Ashtangaworkshops

🙏 Thanks to everyone for joining the first ashtanga workshop in Arnhem last weekend! We will start thinking of new ideas, and if you have any thoughts on the format, length and content - let us know! Until next time and good luck with all the prep for the holiday season ❤️
~Zhenya, Nanna, Victoria

We are looking back at the wonderful workshop with , who brought gentleness, energy and motivation to our weekend practice in Arnhem. Thank you Kristina, we are looking forward to a next time! 🙏🙏🙏

Questions to Kristina yogapractice.gr ~

What do you advise to those who are just starting out in their practice.

“For those who are just starting out in Ashtanga, or are in the beginning of their journey, my advice is simple. It’s such a beautiful practice and it is something you can only discover with time. So it’s the most important thing - to give it time. It has so much to offer, give it a chance… when you start, take a least 10 lessons and trust the process. So much is awaiting you.”

Tonight, we are heading into an ashtanga weekend together with . And thus, it is a beautiful opportunity to reflect on the strength of this verse in the opening chant.

"Holding a conch, discuss and sword" , refers to Patanjali, whose name is yet to make an appearance at the end of the mantra. Yet, we have already built a beautiful image in our mind's eye - a story that is more about the inner experience, rather than the appearance.

The instruments are the symbols of work we do to bring awareness into our daily life, to recognize and cut out the clutter that keeps creeping in. Perhaps the practice is the embodiment of all these instruments, transforming into whichever tool you need in the moment.

We are looking forward to practising this weekend together and to chant in dedication to our practice and all the teachers in our life's journey.

~ Questions to

This weekend Kristina will be teaching a series of workshops in Arnhem, with a primary focus on the ashtanga practice. We have asked her several questions about her practice and her motivation as a teacher.

"What keeps you motivated is the beauty of this practice and the fact that it is full of surprises. The fact that it is revealing something new. The fact that it gives me confidence and it gives the confidence to my students. It is a journey of exploration and a journey of discovery."
❤️

Embark on the journey of exploration with us this weekend. We have a few spots left (especially Sunday).

Time to get ready for action and thus - some practical information about the workshop with 🎉

If you have already signed up for the workshop - look out for an email - it is coming your way and should answer all your questions and more. You can of course always reach out!

In case you are still not sure if you would like to join or not - here is a small glimpse of the location we will be practicing at. Isn't it wonderful? We don't promise a view with green leaves on trees but the rest is there for you to enjoy!

Join us, there is a wonderful group of people participating, so not only will you enjoy the location, but also great company and an amazing teacher.

See y'all soon ❤️

~Taking the form of a man to the shoulders

The revered Patanjali is considered to be an incarnation of the serpent Ananta, the endless one, taking the human form in his upper body. Merging with this divine figure is Patanjali - the author/compiler of the "Sutras" on yoga.

The study of yoga in the Western culture oftens begins with the study of asanas, and most students who stick long enough with the practice, start cautiously venturing into other aspects of the yogic philosophy or other adjacent fields and modalities of living and being. The endless nature of this self-exploration hopefully points to the endless self, a conciousness that transcends time, space, and the separation of self from other. That's the promise and the premise of yoga. There is no destination, just the experience itself. And the value of that experience is not its accumulation, expressed in a skill or quality. Its value is the having of the experience in its multitude of forms, time and time again.

If you contemplate this verse of the opening mantra - what thoughts come to mind?

PS. The Ashtanga weekend with in is almost upon us. While we are contemplating the endlessness of the yoga experience, we are happy our wait is almost over. There are still a couple of spots available (mostly on Sunday). Will we see you there?

Hi, nice to meet you! ~

For those who don't know us, here is a very short introduction. We will do a more detailed intro a little later on, should anyone find that interesting - but we thought that it would be good for you all to see the faces behind Ashtangaworkshops 🙌

Victoria (left) is the tech guru behind this endeavour, so when you are booking your tickets, you know who's set it all up! Victoria started her yoga practice over 3 years ago with Tara .yoga, back in our lovely shala in Arnhem. And - as many already know - Vicky is the heartbeat of our little group, her practice is so consistent, it would inspire anyone to keep showing up! As it does inspire us :) Not so long ago .vitayoga advised her to do more Urdhva Dhanurasanas encouraging more focus on backbends, and yes Vicky thought 9 is a very doable number. :) She keeps it up too!💪

Zhenya (middle) is all things text and pictures. So if you like what you read and see, then she is very happy! Zhenya is the fearless one, first do then think. Or rather - trust that the body knows what it's doing and go for it. She brings the playground to the practice! Zhenya started almost at the same time as Victoria at the same shala and has had the opportunity to experience the many healing benefits of practice in the last 3 years🥳

Nanna (right) is the organizer of all things that need organizing. Coming from the event industry - there couldn't be a better partner in crime! So you can be assured the workshops are going to be smooooth! She brings the kind of softness to the energy of our mini shala that melts away any unnecessary forcefulness and brings focus to what really matters - the practice. Nanna is not new to yoga, having practised on and off for over a decade. She is loving Ashtanga and we often see her little ones join her on the mat! 🌸

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We are looking forward to the workshop with as an important highlight in our yoga year. It will be a great moment to warm up and energize our practice in the cold winter months. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the journey we will have travelled this year and to reconnect with each other after so many years of isolation and uncertainty.

