Acro Yoga and Self-Discovery in Bali with Juliya

0:00 Hey there, before we get started on this week's episode, I would love to ask for your support by reviewing this podcast. We want to share yoga with as many people as possible and this free resource, this podcast is one of the ways that we can do that. And the best way that you can help support us is by giving us a review.

0:16 So if you go to Apple podcast or Spotify or whatever podcast platform you use, Scroll down until you find that star review and then give us some love. Thank you so much, and let's get started with this week's episode. I saw the choice, I had the choice to not see that, to not pay attention for that, and they had the choice choice to do that. And I felt that's for me a chance actually to purify my body as body called the score of my story and my parents, my ancestors with full respect.

0:48 But still I did feel the way tapas in the fire moving through my body and I start feel lighter, lighter and little bit more lighter. Welcome to the Going Pro Yoga podcast. If you love yoga as much as I do, then this podcast is for you.

1:09 We talk all things yoga related for teachers in order to supplement and compliment and even support after a 200 hour yoga teacher training. Or if you've never done a training before, this podcast is all about just learning more about yoga in an authentic way. Together with Paul Tioto and Byron de Marseille, we put together this podcast to provide you with a free resource to learn more about yoga.

1:31 Whether you want to share yoga or teach yoga or just practice yoga. This podcast is talking all things yoga related and we're trying to talk from the teachers perspective and also the students perspective to make sure we get a full 360° angle on what yoga is all about and how it's evolved in the modern world.

1:46 Welcome to our podcast. Welcome to the Going Pro Yoga podcast. This is Michael here, your host. And today we have a new guest in the house. Julia Light is here to join us. Julia, how are you? I'm doing really well. Thank you Michael for inviting me and having me here. Of course, of course.

2:06 So Julia is a friend of mine who we met, I want to say, like five years ago. That's true, Michael. Yeah, something like that. And we met on, I think it was through acro yoga originally here in Bali. And we also went on some retreats together.

2:22 And we also climb Mount a Goon together. And if you don't know, Mount a Goon, Mount a Goon is the basically the big volcano in the center of Bali. And yeah, this was quite a few years ago, so it's actually been some time since Julie and I have connected.

2:34 So I'm actually really excited to have her on the podcast because Julie is a yoga teacher and she's been teaching yoga for a few years and she's done lots of trainings and has a great story to share. And I'm really excited to dive into that with you guys today. So Julia, welcome to the podcast. I did my best to introduce you a little bit with the biography as best as I know you, but I always think it's fun and easy for people to kind of connect with

2:59 you a bit more if you just share a little bit more about yourself, like where you're from, a little bit of your background, and then eventually kind of talking about how yoga came into your life. We can start with that. Sure, Michael. I want to also share the situation in Agung Mountain when I remember I lost my power a little bit and I remember you helped me a lot and you took a stick and I felt you so powerful.

3:25 You know, like a big Viking Viking. And yeah, I remember the glimpse of, yeah, first time we connect and I grateful a lot to the Accra spirit community. A lot of chances and opportunities came from there. A lot of spirit. Spirit strengths as well.

3:47 Yeah, yeah. I remember, I remember when we were on the mountain. And, yeah, just to kind of give a little bit more context to that story, which will actually help us just, you know, getting to know you a bit more. But I think this was mostly acro yoga people that were on this little trek in Mount A Goon, right?

4:03 And there's probably 12 of us or something like this, right. And yeah, as we're climbing up, like, the climb can get a little bit scary. Like there was a few points that's a little bit freaky. Like if you misstep, like, oh, you know, this isn't like Western standards.

4:18 If it's like, you know, if you make a mistake, you might actually, you know, fall and die. So there's a few scary moments. And I felt them myself. And then Julia was experiencing a little bit of that fear kind of rushing over. And that's when I went over just to kind of be there with you and try to support you especially.

4:33 Yes, I felt that and it was just a glimpse about it was quite helpful in the moment and I felt like a wave of support and I felt more strong inside and just continue. Yeah, it was great. I'm glad that you were there and I'm glad that you got to experience that and be able to move through it. I think that's a beautiful representation of basically yoga in itself.

4:54 So yeah, let's go back to a little bit more of your story, where you're from and these types of things, and we'll go from there. I feel yoga journey is always for me life journey and I feel eventually yoga journey that's from the moment we start able to reflect ourselves and remember ourselves since we was a kid. I born in Russia and military family. So my father in the moment was fly. He was a navigator and my mother also eventually was in army. She is a math teacher and quite

5:28 educated and intelligent family but under pressure of discipline and schedule. So I did feel under pressure since I was a kid. So I I felt my father was trained me and my elder sister as well like. Yeah, no kidding. So. Yeah. So is it just you and your sister? Yes, yes.

5:50 And your dad? Was a military, He was a pilot. He was a pilot as well, but also in those moment was no computers and so. This is He's not a pilot anymore. Yeah, no, no, now he is retired. So before they count the path of the plane with special like a math. So he will sit in the plane and just like the direction of the. Actually.

