_femininebalance, Author at Feminine Balance

Reason why many Yogis are vegan

December 4, 2019 by _femininebalance

Have you noticed more and more Yogis tell you that they changed their diet? Want to know more about the reason why many yogis are vegan? It’s not a coincidence! There seems to be a connection between veganism and yoga. I will tell you why many other Yogis and I are choosing to be vegan.

There are, of course, many people who practice yoga and eat meat, fish and dairy products. And that’s fine.

From a Meat Eater to a Vegan

I grew up in a small village where it was very unusual to be a vegetarian. I don’t think that anyone would have known what the word vegan means back in the ‘80s.

My mum used to work in a butchery. My dad was a truck driver. Money was hard-earned, and my parents had 3 children to feed. Meat, like a Sunday roast, was a special treat. When I was old enough to take care of myself after school, my mum started working again, and it was a big relief for the family. She worked in a butchery and got a discount for any kind of food, mostly meat. So it was very normal for us children to eat meat.

I remember my aunt turning vegetarian. The whole family was talking about it. Everything she ate or didn’t eat was monitored. Whenever she got sick, it was because of being vegetarian, according to her family.

From vegetarian to vegan

I was born in the year 1982. At the age of 20, I was eating less red meat and more chicken. Looking back, I don’t even know why. Maybe I read in a magazine that it’s healthier or white meat has fewer calories. In my twenties, I started doing more and more sports. Those were the days where protein shakes became super popular. Carbs and fat were evil, and protein was the thing you were looking for. So, of course, I was eating meat.

At the age of 30, I became a vegetarian. It started because I was annoyed about all of the meat scandals. From rotten meat to antibiotics in turkey, poison in animal food to microbes in cheese. I just had enough of it and wanted to try being a vegetarian for a few weeks. If I wanted to, I would have gone back to eating meat. Well, what can I say? Almost eight years later, and now I’m vegan.

Easy Living as a Vegetarian

I never had problems being a vegetarian. It was so easy, and I felt really good. It took some time before my friends and family got used to it. To cut out meat from your diet is quite easy. To cut out all animal-based products is something different.

In the beginning, I was still eating fish. For some reason, I thought there was a difference between the life of a fish, a cow, a pig or a chicken. Maybe it was a lack of interest, but I also can’t remember anyone speaking about the cruelty of the dairy industry. Why did we all close our eyes and ears?

Yoga and Diet

Most people who practice yoga over a longer period of time end up changing their diet. They are eating less and less meat, and maybe at some point, they will eventually avoid all animal products. Many of my friends have experienced similar developments during their practice. There seems to be some connection between yoga and nutrition.

In Yoga, we try to follow the Yamas and Niyamas as best as we can.

What are the Yamas and Niyamas?

There’s an eighth folded path in the Yogasutras. This eighth folded path can lead to Samadhi, which means something like enlightenment or union of body & mind. The first limb is the Yamas. These are 5 rules or guidelines on how to act or interact with yourself and others. The first of the Yamas is Ahimsa.

Ahimsa

Ahimsa means non-violence. You can interpret Ahimsa with

respecting your own physical body and its limitations
respect to all other living beings
don’t harm yourself or others
live and let live

Every living being has the urge to survive. A wild animal has no other choice than killing another animal for survival. But we do have a choice. We don’t need to eat meat.

It’s not only about eating meat or killing animals for food. It’s about suffering in general. Think of hunting, drilling, zoos, aquariums, elephant riding, circus etc. This cruelty happens for our entertainment and for our pleasure. It makes me sad and mad what we humans are doing to other living beings.

In the food industry, we should have a look at milk cows, chickens and cows. Chickens have doubled in size because of how we bred them. A milk cow has to give up to 40 or even 50 litres per day. In the ‘50s, a cow gave only half of that amount. Pigs and cows are given numbers instead of names. They never see sunlight in their entire life.They’re born with fear, die with fear and end up wrapped in plastic in our supermarkets.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

May all beings be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and freedom for all.

This is a very powerful mantra that assists us in our spiritual evolution and acts as a blessing for the world. Yoga enhances our compassion. Yoga practice gives us a sense of our physical and mental needs. We become more attuned to ourselves. This mindfulness extends to other living beings as well. We become more compassionate, and we gain the power to help others if they are unable to help themselves.

For many practitioners of yoga, these feelings get so strong that they change their diet, behaviour or routines.

Your body is your temple

You may hear this sentence in a Yoga class or in any philosophical talk. Well, it’s true. We only have this one physical body, at least in this lifetime. So we should take care of it. Exercise regularly, sleep enough, keep the body clean from the inside and outside and feed your body. We know that it isn’t good to eat “fast food”, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, take drugs or poison the body in any other form.

In many animal-based products, you find antibiotics, hormones or other harmful things. The industry tells us that we need to eat meat and dairy to stay healthy. The only question we should ask is: Is it true?

It’s Your Choice

That all sounds horrible, I know. And I understand if you like the taste of meat, fish and dairy products. I also understand if you’re not ready yet to make a change.But please don’t close your eyes. Research and stay open-minded.

A friend of mine says: If you can kill an animal, you can eat an animal. If I didn’t have any other choice and it’s about survival, I think I could kill an animal. But I do have the choice.

Wanna Try to be Vegan?

Join us for a few days or weeks at futurehippie on Koh Samui. You will practice yoga and meditation and live by the beach. We will serve you vegan food for all meals. Big promise: you won’t be starving or lacking any nutrients.

Or visit us in the futurehippie Café and spoil yourself with one of our vegan dishes and sweets.

Let us know if you have any questions, doubts or comments. Looking forward to hearing from you.

