गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णु र्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः गुरु साक्षात परब्रह्मा तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः
Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru devo Maheshwara
Guru sakshat, param Brahma, tasmai shri guravay namah
Here you can listen how the Guru Mantra is pronounced
– provided by Manorama
“I am grateful”
Is something we might often say. When we are given a gift, when people are kind to us, when our friends express their love for us, when they do something for us, when we suddenly become aware how lucky we are to be healthy and alive
BUT
What do we mean, when we say “I am grateful”?
How does it make us feel?
I realize, that when I say ” I am grateful”, I often feel that I owe something to someone, or that I am in debt, or that I have to give something in return.To sum it up; I always feel a bit guilty. But why?
I realize this takes the JOY away.
I ask: How about I look at it differently?
Instead I could try to simply feel gratitude, be grateful in a joyful way. Let gratefulness spread inside of me with a smile on my face and a soft sensation around my heart. This might open up another sensation in my heart: humility.
Here is the story, why I started thinking about gratitude today:
Recently I got many beautiful feedbacks from yogis and yoginis who practice with me. They all wrote amazing reviews for my new webpage about my classes and my teaching skills . Some of those texts made me cry. I couldn’t believe that, what and how I teach has this impact and leaves these traces. I remembered a lesson I learned from my teachers: “Always trust your students, acknowledge their wisdom, allow them to explore their full potential.”
Yes: I am simply the facilitator for their wisdom and knowledge to surface. And that is exactly what they express with their feedback. They let me know about their wisdom and light! They share their love and their wisdom.
Understanding this, puts a smile on my face. This is where JOY comes in. This is when I can suddenly drop all sensation of guilt or “being in debt” or having to give something in return. I am giving by honoring my friends. And what better way is there than to continue sharing the Yoga teachings with them? And letting them know, I love them.
In honoring their gratitude towards me, I express my gratitude and my respect for them.
What it teaches me furthermore is HUMILITY: As I allow myself to live and be my true nature, my true essence – I understand that it is not “me” who is the “doer” – I am the messenger. All that I do and say – my actions, my teachings- is out there in the universe. It is available for everyone . It is the truth, the knowledge, that never changes. I am simply receiving it . I am a channel and can transmit the teachings. They are not mine nor yours, they are universal and accessible for everyone.
That is a beginning to understand humility. And if I understand that – I can simply be happy and grateful. No more shades of guilt or debt.
Simply JOY. and by being joyful I am grateful and I honor everyone who is practicing with me.
To honor my friends who wrote these beautiful words about me, I shall offer their words here and post them all here for you to read.
Scroll down to read all the testimonials from my friends
“After Yoga with AnnFée you will feel a deep inner peace, your body will feel strong, invigorated and more fluid, and you will walk through your day with a smile on your lips, positive and confident. Her yoga classes are smooth, demanding and gentle at the same time, because she understands both the body and the soul, and understands that in many ways they are one and the same.” Gretta Fenner
“Anne-Sophie has an intuitive understanding of movement that cannot be taught, and an authentic connection to Spirit that cannot be faked. Her class is medicine on all levels- renewing and revitalizing in all the ways that matter. I cannot recommend her class more highly.” Mahima Marion Jackson Jivamukti Yoga Teacher N.Y.
“Anne Sophie inspired me to start my yoga journey with her calm, motivating teaching style and always interesting classes. Very grateful, it has changed my life!” Monica Guy
Anne-Sophie has been my teacher and spiritual guide for several years already. I love her practice, especially the vinyasa flows driven by both her precise instructions and excellent music. Additionally, she is progressing her practice continuously so combined with her high spirits and good humour it’s always fun! Go on, Ann-Sophie, and Namaste! Thomas
„Anne-Sophie‘s classes are a delight for my mind, body and soul. I especially love the meditations she sometimes guides us through at the end of class. I always leave refreshed and happy.“ Noemi
“Anne-Sophie is a gifted Yoga teacher, she can sense your needs – physically and spiritually/ very well and guide you easily through her challenging, yet inspiring sessions. She has a deep understanding of the most inspiring techniques and teaches them extremely well, in a calm yet motivating way. I would never have thought of doing Yoga myself, but through her inspiration and guidance, I took this huge first step! Thanks Anne-Sophie!” Guido
Anne-Sophie, I would like to thank you for taking me and a few colleagues under your wing. The weekly Yoga sessions that we have done for what is almost a full year now, have helped me improve on my flexibility and core strength tremendously. This frankly at a point where I wasn’t sure there is still much to be done (50+) on the flexibility part ! I think you are a fantastic teacher, not only showing but always paying attention to your students, correcting but also encouraging them ! Thank you ! Beat Monnerat
“I have cherished Anne-Sophie already as a modern dance teacher and I equally adore her as a yoga teacher. My personal experience is that her lessons are uplifting, inspirational and always leave you in a blissful happiness for the rest of the day. Her teaching style and personality are so positive and life-affirming – it’s a blessing!“ Damina Balmer
“ Anne-Sophie’s Yoga classes are like a box of chocolate! Full of surprises and never the same! I love how she guides through the asanas – with a steady breath count – creating a flowing rhythm” Michelle A. from Z.
