My name is Karolina and I’m passionate Sivananda yoga teacher and pregnancy yoga teacher who embraces all forms of yoga: asanas, pranayama, relaxation, positive thinking, nutrition, meditation, and mantras. All of those paths are essential for overall well being. I’d love to share my knowledge and experience in order to help people maintain a happy and healthy life. Yoga is for everybody, so don't worry if you can't reach your toes. With time it will make you stronger and more flexible.
My teaching is based on 12 basic postures, asanas, which are practiced in a specific order, which are specially designed to help your body and mind to reap the greatest possible benefits. I always begin with relaxation in Corps Pose to focus the mind and prevent from being distracted by the demands of everyday life. Continue with Easy Sitting Pose with gives a firm sitting position for performing eye and neck exercises, as well as breathing exercises. Next comes to Sun Salutation, which stimulates the heart and the circulation of the blood. It also serves as a general warm up for the postures that follow. First half of the practice are asanas that focus mostly on muscle stretching. The stretching is always followed by relaxation of the muscles. In addition the inverted postures (shoulder and head stand - don't worry too much if you cannot do them now) of this first part of the practice increase the blood supply to the head, which improves the function of the brain and thyroid gland.
The second half of the practice if focused more on muscle strengthening . This is done by contracting then relaxing the muscles. In addition, poses such as Bow, Half Spinal Twist, exert more pressure on your inner organs. This helps to detoxify the tissues and increase the their blood supply. The practice will end with Final Relaxation - Corps Pose. When you relax in in this position , your voluntary muscles and your internal organs relax completely. Final relaxation will also helps you to absorb all the benefits of the asanas.
If you are beginner and to start with, you can only manage a few of the steps leading up to final pose. If this is the case, do not worry and do not force yourself on the next step. It's not a competition. In yoga, there are benefits for mind and body in every step . If you are intermediate or advance most of the 12 basic asanas have variations to go deeper in the practice where you can challenge yourself. Whether you are just starting your yoga and wellness journey or practice regularly and want to improve your practice your private yoga class will be tailored specifically to your needs.
I was in my 30s when accidently I discovered yoga. I was suffering from a very bad neck pain ,where I had to turn my whole body to see what’s behind me. Trips to osteopath didn’t help because apart from that, I didn’t do any exercises. My last chance, before I gone completely crazy was a massage by a healer (now my very good friend). He told me that my body is super stiff, and I need to stretch. Thanks to the power of internet, I found some yoga poses for lazy people. After a week I was really amazed how simple stretching influenced on my body. I was thinking to myself: This is how the body supposed to feel!? And why am I discovering this now?! From that moment I was totally addicted. I was deepening my knowledge about what is yoga and what benefits it has to our body, mind and spirit. My body become very strong, toned and flexible. I have never looked better in my life! My mind through meditation became calm. Things which were really bothering me before, didn’t bother me anymore. I started accepting things the way they are. Every, even difficult situation was a lesson which had a solution.
After 2 years of my own practice and research I have decided to quit my job. I have been in the same industry for 16 years and decided to go into yoga professionally and spread the world how fantastic it is. I went to Himalayas in India to became yoga teacher in Sivananda tradition – which to be honest I discovered by accident too. The Sivananda tradition sees yoga not only as physical exercises but how through pranayama (breathing), mediation, relaxation, positive thinking and proper diet achieve what is called Samadhi. The unity with the Divine, the Universe. In there I have also learnt that there are no accidents. Things are happening for a reason and Universe got plan for everyone. When I came back, I was terrified to leave the comfort of my job behind. Leading by a motto “An ounce of practice is worth tonnes of theory” I started to look for clients. During this journey I met some amazing people whom yoga helped enormously.I was aware, that what I do, really helping people and wanted to widen my knowledge and became yoga teacher for pregnant women.
When I fall pregnant myself, I have never stopped practicing. The asanas (exercises) maintained the strength and flexibility to my body. Meditation and relaxation helped to stay calm and positive, and the idea about giving birth wasn’t scarry anymore. Pranayama (breathing) helped me to control my breath and increased the capacity of my lungs (not mentioning of removing all those toxins inhaling in polluted London). As it was my first baby, I had no idea about the birth … or babies. On my journey I met wonderful lady who was Hypnobirthing teacher and who insisted to give me, and my partner hypnobirthing lessons. The course reminded me a lot about yoga: the anatomy, relaxation, breathing and the power of the mind. As a yoga practitioner I found it very easy to accommodate all this exercises into hypnobirthing. I wanted my baby to be born in a water in calm atmosphere, with no intervention or use of drugs. I was visualising the event in my head as I knew how powerful the mind is.When the time came at 38+4 weeks I gave birth, exactly the way I imagine to my beautiful baby Gabriel. I was amazed how powerful the birth was and how my body and mind worked together. I was ready to go home after 3 hours! The recovery was very fast and after a month I was back on the mat. My own experience (suddenly from no having a clue to becoming an expert) pushed me to do the Katharine Graves Hypnobirthing course. I believe all women should have the same experience as our body is designed to do this. It just our mind which blocking us to do so. I heard too many traumatic stories. It’s time for every woman to learn how to relax and listed to their body and have wondaful birth experience.
My practice and knowledge didn’t stop there. As a mum I find very little time to focus on myself, so I started including my baby in my daily practice. I continue the mediation when Gabriel goes to sleep as it gives me sense of balance, strength, calmness, creativity and acceptance – exactly what you need having a baby. There is never too late to start practicing yoga in which whatever form it is. And if it changed my life, I am 100% sure that it will influence on your life too. I will never regret that I have changed my 16 years career and became yoga and hypnobirthing teacher. Helping others is far more rewarding than just making money for somebody else.
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