Come and put your good resolutions to practice, discover the studio, try different types of classes, enjoy healthy snacks and tea, and meet other yogis.
Date: Sunday 19 January 2020.
Place: Sampoorna Yoga Studio, Rue du Houblon-Hopstraat 40, 1000 Brussels.
As a long-time yoga student, practitioner and teacher of the Sivananda organisation, I’m saddened to read about the alleged abuse by the founder of the TTC and ashrams around the world, Kuttan Nair (formerly known as Swami Vishnudevananda).
A lot has been said, online, and as a teacher of the tradition, I feel it’s only fair to share my personal view with my students.
As in any organisation, company, institution, religious belief system, there are predators, people who need to control, abuse and hurt other humans in order to feel good about themselves, or for whatever sick reason. That doesn’t make the organisation’s mission and vision they are a part of bad, but it does require honesty, transparency, an independent investigation & ultimately changes in the way of working to avoid enabling such behaviour as well as charges to the culprits and reparations for the victims.
Personally, for now I will continue practicing and teaching traditional yoga, the Sivananda tradition, as I was taught it, since I’ve witnessed the profound benefits of the teachings on so many individuals, as well as on myself. I don’t consider myself to be a devotee to any guru, but a student of proven and solid practices that create harmony, better health and wellbeing in people and their communities.
My heart goes out to the victims of abuse, anywhere. May they find the strength in themselves, and in their community to find inner peace and happiness again, very soon.
The pre-Christmas season is often a period when we have less time for yoga – because of the stresses of preparing for the festivities at home and finishing everything at work before holidays.
But this is exactly the time when we need more yoga! Come to one of our classes to stretch the tensions out of your body, calm your mind, and connect with other yogis.
We would like to support your practice by making a great offer:
Everyone is entitled to student rates in December!
Since 2010, the yoga community in Brussels organizes the Yoga Mala around the Summer Solstice. All participants donate some money and all the proceeds go to a charity. This year the mala will be organised in September, around the Autumn Solstice, on a Saturday morning, 21 September.
Why 108 ? Good question, Shiva Rea has written a beautiful article about it, read it here.
So please join in on Saturday morning, 21 September 2019, as the Yoga community comes together for the 10th time in a celebration of the unity of Yoga to raise money for charity Bru’Zelle, a local NGO helping to fight period poverty.
As we welcome the Autumn Solstice let us offer our gratitude to life by saluting and honouring the Sun. We will practice a Yoga Mala, a prayer in motion of 108 rounds of Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutations).
The practice will be a meditative flow, and whether we as individuals are able to do 1 or 108 rounds, the importance lies in our participation and intention – as a collective we will complete the Mala. There will be different teachers leading the rounds of Surya Namaskar, the practice is the Sivananda Hatha Yoga tradition.
Being there together in a spirit of loving-kindness, peace and joy is what it’s all about. And who knows what wonders will come from that…
The event is family-friendly, so children, partners and grandparents are warmly welcome. There will be Yoga for kids & mandala coloring in parallel with the Mala, and other fun activities. Tea and biscuits for after!
You can also make a difference, so come and make it happen together with the Brussels’ yoga community.
Practical information: Date: Saturday 21 September 2019 Time: 10h30 until approximately 12h00 Venue: Autoworld Museum Mezzanine, Cinquantenaire Park Cost: EUR 3 Museum entrance fee, plus a donation for charity. The suggested donation is at least EUR 13 (incl. the entrance fee), but we appeal to everyone to give what they can. What to bring: yoga mat, bottle of water, open heart and lots of energy!
Like the Facebook page & join the event.
To register please fill out this form and pay your entrance fee & donation into this bank account: IBAN: BE85 0357 3874 8506.
Anyone interested in volunteering to help either on the day or in preparations please let us know via email !
Check out the Sivananda hatha yoga Sun Salutations here:
“O nourishing sun,
Solitary traveller, controller,
Source of life for all creatures, spread your light
Come and put your good resolutions to practice, discover the studio, try different types of classes, enjoy healthy snacks and tea, and meet other yogis.
Date: Sunday 8 September 2019.
Place: Sampoorna Yoga Studio, Rue du Houblon-Hopstraat 40, 1000 Brussels.
This is an easy and quick recipe for either lunch or dinner.
The tofu is seasoned and crispy, the noodles cooked al dente, the miso gives the soup an umami flavour and the roasted sesame seeds add a crispy & nutty taste.
Optional: salt to taste (it’s already salty due to stock powder, miso & soy sauce)
Optional: 2 tbsp no fish sauce (vegan shop or Jumbo in The Netherlands)
Optional: 1 tsp sambal (very spicy sauce) or sriracha
Preparation
Lightly press the tofu with both hands (careful not to break it) to drain the water from the tofu (use your hands or this method) & cut in cubes (of about 1-2 cm each).
Prepare the marinade for the tofu: mix the black bean and garlic sauce, tamari, no fish sauce, sambal/ sriracha & spices together and stir in the tofu cubes. Set aside.
Wash the veggies and cut the carrots in julienne strips; peel the ginger and slice thinly; cut the leek in slices.
In a frying pan, heat some oil, add the tofu cubes and fry for about 5 minutes on all sides until crispy. Turn heat off.
Heat a small frying pan, add the sesame seeds and roast until crispy, not black. Turn heat off.
Bring about 1l water to boil, add the vegetable stock powder (see packaging for directions, put half of suggested quantity), as well as the veggies and the noodles bring to boil and let simmer for about 4 minutes (depending on the instructions on the noodle package)*.
Serve: add a tablespoon of miso paste to 4 bowls; take a few spoons of the hot stock from the soup and add to each bowl to mix with the miso paste. Once the noodles are al dente, add the noodles with vegetables and stock. Top with tofu & toasted sesame seeds. Add soy sauce to your liking.
Optional: add some shredded leafy greens to the bowl and let it wilt for a minute or so (no need to boil).
*Tip: cook the noodles in a separate pot, drain & rinse with cold water to ensure they’re al dente and especially if you won’t eat all the soup in one go.
The Vegan lifestyle is not boring, complicated, or expensive. This blog was designed in the hopes to simplify the process of healthy eating. I welcome everyone, not just vegans.
The practice will be a meditative flow, and whether we as individuals are able to do 1 or 108 rounds, the importance lies in our participation and intention – as a collective we will complete the Mala. There will be different teachers leading the rounds of Surya Namaskar, the practice is the 
