Martyna

I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy.

I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.

Art Williams

Dear Ashtangis,

It’s hard to believe, but Ashtanga Yoga Luzern turned six today! I started in May 2016 with two Mysore classes in a sub-rented space and before I realised I already taught full time in my own studio. It’s been an intensive couple of years with lots of learning on my side, but I’m really grateful for all of it. And I’m thankful to you for supporting me all this time and for creating a great energy in the classes. I was planning to bring a cake to the studio to celebrate with you today, but ended up sick and stuck at home instead. Oh well, the cake can wait and in the meantime I will share some news with you 🙂

Below you can find an update about the classes and events in the next couple of weeks:

• We will start the month with the long-awaited Ashtanga Yoga retreat in Ticino. I’m looking forward to deepening the practice and hanging out with you. Because of the retreat, there will be no evening classes on Thursday and Friday this week. And those, who couldn’t make it this time, shouldn’t worry – I’m already planning the next retreat for this year, so stay tuned! 

• The next event in May will be a workshop about Bandhas that I kept postponing the last few months. Using the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles will make your practice lighter and safer. I will teach a shorter version of the workshop next Friday after the Mysore class, you can find all the details here. Please remember to sign up the latest 48 hours before the workshop so that I know I have enough participants to teach.

• Another workshop this month will be a new and exciting one – the Hands-on Adjustments in Primary Series. I will show you some of the basic adjustments that you might have experienced in my classes. The workshop is meant not only for yoga teachers, but for all of you, who would like to deepen their understanding of the alignment of the First Series asanas.

• In May I will also apply one change in the class schedule. Due to very low attendance, I will temporarily remove the Monday morning Mysore from our timetable. As soon as the other classes pick up and I see the need for an additional Mysore, I will start teaching this class again.

• To support you in developing a more regular practice, I’ve also decided to offer a discount for the open yoga passes. Till the end of the summer you will pay CHF 200 for one month and CHF 540 for three months of unlimited yoga classes. Try it out and see if such pass helps you get motivated to show up regularly on your yoga mat. 

• And finally, I wanna share with you happy news – in June I will be able to deepen my own practice and learn some new cool adjustments while assisting Petri Räisänen in his yoga retreat in Salento. If you would like to practice and hang out with us, contact Yoga in Salento for more details.

Listen to silence. It has so much to say.

Rumi

Dear Ashtangis,

This has been a busy first quarter of the year for me and I’m glad I could take a break and spend ten days in a complete silence at the meditation retreat. You would be surprised how inspiring sitting on a meditation pillow for ten hours a day can be! By the end of the retreat my brain was full of new connections and ideas and I couldn’t wait to start sharing them with you. So be ready! The next few months will be filled with classes, workshops and our long-awaited yoga weekend in Ticino. Time to welcome the Spring and use this new energy on and off of the yoga mat! 

Below you can find an update about the classes and events in the next couple of weeks:

• Following the Vipassana retreat, I will start by sharing my experience with you in a meditation workshop on April 8th (Friday). I will teach you some basic meditation techniques and we will discuss the main principles of yoga philosophy that support our peace of mind. Check this page for more info.

• That’s not all – I will teach two more workshops this month! The first one will be a workshop about Bandhas, that I keep having to postpone since the beginning of the year. Third time is the charm, the workshop will definitely take place on April 23rd (Saturday). Bandhas are essential to the Ashtanga Yoga practice, so don’t miss it! Learn more here.

• The last workshop this month will be the Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga on April 29th (Friday). I suggest all students visit this workshop at some point to understand the method and the basic techniques that we use in the regular classes.

• As I mentioned in the last newsletter, following the retreat I’ve decided to limit the time I’m available online. I will typically reply all your messages in the afternoons, you can always find my current office hours here. To avoid having to text you late in the evening, I will now allow free cancelations for the morning classes only until 7pm. If there are not enough sign ups, you will be notified that the class is canceled.

• This weekend I’m busy with my therapy school and the studio will be occupied by the wonderful polish organisation Wioska Kobiet. There will be no Mysore on Friday and the Full Primary Series Led class will again take place on the second Sunday, April 10th.

• Because most of you have already shifted to the in-person classes, I will again reduce the online streaming to just Thursdays (9am & 6pm). Whenever you’re around, come to the studio to practice together and get a few nice adjustments. I will share a few secrets about my hands-on assists in the next workshop in May – stay tuned, more details soon!

Buddha was asked: What have you gained from meditation?

He replied: Nothing. However, let me let you what I have lost: anger, anxiety, depression, incecurity, fear of old age and death.