6:19 And. Yeah, he's like. A lot of responsibility. That's like the smartest person on the plane, I think, because I, I have a friend in the Canadian or he was in the Canadian Air Force and he was like the guy on the, on the airplanes that would make all the decisions on where to go and calculating all these things and making like the high level decisions on that.

6:36 It's very important, I feel. And yeah, that's, I feel like really huge responsibility. And I felt he was always like on top of that. And as I know, he was a plan to serve, to be a Cosmo, to move to the cosmos. You know, like Cosmonaut. The Cosmos.

7:02 Yeah, it's like a train. He was trained in some special Academy to go to Cosmos. Is that a city? It's no, no, no like space space. Oh, oh, I was into space Cosmos. Oh, OK, I'm with you now. Like a spaceship? Yes. Gotcha. Yes, yes, yes.

7:22 So it was his dream and dream was so high and meanwhile he achieve like I feel a little bit lower but still. A little bit. Still pretty impressive, I'd say. Yeah. Wow, that's crazy. So did you feel a lot of pressure? I from.

7:41 Your father and your mother. In relation to the discipline, so less feelings and more just follow the schedule. And we was moved to Ukraine because my mother from Ukraine and I grew up and study university in Ukraine. And that's first time I found out about like in my teenagers about in his medicine and about philosophy of energy.

8:10 And I was curious about that since 13 years old a lot. So I attended some school, our teacher from Tibet and he came to our city in Ukraine, the name of city Nikolaev. He came once in half year and he gave us a lot of knowledge about energy, body and what we can do about that.

8:35 A lot of meditations and practices. And I was practicing till 21 years old, but I feel I could not digest all of that heavy information for me in those teenagers times. So I just, yeah, I decided to stop and actually because I travel a lot, I lost all these knowledge like in my exercise books, I lost this information and I felt I could not digest. So I decided it's more healthy for me to stop that for a while. And I did bag why I share the story. I came back to that when I felt

9:16 little bit empty and I was in Bali in those time and I felt a cold that I wish to bag this knowledge that's like a little bit jumps in the story and meanwhile physical practice I start in Egypt and I feel that's part of my journey when I dream travel around the world and I free myself with changing the profession. So yoga is thought huge profession for me. So I was computer engineering.

9:48 That's my first. I will. See, you're you're pretty smart too. In some way. Like father, like daughter. OK, so, so let me ask you a question, just I want I want to make sure I understand the story. So you were first introduced to call it the elements of life, basically energy, you know, elements of this, this deeper, deeper, knowing deeper truths of the world, which is, you know, basically what we talked a lot about on this podcast.

10:15 But you were 13, right? So your brain was like, this is cool, but like, what is it? And then you said someone came and they kind of like from Tibet and they presented with some information for about 1/2 a year. Was that when you were 13 or was that later on?

10:30 It was from 13 till 21 years old I even. Oh wow, so every year, half a year they would come. Yes, exactly. And the school, it's in my biography, it's in Yoga Barn as well in websites. So the name of school Wuwei, which means effortless action and that's not traditional Tibetan medicine school and it's contained a lot of knowledges from Tibet and China as well.

11:05 Wow, that's super cool. I didn't realize that or know that about you. OK, cool. So then you learned that up until 21, Then you said you started your physical practice in Egypt. Was that at the age of 21? It was. Honestly, it was after 10 years. After 10 years.

11:21 And it was in my profession which gave me freedom. So I was grew up in Ukraine and then we I tried Russia again. It didn't work well, but it gave me my chances to start feel and think more wide what really bring me happiness.

11:44 And I start really search for the things which is beautiful in the life and prove to myself that life is actually make sense, which bring me to the point I want did make a photos of beautiful moments in the life and I became a photographer of weddings and events. And also it's been me to the past. I told myself, oh, this profession can give me freedom, I can travel around the world, but I didn't travel yet. And just by chance I took a trip to the Egypt. And since I came, I felt so much

12:26 connection with the ocean, Torque's ocean. And by chance again, I took a trip in the big yacht, two floor big yacht. Big yacht. Yeah, that's a boat, boat, boat trip, diving, diving ship. And I made just snorkeling and those time I was so confused with swimming and the condition of my house was not really well, now I realize that, but when I came back, I'm so happy.

12:59 I took a contacts of the people who work there in the boat. When I came back to Russia after two months, universe torn those ways that I could not resist. And I even ask advice from my family in those time, what should I do?

13:19 Should I try Egypt or not? We all decide no. But there was very special night for me, I could not sleep and I told myself I just go and check a ticket. I just go and check a ticket. That's OK, Judas, that's OK. Eventually I bought a ticket to the Moscow and I bought a ticket to the Sharm El Sheikh and I never come back.

13:39 It was 11 years ago. I never come back to Russia. Since 11 years ago. Since that moment. If my family won't see me, say come to my to the place where I am. You don't want to go back. I not feel I ready, honestly. Yeah, yes, I not feel I'm ready.