Click on the link in bio to read more about the workshop and to join. 🔥

~ 'Relief from delusion, the poison of Samsara'

Life is not always easy. It is certainly challenging these last few years, as we have been plunged into deep social, economic, and political crises. And it may sometimes seem we are reliving the same patterns over and over - the samsara of life. But under these turbulent currents are the calm waters that are oblivious to the storms raging above. These waters are eternal and surrendering to their depths brings relief from the strife and the struggle.

Every day offers us new chances for surrender - for me, today that comes through the exploration of the asana and ahimsa practice. Meditation is still making its powerful way into my routine, slowly but steadily. I am a forever student of the practice of surrender, forever longing for the deep and calm waters of existence.

What is your practice?
~ Zhenya

Join us in Arnhem for a personal and dynamic 3 day workshop with a senior Ashtanga teacher Kristina Karitinou You are welcome to join, wherever you are on your (Ashtanga) yoga path. Restart your practice, or go deeper into it, get inspired and energized.

Unfortunately the ashtanga workshop with Kristina has been postponed. The new date is 9th-11th December 2022! Tickets are available via the link in bio.

We are planning more workshops during the year, follow us to be the first to know!!

~ Ashtanga weekend with Kristina Karitinou

~ like the jungle healer, who brings great well-being ~

By chance I discovered and started practicing Ashtanga just over 2.5 years ago when Tara Mysoreyoga Bonaire opened her shala just around the corner from my home. ❤️ This was the start of an amazing journey that I am enjoying every minute of. 🙏

Through practicing daily, I have become more in-tune with my body and mind, and am learning something about myself each time that I practice. It is giving me so much awareness of what my body needs, what is possible and I am finally beginning to learn and understand who I am.

As you learn the series, it becomes a moving meditation where you concentrate only on your ujjayi breathing, bandhas and drishti.

This is still just the beginning of my journey, and if I look back to how much has changed for the better the last few years after starting to practice, I am so looking forward to seeing what the future will bring!

Victoria🙏

~ Practicing with a senior Ashtanga yoga teacher

I started my practice just over two years ago. In ‘Ashtanga years’ that’s not a lot to be honest. That’s around the time when most people start to develop a regular practice, study yoga beyond asanas and start imagining that standing up from urdhva dhanurasana might one day be possible.

So when I went to Crete this summer to practice with Kristina Karitinou, a senior Ashtanga teacher, I was somewhat nervous. I still suffered from a misconception that as a beginner I am a ‘boring’ case for someone with this much experience and history. Kristina and her late husband Derek played a big role in nurturing Ashtanga in Europe and it was both exciting and intimidating.

Of course didn’t need to worry. Kristina and her son Dennis, who was assisting during Mysore, were beautiful, down to earth and human. Her teaching style is so inclusive and reassuring. Even matter of factly, like “of course you can do this”, and yet with a clear knowledge of boundaries and respect for a human body. There was no rush to learn anything specific in the 2,5 weeks that I was there. It was pure practice, part of a longer journey, with a clear beginning but no specific destination. And of course I learned a lot, but those learnings came from letting the practice run its course through my body and mind.

Practicing next to the ‘students’ who were following a teacher training course during the day, was both inspiring and liberating (no point in comparing apples and pears 😂). I felt very much at home and craved coming back every morning.

(Text continues in the photo)

~Heart-breaking

Reach out to those whose friends or family may be affected. Share support, share tears, ask them what you can do to help.
Take a stand, say something, please.

~ The awakening happiness of ones own Self revealed ~

For more than 16 years I’ve done yoga regularly. I’ve tried many classes and always felt a special connection to it. But it’s only in the last two years that I’ve dived into it spiritually. Two years ago I moved to Oosterbeek and searched where I could do yoga. I’m still so thankful that I clicked all the way to page 4 on google and found .yoga and her shala.

Ashtanga came at the right time for me, because I was in search of some deeper meaning in yoga and the asana’s. Ready for a next level of understanding, and also physically. Tara was the perfect teacher and gave me an inspiring introduction of the primary sequence, bandha’s, the breath, the rituals and of course the mantras.

