Erik and I head out of Malmö city with Erik’s mum and find ourselves in the cool waters of Southern Sweden.
Nature: we have a planet full of it, yet often don’t free ourselves to fully appreciate it.
Get amongst it people and slap your senses around!
Today I received an email from a yogi (lets call her cool cat) in Australia asking how my skin problem was going. You may remember my post, “Not all Roses” where I confessed my health was suffering. ‘Cool cat’ is suffering a similar outbreak of pimples and I’ve copied an extract from her email here:
“I have had the problem skin of a teenager for about a year now which is more than unfair as I’m a long way from actually being a teenager. I’ve been to a naturapath, GP, looked at my diet, used creams, you name it I’ve done it. I was talking to ‘cute puppy’ at yoga and she said that the only thing that improved her skin was to stop going to yoga. I had a morning class when I was so frustrated and devastated with having to look at my skin in the mirror for so long, that I decided that was it I was going to have to let yoga go.”
She goes on to say that after her Bikram Yoga class she checked out my blog which just happened to be “Not all Roses” and felt relieved she’s not the only one. BUT the problem still remains and we sure would like to get to the bottom of it! In fact I’ve heard the same story from a few yogis in my travels. I know we’re sweating out a lot of toxins during class, but when does it end?!
Speaking of bottoms, and I’m sorry if this is an “over-share” for some but why not get it out there for discussion. Soon after arriving in Malmö, I searched for “colonic hydrotherapy” as I’ve heard it can help with skin problems. Basicaly, colonic hydrotherapy helps clean the large intestine of toxin build up from all the preservatives in our food. I couldn’t find a clinic in Malmö so I took the train over the Öresund bridge to Colinic Denmark in Copenhagen.
Of course, I wont go into the nitty-gritty of what I saw floating down the clear tube during the treatment but it was an experience, I’ll tell you that!
So did it work and how many treatments did I receive?
My skin was noticeably clearer the next day. I only had one treatment. The staff said, “you will know if you need more”. I guess it’s a good thing they didn’t try to sign me up for multiple treatments and of course they cant guarantee success. However, the pimples are back although not quite as bad, so I guess that’s a clear enough answer.
My diet is quite healthy, I’ve given up coffee this month and trying to give up all dairy… but Erik is a cheese connoisseur (last block was a 6 year matured, local cheese from Skane) and it’s sooo tasty!
“You’re all talk when it comes to a back to back class Matt” says Emma from Dubai. Well finally…
With Mine Taylan (Bikram Yoga Malmo studio owner) and her husband, Joshua returning from advanced teacher training, I was eager to meet them for the first time and booked in for Mine’s Swedish 8am class on Sunday. Erik suggested I take Joshua’s at 10:30 since his was in English but I’d decided to take Mine’s first, as a mark of respect.
“Why don’t we do both then?” challenging Erik to back to back classes the next morning. Erik worked nights and planned a yoga free weekend so I was sure he would balk at a double. That would be a no! The more he mused, the more he liked the idea, “plus it would be a good welcome home to Mine and Joshua”, he offered.
Hot travel tip #2: Never challenge a Viking in jest!
Getting home at 1am in the morning we jumped online, booking Erik in to the 8am class. With only one place available for the 10:30, I strategically convinced Erik he should sign up (my escape clause) and I would try my luck on the day. We then fueled up: 2 beef steaks for Erik, 2 salmon fillets for me, both grazing over a mountainous Feta Salad before getting 5hrs shut eye.
I’d heard how good Mine’s classes were: rich, flowing, precise and even beautiful. I wasn’t disappointed, but of course I couldn’t understand a word of it! The Swedish dialogue bypassed consciousness and I was swept along one of my most relaxed, yet powerful classes to date. As we sculled coconut water and snacked on fruit after the first class, we convinced Gwendolyn to join us for the double. With Erik’s suggestion, we lined our mats together in the front row, and moved as one, synchronizing our movements in and out of the postures throughout the second class. I’ve never thought to do this before but you can definitely feel the combined energy when you flow together.
Joshua’s class was up there with the best and it’s hard to believe he’s only been teaching since Spring 2008 training. His international English flavoured the dialogue with trusted knowledge and good humour, although by camel pose my lump was in the wrong place and I slowed a little before the final savasana, bathing in the sweat bath that remained around our mats. Yeah.. ewgh!
