top of page
Search

How Yoga completely changed my life

selinaclement

Yoga for me has been a path peeling myself out of the protective shell that I created around myself - too afraid to be seen for who I am. I am so grateful for this path as it freed me beyond anything else.


Serenity Residence on Koh Phangan

Hi Beloved Readers,

I write this Blog Post as some really amazing changes are happening in my life. It feels like coming full circle as my entire Yoga journey started 17 Years ago on Koh Phangan, Thailand and now I will start to reach Yoga Teacher Trainings in the exact place where I have done my first Yoga TTC - at Serenity Residence.


"...most of my life I had stayed in the safe “lagoon”within my comfort zone to afraid to dare what my heart truly longed for."



Koh Phangan, the island that completely changed my life


Koh Phangan holds a very special energy for me as my entire yoga journey is somehow connected to this island. In 2002 we did a family trip through Thailand and ended up spending the last 10 days on a secluded beach of Koh Phangan. The resort offered yoga classes and as my Mum was practicing yoga already for some years she asked me one morning to join her. As there was not much else to do, I joined. The wooden yoga platform was surrounded by jungle, overlooking the lush green plants and almost at the same height as the palm trees. There were birds singing and a fresh breeze caressing our skin as we were practicing Yoga. After my first yoga class at the age of 16 I felt like reborn. My body felt expanded and my mind so much calmer and more present with nature, myself and all life around. I was in love with yoga.

On the beach I met an other yoga teacher who told me about the OM and Sanskrit language, I went to meditation classes and enjoyed myself so much in this holiday – I didn't want to leave anymore. The end of this trip came, goodbyes were hard but as soon as I was back in Switzerland I looked for yoga classes and bought a book about Sanskrit language.


Years passed and my yoga practice was on and off due to studies, work and a lack of discipline I guess ;) But as I started to work as an Interior Architect and Designer and worked usually for 9-10h a day plus 2h of travel time to work – I decided this can not be it. “Is this all my life has to offer, to stare into a computer for 10h a day in a grey and rainy country???” That was a really challenging time for me, I got depressed and cried at work behind my screen.

As I didn't want to turn 30 being depressed and not doing what felt right, I decided to quit my job and take as long as my money would last to travel and do only the things in life I love and the things I didn't dare to do as I thought I`m not good enough. On my list was yoga, dancing, singing and spending time in warm, sunny countries.

My yoga teacher from back home recommended me a teacher who, by my delight, was part of a TTC in Koh Phangan in Thailand! After 13 years I finally returned to the island where I fell in love with yoga for the first time - I had no idea that this journey would completely change my life. The Jivani Yoga training took place at Serenity residence a beautiful retreat directly by the ocean. There was a little private beach with a safe shallow lagoon followed by a reef that then would open into the deeper ocean. The training was 6 weeks long and so profound and transforming for me. During the entire training I mostly swam in the little lagoon of the private beach, it was beautiful, calm and safe - just like the life I lived in Switzerland, very much in my comfort zone. As the training came to an end my entire being wanted to stay and explore this path of me more, knowing that a huge process was started and a door opened into the complete unknown.

The day after the end of the TTC I decided to swim out in the ocean. I climbed over the sharp reef and cut my feet and belly open and finally arrived in the deep ocean. The waves were stronger, the coral more colourful, the fish bigger and I had a realisation - most of my life I had stayed in the safe “lagoon”within my comfort zone to afraid to dare what my heart truly longed for. And now in this training and parallel in my life I climbed over a sharp reef, cut myself open, yes it hurt but I continued as I felt there was something more without having the words for what that more would be. The unknown, the vast deep sea where I needed to learn to swim again and become stronger but this unknown ocean of life gifted me with depth and a sense of love and gratitude for life beyond anything I ever experienced before.

I`m for ever grateful to all the teachers and friends that guided me on this journey and still do, who helped me up when I was on the ground, who thought me how to swim in the deep ocean and who empowered me to trust in myself and the guidance of my heart.

Now, I`m very humbled that I will be able to support other people on their own journey in exactly the place where it all started for me. In our The Spirit of Yoga 200h teacher Training that will take place in June/July and October/November 2019. I look forward to meeting inspired people and spending an intense 5 weeks together leaving the safe lagoon and exploring the depth of the ocean together.


With love,

Selina

69 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


​© 2022 by Selina Clément, Yoga of Life

bottom of page