Meditation in motion

A studio in Ekamai introduces Kripalu yoga

Preenun Nana teaches several classes a week at Soulmade Yoga and Tearoom, a friendly yoga studio that greets those who enters its doors with the refreshing aroma of herbal tea.

The dining area downstairs offers a good selection of healthy vegetarian dishes while upstairs is the airy studio, its walls and floor covered with rustic-looking wood.

The soft-spoken Preenun runs her small space by herself, confiding that opening her own studio is the fulfilment of a long-held dream. "As we are located in the city, it's important to learn how to generate the energy for people who come to the studio. That's why I spent a lot of time creating this place. Interestingly, when I come in here, I also get good energy from the place myself," she says.

She sits down and talks about her yoga journey, explaining that her passion was sparked by two teachers - Hillary and Susan -who she met in Bangkok several years ago.

"I am very grateful to my teachers as they showed me the true beauty of yoga and gave me both positive energy and inspiration. They made me understand that yoga is not about great yet challenging postures, but that it has a lot of other charming aspects to offer to life."

Preenun suffers from back problems - the result of an accident - and is thus unable to do some yoga postures of yoga. Her two teachers, she says, led her to focus on the 'state of being' in the postures, guidance that she found invaluable.

"I read a quote by a yoga teacher that said 'yoga is how you feel, not how you look'. That sums up what I want people to understand about yoga. Yoga is comprised of many more aspects than just doing postures. Postures are only one part but most people today give them very high importance."

Preenun recalls the day she walked into a bookstore and found "Kripalu Yoga: A Guide to Practice On and Off the Mat" by Richard Faulds. Initially sceptical about apparently yet another new yoga style, she was nonetheless intrigued by the concept of doing yoga "on and off the mat".

Kripalu yoga, known as the "yoga of consciousness", focuses on the inner wisdom of each practitioner. The practice of Kripalu yoga is about moving toward internal experience and meditative awareness. Preenun looked deeper into the subject and believed this was the right path for her. Soon after, she travelled to Kripalu School of Yoga in Massachusetts for training as a yoga instructor.

Kripalu Yoga is comprised of three stages, explains Preenun. The first stage is to practice yoga postures with a focus on detailed anatomical alignment while cultivating body and mind awareness. Stage two is about prolonging the holding of the posture and drawing your attention inwards. As the practice deepens, postures emerge from a meditative state of consciousness, spontaneously and effortless with inwardly directed attention, so the last stage can be described as "meditation in motion".

"To me, it's the real transformation from the deep inside, a stimulation of inner growth. Through yoga, we all can learn from the emotions and sensations inside us, and confront them through the practice."

The goal of Kripalu Yoga at Soulmade Yoga and Tearoom, then, is not to see how much you can bend, but to develop a healthy body, an open heart and a blissful and peaceful mind. The journey is the primary focus here, not the destination.

OPEN HEART, PEACEFUL MIND

Soulmade Yoga and Tearoom is located at 40 Ekamai Soi 12. It's open daily from 9am to 8pm. Call (02) 381 4645.