Name: Mona Moussa
Profession: Previously a Psychologist, currently a stay-at-home mom
Other interests: Reading, traveling, walking and hiking
How long have you been prasticing yoga?
I have been prasticing yoga for two years. I started yoga with Aparajita, fell in love with her classes and haven’t looked back since!
What classes at Nilaya House do you attend?
I attend the Iyengar classes offered by Aparajita on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Aparajitas dedication her practice and her passion for teaching – is what draws me to her class. She is an expert at multi-level processing and seamlessly tends to each student’s needs, remembering their vulnerabilities and suggesting alternative poses throughout the class.
She is even able to maintain a similar rigorousness in her attention to detail in her online classes – she can discern the slightest changes in body alignment on the screen.
Aparajita radiates passion, peace, and commitment. This in turn has created a sense of belonging and a community feel in her classes – which enhances both our physical and emotional well-being.
Why do you practice yoga? What benefits does it bring?
I started yoga in an attempt to stay fit physically and mentally. Yoga has this beautiful centering effect which helps me stay grounded and offers me the opportunity to be kind to my body.
Practising Iyengar yoga has helped me become more attuned to the alignment of my body and to create space. It has also strengthened my muscles and improved my posture, which in turn relieved my chronic shoulder and neck pain.
What is your favorite posture and why?
I love twists because they help elongate my spine and create space. I like the gradual process of rotating, creating space and extending movement into some of the more resistant areas of my spine.
This process of creating space and elongating my body has also become a metaphor in my daily life – where I remind myself to also create space between me and the daily stressors of life.
What’s your advice for people wanting to start yoga?
My advice is to just start on the spot, rather than wait for the right time. As you start to form a sense of belonging to your yoga practice, you might start to notice yourself prioritising your yoga classes and rearranging your daily routine in a way to accommodate the timing of your classes – rather than the other way around.