With love

Mika

A Career as a Yoga Teacher

November 25, 2019 by _femininebalance

I think most of my colleagues and Yogifriends started with yoga as a second career. Yes, I will call it a “career” in this blog post and not only here. Many people don’t see the job as a yoga teacher as a real job. For them it’s more like a passion or a hobby.

My Story

Well, it started as a hobby and turned into a passion and then later into my profession.

From the age of 16, I worked in the cosmetic field. When I turned 31, I felt that this is a pathway I don’t want to follow for the rest of my life.

Career as a Yoga Teacher

When we practice Yoga, we start feeling the connection to our true self again. This is such an amazing process and a gift many of us want to share. I guess because of this, it is quite popular now to become a yoga teacher and participate in yoga teacher training. Don’t get me wrong: I truly believe that doing teacher training is something really beneficial for almost every person who has an interest in yoga. What we should consider when becoming a teacher of yoga is that our practice and the career as a teacher is something completely different. In fact, I have a few friends who lost their own passion while teaching or even burnt out. One of these friends would recommend you not to do it for a living if you want to keep your own practice and passion for yoga alive.

My Experience

I will share my experience with you and try to give some recommendations.

When I started teaching, I was so happy to get the chance to step up as a teacher that I taught a lot of classes. I used to live on a small island in Indonesia and had to make some money somehow. Luckily I’m a hairdresser, so I was able to make some money from cutting hair for friends and others living on the island too. I did a course for yoga and Thai massage and taught at two different studios on this tiny island.

So I had these jobs: yoga teacher, massage therapist, hairdresser and I was baking vegan bread and selling party boat tickets to make my life living.

Honestly, that was a fantastic time but also very draining and exhausting. I remember one week where I taught around 17-20 yoga classes. During that year, I met amazing people and learned a lot. I went to Bali and India afterwards to do more teacher training courses, which was an amazing experience.

Germany

Back in Germany, I set up my first company “MikaYoga“. In Munich, I taught around 10-12 classes per week under this brand, plus I worked an additional 20 hours as a hairdresser.

To start as a new teacher in a big city isn’t the easiest task, but it’s doable if you have some endurance. I taught for two different studios, rented a room and taught Yoga for various companies during the day for their employers.

It is possible to make some money with it, but you won‘t get rich. Unless you‘re one of the lucky ones and meet the right people at the right time and place. 🙂

Wanderlust

After 1.5 years in Munich, I felt the urge to travel again. I signed up with the platform Yogatrade and was looking for yoga jobs all over the world. Quite soon I got in contact with Vagabond Temple in Kep, Cambodia. I was super lucky to get a job at this amazing retreat place. Even more lucky that Rayk was joining me.

Futurehippie

We both had the idea to create our own centre, and so Futurehippie was born after a few months.

Options for a career as a Yoga Teacher

Yoga Studios or Gym

You can teach yoga classes in a gym or a yoga studio. This will bring you some experience but most likely not so much money. It is, for sure, great to meet new people and students. Maybe you can convert some of these people into your longtime students?

These jobs are great if you don’t want to interact with your students too much or you’re a little bit more introverted.

Many teachers working part-time as a yoga teacher and have other jobs as their main income.

Your Own Studio

Well, that’s a big step! A studio in a city or smaller town means a lot of work and a lot of classes to teach. With the growing yoga market, it is really competitive. You need to do a lot of research and marketing to find your niche and your students.

Pairing up with other teachers or renting your studio for workshops or events might help to fill less booked spots.

In the position as a studio owner, you will have lots of administrative work to do. People want to get in contact with the owner and have tons of questions. If you just want to teach yoga, consider this carefully.

Travel and Teach

This is a wonderful idea, but you’re not the only one. Sign up with platforms like Yogatrade or yogajobsallovertheworld to find a job or volunteer position. Most jobs are not paid very well, but if you have some spare money, it can be a great experience. Travelling and teaching have gotten really popular. Prepare a good CV, pictures and introduction letter to get in contact with hotels, spas, retreat centres etc.

It is important to know in advance if you will need a visa and work permit. In many countries, it is illegal to work or volunteer without a work permit. Thailand, for example, doesn’t allow you to volunteer or take part in any exchange programs, unless it’s with a non-profit organisation.

Teaching for Retreats or Host Your Own Retreat

As a teacher for a retreat, you need different skills then a studio teacher. Ask yourself if you can hold space for others and if you’re outgoing enough to be present most of the day etc. Depending on the retreat, you might be asked to do additional jobs. This is mostly a full-time position and can be challenging. You will learn a lot from others and discover new skills.

Online Teaching

I don’t know much about this way of teaching yoga because I’m not a technical expert. But some people are making decent money with it. They have their own channels via youtube, social media or other websites where a user can sign up for a particular program.

The good thing is that you can do this almost anywhere in the world, but you have less personal or direct contact with your students.

Teacher in a Yoga Teacher Training Centre

Of course, there are a lot of schools now who offer yoga teacher training, but this is the way most yoga teachers make money. Putting the money part to the side it can be really rewarding to work with committed students who want to learn all about yoga. Many schools offer a 4-week intensive program or students can take the course in different modules. This way of teaching is super intense, and it forces you to keep on studying to be able to share your knowledge to the best of your ability.

I’m sure there are more ways how you can work as a yoga teacher, but these are the ones I know so far.

Keep in mind that teaching yoga is a real job and that it will take some time – like in every other job – until you feel safe and confident. To step in front of a group requires self-confidence and it’s ok to be a little bit nervous.

I’m curious what you think and if you have had similar experiences. I am also always happy to chat if you have any questions.

