Sandra Petra Pintaric ~ Yoga as Medicine: Healing the Body and Spirit Through Practice

Sandra Petra Pintaric is a dedicated yoga teacher and owner of a Dharma Yoga studio located in Zagreb, Croatia. With a passion for yoga that spans over two decades, Sandra has helped foster a vibrant yoga community in her region. She has trained under esteemed teacher Dharma Mitra in New York and has developed a yoga practice that integrates spiritual philosophy, yoga asana, and yogic lifestyle. Sandra is known for her commitment to spreading authentic yoga teachings, her ability to incorporate spirituality in daily practice, and her expertise in helping others connect deeply with their practice.

Visit Sandra on her website: https://www.dharmayogazagreb.com/

Key Takeaways:

• Soulmate Concept in Yoga: Sandra explores the belief in soulmates within the yoga community, emphasizing shared energy and spiritual connections.
• Teacher-Student Relationship: The depth of connection with one's yoga teacher is vital, transcending geographical distances through meditation and shared devotion.
• Adapting Yoga in the Digital Age: Sandra highlights challenges in maintaining studio discipline and community amidst the rise of digital yoga classes and technology distractions.
• Integral Yoga Practice: Blending various yoga aspects like pranayama, meditation, and mantra is crucial for a holistic practice.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Sandra Petra Pintaric's Journey and Connections Through Yoga
• 5:43 Connecting With a Yoga Teacher Across Continents Through Intuition
• 14:53 Building a Dharma Yoga Community in Croatia
• 23:59 Soulmates, Spirituality, and Miracles in Yoga and Life
• 32:18 Challenges of Yoga Teaching in the Digital Era
• 38:40 Healing Through Yoga: Pain, Awareness, and Self-Discovery
• 41:29 Balancing Yoga Practices and Teaching in Croatia and New York
• 52:14 Embracing Yoga's Transformative Journey and Overcoming Language Barriers

Transcript

Todd McLaughlin: 0:33

Welcome to Native Yoga Toddcast. So happy you are here. My goal with this channel is to bring inspirational speakers to the mic in the field of yoga, massage, body work and beyond. Follow us at @nativeyoga and check us out at nativeyogacenter.com. All right, let's begin. Yes, so happy to have you here. This is Native Yoga Toddcast. My name is Todd McLaughlin. If it is your first time listening, welcome to the show. For those of you that return regularly, each week, I put out a new episode every Friday morning, around 7am on Friday, Eastern Time. And this week, my special guest is Sandra Petra Pintaric, and Sandra is located in Croatia. Check her out on her website, dharmayogazagreb.com, the link is in the description. You will very easily find it. Click it. Follow her. She's so sweet. I'm so excited for you to get a chance to meet her. I can feel the genuine yogini quality coming from her. She seems so dedicated, so passionate to teach, to share. And I think that is what it is all about. And so that's why we are here. Thank you for your support. Reach out to us. Let us know what you think. Let's begin. I'm very honored to have the chance to meet and speak with Sandra Petra Pintaric, Sandra, you're joining me from Croatia. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day. I can't wait to hear about your journey with yoga. How are you feeling today?

Sandra Petra Pintaric: 2:24

I'm very good. Thank you. I wait this podcast all day, mostly prepare myself a little bit, and I'm very honored to be here on the podcast and to share some of my experience. And also, I'm grateful for those who suggested me to you, and I'm happy to share this time with you.

Todd McLaughlin: 2:46

Thank you, Sandra. I appreciate it. I have never been to Croatia before, but I hear it's very beautiful. Where are you? Are you near water? Or are you up in a mountain?

Unknown: 3:00

No, I'm in the main city of Croatia, the Zagreb it's continental area. So I also dream about the summertime and to go close to the sea.

Todd McLaughlin: 3:12

Nice, nice. And do you believe in soulmates?

Unknown: 3:20

I believe, yeah, I believe a group, group of soul mates, not just maybe some one person, but I believe that we all have some soul mates in my life, some people who are very close to us, some people who are in the some of the groups we have me sharing the same energy. I believe in that yes, and I believe also the way met some people back in our future lives, to share something, to finish something or begin something. I believe that's

Todd McLaughlin: 3:59

cool. Have you found that yoga practice has opened you up to seeing the people that you meet in your life as having a deeper connection than just a random chance meeting?

