Meet Gina: Your Inspiring Vinyasa Teacher on a Journey of Transformation

Gina, a person filled with energy and passionate about new adventures. Currently, her wanderlust soul is awake, and her heart is open to all the new learnings she may encounter along the way. She is a lover of her own well-being and of all the people around her, always finding the energy to share. As a social worker by profession for the past 7 years, she has had the opportunity to offer the best version of herself in various resources and services for diverse social groups in vulnerable situations. Yoga entered her life when she was a teenager, helping her discover and get to know the person she is today.

After years of practice in different disciplines and self-practice, in July 2022, she had the opportunity to formally train at Rishikul Yogshala in Rishikesh, India, obtaining certification as a 200-hour yoga instructor. Since then, with no intention of making yoga her profession, her path has led her to unroll her mat every week in front of students who have allowed her to both experience and teach yoga from another part of the shala. In her classes, she enjoys creating a warm and trusting atmosphere where everyone is always welcome. She is passionate about guiding sessions from the heart, always listening to the needs of her students and, above all, exploring the best versions within each individual, because in the end, the practice of yoga is just that—yoga is union, the union of the individual soul with the universal spirit.

After a year of experiencing and discovering herself through yoga, in July 2023, she found her passion for sound. While traveling in Nepal, she had the opportunity to train in Sound Healing therapy with singing bowls to enrich her knowledge and complement all the learning experiences she has had so far, with the aim of transmitting serenity, courage, and love through sounds.

Hand Analysis: Discover Your Unique Psychology

Have you ever wondered what your hands could reveal about your inner world? In a world where we often receive standardized advice on how to live our lives, understanding our unique psychological landscape is vital for personal growth. Hand analysis provides a fascinating and engaging way to explore your strengths, challenges, and life patterns, unveiling the complex interplay of your personality traits and the path towards genuine fulfillment.

The International Institute of Hand Analysis (IIHA) has developed a groundbreaking approach to comprehend the human psyche through modern hand analysis. This fascinating method, based on empirical research, deciphers the correlations between hand shape, fingerprints, and lines with an individual’s character traits and life patterns. Richard Unger, a pioneer in this field, revolutionized hand analysis in the 1980s by combining traditional hand-analytical interpretations with modern scientific findings. This led to the development of LifePrints, the first-ever fingerprint interpretation system that took traditional palmistry to a new level of precision and insight.

Unlike the myths and stereotypes of palmistry, this method of hand analysis isn’t about predicting specific life events. Instead, it dives deep into the inner workings of your mind, identifying archetypal qualities within your psychology and exploring how they interact with one another. Hand analysis is a captivating journey of self-discovery, helping you embrace your true self and aligning your life with your innate nature.

To learn more about hand analysis, visit handguide.me/hand-analysis.

Connecting People to their Nature: Jo’s Mission in Reading Hands

Jo is a professional hand analyst certified by the International Institute of Hand Analysis (IIHA). After training for three years with his teacher Pascal Stössel in Switzerland, he has just started his new career. He is currently based in Tangalle, Sri Lanka, and is happy to receive clients for individual hand analysis sessions.

Jo’s hands consist of an elongated rectangular palm and long fingers, the characteristics of an air-hand. He likes to look at the world from a safe distance of researching, analyzing, understanding, reflecting, and planning. The tented arch fingerprint on his left index enhances his mental qualities and brings a lot of thirst for wisdom, while making decisions and commitments particularly challenging. It also planted in his soul an insatiable longing for freedom, which led to a very nomadic lifestyle. He has never lived anywhere for longer than nine months in the past 15 years of his life.

It is further the root of his key challenges that can be illustrated by the metaphor of the captured elephant deprived of its freedom to the point of forgetting its own will and passion. While Jo might often know what he wants, he faces tremendous fears in confronting the world with it to make it real and tangible. Finding courage and a healthy trust in his own power is his most important but most difficult life lesson.