If you now feel vindicated in becoming a yoga teacher yourself start your career as a yoga teacher with 200H Yoga Teacher Training.

With love

Mika

How yoga changed my life

October 26, 2019 by _femininebalance

In the last months I came across the thought how yoga changed my life a few times. Here I’d like to share a part of this journey with you.

I began practising yoga with a DVD in front of my TV. I just wanted to try something new and find out more about yoga, but looking back, it was the beginning of a journey to myself.

It was only five years ago in 2014 when I began practising yoga on a regular basis. Yoga was part of the Yoga & Surf retreat I stayed at, and I was lucky enough to have Sybi as my teacher. Sybi recommended the yoga studio in Berlin, where I met Mika three years later. Call it coincidence, fate, or prevision.

Now, I’m co-owner of ‘futurehippie’ and a yoga teacher myself.

What changed? Almost everything, but now, everything fits together. Not only am I closer to myself, but I also share my passion for yoga and see how people enjoy their own practice.

That’s the beauty of yoga – helping your students to get in touch with their needs, their bodies, and focusing on themselves – raising awareness for more mindfulness in their everyday lives!

If you are thinking about becoming a yoga teacher, ask yourself these questions:

Why do you want to train?

Is your goal to deepen your knowledge about yoga and a yogic lifestyle? Understand the coherences between asanas, breathing, and meditation? Develop and improve your daily self-practice? Are you up to making the next big step to sharing your love for yoga with students?

Whatever it is that drives you, make sure the course covers the knowledge you’d love to learn and meets your expectations!

What techniques, styles, and practices do you want to learn?

When it comes to a yogic lifestyle, there is more to learn than “just“ asanas. There are spiritual, philosophical, and historical understandings to dive into. Or maybe you want to learn more about reiki and chakras at the teacher training. Which style would you like to practice? Hatha? Vinyasa? Ashtanga? Aerial?

What values does the yoga school teach and do they reflect yours?

Let’s ask a basic question: Do you feel the intentions of the school are always honest? This is an excellent opportunity to start tapping into your intuition to make decisions that serve you.

Are you open to challenging yourself and changing your routine?

Training to become a yoga teacher is a transformative journey, and it will affect you mentally, spiritually, and definitely physically. You’re welcome to learn, grow, and accept yourself. You will meet beautiful souls all on their own journey, with different levels, beliefs, and backgrounds. Share your experiences during this challenging training with them, and you might find friends for a lifetime.

If you’re interested, take a look at our website to find out more about our 200H teacher training.

Much love

Rayk

Hormones and Yoga

October 11, 2019 by _femininebalance

Mika at futurehippie, If you’re interested in learning all the benefits of a yoga retreat get in touch! https://futurehippie.life/

The “bloody” truth about taking the anti-baby pill for years, menstrual cramps and how to ease this discomfort with yoga.

How it all started

Maybe I should start with the day I turned 12 and menstruated for the first time or the day a few weeks ago when I got my menstrual period at 37 and felt like I was 12 years old again. It’s a topic which we speak very little about publicly, and it is quickly swept under the table. Women are bleeding, they are in a bad mood once a month, and in order to have unprotected sex in a relationship, a woman takes the pill – that’s the way it is …. right? Surely there are many who are already looking for alternatives, but I haven’t yet met a couple, where the man has told me that he takes the contraception.

I have no scientific studies for this post, but I still want to make my displeasure with the pharmaceutical industry loud and clear.

Contraceptive pill – pros and cons

When I was 14, I was prescribed the “pill” by my gynecologist. It was not just about sex in the following years. It was more about beautiful skin, less regular pain and a regular cycle. You get used to it very quickly, every day take a tablet, and a change would be so “annoying”. In between, there was a 6-month trial with a contraceptive ring, which is also hormonally controlled and was not a suitable alternative for me.

And so, I took the pill and the years passed. No doctor asked me if I wanted to stop it; on the contrary. With us women, there is easy money every month. Twenty years of birth control pills!

In my early thirties and with my growing enthusiasm for alternative medicine and lifestyle, my adulthood need for less hormonal contraception also grew.

I stopped taking the pill and quickly looked like a teenager in the middle of puberty only without menstrual bleeding.

Emotional numbness

This was my first attempt, lasting one and a half years. I felt ugly with this impure skin and went back to my gynecologist. They advised me, that I should just take the pill again if I had no desire to have children anyway. I must have been pretty desperate because I did it again. The pimples were gone, and the bleeding came back.

What also returned was the “deaf” feeling. No hormonal fluctuations, no cravings, no failures. Sounds good, right? However, I was sexually a bit “deaf” too. I was interested in men and felt like pleasure but to a limited extent. Many other women can confirm that they were attracted to other men when they were hormonal. Certainly, this “deaf” feeling also has advantages because there are fewer mood swings. But I want to be able to say very clearly that these emotions, this sensitivity also belongs to me. Yes, maybe we as women are sometimes complicated, and I must admit that it is exhausting to live together.

An up and down of emotions

When the period is over, soon PMS knocks on the door again. A constant up and down of emotions. It’s not really easy to handle. However, I do not want to exchange these emotions for a ” I do not care” feeling. In all these years, I almost resigned myself to limited pleasure – I thought that was just normal. I was in a kind of “a grey area”. Today it may be that I have a lot of desire or I do not want to be looked at or touched at all. There are more ups and downs in my life, and I watch and wonder about myself.

Contraceptive pill and the wish for children

I am now 37 years old and have no desire to have children. The last 2.5 years were still bad for me. Not having the free choice to have children is simply not a nice feeling. From my friends, I know how full the fertility clinics are. Some even met colleagues and neighbors there. One does not talk about it.

