The Highlights of 2022
What a year it was! Despite all the sad events in the world, in my personal life the year 2022 wasn't that bad in the end. There were tough moments, feelings of uncertainty, one canceled vacation, and too many days spent in bed with the flu. However, there were also moments of joy, excitement, happiness, adventure, growth, and laughter. In February it felt like the whole world is gonna come crashing down but after dwelling in the misery of the world (spiced up with a flu) for enough time, I decided to shift my focus, emerge from my cave, and turn my face towards the sun. Dwelling in misery does no good for anyone and worrying about something I have no control over is only adding up to that misery.
My dear teacher Tove Palmgren shared a beautiful quote in one of her weekly meditation classes somewhere in February:
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. -Martin Luther
That class and this quote confirmed that it's ok to continue planting my "apple trees” and focus on all the good things in my life. And I'm glad I did because today I can look back and be grateful for so many things that happened in 2022. Here are my highlights of the past year.
Move to Bellinzona
And suddenly you know it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings. - Meister Eckhart
January 3rd, 2022 I and my family packed our home in canton Zürich and started a new chapter in the book called ‘Our Life’, and embarked on an exciting journey under the sunny skies of Bellinzona. We had spent four beautiful years in a little town called Gattikon and then during our fifth year in Switzerland we started to entertain the idea of moving to the Italian part of the country. There was nothing wrong where we lived. On the contrary, it was basically a perfect place in the middle of nature with farms, hills, and a huge forest. We had the greatest neighbors from which many became good friends over the years, and the little village had a wonderful expat community. We integrated really well and couldn’t have dreamt of a better place to start our expat adventure in Switzerland. However, since our family language is Italian, my husband is Italian, our kids are half Italians, and I just happen to love the Italian language and culture + nothing ties us to a certain location, we thought why not move to a place where we speak the same language as the locals and share the (more or less) same culture. And of course, there’s no denying that the sunnier and warmer weather conditions did play a small role in our decision-making. So far, we are all loving life in Bellinzona and are planning two stay here for a good while. If not even forever.
Starting Yoga Medicine 500-hour Yoga Teacher studies
You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward. -Conrad Hall
I graduated from a 200-hour alignment-based yoga teacher training at the beginning of 2017 so I would say it was about time to take a step forward in my yoga career and invest in high-quality teacher training that takes me as a teacher to the next level. The way Yoga Medicine blends modern science with traditional wisdom & practices is truly fascinating and gives me as a teacher the tools to create individualized therapeutic yoga practices that support all aspects of health and wellness. Those of you who have been regularly coming to my Friday morning group class or have been taking private classes with me have already had the opportunity to experience some of the practices I have learned at the Yoga Medicine training.
Studying and working on three case studies will keep me busy for the first half of the year 2023. The plan is to celebrate my graduation as the Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist somewhere at the beginning of June.
Yoga medicine has a great podcast where you can learn a lot about yoga-related anatomy and physiology and cultivate powerful therapeutic tools in your practice.
Participating in two 10k running races in May
I’m no great runner, by any means. I’m at an ordinary—or perhaps more like mediocre—level. But that’s not the point. The point is whether or not I improved over yesterday. In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be. -Haruki Murakami
I’ve been enjoying running on and off for years. It's one of my favorite ways to spend time in nature, get fresh air, and fill up my energy tank. As a mom, I also appreciate the time out of the house that running gives me. Putting the shoes on and closing the door behind me marks the beginning of me-time; the time that helps to keep parents sane in the oftentimes chaotic life of a parent.
The desire to become a better runner and run longer distances has always been there but something, probably my innate nature of wanting to be comfortable, has prevented me to take a step forward. In May I took an important step forward by participating in two running races in two weeks. The first one was one of the most challenging experiences I’ve ever done. I signed myself up for a 10k uphill running competition with an elevation of 750m. For someone like me who's used to running the comfortable distance of 5k on mostly flat terrain, running up a mountain for almost 11k was very very hard.
After a week from the uphill race I participated in the Bellinzona Castles & Go running race, also titled the most medieval run in the world. After sweating in the tropical conditions during the uphill race I manifested clouds for the Bellinzona race and that's exactly what I got + a refreshing rain. I have always loved running in (summer) rain so the weather conditions were totally on my side and compared to the extremely challenging uphill race this one actually was one of the most enjoyable runs ever! Running through the three medieval UNESCO-heritage castles of Bellinzona made this race feel like something very special.
Going back to running my normal 5-6k on a flat route after these races made me feel like a ninja. I felt light and flying, faster and more at ease. It was amazing to see how much my running performance had improved after the 10k races, both of which made me go way beyond my comfort zone and offered my body and mind the right amount of challenge to grow and become stronger. I am absolutely loving the increased lightness in my step and the sensation of freedom as I run along the streets of Bellinzona.
If you are looking for running related inspiration, here is one of my favorite books about running: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
Vacation in Helsinki, Finland
A person without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots. - Marcus Garvey.
Quite exactly five years ago I left my home country to explore life in Switzerland and that’s the path I’m still on. I’m enjoying every moment of the journey in this beautiful country but Finland will always have a special place in my heart. It’s a place I will always call home. In the summer of 2022 I spent nine lovely days in my hometown Helsinki with my kids who are both born in Finland and according to their passports are Finnish. However, after moving to Switzerland they have lost a big part of their Finnish identity and don't speak much of the language either. I do my best to introduce Finnish culture to my kids and speak the language but the best way to keep the connection with their (and mine) home country is to visit Finland at least a couple of times a year.
