With Purna Yoga I’ve seen changes in peoples’ lives which are just incredible, even I am not the same person anymore from since I started. Yoga is meant to make you a better and happier person and as a teacher I’m lucky enough to see yoga students change all the time. First you see it in their bodies, the people who practice regularly change very fast, muscles when worked right respond quickly and many get rid of their back pain and other issues they come with. Then I notice how some come with serious and suspicious looks on their face, and one day you see them smile, and then they don’t stop smiling anymore. Sometimes they even let us know what happened since they started practicing with us and this is something they say, “after the hip opening I slept so much better, haven’t slept like this in years”, “I feel that there is less to complain and I just feel happier”, “I came to class during a very difficult period in life and since then you teachers have contributed to help me feel home and connected”. One day a very sweet yoga practitioner said something which really touched me, so I asked her if we can do an interview and she happily agreed. Anne-Maria is practicing with us since about one year. Nicola: How did you find us? A-M: My friend practiced at the studio and several times invited me to come. It took a while, but when the day came she was supposed to come with me, but was prevented, so I came alone. Eva was the first person I saw and I felt this is meant to be, the energy in this place feels right. Nicola: What was your inspiration? A-M: I have a background in dancing and went to the gym, dance is great, but gym didn’t feel right, I asked myself, what are the reasons to go there as I was tensing my body more than opening it. I lived together with my friend at that time and saw what’s happening to her. We’ve known each other so long, so I noticed the way she changed in a good way and I saw her doing yoga at home. During that time, I had insomnia again, a big struggle in my life. My friend gave me some suggestions like – take the legs up the wall – for example. I felt this is so different than what I usually do. One day she said can this be the day you want to come to yoga? And I said next time, so she closed the door and then I just started to cry and felt “no more gym”. I don’t say gym is bad, but many times we do things not for the right reasons. When I came to the studio for the first lesson, I felt right away here I can start to heal. I had issues with my health since I was a teenager and now, I am feeling all these tensions and issues are releasing. Nicola: What are the biggest benefits you have experienced? A-M: I am not feeling dizzy every day, which I felt before, because of lack of oxygen as my breath was so shallow, I had tension in my chest. I just really feel I am enjoying and loving doing this practice, especially to work with the precision in the poses you teach, which really help me to be more focused and more in my body even outside the practice. Nicola: What would you tell someone who has never done yoga before? A-M: A lot of my friends or most of people have some issues and often I hear how they can’t sleep or say they are stressed. Some noticed now in me that I became more relaxed, and happy, and it is best to just live by example. Many would benefit from opening their bodies to get the stress out of the system. Everyone is so stressed and yoga has the means to get rid of it, at least it worked for me. I feel anyone can come here and start from the beginning you don’t have to have any experience or know something already. Just be open. Nicola: Thank you Anne-Maria