Martyna

Just as the water reflects the sun and the moon,

the body reflects the mind and the soul.

Rumi

Dear Ashtangis,

I’m really happy to see such big interest in the classes right now. Those of you, who have been practicing with me since I started in Lucerne, know the ups and downs I went through to get the Mysore classes up and running. Getting up for the morning practice can be challenging so it really warms my heart to see so many of you coming regularly. I love hearing from you how this practice positively affects your daily life. I think we all need some peace, quietness and deep breathing to deal with challenges that the pandemic has brought upon us. Thank you for choosing my studio for a safe space to explore your body and mind and thank you for choosing me as your companion on this journey! 

I’m writing to you with just a short update about the classes and events in the upcoming weeks. 

• The last couple of weeks were pretty busy in the studio, especially in the mornings. After observing the classes and listening to your feedback I’ve decided to slightly limit the number of students in the classes. Even though the current BAG regulations allow me to have more people in the studio, I will temporarily limit the number to 8 students per class. It rarely happens that there are so many people in the class anyway, but I think it will make everyone feel more comfortable when you know the class won’t be too full. And if there is anything else I can do to make you feel better in the class, don’t hesitate to share your your thoughts with me. 

• Because the space in classes is limited right now, I suggest you keep signing up for the classes you want to join. You can do it by using the Fitogram schedule on the website or by contacting me directly. If it happens that there is no space in the class you want to join, please put your name on the waiting list as people sometimes cancel their bookings. I will make sure that everyone, who wants to practice, can come to the class – especially students with the monthly subscriptions. I will keep adjusting the schedule accordingly and extend Mysore classes if necessary. The website is always updated with the changes. 

• For my regular students, who don’t want to practice in a group setting right now, I will offer a 20% discount for private classes. You can also book such class with your friend or partner and split the price. You can find more details about private classes here. 

• On Friday November 27th in the evening I will give the postponed workshop “Ashtanga Yoga for the ladies”. We will talk about how to adopt the practice to your monthly cycle and the practice can be different for us women. I will also explain the basic rules of doing yoga during pregnancy. For more details check the website.

• And on December 12th (Saturday) I will teach a workshop about backbending. This is a part of the practice where a lot of students struggle, therefore I will give you some simple tools that will help you open the hips, chest and shoulders. We will look at the correct technique in backbends and will try different variations for all levels of proficiency. You can find more information about the workshop here. 

• There will be no Mysore class on Friday, November 20th. I will take that weekend off, recharge my batteries and start the following week with some new energy. Your yoga passes will be extended accordingly. 

Love,

Martyna

Yoga must not be practiced to control the body. It is the opposite: it must bring freedom to the body, all the freedom it needs.

Vanda Scaravelli

Dear Ashtangis,

I hope this email finds you well. I love Autumn in Lucerne and even more so because the classes fill up and I can spend the cold days in our beautiful studio, listening to the sound of your ujjayi breath by the candlelight. I’m happy to see that the new class schedule is working well and it was worth it to apply the little changes. I’m especially proud of all of you, who tried the Mysore classes for the first time – I hope you enjoy the quiet, focused atmosphere in those classes as much as I do!

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

• It makes me very happy to see so many new students starting the practice in the last couple of weeks! However, because the number of people in one class is limited during the pandemic, the Ashtanga Led class I on Tuesdays is often overbooked. In order to make sure that all the beginners have space in the class, I will have to make a temporary adjustment and change the Moon sequence class on Thursday evenings to another Ashtanga Led I for the next couple of weeks. I really enjoy teaching this new gentle class and I will definitely put it back in the schedule when all the beginners can fit in the Tuesday evening class. Please observe the Fitogram schedule on the website as I will keep adjusting it according to the situation. And to all the new students: welcome on your yoga journey! 

• Because the first Sunday of November happens to be a holiday, I will teach the Full Primary Series Led class one week later, on November 8th. Enjoy Halloween!

• The next workshop on October 17th (Saturday) will be about inversions. We will work on poses like the Shoulderstand and Headstand, exploring different variations and preparations. We will also play with more advanced poses like Pincha Mayurasana and Handstand, doing some simple preparations to build up the necessary strength and sense of balance. I will show you step-by-step progressions for each pose so that the class is available to students with different levels of experience. You can find more details on the website.

• The next Introduction workshop is scheduled for November 6th (Friday). Please come if you are new to this practice or if you would like to learn more about the theory and the exact techniques we use in the classes

• Please remember that especially now, with the number of covid cases going up, we all have to abide by the protective measures in the studio. Take care of each other and make sure that you wash your hands before coming in and keep the necessary distance from other students. You can find all the rules here.