13:58 That's. Yeah. So thank you for sharing all that. This is all new information for me. So this is very, I'm very interested. I want to go back a little bit just to kind of get more context of who you are, like truly who you are based off of, you know, growing up and sounding like you have this family dynamic that put a certain amount of pressure.

14:20 And you mentioned like focusing more on like logic versus feeling. And then you started to get curious about this feeling thing and explored it and, and participated in things and trusted that self to explore or call it self love or just love in general or just feeling.

14:40 And would you say that your parents didn't really support that so much? So you felt kind of like you needed to go off on your own, And that might have been part of the reason why you're like, OK, I'm just going to go do this.

14:48 Yes, there was different stages. There was a time when I left home in my 17 years old and then I came back and there was on and off related to the I did feel I not seen and I not heard as well. Like yeah, no feel like no feelings, but I feel I'm more like a creative person.

15:14 So I really need safe place to be able to create and just. Of course. So that's, that's, I mean, I feel like everybody needs that at least some version of that safety, right. I mean, I don't know what it's like to to live in a household or to that kind of extent.

15:31 I have definitely grew up with feelings being like, OK, but not really nurtured or supported as much as now they I would like them to be as an adult. But it sounds for you like it was, it was there was more of a black and white with like feelings don't exist kind of thing.

15:47 And well, I'm glad that you, you trusted that self and were able to kind of pull yourself away. And basically now, you know, you've been living in Bali for a long time. And, and I didn't mention this at the beginning, but you, you know, you teach at the Yoga Barn now, which is one of the world famous yoga studios here. So we'll eventually get to that, right? But I want you to continue a little bit with your story of basically where you were after

16:11 like this, You know, you left basically Russia 11 years ago. And then tell me a little bit more through your yoga journey from that point. I feel it's all connected with yoga story as well because I do teach in Yoga bar in my 4th year. We are grateful and it's a space for me to grow and improve my teaching.

16:35 And about the story, yes that was amazing. I feel ocean just pull me into the Egypt and that was also like the point to grow up there from the diving center. I met my soul friend. Her name is Victoria Melekova and she once she invite me. Oh, let's go to this woman.

17:02 She teach yoga in between city in her house and this woman just back from Haramsala and she's actually a dive instructor and she's from Switzerland. And I feel because she is, she was a dive instructor the way she teach and the frequencies she we received there was really deep.

17:34 Yeah. And her name, Gabby Angeli, that's your spiritual name, Gabriella, that's your name. And I felt it was like just time to spend evenings practicing yoga. And it's turned to the 2-3 years of practice also on and off because we was under pressure of work. I was photographer.

18:00 In Egypt, You're in Egypt for that many years. Yeah, three years I was live there. Yes, I work each day actually and I just left house each day. It was a daily board and in the evening I deliver my work to the five star hotels. We had really good clients like big yards, 2-3 floor yards. They also gave me a lot of inner strengths as well. So I build my commitment to the work and I started build dreams as well to be able to travel more. Yeah, that's great.

18:39 So when you said you were doing photography for, like you said, radiance, I think it's the word to use. So what was your style of photography when you say that? Our boat in those time was a diving boat. There was a people who so much excited to try diving first time. We had two photographers, one under the water and as one in the surface.

19:00 Where I was photographing the surface. There was a photo for the sessions and also we made photos when people tried diving as well. And it was a great opportunity to meet so many people as well. And meanwhile I practiced yoga, which actually I feel because I practice yoga, it's more and more bring me think more wider.

19:21 So I start I think about other countries to travel in and I travel to the Turkey. That was my country, yeah. Where in Turkey was? It Istanbul, I went to the Istanbul there there was like a 2 weeks and then after half year I really inspired with Antalya as well.

19:47 So I travelled to Turkey. But I always like old cities to travel in and then it gave me also courage travel with my other friend to the Thailand. So I tried Asia vibe. I couldn't tell. We was in Copengan and we was travelled to Kotao also. We made some diving there and after some time it was natural for me to start thinking about Asia, to try move there. So you enjoyed here.

20:25 So, OK, so you went to Egypt for several years and you went to Turkey and continued your travels and you're, so you, you got into yoga pretty heavily, I'd say in Egypt, at least the physical practice. And you continue that as you travel through Turkey and Thailand and stuff like that and eventually made your way to basically where we are now.

20:44 Yeah. I feel it gave me also opportunity to free my mind the practice of yoga. So I made more and more the gaps in between what I have to do and what I want to do and I felt a call to move to the island of Bali and see what happened to Indonesia.

21:02 Because I know dive in because here is really nice and also centre of yoga. So I move here for one month just but I never came back. He never left. So you you came for one month. I mean, that's the that's the typical Bali story here. It's like you come for like a short visit and the next time you know you.

21:21 The show, of course, I travel from here and I grateful for the universe as well. I traveled to the many places and I backed to Egypt after three years to pick up my stuff and I traveled to Jordan, I traveled to Mexico to see pyramids. I started curious more about the cultures, about the roots of yoga.

