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The Sanskrit term Vīra (वीरा) translates to 'hero' or 'brave person'. I firmly believe that every small step we take towards a positive change in our lives requires courage. It is easy to adopt an unhealthy habit, but motivating ourselves to seek out healthy and balanced ways of living and committing to them is what makes us heroic. No matter the obstacles—our own doubts, societal expectations, past traumas, and inner demons—it is our choice to stand or fall.

As a language teacher, I place great importance on wordplay and sounds. The strong connection between the term Vīra and my first name, as well as the fact that I don't believe in coincidences, provided me with a compelling reason to choose this name.

If we delve into the physical and philosophical aspects of yoga, we find that Vīra is the root of the pose known as Vīrāsana (वीरासन), or the Hero's pose. This grounding pose is associated with the root chakra, called Mūlādhāra (मूलाधार), which emphasizes our deep connection to the Earth and our primal needs for survival, stability, and security. Nurturing this connection gives us strength, both physical and mental, which are vital components of a healthy lifestyle.

Yoga is about applying ancient traditions to our modern world. It's about making careful tweaks to past wisdom and aligning it with evolutionary changes and cultural norms, yet cherishing its roots.

Yoga helps us recognise who we truly are by paying attention to what we say and how it aligns with our actions and social media images, what food we choose to eat and the information we consume.

It’s the ability to find the courage to treat ourselves and others non-judgmentally, even when our troubled mind is in the mood to turn the whole world upside down.

Through yoga we find our balance, whatever that means to each of us individually at this present moment.

Yoga is a never-ending journey of self-discovery, a journey of a patient hero who always comes home transformed, knowing they’ve made a positive change to their own life and the lives of others.

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My body's always been very stiff, and growing up, I admired dancers and gymnasts for their flexibility and gracefulness. When I was younger, I secretly wished I could have swapped piano lessons for ballet classes. Later in life, I subconsciously hoped yoga might help me look a little more like them. So, in 2011, I joined a local gym and attended my first yoga class. There was a guy who was breathing really loudly, which I thought was weird, and a lady who, at every opportunity, would go up into a headstand, leaving me in awe each time I saw her in the mirror. I felt like a fish out of water. Naturally, I only enjoyed standing poses that required strength, and my goal-oriented ego said: "Go for the headstand. You can do it!" And I did. About a year later, I could balance comfortably in an inversion. It brought a temporary feeling of satisfaction, but my practice felt very one-sided. I was resisting the elements of yoga that I wasn't very good at. Forward folds were my worst nightmare, backbends seemed like another dimension my body could never enter, and the non-physical aspects of yoga didn't interest me much.

After my first Teacher Training in India in 2017, I fell in love with yogic philosophy. It revealed to me how limited my vision of yoga had been and how yoga is present in our day-to-day lives if we pay attention to it. In 2019, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which deeply motivated me to further explore the holistic aspects of yoga. It was then that I began to study mindfulness meditation and pranayama thoroughly, embracing them as essential tools for nurturing my mental health and overall well-being.

I gradually became interested in Zen teachings, incorporating them into my personal practice as well as sharing the knowledge with my students. And that's where my very "yang yoga" practice organically complemented the "yin elements," evolving into a much more balanced approach to this beautiful practice. Yoga has become my "safe place" where I can care for my injuries and traumas.

So far I've had the privilege of learning from traditional yoga masters in India who trained directly under such prominent Gurus as Krishnamacharya, Pattabhi Jois, and B.K.S. Iyengar. I've also been greatly inspired by some Western teachers practicing newly developed styles of Dharma yoga and Jivamukti yoga. They all imparted their wisdom and expertise, ultimately shaping my approach to this ancient practice, which I have the privilege to share with my students.

Crow to Headstand to Chaturanga Dandasana

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