YOGA HELPED ME TO BE STRONG IN THE HARDEST MOMENTS

Until not long ago, although right now it may sound crazy, traveling around the world was our normal life and during the last 12 years we visited India for 5 times, a country where I could constantly breath yoga around me, but I didn’t put attention on it. I never get interest. 

I was preferring hiking, walking, running, aerobic and all kind of different physical activities more dynamics. Yoga for me was too connected to meditation and mysticism and back then it looks that I was just concerned about my body, not much for my mind. But as most of the world can experience this days lifestyle and preferences can change radically in a single day. In our case it wasn’t now with all this coronavirus thing going around, for us it happen just a bit before.

When Manu got bladder cancer at the beginning of 2018 we have stop traveling and a very intense hospital routine started for us. This kind of cancer is rare to be diagnosed for a young man but it is not if your immune system is exhausted after several years traveling on a motorcycle around the world and an invisible African parasite infects you and lives in your bladder for months, or years.

It was then when we really start to worry about the necessity of giving rest to our bodies so we began with healthier life habits, basically exercising more often, eating a very natural and vegetarian diet, always avoiding processed food, sugar, alcohol… and of course we gave a chance to Yoga. It happens in that moment, Manu and I got in love of this Indian discipline.

This sickness was very well and very fast treated for the public healthy system in Spain, those amazing doctors and nurses take very good care of Manu and he never got to feel a single physical pain or lack of energy during all this process, but the probability of this kind of cancer to return is very high and we start to understand that at least for the first 2 years we will have to cancel our long travel projects because of the several controls he will have to attend.

Basically the challenge was more psychological than physical and we needed to keep a positive mind. Accept a new reality suddenly change your life and feel that your destiny is not anymore just is your hands is not easy, stress could be as lethal as pollution or cigarettes for a relapse.

We read a lot and talked with many friends who have different points of views and then we arrived to the conclusion that it was very important to work with our mind. 

We started first with some meditation guided on youtube every night before go to sleep but it wasn’t easy to focus, so we continue with a different process. Starting with some asanas, or yoga postures, then to finish with some guided meditation. The feeling of well-being was complete, body and mind were in balance.

After few days I asked myself why I was feeling very good the last years while traveling if I was just taking care of satisfy my body? Then I realize that during those riding travels we really were working in the mind and not just in the body, but it was a different kind of meditation. There were so many hours daily seating on the motorcycle facing very long days of riding, and even when me and Manu were one next to each other all the time, it was like we were alone only with our own thoughts, with our mind confined in those helmets. Body and mind were in balance also back then.

Some months later, once Manu recovery from surgery and overcome first months of his treatment, we decided to sign in a sport center in Sevilla where there were many activities. Pilates, HIIT, Pool, Body Pump, Body Combat… and Yoga. It was the first time ever we assisted to a yoga class. There we met Barbara, my first Yoga teacher. She show me a different kind of yoga from what I had in mind. More energetic, intense… and her attitude was motivating me very much. Masters, teachers… 

With her I start to understand that there are many different kind of Yoga and I wanted to discover which was the options what could fit better with my personality and preferences.

After just 1 month practicing with Barbara in Sevilla (Spain), I could make headstand and many other asanas that not long time before were looking impossible to me. I wanted more, I wanted to know more about Yoga, so I start to read about it. 

Our plan was to continue with our travel projects and we though that to include the yoga on those travels would be great. I got the idea to study a Teacher Training Course for Yoga so I could, during my travels, teach children in many of those small villages we used to visit around the world. We decided to come back one more time to India. 

It was just some months ago, November 2019. Manu already finished his immunotherapy and Christmas is a good time to visit South India. I start looking for schools and I found Shree Hari Yoga School in one of my favorite places in South India, near to the holy town of Gokarna. In the middle of Kuddle Beach, a place with no roads where you can only reach by a short hike through the jungle. Clean air, monkeys and incredible sunsets. I was sure I found the right place. I contacted with Hari and I applied for the 200 hours TTC of December. I was so exited.

I must say that it is a very intense way to study Yoga the way I choose, 200 hours in 22 days. You need a strong discipline and motivation because the classes were daily from 6 am to 5:30 pm. Many different and new subjects for me, Mantras, Pranayama, Philosophy, Anatomy, Art of teaching, Meditation and of course some of the most common yoga style, Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Yin Yoga…

I was physically destroyed but very motivated until my last exam.

It was a great experience, I met better myself, my body, my place on Earth. I discover the real union of body, mind and soul. I feel younger, stronger, more motivated and healthier. 

It was the last February when we have to come back to Spain, Manu´s doctor was waiting for a new check with the ultrasound machine to confirm that everything is fine. My backpack was full with books about yoga, anatomy and pranayama. 

In this 21 century Yoga is around most of the people although many of them can’t feel it, but when is the right moment Yoga will show up with all its power in the advice of a close friend, with a good master that meet your path or as the best solution for the anxiety that it comes after some dramatic situation occurs. Then you can’t escape, you have to give a chance. 

My advice, If you never tried before start now. Yoga is for everybody. It doesn’t matter if you are not flexible, if you are older or overweight. Try, Yoga worth it.