21:43 And I traveled to Cambodia as well, Angkor Wat and Vietnam, also some temples and Hanoi. You've been around. Yes, I travel Morocco as well and. You're making me jealous and you're making a few other people jealous probably as well. No, that's great.

22:01 And so you, you basically, while you made let's just say Asia your home or Bali in particular, and you came here for multiplet of reasons, the diving and the yoga and self. So tell me more a little bit about, I mean, you're, you're sharing a lot of the logistical like where you were and where you visited. Let's talk a little bit more of like how your inner journey was with regards to just like, you know, getting into the asanas and then, you know, exploring

22:30 more of the feeling and, and the connections and, and you know, the things that you weren't getting back in in Russia. So that's why one of the reasons why you left for example. That's perfect spot to share. When I came to Bali it was really interesting. I was living those time in Uluatu and since I came I asked universe what is next.

22:54 What I supposed to do answer was practice yoga alone, close your door and practice alone. So I practice 2-3 hours each day. Just Shivananda sequence. I know from Gabby before and since I practice I start notice my states what I feel, which thoughts come and I start practice head stands. At those time it it was really difficult to stand on my head and I noticed I cannot be on my head standing with thoughts. Each thought I think I lost the balance. Any thought?

23:35 I think I lost the balance. So it was a really good feel to discover myself, the way my feelings and in the world works. And it was really interesting. In second months, just next door, someone asked me, can you teach yoga?

23:52 It looks like you practice yoga. And I teach yoga since those day one year, morning and evening for the community, friends, travellers. Yes, yes. Towards the time after one year, I found myself in the moment, oh, what I actually teach. I wish to know more about anatomy, about safe practice. So you.

24:19 You'd never done a training before, you were just practicing yoga based off of your friend Gabby. Try yes I tried make it safe and soft and I felt drawn to so much natural because you know the Olivada so beautiful so many beautiful jungles and beach line and ocean is all help me support me in this journey. Actually the nature the nature.

24:50 So that was my reason because in Egypt was really dry climate and even in Bali I felt my skin is more kind of like soft and he is more humid and all this jungles. I really felt that my like I my body feels so good here and that's perfect climate for me.

25:10 And that's why each two months is I made the decision. OK, I'm going to continue. Let's see what happened. I'm going to continue. And of course, I made income in Egypt and it's helped me to do this journey as well. It's all connected. So one year didn't work just teaching yoga. Yeah, just teaching yoga.

25:35 And I slowly build to the point I decide, oh, OK, I won't take a training. And I was drawn to that's also one of my students from Mexico, with which Paulina Rocamora and we traveled together to the Mexico. It was a really good chance. She's a dolphin trainer story all connected and I just came to teach her in Sanur and then I just walked the beach line and they saw this beautiful studio porno power of now Oasis and it became my first studio with teachers Myron and Malika de Mello and they had anatomy

26:20 teacher Phoebe from Australia and it was a beautiful studio of Chris is the owner of studio really grateful and they felt drawn to because teachers from India. I felt I received from the source and that's my journey started. This was my first 200 hours.

26:42 Kata and vinyasa yoga. Wow, that's cool. That's I love that you. So when you were teaching yoga in Uluwatu, this was before you were yet done your training, which is totally fine, right? Because we, we talk about this a lot and it's like, you know, the Yoga alliance and the 200 hour training and all that stuff, like that's relatively new.

27:03 Yoga has been around for thousands of years and you know, you've never needed a certificate to teach yoga, right? Especially if we understand that yoga is not just about the awesomeness, right? There's more depth to the lifestyle and the philosophy of yoga. So you were given an opportunity along your path and along your journey to start sharing yoga before you even knew really about that, right?

27:25 You started by doing it for yourself and noticing changes. And I actually love that part of your story that you're like, you notice your body kind of shift and then you couldn't actually get into headstand because you had so many thoughts And it was, it reminds me of of what the Jeff, one of our philosophy teachers talks about. And it's just like, if you just practice the yoga, you know, the work is being done right.

27:47 You don't have to try to fix things. You don't need to try to like, you know, remove all your traumas and stuff like that. Like at the end of the day, if you just go back to your practice and you just practice yoga every single day, whether it be awesome or meditation or some version of that, you're releasing some of those samskaras. Samskaras being those conditions and patterns and beliefs and all these things.

28:09 And you and your story sound like an example of that because I've heard him say it, but I've never actually heard a story to that effect. It's kind of more more just like a fate, not a fate, excuse me, a faith of like, oh, just trust that that's what's actually happening.

28:24 But it sounds like for you, your story was like there was a lot of blockages because of your upbringing and stuff like that, that when you started to practice yoga, you started to notice the changes or the challenges of being able to change because of that rigidity in your in your body, in your mind and in your heart probably. So thank you for sharing that.

28:47 I think it's awesome that you got into the yoga and it started to open things up for you. And not only that, but it was inspiring someone else who then was able to come and say, hey, can you teach me what you're doing? So that's beautiful. Thank you, Michael.