Love,

Martyna

PS. If you would like to stay up to date and receive some extra tips for your practice, please text me and I will add you to our WhatsApp group 🙂

There is no doubt that the foundation of being a great yoga teacher is being a great yoga student. – Rod Stryker 

Dear Ashtangis,

I’ve spent the last weeks listening to your needs and planning the future of Ashtanga Yoga Luzern. I like changes and I’m happy the studio is evolving and I can offer you more classes, more interesting workshops and hopefully soon yoga retreats as well. I also realised that 1st of October this year, when I will be taking over the studio, marks exactly 10 years since I started to teach yoga. It’s been quite a journey and I can see how much I’ve learnt both from my teachers and from students visiting my classes. I’m grateful to everyone who crossed my path and influenced me as a yoga practitioner and teacher in the last years. I’ve never planned this kind of life for myself, but I like to see where my love of yoga took me. I really enjoy sharing my knowledge with you and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s coming in the next 10 years of teaching 🙂 

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

• I’m very grateful for all the feedback I’ve got from you in the last month. Based on your opinions I decided to apply some small changes in the class schedule starting from October 5th (Monday). I think it will make a lot of you happy! You can find the new schedule here and soon it will replace the old one on the website. We will test the new schedule till the end of this year to see if it works better than the previous one.

• You might have noticed a new type of class in our schedule: gentle vinyasa. It will be a bit easier class in which we focus on gently opening different areas of the body, especially the hips, chest and shoulders. You can use it to support your Ashtanga practice or join whenever you want to take it a bit easy. Since the class is based on the moon sequence, I will offer everyone a free trial on the full moon evening on October 1st at 19.30. It’s a new class, so for now please sign up every time you want to come.

• Another important change will be the return of evening Mysore. I know a lot of you missed the opportunity to do Mysore in the evening so I’m happy to offer it now on Fridays. I encourage everyone to try it, including complete beginners. You will get some individual attention and tips that you can later use during Led classes. Check the Mysore FAQ for more info! 

• Some of you would like to see a regular Pranayama class in the schedule. I definitely plan to start teaching more breathing techniques, but I have to test the new schedule first to see where such class would fit best. For now please join the Full Primary Series Led class every first Sunday of the month or just come at 10.30 when we are done with the practice and you can do the half an hour of Pranayama with us.

• Following your enthusiastic reaction to my recent shoulder-opening video*, the next workshop on September 19th (Saturday) will be all about the shoulders! We will have a look at preparations and asanas that strengthen or bring more flexibility to your shoulders. You can find more details on the website.

• And all the yoga newbies can join the next Introduction workshop on September 11th (Friday). Share the info with your partner, sibling or a friend and help them discover this life-changing practice! This workshop is also a good idea for everyone, who has already joined some classes, but would like to learn the theory and technique behind it. 

Thank you for everything and I’m looking forward to more opportunities to see you in our beautiful studio!

Love,

Martyna

*If you would like to stay up to date and receive some extra tips for your practice, please text me and I will add you to our WhatsApp group 🙂

In any given moment, we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety. Growth must be chosen again and again. Fear must be overcome again and again.

Abraham Maslow

Dear Ashtangis,

It really warms my heart that you keep coming regularly even though it’s so tempting to stay outside in the summer! I love to see our little yoga community in Luzern growing and I’m happy to announce that from October on Ashtanga Yoga Luzern will expand, as I will take over the studio in Weggisgasse. I will focus all my energy there and with time I’m hoping to offer you even more classes and new interesting events. Below you can find a short update about the coming weeks.

• Because from October on I will be able to apply some changes in the studio and class schedule, I would be very happy if you helped me out by filling up this short feedback survey. Ashtanga Yoga Luzern is a place we create together and your opinion really matters to me. Take a few minutes and let me know what else I can offer you!

• To make the payments more convenient for you, from August on I will also take card payments at the studio. You can still pay with cash, twint or using bank transfer like you did before. 

• Because the first Sunday of the month happened to be on a holiday weekend, I moved the Full Primary Series Led class to this Sunday, August 9th. I’m looking forward to doing the full sequence and some pranayama with you! 

• The next workshop on August 15th (Saturday) is meant for all the ladies who practice yoga. We will discuss different topics important for female practitioners and we will do a light practice that you can do during your period and while pregnant. You can find more details on the website.

• The classes will take place according to the regular schedule the whole summer. The only class I won’t teach is Ashtanga I on August 21st (Friday). All the changes are always listed on the website and I keep the Fitogram schedule up to date. 

