International Yoga Day 2020

Written by Denis Dronjic.
Translated by Ksenija Mravlja.

International Day of Yoga 2020:

Number 1 4 7 guided me for almost half my life. Anytime I would see #147, I knew I was going to take the right direction no matter what the outcome will be. I wasn’t looking for the number, at least not consciously, but it would randomly appear and I started taking notice of it. At 21 years old I decided that anytime I would see #147 I would take it as a sign that the important choices and/or decisions I have made were the right ones to suit my long-term life goals. To prove the authenticity of my claim, our yoga studio just happens to be located next to the train tracks with a concrete block next to the tracks. This concrete block is adjacent from our joga studio. On this concrete block there is a number engraved in it with big black letters. 147 km. Coincidence? ..Maybe? ..Maybe not?

It was Sunday, year 2016, two days before scheduled meeting to sign the contract for a 3 year leasing term, to open the first Bikram hot yoga studio in Ljubljana, my birth place. It was a very exciting time in my life, but still a bit nerve-wrecking, because I needed to make a decision if I was ready to commit to the new responsibilities of running a hot yoga studio. After all, I was a traveling yoga teacher, a pilgrim with a backpack, drifting with the unknown around the world for many years.
Dozens of different countries and thousands of kilometers later, I find myself in Ljubljana. A sequence of events, for some reason or another brought me to this building, where the yoga studio is located now.

Two days later, I sign the papers for the new yoga studio, Bikram Hot Yoga Ljubljana. Coincidentally, the signing of the contract took place on June 21st, 2016, International Yoga Day. Ok I think I’m suppose to be here ?

It has been 4 years. Already. When I signed the papers, I envisioned a 10 year Goal, at a minimum. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I said fuck it, what do I have to lose? I thought to myself; I’ll continue doing what I love and know how to do in a place I can already envision stories about.

Well this year has turned out to be very challenging for the studio. Who would have ever predicted this nonsense. But life has a funny way of doing unexpected things when you least expect it. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that a thought of packing my things and running away didn’t cross my mind. I’d probably get a cheap bus and turn it into a house on wheels and return to being a worldly-gypsy-yogi. Then I thought; maybe I could build a treehouse somewhere in the Slovenian forest and start to live off grid. I’d do online business to receive paper with value, aka money, grow my own food and learn to self sustain… or something like that.
Now all of these decisions would be ok, as they are all right decisions that would create a new chain of events. But I would think about this yoga studio a lot if I walked away from it. This ‘Korona’ is a strong offense, sometimes she can be a bitch. But this bitchin Korona don’t know Denis ain’t here to give up. There are reasons why I ended up here. I’ll take the risk and continue to follow the unknown road, and putting my honest efforts into this beautiful energetic space, which we call our hot yoga studio. ? what do I have to lose.

There are a good number of people that help keep this studio hot so they can continue practicing and learning this amazing yoga. It is a small community of beautiful people which is slowly growing. More people are finding out about hot yoga. People of all ages seeking for something new that brings them happiness and good health. They have discovered tremendous happiness in how hot yoga leaves them feeling; strong flexible bodies, and sharp vibrant minds. They know it’s hard but they keep coming back for more and more. I don’t blame them. If anything, I try to encourage them to come back for more and more and more 😉. I sell the happy~pill (not really;)
So this Korona ‘shady-business’ thing can buzz-off! I have a responsibility to these ‘strange’ Slovenian people (hehe just kidding..or am I? 😉
Let’s dance… happy 4 years of sweating together on this beautiful life journey. It’s just so much better HOT. Happy international yoga day. This is really something to celebrate. You have no idea how lucky you are to be reading this. But it ain’t gonna be easy. I can promise you that (at least for the first 2 years 😉 that’s how long it takes to set the roots for your yoga routine. Now don’t forget this is one of the most ‘genius’ physical and mental exercise created for humanity which you can do for the rest of your life, and it will only get better and improve the quality of your life. But sadly it will take another 200-500 years before people understand what I understand today, that this yoga should be practiced by every human being. until then, yoga will continue to play a role in my life, and I will continue sharing it with others.
Are you ready? Yes or no? Come put your feet on the yoga mat, and take a dive. I’ll help you get so strong, physically and mentally. Come discover the magic of HOT (not sauna 😉 yoga.
“You know what, I’m feeling a sense of excitement in me ??

Your yoga teacher,

Denis ?

“Soon the student discovered grace and beauty within the struggle.” ~dd~