Unknown: 4:17

Yeah? For sure. Yeah. Yoga. Yoga brings me a lot of close souls, which I I share my life with them on many levels. Some of them are like my husband. They are very close to me. I have some very close friends, and I also began yoga one time ago with my friends from previous let's say life, yeah, and we all start to practice yoga together. We, I have few close friends. We, we used to live together, and we all practice. Yoga at the same time, we share everything from yoga practice, spiritual knowledge, bhajans, yoga, nidras. When yoga nidra wasn't so popular, we just have a one Cas, I don't know how to say in the old

Todd McLaughlin: 5:21

that's correct, like a cassette, like a cassette, yeah, yeah. And

Unknown: 5:26

my friends came to our place, and we all lay down on the back and wisdom the the voice of the teacher, nice. That was before and almost 25 years ago. Nice, something, 23 okay, yeah, and yeah, he gave me so many people. Some people are short terms related to me. Some people are in like in my studio. There are long term we build up our friendships and our soul friendship for a long time, and we share many beautiful things together, also some which are not so beautiful, but to share the life together, let's say like that. Yeah.

Todd McLaughlin: 6:09

Do Do you own a yoga studio in Zagreb?

Unknown: 6:14

Yes, I own a yoga studio. This is my third position I start 2009 when I opened with my friend, and now I'm living by my own, but I have a lot of people to who helps me in our community. Nice, nice that we are blooming with the yoga practice and everything for sharing. Wonderful

Todd McLaughlin: 6:42

Did you, I know you're a student of dharma. Mitra, when did you first practice with dharma?

Unknown: 6:54

Before dharma? I was like, say, like a 10 years in yoga, and I wanted to find a teacher to to progress in my yoga practice, to be I finished the 200 I wanted to find some teacher to to give me more knowledge. And I explore a little bit. And I remember it was 2010 and I saw his So picture of sridharma Mitra, very humble, full of bliss in his eyes. And I was very curious, who this man is, this teacher is. And then I saw that he's in New York. I told maybe New York, it's too far away from from us, but somehow I decide to go on his teacher training 205 100, and that was my first meeting with him, and my first impression was so high that I immediately, I felt in my heart that this is my teacher. Sometimes we we are wrong, but I truly believe and felt him in my heart, very deeply, like I saw in the in his picture. And that was my first time I saw him in in New York, 2000 in the beginning. I remember, it's a January in 2011

Todd McLaughlin: 8:36

Nice, nice. Can you talk a little bit about you made mention that you felt good vibes when you saw the picture. You were intrigued, just through the energy that you saw in the picture. Then when you met him, you didn't really question whether or not he's your teacher. You've just felt it. Can you talk a little bit about, a little more about what, what that is like.

Unknown: 9:09

I think that we can really felt in our heart, but we need to clean up a little bit our hearts to to be truthfully believe that is the right person for us. Uh, sometimes we have mistake, you know, but I don't care about mistake, okay? I try to follow my heart and if I mistake, okay, so what we are, move forward. But I believe in my feelings. I believe in my intuition. But if I came to the deep state of consciousness, you know, through the meditation, through the humble way. Of view things. Then you got some answers, and then you got some light to show you the way, to show you the way, the people you know, if it's if I go deeper then, then I felt my intuition, much, much better.

Todd McLaughlin: 10:23

Nice. Do you have a way of tapping into your intuition or a way of explaining, maybe, to those of us that are wanting to deepen our intuition? Do you have some strategy or advice of how to develop intuition.

Unknown: 10:49

Yes, it's so many strategies I tried before and even before yoga, I was so much in the esoteric way of eating to explore through that area, and I was also pretty much in astrology. So astrology is also some way of to see things and but most importantly, when I want to use my intuition to see is some way good for me or not, I really need to go deeper. And if it's some area of life which is very important, then I gave myself time to see, to check my first feeling. And I gave this like offering to God, let's say to the that He guides me. I offer him this idea, the question, or my way to some to go somewhere, to meet someone, and then I feel much comfortable, because I think then I done my my things and everything else I want that God surprised me in some way not to be controller of the situation of to checking every time, is it right? Was it is it wrong? Just a problem with that. So that way of thinking brings me to yoga too. I think of some things maybe a longer way, or I have some visions, or I want to choose some part, and then I go deep down in my meditation. Sometimes I have more days than sometimes life days sometimes ago, like a 40 days to see what will goes on from that idea and when I got the answer in my heart. And I'm pretty sure I don't, I don't care so much what will come, because I will do my best, and whatever comes that, that's it. Now also, when you choose a teacher, it's so many teachers today. And if you are not deep inside you, if you are not looking for the truth, then you will met many teachers who maybe are not so familiar with your point of view in life, and maybe they're not strong connection with them. I also felt that in some area when I before Dharma, I wanted to find a teacher who is good for me, and I didn't want to travel so far to New York. I was traveling through Europe, very close, and then I realized that that the distance is not the problem. Is the problem, my way of that distance, that's the that's blocked this idea. So the distance, New York, Croatia, it's really not problem. The month, not the problem. The time is not a problem, nothing. And then you open yourself for any kind of experiences.

