From Bulgaria to Cleveland - Why?

Here I am at the Cleveland airport going back to Europe after 3 weeks staying in Cleveland Heights having been hosted by the Yoga Academy of North America and the Atma Center.  I am overflowing with full contentment and gratitude. I appreciate the value of the Western thought in terms of applying the classical Eastern heritage of yoga. By grace I was at the right place and time with the right people. It’s so nice when you have such synchronicity in your life.

This was my 5th time coming here. I did my Teacher Training 1 and Teacher Training 2 at YANA and I came two more times just to be in touch with this source of knowledge and application of yogic lifestyle in the society.

What pulls me back here so many times?

First of all the teachers – They are great professionals. They are an example of community team and supportiveness. They are positive, kind, encouraging and patient. Every time I learn a solid amount of new things here. In YANA I meet both Eastern wisdom combined with practical Western yogic science, variations, and modifications extracted from many years’ experience - basically applicable for Every Body. From no other school could I learn such valuable details in teaching.

Swami Atmarupa - the core of YANA and Atma Center. I can’t really explain to somebody who doesn’t know her how she touches my heart and surely not only mine. Only a very strong person can bear such work. Only a fully dedicated person can survive and leave behind so much. Only a very well organized mind can run so many projects at the same time. No wonder she is appointed as one of the Acharyas of Satyananda Yoga.

Atmadarshan – once in your life you must meet such a teacher. There is no way after to forget about yoga practices, as well as yoga philosophy and psychology.  She is capable to translate and transfer high levels of information in a very comprehensive way so that everybody can understand.  She is absolutely natural and spontaneous. With her sense of humor your abdominal muscles will get much stronger and you won’t need to go a facial massage! And again, she is completely dedicated. 

The students - extremely well trained - instead of me teaching them – they are teaching me.  They are adapting the modifications showing me how to transfer all this to my students. Satyananada Yoga is indeed Yoga for EVERY BODY. Many people think that yoga is not for them, because in their first yoga class the teacher has asked them to do a shoulder stand, or demanding pranayama practices without preparatory steps. They would hardly have the bravery to return back.  In Satyananada Yoga there are plenty of preliminary practices and stages, consideration, and strong emphasis on principles of care.

Cleveland Heights – it is an adorable place for me. The neighborhood is quite like a huge park that is very different from the hustle and bustle of many big cities. My dream is to I live in such an environment:  old, big trees and beautiful gardens. Walking around you can feel so much connection with nature.  People you meet on the streets are kind and positive - everybody smiles and greets you, which is unlike most of the places all over the world. I’ve heard that Cleveland does not have a good reputation in the U.S. from some incidents in the past. But now I have the totally opposite impression.

Kurukshetra – the residential house is a very charming place. It has an atmosphere that you are in a spiritual environment. However, it is different from the strict rules in the ashram, where the discipline is imposed and sometimes hard to observe from people living in society. Here you follow the rules and regulations without tension, easily with inner understanding. 

Maitri Saraswati - When people smile and are nice to you how you can know for sure whether they really like you or they are overdoing it just out of politeness?  The animals do not wear masks. Their first signal will correspond directly to your character. If someone is aggressive or not in harmony with the environment – they will bark, kick you out, bite. The fact that Maitri allowed me to walk her, feed her and take care of her needs is more evidence that I am in the right place. But Maitri is not just a dog – she is a yoga practitioner.

I am finishing Swami Atmarupa’s farewell brownie knowing that the best things in life don’t last forever.  Eating only Brownies, even if you like them so much – you will get sick.  I’ll keep this sweetness in my mind until next time. With open heart I recommend YANA and Atma Center to everybody.