Yoga in Kosovo

Well, as I suspected before my arrival to Pristina, there would not be much (any) organized or informal yoga for me to continue my own practice. For those of you who kept in touch with me while in DC you already know that both yoga and meditation had become part of my daily practice and a very important part of my local community, of which I miss very much. I had also been fortunate enough to begin teaching at a local studio on weekly basis to mostly advanced students.

Well fast forward five months to today. This week, my local class just exceeded 50 students mostly beginners and intermediates. Since my arrival I immediately started to ask around about classes and was connected to the UNMIK gym staff who sponsor (but not pay) for teachers to share their skills with the international community (and local staff). So, after putting out a couple emails and agreeing on a night I started to offer 1 class/week for beginners which was immediately popular. And as the word has spread, so has the class sizes. I try to offer an experienced class as well to a much smaller advanced audience but this only happens about every other week since I am still trying to fit in my language classes, ultimate Frisbee, rehab on my shoulder and a bit of a social life.



The sheer size and level of the class has been challenging and it has caused my own practice to become more basic (ok, so only having 1 good shoulder at the moment has also assisted that). But I find it to be so rewarding and a highlight of my week. Since I don't have the discipline to do a full practice by myself at home this forces me to do it with my students and stay current on the proper techniques.



Just this past weekend I offered a bonus workshop to celebrate World Yoga Day and donate all the money raised for Human Rights awareness in Afghanistan. 25 folks braved an unseasonably warm day to join me for several hours followed by a fantastic outside brunch where a dozen of us had the chance to get to know one another off the mat. This is slowly becoming an incredible social outlet for me as well as I am finally being able to match names (and jobs) to faces outside of the class when I visit local bars and restaurants. I look forward to building this community even more now that another experienced practitioner has arrived and wants to help with the classes and start a website to keep in touch with all the Kosovar yogis.



Just trying to spread that good energy one asana at a time...Namaste.