29:01 I also want mentioned that I saw the choice. I had a choice to not see that, to not pay attention for that. And they had the choice choice to do that. And they felt that's for me a chance actually to purify my body as body hold the score of my story and my parents, my ancestors with full respect. But still I start, I did feel the way tapas in the fire moving through my body and I start feel lighter, lighter and little bit more lighter.

29:38 And of course it's up and down. So it's like a waist, it's like a tights died in the ocean. It's cannot be always the same. But I did feel it's as a just level of purification or I feel more my perspective is wider or there is something more as a horizons. So I just continue my work.

30:00 That's beautiful. Yeah. Perfect, perfect reconnection to the, the, the I think, I think it's a Yama actually of the tapas or is it Yama or Niyama? I think it's a Niyama actually, which is purification through heat or purification through discipline.

30:22 And it sounds like through your practice of discipline, you actually physically felt almost like a cleansing or a detoxifying happening. Awesome, cool. So then, so then what happened after that? After you did your 200 hour training, then you started to what? As I noticed that I could open myself to continue purification or just make it casual.

30:44 So I decided OK I make this journey I won't really feel lighter and see the details because I did had a feedback after my first classes I was teaching powerful. Now was is that I'm too serious as a Russian I not communicate enough with students. There is something.

31:06 So I start OK why do that? Why my expression is like that? So I start asking myself and answer was something store in my T-shirts and I ask my intuition what is next and it was answer Yin yoga. You need to understand more vinyasa as well because from first training it's not enough.

31:30 So I took my training, advanced training in India and I studied more about vinyasa, about anatomy basics about muscles and the way body works. And I got more understandings the way how can I build the sequence to prepare the body properly to the peak pose and make proper supine poses and to recover and make a counter process.

31:56 So it makes more sense for me. So I start OK. And it was amplified with 100 hours yin yoga. And I remember we was cry, you know, during this yin yoga. We took it serious because we took a travel to India, you know, and there was like of students from all over the world. It was in the Ocean Beach, Putnam beach. It was still in Goa, but you know, surrounded with the mountains, waterfall.

32:26 And it was like a shaking experience for us, you know, and also we all was younger, you know, and it feels even like minus like 5-7 years, it feels like, oh, you're younger, you're more fresh. So we really took it seriously.

32:46 We wanted, we all wanted. There was many surfers, many travellers, many people who actually open now studios in Uluwatu. And it's a salty prana, my soul friends as well there. And I feel we all so much connected. I felt this yin yoga course helped me to release more and it was really strange when I before I create exam exam on vinyasa yoga, while I was create the sequence, I saw the past reasons of past situations.

33:27 I saw I felt what my mother felt, I felt what my father felt and it was a journey and it's really I could not because we should concentrate so much in the presence when we create all the sequences, I feel so much subconscious stuff.

33:44 I have a chance to rise up on the surface and that's for me and all what I did just observe it until it's not disappear, but I spent actually it was years of these journeys. So I continue my journey and then when I back to here, I felt what is next and then I felt about Ariel.

34:09 Hi, first time, yes, first time I saw the belt. I felt I I excitement inside the heart. So before we go into that, I just want to kind of make sure I understand the full thing. You felt like you were ready for the next thing. You got a calling to do yin yoga. Conveniently, you did your advanced training in India. And then while you continue to refine some of your knowledge of the body anatomy, philosophy or vinyasa, probably philosophy as well, but then you also got to

34:42 get into the yin and you took it seriously to the point where you're actually able to release elements of your body. I don't want to say elements for body, but release energy stuck energy restrictions, samskaras, you know, heat, all this stuff.

34:55 And your focus and your practice of being present with creating sequences actually allowed you to kind of release some of that stuff. So your your practice of being present was was a big key for you there. That's true. Also, we kind like we use in in yoga, you stay alone time in one pose and at the moment when you can reach deeper layers of tissues and muscles and tissues.

35:23 And I believe in tendons, it's all stored in the water as well. Yes. This was a process which helped me to release more. Yeah. So then what? What was the spark for you for aerial yoga, which is where we're going next. So in case you're not sure what aerial yoga is, aerial yoga is like when you're suspended from like a belt or a silk or a hammock, depending on how you want to call it, and you're basically doing yoga poses with the belt, whether it be through

35:53 support or enhancing. And more or less, that's what aerial yoga is. So it's a very unique style of yoga. If you haven't tried it before, it's pretty cool. So anyhow, how did you get excited or interested into that style of yoga?

36:05 OK I just jumped before 200 hours. I went to Bali Buddha in Sanur and I saw the fly high belt actually and horses. The founder of the like a yoga. Yes, I saw him in the photo with belt upside down and I felt something in the heart. I want that, but I felt I'm not ready yet. And imagine I made the journey 200 hours after one year and a half.

36:37 One year I made a advanced mini also, then yoga. And then after some time I felt OK. Now I read it. But it's interesting if I if I didn't do this journey, I feel I cannot. I could not get the fly high. It was still difficult for me to grasp the knowledge and I remember the way my body reacted being upside down and with all these poses.

