Yogi
I do not claim the title of Yogi in the traditional sense of the term, that would be very presumptuous!
However, I am or have been a follower of several holistic traditions, which for me are both a Science and an Art of being oneself and in the world. From these, I derive a concrete and modern implementation of practices tested by time but also revisited in this era.
Here is a very brief overview in a more or less chronological order...
Martial Arts
I briefly practiced Judo in my early childhood and Aikido around the age of 25. In between, I mainly practiced Karate from adolescence for many years, specifically Karate Do Shotokan. I was fortunate to meet a true Sensei who taught that Karate is a Do, a path and a way of life. I remember maxims like: "the real fight is within oneself" or "victory is not to fight the opponent."
After moving, I had to change Dojos, and my new Sensei had a more combat sport-centered vision and less about the art of being. After participating in the Senegal championship, I decided to abandon Karate in favor of another tradition, this time of Indian origin.
Yoga
My adolescence was a period filled with many philosophical and spiritual readings, notably on the connection of man with the universe, Buddhism, Hinduism, but also Hermeticism and European initiatory traditions. Thus, Yoga naturally imposed itself on me as a holistic path that also integrates the physical body. At 17, I began my journey at the International Center of Yoga created by Master Babacar Khane in Dakar. There, I practiced a style of Yoga known as Egyptian Yoga that integrates Hatha Yoga with postures from ancient Egypt and energetic techniques from the internal branch of Kung-Fu (Nei Chia).
I continued practicing in France, where I met Cyrus Fay in 2001. Cyrus is the principal disciple of Shri Mahesh, one of the first Indians to introduce Hatha Yoga in France. With Cyrus, I discovered vital breaths and a practice integrating postures and energy flows in the body. After many years of practice, I decided to undergo teacher training at his French Institute of Varma Yoga (IFVY).
Eager to share my knowledge and spread a holistic vision of Yoga, I began teaching and co-created in 2018 the site YogĀrkana. Because throughout my Yoga journey, I also discovered other traditions, styles, and practices like Sivananda Yoga, Kriya Yoga (Lahiri Mahasaya lineage), Naada Yoga (with Shyamji Bhatnagar).
To deepen certain aspects, I followed a second teacher training of Integral Yoga at the Agama school by Yotham Baranes. There, in addition to postures (asana) and breathing exercises (pranayama), I practiced Kashmir Yoga and Satyananda's Kriya Yoga.
I then discovered Simon Borg Olivier initially through his teaching around bandha (which reminded me of Babacar Khane's contraction-relaxation techniques) and then more generally through his holistic vision of Yoga as a traditional tradition and science for a modern body. This even motivated me to follow a teacher training with him to truly deepen Yoga Synergy, a synthesis of his physiotherapy expertise and direct learning from masters such as BKS Iyengar (postural Yoga), Pattabhi Jois (dynamic Yoga), or Master Yang (Chinese tradition Yang Mian).
Shamanism
The term shamanism covers a large number of spiritual traditions and practices. For example, it's very likely that the first poet-seers of Yoga (rishi) were shamans.
I have personally experienced multiple ceremonies based on entheogenic plants that confirm and complement the holistic vision of Yoga. My thesis at the end of my studies at the Agama school deals with this.
Synthesis
Yoga, in the sense of union with oneself and the universe, is both the goal and the path that I tread like an eternal student. The synthesis that I make of it is necessarily drawn from my personal experience and, therefore, destined to evolve over time. However, I share with you, in the form of a diagram, the vision I have at the moment.