What are these women often told? You should reduce your stress or maybe start yoga. Are there any studies showing that all these hormones that we have taken for years could possibly be guilty? I believe there is a cover of silence laid over it. Contraception without hormones? It is not so easy to find the right one. From the spiral, temperature measurement methods to condoms. But before I get back to hormones, let’s talk about condoms. They are not a bad idea, especially if you don’t have permanent partner, as they protect you against more than just pregnancy. I would be very grateful for tips, alternative suggestions and a stimulating discussion.

My way through the cycle

Until I find something else, I will deal with my mood swings, PMS and menstrual pain. What I do, is I unroll my mat and practice very gentle yoga. Especially on the first two days of bleeding, gentle asanas are just the thing. My favorite asanas are: Cat & Cow, Lying Twists, Butterfly, helped Pigeon, Bananasana and just putting my legs up (Viparita Karani, for example)

If you have severe discomfort, I can also recommend a hormonal yoga course.

Thank you for your time and I send you my best regards.

Mika

Die “blutige” Wahrheit über die jahrelange Einnahme der Antibaby-Pille, Menstruationsbeschwerden und wie man mit Yoga Beschwerden lindern kann.

Wie alles begann

Vielleicht sollte ich anfangen mit dem Tag als ich 12 war und meine Menstruation zum ersten Mal bekam oder mit dem Tag vor ein paar Wochen als ich mit 37 Jahren meine Menstruation wieder bekam und mich fühlte als wäre ich wieder 12 Jahre alt. Ein Thema über das wir öffentlich sehr wenig sprechen und was schnell unter den Tisch gekehrt wird. Frauen bluten nun mal, sind einmal im Monat schlecht drauf und damit man in einer Beziehung ungeschützten Sex haben kann, nimmt Frau die Pille – so ist das nun mal …. Richtig ? Sicherlich gibt es viele die bereits nach Alternativen suchen aber ich habe bisher noch kein Paar getroffen wo mir der Mann erzählte das er den Part der Verhütung übernimmt.

Ich habe keine wissenschaftlichen Studien für diesen Beitrag aber ich möchte dennoch meinen Unmut über die Pharmaindustrie laut machen.

Die Pille – Vor- und Nachteile

Als ich 14 war bekam ich die „Pille“ bei meinem Gynäkologen verschrieben. Es ging bei der Einnahme die folgenden Jahre nicht nur um Sex. Es ging vielmehr um eine schöne Haut, weniger Regelschmerzen und einen geregelten Zyklus. Man gewöhnt sich ja auch recht schnell daran jeden Tag eine Tablette zu nehmen und eine Umstellung wäre dann ja auch „lästig”. Zwischendurch gab es einen 6 monatigen Versuch mit einem Verhütungsring, was jedoch auch hormonell gesteuert wird und für mich keine Alternative war.

Und so nahm ich die Pille weiter und die Jahre verstrichen. Kein Arzt hat mich gefragt ob ich damit nicht mal aufhören möchte; im Gegenteil. Mit uns Frauen gibt es leicht verdientes Geld jeden Monat. 20 Jahre Antibabypille!

Mit Anfang 30 und der wachsenden Begeisterung für alternative Medizin und Lebensgestaltung, wuchs auch meine Missgunst zur hormonellen Verhütung.

Ich stoppte die Einnahme und sah schnell aus wie ein Teenager in der Mitte der Pubertät nur ohne Menstruationsblutung.

Die emotionale Taubheit

Eineinhalb Jahre ging dieser erste Versuch. Ich fühlte mich hässlich mit dieser unreinen Haut und ging erneut zu meinem Gynäkologen. Dieser riet mir ich sollte doch einfach wieder die Pille nehmen wenn ich doch sowieso keinen Kinderwunsch hätte. Ich muss ziemlich verzweifelt gewesen sein denn ich tat es wieder. Die Pickel waren weg und die Blutung kam zurück. Was auch zurück kam war das “taube” Gefühl. Keine hormonellen Schwankungen, keine Gelüste, keine Ausfälle. Hört sich gut an, oder ? Allerdings war ich sexuell gesehen auch etwas “taub”. Ich hatte Interesse an Männern und empfand Lust, jedoch in einem eingeschränkten Maße. Viele andere Frauen konnten mir bestätigen dass sie zu anderen Männern hingezogen waren wenn sie hormonell verhüten. Dieses „taube“ Gefühl hat Gewiss auch Vorteile, denn damit gibt es auch weniger Stimmungsschwankungen. Ich möchte aber ganz klar sagen können dass diese Emotionen, diese Sensibilität auch zu mir gehört. Ja vielleicht sind wir Frauen manchmal kompliziert und ich muss zugeben, dass es bestimmt anstrengend ist mit mir zusammen zu leben.

Ein Auf und Ab der Gefühl

Wenn die Periode vorbei ist, klopft schon bald PMS wieder an die Tür. Ein ständiges Auf und Ab der Emotionen. Es ist nicht wirklich einfach damit umzugehen. Eintauschen möchte ich allerdings diese Emotionen nicht gegen ein „ach mir doch egal“ – Gefühl. In all diesen Jahren habe ich mich fast damit abgefunden eingeschränkt Lust zu empfinden- ich dachte das wäre einfach normal. Ich befand mich in einer Art „Grauzone“. Heute kann es sein dass ich extrem viel Lust habe oder ich überhaupt nicht angefasst oder angeschaut werden möchte. Es gibt mehr Höhen und Tiefen in meinem Leben und ich schaue dabei zu und wundere über mich selbst.

