Dear Jelena, you teach Vinyasa Flow in Berlin, sing, write, give workshops and retreats and also have a family with two children and a small dog :-) How do you balance all of this? Does yoga help you with this?
I believe in the principles of Yin and Yang, especially when you talk about balancing. For me, it works wonderfully to combine all of this because my many tasks and passions in everyday life in the big city complement each other wonderfully: I love being a mother because I enjoy it, but at the same time I need things that allow me to grow mentally and personally develop, which is why I really enjoy writing about my experiences, singing or working as a speaker. Of course, yoga helps me to keep concentrating on what's important so that I don't get lost in social media or get distracted by the seemingly endless attractions that a loud, fast-paced city like Berlin brings with it.
In addition, you are now back in the OGNX campaign as OGNX People. What connects you to the brand, what does OGNX stand for and why does it suit you?
OGNX has become like a family to me over the last few years. The joy is enormous every time we see each other because we are on the same wavelength and I am happy to be a part of it. I support OGNX because we fit together so well on a human level and because I'm really into the fact that the brand produces exclusively organic cotton in Europe to support regional producers and absolutely distances itself from exploitation and child labor. I think that's great and unfortunately it's not yet the case with other large corporations. I also see a yogic meaning behind it on a meta level, which is very important to me personally: the things are more than just clothes that look great.
Do you think yoga is for everyone? No matter what age you are or how clumsy you are?
In any case. There are so many different styles of yoga that you can really put together your own personal yoga for every age. This allows needs to be met at every stage of life and maintains mobility at every age to stay strong and avoid injuries. And by 'agility' I don't mean that you have to be able to do the splits at 80, but rather that you maintain or acquire as much mobility so that you can stand up independently for as long as possible, for example from the floor, if there is no helping hand available.
What is the best way to start a regular yoga practice?
I've just had the experience myself that you actually have to make appointments with yourself and your practice. This may sound strange, but I make a plan every week and set times for yoga so that everyday life doesn't get out of hand. At the beginning of a regular yoga practice, it is definitely important and necessary to go to yoga classes regularly in order to learn the techniques. Once you have a basis, you can practice at home at the same time and get new inspiration in courses.
What else counts for you about yoga, in addition to your asana practice?
There is space for a lot of things under the large yoga roof. Asana is classically only one of 8 points and so it makes sense to look at the other 7 aspects that appear in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The bottom line, to put it briefly and clearly, is that we yogis strive for a more conscious life. This includes thinking about what you eat, what you do, how you treat people and how you spend your money. For my part, I don't support child labor or animal cruelty and rather try to support small, creative companies that think about making the world a little better for our descendants.
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