37:04 This kind of exactly fly head belt came from Ayangaru University from India and it's more connected with classical yoga like a hatha practice. It's one of the probe of the support of alignment. Yes, yes, but I felt I there was time to choose for me which kind hammock silks or which kind of aerial I really want. And because I love Hata yoga, I like the alignment a lot. I just like, OK, I want move to the basics. I want really alone, like a family. And then let's see, maybe I open

37:44 myself to the silks and let's see what happened. 2020 I came to the class and there was just one student me. Oh, really? There was a yoga barn and it was a time when COVID start and it was last week horse here and I felt I even make some notes. It was a special day for me.

38:09 It was really evening class 6:00 just host and me and I felt something special connection and then I OK, I should to get certificate. I really want to deepen my knowledge. So I moved from Sanu to take a course which gave me actually chance meet Caspian and they saw Caspian practice Akra yoga outside and like what this people is doing there. It's so strange and which actually support me to yeah, establish connection with Akra yoga and eventually now I am a except fly high yoga, which I

38:53 teach in yoga barn. I practice silks and they make some tricks in so it's more connected with the circus. And sometimes I think all this yoga path maybe I remember myself when I was a kid, I curious about what these people in circus doing, you know, and but yeah, I felt like, OK, but yeah, you know, I was under pressure of my family also about logic and I I did think a lot. I have this tendency to think overthink too much. So I feel I I could make more

39:33 free decision for me since I was really young. But because I push myself because I had this tendency the way it's connected with now like circus stuff, yoga really bring me a lot of happiness. And if Paul in class sometimes describe oh Heinsteins not make you happy, not make you good person. But it makes me happy, makes me happy. Be upside down.

40:06 Be yeah. Practice some sort of stuff on silks as well. Connect to such community. Now I make some fire dance as well. That's my hobby for now. And I do feel that exactly yoga practice, discipline in physical yoga practice gave me freedom in my body so I could experience other art connected with body which connected with martial arts as well.

40:38 Yeah. I mean, that's kind of the whole purpose of the asana, right, is to open your body to prepare yourself for meditation or whatever meditation that would be for you, which could be just connecting to yourself, right.

40:51 So I love that. So the aerial, I have a little bit more curious about that. So you did the aerial yoga and that inspired almost like this playfulness, this like childlike element in you that wanted to explore more of the circus related kind of, and it's not even circus, but like if if you haven't tried high fly, fly high yoga before aerial yoga, you know, there's definitely some more, let's say movements that are not typical or traditional because of the fact that you

41:22 have a belt there. And also going into like like actually suspending or hanging, right? There's certain things that are very different with that style of yoga, which is very cool. I've never done it before, but I, I actually really want to do it.

41:35 But because of my knee surgery, I was a little, a little nervous about that. But now that I sorry my knee injury, now that I've had surgery, I probably could actually try it soon, but actually forget what my question. Was yeah, so fly her yoga has a belt, yeah, has a belt. And this belt is quite light and you can travel with it and that's really comfortable.

42:01 For example, you can place it on the tree, you can place it in park and you can actually practice yoga with it until any of your body parts inside the belt. And also we of course would make more creative sequences, so make some rows and some glimpse from circles stuff being upside down and give some chances to feel be in between sky and earth but feel grounded. That's the most interesting, the way it works. We use momentum, we use body weight to control the speed in the ear as well.

42:51 And it's a lot of build upper body strengths as well. So we use a lot of pulling actions as in classical yoga, a lot of push outside from the earth and now we need to pull. So we develop other upper body, which for women's means a lot our upper body. My shoulders is really like like small, you know. So I felt so much arrived in my body since I started practice silks.

43:25 Help to find more physical balance, Yes, yeah. I mean, it's definitely like traditional yoga is a lot of pushing, like you said, yes, right. It's a lot of front body and we talk about this a lot and trainings and stuff like that. So I never even thought of that.

43:38 But the so the hammock or the belt gives you the ability to pull. Exactly, I do, I do feel and it helped me build muscles for my hand stands and also arm balances and being upside down. And I do feel there's waiters which support me which involved in pulling actions as well.

44:02 Exactly this part on top of my chest, I do feel I lost balance in my handstand and then I oh, there's some muscle hold me actually OK, and I realized I build it with pulling. But the most interesting when I not practice circus silk, but I teach 4-5 classes per week, fly high and I back.

44:24 I came back to the silks after two months and my strengths actually grows a lot and I feel more playful like a monkey just just climbing up and down like a kid. I really like to play in the tree like all we are and climb just up and down. So I feel the same, effortless, just but able more and you enjoy more being inside your bottom.

44:51 Absolutely, yeah. And I love that you shared that with practicing yoga, whether it be handstand or whatever it is that allowed you to get more into your body, which helped you connect to that deeper, deeper meaning, which is super cool.

45:05 Well, I'm actually a little inspired to go try some aerial yoga, to be honest. Yes, please come to my class. I probably will. And yeah, so let's go to you can say what's happening next. The thing that I remembered that I was going to ask you was related to Caspian.