Did I receive the energy that’s proclaimed after a double? I’m not quite sure what I felt. As we rode home, I was neither electrified or exhausted, perhaps hovering somewhere in between. We (read Erik) did however have the energy to whip up a huge shrimp pasta with a couple of traditional Swedish shrimp sandwiches for good measure. Would I do a back to back again? You betchya, the food rocked!
Half year progress pics are up, if you can call them that!
There’s been talk of late that I just haven’t been putting my ass into it! To be honest, there have been a few days, like today actually, where my tiara falls off mid class, shattering on the wooden floor, along with my will, stamina and determination, leaving me dog paddling in a bath of sweat, through the remaining floor series. It was getting me down for a while, but today I just laughed along with it, taking it easy for few and putting the big ones in, the next.
But amongst the blues, I had my best class (in like, forever) on Sunday: an 8am session guided by Allison Wong Toi, a Bikram teacher hailing all the way from New Zealand! Allison teaches with just the right mix of strength & grace, spiking her dialogue with energetic inflections when her flock stray. Before class, Allison greets, relaxes and stimulates us in a gentle apéritif, fortifying us for the class ahead, which I’ve found unique to Bikram Yoga Malmo, Sweden. And yes Allison, your classes feel hotter than the others!
In the photo, Erik looks on with a mixture of disgust and facination as Allison and I devour more vegemite and cheese toasties than the confused Swedish toaster could throw at us! Mmm, if it wasn’t for the absence of flowering pandanus trees and ocean breeze, I could have closed my eyes and drifted on that lovely, pungent, vegemite smell, all the way home.
Ah tis good to be back and thanks to my good friend, Nickelass’s comments: “PUT YO ASS INTO IT MATT!! …and stop slacking” I blow the accumulating dust off my pencil (laying patiently in Savasana), and put the little fella back to work.
So where have I been? Simply, satisfyingly and selfishly, taking time out. Not from yoga, in fact I’ve added another flavour, to the cone of contention: should I practice another form of yoga, would I hinder or help my progress, silence or serve the critics and throw the essence of my trip in question? Well, who freakin cares! I was curious, wanted it, needed it. So when Erik asked me if I’d like to practice some Yin Yoga with him, I bent at the chance. I feel I’ve plateaued in some ways and I think the intense, deep, long and somewhat relaxing stretching of the Yin, may just be what I need, at this blunt end in time.
Who’s this Erik guy anyway? I met Erik Persson (yogi & drummer for SUMA) at Bikram Yoga Kozpont, Budapest in May. He was visiting from Sweden for 3 days to celebrate his girlfriends birthday and just happened to pop in for a quick class (yep addicted). We exchanged emails and a month later he invited me to camp at his place during my Malmo stint while his girl was away. Funny how the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle journey, find and claim their place, as if my challenge has already been captured, cut and jumbled in a box: 30 pieces a month - find their rightful home and claim your destiny.
But tell us about Malmo, what have you been doing? I took up Clara Star’s (yogi, musician/producer) offer to look after her apartment (+ two cats) overlooking Folkets (Peoples) Park for the first week. I chilled out, swam in the ocean (my watery heaven), practiced Yin Yoga in the park, (usually before a Bikram class) and explored the paved and cobble stone ways & means: the arteries joining the large, open squares to parks to people, in this relaxed but proud capital of Skane County, situated a 35 minute train ride over the Oresunde from Copenhagen, Denmark.
I expressed my intention to unwind this month and I’m well on the way; creating and allowing space, tending to the body and the morsels of the mind - reuniting the yin and yang.
Erik and SUMA are touring Europe July/August 2009: check tour dates and tunes.
Clara Star is also performing: check out dates and tunes.
Around the globe in 9360 bends? 26 postures a day for 30 days in 12 different countries over 12 months - The journey starts Jan 09. Subscribe and follow the action!
In Las Vegas, USA! Check out Matt's journey by RSS or by the google map!
My latest videos on Vimeo:
Check out all posts with video.
About a zillion awesome photos of the trip so far can be found on Flickr.
Looking for a Bikram Yoga class in your neck of the woods? Check out the worldwide locations map »
I use Juice Plus & highly recommend it. If you need a Juice boost get your mitts on it here.