• Remember that even when you are away, you can always join the online classes. Enjoy the summer and keep unrolling your mat regularly!

Love,

Martyna 

If the body is stiff that is understandable. But if the mind is also stiff then you can’t get anywhere. The mind has to become flexible.

Geeta Iyengar

Dear Ashtangis,

I’m sure we are all happy to see that life in Lucerne is slowly getting back to normal and that we can start doing things we missed during the lockdown. It was really good already seeing some of you in the studio in the last couple of weeks. I appreciate that you were flexible enough to adjust to all the new rules and that you kept coming even though the classes looked a bit different. It will only get better now! From this week on some of the regulations for yoga studios were loosened and therefore I’m sending you a short update about the classes in the next couple of weeks:

• From today on we are back to our regular schedule. You can always find it on the website (link). Because the online classes worked so well, I decided to keep two of them in the schedule for as long as there is interest. The online classes are a chance for you to keep practicing regularly when you are away or when you are too busy to show up in the studio in person. 

• The covid-related rules in the studio are now much more relaxed, but we still have to follow some basic preventive measures. Please read them carefully before coming to the class: link. I am now allowed to give you hands-on adjustments, but if you still prefer to practice on your own, just let me know before the class. 

• The number of students in a class is now limited to eight. Signing up is no longer obligatory, but it is recommended – in that way you can secure your spot in the class. It also helps me to better prepare the class for you. You can register through the interactive schedule on the website or by contacting me. You can also save the online calendar on your phone and use it like an app (instructions here). If you are joining the online classes you need to register in order to get the link – please do it at least 6 hours ahead so that I know I have enough students to teach the class.

• The long-awaited Psoas workshop is now scheduled for June 20th (Saturday). Psoas is one of the most important  muscles in your body – it affects your posture, flexibility, strength and even your emotional state. In this class will explore different poses that will help you keep your psoas balanced and we will see how to use it in our yoga practice. You can find more details on the website.
  

Love,

Martyna  

And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure that the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.

Haruki Murakami

Dear Ashtangis,

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks for everyone. We all had to adjust our whole life to the new circumstances and manage a lot of difficult feelings coming up. It hasn’t been easy, but I was surprised to see how well and how quickly people could adapt to this new situation. I’m sure that the peace of mind that yoga teaches us, as well as the resilience and openness to whatever comes, were great resources during this time – for me as well. It was heart-warming to see how the whole yoga community went online and stayed connected through online classes, social media and messaging. I’m really grateful to everyone who joined my online classes, who stayed in touch and who supported me during this time. I’m sure we will now be able to better appreciate things we used to take for granted! I can’t wait to see everyone in person and eventually, when things go back to normal, to give you a hug or just a nice adjustment in your forward bend 🙂 

Below you can find an update about what our classes will look like in the next couple of weeks. 

• I’m really happy to announce that the studio can reopen already on May 11th (Monday) for small groups. I know that some of you prefer to still stay at home for some time, therefore I will offer a mix of online and live classes in the next couple of weeks. You can find the modified schedule on the website. In case the classes quickly fill up, I might teach one or two extra ones to make sure that everyone, who wants to come to the class, can join.

• During this time of transition we will have to follow some extra rules in the studio. The main difference will be that there can be only five students in each class and that I can’t give any hands-on adjustments. Also, there will be more rules concerning hygiene and safety in the studio, please read them carefully before coming to the class: link.

• Because I will have to strictly control the number of the students in each class, I will ask you to register for each class you want to attend. You can do that through the interactive schedule on the website, through Fitogram app on your phone or by contacting me directly. Please register for the morning classes the latest at 18.00 the day before and for the evening classes the latest at 12.00 on the same day. In case of later cancelation or no show up, you will be charged for the class. If you are joining the online classes, you need to register to get the link to the class on Zoom.

• I will also teach small workshops and special online classes. The first workshop will be on Pranayama, meditation and the 8 limbs of yoga. It will take place in the studio on May 23rd (Saturday) at 10.00. The number of participants will be limited to five, but if there is more interest, I will stream the workshop through Zoom. I will also offer a small Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga workshop on June 5th (Friday) at 18.00. Additionally, on some Fridays I will teach extra online classes focused on different aspects of the practice. You can always find details about the workshops on the website and our Facebook page.

I know it’s a lot of information, but I’m sure that we can quickly get used to the new rules and cooperate in order to keep each other safe until we are allowed to practice normally again. Take care, stay healthy and don’t hesitate to get in touch with me in case you have any questions.