I feel very connected to the second sentence "The awakening happiness of ones own Self revealed”. Since I’m doing ashtanga and learning about the asana’s and meaning of it all, I feel like I’m getting to know myself a lot more. What has revealed to me is that I respond to life in the same way I act on the mat. Sometimes it can be very confrontational but because I’m aware of these patterns I can choose how to handle a struggle pose or how I will act when I have a ‘bad’ day. I’m more aware of my thoughts and there’s no where to go. The way out, is the way in. My practice is not a performance, I’m doing this for my self. I’m pealing all the layers off and enjoying what comes from under there. It gives me freedom knowing I’m good enough. That’s so empowering and all that brings me happiness, on the mat as well as off the mat.

I feel like a kid in the playground. Especially practicing with my two favourite yogi’s, Vicky and Zhenya.

🌼 Nanna

Finding a balance between sticking to a method and following your own path within it can be tough. As Ashtanga practitioners, we sometimes struggle to find that middle ground, that sweet spot - when everything simply makes sense. When you find yourself in the flow, great internal focus and inspiring support from the community.

On other days you doubt your path or the method. And sometimes you doubt your own intuition and feel disconnected from your body.

Teachers play a special role in this journey. Time and time again they bring us back to that golden middle - sometimes inspiring us to be more, and sometimes reminding us simply to be.

Kristina Karitinou is one such teacher.

"She respects and appreciates the honest efforts of practitioners, their choices, and the influence of their own teachers. Her mission is to support the Ashtanga method and community with honesty and devotion."

Kristina will be coming to Arnhem on 11-13 March. Join us to experience the guidance of this radiant Ashtanga teacher. You will find the link with more information in bio.

Much love,
Zhenya, Victoria & Nanna
🔥

Sunday, 13th March, with Kristina Karitinou 🕉

You have most likely already experienced the benefits of meditation first-hand. It is such a wonderful way to come back to yourself and regain a sense of ease and "okayness".

But if you are like us, you probably don't have a very regular meditation practice. Getting to that state of mindfulness and inspired discipline is part of a journey - and we feel that it is okay, and that the time will come at the right time.

So we are looking forward to the 13th of March, as it will be one of those moments when we will make time for meditation together with you all and share this practice.

Meditation is a great addition to the Ashtanga weekend, as it will help us to bring back our enthusiasm, energy, and maybe even "ambition" to a place of contentment and internal - rather than external - focus.

Join us - we will be so happy to see you. Link is, as always, in bio.

Much love,
Zhenya, Victoria and Nanna ❤️

~ I honour the teachers with their two lotus feet 🙏 ~

When I first stepped on the mat for a Mysore practice in October 2019, I also stepped onto a new path. A path of which I knew very little and which was veiled in fog. I couldn't quite see where this first act of surrender to my teacher's guidance would take me.

I chanted the opening mantra on call and response. There were few people in the shala, which had just opened its doors for the first time. I knew what it said (did my homework), but I didn't know what it meant. I didn't understand how to relate to it. Tara .yoga gracefully mentioned at one point that we can call on the teacher inside us, our inner guidance. This was a wonderful step towards acknowledging the need for guidance in general. A beautiful technique for those of us who have lived our lives being in control of every small thing.

In the two years since that day, I have deepened myself into the study of being a student, coming to understand and practice the more traditional appreciation for teachers in my life. Every time I open my day with the chant, I step onto my path again and again, as if for the first time. Not scared or confused by the mist of unknowing in front of me. But trusting the clarity of the guidance of the teachers who support my journey. Trusting the clarity of the journey that has taken me to where I am right now.
❤️ Zhenya

Om, vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde 🌸

Ashtangaworkshops updated their business hours.

Ashtangaworkshops updated their website address.

Join us for an unforgettable weekend of Ashtanga practice with Kristina Karitinou . A senior teacher, and one of the first ones in Europe, she has been a guardian of the traditional method as taught by her late husband Derek Ireland. Authorized by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and Certified by his son, Manju Pattabhi Jois in 2012, Krisitina teaches out of Crete and gives workshops in Europe throughout the year.

Kristina is a wonderful and supportive teacher, who inspires confidence and focus. She is fun, warm and welcoming and we can't wait to practice and learn from her here in Arnhem.

If you practice ashtanga, you probably know how amazing and uplifting it is to be guided by a teacher. Regularly, or in addition to your home practice, such guidance brings depth and support in our exciting journey. 🧘

After our shala in Arnhem closed and moved to Bonaire (a loving shout out to .yoga Tara ❤️!), we found ourselves committed to a beautiful home practice and occasional trips to various workshops out and about. It has been a great exercise in discipline, self-exploration, friendship and fun. And it has also made us realise that we have a lovely Ashtaga community in Arnhem which is yearning for guidance.

So we decided that we will organize community-driven workshops in our hometown – not bound to a specific studio or location – and invite teachers we admire and love to guide us in our practice and learning. This is how Ashtanga workshops in Arnhem began – and we hope to see you soon in one of our small, friendly and inspiring events. 🤸

Much love,
Victoria, Zhenya & Nanna