Yoga became commonplace in Europe and America a long time ago and has become part of the Western world. For some, it is one of the common exercises, for others it is mainly a path to knowledge. The Wonderpark Festival strives to combine yoga and contemporary music. We talked about it with its organiser Naděžda Brzobohatá in her yoga studio. And we started with a tea.
I see that yogis from Brno drink bagged tea...
It is convenient. Otherwise, I would have to spend much more time preparing it and with the traffic that we have here, I would not manage. When I have a receptionist, maybe I will also pay more attention to tea.
I just remembered tea rituals. Many people associate some rituals with yoga. Does it belong to it?
I can think of, for example, just simply being on time. In yoga and overall in the studio, it happens that someone new wants to come and try it. But if they are late, as they may be used to from elsewhere, it disturbs the entire beginning of the lesson. Respect for others is something that people should transfer from yoga into their lives. It may not be a ritual in the true sense of the word but it is one of the basic things for sure.
Should yoga also result in people not disturbing themselves?
When one begins to practise yoga, it cancels out because many things happen. They begin to perceive themselves a little differently and the way how they perceive their surroundings also changes. Everything is suddenly different than they were used to. I often talk during lessons about what will happen: the world that one knows turns completely upside down. They had a relationship, a job, everything seemed fine. They start practising yoga and everything falls apart. Over time, however, they build everything again, tune into their inner rhythm and find a way to themselves.
When someone feels that everything is okay, what leads them to practising yoga?
Yoga is popular. Many people write or call me that they have heard of yoga and would like to try it. That is the most common first reason that brings people to yoga. Their friends are practising, they have seen videos on YouTube and are curious.
And what do they expect – that they will stand on their heads or walk on hot coals?
They want to know what yoga is about, since so many people do yoga. But it is still the same curiosity. But if they are expecting something, usually something completely different comes. It is usually a shock.
When they come and want to practice, what do they do – some exercises?
In principle, yes, but there is a lot of looking around in it. A beginner looks around and constantly examines whether they are doing something wrong. Because the feeling that we need to do everything right is ingrained in us. To stand correctly, sit correctly. We are brought up that way, everything is either wrong or right, black or white, for us. And many people are waiting for such instructions – do it this way, that is correct.
And when you don't tell those people what is wrong and what is right, what do you tell them?
To try to feel their body and learn to breathe. Mostly, this is done through breathing – it is necessary to realise inhaling and exhaling. Everything is covered by hatha yoga, on which the other ones, in which one breathes and moves, are based. That is the physical part.
So someone is breathing, realising it, and what comes next?
Usually, they are surprised that they can take a deep breath and then relax. That breathing and inner calm are related.
Do they get some advice for the breathing – maybe breathing into the abdomen?
Mainly to breathe through the nose, not the mouth – it is an unconscious habit. And my teacher David Life said that habit is a dirty word for a yogi.
This applies to all creative activities to some extent, it does not need to be yoga...
Yes, yoga tears down learnt formulas and that may be the main reason why people stick with it.
Breathing is perhaps the most important thing in singing – who wants to know how to sing, must know how to breathe. Do any singers come to you?
I am not aware of that. For some time, a lady used to come here who played a wind instrument in the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra. She praised yoga a lot, because the breathing exercises helped her when playing. Actually, we are all singers, we sing mantras.
There is the technique of circulating breath for playing wind instruments that allows generating an "endless" tone without interruptions. Can one learn it here?
You caught me by surprise. But I believe that they could work their way to such ability with conscious breathing.
It is therefore one of the secondary abilities that one can gain when practising yoga, but they should not get stuck on them because they are not essential?
In yoga, these things have a special name, they are called siddhis. These are acquired magical powers and abilities. But often it happens that one stays with them, and then they just do silly things. It is just one of the consequences of that practice, but not the objective.
And what is the objective?
Union with God. Realisation of oneself leads to the realisation of God – samādhi. We are yogis, who live in this time, and we have a lot of things that we can get from it and then we can share them all. Because the word "yoga" actually means connection, interconnection, unity. And when a person is happy and joyful, they can also easily share such feelings. And with yoga it becomes a natural state. Yoga in fact is our natural state.