Todd McLaughlin: 14:15

So well, that's cool. Sandra, I'm I'm thinking that you are referencing the fact that you can practice in Croatia, your teacher can be in New York City. And at the same time that you're apart, you can be together.

Unknown: 14:34

Yes, we are. I think that in my heart always together, because I want to feel teacher from my heart, not from my mind, and I connect with my teacher now through my meditation, through the picture on my altar, through the today, okay, we have so much. A media and Instagram, Facebook. So it's always here from somewhere, but deep inside, what's what is most important for me. It's my feeling for the teacher, not just that I have a teacher I don't care for that. It's my feeling, my connection, my true connection with him.

Todd McLaughlin: 15:26

Can you That's That's amazing. I hear you can in, you know, being a facilitator of a yoga studio, slash, you're a yoga teacher, and you have students. Do you feel like you are within a chain or like a connection point between you and your teacher to your student? Or do you feel like they could kind of go directly to him around you, like, Well, how do you envision or feel or into it, the role that you play with your students and the connection that you have to your own personal teacher? Did that make sense? Yeah,

Unknown: 16:14

yeah. So, like, I have a studio, and when I came to after my teacher training 500 this first one, I came to Croatia, and I used to lead like I was, like a five years in, I start with a Shanga yoga, my first style. Then I explored through the vinyasa systems all kind. In that time that was not so much in vinyasas. And that time we have, like a power vinyasa, vinyasa flow, geo Mukti yoga, I don't know some this kind of yoga practice. And in the Croatia was very strong community. And I came with Dharma yoga. And also I changed my practice. And I came because I shared the studio with the sangies. And I came like from the space, you know, like from the universe, come with the Dharma yoga from nowhere. And everything was different, different side with the leg, different structure of the class, you know, different point of view on the athanas, outer rich, the inner rich, you know, many things. And it was little bit confusing for the regular classes. But somehow I, I was never so much in that that I have problems with that, you know? I just try. I just want to serve and to share my experience with Dharma, yoga and dharma as a teacher, and I don't know I had a smile and just go through all that. And in the beginning, I was alone long, like from for many years, like maybe for few five years, I was alone in the like one teacher in the Croatia and the students, I was like a bridge for them, because they didn't know nothing about Dharma Mitra, Dharma, Dharma, it's not so on the exposing himself on the media. You know, they even don't have how the practice looks like. We in that time we had just like, a few videos on YouTube, and it was like a mystery what Dharma yoga is, you know, and I was like a bridge to them. Many of them come to my classes. They stay. They fell in love in the practice. Then they start to to see who is behind it, how I am like a devotional in that way, and I don't know when everything happens happen in like on the track, and slowly, step by step, with our nice Energy, the some of the other teachers I so then go to New York. Be respect. Respectful. If you like this practice, if you want to share this practice, go there in New York, finish the teacher training, share the yoga and slowly, slowly the community grow up. And I send, let's say, many teachers to New York today. They all have wish without me. You know, they practice yoga. They are here in community, and they that it's like a normal they want to go to finish with him, because he is little bit older, and they have. Great opportunity to be here in life, to learn from the legendary yogi, you know, and so I think it's very respectful to give some honor to the teacher and to go there. Nice.

Todd McLaughlin: 20:17

And so what time is your first class?

Unknown: 20:24

How you mean? Like,

Todd McLaughlin: 20:26

yeah, like, do you what's the first time class? The first class time that you offer at your studio? Do you have people starting at like, 6am or in Croatia, does everyone sleep in until 12 and you don't start teaching until one or what is the culture like there in relation to because I you know how, like in Ashtanga Yoga, you would maybe start practice at like, 430 in the morning, and like Mysore, would be really, really early. How have you been able to adapt teaching Dharma yoga in Croatia, and what is the culture supportive of in relation to your first class time of the day?

