A tall, bright woman with a beautiful smile, Tori Nelson, talks about her path to yoga, her favorite asana, as well as her dreams and plans for life.
I have been dancing all my life, starting at an early age. I had to leave the dance activity in the 1st year of college, since there were no dance sections there. In the first year after graduating from university, I was looking for something other than dancing. The flow of movement, grace – it’s all so beautiful! I was looking for something similar, as a result of which I came to my first yoga class. Then I thought “Yoga is great” … but for some incomprehensible reason, I did not continue to practice.
Then, after about six months, I felt the desire to diversify my physical activity. For a long time I was engaged in rock climbing, I was very passionate about it. However, at some point I realized that I want something more for myself, for my body and soul. At that moment, I caught myself thinking, “How about giving yoga a second chance?”. So I did. Now I do yoga a couple of times a week, but I’m aiming for a more frequent and consistent practice.
I think that at this stage the headstand (Salamba Sisasana), although I did not expect that it would become a favorite pose. At first, it was very difficult for me. This is a powerful asana – it changes the way you look at familiar things and challenges you.
I don’t like the dove pose at all. I have a constant feeling that I’m doing it wrong. In the pigeon pose, I feel uncomfortable: some tightness, and the hips and knees do not want to take the position at all. This is somewhat frustrating for me, but I think that you just need to practice the asana.
Music is an important point. Strangely enough, I prefer to practice with pop music rather than acoustic. I can’t even explain why that is. By the way, I have never attended a class without music!
Interestingly, I found the practice of yoga as the best alternative to dancing. Yoga makes me feel like I’m dancing again. I like the feeling after class, the feeling of peace, harmony. As the instructor tells us before the lesson: .
Choose not so much a studio as a teacher. It is important to find “your teacher” with whom you will be most comfortable practicing, who can interest you in this vast world called “yoga”. For those who doubt whether to try or not: just go to one class, without committing yourself to anything, without setting expectations. From many you can hear: “Yoga is not for me, I’m not flexible enough.” I always say that yoga is not about throwing a leg around the neck and this is not at all what the instructors expect from you. Yoga is about being here and now, doing your best.
I would say that practice helps me become a much more courageous person. And not only on the carpet (), but in real life every day. I feel stronger, physically and mentally. I have become more confident in every aspect of my life.
By no means! To be honest, I didn’t even know such courses existed. When I started doing yoga, I had no idea where her teachers come from 🙂 But now, plunging into yoga more and more, the possibility of teaching courses becomes more interesting to me.
I found so much beauty and freedom in yoga that I really want to acquaint people with this world, to become their guide. What particularly fascinates me is the scope for the realization of female potential: beauty, care, tenderness, love – all the most beautiful that a woman can bring to this world. Being a yoga teacher in the future, I would like to convey to people how immense their possibilities are, which they can learn, including through yoga.
By then I plan to be an instructor! To be honest, I would love to be… a traveling yoga teacher. I’ve always had a dream of living in a mobile van. This idea was born back in the days of my passion for rock climbing. Van travel, rock climbing and yoga is what I would like to see in my future.