Radiant Woman

By Milena Moser (translated from German to English by Katchie Ananda)

You can read the original German version here.

Katchie extraordinaire

Together they do seminars on yoga and writing and they inspire each other. Writer Milena Moser and yoga teacher Katchie Ananda. And when the writer tells the story about her girlfriend the yoga teacher, we get the iridescent portrait of a woman who not only has her own style, but guides her students with love and understanding.

Katchie Ananda doesn’t need to be introduced, not in Switzerland or elsewhere. She is one of the most important and charismatic representative of western yoga. So much is clear. But the best part: She is not aware of it. “I still see myself primarily as a yoga student” she told the German Magazin Yoga Aktuell in an interview.

My first yoga class with Katchie happened 10 or 11 years ago. At that time I lived in San Francisco and because I heard about this special yoga teacher, I drove over the bridge to Berkeley just to take her class. Two things stood out to me: She singled me out in shoulderstand in the middle of a big size class because she recognized my (very slight) scoliosis and gave me an easier variation to perform. This had never happened to me before. And, as she performed a spectacular pose, she told the students “yeah, yeah, I can do this because I don’t have a life outside my yoga practice” as she dissolved the pose with a big smile. She said that there was no need for them to perform such a pose, no advantage. That too was new to me. That a yoga teacher would question the motive of performing difficult poses as the ultimate goal.

Friends because of "Schlampenyoga"

Hmmm, I thought, she is good! And then I promptly forgot her and went on with my life. One or two years later the phone rang at my house in San Francisco. It was Katchie. In broad, slightly out of style “Berndeutsch” a dialect from Bern in Switzerland, she explained to me that she had just red my book “Schlampenyoga” and she was emphatic that her classes would be just right for me. I didn’t tell her then that I had already been to her class once and immediately booked a class with her the next Saturday. At that point, she taught out of her own studio, in the trendy mission district, that she later sold.

In the meantime her class size had exploded, but still, she greeted all the students with her radiant smile, which is her trademark. Nobody has a bigger smile then Katchie. It fills the whole space and still touches each person personally. In the same way, her teachings touches each student personally. I noticed this right away. She would remember names, exam dates, vacation plans. Students would bring their mothers who were visiting and attended class in their stockings. They fit in to her class just as well as the Gumby-like students that were in training to become teachers.

A Nibble of chocolate

She had recently come back from Switzerland, and had stocked up on Swiss chocolate. Sitting in lotus seat in front of her harmonium, she nibbled on her chocolate without any self-consciousness. An attitude that might be perfectly normal in Switzerland, but is frowned upon in an almost fanatically health conscious Northern California. It was almost as if she had smoked a cigarette before class. And indeed I saw some students looking shocked. But Katchie didn’t mind. “I need chocolate”, she said happily. “It’s in my genes!” For the same reason, she had painted the ceiling of her studio a chocolate brown. When we laid on our backs during class, we saw the sky as a gigantic chocolate bar. I resonated with that very much. Here, I was at home, both physically as well as spiritually.

No Time for Small talk

She is good, I thought again, and this time I didn’t forget. After class, we went for a coffee across the street and promptly forgot the time. 4 hours later the phone rang “where are you?” This was the beginning of a very special friendship, which, because of my impending return to Switzerland, took on an urgent quality. After every yoga class, we went for coffee and 2 hours went by without either of us noticing. There were parking tickets on the windshield of the car, cellphones squeaking reproachfully. We became the kind of friends that do not have time for small talk. When we get together, it is always about the heart of the matter. It didn’t’ take long for us to realize that we had very similar approaches in our very different professions. We don’t believe it’s about being perfect, or striving towards an ideal. What matters to both of us, and what we teach, is to find our unique and authentic expression, on the mat as well as on paper. With this insight we created the yoga and writing workshops, and with a wink, we call them “chilli and chocolate”. We also made a special pact: I would help Katchie to write her book, and she promised to help remove my fear of handstands…..more about that later.

Katchie was raised near Bern and was educated at a Rudolf Steiner School. Their special teaching style deeply informed her as did the wisdom and love of her late mother. Katchie even dedicated her first training manual to her. Katchie was a physically weak child who fought for survival during her early years. I suspect that this sharpened her incomparable instincts as to the processes in her body. “I am dependent to listen to my body” she says, “I simply can’t afford to ignore it”. When she was 20 years old, Katchie left the tiny country of Switzerland and lived in Brazil and then in the US. Even though she practiced Shivananda yoga in Switzerland, the trained dancer had her first serious encounter with yoga in New York City. She studied Jivamukti yoga with Sharon Gannon and David Life, Ashtanga yoga with Richard Freeman in Boulder and Anusara yoga with John Friend. She was an influential representative in each of these different schools, in some she was even treated as a potential heir – before she moved on and turned towards something else. In her first training manual she thanks all her teachers for disappointing her at some point. “In the beginning I had a hard time accepting the fact that my teachers are people like you and me, and are not perfect. And without the disappointment, I would have never claimed the essence of the teachings for myself”.

