Such a beautiful writing by Carolina Daza! She's a beauty and we are grateful to have her at the yoga shala...if you don't already know, it is thanks to her that we have all those short video clips and the photos of the shala and events
(and there are dozens more to come ;-)
Poetry rises in my heart as I pay tribute to my teachers
Linda Munro and Gérald Disse.
The first verses celebrate the first nine years after having
opened the doors of Ashtanga Yoga Paris (AYP) but as I continue writing, I stop
and discover that for me it is not only poetry to celebrate an anniversary, but
poetry for deep personal meditation.
Earlier this morning after my Mysore practice, my eyes were
closed, my ears were still vibrating the aum as I began my meditation and
flashed back to my nine years exploring the world, up until the magical day
life brought me to AYP. It all started in 2004, when I left home to begin
painting my global dreams; this, curiously happened the very same year AYP was
founded.
As I concluded my meditation, I travelled back to a rainy
May 18th, 2011 when in the Yankee Stadium, keynote speaker President Bill
Clinton addressed my graduating class:
“The great challenge of your life will be how to live out
your personal story and pursue your personal dream (…) you should strive to
find happiness every day and not believe it that it comes at the end of a
journey (…)”
What has been my own personal story?
I was trying to understand how yoga guided my story, a
tireless globe-trotter yogini, multi-faceted artist and Colombian dreamer, from
Barranquilla-to-New-York-City-to-Paris; seeking to nurture the wisdom of my
soul, hungry for yoga teachers, for true mentors of life.
While pursuing my studies and living in a Bhakti yoga ashram
in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, I decided it was time to explore the yoga
scene in the old world; it was time to continue colouring my personal story in
the sparkling City of Lights—one that had always attracted my heart.
After a couple yoga tours from Scandinavia to the Iberian
Peninsula, from Dutchlands to the former Yugoslavia, I was ready to move to France
and settle my wings.
I left the ashram and arrived to a cozy and traditional 6éme
étage 20m2 Parisian studio, ready to start a new chapter of life. After doing
my research on yoga schools and teachers, I was firstly and warm-heartedly
welcomed by Linda Munro at AYP. It was September 2011 when my first Parisian
star began to shine and sparkle up my soul. Right away, when I entered the yoga
shala I felt at home; I felt I had arrived to the right place.
Today as I attempt to write this piece, I am able to
perceive the way in which Linda and Gérald have guided my mind and heart to
safely and consciously untangle the complexities of our world, through the
principles of Ashtanga Yoga.
Almost two years have passed, and after completing the 200
hour Teacher Training and working towards my 300 hour, I open-heartedly say
that under their guidance, I have enlightened the wisdom of my soul and
discovered the deep essence of bringing yoga as a priority in life.
After establishing a daily Mysore practice, I continue to
paint my own yoga story; I continue to pursue my personal dream—striving to
find happiness everyday with honesty, love, compassion and discipline. Each
Mysore practice becomes a body canvas of colors and dreams, where I feel fully
connected to my own self-essence, to my inner creativity and strength. As I go
deeper into their teachings, I feel more and more of a beginner.
Yes, for me studying with Linda and Gérald has been a new
yoga revolution.
They are a perfect match for each other, coming from two
opposing worlds; the North American versus the Western European way of life,
Linda a Canadian, fast-forward thinker, efficient, a beautiful charming
go-getter woman; and Gérald, a French explorer living to the enjoyment of life
where yoga and travelling became his early passions.
I celebrate their nine years of love, giving birth to the
AYP family. I admire how they managed to build with their hearts a perfect
structure, how they keep their doors always opened for us students and teachers
to continue learning and experiencing the miraculous benefits of Ashtanga yoga.
Two passionate yogis, two Parisian householders with two
beautiful little yogis Amaya and Jonathan, the Disse-Munro family drives their
lives with honesty, integrity, care, commitment—and most importantly love, pure
love; thus, this is the reason why they are my teachers.
I continue delving upon my yoga story and discover that my
time at AYP has been a life changing adventure, in which my heart feels
overwhelmed with inspirations, happiness and sparkling love.
