Imagine: inhaling and exhaling your yoga postures in a private rooftop, surrounded by plants and massive tall trees that make Cairo’s Ma’adi so special. I am very excited to be offering these afternoon classes in Ma’adi. It’s a small program in Ramadan, just 3x a week, but also a great pairing with the busy season. We’ll be having class Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 3:30pm to 5:00pm, finishing just in time to enjoy the energizing as well as calming benefits during Ramadan.
The rest of the sessions will be Mysore style self-practice, which is the traditional way ashtanga yoga is taught, giving students space to practice silently, connecting with the body. For experienced students with an established practice, instruction is as needed, with an emphasis on verbal cues and hands-on assists supporting the best alignment for you as well as deepening the posture. For new students, instruction is given to help establish the foundational sequence so that students can really learn the sequence the best way for them. This style of teaching pairs so beautifully with the spirit of Ramadan, which is both a solo and communal journey to connecting with our highest purpose.
We are offering two packages: the full program with 12 classes at 3800LE or the option to drop in at 500. We will be opening the Ramadan sessions on the second day, Sunday, March 2 with a gentle guided ashtanga class, offering short cuts and modifications for those settling into their fast and a full led primary on day 12, our last Ramadan session. (More led classes are available at Nūn Center on Fridays at 3pm).
Reservations is a must as spaces are limited. Please message to reserve your spot.
We’re getting ready for Ramadan here in Cairo and I can’t emphasize enough how this sacred month is my favorite time of the year to teach ashtanga yoga. My first Ramadan in Egypt was in 2016, it was summer then and my intention to teach for two months extended into this holy season; little did I know that it would make such a deep impression on me that I find myself excited to fast, practice, pray, teach and enjoy the collective journey that happens when one consciously decides to observe Ramadan. While I am not Muslim, I love the sense of quiet that descends upon this massive city, how the frenetic all-directions energy of Cairo seems to settle into one stream, schedules synch up, and we dive into nourishing the most important connections in our lives.
Tomorrow, Friday, February 21, a week before Ramadan starts, I am holding a special free class at Nūn Center, open to all for free. It will be an exploration on how yoga techniques, like ashtanga yoga, can help deepen our connections to our body and spirit, which can also enrich our connections with our community, family and world at large. Whether you plan to study ashtanga yoga or not, I believe it can be helpful to practice basic breathing and movements that we will look at.
Yoga Cairo’s Nūn traditional ashtanga program will continue in the mornings Monday to Thursday with Friday led classes happening in the afternoon at 3pm at the Nūn Center garden.
Exciting news is that I will also be teaching in Ma’adi, 3x a week: Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 3:30-5pm during the whole month of Ramadan on a lovely private rooftop in Sakanat El Maadi. Message for more information. Hope to see you either in Zamalek or in Maadi!
On my recent trip to the Philippines, I went home to the island where I first learned yoga. There, I found myself retracing steps to the Mandala Spa shala, practice space, where my yoga journey began. I practiced with members of my first yoga community, who like me are now older and wiser. It’s wild to go back, to see where I came from, to feel giddy with nostalgia, but to also note that the yoga practice wasn’t the star of any of our lives anymore, but rather an integral support. In fact, we barely spoke of yoga when we were together, through somehow the values of yoga and connection seemed ever present. To be among people with whom yoga is a given, like waking up in the morning, like washing your face, or taking breakfast, it was truly so nourishing to just be in this energy.
In the years that I’ve been teaching a traditional ashtanga yoga mysore program in Cairo, the start of the year is always a good chance to remind new students of the endless potential of starting a regular yoga practice. It’s easy to sell “change” when everyone seems to want to change–at least that’s what we say in the new year. And while there’s value to this tactic, I wish I could sell new students on that which is changeless instead. What remains when we’ve gone through the wheels of transformation? This is yoga too, maybe more so. Not the changes but, more importantly, what doesn’t change. Who we are, our core values, the people and the things that are important to us– these become enhanced through yoga practice.
