"Anything is possible"

Via Tanya Lee Markul

on Feb 7, 2011

Anything Is Possible: a weekend with Camilla Bergstrom.

         

If we really want something, anything is possible.

Yoga has the potential to become something much more than just exercise, and for many of us this exercise is exactly where the journey begins. Our body starts to tone, strengthen, open and then all of a sudden we start to think differently. Eventually the connection is made: as we work on the body, we are working on the mind, the two inseparable

When we become aware of our bodies and connect to what is happening physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, anything is possible, according to Camilla Bergstrom: when we are in sync, when we are in harmony with mind and body, we experience the strength and confidence that will lead to the feeling of I can do this and eventually the wisdom that goes beyond it.

Camilla’s 11-hour weekend workshop tested this theory. Students were offered an opportunity to find their boundaries by examining the thoughts behind the seemingly challenging or impossible. As Camilla put it, ‘the first step is to become aware of our thoughts. Thoughts create an emotion and emotion creates a reaction. If we change the negative thought into a positive, the body will respond and we will find strength we didn’t even know that we had.’

Offering a masterful sequence of inversions, handstands and a variety of standing poses, Camilla teaches a simplistic fusion of yoga style combining self-healing with her experiences, various teacher influences and philosophy. Her teaching approach was challenging, passionate and contagiously courageous. She also took a great deal of time to focus on alignment and individual needs.

The workshop was complemented with breathing techniques and meditation. Students were invited to elongate their inner experiences by writing down and sharing their inner dialogue, as, according to Camilla, there’s more to just feeling yoga in our shoulders or our hips, much, much more, and when we write it down, it helps us to become even more aware of ourselves; it helps us to figure out which plane we are living on. Are we too much in our head? Are our feet on the ground? When we write and share, the experience becomes deeper, more profound, and when we speak it, it almost becomes an agreement.

No stranger to the element of fear, Camilla helps students acknowledge their own veil’s through the process of taking a step back, finding the discipline in their fear and committing to it versus separating from it. Camilla believes that if it means something to us, if it’s important to us, it’s going to happen and we are going to move forward. When the veil is lifted, we find purpose and within purpose we find simplicity: the result of stability, honesty and acceptance.

If you are looking for a life-altering experience, I highly recommend Camilla. You’ll be guaranteed a powerful physical journey and perhaps discover a deeper sense of your own true nature.

The Anything Is Possible weekend workshop took place in December 2010 at Hamsa Yoga Studio in Copenhagen, Denmark. Camilla currently resides in Los Angeles, California and offers local and international private and group classes. She has a podcast and much more information on her website: http://camillabergstrom.com/.

HSP "Highly Sensitive Person"

I just finished reading a book called: “The Highly Sensitive Person” by bestselling author Elaine Aron.

It’s called HSP, Highly Sensitive Person; it’s someone who is very intuitive and extremely open emotionally. They notice every little thing in detail, take in people’s energy much stronger and feel every emotion much deeper then people who are not HSP.

 Ironically, the subject HSP has been coming to me from different blogs and discussions lately and it got me going, so I thought I would share some of my thoughts as well as research that has been done on this subject.

HSP is not a scientific diagnose, it’s not a disorder nor a mental dysfunction. There is nothing wrong with people with HSP, but all of you who feel a bit different, easily feel misunderstood, hypersensitive to crowds and noises, it’s just gives a sense of comfort to know you are just one in millions of people around you who also is HSP.

Basically HSP means the person has a sensitive nervous system, you worry deeper, you feel deeper, you get affected by other peoples mood easily, you get routed by you’re own feelings and you get easily overwhelmed when you are out in a highly stimulating environment for to long bombarded by sights and sounds until you feel exhausted. You like time alone, you are creative, actors, artists, musicians often are hsp, and often you probably felt different from a very young age.

It’s interesting when you read a book about a subject that in some ways hits home.

I have always felt highly sensitive but it’s not until I got older that I learned to use tools to make the best of it. When I was younger I always thought something was wrong with me and people would say; “don’t let it effect you”, “let it go”. Easier said then done when you’re whole body starts acing when someone else around you is suffering. I basically take in another person pain. I can’t even watch certain violence on TV, the image will stay with me and I will have a sleepless no doubt. If something happens trough out the day that get’s my heart going I will probably not get a very good night sleep either. Hard for people to understand whom is not Highly Sensitive trust me; I have had many talks about this.

So you learn to live with it, make choices trough out the day to stay connected, making sure you get you’re sleep even if that means leaving the party early :-)

Accepting you’re self and don’t compare you’re self with others, surround you’re self with people who don’t “steal” you’re energy. Staying present and be aware, seek beauty, things that calms you down and remove your self from situations that brings out negative feelings. Don’t question the people who don’t feel on you’re level, they are who they are.

Yoga, meditation, and breathing is a beautiful source to understand you’re inner self, as a matter of fact Yoga in so many ways changed my life and led me to self nurture, accepting and even loving myself better. I do find in the end, living as a highly sensitive person turns out to be a beautiful gift.

To learn more about this, I recommend reading this book,

Dr Elaine has a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and a thriving psychotherapy practice. She is the first therapist to tell HSP’s how to identify their trait and make the most out of it in everyday situation. 

 With love 


Camilla

"Crazy Moments Bliss"

Lately I have started the  Yoga sessions with different clients asking them from 1-10, physically, mentally and emotionally what number they would be at. 1 being the lowest; discomfort in body, restless mind, depressed, tired etc...10 being fully content, happy even a moment of enlightenment....
We sit for a moment, quiet so they can really bring the awareness to this question. I see they get uncomfortable, restless, fixing their hair etc...
We begin the practice and it doesn't take long until I  feel them shifting, their skin gets softer, they get more present, their eyes are more clear.
Depending on how they are that day is the level we practice and after one hour we meet back sitting or standing in Tadasana, mountain pose, eyes closed.


I then ask the same question; what number would you rate yourself in this moment between 1-10.
Ironically pretty much everyone, regardless if they are a CEO over a huge company, an artist or a housewife they always end up at 8...the brave ones says 8 1/2.  I then ask; what is hindering you being a 10?  Are you in physical discomfort? No, they say, I feel great!  Then what is it??
Well, I had a bad morning or I am thinking about work etc...they express. Ok, that is the past or the future I remind them of. What if you didn't know this, you only had NOW, this very moment.... Ok, they say with a smile, I am a 9!!!!
I dig a bit deeper, What is preventing you from being a 10?
The answers I have gotten are so interesting. " I don't feel worthy of a 10", "I can never be a 10 because then there is nothing more to strive for", I am a perfectionist, could never except 10, etc...
This is what intrigues me the most of us humans especially in western society.
We are not suppose to be a 10!!!! We are not suppose to admit we can have a moment of being fully content, a moment where we don't have to strive, please anyone, dwell, doubt, think!


See I find it essential to everyday have moments of where I am so happy my heart starts going crazy and actually feeling it, enjoying it, taking it all in, even saying it out loud, even if it is just for a minute.
we are all worthy to have those  brief moments of fullfillment, happiness, bliss, one with self, call it whatever.
We rush trough life, never stopping to take in the NOW, and even if we do we don't really bring attention to it.


So, during the day, pause, take a breath and take it all in. No matter what situation you are in, find those moments. You deserve them, as a matter of fact you need them.


with love


camilla