RivaYoga

Reflecting on a five-day workshop with Firooza Ali Razvi
Cape Town
May 2025

We were privileged in Cape Town to have a 5 day workshop with Firooza Ali Razvi and her son Dinesh (doing demonstrations). We were in for a treat. Firooza combines her years of Philosophy study with her deep understanding of YogAsana. Firooza studied many years with the Iyengar family and she imparts her wisdom with ease and finesse. We were treated to going deeper in the Asana’s with the wisdom of the elements to deepen our understanding of the Asana. Earth element to ground through the legs, water element to bring a sense of movement and fluidity, Fire element to create heat and transformation in the body, wind element in the breath and through the breath as well as Ether element for the creation of space. This was just a small part of the vast knowledge that came through the practice. What a wonderful opportunity to study with her.

Astavakrasana

Vasisthasana

I attended 7 day workshop with Pixie Lilas in Dolcedo in 3-10 July 2019.  The weather was hot which was really lovely after Cape Towns cold and rainy winter.  We started off the day with 45 min pranayama session going back to basics in order to experience and journey with and through the breath.  The morning Asana class had a theme ranging from standing poses to hip openers looking at how to progress more deeply into these areas.  Afternoon session focused on inversions.  Happy to be home and back on my mat to process some of this work.

Thank you everyone that attended for a lovely weekend.

In today’s world, everything moves so quickly.  With the new seasons there are new fashions, which are all presented so beautifully in the shop windows.  The marketing thereof always set to remind us that it is time to purchase something new.  Perhaps the next time you are tempted to purchase something new, remind yourself to practice Santosha.  Contentment with what you have.

Contentment can be applied to many areas of our lives both physically and spiritually.  Practice being in the present moment is an act of santosha.  Being present and content in a pose is reflective of what your state of being is every day.

• Do you reject something because you are not perfect at it?
• Are you content where you are with your practice for today?

Taking a step back from the automatic trigger of desire, to want, to be and rather reflect on whether it is really necessary to fulfill that desire.  Enjoy the experience of the desire by reflecting on it, but then choose to be content with what you have.

Santosha is one of the Niyamas (universal principles) of Patajali’s ashtanga or eight limbs of yoga.