Why I Chose "Yoga Rock Stars" As The Name For My Column
I like to think that everyone is a Rock Star; Life takes us on a journey that guides us through highs and lows, and we have to go through them, not over come them, we have to embrace them in order to grow. The same holds true for Yoga. You can't skip the practice or specific Asanas. If you decide (and of course it's always up to free choice and free will), not to go through with certain practice patterns, you will only hover, not grow or flow. It takes courage to grow, and so I chose to call my column "Yoga Rock Stars".
A Yoga Rock Star is anyone who attempts to become a Yoga student. A devotee of the practice is someone, who decides to delve into the teachings and the transformations the practice brings forth. It takes a commitment and dedication to become a Yoga student. I am not talking about those people who love to take a Yoga class every once in a while and walk away with a feeling of "a good workout". That's not what I teach. Yoga means Union; Union with yourself and with everything around you. That alone is a very profound message, and many people interpret this statement differently. For me it implies the law of One. We are all individually ONE; we all represent the Absolute, the Infinite, God, the Source of All. If you look at Life from that perspective, nothing is ever separate from anything else, and through your practice you will explore your body, your thoughts, your feelings, your energy and with that comes transformation.
I rarely take more than 8 students in my class, simply because I can't tend to more than 8 students. Each student to me is someone who decided to come to my class instead of going somewhere else, and with that comes a commitment that I like to bring forth in my class towards each student; and in return I ask a lot of my students. I ask that everyone in my program sets aside 60-minutes to devote themselves to the moment. Be in the moment, explore the pose, explore all the feelings that transpire in that particular second and be present. Don't judge, but transform yourself from where you are into something you want to become, and be committed to that particular moment. This is why each student to me is a Yoga Rock Star, it takes a Star to light up the darkness and to go out into the world and inspire others to do the same.
Biography
Tanja Pazou is an international "mover and shaker". She has traveled from her home country Germany, to the United States and she has trained thousands of students during the course of her career as an international educator in the fields of Dance, Yoga, Acrobatics and Movement Therapy.
Tanja studied Ballet (Vaganova) and Modern Dance (Graham, Limon and Cunningham) in Germany, as well as Jazz Dance and Urban Dance Forms; she advanced her studies in London, England more intensely. After her graduation and already working as a choreographer in Germany for Adidas, BMW and many more, she traveled to Los Angeles, California, where she decided to stay for the upcoming years. Tanja studied in Los Angeles more intensely and furthered her education in all fields of dance & choreography and she delved into varies styles of Yoga with a wide variety of teachers. Tanja choreographed for many celebrities and she has developed international relationships with musicians, actors, directors, producers in Europe and United States. Throughout the years of working as a professional dancer and choreographer, Tanja has developed a deep love for Yoga due to injuries that occurred through intense dance and acrobatic practice. Tanja has been a Yoga practitioner for 15 years and a Yoga teacher for 10 years. Tanja currently lives in Chicago and has expanded her studies into many areas accompanying her work; she enjoys working with professionals as well as beginners, adults as well as children.