45:21 So you mentioned Caspian. Caspian's actually been on the podcast before. I don't remember which episode. It's it's earlier. It was a couple years ago. He came on to talk. About his podcast. He came on to talk about acro yoga, so you met or you ran into him randomly. He was practicing acro yoga because that's what he does. And I also know that he's heavily into fly high yoga. So he's the one that introduced you to fly high yoga, and he's also the one.

45:49 That he was a mentor in our course as well. He is first who support me be upside down. I was so confused and he's just do it. Just do it. Just do it with a Nike sign right there. Cool. All right, so let's continue from there.

46:04 So you did the fly high. Now you teach, you know, several classes a week at yoga brand, which is cool. Then what? What was next for you? What was next for you? So if we talk about Acro Spirit, I already purchase a ticket for the next Acro Spirit Festival in February. So acro spirit. 25.

46:23 Yeah, Acro Spirit is basically organization or a company here in Bali that was created by Caspian and a series of other acro yogi's in Bali to help cultivate and nurture the community for acro yoga. And if you're not sure what acro yoga is, well, first of all, Google it because you'll find a bunch of cool videos. But if you might have seen it before where there's different styles, but one of them is when someone is laying on the ground on their back and their legs are

46:51 up in the air and. They're yoga. And they're supporting another individual on their feet and they're kind of twirling them around and. Stuff. Yes, yes, totally correct. And there's also standing acro yoga as well, where it's kind of like. Acrobatics.

47:05 More closer to acrobatics. Yeah, exactly. So it's, it's, it's another, it's, you know, it's a little bit further from what the style of yoga is, but it's more of a physical practice that allows a different connection, let's just say. So Acro spirit is all about that. So you can't check it out.

47:19 Actually, we'll put that stuff in the show notes as well if people are curious, because I know that there's a festival coming up. Yes, 13th February 25 next year, yeah. Cool. So then let's continue with the story. So Acura Yoga we met the you know, Caspiani introduced to the aerial and then. Something happened, something came to my mind now when I mentioned that I wanted to back my knowledge from my teenager years about more Chinese medicines, the way body works and which I start feel more

47:52 satisfied with all these Yogalians. So I received more and more knowledge which gave me understanding. So then after some time I took one more additional lean yoga with Carlos Romero in Yoga Barn and I was assisting this training and I'm really grateful for this chance. It gave me more understanding about channels, about the way energy flowing.

48:19 And I did feel connected with traditional yoga from Himalayan University. And it happened with their school, their practice in Chengdu with Octavia and Emma Salvado. And I took a course 50 hours with skills to redirect energy and we got really thick manual about that. And I felt is also give me chance to back this knowledge as about how can I actually redirect energy? How can I move my attention?

48:52 How it can contain my energy? How I can stop myself when my body want too much activities? And when I feel kind like do and like law, how can I actually switch engine of my body? So I'm experiences all we are different States and stages of what we feel and also body not perfect.

49:17 We live not in perfect world so our health can be up and down. So I felt I need a little bit more skills and the God with the school. So it's one more additional training. The name it Tantra connected with every directing energy. It's a lot of meditations, a lot of hata yoga practice, but precised connected with values inside the body. So each asana connect with proper breast counting as well extension of inhale or exhale.

49:50 You stay in pose video on time and you start feel the way energy actually is moving and creasing your virus, for example, those which is going down up and now, for example, you can increase the vitality, you can plan while you need to improve digestion. OK, you make some particular poses. So it's gave me more and more understanding which I felt more peace in my heart.

50:20 As more I receive knowledge and practice, I start to feel more and more peaceful in my heart, which now bring me to the and the standing body in more subtle level to the Thai Yoga Academy from the Thailand with. Thai Yoga Academy.

50:38 Yeah, it's a Thai massage Academy in Chiang Mai with Pao and Pao from Barcelona. And I started in classes in Body Spirit Festival where I was teach honor to teach and share dynamic meditation of Oshawa and as well fly high yoga and I met a powder. So I started and his workshops and now I want to understand more about the way organs works and subtle body works and just move even understanding in physical more anatomy. It sounds like you love to learn. I think I miss Mariah's twist,

51:34 the way life and body works and the way all all that it works, you know, feelings, emotions. What is that? Maybe I feel too much pay attention for that too much, because before I didn't really, really long period in my life, like half of my life, right? So I start curious about what?

51:56 You're like thirsty. You're just thirsty and learn and. Maybe, but I love to learn as well always. Honestly, I finished school with golden medal and I felt I do not know nothing about this life. I won't know everything. So I started really good and I drink when I was a kid knowledge with like a water I couldn't do.

52:19 Soaking it up, it sounds like you've taken so many trainings and you've gone into deep levels into deep corners of of different perspectives of yoga, different angles of yoga, different styles of yoga. So you have probably so much in that, you know, active brain of yours, that intelligent brain of yours. And then you've been putting it to practice or at least, you know, trying to to be able to share elements of the things that you've learned because

52:44 obviously yoga's done something really special for you in your life. Yeah. How would you like if I were to ask you just to kind of like squeeze a little bit more out before we kind of end the podcast? Like, what would you say is one of the biggest things that yoga has really done for you?