Unknown: 21:11

Yeah, we have, so let's say, long term we had, we had, like four to five classes per day. So the before, when I shared the studio, it was Ashtanga in the morning. So it was always the morning for Ashtanga and I, myself, I used to practice, I'm I always practice yoga in the morning, early in the morning, almost before dharma. That's my I know that's my way how to practice when it's not even day, and that's staying me. Know that that is with me, and I really appreciate practice in the early in the morning that you are almost finished until seven. That's my favorite time. So when I came with the Dharma, I didn't have opportunity to practice early in the morning. But I made some like a 40 days cycles with the everyday without breaking a day. We practice like that, and we and I had the morning classes like 10pm day 10am then we have like, two classes in the afternoon, and almost every day, I used to lead the classes almost every day, every weekend, or I had a school or some Workshop master class, everything. So it was, it's pretty intense, especially in that days, for many, many years, until a COVID time, let's say, Yeah, many years. Gotcha. So they have how I was alone in the practice so I can I, I was offering just like a Dharma two, dharma three level. When I finish a four, then I offer other levels and the practice. And slowly, other teachers can finish the school. They share also with the students. And today, we are just Dharma yoga studio, and we have many Dharma yoga teachers, not just in my studio, in whole Croatia, and I'm so grateful on that. So even from I didn't think so much, it just came like this. You know, I that was my wish, of course, but just came that's

Todd McLaughlin: 23:35

really cool, Sandra. I appreciate how difficult that is to do. And I mean, I know you're, in a way, kind of saying, you know, it just happened one step at a time. It's not like I set out to have this be the, you know, the end goal, but you were just very dedicated in your teaching. But I definitely can appreciate my wife and I have had our studio here for the last 19 years, and it does take, like, such consistent daily attention and effort to build and maintain and grow. So I appreciate what you're saying, and that is a big deal. Like to to be able to start teaching Dharma yoga, and then have like, a Dharma yoga studio where all the classes are centered around that, and to generate enough interest from the people around I think is clearly to me, it's obvious that you, you had your whole heart and soul into the experience of teaching and practicing, or else, I don't believe that would have happened.

Unknown: 24:46

Yeah, like you say, I agree with everything. It's not easy. You came to yoga from other backgrounds, from like, when I listen other teachers, we all have like, like, some similar stories to share. Share. We all, not all, but most of us have some background when we used to work a lot in normal jobs, you know, in the corporations and or normal jobs, and then you came to yoga. Maybe, if you think yoga, it's like just meditating, just to do nothing. You just do practice if they're very wrong. So you do everything even more than you used to work, I would say. So it's many obligations, and if you want to studio, have a long term stability. So really, you need to bring there your heart, your full heart, like you say, yeah. So you know, you're, I'm less I'm like a 15 years you're, like a 19 years old. You are very nice, yeah. And also, I think it's, you cannot count everything. It's like a mercy of God. You know it's it's like a mercy will came to you who will stay here? I

Todd McLaughlin: 26:11

agree. I hear ya and on that theme of soul mate. And when I asked you if you believe in a soul mate, you said, Yes. I think a lot of us think about a soul mate, that means, like the one person that we meet that might end up being either our spouse or our life partner. But I noticed that in our correspondence, prior to this conversation, that you made mention of like the group soul mate, that they're like your yoga community is a part of your soulmate and, or your teacher and, or, like you mentioned, your husband or a life partner. Can you explain a little bit about how you see the community as a soulmate experience?

Unknown: 27:46

I think that we all have like attraction to the people who are similar like us. Or in some years there they we have similar interests on in yoga, we have also similar part. So I learned that from the, I don't know it's like American Indians, or before yoga, that that is a group there exist, like a group of the soulmate soul, soul groups, and we all, we meet each other in each lifetime. So that was like a romantic idea in my head. But that romantic idea stay in my head, and I like to see that way, because I want to see other people like souls. I try to see them like a souls, not on the material level of of our minds, you know, and I see from my experience that some people, they show us to very important. Sometimes they save us. You know, you never know why some person is in your life and with time, time, show us why some person is important. So especially in yoga community, I think we are all connected within a specific way, not just for interest in yoga, it's sharing a life experience with those people, and we try to follow the yoga rules. We try to follow the yoga ethics. And it's a little bit different than normal, usual life. We have the higher standards of the communication, of the sharing energy. We all felt filled energies. You know, we had we see the subtles, subtle things, auras and everything. So I don't know if explain good, but my opinion is that I meet some people, maybe not just this lifetime, mainly from the previous life, and that we have something to do together.