Either way, change or no change, best to approach any endeavor without expectation. Practice for the sake of practice. So here’s my invitation: come to class, be curious about it, about you in it, and see. Have the tenacity to let it all happen. Most times, the growing can be quite striking, especially in the beginning. Over time, changes become more subtle, yet more profound. At nearly 20 years of yoga practice, I still find myself surprised by it, where it takes me. Let’s be surprised together!
Yoga Cairo’s Mysore Program at Nūn Center resumes on February 11, 2025. Our regular program schedule is 7:30-10:30am (two batches 7:30/8am and 9am) Monday to Thursday with Friday Led Class at the garden 9am sharp. See you soon! DM to book your spot!
Some places like Lebanon simply call, it tugs at the heart until the only thing left to do is to answer…
On July 15 to July 31, I will be teaching an Ashtanga Yoga Intensive Workshop in one of my favorite places: Beirut, Lebanon! It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 5 years since my first and last trip to Lebanon, which was to teach at Yoga Souk Beirut. I was 5 months pregnant at the time and happy to be invited to a community that not only welcomed me as a visiting teacher, but my baby bump too. So much has happened, too numerous to list, but what can’t be clearer is how much growth happens when you are put through the fire, when you are literally put through the turning wheels of time. I have watched from afar how this community has grown and evolved and it has always been so close to my heart, I am so excited to reconnect and be a part of a new chapter together.
The Mysore program is open to all levels of practitioners, we are accepting beginners as well, so don’t be shy if you’re new to the practice. We’ll be diving into the rich tradition of Ashtanga Yoga through Mysore-style self-practice Monday to Friday, Led Classes on Saturdays, followed by Conference (a yoga talk and Q&A). I’ll also be offering a Backbending Workshop, details TBA. Again, all levels are welcome as we will be working heart opening postures from the ground up. So if you can stand, you can join!
To book with us, contact welcome@yogasoukbeirut.com
“Parampara” is a term in Sanskrit that describes the succession of knowledge, which is passed down from teacher to student. It is a legacy of learning and, also, what makes the ashtanga yoga tradition interesting and alive. The lessons and method is passed down live from one teacher to the next, and while each student processes and distills this learning in his or her own way, the essence of the teaching is also persevered and treasured and practiced.
I knew I wanted to go Mysore, India, to the source of ashtanga yoga because all the teachers who I had studied with had gone there themselves to learn. Without realizing it, I was a part of the parampara. On my first trip in 2010, I understood what it meant to have a teacher as well as what it meant to be a student. And, now, my students, especially those who are now teaching are also a part of this lineage whether they know it or not, because many of my own important yoga lessons, which I share, have come from teachers who are connected to this very source.
Even in my absence, the teaching will continue because the knowledge of yoga is alive and well in all those who have practiced with me. Many mysore programs around the world cultivate the interests of students who are keen to learn, who have shown a great love and dedication to the practice. When we train assistants, we teach the way we ourselves were taught, and that parampara is a seed that grows in each person.
I could not be more content knowing that I am leaving the mysore program in the hands of those who deeply love it, who are a part of our community, who have grown from it, and who respect the process in which yoga transformation readily happens. I wanted to take a moment to introduce our assistants who will be taking over the program while I am in India. Each are already teachers in their own right and I have myself become a better teacher from the insights that they have brought into the space the year and a half that they have been assisting.
Marwa Saleh first discovered yoga 10 years ago, but started to become a dedicated ashtanga practitioner when she started to practice at Mysore Zamalek at Nūn Center in 2018. From her yoga journey, she has learned to respect and appreciate the here and now, especially with the world changing inside and out. Her yoga philosophy: Yoga is one of the many ways to touch your inner wisdom, to rediscover what you already know in your essence.
Marwa Osman has been practicing yoga for 6 years, and has been studying with us in Mysore Zamalek for the last 4 years. Her yoga philosophy is: “Surrender!” Among her favorite yoga lessons is how to practice non-attachment, that by putting in the effort with no attachment to the results we are able to access a greater freedom of being.