Distinctive Yoga style

Elements from all those different schools are present in her very personable and unmistakable style of teaching. The biggest impact on her evolution was perhaps the well-known Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield with whom she studied vipassana, or mindfulness mediation for many years.

Katchie’s method, which I call simply “the Katchie-method”, combines elements of yoga and dharma. On her home page, she introduces herself as a yoga and dharma teacher. If you are familiar with Metta, or loving kindness practice, in Katchie’s class you will recognize immediately that she rains loving kindness onto her students, until each and every cell is saturated. “Yoga is a tool for every day, not some new age philosophy, or a striving towards an ideal”. Yoga with Katchie is metta-in-motion.

Her own yoga practice influences her teaching style. She reacts to changes and pain because even a super yogini like Katchie experiences back aches, or is getting older. She shares her experience generously with her students. She is an example on the journey, a journey that doesn’t lead to conquering the poor body, or to a fleeting perfection, but to a more lenient and kinder treatment of ourselves. Katchie knows that the most difficult exercise for many students, is to love themselves. More difficult than standing on your hands, or crossing your feet behind your neck. Sometimes she starts a class by rubbing her hands over her (admittedly not exactly bulging) stomach and smile her irresistible smile. “Yuuuummmmm” she says, and it sounds exactly as if she just stumbled onto a box of Spruengli truffle chocolates. “Come on, everybody, yuuuummmm!” A little while ago, in one of her workshops in Zurich, she found out that there was a fair amount of new people in attendance. “Oh, wow” she cried. “I’m not sure if I should congratulate you or feel sorry for you! Forget everything you think you know about yoga – welcome on the journey!” And like with every class I’ve ever taken from Katchie, I felt personally addressed and taken care of. Yuummm.

Hold on instead of letting go

With every year, Katchie becomes more radical and direct. Her concern and commitment to animals and the environment takes up more and more space in her life. “The concept of letting go is having way too much weight in spiritual teachings” she says. “It is dangerous and leads to easy replacements of people, animals and even things, when they no longer server our immediate needs. I say it’s the opposite, hold on and hang in there – with all your love. Only this way we truly evolve as people.” She immediately specifies – “of course there are situations and relationships where we need to let go – it could be fatal otherwise.” But once again, she inspires with a fresh and unusual take and gives students food for thought. So how does this attitude show in your daily life, I ask? “When I go for a walk in the Santa Fe river bed with my dog Leelou, I pick up trash. I like doing this because it feels like this river in front of my house is my river and my responsibility to take care of.” Again, she laughs loudly. After many years in the San Francisco Bay Area, she moved, with husband and dog, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The move has made her life more stable and calmer. She teaches less and writes more. Her first manual is almost done. Her “autobiography of a yognini” is sorted in colorful cards on the wall in her practice room and is waiting to be typed into the computer. And the handstand we will manage as well…….

Dharma, Freedom and Honesty

One of the most straightforward definitions of Dharma is to think thoughts and act in a way that sets you free. I love it! While this definition is, indeed simple, it is obviously not the easiest to do. If it were, you would think more people would actually do it.

In the first place, how do we find out what actually sets us free? For example, I believe in the pleasurable things in life (since life is often hard enough as it is) and I often feel that enjoying them puts me in a good mood and makes me feel grateful and generous towards myself and others. So far, so good. But where is the line between something that has a good effect on me versus something that might actually, in the long term, enslave me, or cause me harm?

For many years I was a pretty “pure” yogi. I rarely drank alcohol, went to bed early each evening, and got up very early each day to practice. I only ate “the right” kinds of food. I only had sex on Friday nights according to the instruction of Pattabhi Jois’ Asthanga bible. (Okay, that’s exaggerated, as I never heeded that particular advice. But, since I didn’t really have a boyfriend at the time, it didn’t matter anyway which is why Sharon Gannon from Jivamukti gave me the nickname “Brahmachari” - celibate). Then, at some point in my 30s, I discovered how much I enjoyed a glass of red wine at night. I loved the ritual of it. It made me feel closer to my family in Switzerland where wine often is a part of long, drawn out evenings at dinner with lively and interesting conversations about God and the world. I firmly believe in the healthy qualities of red wine, that when it is consumed in moderation it actually is a boon to your health in every way. Just as chocolate is – a fact that has been only recently discovered in America but has long since been known in Switzerland.