52:58 Like, besides the obviously, you know, the shift that you've noticed, but like, what comes to mind when I ask you that question? Like what does yoga mean to you, for example? Actually last years, I felt it's a journey about heart opening and also softening myself onto understanding other people more and understanding that we do all connected and when I share, start share less but more soft.

53:26 And for me yoga, it's really like a connection, a tool of support each other and think about your students as a part of you actually. And I feel inspired to share because like that I feel my life make sense and. Yeah, I mean, I'm, I love that you you want to share and now you're teaching how many classes?

54:03 You said last week you taught 15. Is this true because we are in like a yoga community and also Accra community. So I feel we all connected and sometimes we support each other. With substitution of the classes which happened last week, I had some substitutions as well.

54:25 So what? What? Usually I teach like around 810 classes per week. Which is still a lot. That's still a lot. What? What do you teach? I mean, you know, a lot of stuff, but like, which classes are you teaching? So obviously, aerial yoga.

54:41 Yes, like a yoga I teach. I also because of those course which I mentioned of the school, the practice I study a lot about yoga nidra as a way subconscious works. So I start yoga nidra because I start feel. Oh, that's the moment when we actually can manifest and we can set some ideas in subconscious minds.

55:06 So that's the tool how we can redirect our destiny, our path. So inspired to share yoga nidra as well. I start teach meditations as well peaceful sound meditation and I start dive deeper onto electromagnetic field and I start feel in myself because of these years of practice is the way it works like a Taurus electromagnetic field so we can establish actually flow and idea establish this upward and downward going flow that it can works by itself.

55:42 So we no need practice so much. It's already there and I teach these knowledges and at ease. I can knowledge in yoga, vinyasa yoga, flexibility classes I teach last week. I not I teach a lot of such styles in daily basis.

56:08 Just I feel also that my energy also limited, of course, I mean. Eight to 10 classes a week is a. Lot I really start spend attention to my rest and I discharge and recharge in ballet in ocean. So I spend some time in the ocean and when I come back to the Ubud after that, I do feel that my body changed. I do feel more clean energy.

56:38 So when I teach my classes, I feel something a little bit extraordinary, yes. So there is something I share, but it's connected with energy, not just knowledge. Yes, and. That's great. Yeah. So I know you mentioned this before we started the podcast, but you said you're you're getting more interested in in the yoga nidra and the meditation. So that's where you're kind of you're learning mind is going right now.

57:03 It sounds like that's where you want to dive more into. Is that right? Yes, as well. And I curious about time, the ways time works as a way how we can actually create our future life from the moment here and now and take this courage to start create your life from your mind, from your intentions, from your feelings.

57:31 But I want to notice that yoga path, all this purification helps to release those heaviness, so it's easy to create something new. That's why it's so much related these practices, I feel. Yeah, that's cool. I love that. Amazing.

57:51 I feel like I learned so much about you, even though I've known you for years. Yeah, it's super cool. Thank you for sharing all of that stuff. So now you're here in Bali, you're teaching a lot. You're getting into this a little bit more.

58:04 I'm gonna I'm gonna come to your Fly High yoga class. Yes, please. Come on your time. You're my guest. Yeah, that's cool. Thank you. So yeah, thank you so much. If someone wanted to reach out and connect with you, ask you a question, curious to share a comment or feedback or anything like that, what would be the best way for them to connect with you? I created a page in Instagram Julia dot Lite, so it's easy to find me Julia with Y.

58:31 Yeah, I'll put that in the show notes so it's easy to find if you want to connect. And yeah. Do you have any final thoughts or any final words or something that you wanted to share before we kind of wrap up the podcast? Maybe something that has been really inspiring for you, if someone's listening who might be feeling inspired by your story and the things that you've learned and the place that you came from with, you know, your family dynamics and stuff like

58:56 that. Is there something that you would like to share related to that level of inspiration? Just continue search, continue search and believe that life is wonderful and surrounded with a lot of beautiful people and we are the one and spend some time to rest and continue your journey. And there is so much interesting and beautiful things in the life in the world.

59:37 Either you travel or not. And yeah, I wish that we all open our horizons and allow our dreams be our daily reality. Right. Beautiful. Let the light come in right? That's true. Thank you, Mike. Cool. Thank you so much and thank you everyone for tuning in this week. If you have any questions, you can reach out to Julia. Of course, you can reach out to me as well, or you can send us an e-mail at podcast@goingproyoga.com. Otherwise, thank you so much and

1:00:12 we'll speak to you next week. Take care for now. All right, before you go, let me just tell you about the Going proyoga.com platform. So right now you can go to goingproyoga.com and check it out for free for seven days, where you can actually learn more about yoga in the ways of alignment, queuing, sequencing, yoga anatomy.

1:00:30 So that if you've done a 200 hour teacher training and you want to continue to learn, practice and grow, this platform is definitely for you. So I definitely suggest checking it out. Going proyoga.com right now. You can try it out for free for seven days.