Die Pille und der Kinderwunsch

Ich bin jetzt 37 Jahre alt und habe keinen Kinderwunsch. Die letzten 2,5 Jahre waren dennoch schlimm für mich. Nicht die freie Wahl zu haben Kinder zu bekommen ist einfach kein schönes Gefühl. Von meinen Freundinnen weiß ich wie voll die Kinderwunschkliniken sind. Einige haben dort sogar Arbeitskolleginnen und Nachbarinnen getroffen. Man spricht ja nicht darüber.

Was wird diesen Frauen oft geraten? Sie sollen weniger Stress haben oder vielleicht mit Yoga beginnen. Gibt es Studien darüber dass diese ganzen Hormone die wir über Jahre zu uns genommen haben eventuell auch Schuld daran sein könnten ? Ich glaube es gibt da diesen berühmten Deckmantel des Schweigens der darüber gelegt wird. Verhütung ohne Hormone? Es ist gar nicht so einfach das passende zu finden. Von der Spirale , Temperaturmessmethoden bis hin zu Kondomen. Bevor ich jedoch wieder zu Hormonen greifen würde muss schon einiges passieren. Und jetzt mal unter uns: soo schlimm sind Kondome nun auch wieder nicht, oder? Vor allem wenn man keinen festen Partner hat geht man damit gleich mehreren Dingen aus dem Weg.

Ich wäre super dankbar für Tips, Alternativvorschläge und eine anregende Diskussion.

Mein Weg durch den Zyklus

Bis ich etwas anderes gefunden haben werde ich mich mit meinen Stimmungsschwankungen, PMS und Regelschmerzen befassen. Was mir am Besten tut, ist definitiv meine Matte auszurollen und ganz sanftes Yoga zu üben. Besonders an den ersten zwei Tagen der Blutung sind sanfte Asanas genau das Richtige. Meine Lieblingsasanas sind : Cat & Cow, liegende Twists, Butterfly, half Pigeon, Bananasana und einfach die Beine hoch legen ( Viparita Karani z.B.)

Wenn du arge Beschwerden haben solltest, kann ich auch empfehlen einen Hormonyogakurs zu besuchen.

Ich bedanke mich für euer Vertrauen und sende liebste Grüße

Mika

Yoga Teacher Training – yes or no?

September 17, 2019 by _femininebalance

Maybe it’s because I’m a yoga teacher myself, but over the past few years, I have met lots of people who have or are still considering yoga teacher training. To be more precise: people want to know if they should do a 200-hour course! Well – I can’t tell if someone should or shouldn’t do it, but I can share what to expect and my personal experience.

My way to a yoga teacher

My intention wasn’t to become a yoga teacher when I began travelling in Southeast Asia. Above all, I just wanted to explore, travel, and do some yoga. Secondly, I also had no idea how to become a teacher. So I went from one class to the next and, somehow, I found an advertisement about the program at “Shades of Yoga” in Bali. Firstly I had to fill out a form to apply for training. I actually thought that I’m not good enough yet to become a teacher and that they would never accept me for this 200-hour yoga teacher training.

After answering their questions, I wanted to find out how soon it started. I sent them the form, and two days later, I got an email saying that I had been accepted for the next course. At that time, I didn’t question it and booked everything around it, from accommodation to flights, etc.

That was around 5 years ago, and it is still one of the best decisions in my life.

My 4 weeks in Bali went by very quickly. The course was fun, challenging, and an amazing experience. I had to return to Germany afterwards, but so many things had changed in my life that I quit my job, returned to Bali, and then my real yoga journey started…

What a course looks like

But to come back to the course: naturally, I can only share my experience with you. A different school will provide a different schedule and content, which leads to a different experience. In these 4 weeks of training, we practised a lot of yoga asanas, but that was not all. The typical day started with a meditation at 7 am for around 30 minutes. After that we practised our asana (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques) until 9am and afterwards ate a delicious breakfast. From 10am until 12:30pm, it was time to study theory. In the course we learned about anatomy, yoga philosophy and teaching methodology.

At lunchtime, we had some free time and if needed, time to complete assignments (that’s like homework we had to hand in halfway through the course). In the afternoon, it was again time for more theory and practice. Every day was a little bit different, but we usually finished by 6pm. Generally, I went out for dinner or ordered in some food to eat in my little bungalow and started studying until around 9pm. It was a lot of new information, and there were many topics to review, study, or just to learn, such as Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the language used in yoga to name the yoga postures. You will also hear Sanskrit when going to a mantra chanting event.

By 9pm or 10pm at the latest, I was so tired and ready for a good night’s sleep. This went on from Monday until Saturday each week. Sunday was a day off which was much needed. During the last week of the course, we had our final exams, both theory and practical. Everyone had to teach a final yoga class and hand in all assignments. It was all very exciting and, after our final ceremony, we celebrated almost the whole night.

What I learned:

that my body is very capable of doing things I didn’t know were possible,
everything will pass, the good and the bad
to accept myself the way I am
that I can’t change the past, but I can live in the present moment
to trust and to love others
anatomical basics
overview of the history of yoga
the basics of chakras and meditation
correct alignment in yoga
…and so much more!

What to expect?

So, what should you expect? Be prepared to be physically and mentally challenged. Expect to dive deep and discover new things about yourself. Everyone is on their own journey, and I know many people for whom it was a life-changing experience.

Most importantly, you don’t need to be perfect in your yoga practice, but I do recommend you have some experience. Start your own practice and develop a routine. Make sure you’re in good and healthy condition, both physically and mentally.

Where to go for a YTTC?

