Our very first workshop at 108 Corner is over. I still remember when we decided to invite Lucas Carvalho and Sasha Masiello to do an Ashtanga yoga workshop in Slovenia, and we had absolutely no idea what to expect. We didn’t know how many people would sign up for there are still a lot of misunderstandings around this traditional method in the Slovenian yoga community. But it turned out that this was exactly our strongest point: we wanted to introduce the traditional Ashtanga yoga method in order to debunk the myths around this “controversial” practice, and we made it!
Ashtanga yoga is one of those rare practices where all levels of yogis can benefit from it at the same time. We welcomed everyone at the workshop, from beginners to superashtangis and even those who never practiced yoga before.
Lucas and Sasha started the workshop with a short philosophical and practical introduction to Ashtanga yoga which was not only valuable for those who never practiced this method before, but also a great recap for everyone who is practicing Ashtnaga on a regular basis. Getting back to basics is key to understanding the deeper layers of any practice, and Ashtanga is no different.
The traditional Mysore practice was a real energy boost
On Saturday and Sunday morning, we did the traditional Mysore practice. 23 beautiful souls breathing together and sweating through the asanas, every practitioner at their one pace. It was a magical experience. When you have the chance to practice in a group in a complete silence, you get to understand what a moving meditation really means. We had 23 people of completely different levels and yoga backgrounds practicing together for two hours with the help of Lucas and Sasha, and we made some real magic together! Lucas took the time to speak with every single practitioner to get to know them better and adapt the practice to their needs. Then we all dove into the practice with the first ekam inhale and woke up from savasana reborn.
We practiced …
We chanted …
We meditated …
We talked …
And we laughed …
But most of all, we all had the opportunity to learn the practical and the philosophical part of this traditional practice and made some deep heart connections.
We are super happy that we opened the door for this transformative practice here in Slovenia and that a tiny little group of 23 people got the chance to experience the true benefits of it. Thank you Lucas and Sasha for sharing your knowledge and thanks to everyone who was part of this beautiful weekend.
Photos by Jure Horvat