A state which we have forgotten?
We have forgotten it and now we meet here and try to remind ourselves. Therefore, nothing is wrong or right, we have simply forgotten everything. And we are teachers to one another.
Where did you come in touch with yoga?
In America. I lived there and one day my friend and I went to a lesson. It was about the same as when you asked me at the beginning why people come practise. We simply went to try it.
Why in America and not in India?
I have not had the opportunity yet, I may be the last yogi in Brno who has not been to India. However, there are so many people here with whom you can study...
But still there are things where it pays off to be at the source. Is Yoga "written" for India in a way, do we implement it here artificially?
That is a matter of the line of gurus, teachers and their followers, how we are able to merge with it. It is necessary to bow a little to the teaching. Yoga is based on teacher-student transfer. We should not forget that it was here thousands of years ago and it is an old method, but it is important to be with your teacher and feel the transfer of the teaching. A trip to India can be useful when one knows why they are going there and what they are looking for.
In June, you are planning the Wonderpark Festival in Lužánky. Why – are you promoting yourself, yoga, do you want to meet with people...?
I came up with the idea with my brother who used to organise musical events in the past. And I started with yoga in Brno three years ago. We wanted to see if it is possible to connect these two worlds. And the desire to meet with people is always present.
But when I looked at the bands that will play there, the singing of mantras cannot be expected of them.
But that is the purpose. Olda started to play with yoga about two years ago, so his past life – both personal and musical – had nothing to do with yoga.
Do you know the bands – for example, Dva, Monikino Kino, Ghost of You?
I know Dva and I am very curious about the rest.
So, it will be some exercising and some songs – that will connect those two worlds?
The people who come. During the day, we will exercise and the concerts of these bands will take place in the evening, so there will not be direct merging. Instead, my idea is that people will exercise, then perhaps they will feel good and they will go to a concert in the evening. Or someone may only come in the evening to the concert and the environment will inspire them so much that they may try yoga the next day.
Have you ever thought about organising a yoga festival with music played on traditional Indian harmonium, drums and so on?
We have such a festival in November, we have had two annual events in the past. My brother and I transfer the experience with this festival to Wonderpark. It should connect something that is very close to the both of us.
Unlike the November festival, the June festival will be held outside in Lužánky...
The exercise part will be inside, just for the sake of a firmer floor for exercising. And in the evening, the concerts will take place on the terrace where the fair will also be partly held.
And what will be sold? Have you restricted the supply in any way?
The festival is subtitled "Discover Your Miracle", so we would like people to present their miracles at the fair. But we are a vegan festival, a condition for all products is respect for nature.
In your opinion, is respect for nature possible without veganism?
When one realises the full context, they will understand that it is not.
It reminds me of Jainism...
We do not wear masks over mouths to prevent causing harm to insects. I bow down before these people but we live here and Jainism is distant from us in terms of distance and state of mind. But just by realising the consequences of our behaviour to the environment, we are doing a lot. If we can help the surroundings in the distance of our own arm, it is important. It is the sweeping of our own doorstep.
These thoughts, however, exist even in our ideological world, like the deep ecology of Arne Naess. So why look for them in India?
I reach these things with yoga, that is when I started to feel them in the heart – that what I do to the universe and others, I do to myself. And everything comes back to us.
Analogies to all this can be found in the Gospels. But when a European reads some of the Eastern doctrines, it is a sublime mystery free of all the negative aspects of history and everyday life for them.
Perhaps at an emotional level, they do not have them linked to previous experiences. They see pure mysticism in them, and perhaps that is the reason why they decide to try them. But when I go back to yoga, it is a set of practical tools how to operate in daily life and how to treat others and yourself. That is the basis and as Christianity has its Ten Commandments, yoga also has its rules. They are not discussed very often, but they are more important than the actual physical practice – that is in the third place. And the first rule is "not to harm". And not to collect useless things. When a person collects them, they cannot think about the presence.