Another big question: Where should you do the teacher training? Actually, it doesn’t matter which location you do it. Many people go to India, Bali, Thailand, or Sri Lanka – just to name a few. Above all, it is more important that you’re feeling good about the school and the teacher you choose. If possible, do a few classes with the headteacher of the school before you apply for the course. In case that’s not possible, check if they have classes on YouTube, for example, so that you can see if a specific style resonates with you.

What style to start with?

I would personally recommend starting with Hatha yoga teacher training. This will give you a broad overview and a great foundation. After that, you can decide if you want to delve deeper into a particular style. During the course, many people find out what they’re really drawn to and what their passion is. Maybe the Yin is calling you to slow down, or perhaps you want to go in the direction of Ashtanga, Kundalini or Vinyasa…you will find out!

Full-time or part-time?

Most schools offer the 200-hour course over four weeks, which is the perfect amount of time. You will also see ads for training in 21 or even 11(!!!) days. To clarify – anyone who can count should realise, that this is nearly impossible unless you want to practice 24/7. You need some time to let all this new knowledge sink in. In my course, a few people got sick during the first two weeks and missed out on a few classes. In the case you only had 11 days of training, it would be impossible to keep up with the workload.

Another option would be to do long-term training. I can’t speak from my own experience, but I know a few people who went down this route. Depending on the school, the lessons will be split into different modules over a few weekends, evening sessions, or weeks.

If you’re lucky enough to have 4 weeks available in a row, why not try doing it all in one run?!? You’re going to dive very deep into your practice. The courses with different modules spread over time are perfect for people who can’t stay away from their work or family for an extended amount of time.

YTTC at futurehippie

If you want to combine yoga teacher training with holidays, we would love to have you on one of our courses at futurehippie on beautiful Koh Samui, Thailand!

The next training course begins on March 23, 2020.

I hope that this gives you a bit of an overview of where and if you should enrol in a yoga teacher training program. Knowing you will learn a basic foundation can help you decide if you really want to start teaching yoga. It is a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend you do so.

For any other questions, just send me a message, and I’ll be happy to answer them.

Love & Light

Mika

Coaching at futurehippie

September 5, 2019 by _femininebalance

Nowadays, the suffering of depression and burnout is becoming far more common for people, even among those in their mid to late twenties. That’s one of the reasons why we offer coaching at futurehippie!

When I started working with my coach, the diagnosis was alarming – I was heading either for a burnout or a mild depression. I could choose the path I was walking down, so we started working on my issues.

Burnout as a Social Disease

Let’s start with burnout. There are two reasons I see as the cause of burnout. The first is the chasing of success, money, or appreciation. All of that often chased in the form of a career or running from project to project. We are always looking for the next challenge, attempting to feel like our goal of success is being achieved. The second reason is keeping constantly busy to fill an emptiness that we don’t want to face, or even worse, don’t want to feel.

At least, those were the reasons driving me, back in my days in the corporate world. I reached all of these “goals’’ and achieved what I thought was “success’’, though this career still didn’t fulfil me or meet my expectations of a healthy work environment.

Depression

The reasons for burnout are also the basis for the second issue – depression. If I’m not happy with my work or the way I’m living, it upsets me. In my case, it brought me slowly but steadily to a point where I questioned it all.

I was stuck in a cycle of earning money to buy things. To spend it in any way to reward myself for all the hard work I had done to earn it. But these rewards were not fulfilling me, just as my career was not.

As this often goes hand in hand, it’s necessary to get the full picture and see the coherences.

Now that’s the starting point of my coaching at futurehippie with guests. Through coaching, we have a look at their lives to identify their wishes and needs. The first important step is not only to notice that something feels wrong – that has usually happened weeks or months ago. It’s more important, to speak it out loud. When spoken, it’s in the world, and it has a right to be there.

Start your change with a coaching

One of the most impressive changes, I was lucky enough to participate in, was with a wonderful woman in her mid-thirties. She was successful in what she was doing, but with her long days at work, she was not really happy. And her private life did not really exist. She talked about her time-limited ability to offer yoga classes and share her love for yoga.

What did we find during our sessions? We found many reasons why it is “impossible” to change things such as security, money, and how others see her. We discussed dreams about the life she once wanted to live but decided to give up, to take the “the safe way” instead, and we discovered a lot of doubts, patterns and beliefs.

Nevertheless, the night after the first session, she started to change things. Step by step, she worked to get her life back. She took action and instantly, things changed, especially how people reacted to her. The best thing was how she won her smile and her vulnerability back.

It’s a Sign of Strength to Ask for a Helping Hand

I’m always impressed to see how coachees have the courage to start to change their lives after a coaching at futurehippie. Not only to say it but to realise that they themselves can change their lives. And I’m grateful to work with them in that stage of their life, to question views, share my own experiences and try to find alternatives for action. Maybe life coaching is a big word for that – but it’s nothing less than changing your own private and work-related life.

And it helps me realise how much I love what I’m doing – being a coach in our own retreat. When people leave us happy and with lots of new energy and ideas, it makes me proud that our idea is working out – giving people a home away from home and offering the support they need at this very moment.

If you want to find out more about my coaching have a look under

https://futurehippie.life/program/#coaching or https://coaches.xing.com/profile/Rayk_Barthels

If you want to know more about Gestalt have a look under

http://www.iggberlin.de

And one coach and podcast that really is particularly dear to me, you can find under http://curse.de/coaching/

Let’s start your life now!

