Céline ryf
Jivamukti advanced certified teacher, mentor, kirtan lover & holistic health coach
I believe that we all have an inner wisdom of how to live in harmony with ourselves, the world around us and the divine.
In a busy world, we often loose access to that inner guide which may lead to confusion and a sense of disconnection. For me, yoga is not something more to add to our to do list, or another goal we need to achieve, but rather a place or state we can find back to, our natural state which is happy, peaceful and connected. Purifying and harmonizing our inner world will naturally change our perception. Rather than seeing separation, we will begin to see connection, which is the very meaning of yoga. If you feel connected to others, you will be more tolerant, forgiving and compassionate towards them.
Connection is love.
The expression of love is service.
If you love someone you want to make them happy. If you love all beings, creation and the creator, then you will do all you can to not harm them unnecessarily and to become an instrument of peace. That peace starts in the heart of each and every one. It can be restored and maintained through the support of teachers, guides, community and regular practice.
In my own path, I have been lucky to meet many great teachers and make beautiful and nourishing friendships. Soul Sadhana is my humble attempt to be of service and share the gifts that I have received with those who feel called to go on that journey within. I’m here to support you every step of the way.
my journey
As a young child, I was confronted with disease and loss in my close family. These experiences led to big questions such as “Why are we here?”, “Why do we suffer?” or “Where do we go afterwards?” That was the beginning of a lifelong quest. As a teenager, I started reading spiritual books, to experiment with my breath and to sit still as long as possible. At that time, I was given a copy of the Bhagavad Gita by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, not knowing that years later I would find that this book had all the answers to all my questions. I just wasn’t ready for them yet.
Another thing I remember from my childhood is that I was constantly moving, doing cartwheels, going upside down. I wanted to explore what my body was capable of which resulted in extreme gymnastic training and consequent injuries. It was my back pain that led me to my very first ashtanga yoga class at the age of 17. I first saw it as a means of healing my body and only later connected the dots to my spiritual quest.
At university, I studied political science and history because I wanted to understand the world and humanity and perhaps contribute in some small way to make it a better place by working in government or international relations. While doing an internship at the UN in New York, I discovered the Jivamukti yoga school. That’s where I realized that yoga was so much more than just moving the body. In each class, the teacher would sing a mantra, read from the ancient wisdom texts of India and other traditions and play spiritual music while we were moving through a vigorous asana practice. I immediately felt attracted to this holistic approach, but what captured me the most was the strong focus on spiritual activism - a way of changing the world by changing people’s hearts and perceptions.
Back home, I started sharing what I was learning from my teachers and in my own practice with friends and family. In 2007, I became a Jivamukti yoga teacher and started offering regular classes in a small rented space in Bern. After graduating from university, I spent two years traveling mostly with my mentor Yogeswari, assisting her workshops and retreats all over the world. I also mentored at several Jivamukti yoga teacher trainings and started teaching my own retreats.
In 2011, I opened my yoga school Daya Yoga in Bern which I ran for ten years. In that decade, I also became a mother to three beautiful children and lost my own mother to cancer. The big questions of life became more relevant and urgent again. I felt lost, broken and overwhelmed. All I could think of doing, was praying for help and guidance. I remembered that edition of the Bhagavad Gita that I was given as a teenager and started reading more attentively. Now, I was ready to hear the answers. They say that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. That certainly was true for me. The teacher did not only appear in the form of the book, but also people that helped me understand it better, friends that picked me up and practices that are a lifeline when things fall apart.
I still love movement and I practice asana very regularly. It helps me to feel grounded and balanced and at the same time flexible and open in my body. Devotion has become a more important part of my personal practice. Daily mantra meditation and study of the ancient texts are the pillar of my sadhana. They help me calm my mind and connect to my spiritual essence. I feel that they help me be a better version of myself in all the different roles of life, because they connect everything back to the source. They remind me to see beauty everywhere, that life is a gift and that gifts are more meaningful when they are shared.