Recently, a friend made me a good margarita, with organic lime juice, on the rocks, and even taught me how to make one myself. I haven’t had much hard liquor for some time, so I felt the effects pretty quickly and we had a fun evening. I came home and decided I would like to try making my own margaritas.

It didn’t last long. I realized fast that this particular practice did not set me free. On the contrary, being sensitive, I would feel the effects of even one margarita the next day. I don’t think that tequila, the main ingredient used in this particular beverage has any beneficial qualities for my health and, in fact, I worry about my liver since that organ is one of the weak spots in my body. I’m not saying that I will never make a margarita again. I’m sure I will. But, I will not turn this into a practice on a regular basis because I know it won’t set me free.

As I abandon my newly acquired skills of making a bad-ass margarita (I even bought myself a professional shaker and all), I feel a certain regret, I really do.

But my commitment to the Dharma is deeper. I want to be free. It is said that the Buddha made every mistake that one human can make on his journey to being free. But it is often emphasized that he never lied about making those mistakes. The very foundation of the Dharma is this kind of honesty and while it is easy to say that we will do the things that set us free, doing is not as easy and requires an ongoing investigation and a willingness to tell the truth about our experiences at all times.

From this vantage point, I understand the rather strict and moralistic rules that are often set in yoga and Buddhism. The point can be made that it is easier to avoid all alcohol due to the addictive quality and mind-deluding properties. But, just to avoid things in life is not really the Dharma to me. And the request can, and has, at times, felt like a punishment or denial of life itself.

Yes, to actually inquire what is or isn’t setting me free is a lot of work. It is so much easier to just “believe” something or follow a teacher or a system. I do believe that sooner or later we actually all have to do this work and come to our own conclusions based on our own experience. And to me, this is truly worth it.

Viva red wine!

Winter 2008 Newsletter

Dearest Community,

I am writing this message to you from the most beautiful, pristine place, deep in the tropics of Brazil. My first visit here was 20 years ago and, amazingly, some things are still the same. Of course, many things have changed as well.

Going down memory lane has been a sweet experience colored with a tinge of melancholy. I have reconnected with a side of me that I had almost forgotten. Brazil is in my blood and my soul. Easily, I slipped back into the rhythm of this country.

The timing of this trip has been blessed by the order of the cosmos, including my encounter with old friends and dear teachers, Sharon and David from Jivamukti, who just happened to visit for a few days. We spent an afternoon together that never could have been planned in advance. But there we were, in the same place at the same time. Go figure!

Being in a place that is both familiar, but also, strange to the life I now live in the Bay Area has taught me much, particularly through interactions with the people, the animals and the land. Most strikingly and consistently, I have been faced with the pairs of opposites that the universe constantly presents to us, in order that we may glean whatever lessons we can !om these moments of precious time.

I would like to share with you some highlights from this trip:

I spent one week in Canoa Quebrada, a little village on the beach near Fortaleza. In Canoa Quebrada, a timeless and stark place of the north, the warm wind rules and the sand is as white as the snow in Switzerland. At a certain time of day, the surrounds are bathed in the warmest of golden hues and, generally, the colors all around are so deep and beautiful, it almost hurts!

The warm sea stretches endlessly, with bright turquoise waves that meld into dark grey. At a point in the distance, it seems as though the sea merges into the stunning blue of the sky.

Most everyone who lives here ends up walking a few miles a day just to get back and forth. You really can’t go anywhere in a hurry this way. Time is measured by the rustling of the palm trees instead of by the clock.

There is an interesting greeting custom here, initially amusing but perfectly sensible. In Switzerland, the customary greeting is three kisses on the cheek. In the States, it is a hug. But here, you literally take a sniff of the person you are meeting! The people who live here say hello and then proceed to take a little sniff off the side of your neck. It is hilarious, but also makes perfect sense, as you can verify with your nose how a person is really doing.

The opposites are alive and well here. On a drive from Fortaleza my friend Maciria and I saw five men, completely inebriated, swaggering along the side of the road, occasionally stumbling into it — a road upon which Maciria drove a staggering 160 kilometers an hour. Evidently, driving at a reasonable speed is not the custom in this part of Brazil.

Along these same roads, I saw donkeys behaving more like dogs, foraging through garbage and crossing the road whenever they felt inclined to do so.