Todd McLaughlin: 30:09

Yeah. Very cool. Thank you. I appreciate your insights there. You may mention in our correspondence that yoga has helped you to deepen your relationship in God. Can you talk a little bit about maybe how you viewed your understanding of God and how it now you view it and and, or what that evolution has looked like?

Unknown: 30:41

So. I think it was always in me, you know, some connection with God. I maybe I didn't before. I didn't know how to explain myself. I have many areas where God reflected in my life, and I realized God much better when was very hard to me when I had some pain or suffering. Then was the period when God, when I saw God more clearly in my life. And I would say like that, in in the lifetime, we have some period when we awaken our souls and God connection and this awakeness I can maybe compare like when spiritual energy go high and you are ready To Change yourself. And through that awakenings, I got much better connection with the God. So how through, through the real experience, not just through the religions, through the ritual, but just through the conversation I know to the to feel him in my life, his presence in my life. So I had some situations in my life with God came like a miracle to my life to save me. And when you experience something like that, you cannot believe he is here, not maybe visible, but he came through the other people, through the situation, I don't know, through the animals, even sometimes. And I think that God came to our lives through this kind of miracles. And then when yoga came, I was so impressed, because I start yoga mostly through the philosophy in the beginning, that was my trigger to yoga, and yoga explains me how we can see God, how we can connect with him More and beautiful, deep knowledge, that is yoga. Yoga, it's all about to awaken this connection with the God our soul, with his soul.

Todd McLaughlin: 33:12

So, yeah, nice. I hear you. Was the your experience of sensing a miracle due to an accident and or a health challenge,

Unknown: 33:26

I had some pretty some dangerous situation, let's say, in my previous yoga life. And I really think God saved me. No, it's not accident, but from other things. But I really think he saved me, and also that was this kind of miracles, yeah, yeah.

Todd McLaughlin: 33:46

Very cool. So then you clearly

Unknown: 33:48

see that God saved you, that you got some time, yeah, that you do something which is not usual for you, and something happened maybe on that place, or something that you maybe will be hurt,

Todd McLaughlin: 34:03

yeah? That's cool. Sandra, what? What is one of the biggest challenges you feel that you're facing currently being a yoga teacher and a studio owner? Oh,

Unknown: 34:22

I think that maybe from the COVID times, let's say that a lot of things change changes, and that is my challenge. Because before, we didn't have so much online interaction, not almost nothing you had, like email, few emails in day. You know, everything was so easier than now, let's say that times bring us a lot of new jobs, new obligations, new interactions. You know, technology came the digital area. Oh, my God, and you want to serve in yoga, and you get so many stuff to deal with and for myself that was pretty much not easy to deal with that, because I'm not that kind of person. I want to come to myself and to do my practice and share, to be in peace, and this digital area gave us so much destruction. So you need to be everywhere to be visible. You know, before people just came, you know, just came, somehow you have a website, and that was the main tool for the. Present yourself to other people. So I can say this is the main stressful area in my life to deal with. So second, maybe that the people change the mindset. So everything came easily before if you want to go to the yoga class. You need to go to studio. You need to sacrifice your time, your travel. You know, today everything is here. It's like so easy to come to the yoga class. You have everywhere. You know, it's offering everywhere. So the students, I would say, maybe I see this little bit of laziness in the, you know, to come real to see teacher, to practice the real yoga in the real time with the real teacher. Otherwise, also, I think it's a blessing somehow, because I have opportunity to practice with my teacher online, who is in New York. So I think this is the huge gift in my life, yeah, and I have time I do my best, because we are not in the same time, and I'm leading the classes, and the time when he have a classes, but that is like a blessing. But people who are in your area, I think that's here I see a little bit laziness, you know, because I think that yoga is sacrifice on some point of view, and it's going out of your comfort zone. And I'm still thinking that the teacher is very important, not just that you have two blocks away the yoga studio. I think that we all need to have connection with the teacher, with the yoga which you're practicing. So let's say this online area, online era. It's for me, the the huge stress sometimes, yeah, much more obligations, yeah,

Todd McLaughlin: 37:57

I'm gonna agree with you. Sandra, for sure, there, there's something about the simplicity of the error that you speak of where you have a website, maybe you send out emails, like even if you were doing some type of email sending that was almost I remember at one time a student came in and I was using an email service where I could, every month, just send out, you know, an email to everybody. And she was like, Whoa, that's not very yoga of you, for you to be like, marketing your services through an email. And I thought, well, I hear you. I mean, this is like, a long time ago, and I was like, at the point at that time, it felt almost like you were doing something wrong if you were attempting to market yourself digitally. You know what? I remember an era where it was like, even making a yoga video in some way, was looked at like you were cheapening the whole experience of yoga by trying to put it onto a Video, Video reel or whatever. So you're right. There's been such a huge transition from the sort of apprehension of digital technology to where we are now. I agree with you. I appreciate that you brought that up.

