One of the questions that almost always comes up in my yoga-related conversations, and also in my recent interview 😉 – is “what’s your favourite studio?”

I can’t answer that, not because I don’t want to give it away, but because I have many favourites! I need a different setting, teacher or style depending on my mood and physical state.

So on my first Saturday home after my holidays, I knew I needed something to truly feel home. That invariably includes (1) my best friends and (2) yoga practice that kicks my ass while still giving me good vibes. That’s why I took my girls and returned to Yogalives for some of Olive’s vinyasa magic before she headed off on her well-deserved holiday.

Olive mentioned from the start that we’d focus on backbends but in hindsight I must say it had a bit of everything, maybe just some more concentrated backbends in the last part of the class. After some warm-up variations of the sun salutations we practiced the crow pose on the back. I kinda always know what comes afterwards: “well if you can do it on the back, you can also do it standing”. Always so easily said than done =))

Some crow attempts later we resumed to standing poses, flowing from warriors to reverse half moons to downward facing dogs. As we were clenching our teeth and wondering why in the world we didn’t directly go to Saturday brunch, Olive released the tension with her usual lightness: “this too shall pass”, “if you think about it, it’s Saturday, you’re well, strong, healthy… and even a little bit HAPPY” =)

As we focused on some backbends – camels, bridges, wheels – I heard one of the best advice in a while: “try not to be so goal oriented!“

Olive confessed she is also struggling with that every day, and I think lots of us can relate. Her advice made me indeed fantasize about giving up the elusive search for perfection, and realize how difficult it is! But hey, one step at a time…

The step of going to class on Saturday, and embracing the good, bad and the ugly of my practice was a great step ahead 🙂

And even better with such inspiring guidance, and with my friends as fellow yogis! After class I felt I had arrived back home ♥