I met Antoine, a retired fashion photographer from Paris who has been living here for the last 15 years. He shared with me the following joke based in Ceara, a poor state in the north of Brazil:

An old couple came into a restaurant and sat down. The waiter came over and asked the man what they wanted and the man ordered a cold guarana antartica (a popular and common drink in Brazil). Then he asked the waiter to bring another cup, claiming that he shares everything with his wife. So the waiter did. A moment later, the man ordered a sandwich and again asked for an extra plate because he shares everything with his wife. Then he began to eat. Soon he finished and the waiter noticed that the wife had not touched a thing, so he went over to comment to the man. But before he got very far, the wife showed her toothless grin and said, “Please, everything is okay, I’m just waiting for him to finish so he can give me the dentures!”

There are a few “nightclubs” in town. They are right next to each other and at night there appears to be a competition to see which venue can play the loudest music.

There is a reggae club, a lambada club, and, to my astonishment, there is a Swiss club, whatever that means!

Remarkably, there is no cover charge and there is no pressure to drink. Dancing and having a good time are the focus of these places and the people who are their patrons. This scene is an example of the thriving local culture, the people who participate in it, and how they actively work to keep things as they are. Apparently, a few years ago a foreigner had the audacity to open an expensive nightclub with a cover charge. He closed six months later because EVERYONE boycotted him. I laughed when I heard this story – in some ways the power of the people is strong in Brazil.

While spending time in this village, pretty much outside of the “real world,” there was much less need for structure. Everything flowed in a natural way, eliminating the tendency to create an imposing framework to manage the time.

There is a continuous harmony in Canoa Quebrada that everyone taps into pretty quickly. People move according to the water, the moon, the wind and the sun. Even the restaurants are affected by this natural order. They open their doors in accordance with the ebb and flow of the tides. Being held in this universal harmony creates peace in the system. The need or inclination to control, which most of us know so well, dissipates.

Rio de Janeiro and Petropolis
Petropolis is a little city up in the mountains and serves as a popular weekend escape for the cariocas, Rio’s locals.
On the way out of Rio we came across miles and miles of favelas. The stench emanating from these slums was unbearable. Throughout this journey, however, I intentionally chose to witness the misery, keeping awareness that the human mind tends to tune out pretty quickly when confronted with that much discomfort.

In Petropolis, I was introduced to a community-based educational facility for children and adolescents from the slums. Being careful not to affiliate with any political groups, which would mean closure as soon as the next party takes over, they have been successfully operating for three years. Although Fundacao Educandario Princesa Isabel do Juizado da Infancia e da Juventude da Comarca de Petropolis is a well-funded project, the dedicated coordinators are overworked. I was able to contribute to the community by teaching a yoga class for the staff and a couple of the children.

In addition to the usual magic that happens in leading a group through yoga practice, including the gift of immense gratitude that I receive in return, I discovered that, indeed, I could teach a class in Portuguese!

Apparently, I hit the nerve while talking about the potential burnout of social workers and change makers. This is exactly where these dedicated souls were at that very moment. Introducing a method of self-care vis-à-vis a spiritual practice made a lot of sense to them. Jorge, the leader of this foundation and his cousin Flavio, a student in San Francisco, said that nobody who he had encountered taught yoga as a simple and spiritual practice. Yoga seems to be perceived as a pastime for the Brazilian elite, similar to what is happening in the States. There was great satisfaction for me to provide a practice that showed these people the simplicity and profundity of opening one’s heart through yoga, in all of its accessibility.

Paraty and Sao Paulo – Hometown of Mauricio’s family
Another excursion brought us to Trinidade, a hippie village resting on some of the most extraordinary beaches I have ever seen, including a pristine shoreline with lagoons nestled against the remaining seven percent of coastal rainforest. One adventure took us to a natural pool with enormous stones, seemingly cast randomly by a playful giant.

To reach this wonderland, we trekked through treacherous rainforest paths before finally arriving at our Edenesque destination. The water was crystal clear, revealing an abundance of sea creatures. Several hours were spent snorkeling and exploring, watching sea stars and turtles swim below me in the beautiful waters. It was truly exceptional.

Next stop was Sao Paulo. There, I led a workshop for a group of wonderful people, speaking in Portuguese the entire time!

On the last day, Francesca, a student and friend from San Francisco and I were invited to dinner by Fabio. Fabio happened to be a friend and partner of Rogerio Fasano, restaurateur, hotel owner and, perhaps, the wealthiest man in Brazil. Had I known we were going to be regally wined and dined, I would have dressed accordingly! Again, the paradox caught up with us – from the poorest to the wealthiest in an instant!

This is what yoga is all about – living the paradox.

I have so much gratitude for having had the opportunity to connect with this part of the world again and to be able to bring yoga to all kinds of Brazilians, the wealthy, the poor and everyone in between. This is the work that needs to be done, regardless of class, gender, race, or economic status. I am also grateful for the remembrance that I thrive in teaching yoga to the peoples of the world.