Unknown: 39:16

Yeah, that's that's the way how we need to live now and to share now. Yes, we need to be every we have many, many, much more obligations. According to the leading studio,

Todd McLaughlin: 39:32

how are you navigating students that are approaching you and saying, Sandra, I have pain. How are you navigating teaching yoga asana and making it accessible and approachable for people that are limited in their physical ability?

Unknown: 39:56

Okay, so first of all, I think that when we came to yoga, the yoga, when you start to practice yoga, that yoga bring everything, what is in the body and mind out. So if you have some pain in your body, and usually normal poses, you don't feel it. You don't see it. So in the beginning of yoga practice. Yoga brings pain out. So then we see where we need to bring attention to heal it. So with the breath, with the movement, with the concentration there, with the focus on prana to send there. Because, my opinion. Is that we have ability to heal ourselves. So we bring pain to us we so that's what we did to ourselves. And also think that we have the ability to heal ourselves on some level. So this is the one kind of the pain. Other kind of the pain is if someone practice yoga and go over his limits and hurt the body because he doesn't respect the limits of the body because he wants to go more faster in the samples, more stronger and the body, it's not ready. So then I think that is our that we need to go on the lower level to practice with more awareness with the body. Because yoga, it's all about awareness. So to be in in present moment with full consciousness, to feel yourself also in this physical level. So this is the second, let's say, type of the pain, and the third title of the pain is the people who came on yoga class to heal themselves. So for them, I think it's very depends of our Teacher to Go individual with that person, to see how we can make the proper practice for that person, and also to leave that person in their practice, that they learn the way, how can, how they can practice and that way to deal with the pain, or some, some, know, some things, which are, if they have, Like, something broken, or some long term diseases. No,

Todd McLaughlin: 42:45

yeah, good point. Good point, great. Mostly,

Unknown: 42:48

I think that that we got that experience to learn, of course, something and that we cannot avoid that you know that the pain is here to bring the tension on that area, on that place and that yoga, it's like a medicine. It's like a pill. It's a medicine for the body, and of course, now in the spirit, but also for the body, because the body, it's a reflection of our emotions, of our mindsets. You know, the our blood, it's full of our emotions. Every spell fear, feel our emotion on on our tote and the body, it's like a mirror of our mindset, of our life, lifestyle, life experience. Yes.

Todd McLaughlin: 43:42

Nice. Sandra, I hear ya. Are you? How many classes a day are you currently teaching? You had made mention that in the past, you held a very busy schedule every single day. On the weekends, four classes a day. Do you balance that differently now? Or are you still just as active?

Unknown: 44:05

Yeah, I balance it differently. Now I'm still leading classes almost every day. I have like a four classes, regular everyday, but then I had, like, like a weekend, some weekend schedule, or I offering something else, but I had now I have many students, many teachers, Dharma teachers. I need to share space for them, that they build up, that teachers sharing the leading classes. So now it's little bit easier to me. Let's say I have many other obligation according to this leading the studio, but also, I have some private clients, and most like it's two classes per two, not every day, but two classes. Let's say I combine that.

Todd McLaughlin: 44:58

That's cool. How would you relate yoga culture in Croatia to yoga culture in New York.

Unknown: 45:07

Oh, it's a different but first studio in Croatia was the studio with New York teachers. Interesting. The first like this kind with many styles yoga studio. And so from the beginning, we had some taste of the New York practice of yoga. And I finished my first school in that in that studio, in that school, and I. When they came first time in New York, I saw yoga in every corner. You know, every corner was a yoga studio. In Croatia, we have just three in that time, three yoga studios. So comparing to that is a huge difference. In Croatia was much more attention to the groups of the specific yoga types, like just dental meditation, Art of Living, community, Hare Krishna community, yoga in daily life. I don't know some others, but we have different types of the yoga. And that was around the teacher. And that was the closest groups we met somehow, sometimes, but that was the closest, mostly closing community, and the yoga centers or schools like we have now, we have just, we had just three in that time in New York City, in every corner. And I see the people in New York very, good discipline. You know, it's like a normal to go to yoga, yeah, yeah. Even in the business, they have a break business break in the daily, yeah. I was so impressed in that, and I was impressed in the discipline, and especially when I came to Dharma Center, I was totally impressed in the first line was, like long term students of dharma, very structured, totally but there's those people were so humbled and that I attached to that it's like a first impression, yeah. So in Croatia, sometimes we need to work on discipline. But, you know, like a stronger Sangha community, we have some discipline. We have the people who have who practice like that. Also, I had very much discipline in a previous like a sport life, and it came to me with Me in yoga. But that is the main difference. What I saw in New York. That's cool.