Warm regards

Rayk

How my yoga journey started

August 27, 2019 by _femininebalance

I was not born hyper-flexible, super skinny or bendy. Neither did I have parents who forced me to have training as a ballet dancer or gymnast. I wish they had. 🙂

When we have kids or teens in the class these days, I become really jealous when I see what they can do with their bodies. The earlier we start with yoga, or any other bodywork, the easier it is. Developing flexibility, strength and focus is so much easier from a young age.

First contacts with yoga

My first contact with yoga was in a gym, in a small town, close to my hometown. I don’t remember all the details, I must have been around the age of 22, but I remember that I really liked the yoga teacher. She was a client in the hairdressing salon I used to work in. I still remember that I adored her for her positivity, her smile, her beauty, in fact, her whole presence. In those days yoga wasn’t really popular in the small towns of my region. When Frauke, my first yoga teacher, stopped teaching at the gym and I moved to another city shortly after, my yoga stopped for a while.

Yoga in Munich

One or two years later, I found myself living in Munich, working for a big cosmetics brand. Life was good. I had a very nice job, new friends. Every now and then I went to the gym or out for a run. In the back of my head, there must have been a little voice, a part of me, which was asking for more, for a ‘deeper sense’.

Yoga was already more popular in Munich, and I felt the call to go back to it. The first studio I went to, was a Jivamukti studio on Müllerstraße. This loft studio doesn’t exist anymore, unfortunately.

Jivamukti as one of my first steps

Anyway, Jivamukti is a quite spiritual, but also modern yoga style. The students in this studio were very different to those of my previous experience at the gym. I was scared, shy and excited all at the same time. In spite of not knowing that yoga isn’t about competition or being ‘good’ at it, I was completely hooked by the fact that they had different levels. Of course, I started as a beginner, but I couldn’t wait to step up to the next level.

Even though the practice of Jivamukti has a big spiritual approach, I was still more into the physical aspects. I never really understood why I should breathe in a certain way, or why I should lie down by the end of the class and do nothing. To be honest, I felt that those practices were a waste of time. Even worse for me was when a teacher started to chant. I remember thinking, many times, that I didn’t sign up for singing – I just wanted to move my body.

So I tried a few different studios, but my yoga practice wasn’t super serious. My focus was more on strength training or going for a run when I had some time off. In the 10 years that I worked for the cosmetics industry, I felt that my job had priority before everything else.

How the journey began

By the age of 31, I noticed how dissatisfied I was with my life. I knew that if I kept going the way I was currently living my life, that it wouldn’t have a happy ending. Tired and burnt out I asked the company for a sabbatical. I was offered a long, unpaid break for 6 months but with the security of having a job when I returned. I started to travel.

That’s a full story by itself, and I might write about it in another blog post but long story short: during my travels, I went from yoga studio to retreat, until I signed up for a yoga teacher training course. I honestly never had the intention to become a yoga teacher when I started travelling. I didn’t even know what opportunities there were or how to become one. Following the intense 6 months of travel and the 4 weeks of my first 200h training, my life had changed completely, and I just couldn’t go back to my previous job.

Well, it’s now almost 15 years since I set foot in my first yoga class and things have changed. 🙂 I‘m still not the biggest fan of hearing my own voice while chanting but I actually enjoy it now. My physical practice is more balanced than it was when I started, and I understand that I need both the physical and the spiritual or emotional aspects of yoga in my life. A powerful Vinyasa or Hatha class can lift up my energy, but I know it’s also important to relax and to wind down with a Yin Yoga or Restorative class. Meditation has also played an essential role in my life for the last few years.

Teacher training and its benefits

If you also feel the call to do a teacher training course, I can highly recommend that you do so. Maybe you don’t want to teach, that’s fine, doing it for yourself is a fantastic experience. It brings your practice to the next level and gives you a deeper understanding of yoga.

It is 5 years since I first qualified and I have completed numerous courses which deepened my practice and provided new insights each time. I have done a 200h Hatha/Vinyasa training course in Bali, 36 hours of Fly High Yoga training, a 100h myofascial Yin Yoga course, and a 300h training session in traditional Hatha Yoga in Rishikesh, India.

Futurehippie is quite time consuming, but I‘m sure I will do another training course one day to keep on learning. Meanwhile, I would like to introduce you to our style of yoga. Join us for a retreat or even dive deeper into one of our teacher training courses. It is my deep passion and desire to share my love of yoga and my practice with others.

Rayk and I look forward to welcome you.

With love from me to you

Mika

Free Yoga Community Samui

August 16, 2019 by _femininebalance

When I arrived on Koh Samui, I was surprised to learn that there was a “Free Yoga Community Samui”. My thought has always been that teachers should charge for yoga classes. I say this, because I believe that we should support each other, yoga teachers are often struggling to make a living through their teaching. It takes time and effort and money to plan a class and attend trainings, workshops, and certification courses. Many people spend a fortune on their yoga gear yet want to pay a low price for a class. It’s my feeling that good teachers should charge an appropriate price for their services, especially considering that class prices are easily affordable for many who practice.

At “Free Yoga Community Samui” I found a community involved in doing something good for others. A few participating yoga studios on the island offer one or two classes per week for free or by donation. People who can’t afford a regular class, especially Thai locals, can join the yoga classes and pay however much they can afford to give.

Donation

The donation goes to different projects to ensure that the money will be used in a wise manner. For example, one local boy who can’t afford his medication and suffers from strong seizures is being supported by the organization. From now on, donations will go to Eco Thailand.

Participating Studios

It is a great feeling to give back, and to give everyone the possibility to enjoy the practice of Yoga. These studios on the island are currently offering “Free Yoga Community Samui” classes:

The Yogarden, Fisherman’s Village
Fit Koh, Ban Tai
Anahata Resort, Lipa Noi
Vikasa, Chaweng
Yoga House & Spa, Lamai
Futurehippie, Taling Ngam

At Futurehippie, we offer a free class at 4:30pm every Friday afternoon. It is a gentle flow, suitable for all levels.