“Anne-Sophie versteht es mit ihrer einfühlsamen Art, einen da abzuholen, wo man gerade ist. Nach der Stunde fühle ich mich immer zufriedener, aufgeräumter und das Herz ist offener als davor.” Sue
“Anne– Sophies Yoga Stunden sind für mich geleitet durch ihre Passion für eine universelle Yoga Praxis. Ihr Herz mit welchem sie durch und durch Yoga lebt und es so auch im Unterricht transportiert. In ihren Stunden schafft sie es mich zum Fliessen zu bringen, den Kopf aus zu schalten und dem Herz und Seele zu lauschen. Ich schätze ihre Erfahrung und ihre langjährige Yoga Praxis auch bei Fragen zum Alignment einzelner Asanas. Sie sieht den Prozess der Teilnehmenden in den Klassen und gibt durch Tipps wirksame Impulse, um die eigene Praxis weiter zu vertiefen. Das Zusammenspiel von Asana, Pranayama, Meditation und Tiefenentspannung finde ich in Anne- Sophies Klassen wieder. Sie sind tragend und orientieren sich an der Yoga Tradition was ich sehr schätze.“ Jasmin Pariyar
„Die Yoga Stunden mit Anne-Sophie sind eine Wohltat für Körper und Geist. Ich freue mich immer darauf und fühle mich danach gestärkt für den Alltag. Die Stunde ist abwechslungsreich und sehr gut strukturiert, möchte es nicht mehr missen. Vielen Dank Anne-Sophie, Namasté.“ Christine
„Ich bin Yoga Anfängerin und in Anne Sophies Lektionen habe ich gelernt, mich zu fordern ohne überfordert zu werden. Ich habe Yoga lieben gelernt und bei Anne Sophie bekomme ich die individuelle Unterstützung und die Zeit, die ich brauche. Sehr zu empfehlen !“ Simone
„Anne-Sophies Montagsmorgen Yoga ist der perfekte Start in die neue Woche: Wohltuendes, fliessendes und äusser- und innerlich stärkendes Yoga mit passender playlist! HerzDank und sehr empfehlenswert.“ Jasmina
“Anne-Sophie ist eine fantastische Lehrerin und auch ein sehr herzlicher Mensch (was meiner Meinung nach wichtig ist, wenn man jemandem zuhört, der eine Stunde lang oder länger auf einen einredet). Ihre Anweisungen sind klar und präzise, so dass man nicht ständig aufschauen muss, um zu prüfen, ob man das Richtige tut. Was ich besonders an Anne-Sophie schätze ist, dass sie sehr aufmerksam ist und immer wieder prüft, ob man sich richtig positioniert. Sie gibt einem dann sehr konstruktive und hilfreiche Verbesserungsvorschläge oder auch alternative Posen, die man einnehmen kann. Ich finde, dass ich dank Anne-Sophie in meiner Yoga Praxis Fortschritte machen konnte. Ihre Klassen sind für alle Stufen, und obwohl es manchmal richtig streng wird und man herausgefordert wird, ist man nach der Lektion trotzdem total entspannt. Ich freue mich jeden Montag beim Online Live-Streaming mit dabei zu sein, denn so fängt mein Tag, ja sogar meine Woche, mit viel Positivität, Licht und Harmonie an.” Gabriela
If you are interested in more thoughts about GRATITUDE, I can recommend to read the following article on the Jivamukti Yoga Website ON GRATITUDE
