Portrait of a Colombian Yogini: Ana Maria Lopez
Ana is a former professional dancer in France and Colombia.
She is currently a Hatha Yoga teacher. She trained at the Sankara Yoga school with a sports specialization dedicated to competition, body arts professionals and martial arts practitioners.
She is now also in charge of the Development Center within a private sports structure, located in Vincennes, Au Garage Club (a room is dedicated to the practice of Thai Boxing, but which offers a certain number of complementary disciplines, such as Cross Training, English Boxing, MMA, floor bar and Hatha Yoga). She also has a tattoo parlor and a food and cosmetics store, according to an ecological and sustainable ethical charter. Having always kept a practice of dance, enriched by the practice of martial arts and recently by the practice of Hatha Yoga, Ana Maria Lopez Wilches, by joining the structure Au Garage Club , can then implement both the teaching of body practices and the support of projects through Action Research.
It was only natural that I asked him a few personal questions about his yoga practice, which I am sharing with you today.
How did you get to take care of yourself?
As a child and then as a teenager I practiced dance to become a professional, this discipline trained and educated me; I learned to feed myself and take care of myself to become a beautiful dancer...
What practice for your well-being?
I am a dancer first and foremost; Hatha Yoga has transformed my life and my dance. I practice Hatha Yoga taught by my masters, the Gianfermi brothers, from the Sankara Yoga school in Paris.
What is the ritual of your practice?
Between 4 and 5 in the morning I do ablutions, then I light a candle in my practice space where I have an altar with objects and images, then I start with my sun salutations, then a series of asanas, then pranayama techniques and finally a time of meditation.
What do you get out of it?
It's hard to say in a few words; I take up key axes of Yogic realization: power, beauty, virtue, knowledge and love... I have an 11-year-old child who also practices every morning, Yoga allows me to transmit to him a great knowledge about his body. A medicine too...
What do you carry in your yoga bag?
Just my stuff, I'm in transit too much to take care of a personal mat...because I also have my dance stuff, office stuff, makeup, shopping for the house...
What is your favorite object/accessory?
I work without accessories; except when I can, a candle is a good companion for practicing...
What would be your advice for Tayrona Yoginis?
Apart from practicing every day, I have no other advice to give; that's the only thing that matters, every day even 15/20 minutes. Consistency is a wonderful ally.
Where/how do you practice?
As I said before, early in the morning at my home. Then I practice with my beloved masters who are a gift of life, then when I give classes...
What is your mantra/favourite phrase?
SO/AM-AM/SO
You can find Anna Maria on the Au Garage Club website