Dear Ashtangis,

I guess all of you have already heard the happy news – from tomorrow on you can join the classes with no more Covid restrictions. This is a huge relief for me and for many of you, who were not able to come to the studio in the last months. I need to thank all the students who kept showing up and helped me keep the studio afloat – I wouldn’t have made it without you. I’ve learnt a lot from the last two years and I look to the future with optimism 🙂

Below you can find an update about the classes and events in the next couple of weeks:

• First of all – fully opening the studio means that I can finally restart the workshops. We will begin with the Introduction workshop on March 11th (Friday), followed by the postponed workshop about the Bandhas on March 19th (Saturday). Check the website for more info.

• Speaking of events: the Ashtanga Yoga retreat in May filled up real quick this time. I’ve got only one spot left, so be quick – first come first served! If you’re interested, check this page for more info.

• Next week the long-awaited Fasnacht will take over Lucerne, making it impossible to practice at the studio in silence. It is time for introverts like me to go into hiding 😉 I will close the studio and go to the postponed meditation retreat that I was supposed to join over Christmas. I will be gone from February 24th (Thursday) to March 6th (Sunday). In this time there will be no classes and I won’t be reachable by phone or email. I’m looking forward to this experience and to sharing my insights with you once I’m back.  

• The meditation retreat will not only be an interesting inner journey, but also a real digital detox. Electronic devices take a lot of my energy and after I’m back, I’m planning to limit my exposure to them. Except for confirming weekend classes and yoga emergencies, I will restrict my online communication with you to the afternoon office hours during the week. 

• Because of my absence, the Full Primary Led class in March will take place on the second Sunday of the month – March 13th. Please make sure to book the class the latest by Saturday 3pm.

• The online streaming of the classes on Tuesday and Thursday is still on for as long as there is interest. It’s a good opportunity to do your practice when you don’t have time to drive to town or you’re simply not in the mood to leave home. 

That’s it for now. Can’t wait to see you all in the studio again! 

Martyna

PS. If you would like to be added to our WhatsApp group to receive updates, practice tips and videos, please email me your phone number.

I look at the yoga exercises as a model for life. In life there are stresses all the time and you have to learn how to deal with them. In yoga you put your body through artificially induced stressful situations and you learn how to deal with them in a controlled environment. If I come across something stressful, I say to myself: ‘Breathe and just do it like you would do a yoga pose: one step at a time’.

 Simon Borg-Olivier

Dear Ashtangis,I hope this email finds everyone healthy and that you’ve been enjoying the winter wonderland that Lucerne has become! I’m heading towards Christmas holidays with a feeling of gratitude and relief. This year has been particularly challenging for yoga studios and personally for me, so I’m glad that we’ve made it through all ups and downs and I still keep seeing you in the classes. Let’s stick together and hope for the best in the next year. And in the meantime I wish you an enjoyable advent time! Take a stroll in a snowy forest, visit a Christmas market and don’t forget to regularly step on your yoga mat! 

Love,

Martyna

*If you would like to be added to the group to receive updates, practice tips and videos, please email me your phone number.

The very heart of yoga is abhyasa –

steady effort in the direction you want to go.

 Sally Kempton

Dear Ashtangis,

It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me! There’s been lots going on – starting with a workshop with my teacher in Portugal and then my yoga retreat in Ticino. I also got involved in a number of exciting projects here in Lucerne. After having to slow down in the last year and a half, it’s great to see that different projects and events are slowly picking up again – I’m happy to be a part of such lively community! 

Below you can find an update about the classes and events in the next couple of weeks:

• First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who joined the Ashtanga yoga retreat in September. I feel like we could really dive deep into this practice and I simply enjoyed spending time with you. I’m already preparing the next retreat for you – I will post information on the website in the next couple of days, stay tuned!
  

• And before the retreat, you can still join the regular workshops in the studio. The next one, on November 13th, will be about opening the hips. Tight hips are a common problem, both for people who have a rather sedentary lifestyle and for those who are very active. In this workshop I will show you how to bring mobility back to your hips so that you can comfortably sit on the floor, improve backbends and prepare for lotus. The class is meant for all levels of practitioners, you can find more information here. 

• For those of you, who are completely new to Ashtanga or only recently have joined my classes, I really recommend joining the next Introduction workshop on November 26th. In this workshop I cover all the basic theory and techniques that we use in regular classes. 

• Please remember that covid certificates are obligatory to join the workshops and other events, like the Full Primary Series Led class (every first Sunday of the month). Because my classes are small and students meet on regular basis, you can still join the weekly classes without the certificate. 

• Please remember that sign ups are obligatory for all the classes. In this way you save yourself a spot in the busy classes and I know when nobody wants to come. I require at least two students to be registered three hours before the class (or at 9pm for the morning classes). Simply book the class whenever you want to join and I will inform you in case it doesn’t take place. 