The nine loops on all the other fingerprints make him a highly sensitive person, easily overwhelmed with the noise and harshness of modern civilization, dreaming of an idealistic world where people live in harmony with nature. And they add a lot of empathy and delicacy to his qualities – ideal for accompanying people in vulnerable processes. Guiding others through their inner world deeply resonates with his life purpose, a loop in the outer lower palm of his right hand. It pulls him to contemplate the world of a child – the subconscious, the dreams, the fantasy, and the deep sense of meaningfulness that arises from feeling connected.

For Jo, connecting with our own nature, fully accepting who we are in this very moment, and reaching more depth in our being is the inevitable first step in reconnecting with nature as a whole. He wishes to contribute to a culture that sees again the interconnectedness of life and the sacredness of every single expression of it.

Contact Jo on WhatsApp for an individual hand analysis at Yoga Tangalle or visit his website for an online session.

Yin Yoga: A Practice of Stillness and Tranquility

Yin Yoga is a unique form of yoga that emphasizes stillness and tranquility. This practice involves holding poses for several minutes while the body is completely relaxed, allowing for a deeper observation of physical sensations and an approach to mental and physical stillness. The breath is used as a tool to find mental space and relaxation, leading to a calming of the breath, body, and mind.

How Does Yin Yoga Work?

In contrast to more dynamic yoga practices, Yin Yoga involves holding passive poses for extended periods of time, typically between three to five minutes or longer. These poses target the deeper layers of connective tissues, such as ligaments, tendons, and fascia, rather than the muscles. The slow and steady approach of Yin Yoga allows practitioners to develop a deeper understanding of their body and mind. It also helps to increase flexibility, improve joint mobility, and stimulate the body’s natural healing process.

Benefits of Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga offers numerous benefits for both the body and mind. Physically, it helps to increase flexibility, improve joint mobility, and stimulate the body’s natural healing process. Yin Yoga also promotes relaxation and reduces stress, leading to better sleep and an overall sense of well-being. Additionally, this practice can enhance meditation and mindfulness skills, as it requires focus, stillness, and a willingness to observe physical and mental sensations.

Who Can Benefit from Yin Yoga?

Yin Yoga is suitable for all levels and ages, making it an accessible practice for everyone. It is particularly beneficial for those who are looking to slow down and cultivate stillness in their lives. This practice can be especially helpful for those who are experiencing stress, anxiety, or other mental or physical conditions. Additionally, Yin Yoga can complement other yoga practices, as well as other forms of exercise, such as running or weightlifting.

Join our Yin Yoga classes. Check the schedule.

A girl relaxing on a bolster in a yin yoga position, lying on her front body.
Finding stillness in yin yoga with the help of a bolster.

Read more about Yin Yoga here: yinyogatherapytraining.com

Enhance Well-being: Experience Slings Myofascial Training

What is Slings Myofascial Training?

Slings Myofascial Training is a fascia-focused movement practice created by Karin Gurtner in 2008. Inspired by her studies with Tom Myers, the founder of Anatomy Trains, Gurtner developed a movement concept based on scientific research on fascia. The term “myo” refers to muscle, while “fascia” denotes the body-wide fibrous tissue connecting all systems. “Slings” represents the cooperative continuities of muscles and fascia spanning the body. Although every movement is myofascial, Slings specifically targets fascial integrity with its techniques. This unique, holistic practice can be integrated into all body-minded disciplines.

How Does Slings Myofascial Training Work?

The Slings concept incorporates various training techniques, including spiralling, stabilising, and toning movements, as well as self-massage and tissue hydrating methods. These techniques aim to enhance fascial qualities such as force transmission, muscle collaboration, and elasticity. Overall, Slings focuses on building dynamic stability, tissue nourishment, somatic trust, adaptability, and resilience, among other beneficial qualities.

Benefits of Slings Myofascial Training

Practicing Slings positively impacts the entire body-mind system, offering numerous benefits. The practice promotes postural ease, movement freedom, radiant vitality, and overall well-being from the inside out. Moreover, Slings is enjoyable and easily incorporated into daily life or as a complement to other training or movement methods.