Todd McLaughlin: 47:58

It's it sounds though like you are cultivating that type of discipline in your studio. I mean, it just based off everything you've said. It sounds like you're you're developing it?

Unknown: 48:13

Yes, I Yeah, the top of my development, let's say they're like a morning cycles I have for many years, like a 40 day cycle every morning, like 636 30 in the morning, like for two hours. And that was the, my way to express the discipline, because I think the yoga, it's first of all discipline. And whatever you learn if you don't practice, you know, it's it's nothing. And maybe people through me saw that kind, that style of the practice. But from the beginning, we have, like, I say, very strong morning community and discipline, and that is our way of teaching. Still today I'm leading the every like a two, two part two times or two times per year, I'm leaving the morning cycles, and it's a strong discipline. We do everything in two hours. We do a lot. Yeah, yeah. That's like a reflection, and

Todd McLaughlin: 49:19

that's cool. Sandra, are you blending in mantra and meditation and asana practice and pranayama. Are you weaving all of these multifaceted aspects of yoga and teach class

Unknown: 49:35

in the regular class, I don't have enough time, yeah, so I just do a little bit of pranayama, short relaxation, because classes are shorter than before and but then I had, I have some workshops specific. I have, like some online courses or courses in life where I go with a higher level of of practice, like meditation, concentration and, know, some psychic things. And also through my teacher training, 500 I incorporate all that, but mostly through the master classes and these specific types of the cycles, like like a seven days, 13 days, 21 day. So we have, like a regular meditation, Pranayamas, Pranayamas, I do almost in every class, two, three, Pranayamas, always, because in my personal practice, the Pranayamas, kriyas, mm. Mantra meditation, that is a part of my yoga. I do a lot of it's my practice. It's not complete if I don't do this, you know, yeah, first asanas, then everything else

Todd McLaughlin: 50:57

do. It sounds to me like you don't have a hard time translating that to your students that are coming in, like, so like, imagine when some when somebody comes into your studio and they really don't know what anything about yoga is at all, brand new student, and maybe they just heard like, there's this thing called Yoga, and I'm going to go and I'm going to stretch, and I think I can touch my toes. I hope, when I show up for class, maybe I'll be able to touch my toes in front of the teacher, and the teacher is going to think I look really cool. And, you know, maybe like me, you know, like, like, a really entry level kind of yoga person. Do you have that often. And if you do, and you're getting ready to teach pranayama, maybe involve some mantra chanting and Sanskrit, do you just like figure, let me let them just jump in to the deep end and sink or float, or do when you have that new student that you go, wow, this person really is coming into a more advanced environment. Do you ever do you think about that?

Unknown: 52:12

Yeah, of course, yeah. So in studio, we have different kinds of classes, different levels, and so that is, for me, the best way to offer, to offer the yoga practice like we are doing. And also we have open level classes. So I think the on the beginner class, if someone came to the beginning for beginner class, he really got just the basic of yoga, not mantras, not not so much Pranayamas, just the breath awareness, you know, relaxation and that. And we have a huge levels of classes. And the person who is little bit more serious, he can go slowly progress in the practice through the other levels. So we do like this a long time, almost from the beginning, we have the range of the this kind of the classes, but also we have, like an open level class. So if, if someone wants to see how it's to have a mixed group with advanced students with the beginners, and that's that can be very inspirational for someone that that is like you say that when someone jump and got everything so everyone can choose for themselves, we have some people who are always beginner. You know, that is good for them. So I think it's okay to offer the range of the classes different levels.

Todd McLaughlin: 53:48

Yeah, very cool. That's awesome that you were able to do that, that you've been able to cultivate that I'm curious. Sandra, How many languages do you speak? Because I know I think you're doing a phenomenal job with your English, and when we reached it, when we started getting ready to do the podcast, you had made mention to me. I'm going to try to do in English, but I don't know how good I'll do. I think you're doing great, but I'm curious. How many languages do you know?

