My Yoga Journey
with Elma Panagaki
Published 17 April 2020
Elma Panagaki is a yoga teacher in Los Angeles, California. In this interview, she shares her yoga journey and motivation for practicing yoga.
What does yoga mean to you?Yoga is my life. It’s the path to exploring and becoming a better version of myself and sharing that journey with all the people I have the pleasure of coming across. Yoga is my greatest passion, rooted deep in my heart. It's everything from the morning meditation, to the asanas, to the smile of my students after Savasana.
When did you first start practicing yoga and why?When I was eighteen years old, I had my first flirt with yoga. I still remember the first yoga-class I attended back then. Gloating in the front row, I walked-in thinking it’s going to be very easy for me due to my flexibility and that it's just another physical exercise without any mental and spiritual benefits, something to just satisfy my hurt ego from having stopped ballet. Someone did a scorpion pose in there, and I was so intrigued, that I set a goal to focus on practicing yoga until I can master that pose myself. It was during that process and my continuous involvement with yoga that I came to realize it was so much more than just physical exercise. I felt I was changing inside, not thinking about and comparing myself to others, but rather focusing on fully connecting with my mind, body, and spirit through my practice.
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Yoga is a way of living... Daily we have a lot of stress and a great way to release it is through meditation and breath work. And it’s important to remember that even if you went to a yoga class and didn’t like it, give it another try. Maybe another yoga practice suits you better or the teacher wasn’t the best fit for you, or the timing wasn’t right.
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Were you ever resistant to learn yoga?I used to practice Vinyasa yoga and someone told me to try Ashtanga. I went to a class and I really hated it. I thought it was too much discipline for me and I continued my regular practice. I wasn’t able to understand why I couldn’t stop thinking about that class, since I didn’t like it. So I went again! And it was the right timing: I was way more focused on my breath, I felt ready inside for this challenge and I fell in love! Now I practice only Ashtanga and did one of my teacher trainings with Tim Miller.
Why should someone practice yoga? Yoga is a way of living and can help in many parts of our life. It’s a great way to exercise, to strengthen and stretch the body, and prevent or recover from injuries. Daily we have a lot of stress and a great way to release it is through meditation and breath work. And it’s important to remember that even if you went to a yoga class and didn’t like it, give it another try. Maybe another yoga practice suits you better or the teacher wasn’t the best fit for you, or the timing wasn’t right.
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What are your favourite asanas and why?I love all the inversions! But my favourite is scorpion. It’s challenging and, also, the very reason I went back for a second yoga class and continue practicing ever since to this very day!
Elma's yoga journey teaches us not to judge yoga by the first lesson, the first session, or the first teacher that you encounter. It may take time until you find the right practice, the right timing and the right teacher. Keep searching until you find the right fit. That's when the magic starts.
Visit Elma's website |
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