Yoga retreat in Spain
Self-care is how you take your power back. -Lalah Delia
2022 marked my third year in a row assisting my dear teacher Tove Palmgren at her annual yoga retreat in Spain. Even tho I go there to work, the week spent in the yoga paradise feels like a vacation. Assisting my teacher is a pleasure and a great way to learn more about the wonders of yoga.
Spending a week immersed in nature, practicing yoga twice a day, hiking, swimming, eating delicious and nutritious food prepared with love, taking massages, and spending time with like-minded people is the best possible self-care I can imagine.
This yoga retreat is usually organized in the spring which is just a perfect moment of taking time for yourself so that you can let go of the past and welcome the new season with more clarity, energy, and beauty. It’s amazing how much energy one gets from taking distance from everyday routines. Just by changing the scenery, doing something new and different allows you to see things in your life from a different perspective.
I am already so much looking forward to this year's yoga retreat that takes place March 5-12 2023. Maybe you're joining us?
Private online yoga classes and weekly meditations with my teacher
There is no doubt that the foundation of being a great yoga teacher is being a great yoga student. -Rod Stryker
When I moved to Switzerland five years ago I felt a bit lost in my yoga path for a while because I had left my yoga community in Finland and found myself in a new country without like-minded people with whom to share my yoga journey. I started to build my own little community in Switzerland but I was still craving guidance, help, and inspiration from a master teacher. In February 2022 I finally realized that even tho my dear teacher is far away it doesn’t mean that we couldn’t connect. Thanks to modern technology I can enjoy my teacher Tove Palmgren's presence and teaching during her weekly online meditation classes and private yoga classes I take with her. These weekly sessions offer me the opportunity to be a student and learn from someone I look up to. I am extremely grateful for the possibility to study with Tove on a weekly basis.
Adventure Park
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. – Anais Nin
In August it was time to make one of my dreams come true and be the Tarzan of my life for one day. This was the first time for all of my family members and our friends who joined us in an adventure park. We were four adults and four kids between the ages of 7-10. My husband took the role of a babysitter and made sure the three youngest ones could safely go through the two adventure paths designed for kids while the rest of us went to explore the more challenging paths. My 10-year-old daughter had to/got to come with us adults because she was too tall for the kids paths.
We all, the younger and older ones, for sure overcame fears and faced challenging situations while adventuring through the paths built high above the ground in the forest. We came back on the ground with huge smiles on our faces, adrenalin running through our bodies, hair and hands full of divinely smelling tree resin, hearts full of happiness, and one amazing experience richer.
It was a wonderful day and a great opportunity to practice patience, trust, and deep breathing.
Solo hike
It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. - Sir Edmund Hillary
September 4th marked the day when I did my first-ever solo hike. I decided It was time to stop just dreaming about exploring the majestic mountains that surround us in every direction and put the hiking shoes on and start “climbing”. Even if I have to do it alone.
Going into the forest all alone felt intimidating due to a few reasons:
Being attacked by a bear
or a wolf
Getting lost
Encountering intimidating fellow humans
Not encountering any other fellow humans
Injuring myself
Phone battery dying
I spent a reasonable amount of time the day before my hike Googling things like:
Bears Switzerland
Is hiking safe in Switzerland?
Wild animals Switzerland
I learned that the most dangerous threat to a hiker in Switzerland is ticks (and still I went hiking wearing shorts). The results of my search were encouraging and reassuring that it’s totally safe to explore the mountains. Even all alone. But still, going there alone felt frightening (yeah, like a friend could save me from that bear).
But, it’s normal to be afraid of new things just because the thing is new. Since we don’t know exactly what to expect, the mind starts to create its own horror stories, making even the unlikeliest scenarios seem likely to happen.
So what’s the solution? Make an informed decision, trust yourself, and then just do it!
I was so afraid of being eaten by a wild animal but in the end, the scariest animal I encountered was a beetle. Yep, I froze when I saw the beetle.
Working with a business & lifestyle coach
If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go together. – African Proverb
In September I decided to invest in myself and in my yoga business by hiring a business & lifestyle coach. Being a yogipreneur is often a lonely business. When I teach classes I am surrounded by people but all the background work happens at home and I am the only one doing all the different types of work. The modern yoga teacher has many roles: teacher, marketing manager, social media manager, copywriter, blogger, content creator, accountant, photographer, video editor and so much more! It is not easy to juggle between all these roles and figure out where to focus on and when and how. To make my life a little easier and work smarter (not harder) I realized I need help and guidance from a professional.
I chose the great Greek powerhouse and Zürich based Monia Pyraki as my coach. I had known her for a few years and knew that she is also a yoga teacher and had built a career in corporate events industry before moving to Switzerland. She felt like the perfect choice to help me take my yoga business to the next level. So far the journey with her has been fruitful and amazing and I am looking forward to continuing working with her also in 2023.
Monia has created a beautiful 'My Modern Life’ Planner for 2023 together with Commonmodern. If you don't yet have a planner for this year check out the My Modern Life Planner 2023. I have this one (I had also the 2022 version) and I couldn't be happier with my choice.
So what about 2023? The future is unpredictable and I have no idea what this year has in store for me but I am certainly excited to find out! I know I will studying and working on my small yoga business and see where it takes me this year. Balance and Growth are two of my keywords for the year 2023, both in my personal and professional life. My planner is filling up with exciting things and I feel totally ready for 2023! How about you? What were some of your highlights last year? What will you take with you into the year 2023 and what are you ready to let go of?