Who Can Benefit from Slings Myofascial Training?

Slings Myofascial Training is suitable for all levels and ages. The movement intensity can vary from gentle to athletic, and the content can be tailored for general well-being or goal-oriented results. This versatile practice is ideal for everyone and every body type.

For source and more information on Slings visit art-of-motion.com.

Unlock Profound Healing: Vilma’s Yoga & Slings Fusion

Vilma, a Finnish yoga, movement, and mindfulness teacher, offers a unique and transformative practice. Starting her journey in ashtanga yoga over ten years ago, Vilma developed a passion for health and wellness. She explored various yoga styles, including vinyasa flow.

In 2013, Vilma completed her first 200-hour teacher training in Nicaragua. Back in Finland, she continued teaching and learning to understand healing the body-mind system with movement and meditation. An encounter with yin yoga teacher Victor Chng in 2014 sparked her interest in power of breath and the balance between movement and stillness.

Traveling through Asia, Vilma studied more about the fascinating world of fascia, through studies of Anatomy Trains. A fascia-focused movement practice based on the studies of Anatomy Trains called ”Slings” finally took her heart and felt like home. Impressed by the healing potential, she earned her Slings foundation level teacher certification in 2019 at the Art of Motion Academy.

Vilma is also a holistic nutritionist and a certified mindfulness coach. As a singer, she uses her voice for healing vibrations. She combines various yoga styles, Slings, and mindfulness in her teachings, creating unique class experiences.

Warm, intuitive, and authentic, Vilma’s teaching approach provides a unique touch. Her classes offer a supportive, safe space for self-reflection and healing. This nurturing environment helps students develop strength, confidence, and healthier movement habits.

Vilma’s practice emphasizes effectiveness, enjoyment, and motivation. Students often praise her for the multi-level healing and encouragement she offers, as well as her ability to inspire confidence in their own bodies. Vilma has taught extensively in Finland, Nicaragua, Mexico, Colombia, and Sri Lanka, witnessing remarkable transformations in the people she has shared her practice with.

Join Vilma’s inspiring journey and experience her innovative blend of yoga, Slings, and mindfulness at Yoga Tangalle in March and April 2023.

Read more from her on her website
www.vilmatammilehto.com or on her Facebook page

What is Vipassana?

Vipassana meditation is a form of meditation that originates from ancient India and has been practiced for over 2,500 years. It is a technique that focuses on self-observation and self-awareness, and it aims to help practitioners gain insight into the nature of their mind and the world around them. One of the most popular traditions of vipassana meditation is the S N Goenka tradition, which is widely known for its 10-day silent meditation courses.

The 10-day silent meditation courses in the S N Goenka tradition are intense, immersive experiences designed to teach students the vipassana meditation technique. During the course, students are required to remain in complete silence, abstain from all forms of communication, and follow a strict schedule of meditation and rest. The course is held at one of the many meditation centers around the world, and students are provided with basic accommodation and vegetarian meals.

The first three days of the course focus on learning Anapana meditation, which involves concentrating on the breath to develop awareness of the present moment. After this initial stage, students move on to the vipassana technique, which involves observing physical sensations throughout the body without reacting to them. This technique aims to develop equanimity and detachment towards the sensations, allowing the practitioner to gain insight into the nature of the mind and the world.

The S N Goenka tradition emphasizes the importance of a daily meditation practice and encourages students to continue practicing after completing the course. To support this, the tradition provides online resources and community groups for students to continue their practice and deepen their understanding of the technique.

At Yoga Tangalle Shala, we recognize the value of vipassana meditation and its potential to transform the mind and cultivate inner peace. While we do not offer the 10-day silent meditation courses in the S N Goenka tradition, we do have access to resources that provide simple beginner guidance to learning Anapana meditation. We incorporate one hour of silent meditation, morning and evening, into our daily yoga schedule. We welcome all students to join us in this practice.