There are people with whom, even from the first meeting, you establish a deep connection beyond words. That’s what I felt on July 13th during a yoga class at Sama Yoga Center New Canaan, when I met Angie Mandl.
I dared to ask Angie a few things, and here are the gifts of answers I received. I hope they inspire you as well, and I very much wish to spend more time in the company of this special person.
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· What are the three important moments in your life that you would stop at to tell us who you are?
My husband and I got married in Vienna, which we both call home, and had our children there, but soon would start on a journey of moving and exploring, as my husband developed his international career with a multinational company.
We got to know many countries, and one of them would change my life. In the Spring of 2014, we relocated from Western Europe to India, and I studied yoga, meditation, and Sanskrit there. I also did a certification in photography there, inspired by my yoga teacher, who prompted me on day 1 of my yoga teacher training to walk through the park in Delhi and capture ten beautiful things (it trained my eyes to look for the beauty around me) - this was a reconnecting with something that had been a big part of my life for many years, as I took up photography in high school and later in college.
When we relocated to the US years later, I found Sama Yoga Center, a truly unique place with authentic yoga and a warm and welcoming community unlike any other. I joined Sama’s teaching team, and subsequently co-founded Sama’s yoga school for teachers with Rebekah Jacobs, Sama’s founder.
When I got sick during the pandemic, and was bed-bound for months, I had to pause teaching, and instead focused inward - I went back to school (online) and revisited my marketing and photography studies. I realized there is so much I already know, and so much I can add to it. It ended up offering me a true gift: being able to combine my two big passions, yoga and photography.
· What has driven you to get to where you are now?
I have been practicing yoga and meditation for a very long time, and what drives everything I embark on is the quest for freedom. Freedom comes in many forms, and my needs changed over time (and keep changing), but the essence of what motivates me is the freedom that results from the work I put in.
· If you met yourself when you were just five years old, what advice would you give yourself for a harmonious path through life?
Everything will be ok in the end. If it isn’t ok, it isn’t the end.
· How do you define courage?
To me, true courage is highly personal - the one who is willing to reflect and to stand up for themselves or others even if it doesn’t serve the ego is courageous. The one who is willing to stand up to adversity without the need to retaliate is courageous. The one who is focused on growth, who wants to be better and does not allow the self to turn bitter is courageous.
· How do you maintain your motivation in difficult times?
With a little help from my friends - honestly, difficult times make me want to withdraw, and it is my family and my close friends who lovingly nudged me out of my shell time and again.
· What do you consider to be the most important achievements in your life so far?
My relationship to my self - as it informs my relationship to those around me. By putting in the work and achieving a harmonious relationship to my self, I believe I have subsequently created harmonious relationships within my family and circle of friends.
· What emotions and colors would you use if you had to describe yourself in this way?
Emotions = calm, kind, loving; colors = dusty blue, powdery pink, warm white :)
· If you were to look at life as a journey, where do you think you are on this path?
I think I am right in the middle, which is consistent with my age :)
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Thank you so much, Angie for the shared wisdom! It is a blessing to have met you this summer and the gratefulness I felt I've also recorded as an entry in my Gratitude Journal.
Thank you, Rebekah for the sacred and high vibration center you created in New Canaan!
Dear reader, at the end of this article, I leave you to ponder this beautiful quote I learned from Angie and invite you to sit with it and feel how the words of Shunryu Suzuki resonate with you.
“Leave your front door and your back door open. Allow your thoughts to come and go. Just don’t serve them tea.”