Yasmine Seoud has been practicing yoga since 2017 and started practicing with me at Mysore Zamalek in 2019. Yoga has taught Yasmine to be more present and has enabled her to listen to her inner voice. Yoga is about learning the balance of holding on and letting go, on and off the mat.
As a teacher, I could not be more joyful to see students grow and to see students grow to become good teachers themselves. I could go on and add to their bios, and sing their praises, because I am really proud of them, but I think its only fair that you discover the wonderful assistance, teaching and thoughtfulness that these three women will surely bring into the room these next two months. Enjoy!
If you are practicing in a traditional ashtanga yoga program, you will inevitably get an announcement that your teacher will be leaving for India to study with his/her teacher for one or two months. It may seem incomprehensible at first. Who takes this amount of time to study yoga? Why do they have to go all the way to India? “What about my practice?,” some students might say. While others may whisper that they too will take a little break.
These regular trips to Mysore, India is a chance for any student (and, in many cases, teachers) to deepen their practice at the source of ashtanga yoga. I have been practicing with my teacher, Sharath Jois, since 2010. This trip will be be my 8th trip (or 9th, I’m not really sure at this point). Over this period I have spent over a year and a half living and practicing in a small suburb in Mysore. And I am looking forward to “going home”– it is my yoga home, where practice takes on a very different quality because I am in the presence of my teacher. There, I will focus on my practice and recharge so that I can continue to do what I love to do, share this rich and transformative practice.
My last trip to Mysore, India was in the summer of 2018. The program was less than a year old, and it was understood, we would take the time off and reconvene after my return. This is one way of managing a mysore trip–everything is put into pause while the teacher goes to study and students either self-practice or don’t practice at all, and the program might loose students and steam in the process.
We are so lucky that we have a chance to do things differently now because the program has evolved and grown. After my last led class tomorrow, I will leave the program to my assistants, Yasmine Seoud, Marwa Saleh and Marwa Osman, three dedicated practitioners who have trained with me, assisted me in the room for over a year, studied the classical yoga text with me and with whom I have had countless conversations about teaching; they have been privy to my ethos and rationale as a teacher, why I choose to do the things that I do for each and every student. They are not me, but I have every confidence that they will take all that abundant knowledge of yoga and distill it into their authentic teaching style. They each teach yoga already and have already covered for me while I was sick or when I have had family emergencies, and have done great holding the space.
So, we enter a new phase in our program, one that I hope will allow the program to grow and prosper beyond the limits of my own small personhood. I will be honest, it is a lonely path being a mysore teacher, to dedicate all your mornings (and, thus, evenings, too) day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, but it has been a pleasure to create a space where people can feel safe to explore their bodies and to stretch beyond what we think possible. Since 2017, I have poured my life and soul into this program. If you love practicing with me, if you love the yoga community we have built here, if you get something from the experience of coming to our classes, I urge you to continue to come to class, keep your practice juicy, keep your subscriptions going, your participation keeps our program alive.
Starting next week, Monday, December 4, Marwa Osman, Yasmine Seoud and Marwa Saleh (not pictured here) will be holding the space through January 2024. See you at Nūn Center. Monday to Thursdays 7:30-10:30am, Fridays 8:30-10:30am. Want to sample the program? We offer 1 week and 1 month INTRODUCTION packages.
Most of us want to start a yoga practice so that we can grow stronger and be more flexible but unwind and find time and space in our busy lives. So, the last thing we probably want to hear when we are signing up for yoga classes is that we need to commit to a near impossible regiment of daily yoga practice.
As a mom of a small child, I now realize how that can be a very big ask for most. It’s taken time (and this is a continuing process) for me to find equilibrium between yoga and motherhood, these two giant forces in my life. I’ve had to make some adjustments–both physically and mentally. But here are some thoughts on why I think this method does in fact work for me as a mother and, actually, as a human, as well.
