From Brussels, Belgium

I’ve been training my whole life...

...gymnastics, swimming, running, karate, you name it.

And while I loved it, there was always one thing: I ended up exhausted. No matter how fit I was, my body always felt drained afterward.

Yoga changed that.

It wasn’t instant, but over time, yoga showed me that movement could give energy, not just take it away.

I first tried yoga in 2016, attended a couple of retreats in 2018, but it wasn’t until Covid hit, with all its stillness and restrictions, that I truly committed. That’s when yoga shifted from something I did to something I needed.

Ashtanga became my anchor. 

It’s like a meditation in motion - steady breath, focused mind and the same sequence day after day. It’s not always perfect (my mind still wanders) but there’s something deeply grounding in the repetition. It builds strength, calms my mind and keeps me steady.

At my age (and yes, I feel it sometimes), balance can be tricky, like climbing onto trains, gardening, reaching high shelves. But Ashtanga helps. It strengthens my body and sharpens my balance, so everyday things don’t become harder than they need to be.

I practice now with the future in mind. I’ve seen people my age walking slowly, relying on canes or walkers and I don’t want that. Yoga feels like insurance for my future. It’s my way of staying strong, agile, and independent for as long as possible. Sure, I can still climb ladders (though I prefer someone nearby just in case), but more than that, I trust my body more deeply than I ever have.

That’s why I keep practicing. Every time I step on the mat, I’m not just moving for today, I’m investing in the years ahead.

And honestly? I only wish I’d started 30 years ago...

Photo by Scott Johnson

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From Vienna in Austria

The bell rings and I notice it.

Three deep breaths and I’m in.

But today an old memory brings me back.

I was 16 years old and perceived almost all older people as frustrated and grumpy. My grandmother was a big exception, because she was loving and kind, even though she had experienced terrible things in the Second World War and had lost her husband. That was the moment when I wholeheartedly resolved to become kind and wise in my old age, but I thought that would be too easy, because a few years later I was a well-paid manager and my ego left no room for doubt for a long time.

Through a very sad event I was reminded of the heartfelt desire of my youth and today I perceive an irresistible force within me that strives for self-knowledge in kindness and love. 

The bell rang and I noticed it...

Photo by Scott Johnson

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From Marseille in France

It is true that nowadays yoga is very fashionable and everybody is practicing yoga.

The first time I practiced yoga was in India in 1999. I was traveling through India as a tourist and I stopped for a longer period in Varanasi. There, I decided to try yoga for the first time.

This time in my life was a big mess. I was all the time overwhelmed by my emotions, I was smoking a lot, eating compulsively, and during this trip, I was always arguing with my boyfriend.

After 2 days of yoga, the teacher asked me to come twice a day. After less than a week of practicing twice a day, I started to feel more balanced… the feeling was strong enough for me to notice the changes: I almost stopped smoking without really wanting to, I started eating in a normal way, and I was not in the mood for arguing.

Steadiness, calm… so strong… so good.

Back in France, I did not practice yoga.

A few years later, the path of yoga came back to me… and I started to practice Ashtanga, a dynamic yoga. Ashtanga yoga, with the repetition of the same series every day, gives you focus, grounds you, and makes your nervous system stronger.

It helps you face life with its bundle of problems and things to solve. It helps find steadiness… you learn to listen, to breathe, to feel… you are more aware, more sensitive.

You learn a lot about yourself… you open your heart and you connect to the heart.

Photo by Scott Johnson

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