My yoga journey

Introduction

Hi, my name is Dana, and I hope you find something here that sparks your interest in yoga. Yoga
is a living practice with many facets, offering endless opportunities for understanding, growth, and
self-discovery. As a discipline, it is merely a gateway to exploring the deeper layers of life.

Beginning

My yoga journey, like most, was not linear or consistent. However, there were pivotal moments
that captured my heart and brought me closer to understanding the vast practice of yoga.
The first moment came when I was nine years old. I suffered from anxiety and digestive issues,
likely caused by the strict environment of my Soviet-era school. This resulted in sluggish digestion
and recurrent stomach pain. One day, while exploring my parents’ library, I stumbled upon a yoga
therapy book given to my father by a university friend. At the time, yoga was not well known in my
country-there were no classes, teachers, or online resources. Books were the only source of
knowledge.
This book contained chapters on common ailments and prescribed specific postures to alleviate
symptoms. I began practicing one particular asana called Bow pose (Dhanurasana) every morning
on an empty stomach. At first, I had to struggle to grab my feet behind my back and lift up, but
after just a few days, I noticed an improvement. Within a month, I was completely free of pain.
One might think this was the beginning of a dedicated yoga practice, but instead, my focus
shifted to track and field. I dreamed of becoming a sprinter and spent the next ten years training,
ultimately becoming the Ukrainian national champion in the100m hurdles.
The next pivotal moment arrived when I was 19, hiking in the Himalayas. The beauty and
magnetic energy of the mountains captivated me, and I fell in love with Nepal and its people. After
spending 14 days in the company of Sherpas, I was deeply moved by their joy and richness of
spirit despite having few material possessions. Their glowing souls and happy hearts inspired me,
and upon returning from the trip, I attended my first yoga class, eager to uncover the secrets of
this ancient practice.

Formation

For many years, I explored different yoga styles- from the physically demanding Ashtanga to the
slow, meditative Yin, where poses are held for up to three minutes. However, despite learning from
many teachers and trying various styles, I still struggled with self-practice.
The moment that profoundly and irreversibly changed me came during my teacher training course
when I was pregnant with my first daughter. During a meditation focused on healing the inner
child, I had a powerful insight that not only connected me to my own inner child but also to the
growing life inside me. For the first time, I experienced something from within-beyond shapes and
forms. This curiosity, sparked by direct experience, led me to study various movement disciplines
that deepened my understanding of the mind-body connection.
Today, the yoga style I offer is a fusion of multiple movement modalities, including Pilates, somatic
therapy, Yin yoga, and Chi Gong.
I truly believe yoga is for everyone who is curious about life and our role in it as humans. X