Love,

Martyna 

Dear Ashtangis,

Dear Yogis,

Begin; this is how to clear the polluted river. If you’re scared, scared to fail, I say begin already, fail if you must, pick yourself up, start again. If you fail again, you fail. So what? Begin again. It is not the failure that holds us back, but the reluctance to begin over again that cause us to stagnate. 

Clarisa Pincola Estés

 
Dear Ashtangis,

I hope you all enjoyed Fasnacht and skiing holidays or simply had a nice couple of days off. I myself escaped carnival and had a quiet time visiting family, reading books and doing yoga with my friends in Poland. It is important to take breaks and charge your batteries from time to time, but it is equally important not to hesitate and wait to come back to your practice afterwards. You might feel lazy and a bit stiff when you start again, but I assure you – just step on the mat and your body will soon remember the state from before the holidays! 

Below you can find a short update about schedule changes and events in the upcoming weeks. 

• Most of you already know that the Saturday Led class remained very empty throughout the Winter and therefore from March on it will be taken off the schedule. You can join the last class this Saturday (February 29th) and afterwards come to the new Monday evening Led class II instead. I’m also planning to schedule more workshops and events on Saturdays so stay tuned and observe the website and AYL facebook page! 

• The next scheduled workshop will be about Bandhas, breath and vinyasa – the event was moved from February to March 14th (Saturday).  Bandhas are an essential part of the Ashtanga Yoga method so don’t miss it – we will learn how to properly use the muscles of the pelvic floor and lower abdomen in order to affect our breathing, performance of the vinyasas and the alignment in different asanas. Here you can find more information. 

• The next two Saturday workshops will be about pranayama & meditation (April 4th) and about stretching and strengthening the Psoas muscle (April 25th). Save the dates, I will soon post more details on the website. 

• As you might have noticed, recently I updated the website with a new interactive schedule on the bottom of the “classes” page. You can use it to sign up for the classes and events if you want to or you can just log in to see the details of your Yoga Pass. This schedule is always updated with current changes and events. There’s also a Fitogram app that you can download and use for the same purpose. Signing up for the regular classes is still not obligatory and you can also contact me directly to sign up for events if you prefer not to use the app. 

Love,

Martyna

If the ocean can calm itself, so can you.

We are both salt water mixed with air.

‘Meditation’, Nayyirah Waheed

Dear Ashtangis,

Time on a beautiful island goes by very fast – I really enjoyed the two weeks of practice and assisting Petri Räisänen in Thailand. But at the same time I was looking forward to teaching again in Lucerne – I returned energised and inspired, excited about everything I’ve learnt and ready to share it with you!

Also, I’m glad that so many of you managed to come to do self-practice and to Ladina’s classes while I was away – it’s great to see that you could motivate yourselves to step on the yoga mat and you kept the energy level in the studio high by practicing together! 

Below you can find an update about schedule changes and events in the upcoming weeks. 

• February will be filled with classes and special events! We will start on February 1st (Saturday) with an Introduction workshop for yogis that are new to the Ashtanga Yoga method. You can also join the workshop if you have already practiced for some time, but you want to know more about the theory, techniques and alignment of the asanas we do in the class.

• More advanced practitioners might want to join the first Full Primary Series Led class this year on February 2nd (Sunday). This class is followed by half an hour of breathing techniques – Pranayama. Please sign up if you are planning to join!

• On February 8th you can join a workshop about Bandhas, breath and vinyasa. Bandhas are an important component of the Ashtanga Yoga method. A proper understanding on how to use the muscles of the pelvic floor and the lower abdomen will not only help you to do the poses, but will also bring lightness and energy into your practice.

• From February on I will apply two small schedule changes. As some of you already know, the Monday evening class will be changed to a Led class II and will start at 19.15. I hope this time will be more convenient for you and you will be able to join the class. On your request I will also start morning Mysore classes at 6.15 instead of 6.30. You can now have enough time to finish your practice before you have to head to work. And if that seems very early for you, don’t worry – you can still come to the class later, making sure that you are done with your sequence before 8.30. You can always find an updated schedule on this page.

• As I mentioned in the last newsletter, the Saturday class is not a very popular one. I will give the weekend yogis one more chance and teach the class till the end of February – please show up if you are interested in practicing on Saturdays, otherwise this class will be taken off the schedule from March on. 

• Because the old town becomes very loud and busy during the carnival, the studio will be closed between February 20th (Thursday) and 25th (Tuesday). Enjoy the winter break and I will be looking forward to teaching again after Fasnacht! 

Love,

Martyna