NAME: Arminda Marrero
AGE: 31 years
PLACE OF BIRTH: Canary Island, Spain
PROFESSION: Finance worker
YEARS OF PRACTICE: 3 years
HOW YOU FOUND ASHTANGA YOGA?
A good friend who had been in India many times, always on a quest to deepen his meditation practice, had started going to the center of Ananda Zorzo in Las Palmas, and told me about the classes: "Arminda you have to go, you´ll love it!". I remember that his explanation didn´t sound clear to me, that the combination between breath and poses would produce heat in the body, i really couldn´t imagine it. But it made me curious. I had done Yoga a long time ago, based on breathing techniques and meditation, i had never heard of the asanas, so i went and ... voilá!
I remember that in the first class, i was exhausted! And that i keep asking to myself, "what is this?". Kind of awake up something inside me, that i can´t explain, i felt a great connection, it was like i found the practice, and the practice found me.
WHEN YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS PRACTICE IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?
Almost from the beggining, i just wanted to go deeper into the practice, feel it. Quickly, it became a daily morning practice for me. This wasn´t difficult, i have never been late nights, i dived for years, i have climbed some years too, already had the routine of going to bed early and get up at dawn. I´ve always liked the feeling of being connected with biorhythms, with nature, get up with the sun. So the idea of taking the practice to the first thing you do upon walking, i found it cute. It was my meditation!
Many people say:"in the evening your body will be more flexible!", and is true, but that never made me deciding to not practice in the morning. Often heard people also saying:" i prefer to practice after work, to download all the tensions and problems of the day.", and this idea seemed totally opposite from feelings with the practice, i always felt i wanted to practice early. Also because i started working at 8a.m., so i got up at five, and quarter to six i was in the mat. It helped a lot because my good friend Manu, that is a great inspiration to me, also practice early so we joined and we practice together.
Practice in the morning is not a sacrifice, well, sometimes can be...(ehehe).
IS THERE ANY SPECIAL MOMENT(S) OR STORY THAT YOU LIVED, WHICH REPRESENT FOR YOU, WHAT ASHTANGA YOGA IS?
I think the moment and story i just answered to you in the previous question, Ashtanga Yoga is discovery, search, discipline, humility and... sacrifice!
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE, WHAT IS THE FIRST WORD THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND?
Freedom! That is the first word that comes to my head. That and "samvega", which is the term to
designate the determination from the heart to pratice.
ASHTANGA YOGA HAVE...?
Purity... and a bit of Durkha (suffering)!(eeheh).
ASHTANGA YOGA DOESN´T HAVE?
Cheat. When you practice Ashtanga Yoga, is like you are naked, you can see everything, your anxities,
fears, insecurities, desires... there is no space for lies.
YOU WORK FOR A BIG FIRM. HOW YOU FIND THE BALANCE BETWEEN YOUR DEMANDING WORK AND YOUR YOGA PRACTICE?
I´m still looking for! My personal life has been changing in this last year, i´m living in another country, and now is a little more difficult. A good friend told me, after i shared with him my worries and that now is more difficult to get up early and practice, because my place of work is one hour and half from our house, etc, And he said:"Armi, the best practice is whenever you can. Just practice! There will be days you do it with more intensity and day you do it with less... you just find your time and practice!"
And i´m finding it...
IN A WORLD THAT LIVES FOR THE OUTSIDE, ASHTANGA YOGA BRINGS US BACK TO OUR INSIDE. CAN YOU DESCRIBE IN A SMALL SENTENCE, WHAT YOU FEEL
AND EXPERIENCE EACH TIME YOU PRACTICE?
The practice is like a way to find the ability to stop, a way to learn to stop.
HÁ MUITOS "FAMOSOS" A PRATICAREM YOGA, OU QUE JÁ PRATICARAM, OU QUE TENTARAM ESTA COISA TÃO EM MODA, QUE TANTO SE OUVE FALAR, ESTA COISA CHAMADA DE YOGA.
É UM PROCESSO LENTO.
MAS FICAM AS IMAGENS DOS "SUPER STARS" QUE PODEM MOTIVAR OUTROS SUPER STARS OU PESSOAS COMO NÓS, QUE PRATICAM, PRATICARAM, OU QUE TENTARAM PRATICAR...PARA CONTINUARMOS, VOLTARMOS OU TENTARMOS MAIS UMA VEZ.
