Welcome to My Blog!
Ashtanga Yoga
Let me introduce myself. My name is Andreea Aradits, I am a practicing Ashtangi and an Ashtanga Yoga teacher. I teach from a place of love and dedication and I aim to serve the community best I can.
I started practicing yoga in 2015 because my spine had a a couple of curves that shouldn't have been there and my back had started to cause me trouble, especially after pregnancy, child birth and child-raising. :)
I attended my first in-person Ashtanga yoga class in 2016 and I completely fel in love. At the time I was an amateur runner (half-marathons and a couple of full marathons) - I honestly believed I had been through hard things and nothing can be as difficult as giving birth or finishing a marathon in 4 hours 45 minutes. Until I met my first Indian yoga teacher, in the first teacher training I attended.
The only reason I signed up is because I wanted to study with an authentic Indian teacher and learn more about yoga. Teaching was never on my agenda. But things have their own way of unfolding..
I started imparting the practice (beginner level) at my teacher's suggestion, after finishing the teacher training, but I continued to practice, study and continued my efforts to go deeper in the practice and in understanding of the path of yoga. I still do.
I study with Indian teachers following the traditional method of Ashtanga yoga, imparted through parampara (an uninterrupted row or series, order, succession, continuation, mediation, tradition). respecting the original teachings and teaching in the same manner to keep the original source intact. And it is an amazing practice for body (at first), then mind and soul. The deeper you go in the practice, the more levels you discover there are to be unravelled, the more you try to find yourself, the more aspects you find there are in you also. It is simply the best tool I ever found in my life.
It took me almost 40 years to discover that which brings me closer and closer to the real me. And like many of us, I've been looking for me my entire life. And that tool is traditional Ashtanga Yoga.
To really understand it, it takes a lot of effort and sacrifice and as I said, I am still walking this path of effort and study and trying to grasp the true meaning of life and the true meaning and purpose of my present birth. Loosing the ego and putting your sincere efforts and trust in the practice is a requirement to be able to gaze at the deeper aspects of Ashtanga Yoga. But it gives so much more in return, such peace of mind and a content soul, such sense of belonging to a bigger, universal self and consciousness. It is beyond anything you can achieve in the material world,
Ashtanga Yoga Asanas
To walk this path, as I mentioned, it is required you start with the body. Our body is an external element we can perceive and work with as a tool to dig deeper into ourselves. Asanas (yoga posture) bring steadiness in the movements so an open calmness begins to be embodied. Asana is actually a gateway into the spiritual path of yoga. Ashtanga yoga is about optimising and spiritualising the body.
That is why we start with the Asanas in Ashtanga Yoga practice. And it's ok if you want to stay with the asanas, you have that option. You also have the option to go deeper. It's all up to you, how much and how far you want to go in this lifetime.
Ashtanga Yoga is a spiritual discipline., Start with the body and see where it takes you. Be curious, stay open and consistent. You will find your way.
This is what I practice, teach and this is what I will be writing about on this blog. I hope some of the information will be of use to you.
Sign up for class (in person or online), send me a message to join and I will see you on the mat!
Love,
Andreea