The yogi: Elouise Lakshya Erlings
The pose: One-legged King Pigeon Pose (aka Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
The benefits:
This seated pose gives you an intense back bend and does wonders for flexibility – it stretches the entire body including the deep hip flexors, plus it strengthens your back muscles and stimulates your abs. It is advisable to warm up your body before moving into the King Pigeon posture. On a mental level, it helps to open your heart and invites positivity into your life.
About the yogi:
Elouise is a Hatha Yoga instructor who also teaches Vedanta and Sanskrit. “Initially I started yoga as a hobby when I lived in Montreal – it helped me get through the dark winters. But then, in 2009, after a tough year I started questioning my source of happiness, and that led me to India where I found answers.” Elouise spent three years at a study institute called Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Coimbatore. “It was an amazingly transformative time. I attended daily Vedanta classes, Sanskrit, Vedic chanting and temple pujas (rituals). The schedule was intense, from 5am until 9pm and meant I was completely submerged into the vast Vedic culture. I learned many valuable lessons including how to be comfortable with myself. On this inner journey, painful things from the subconscious can bubble up, especially when there aren’t many distractions around. Learning how to recognise and let them pass was a great challenge.” For this Dutch, vegetarian yogi the most enjoyable part was spending time with her 83-year-old teacher and guru. “We lived with him in the ashram and it was just such a blessing being in his company and learning under him every day.” Elouise admits that one of the greatest things about being on a yogic path is the new people she meets. “I have met so many yogis who inspire me, just by their presence.” She is also passionate about organic food and loves making natural beauty remedies including her own shampoo, deodorant, body lotion and lip balm. “I think it’s so important to live with awareness about what we consume and I try to live as closely to nature as possible.” When times get tough, Elouise de-stresses by chanting mantras, taking a dip in the ocean and reminding her self that while you can’t control everything around you, controlling your actions and decisions is possible. “Rather than swim upstream, I try to go along with the flow and let it take me. In essence, this is surrender”.
Elouise’s Yoga & Ayurveda Retreat in India is from July 5-11.
For more information go to www.lakshyayoga.com