Unknown: 54:18

I know just English. I used to speak Italian in German, but I forgot I didn't speak a long time, but just English. But like I mentioned you before podcast, I really didn't speak a long time since COVID time on regular, normal conversation, I only leading the classes in English, because almost every class that lead in English, we can we have some English students in Croatia. There's some of them living, living lives here. Some of them jump to the class. But almost every class is English.

Todd McLaughlin: 54:55

Got it. Got it. Well, you're doing an amazing job. So well done. Not easy to do, thank you. Not easy to be interviewed and in your second language.

Unknown: 55:08

So it's not it's not easy, because, you know, the practice is everything, but I do my I really, I'm doing my best.

Todd McLaughlin: 55:19

Well, Sandra, I'm so grateful to have this chance to meet and speak with you, I really appreciate it and and thank you for being willing to go out on the edge and and do this with me. You know, with that, with the challenge of doing in English, is there, is there anything that you would like to leave us with in the. Listener with in relation to motivation and or inspiration to continue to practice.

Unknown: 55:50

Oh, it's many, many different kind of inspiration. But maybe let's say that if you want to succeed in the long term, like a yoga student, yoga teacher, whatever, let's say yoga student, just practitioner that you really need, need to have very strong inspiration. So, because if you lose inspiration, you lose everything. You don't have enthusiasm more to do the practice. Because yoga practice is like ups and downs. No, you're different in the beginning, different. You evolve through the yoga practice. You change through that. But you need to keep the strong discipline you need to have, let's say, almost the same practice. Just upgrade with the time and the really clear inspiration, what leads you on the path of the yoga. And if your inspiration is a spiritual way, targeting that way, then you will, you will succeed. You will, you will keep yoga in your life, you know, because it's not easy. We have so many distractions from the outside world that it's not easy to be on the yoga part. But I think it's the most beautiful way to transform ourselves and to transform our mindset, transform my our health, and also that we transform our relationship with the divine connection. And if you have a teacher who is still live lives in this earth, this is the really huge blessing. So be with that teacher. Share your time with him. On with your possibilities, you know, and also, don't wait to become perfect, to share the knowledge. So let's say, fix yourself a little bit, be happy with yourself and share it. So it's many people outside who are suffering still, and I think that our, that we that are service, like a teachers, it's a huge, huge blessing to help others. You forgot on yourself and you just go through that that's your like a mission, that's your mission in your life, and that it's a beautiful mission to be on that way. Don't be afraid. Just go. Don't worry. Just do yourself, do your heart, and everything will will be okay. So, but first, because fix yourself a little bit. So we are not fixed even this lifetime. But do your best and don't, don't wait to become perfect to serve. You know,

Todd McLaughlin: 58:54

yeah, yes, yeah. Oh, beautiful Sandra, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I enjoyed hearing about your yoga journey. Thank you for sharing it with us. I'm honored to have this opportunity, and thank you, Pam and Andrew for the introduction. And very much. Yeah, they spoke so highly of you, and Andrew was so excited when when we got a chance to connect. So I really appreciate them, and I am thankful for this opportunity, and I hope I get a chance to visit Croatia one day.

Unknown: 59:28

Oh, you're invited,

Todd McLaughlin: 59:31

and same here. If you ever come to Florida, please come see us.

Unknown: 59:35

Oh, yeah, who knows? Maybe New York. Finally, after, after, like a COVID time, and before that, I was almost every year in New York for 10 years. And I'm very glad that you invited me and for PAM and Andrew to suggest me, and I, I hope that we will have that we will have opportunity to share some experience at some global event, one day that we all from every kind of yoga that we I didn't know, meet each other, or some events, some festival, or some, something like that. Yes,

Todd McLaughlin: 1:00:17

to share live. I agree. Sandra, I like that. Wish.

Unknown: 1:00:22

Thank you very much. Thank you for inviting me. I'm really honored to share it. Thank you. Sandra,

Todd McLaughlin: 1:00:28

thank you. Thank you. Native yoga. Todd, cast is produced by myself. The theme music. Is dreamed up by Bryce Allen. If you like this show, let me know if there's room for improvement. I want to hear that too. We are curious to know what you think and what you want more of what I can improve. And if you have ideas for future guests or topics, please send us your thoughts to info at Native yoga center. You can find us at Native yoga center.com, and hey, if you did like this episode, share it with your friends, rate it and review and join us next time

Unknown: 1:01:24

you