We’re looking forward to welcoming you.

Lots of love,

Mika

Things to do on Ko Samui

July 25, 2019 by _femininebalance

We have to admit we haven’t done all the fun things we planned to do when we came to Koh Samui. Right from the beginning we were busy with renovations and setting up our company. Sunday is now more or less our day off. Which means that we offer breakfast on Sunday mornings to our guests and once we clean up the kitchen, we do our weekly big shopping trip for groceries. Fruits and veggies we buy fresh from the market every few days but the big shopping trip is once a week.

The rest of Sunday is free. Sometimes we’re just super tired and don’t do anything but every now and then we can motivate ourselves to find something fun to do on Koh Samui.

Rayk and I are not the classical tourists and we will only recommend things we have done ourselves or that our guests enjoyed. There are still tour guides on the island who will offer animal abuse shows and farms, for example, elephant riding, tiger petting, snake shows, monkey shows, etc. Please do not support these events.

Support local animal shelter

If you’re interested in animals, you can go to the Samui E lephant S anctuary or one of the animal rescue centers, like Dog and Cat R escue Samui Foundation Ban Taling Ngam which is just around the corner from futurehippie. They appreciate help and are constantly looking for volunteers. Why not give back to the community on your holidays?

Tours on and around the island

If you still want to take a tour, we recommend you go with Secret Samui Tours. They offer vegan jeep safaris and will take you to the jungle, waterfalls, and temples. There’s a lot to see on Samui if you like this kind of activities.

I once joined our guests on a snorkeling trip with one of our friends who has a long-tail boat. Suni is a local fisherman, speaks fantastic English and can show you the five islands, Koh Madsun, and beautiful snorkeling destinations.

Koh Samui also has many beautiful places that you don’t want to miss. One such place is in Lamai. There is a great restaurant in Lamai that just upgraded their selections with a vegan menu. It is the perfect spot for lunch to enjoy an amazing view of Lamai.

Thailand is for sure the country to get a good massage or any other spa treatment. We really love to go to Cyan Spa in Fisherman’s Village. That’s quite far from futurehippie but if you want to cruise around the island anyway, we highly recommend you make a stopover there.

Renting a scooter is the easiest and most convenient way to explore the island.

If you want to stop for lunch or dinner, I recommend my favorite restaurants and cafés.

Favorites around the island

Funky Vege in Tong Kruk
Sweet Sisters in Tong Kruk
Pure Vegan Heaven in Lamai
Lamai Veggie in Lamai
The Yogarden in Fishermans Village
Elysia at Fisherman’s Village
The Road Less Traveled in Nathon
The Art Club in Nathon!!!
I-talay in Taling Ngam
and of course I love to eat at home at futurehippie café 🙂

These are my favorite vegan cafés in Koh Samui.

If you have seen enough on Samui, why not go island hopping for a day or two. Koh Phangan and Koh Tao are really close by and both are truly beautiful islands.

And one last recommendation: don’t load up your days with too many activities – enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.

Happy holidays

Mika

How is it to move abroad? Leaving Germany

July 10, 2019 by _femininebalance

Many people told me, and many still tell me, that they admire my decision to move abroad; that they, too, would love to do so as well. Well, actually moving abroad is quite easy. And the best advice I can give anyone is don’t overthink it. You‘ll find hundreds of reasons not to and they’re all right! It’s scary and you’ll have to give up your comfort zone to do so.

Make a list!

Why do you want to move and why do you want to stay? The first thing on my list was that I always wanted to be able to walk barefoot 10 out of 12 months of the year. Well, the decision was easy as that’s not possible in Germany. Then you need to ask yourself: How much value does that reason deserve? I’m sure that deep inside of you, you already know the answer.

Listen to Yourself

I moved abroad twice. At the first time, I must have known that I wouldn’t stay for long. The truth was hidden in my behavior. All things I bought were 90 percent second-hand and I was really avoiding collecting things again. I told myself that I was practicing Aparigraha–freedom from greed, the 5th Yama from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Anyway, once you make the decision, go for it! Don’t plan for too long, you’ll never be perfectly prepared anyway. You will make mistakes and learn from them. On that note, it will be to your benefit if you speak the local language. Having said this, I don’t speak Thai–yet!.

A few things to take care of:

Inform your bank that you are moving. Transactions can be complicated sometimes. I kept my German bank account in case I might need it in the future.
Cancel all unnecessary contracts – from your cellphone to memberships and everything in between.
- To avoid long cancelation times for contracts, notify the registry office of your departure.
If you do not have anybody who can check your mailbox, look for a provider like “E-Post” or “Getcaya” that will send you a notification should an important letter arrive
Sell as much as you can and store only the few things that are really important to you.
It’s very important to obtain health insurance before you start traveling.

If you have a lot of friends that you intend to stay close to, consider starting a blog, that way your friends and family are well informed about all the wonderful things you’re doing. It’s a great way to save memories and keep connections alive. If you’re a little more private, consider a diary to keep for yourself. As much your friends love you and no matter how many times they tell you that they all want to come to visit you, there’s one thing you need to know in advance, this mostly won’t happen. Their life goes on just as yours does. There’s no judgement to be made; just understand this and you won’t be too upset by it. Life can be awesome on the “other side” of the world but don’t expect it to be super easy. It’s just different. Maybe you’ll love it, maybe you won’t.

With love, Mika