates in English as ‘What’s for you will not go by you’.
This home grown mantra is a great reminder to just relax and have faith in a higher power, God, the universe or whatever you believe in.

The Sadhana Experience 8th-10th of November is now up and bookable 😍

Sadhana (Sanskrit: साधन) is a Sanskrit term used to refer to a daily spiritual practice. Sadhana represents a disciplined surrendering of the ego, in which the practitioner uses tools such as asana, pranayama, meditation and chanting on a daily basis.

The Ashtanga Sadhana Experience is for those looking to immerse themselves into practice and all that this means. Join Katy for 3 days of Mysore, Chanting, Breathwork, Meditation, workshops and of course Chai & Chats.

Schedule

Friday

8:30-11 Practice.

11-1pm Brunch Break

1-1:30pm- Chanting

1:30-2:30- Chai & Chats

2-4:30pm Workshop: Making the standing poses work for you.

Saturday

8:30-11 Practice.

11-1pm Brunch Break

1-1:30pm- Chanting

1:30-2:30- Chai & Chats

2-4:30pm Workshop: Primary and Intermediate Backbending connection.

Sunday

8:30-11 Practice.

11-1pm Brunch Break

1-1:30pm- Chanting

1:30-2:30- Chai & Chats

2-4:30pm Workshop: Hip Clinic

If your in or around Bonn and want to join please get in touch!

“If you can remember why you started, then you will know why you must continue.” – Chris Burkmenn

I haven’t practiced for the last five days which is the longest time away from Mat for years! It’s good to take rest whilst you are sick but the time away has a big affect on the body and mind. I currently feel like the Tin man and about as agile as a sloth but it’s the affects on the mind that I feel the most.

Today I will practice but I don’t want to. I feel unmotivated, unenthusiastic and I know that the first practice back will feel rough! Getting the body back on the mat is easy but getting the mind to cooperate can be the challenge. Days like today are all about the mindset and remembering what’s important and why we practice so today I will start back slow and do my best to trust the process.

Teaching confidence & Potential. - https://mailchi.mp/81bb8cbb0a62/whats-been-going-on-and-what-coming-up-8251961

https://mailchi.mp/af905a7b6bcb/whats-been-going-on-and-what-coming-up NEWSLETTER IS OUT!

Holding on and letting go, something we are struggle with.

Two traveling monks reached a town where there was a young woman waiting to step out of her sedan chair. The rains had made deep puddles and she couldn’t step across without spoiling her silken robes. She stood there, looking very cross and impatient. She was scolding her attendants. They had nowhere to place the packages they held for her, so they couldn’t help her across the puddle.

The younger monk noticed the woman, said nothing, and walked by. The older monk quickly picked her up and put her on his back, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other side. She didn’t thank the older monk, she just shoved him out of the way and departed.

As they continued on their way, the young monk was brooding and preoccupied. After several hours, unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. “That woman back there was very selfish and rude, but you picked her up on your back and carried her! Then she didn’t even thank you!

“I set the woman down hours ago,” the older monk replied. “Why are you still carrying her?” - Zen Shorts

I’m a big believer that if you are the smartest person in the room then you are in the wrong room. I feel this is a sentiment shared by many ashtanga practitioners and teachers who constantly seek out knowledge from those who have already trodden the path we are on.
By always being a student in search of knowledge you never stagnate. There is always more to learn and someone out there with the know how and experience waiting to share it so seek them out and explore more rooms.

Looking forward to seeing The Breath Collective next week on & the Cologne Ashtangis .to.the.people 🥰🥰🥰

All trips to Mysore are special but this trip was extra special because I got to share the experience with Gabriel who also practiced. We got the talk about our practice and our sore muscles, share the experiences of India and above all spend some quality time together. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows but that life and that’s Ashtanga and we got to experience it all together.

Spending the final few days in India with my favorite people 🥰🙏🥰

‘Hard choices easy life. Easy choices hard life.’

every trip to Mysore seems to act like the catalyst to changes made in my life. I don’t know if it’s the intensity of practice or the time spent away from daily life, but there is something about these trips and seasons, that force me into a space of self reflection.

This season is no different and I will leave with a bigger passion for teaching what I love and a confidence to walk away from teaching what doesn’t light my fire anymore. Making hard decisions has allowed me to focus my time and energy where I want it to be and has allowed me to say yes to a few new projects in 2024 including a new class in Cologne .to.the.people a weekly online class with and maybe a few other things I can’t really talk about yet.

Deciding to clear out, make space and walk away from what doesn’t fill your cup are not easy choices but they sure do being a sense of ease and excitement for the opportunities and possibilities around around corner.

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you really are.” – Carl Jung

Ashtanga yoga is just one path we can take towards a more spiritual existence but it is the path I choose to take and inevitably chose to share with others.
Do I believe Ashtanga yoga is for everyone? Yes and No. let me be clear, I believe that everyone can practice Ashtanga but very few are prepared to be brutally honest with themselves which is half the work.

Many Yoga students are willing to show up to the mat, work on strength, stamina, flexibility, but very few are willing to work on themselves off the mat. This to me is the biggest difference between Ashtanga Yoga, and other styles. Ashtanga yoga requires you to change your lifestyle in order to practice and this is just too much for some. Maybe it’s the wrong timing or circumstances for that individual, maybe they will return to the practice at a later date and maybe they never look at Ashtanga again.

Ashtanga yoga is not for the weak of heart. It is for those who are brave enough to go an a journey of self discovery in search of Grace. It’s for those who have recognized that the need to change and have the courage to do what it takes.

If you are wanting to start your own journey with Ashtanga yoga then join me in Bonn and online and if you are looking for teacher near you please leave a comment with your country and city and I will do my best to connect you with someone. 🪷🙏🪷

End of another week in Mysore and Gabriel just finished his led class! He says he is enjoying practice, coconuts and Dosas and feels inspired to keep practicing when we get home.
I always feel the same way 🥰🥥🥰

After last years mini series success I am very happy to be heading back to for a regular Breath Collective class!
Join me every Tuesday at 8am EST time from February onwards to join an inclusive online community centered around the transformational power of breath. I really look forward to reconnecting with the beautiful people who joined me in 2023 and meeting anyone new looking to join the Om Stars Breath Collective!

JOY
“Joy does not arrive with a fanfare,
on a red carpet strewn with the flowers of a perfect life.
Joy sneaks in, as you pour a cup of coffee,
watching the sun hit your favourite tree, just right.
And you usher joy away,
because you are not ready for it.
Your house is not as it must be,
for such a distinguished guest.
But joy cares nothing for your messy home,
or your bank-balance,
or your waistline, you see.
Joy is supposed to slither through the cracks of your imperfect life,
that’s how joy works.
You cannot invite her, you can only be ready when she appears.
And hug her with meaning,
because in this very moment,
joy chose you.”
-Donna Ashworth-

First Season practicing and getting to enjoy the sweet sweet feeling of a post practice coconut. 🥥🥹🥥

“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities. Share our similarities, celebrate our differences. The differences that separate human beings are nothing compared to the similarities that bond us together.”

And that wraps a wonderful month with a great bunch of humans.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇬🇷 🇮🇹 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇨🇱 🇪🇸 all in 🇮🇳 sharing an experience but traveling their own path.