First of all: there is no actual “ashtanga police.” This idea is largely made up, partly a joke, like the Bogey Man to keep the yoga kiddos in line. And while there are those who take up the informal mantle, be assured that there is no actual centralized body that polices any irregularities in the method. Mostly, the essential bits of ashtanga yoga are preserved through an honor system, the efficacy of the practice itself creates trust in the method (and also the teacher). For those who stick to the rules long enough, consistently enough, the benefits are self-evident. And, so, for the most part, things are passed down the way they are because they work.
I see the ashtanga method a lot like the English language, which has a grammatical order to it, but also a lot of exceptions. The method is centered and steady but also flexible like the yoga that it represents. That’s not to say that guidelines are not important, they are there to keep things from crumbling into chaos, but they also bend when necessary.
Second: We can practice as much or as little as we are able. We often call the method after the city in India where it was developed, Mysore. But the actual thing is called “self-practice.” which means it belongs to us, practitioners. We animate the practice. We can decide how much time we can devote to it. If you ask me as a yoga teacher, I will still tell you that I recommend up to 5 days a week (many will say 6). But the reality is that it’s up to each individual how many days to practice; ultimately, whatever one can manage is the perfect amount. (If you are a beginner, don’t worry, self practice doesn’t mean you are on your own, one to one help is on hand and actually personalized).
Third: the way in which we practice is up to us, whether its with earnestness and gravitas or with ease and lightheartedness. Usually, a combination of the two would be ideal, but as we don’t live in an ideal world, we are allowed to practice in a way that is appropriate for us. If you can’t do a long sequence, then just do standing and finishing postures, is that’s still too much, then just sun salutations and just breathe through the three final seated postures. I’ve had students come in to class and they just can’t do any of it and so they lay down to rest. Everything is practice.
So, if it’s as easy as that, why doesn’t it always feel that way? I’ve met a few special yoga practitioners who always managed to keep the practice light and breezy. I used to always think of them as the anomaly, they seemed little affected by the mania of mysore, they were content to flow without too much effort, they were willing to go the distance but didn’t feel the need to kill themselves doing it. The rest of us… well, maybe you see where I’m going here. Human nature comes to play and so we strive. But the practice is just a mirror. If it feels tough, perhaps because it is simply reflecting back our toughness or the intensity of our expectations.
That’s not to say that the practice isn’t difficult. It can be, and there are definite moments where particular challenges can come up. But many of the challenges come at the time when we are ready. Sometimes we don’t believe our own readiness and so that feels tough mentally. Sometimes, we struggle to get it just right. But the “toughness,” that’s something we often bring into the practice ourselves.
This yoga practice, it’s amazing, it’s a wonderful series of postures, each one preparing us for the next one. It has numerous physical and mental benefits. It is a kind of fitness for the mind, body and soul. And when we start form the beginning, we work in a way that suits each student. It’s not tough. It’s not easy either. It’s thoughtful. And it works!
Classes restart after Eid holidays on Monday, May 1. Our regular schedule is Monday to Thursday mysore style self-practice, 7:30 to 10:30am with led classes on Fridays 8am and 9:30am. All levels are welcome! We are having a 2 week intro starting May 15, which will be led by Yasmine Seoud, who has been assisting for us now for a glorious year!
Urdvadhanurāsana, Nuweiba, Sinai. Photo by Amal Ibrahim.
Today, as I lay on the treatment table for the second time with quite a special osteopath here in Sinai, I had such a powerful experience of synergy between my body receiving feedback, my mind tuning into that present moment, and my inhale allowing for that feedback to move into the body, while my exhale released tension and blockages out of my body. The good doctor seemed surprised at how quickly things were shifting. I feel, however, that ease in which my body can digest information is a product of the last 16 years of practicing yoga and of actively seeking a more holistic balance in my body, mind and heart. This human machinery, while imperfect–as evidenced by needing to see an osteopath in the first place, is actually well-oiled and working!