• Small changes to our weekly schedule – like when I cancel a class because of my school or holidays – are listed under the timetable on the website. I will also keep you updated through our WhatsApp group*.

• Last, but not least: after some changes in the studio’s schedule, I have now a few time slots left for other teachers to rent the studio for regular classes and events. If you are looking for a space to teach or you know someone who wants to offer an event, please contact me – I will be happy to host your class! 

Love,

Martyna

*If you would like to be added to the group to receive updates, practice tips and videos, please email me your phone number.

We don’t heal in isolation, but in community.

 S. Kelly Harrell

Dear Ashtangis,

Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from cares, which will not withdraw from us.

 Maya Angelou

Dear Ashtangis, 

I’m writing to you with a short update and only happy news! After three long months of having to follow different covid-related restrictions, since one week the yoga studio is finally fully open. This transition back to normality made me appreciate all the little things I used to take for granted – being able to see your faces, to adjust you, to freely walk around the room with no mask. And with this newly regained freedom, I will make sure this summer is filled with yoga and you have lots of opportunities to practice! 

Below you can find information about the summer in our studio:

• I will start with the news everyone has been waiting for: our yoga retreat. We will spend September 23-26th in a lovely little hotel in Ticino, diving deep into different aspects of the Ashtanga Yoga practice. There will be traditional Mysore classes, workshops, talks and some free time for you to explore the beautiful Maggia Valley. The retreat will be small and, judging by your excitement, I expect it to fill up very quickly, so don’t miss your spot! You can find all the information here.

• The weather hasn’t been spoiling us this summer, but on sunny weekends we will still meet for outdoor classes in the Dreilindenpark in Lucerne. The next class is scheduled for this Sunday, July 11th, at 10.00. You can register through the website till Saturday at 15.00. More info.

• The Saturday after, on July 17th, I will teach the postponed workshop about integrating Vinyasa into your yoga practice. We will practice the breath-movement connection and I will show you different preparations and techniques for transitions between asanas. You can find more information about the workshop here.

• Because most of you are practicing in the studio now, I will cut the online streaming of the classes to just one day per week – Thursday. I hope this class will help you to unroll your mat during your holidays or whenever you can’t make it to the studio in person.

• Even though the number of students is not as limited as it was in the last couple of months, I will ask you to keep signing up for each class you attend. It really helps me to prepare and organise the classes, especially during the summer, when the studio tends to be a bit emptier. You can book any time and cancel your booking until 3 hours before the class. If I see there are no bookings until then (or until 21.00 for early morning classes), the class will be cancelled. If you happen to have any problems with your booking, don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you!

• I’m planning to teach normally throughout the whole summer and our class schedule won’t be modified. I might be away for some day trips and long weekends – such small changes will be announced under the class schedule and in our WhatsApp group*.

Dear Ashtangis,

After a busy couple of days following the government’s update of the rules we need to follow,  I finally have a moment to write you a few words! As life is slowly returning back to normal, things are changing for better for yoga practitioners as well. This plus the beautiful weather outside really makes me energetic and optimistic about the months to come 🙂

Below you can find information about the next couple of weeks:

• Since Monday I am allowed to have six students in a class. It means that I won’t be teaching double shifts in Mysore anymore and we can return to our regular class schedule. You can always find the current timetable here.

• Because the attendance in the evenings has been very low, I’ve decided to remove the Thursday 19.30 class from the schedule for now. I plan to add it back after the summer and in the meantime I will use this time slot for occasional Moon Sequence or Pranayama classes. Such events will be listed under the regular timetable and announced in our Whatsapp Group*.

• On the website you will also find information about upcoming workshops. On June 12th (Saturday) we will work on integrating Vinyasas into our yoga practice. We will practice the breath-movement connection and we will explore different transitions between asanas. The space is limited to six students, so don’t forget to sign up soon!

• Beginners are welcome to join the Introduction workshop on June 18th (Friday). I really recommend this one to everyone who has recently started Ashtanga or who would like to learn all the necessary theory and techniques at once.

• After receiving an overwhelmingly positive feedback from our first outdoor classes, I scheduled the next one for June 20th (Sunday). We will meet again at the beautiful Dreilindenpark in Lucerne. Come if you like to practice while enjoying the sun, listening to the birds and admiring the stunning view this park offers.

• Tomorrow is a holiday, I will teach the morning Mysore class, but there won’t be a class on Thursday and Friday evenings. I will give the Full Primary Series Led class this Sunday if I receive at least three sign ups until Saturday at 15.00. Enjoy the long weekend!