Yoga in Bergen

I have practiced ashtanga yoga for some years now. I have a brilliant teacher, who is precise, interested in her students’ well-being, and leads with example. She gives good instructions with explanations why and how to do things. In my experience, her teaching method and pedagogical abilities are hard to beat because she develops them all the time and teaches more than just yoga. She has taught me to be wise when it comes to practice and life. One of the things she teaches is to observe your teacher. When going to a new place for a work-out, dance class or yoga, you should have a strong basis and an eye for the posture of the teacher and his/her technique. You should also be open and humble to new teachings.

When I came to Bergen I had to sleep in a really bad bed for a week or so, which led to pain and stiffness in my body. The trouble was that in my new room there isn’t much space to do all my “rehabilitation routines”. I have been able to stretch but I realized I needed something more.

I looked for yoga schools and hoped to find something near my apartment. I came across Yogarommet, a school that teaches Iyengar yoga. This is new, I thought and bought a two-weeks trial period. Turned out that even though Iyengar yoga is different from ashtanga, the teachers talked about same things as my ashtanga teacher back home. They paid attention to the alignment and corrected me when needed. I felt they saw my body the same way as my own teacher and pointed out the same weaknesses that I needed help with.

Keeping up with good routines and granting time for your body and mind can be surprisingly hard. That’s why you need to learn how to learn. For some time now I have regarded my life as a journey with a lot of stories, people and paths intertwined in it. When you start to see possibilities every now and then you see that routines allow for spontaneity and fun. I don’t think life is a routine but it helps to take a look at the foundation on which you try to build your life. Starting with your body is a good point of departure.