And I can’t help but want to share these thoughts:
Be astounded by the miracle that is the human body. It changes with quiet but consistent effort. It gets stronger, and more flexible with work and attention. It is communicative, sending signals when it needs either a push or more tenderness. It can also sound an alarm in case anything goes wrong. It can change shape while loyally holding one’s spirit. And It listens attentively, ready to absorb information (which is why we need to take care with what words and thoughts and images we feed it). It is ready to play and be a part the team.
I know that not everyone is going to feel the same, but I believe that the potential to have a vibrant connection to one’s body is always there and simply needs to be uncovered. The more we strip away at the layers (physical or not), the more the connection is enlivened. And while I do not claim to master that connection, I can say that I have felt enough of it to know that it is possible and truly amazing. The body is our vehicle for our lives and our experiences. We shouldn’t just love our body, we should adore it, take care of it, work on refining our connection with it.
I feel so grateful for the yoga practice because I didn’t have this kind of connection (or much at all) to my body when I started. I feel grateful for this practice of conscious breath, this embodying of self in different postures, and this tuning into stillness while in action. I feel grateful to meet genuine and well-learned healing professionals, who understand both the body and how to speak to the body. I feel grateful to be alive, to feel that I am still learning, still uncovering, still connecting, and that with every new adjustment there’s that little bit of extra opening for more yoga to happen.
Here in Egypt, summers can be tricky for yoga practice.Many of our students have moved for the summer to places like the North Coast or along the Red Sea, or are busily shuttling between Cairo for the working week and away to the beaches for the weekend. In our case, here in Mysore Zamalek, our program is closed for August. Summer routines can be famously routine-less in these parts. What to do when we don’t have the usual support for our self-practice? This year, I’l have been self-practicing for 15 years, most of it without a home shala or a regular teacher. I understand the challenges; it can really be tough and there will no doubt be dips and peaks to one’s practice. Here are some tried and tested tips:
Set Realistic Goals Be honest about what you can manage. Your yoga practice can also be flexible and bend with the changes and challenges in your life. If you cannot do your full practice, then do less. Adjust your expectations so that they can be realistically met.
Pair Up, Find a Yoga Partner There is truly strength in numbers. Find a friend or a family member who would like to commit to the same minimum amount of time that you would like to be practicing. Make dates, remind each other of your goals, encourage each other to simply keep on practicing.
Set Up a Regular Routine Finding the same time can help you stick to a healthy routine. If you have pockets of time in the morning, practice in the morning. If afternoons work best, then afternoons are best. If you can practice 3x a week, try to set a schedule for these days.
Make space Assign yourself a special practice space in your home, where you can lay your mat down the night before. Or simply get your things ready, clothes, mat and all for you the following practice date. Small acts like this remind us of our intention to practice.
Be Flexible Sometimes you will have to move your practice time, or maybe your practice location, other times you might have to do a shorter practice or switch a practice day. Don’t sweat it, practice teaches us different forms of flexibility and, often times, off the mat!
Practice Joyfully Have fun. Practice with a light heart. Don’t allow yourself to get stressed about practice, seek it out with a healthy outlook and you will surely want to meet it easily each time.
Take a Class, Any Class Really can’t practice on your own? Then take any class that’s available and works with your schedule. Yes, even if you’re a die-hard ashtangi. We take support wherever we can. And any yoga is better than none.
Wherever you are in your summer holiday practice, stay cool and simply do your best! And for our folks here in Mysore Zamalek: don’t worry, classes will start in a month, and the support will be there for you. Nothing is truly lost so long as you return to your mat. See you there!
Classes will resume Monday, September 5. Our regular schedule is Monday to Thursday Mysore-self practice 7:30-10:30am and Friday led class 8am and 9:30am. Mysore Zamalek is at Nūn Center, 4 Shafik Mansour, Zamalek, Cairo. Book your spot by emailing we@nuncenter.com
one love yoga 